Cultural Curiosities: Spirit Houses and Shrines

A spirit house or san phra phum in Thai language is a shrine to the spirit that protects the general area of an establishment, these are usually found in Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Laos). They look like miniature palaces and houses. The little house is to provide shelter for the spirits who it is believed would create problems for the living if they are not appeased. They are placed outside restaurants, schools, cafes, homes and other meeting spots. So pretty much everywhere. I'd say I pass about two dozen just walking around the city. These houses have been around since the very first establishment of Thailand. They can range from being ornate and intricate with small figurines or simplistic and detailed, they are decorated with flowers, food and other offerings. Each spirit has personalities and before offering items to the spirit you have to determine the spirit's likings and tastes. 

For example, my favorite spirit house is the one outside the the main gate to Chiang Mai University. The spirit is said to love elephants. No, he/she ADORES elephants. If you want to get accepted to the University you must go to the shrine and ask the spirit to allow you to attend. If you are granted acceptance it is custom to bring a small elephant figurine to pay thanks to the spirit. The result is hundreds of elephants around an incredibly ornate shrine, left by the students who now attend the university.

Creating a shrine to the spirit is actually a very crucial and tedious process. Here's an important list of what you'll have to consider and what you'll need:

1. Owner's Preference: Ask yourself how much can you spend on the shrine (ornate vs. simple)
2. See a fortune teller (one well-known for determining Spirit preferences of course). The fortune teller needs to see the site of the future house and also will need to know the birthday of the owner (which is very important). The fortune teller will tell the owner what the Spirit likes and where to put the shrine on the property.
3. Set up an auspicious date
4. Celebrate the Spirit and the new house by having friends and family join in a House Warming Party.

You only need property, an incredible craftsman, a fortune teller, an auspicious date and a party!

Now you have a recipe for a happy spirit!

Simple Spirit House, old and rustic ornate with flowers

Ornate spirit house, figurines and offerings, fresh flowers and ribbon

Elephant donations at Chiang Mai University Spirit Shrine.
I told you he liked elephants, he REALLY likes elephants.
I feel like this spirit would be an ideal candidate for the TV show "Hoarders" 

Conquering Fears; This Week- Heights!

"Waahoooooo," I belted as I jumped off the edge of the wooden platform under me and soared through the air on a single rope attached to me by a series of straps and carabiners. "Wait! Miss, no!" the attendent screamed as I zoom past him and whizz through the air towards the next tree several yards ahead. "Hahaha," I heard him snicker behind me, laughing at my screams and look of terror. 

This week in my International Business Management course we visited a nearby zip-lining school to learn about the developing tourism industry in Chaing Mai, Thailand. What started as a educational class field trip ended with a few friends and I indulging in this thrilling activity! I won't say I wasn't reluctant, I have always been afraid of heights (or falling as Dr. Sheldon Cooper would say), but I couldn't miss out on the fun! I got through the course which included 15 platforms, 7 Ziplines, a 20 meter abseil, sky bridge, climbing net, flying skateboard, monkey latter, timber balancing beams and a zodiac bridge-yikes! We were swamped afterwards with good reason. I was happy I didn't back down and let my fear overcome me, "wahoo" to that too!

Proof :]   :

Walking on air!

Looking down-I'm about to jump!

Getting ready and building courage!

One of the wobbly bridges we had to walk across!

We survived!

Tai Mai: "Why Not?"

Traveling is a lot like being a new kid on the first day of school. Our first trip out of Chiang Mai to the southern beach town of Krabi was as educational as those first few moments finding your locker or stepping out onto the play ground. As a kid I remember waking up hours earlier than necessary to get ready, only to learn I was far overdressed and that despite all the advertisements I had seen over summer, my new outfit was definitely not "in". The decisions on the first day are all risks; some that will decide who your friends are and who you are for the next several months or years. We too, had to take risks on this first trip and learned a great deal about what it's like to travel in Thailand. For example, who would have thought that telling the bus driver to drop us off in "Krabi Town" would mean stopping at a shady taxi service 45 minutes from the actual town in the middle of the night in a new tourist trap scam? Could you have guessed that boats don't go from Tonsai Beach to Krabi at night and if you convince a boatman to make the trip you'll spend a half hour in dark fiery waves as the attendant sings softly to himself while grasping his knees like in a scene from Life of Pi? You'll be looking for life jackets and upon learning they are missing you'll be searching for landmark islands that you might be able to swim to if/when the boat goes over. You enjoy a day of touring and snorkeling only to run into a swarm of jellyfish that run rampant on your bare legs, completely ruining you're rendition of The Little Mermaid's Under the Sea acapella version you were singing in your head at the time of the attack. You take a risk that you'll be able to sleep in the airport only to find that the airport is closing and you'll have to stay in an expensive hostel that will soon become your death bed-or bathroom as you and your friends get sick from some unknown cause and end up sharing it like the Bridesmaids food poisoning scene.

