Within

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
Buddha 563-483 B.C.

True.

Exercise

“I don't excercise. If God had wanted me to bend over,
he would have put diamonds on the floor.”
Joan Rivers

No bling to be found but they were working it anyway in Thailand.

A Musician

“I've never known a musician who regretted being one.”
Virgil Thomson 1896-1989

Five flutes in one.

Cleaning Up

“God looks at the clean hands, not the full ones.”
Publilius Syrus

A young student monk washing the grounds of Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Nothing's Wrong

"Americans are broad-minded people. They'll accept the fact that a person can be an alcoholic, a dope fiend, a wife beater, and even a newspaperman, but if a man doesn't drive, there is something wrong with him."
Art Buchwald 1925-2007

I think this is the first photo in this blog that wasn’t taken by me. But it is of me. And my wife. I’m driving around Thailand on an elephant. Because that’s what you do when you’re a tourist in Thailand.

Ticket To Ride

“My own business always bores me to death; I prefer other people's”
Oscar Wilde 1854-1900

You might want to remember this quote if you are ever told to “mind your own business”.
This is a water taxi ticket taker’s table in Thailand. (Say that three times fast.)

Something's Off

"Every time a woman leaves off something she looks better,
but every time a man leaves off something he looks worse."
Will Rogers 1879-1935

Hard to argue.

Punny

“I cannot see what flowers are at my feet, / Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs.
John Keats 1795–1821 (From Ode to a Nightingale)

Valentine's day is over but the heeling remains. These flowers are at the feet of a large Buddha in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Good Hearts

“You may depend upon it that they are as good hearts
to serve men in palaces as in cottages.”
Robert Owen 1771-1858

A women with a pink parasol walks past the Imperial Palace in Bangkok.

The Situation

“Where you stand depends on where you sit.”
Nelson Mandela

And why would I want to sit here?

Five or Forever

“He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever”
Chinese Proverb

And what is your question?

The Only Gold

“Love is the only gold.”
Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809-1892

If this is true, there’s a lot of love at the Imperial Palace in Bangkok.

Making a Point

“The point of power is always in the present moment.”
Louise L. Hay 1926-


This is the pinnacle of a temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

From the Inside Out

“Smile, breathe and go slowly”
Thich Nhat Hanh 1926-

Looking out a window in Wat Ou Sai Kham in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Thinking Pink In A Thailand Taxi

"We are all pink on the inside. The beauty is in our differences."
Pink 1979-

These two shots were taken within five minutes of each other. The lotus flowers were photographed at the Jim Thompson house in Bangkok. The portrait of the taxi driver with his beads and amulets was taken on the way back to our hotel.

Spirits

“But I think the spirit of man is a good adversary”
Tennessee Williams 1911-1983

This is a Yaksha, a spirit statue made to look threatening so he
can guard sacred sites in Thailand.

The Best Color

“The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good, on you!”
Coco Chanel 1883-1971

These colorful children are wearing the traditional costume of Northern Thailand.

A Clean World

“Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749-1832

Tradition

“Tradition is the illusion of permanence.”
Woody Allen 1935-

Women of the Padaung (a subgroup of the Karen tribe of northern Thailand) have worn ornamental brass rings for centuries. The original reasons for this tradition are not known the most common explanation is that an extra-long neck is considered a sign of great beauty and wealth. The effect is striking but hard to comprehend.

This week’s Corner View theme is “tradition”. To see more traditional posts visit the blogs below. Thanks to Theresa for hosting.

jane, theresa, ian, joyce, francesca, isabelle, kari, jgy, lise, otli, dorte, sophie, daan, skywriting, anna,  kenza, rosamaría, victoria, tikjewit, mlle paradis, wander chow, kelleyn, sammi, tzivia,

Fabric

“We live in a web of ideas, a fabric of our own making.”
Joseph Chilton Pearce 1926-