Bangrak Fire Station, Bangkok

It's been awhile since I wrote in my blog. Lately i've just been posting photos and leaving it at that. I've been in Bangkok for about a week now. Since then a lot has happened. On 17 August 2015, a bombing took place inside the Erawan Shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, Thailand, killing 20 people and injuring 125. The bomb site was actually around 15-20 minutes away from my hostel (whew). Today I finally got the chance to work out. It's been awhile. Back at home I try to work out or play basketball at least 4 times a week. Since i've been traveling I haven't done any. After working out I showered and went downstairs to meet up with one of the hostel workers Bee. We went to explore the Bangkok Fire Station that was a 15 minute walk from our hostel. When we arrived there was a scene of a lot of photographers and models shooting inside. There were also groups of students who looked like they were shooting class photos. The vibe was great, it seemed to have been abandoned but there were people living inside. Here are some photos of our adventures from today. 

Wat Damnak

Today I set out to visit three Buddhist temples in Siem Riep, Cambodia. I have to admit what I experienced exceeded way beyond my expectations. Here’s the story. Wat Damnak was the first temple I sought out for. Right after I made a snap chat about not knowing where I was going to go I bumped into a monk named WuThy. He told me that he was on his way to school so I asked him if I could join him. His response was a humble “Ok”. After asking I sort of didn't realize what I was getting myself into, I felt uncomfortable at first but it triggered a memory of something I read earlier today "Fear, uncertainty, and discomfort are your compasses toward growth". As we walked for about a mile out to another temple called “Wat Bo” where WuThy did his schooling. When I arrived a lot of the other monks would look with curiosity. After waving to them and smiling they’d smile back which made me feel comfortable being there. In my last post I was saying to you all to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Today i’m happy to tell you that I spoke in front of 30 monks about western culture, traveling, and inspirational tips. They all welcomed me and asked me about my life. I told them about my up bringing and how I got to where I am today. I was happy to connect some of my personal beliefs with the teachings of Buddhism. The teacher Kosol did a great job at connecting what I had to say with virtue. I said to the class that I would’ve never imagined that I would be there speaking to them 5 years ago, and that anything is possible if you further your education. I left them with one of my favorite quotes on the white board “Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today"