Thailand Travel Rapidly Approaching

C272 Class at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center

Inside the Cultural Center

It's difficult for me to believe that we're leaving for Thailand in two weeks and one day. Our class has been meeting twice a week to prepare, as well as having a couple of meetings outside of class, but I haven't put in nearly enough time following the online class discussions or completing my own research to prepare. While I certainly know more about the country and the culture than I did previously, I feel under-prepared.

Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center

One thing we did as a class was visit the local Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, founded by the brother of the Dalai Lama. We learned that there are several branches, understandings, or practices of Buddhism, and that Buddhism in Thailand is not the same as Buddhism in Tibet and Mongolia. But the visit was a good general introduction to the religion, and after living here for twenty years it's about time I went there.

Below are some picture I pulled from the web of sites we will see in Thailand, which I'm incorporating into a slide deck for tomorrow's class. I get to talk about safety, rules, and expectations. This trip is coming up so quickly... all I have to do between now and then is 3-4 rehearsals, two concert performances, and the Kelley Senior Recognition event for more than 6000 people in Assembly Hall.

Hong Kong Airport, where we will have very quick layovers.

Our Hotel in Bangkok, the Pathumwan Princess, on the left, and the attached mall.

Wat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai.

The Grand Palace, Bangkok.