God is everywhere but god helps the one who has heped oneself.

The trainer talked about her experience when she first graduated from the university. She went out to a peaceful jungle in Saraburi to look at herself, and to practise meditation. One night, when she was half sleeping, she heard the noise of a walking wild animal. It walked slowly to her and then climbed over her stayed there for minutes. It must be snake, or anything else she did not see because she was closing her eyes and made herself still like a falling branch from a tree. Her only movement was only breathing, breathed in, breathed out. Finally it walked away and she was saved with the exciting moments of memory.

Last Saturday and Sunday[September 25-26] I and my wife went to the training under the topic of " Bringing mind back home." Sponsored by Khun Waree and Khun Wicha from Heritage Snacks and Food Co. The lecturer was Khun Soopawan Green who spent almost 40 years in England. But before that, when she was just graduating from the university, she had practised Buddhist principles as a nun for 3 months and spent other 3 months for meditation alone in the jungle [in Saraburi]. Then she went to work for the UN at the refugee camp where she met her English husband. This was her background.

I would conclude what I got from her but I was not sure my understanding was quite right. However, let's start with a man which was consist of two parts, body and mind. Body was only the outer cover whereas mind was the director of human being. All of things going in this world came from minds, not the body. If a man died, that meant his body died. His mind could go anywhere and anytime seperately. Someone said that mind was spirit.

There were 5 channels to be the doors of minds, they were seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing and touching. In general, common people learnt, gained and saved memory through these channels and called them knowledge and experience. But there was another word hidden in people's mind, that was "want" If something wanted could be fulfilled, it called happiness which was physical. The more he got the more he wanted, so, happiness was never enough, and it turned into unhappiness when he wanted more and more.

Too much want, to be angry[hatred], and unlimited love, these 3 categories made mind unhappy, like painting the dark colour in the white space. When the mind was black, it meant that these 3 items want, angry and love covered the space. We must eliminate them by wiping the black off and made the mind clean again.

If we wanted to be in real happiness and made it forever, the way to clean our mind until it turned white again was started from Forgiveness which was the magic word. [Note from me] I had my words when something bad came to my mind, I said "chang mae mun" [ช่างแม่มัน] or leave it there. Recently, I tried not to get angry when some one made me so, or when other got some benefit but I didn't get them, I tried to cut my thought off, not to envy them, instead I tried to be happy with them on their lucks. When I was young and was driving in Bangkok, and found other driver took advantage from me, I would be furious and went back to revenge. But now, in the same situation, I would let him did it without any revenge or furious feeling. I forgave him. But, anyhow,The one would get what he did. It was a principle of reflection.

Insight meditation was the way to make our minds cleaning. Meaning that making the mind stop to look at present action, neigther past, nor future. The trainer taught me to close my eyes, felt the touch of seat back and seat while I was sitting on the chair, also, feet on the floor, then had a second thought of breathing, breathed in, breathed out, keep out of any thinking, my both hands was moving the small wooden balls in the wristlet chain[ลูกปะคำ], and did not have to say a word. I would see a light in my closing eyes with space. In the afternoon, she taught me to practise Jeekong for making my mind in peace by slowly moving hands and legs. When our mind was in silently calm or not to be out, there was neigther want, nor furious, and nor love. It could be forever if the mind was practised long.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact "Bringing Mind Back Home Society", 240 Soi Intamara 45 Soothisan Road, Dindang, BKK, 10400 Thailand. Telephone +66 86 610 0001 [086 610 0001] and +66 89 0195656 [089 019 5656]

When the wild animal came and climb over Khun Soopawan, when she was in meditation in the jungle. She helped herself by making herself still like a branch from a tree, and then God helped her to be saved. Therefore, we have to help ourselves first and then God would help us. If we did nothing but pray for God, we could get nothing. Miracle was not happened everytimes we asked for. However, I belived God was everywhere and was ready to help.

Eating fruit everyday, Durian is one of the best, isn't it?

There was a monthly publication in Thailand named "House Agricultural Magazine"[keha gan kaset], I was reading the 9th edition, September 2010. The stories in the book were always interesting, I impressed some articles about the Fruits, one was written by Wannapa Senadee, discussed about the technicle conference on Thai Fruits Functional fruits, in last July at Impact Muangthongthanee Trade Exhibition Center.