However, there are risks on the first day of school that later become the memories that summarize a very special and surprisingly exciting part of your life. It's meeting a stranger that soon becomes your best friend, the lunch spot that you'll call your own or the teacher whose first day welcoming speech you can never forget. Traveling to the beaches of Southern Thailand was certainly filled with those magical moments. Our trip was nothing like how we had planned and I think all of us were very satisfied in its conclusion. The spontaneity and impulsiveness of the events that would finally bring us home were nothing less than whimsical and encouraged my traveling spirit more than ever before.

Our adventure began when we picked up two stray Germans that followed us to our hostel, taught us new drinking games and hung out with us on the beach for the entirety of our trip. While playing these drinking games, a Swiss and fellow traveller told us to ditch our plans to the heavy tourist beach of Koh Phi Phi and explore Ton Sai beach instead, raving about it's backpacker vibe, relaxing "Why not?" atmosphere and incredible rock climbing. Although we planned to only stay one day in this recommended area we would end up lying in Ton Sai's sandy white beaches and swimming in the clear green-blue water four out of the five days of our vacation-furthermore we would miss our bus because of our resistance to leave this serene paradise. Ton Sai became our second home in a very short time, we were chatting with the locals like they were old friends, we knew where the good places to eat were, what time the tide would come back in and were soon convincing other travelers to ditch their plans and head to Ton Sai for the real Southern Thailand experience. Our best argument; Tai Mai, "Why Not?"

Seafood Street Food!

"Four Islands"- one of the places where we went snorkeling and where the jellyfish attacked!

Ton Sai Beach in Krabi

Four Islands

There's my friends and I enjoying the view from the tour boat -can't believe it's real!  Photo Credit: Anna Sedlar

Fresh Mackerel for dinner!

Watched the sunset on the beach- said"good morning" to the bats that live close by, do you see them?

Watched a fire show on the beach!

The view of Ton Sai from a hammok in Sunset Bar, the Cafe/Bar we started to call ours :]

Railay Beach, Krabi

While hanging at the Cafe, a local handed me this baby kitty to play with :]

You can see why it was so hard to leave!

This is only the beginning...

Some people ride on roller coasters or drive too fast. Others watch scary movies or even play or watch sports. Others choose to drink, dance or another vice. You get an adrenaline rush from these activities, your senses hyped, your eyes peeled, your heart pumping, your breath stopped as you are overcome with what will happen next, the unknown of the next few seconds. I have never liked these kinds of things. I do, however, have something that pumps with me with a constant flow of adrenaline, a passion infused obsession that leaves me scared and overflowed with emotion and hype. Traveling is my drug of choice. 

After this semester I felt lost. My last trip to Czech Republic left me with the self-confidence, security and happiness that I had been searching for when I first left. But within a few months back I felt myself lost again-nothing giving me the excitement that I had felt when I had been traveling. My move to Thailand has been like a defibrillator to my heart that has sent a shock through my entire body; my head, my hands and my feet itch for everything that is around me. I am alive again.

As I walk out the door of my new apartment I am overwhelmed with sounds and smells, all foreign and exotic. “Sa-wat-dee Kah” the security guard says to me with a wai and a smile, “Sa-wat-dee Kah” I return as she politely laughs at my accent and shy wai. As I make my way out to the street I smell the sweet flowers and luscious, overgrown leaves that bloom all across the city. The birds are chirping, roosters cock-a-doodle-dooing and cats meowing; the city is waking up. The local stray dog, known as “Cafe” follows me down the street sniffing my heels. I get a whiff of the street market where the local people have just started to prepare their grills with foreign food that looks both tempting and strange. Pork on a stick, sushi, sweet corn, mango, Chinese apples, deep fried chicken, pad thai and lots of other things I can't identify yet. Traffic roars with vespas and motorcycles, taxis and tuk tuks that fill the city streets. I pass cafes that fill my nose with rich coffee, tea and fresh fruit smoothies-a local favorite. The weather is warm with a cooling breeze, it is perfect. If it weren't for my height, light hair, pale skin and overall demeanor, I would fit right in with the other university students in uniform. But the Thai people are friendly despite my alien appearance, they greet me and smile genuinely as I pass, wondering where I come from.

