And the rest of the answers......

"A good question is never answered. It is not a bolt to be tightened into place,
but a seed to be planted and to bear more seeds toward the hope of greening the landscape of idea."
~ Henry David Thoreau


2) We know that you spent time in Thailand before. Why did you have to come back at all, rather than just remaining where you felt you most belonged?


Poor planning mainly. If I'd thought ahead (which isn't one of my innate traits :), I would have started looking for a job teaching English before my visa ran out.

There was so much to do and so much healing that took place there. Each day was like a bright spot, even the hard ones, as I was so readily accepted and embraced by the community. It was difficult to see beyond that and deal with the practicalities. I ran out of money and my visa expired.

I now have an entry visa that is good for one year. It doesn't go into effect until my arrival date. As soon as I'm there, I will begin my application for a retirement visa which is a fairly lengthy process.


3) Sometimes you get some really oddly angry comments, which are completely baffling to me. Why on earth do you think people would respond to you this way?


Actually, those comments are really rare and are usually anonymous.

A large part of it is because I am an outspoken cultural dissident. I speak out about the things I see as troubling and some people get defensive. It's a difficult balance to reach sometimes... knowing when to speak out and when to simply accept the differences without criticizing them.

It's natural for people to want to defend the things that are important to them. One thing they don't understand though is that I am all about dialogue. No topic is off-limits and I listen with an open mind to anyone's thoughts. The angry, mean-natured comments are unnecessary when dialogue would be so much better.


4) What do you think of the concept of "soul mate"?

I don't believe there is any such thing. It's kind of a romantic notion that doesn't make any sense to me. On the other hand, I do believe we cycle through lifetimes with the same people until we resolve our karma with them. I suppose that could loosely be called a "soulmate" without the romantic implications. It depends on definition but I definitely do not believe there is "one person for everyone". No one could ever convince me of that.


5) What is one modern invention (that usually is considered a positive thing) that you think the world would be better without?


iPods. I do not own one but I get really weary of seeing people isolate themselves in little bubbles that shut out the rest of the world. This may be a generational thing but I find it rude. The days of casual conversations with strangers on the park bench seem to be a thing of the past. There is a wall of technology dividing us even further when this is such an important time to be coming together.

~*

Okay. I've got a question.... :)

I wasn't planning to post and then it occurred to me that I have a question that would make an interesting table discussion.

Over the past week or so, I've been experiencing a low level irritability. It's not the virulent type that would turn Mother Teresa into a raving b**ch .... but it's definitely burbling under the surface and I'm aware of it.

Typically when I feel that way, I isolate until I get over it.

My isolation was interrupted yesterday by a phone call ~ and I ended up in an argument that probably wouldn't have occurred under other circumstances. Ordinarily, I would have blown it off and perhaps made a few colorful statements under my breath after I was removed from the situation. I might have even used that infamous word that starts with an eff.

My friend and I talked along for twenty minutes or so and it was alright, kind of benign, saying a lot about nothing.

Then she hit my irritability bone. Ouch!

I should preface this here by she has known me for two years.

She said, "Well, are you looking forward to Christmas with your family?"

At first, I just sat there with my mouth hanging open. Then my temper flared.

"Do you ask your gay male friends to bring their girlfriends to a Moral Majority meeting?"

"Huh?"

"Well, that's parallel to what you've just asked me."

"How so?"

"Well, number one.. you know I am Thai-identified. That means I don't do Christmas. Number two, you know I don't have family here. And number three, I'm tired of explaining this sh*t to people who obviously don't even bother to listen!"

"Uh. Sh*t. Well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"I know you weren't trying to offend me. That would have required some recognition that you knew who you were talking to..."

I paused for a minute and finally apologized, explained that I am too irritable to talk and hung up.

I was really pissed. Honestly. Pissed. And hurt.

I am so totally over having to explain this stuff to people.

Is it that hard to understand that some people are different, that we don't all value the same things, that we don't all walk lockstep with popular culture and do everything that pop culture demands?

Rhetorical, obviously.

At the same time, I need to figure out how to cope with this while I'm still here without alienating people and telling them off. That serves no one, least of all me, and it only spreads more wounding words out to the energy pool.

So... suggestions? How would you want to be told? What would be a way that you would have found least offensive?

How would you have answered my friend's question?
~*

Being here....

While getting started this morning, I heard an interesting interview on the radio. Since it was early and I wasn't paying optimum attention, I didn't catch the name of the person being interviewed.

They were chattering on about being here, about living on this planet, global warming, consumerism ~ all of those various topics.

One of the interviewees said that we should ask ourselves this question:

Have I been a good houseguest?

Good question.


Peace,


~Chani