There was a research on Carotenoid, Flavonoid and Dietary Fibre, from 21 Fruits in Thailand by Assistant Professor Dr. Ratchanee Kongkashuishai and her colleagues from Nutrition Institute, Mahidol Univesity. The research found that, all fruits contained high dietary fibre, also carotenoid and flavonoid. The highest fibre were guava, durian, banana and ripe papaya respectively. The content was between 0.71-3.58 gramme per 100 gramme of eaten parts. Dark colour durian contained highest carotenoid particularly in Puangmanee, Kradume and Chanee varieties. Highest flavonoid were durian, pomelo, guava, and ripe banana. Thongdee and Taptim Siam were the highest flavonoid pomelo varieties.

Carotenoid was a group of phytochemical, the important groups were alpha-carotenoid, beta-carotenoid, carotene, lycopene, lutein, and xantin. The advantage of carotenoid were to increase immune system, anti-oxidants and cancer resistant.

Flavonoid was the group to make cell deterioration slow down and to produce colour to plants.[ I thought this group were also antioxidants]

Dietary Fibre was indigestible cell wall of food from plants in digestibility system, both soluble and insoluble. The advantage were to make balance in digesting, to be better in nutrition absorbtion, and to protect cancer and heart diseases.

[ From my previous information, fibre in intestine, help to catch fat and carry them to the large intestine. If there is no fibre, the fat will cover intestine wall and then, elements and nutrition can not absorb through intestine wall to other part of the body.]

In the same book mentioning above, Supanee Na Songkla wrote about Antioxidants in Chinese Mangoes from the 9th International Mangoes Conference in Hainan, People Republic of China. Information source was Wang Song-biao and his colleagues. They said that there was a Chinese researcher named Guo diplayed his poster on Antioxidants in 28 fruits and found that mango was the one having antioxidants higher than others significantly. These antioxidants were Ascorbic Acid, Reduced Glutathione, Polyphenols, Flavonoids, Carotenoids, a-tocopherols. Antioxidants would be in higher content if mangoes were in optimum riping stage. Thairat newspaper in Thailand published on January 18, 2010 stated the finding of Dr. Steve and Dr. Susan from Agrilife Food Research Centre, USA. that, mango helped to prevent breast and intestine cancers.

Again, same book, Wannapa Senadee wrote about watermelon. She said that farmers might applied carbofuran [furadan] under the plant canopies before planting and it's toxic residue would be free within 30 days or long before harvesting. other chemicals which were more concentrated were banned by the Department of Agriculture. Therefore, the idea of eating watermelon was toxic, was now wrong. It was safe. Watermelon young fruit could be eaten as vegetable, seed for appetizer and meat for fruit. Watermelon contained very high lycopene which was one of carotenoids as being the antioxidants, helping to minimize cancer risks, and slowing down cell deterioration or slowing down of getting old. Besides, Citrulline was a substance in watermelon which was believed to make person a good mood, and fresh feeling.

In conclusion, fruit have much advantage and we suppose to eat fruit everyday. From the points written above, all fruits have some advantages differently. But I would indicate about durian of many advantages. Many people particularly young in Thailand never eat durian. They disliked it's smell. What a bad luck! A part from being rich in nutrition, durian is also delicious. To be born in Thailand, if you never have durian, how can you explain to the foreigners who always buy durian from our exporting? What does it taste like? Smell? Yummy! I'll try more durian when they are displayed in durian season.

Ranong again, visiting cashew nut farm.

I recently had not found any evidence to write in this blog but I had just come back from Ranong. I went there again to visit the cashew nut farm as usual. This was between September 9-11. I would like to repeat the same story I used to write before.


Sunset at Ranong Beach, at the restuarant


Ranong Rivermouth, fisherman villages, another side of life.


Ban Thalae nork School, New school which was under HRH Crown Princess supporting and some donation from aboard.


View that looking from Ban Thalae nork School.


Also taking from Ban Thalae nork School. The pictures were taken from the top slope because the school was up there.


Tsunami area in Sooksmran District Ranong. It still looked quiet[eerily]. The dead people were more than 100.


Image of disaster were still in people minds. This bad memory of cruel nature would be forever.


Some children lives and a part were the students of Ban Thalae nork School passed away in this deadly incident.


New born baby after Tsunami, he wouldn't know what happened here before, just a sad story as later will be an unforgetable history.


Happy sleeping. His mother was the cashew nut shelling worker. She had not got much for a day.


Fermented Fertilizers for the cashew nut farm.


Not too serious disease on the leaves


The symtoms were spread out to many trees


It was hard to recommend the treatment because this plot was organic or natural treatment.



The best way was to eliminate the infected parts and destroy them completely.



Snails on papaya


papaya leaves with snail


Looked clearer. In this stage, snails might not be harmful to papaya
but they need some host for a living


Galls, swelling on leaves caused by insect. Someone said that they were insect's condominium


Kor Song [Island], bordered with Ranong. This was the road at the sea side near the boat port.


