Same Same But Different
on Nov 16, 2009 in humanity insights civilization evolution individuality love purpose travel There is a saying in Thailand that you may have seen on a T-shirt: “Same same but different.” When you ask a local how Ko Samui compares to Ko Lanta, he might scratch his chin for a moment, then shrug and say “Same same, but diffe...

Wi-Fi Woes
on Nov 12, 2009 in Uncategorized Apologies for the inconsistent posting recently. I’ve been living in a bamboo hut on a secluded beach on Ko Lanta, where wi-fi is scarce and exclusive, and even the land connections are unreliable. For me to use the internet I have to take...

What Five Days of Silence Taught Me
on Nov 5, 2009 in insights addiction meditation mindfulness presence quality of life self-esteem thinking travel wisdom Just before flying to Thailand, I spent five days at a retreat community called Hollyhock. It’s a humble, rootsy little hamlet on the relatively remote Cortes Island. I knew very little about the program I’d signed up for, only that it wa...

The Two Spells of Nausea That Changed My Life, and Other Reasons for Hope
on Nov 2, 2009 in announcements insights resources emotion moments moods travel wisdom Some of you may have run across this already, but I’ve got an article published in an inspirational ebook called Reasons for Hope. It was very early on in my blogging career that I wrote my contribution, but the book was only released fairly re...

The Easiest Way to Suffer
on Oct 29, 2009 in insights emotion moods quality of life skills thinking wisdom Since I left on my trip, I’ve had quite a few deadlines to hit. Bus at 07:50. Ferry at 15:45. Plane at 14:30. Pick up the key after 5:00 and before 6:00. Meet so-and-so here at 7:30. I’m also constantly checking to see if I still have my...

How to Be Right All the Time
on Oct 26, 2009 in humanity insights skills civilization communication individuality science Yesterday I came across a familiar quote on Twitter: “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” ~ Thomas Edison Then today I came across an equally interesting quote from another historical figure:...

Hello From the West Coast
on Oct 19, 2009 in announcements insights communication emotion internet purpose travel Earlier today I wrote a draft of a rather negative article about my initial impressions about Hollyhock, the spiritual/educational retreat I’m at right now. My expectations were completely wrong (aside from the astonishing food here) and I was...

How to Improve Your Handwriting (or Anything Else) at Will
on Oct 15, 2009 in insights skills attention mindfulness moments presence productivity respect When I was taking French classes a few months ago, we were each asked to write a composition in French and pass it to another classmate to read. It struck me then that I very seldom write more than a Post-It note’s worth these days. By the end...

David Goes Kiwi is Officially Online
on Oct 12, 2009 in Uncategorized Back in June when I announced I was taking a big trip to New Zealand, I mentioned I would be opening up a new section of the site, called David Goes Kiwi. Well, with my trip only days away, it’s finally here! You can find it at the easy-to-reme...

How to Fight Crime by Making Your Bed
on Oct 8, 2009 in insights skills civilization humanity moods productivity quality of life In the 1980s, New York City’s crime rate was soaring. Total crime had more than doubled over the previous two decades; violent crimes tripled. It peaked in 1990 and then began a sudden, nationwide decline as the dismal economy began to show new...