Stay Tuned...

The sounds of the jungle and the sigh of the waves of the Southern Gulf of Thailand kissing the shore have brought me to a consciousness that I've never experienced. My experience here in The Sanctuary, a remote yoga and detox retreat in Had Thien beach on the south east shore of Koh Phangan, has been rich and enlightening. Fortunately, since my last post, I've many such experiences filled with interesting people, beautiful imagery and loads of enlightenment. Unfortunately, I've been so busy living the moments that I haven't had the opportunity to write coherent posts to share with my family and friends.

I still have my trip to Bali with Elizabeth, a second trip to Malacca with my friend Aida, and much more to write about. I am journaling about all of these adventures and am anxious to share them. I leave Thailand in two days on Wednesday, April 20th. I will be 'home' in KL Thursday and leave to go to the east coast of Malaysia for a long weekend with a group of friends. So I will be going from rustic jungle peace and inner exploration to luxury and partying. I'm trying to get it all in before I depart for home on May 10th. I'm nervous about my 'reentry' into my 'real' life and hope that I can bring all I've gained back with me and share it with my loved ones.

So, for anyone following this blog, stay tuned. There is so much more to come. I can only hope that I can do justice to all the wonderful things I've been so blessed to have experienced on this soul searching, body and spirit strengthening journey I've been on.

Blessings,

Maria

Welcome to Melaka!

The first impression I had of Malaka (Malacca) was an explosion of bright colors and textures. I was overwhelmed and didn’t know where to look first. The ornate, bright, yellow rickshaws all lined up in a small square awaiting their next passengers were a visual feast alone. The dazzling rickshaws of lemon yellow with accents of red, lime-green and bright blue were adorned with artificial flowers of every color of the rainbow. Just beyond was a small open market with rows of vendors’ banks whose organized chaotic displays of their wares drew us over with an allure that’s a combination of mesmerizing curiosity and hope that there will be some special treasure waiting just for us to find.

Of course Elizabeth, Zaidah and I made a beeline for the little market. I was peripherally aware of the architecture around me, one that was different from what I’d seen so far in Malaysia, but I didn’t even give a good look around because my focus was all about the market. I tried not to let my excitement show too much, but I was absolutely giddy. Sarongs, bags, handmade toys hanging and laid out beckoning to us to come find that incredible purchase. Like a child on Christmas morning I didn’t know what to look at first.

We perused the regular touristy stuff (which I’m not interested in) and made our way to the real goods – the sarongs, woven hats, pretty cotton dresses. We all found hats we liked, which for me is amazing to even find one that fits my large head! Elizabeth labeled the black one I chose the Audrey Hepburn hat. After a couple of more great purchases, especially a cute black cotton dress I found hidden behind piles of dresses and robes, we moved on across the street to the canal.

Here’s where my love affair with Malaka began. The blend of Dutch influence with the Malaysian was a new architectural vision for me. Of course I recognized the Dutch influence with the homes side by side, right on the canal. They reminded me of the beautifully shot scenes in the movie ‘The Girl With The Pearl Earring’ but with an Asian twist. I didn’t know where to look first. Every turn I saw a vignette, or a detail that I had to photograph. My head had already fast forwarded to a fantasy of me setting up at one of the cafe’s with an easel and some oils, just playing with colors and forms, painting as many studies as my heart desires until I could hopefully capture the essence of this peaceful stretch of history, whose story is told through the structure and forms of it’s buildings.

We browsed the streets peeking into shops in search of hidden treasures: sarongs, local crafts, sandals. We even went into a shop that still makes the tiny shoes that used to be made for centuries for the bound feet of Chinese women. Since foot binding is no longer practiced, the shop still makes these beautiful delicate slippers as collectible pieces of art. It was a delightful yet arduous day, since Malaka is even hotter than Kuala Lumpur. With the help of my two girls, Zaidah and Elizabeth, I still managed to buy a beautiful pair of sandals, pray in a Chinese Buddhist temple, admire the tile work of a ‘Masjid’ (mosque, have a delicious authentic Chinese lunch, enjoy coffee in a hip cafe owned by a Dutch guy and get sized for a gorgeous cheongsam (a traditional Chinese dress) of delicate red silk with a dragon design twisting and winding it’s way upwards from the hem. At that time, I thought I was leaving a few days after this Bali trip so the seamstress was going to send it to Elizabeth’s home and I would have the final fitting in KL. Now that I have extended my trip until May tenth so that I can see the work which I am doing with Suleiman (who I lovingly call my ‘guruji’) through, I can take full advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to see more of Malaysia, Thailand and whatever else I can squeeze into the time I have and what I can squeeze out of my abilities (not disabilities). In that visit while getting the final fitting for my cheongsam, I can continue to indulge my infatuation with Malaka. After a couple of days of recuperation from Bali, I will go down to Malaka for a couple of days to bask in its unique cultural and creative ambiance. Maybe I’ll even have some time to sketch.

That’s a fire that was reignited the first trip there. The itch to draw and paint took me back in its hold. The desire now burns brighter than the creative block I’ve had for way too long, and stronger than the fear of finding a way to work with impaired dexterity, less stamina (no more all-nighters feverishly and gloriously lost in a painting), and relatively significant visual memory impairment. I’m excited to see what I will do – what my style will be and how do I see things now. I do it not for a university course, not for a client with millions of dollars riding on my design, not to impress anyone. I do it for me! It feeds my soul. As Rumi said, “When you do things from your soul, you feel a current moving in you, a joy”.

The Chinese restaurant we ate lunch at was unassuming from the open storefront dining area. A trip to the restroom turned out to hold wondrous surprises. Each room I had to pass through was  filled more and more with warm light saturating the colors of elegant, ornate Chinese architectural elements: antique wagons, a water feature with trickling fountains and lush plants. Each room was richer than the one before. By the time I got to the ladies’ room, I felt as if I’d entered the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City. I turned round and round, my mouth agape, struck by the deeply saturated reds and golds. With every turn around some other little detail caught my eye. A lacquer painted screen here, an intricately scroll cut panel there. An obviously centuries old Buddha statue sat quietly yet majestically in the stillness of meditation. I could have stayed there for hours just enjoying the fulfilling sounds, smells, shapes and colors.

I hope that one of the things I keep with me from this excursion is the thought that maybe my creative drive is like that Chinese restaurant – simple and to the point on the surface, but by exploring deeper, without expectations, I will find my expression of how I see the world and it will be rich and fulfilling. It will be so, even if only to me.

Fast forward to after the Bali trip. I am going back to Malaka tomorrow morning with my new friend Aida, who is an absolutely lovely woman. We are going for three days. Although I am nervous about the heat, I will get my dress fitting and whatever else will be a welcome extra. The Malaka love affair continues....