Kor Song was Mienmar City. They welcomed the tourists from Ranong. This must be one the external income.


Sky Lap motor bikes or local taxis


Look out to the sea, from Kor Song. Here, pearl and jade were cheap.


Ranong Fish market, a well known auction market in Thailand.[Crabs]


This market was at the same with the boat port to Kor Song


The buyers would walk around with the pieces of paper which they wrote the prices of each piles of fish down in the paper for the price competition


The referees would read the prices from each paper and judged the winner.


Shrimps and lobsters


After winning from the price competing, the buyer witnessed the weighing for the total. Someone said that some merchants apply formalin treatment to the fishes after buying for making fish fresh.


It was time to say good bye to Ranong. We must come back soon I know.


It was always beautiful under the sun set. People were going to take a rest, we would take off for Bangkok.

Korat Zoo, to be in nature with some animals

Between August 28-29,I and Pee Mor Suvit [He was the retired surgeon] went to Nakornrajsima Zoo for observing the artificial breeding programme of Malayan Tapir and cranes. This technology was started by semen collection from the wild animals[tapir, crane] which were harder than farm's animal e.g. elephants, cattle etc, then these semen would be injected to the female in the appropriate environment and factors which the breeders had to observe by experience. It was the hard job and they must made a good team work. The tapir was the rare animal which being kept in the zoo but the cranes were bred for going back to nature. Please come with us to visit the zoo.


Bird in the lake in front of the restuarant. Actually there were many, but they swam away when I set the camera.


Coming to the zoo, these ones were out to welcome us


Vulture, it was a rare animal nowaday too


African elephants


Birds. There were various birds in this zoo, mostly related to ostrich family.[ Big and can not fly] Crane was the tallest bird that can fly.


Giraffe, living in the shallow hollow and he could not jump up.


ostrish or emu family


Zebra


Zebra babies

Malayan Tapir artificial semenisation

This was the female tapir. She was to be in the workshop, looking at her uterus. The red dart which was bathed with anesthetic was shot to the bottom to make her unconscious


Veterinarian team under the working plan, were waiting for the tapir to sleep.


Not only breeding, they took this opportunity to clean tartar from her teeth, and look into other health aspects.


While they were working, they had to count the time because the unconscious stage was about 45 minutes. They had to work racing to the time


Oxygen putting in her mouth.


This was the whole picture of Malayan Tapir. Another one in the same pen.



Looking into her uterus to see if it was perfect. The vet carried the camera and put it through the anus, the pictures appeared on the monitor screen.


Again, one of the ostrich or emu family, walking big birds


Emu from Australia, aren't they?


These type of animal, like deers or elks, I did not know the exact name.


They were one of the majority in this zoo


There were hundreds. They were so tame.


Living on the lawn and running around


Opposite building was the restuarant where we had lunch, dinner, and breakfast. I walked around the quiet lake at dawn. I believed all the vets in this programme from many zoo around Thailand lived here in these few days too.


Resort in the zoo surrounding the big lake and the beautiful huts for the night.


My place for one night. I went to bed about nine and woke up about four. I was so happy to walk around the lake but there was scattered showers afterward.


Eastern Sarus Crane, big programme for the zoo


Crane was the rare animal too. Highest bird who can fly, this programme for breeding them and sent back to nature.


semenisation


artificial breeding by semen collection and inject to the female


Veterinarian team and Arjarn Wanchai with his team work


The excellent and talent team who worked with crane. Not only for raising, they had talent in artificial breeding too.


Living as a couple forever, if one died, other would live alone. Other crane could not come to the widow. Saying that it could be pecked if coming.


Crane egg, emerging stage, it took 5-6 hours, look at the white york triangle on the egg. This was the way to emerg, the bird made.


Emerged from the eggs, chicken infant


Baby chicken


Baby crane, 1 month old


Another one month old


Few months old, still be in the nursery


One year old, ready to the nature. He woulld go to the outside fence for natural adaptation and some lesson before being released.


I would say I enjoyed visiting this zoo. I would come again if somebody asked me to. It was time for some rest and I slept long hours which not being able to do so other nights before.

Nakornrajsima zoo was situated on the road from Seekeew- Chokchai, about few kilometre from the Paktongchai Junction. If you come from Nakonrajsima by Pakthongchai road, just turn left at the Chokchai junction. The ticket was quite expensive about 70 baht each. I hope they could discount it. However, it was a good and quiet place to visit on the week end. Chavalvut