The Northern Rose

23 May 2011

Life is Easy, don't you think?

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TEDx Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai 2011
A selected one hundred people was fortunate to get an invitation to the first ever TEDx event in Chiang Mai, TEDx Doi Suthep. Here are a few "in-my-seat" photos from the event. Here, over at Flickr you'll find the rest of the images!

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I really would like to extend my gratitude for everyone involved to make this event come through. Especially Sheila Pham and Katherine LeRoy who both did an excellent job bringing all the pieces together in a huge organizing effort. And yes, it was a success, even with some interference minor technical '(T)EDx glitches' - I feel 4 U Alex :)

A brilliant set of speakers gave us a true TEDx experience. You can read more about the individual speakers here

I had the chance to exchange a few words with some of the speakers at the after party at MuMu Art, like the documentary photographer and Nikon Award winner Ryan Libre who are really setting a new standard for new upcoming photo journalists. I think i need to start making a separate blog post about him on my personal photo blog janfriman.com because of all the interesting projects that he is starting up from his base in Chiang Mai.

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I also had a chance to speak to the founder of Pun Pun Organic Farm, Jo Jandai and found out that life might be a bit easier than you think, at least if you are fortunate to live on a fertile peace of land where you can live self sustainably all year around ;) We do have a plan to go and visit them soon. Maybe even attend one of their upcoming courses on sustainable living and Organic Farming? Jo also told me the great news that we will soon have a daily organic food market with products from many of a fast growing number of organic farmers around Chiang Mai.

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2 Mar 2011

The story of Thai toilet culture - the follow up

Do you remember our blog post with amazing toilet signs? Well, we have collected some additional signs in an unusual postcard from Thailand. :)

Text and photo:Per Sundberg

17 Oct 2010

“Holy Cow” - The stones are alive

"A wall is not just a wall in these parts of the world. These stones comes with a lot of respect".

The Significance of the City Wall of Chiang Mai and its guardians
When I first came to Chiang Mai in 1994, the moat and the old wall were some of the places that fascinated me the most about this old city. After doing the mandatory temple tour with a “tuk tuk“ in the old city, it was so nice to relax a bit on the lawn next to the wall, and just watch people pass by. I tried to imagine what life was like hundreds of years ago; When people where entering the city's gates on elephants and oxcarts, or walking with bamboo poles over their shoulders, carrying merchandise in and out to the market. How enemies where facing each other on either side of the wall, hitting their spears to the ground and insulting each other before the final battle. Nowadays, there is a completely different war going on here, the water splashing of the Thai New Year in April. I still get a historic feel every time I pass the old wall, despite the heavy traffic surrounding it. It sends out energy. You might feel that energy when you are passing by in the early morning to see the monks collecting alms, or in the evening when fountains are lit in the moat.

The holy stones of Asia
Chiang Mai was founded according to astrological principles and each entrance to the old city has a religious meaning aiming to strengthen and protect the city. You find the same thinking in many other countries around Asia. But what has always fascinated me is that stones are alive in countries like India, Cambodia, China and even Japan. The Khmer's have their stone temples of the gods, in Japan kami gods are inhabiting stones, and in China, when Mao wanted to destroy the city walls of Beijing, people were reluctant to do it because of the magic properties they considered the wall to have. So does the wall of Chiang Mai have its own guardians. When Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 the plan required a square with moats and walls facing cardinal directions. The main entrance to the city was in the north. At the centre of the city was the city pillar that according to old Indian belief represents Mount Meru. The wall and moat are considered to be the mountains and seas of the outer universe.

Every entrance and corner has its own guardian
One of my favorite areas of the wall is at Suan Dok (flower garden gate), that used to be just next to the old palace garden of Chiang Mais kings. Here a guardian called Surachato looks after the citizens. At the north-east, Sri Pum is glory-fies the city. At Thapae (the raft landing gate), the guardian Surakkhito presides of the city's foundation. Chang Puak gate(the white elephant) has a guardian named Khantharakhito that ensures the city's power and stability. The Chiang Mai gate has a guardian that protects the city's nobility. The Katam corner (fishtrap) is for the city's fortifications. The Hua Rin corner (watersource) influences the longevity of Chiang Mai and so on.

To have a harmonious city, the relations between the guardians has to be in order, between the center pillar and the outer area. So please remember; a wall is not just a wall in these parts of the world. These stones comes with a lot of respect.

Life is Easy, don't you think?

The story of Thai toilet culture - the follow up

“Holy Cow” - The stones are alive

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