After the 30 minute walk, I finally get to my classroom where I meet my American friends. Today is our Thai Culture course where we learn about the history, traditions and the many quirks of the Thai people, distinctly different from my hometown and even European culture. Lunch in the cafeteria is always a particularly unique experience. Thai food offers so many variations of food but I am cautious of the spicy flavors and questionable meats; having had many friends getting sick from the new bacteria found in foods across the world. But spending less than a dollar for lunch helps me be more adventurous. “No spicy,” I say. “Yes, no spicy, no spicy,” the Thai woman responds. Only to find after one bite that this local and I have very different definitions of spicy. Nevertheless, I eat, hoping to build up my tolerance for spicy food and  one day be fearless in the cafeteria. 

After class there are endless things to do in the city. We attend the night markets, hike up to Don Suthep  or plan dinners. We have seen so much just in the past week that I feel as if we have been here for months. At home, after class or work I am so warn out that I can't imagine doing anything else but lying around and regaining my strength, wishing days to be over so I can wish the next over as well, in a never ending cycle. Here, life is slower, pace is slower. “Jai Yen,” the locals say, “Chill out” have a “Calm Heart”. I can finally breathe here, time is of no matter as long as the soul is content. Truly the best way to live. 

Enough talk, more pictures! What do you think of the new camera?

This is my apartment building-you'll never guess rent! I could really get use to this currency exchange rate!

Thai bars have lots of live music covering popular American songs. Downside-Thai's don't dance! They sit around on their iPhones and barely talk to each other, we took over this dance floor and showed them how American's do it!

We went to a Thai buffet and got to cook our own food...YUM!

Thai's love street food and eat out every meal- I found sushi handmade on the street!

Thai noodle soup-spicy but so good!

My favorite! Bami with egg noodles and pork or chicken!

We found this beautiful lake on our way up to hike Doi Suthep, a mountain near our house!

Our humanities department at Chiang Mai University

Found this beauty while wondering the Palace on top of Doi Suthep mountain.  

The Cabin and fountains at the palace

Thailand has some HUGE plants!

At Wat Doi Suthep (Buddhist temple) you can buy bells and put your name or a message-it will stay at the temple forever :)

Entrance to Wat Doi Suthep

Story of the Buddha at Wat Doi Suthep

The day of the year you were born on (Monday-Sunday) has a special buddha. If you fill your buddha's bowl with oil it is said to bring you good luck.

Although, Wat Doi Suthep is a popular tourist spot many local people practice here.

Some gorgeous flowers I found on the temple grounds

There's me and Amanda in from of the gold temple!

Thailand, here I come!

Wow! I can't believe I am off again- I leave in 10 short days for another crazy adventure. It has been a whirlwind semester upon my return from Sweden in July and I can't say the return culture-shock was easy. Like so many other travelers have experienced, it can be so hard returning to a home when your perspective on the world has changed exponentially. This semester back home was really challenging, so when an opportunity arose to take another trip abroad, I jumped at it! It was a lot of work and a constant battle to be able to financially afford another semester. I am very thankful for the scholarships that I received amounting to over $5,000. This achievement is just more evidence that if there is a will there is a way. I can't believe it's actually happening!

Here's the scoop on what you'll be reading in the next upcoming months;

Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Courses: Money & Banking, Comparative Political Systems, International Business Management, Buddhist Philosophy, Thai Language, Traditional Thai Massage, Thai Kickboxing, Thai Cuisine & a Thai Hill Tribe Tour
Travel Plans: Phuket, Bangkog & Chiang Rai, Thailand; Burma, Laos, Nepal and a final trip to India for the summer months

You'll hear all about the history, culture, religion, and surrounding areas of such a beautiful country!

Newly equipped:
The unbelievable support of my family has led me to get a new Sony Nex-F3 Camera, a Kindle Paperwhite and a MacBook Air. All which will become very much in handy for my travels!

Here are some pictures to get your excitement up-as well as mine!