Weigh less without a diet and feel great!

Mass is constant throughout the universe. It never changes. Weight however is dependent on gravity. Due to Earth's constant gravitational force your weight will remain the same when on this planet. Witihin Earth there are many small worlds and they can affect our perception of not only our own weight but also the weight of the things that we possess. 

One of these worlds is that of the Meshopolis. This is a world that is purely of human conception and creation. Although superficially beautiful, beneath the metallic air conditioned exterior is darkness and corruption. The beings that rule the Meshopolis thrive on followers of fake and material dreams. The role of the media and advertising should never be underestimated in selling these dreams to you but there is another power at work. One that you should be aware of. 

The conglomerates and huge consumer corporations have turned all big cities into places with low material gravity or in some extreme cases anti-material gravity zones. Creating a shopping paradox where the less material items you own the heavier you feel. This feeling is not a physical weight but a psychological one. The heaviness you feel will be expressed in the form of low self esteem and low self worth. 

There is only one way to shift this oppressive force. Shop, shop, SHOP. Buy, buy, BUY. Relief and comfort only to be found in the purchase and inside the shopping centres. The streets of any Meshopolis are noisy, dirty, smelly and have a humid heat that washes these urban ingredients into your being. A convenient contrast for consumerism is that shopping malls are clean, scented, and have an air conditioned climate that washes away the oppressive urban filth. 

After taking refuge you will find yourself making excuses to buy something or seeking out situations where it is absolutely essential to have new things:

You love music and buy tickets to special price jazz happy hour at the philharmonic. The dress code however is strict. There is no one way you could go without buying some new shoes as yours are three years old. You find some shoes you love in the sale (100 Euros instead of 200!). This solution actually creates a new problem - you are finding it hard to imagine a pair of trousers that you own that match the new shoes. This dilemma is quickly solved as your brain is particularly sharp today and you have just discovered that you could spend the 100 or more Euros you just "saved" on those shoes and the promotional ticket price on the new trousers that you now realise you could not possible go without. 

I'm sure you can easily conjure several of these moments in your own experience. The important point is to see how easily a cheap concert ticket can lead to over 200 Euros worth of bank damage. The joy that is tangible from retail therapy (a term created no doubt to inspire such spending) is obviously only temporary. These Meshopolises are ravenous insatiable beasts that require constant feeding through spending.The positive feelings come from a temporary displacement in the gravitational field. 

There is a more permanent relief available. This relief has existed for much longer than cities, technology or humans. This relief is called nature. If you spend any time in the country, on an island, by the sea or in the jungle you will feel the real weight of the possessions that you own. Every belonging that you own begins to feel like a burden, the things you have that you don't need not only weigh down your backpack but also your soul and your self worth. As soon as you rid yourself of such unnecessary belongings it becomes clear that you have been deluded. Tricked out of something much more valuable and much more pure. Something of true worth and real depth. That something is nature and your place among it. In harmony and not in conflict. An appreciation of self worth outside that of the fake and unnecessary. The absurdities of shallow desires become clear and are replaced with the simple understanding that the things of real worth are free - Love, friendship, self esteem, the beauty of the world. 

So beware and be warned. Gravity although constant and often reassuring  can be used to trick you. Although the material can not always be avoided make sure there is a real reason behind the purchase and you are not just being deceived by the Meshopolis monster. Try to see the true weight of what you own and see the true worth of friendship and the natural world in which you exist. Spend less time with these material desires and in the shops and more time with your friends, with your hobbies and with nature. 

Weigh less without a diet and feel great. Don't thank me, congratulate yourself on having the strength to resist the forces of the media and the contorted physical worlds and deceptions that exist in every town. 

And remember - 

Always look on the light side of life. 

J.T.Davies  

Reserve Judgement and Release feelings

When you are on the road there is a discrepancy between the number of people that would like to or intended to write to you and the number that actually do.

There are several reasons given:

Life back home is hectic and therefore tiring and time consuming. People that often have good intentions to communicate with you understandably get distracted and never quite get round to it. We are all guilty of this at times. Although facebook and other social networks have slightly resolved this, I would still like to believe there are still more messages that could be sent.

The most frequent response given after reading about some exotic anecdote (jealousy aside) is that they feel that their life and daily goings on are perhaps a little inadequate or mundane to share. This is a real shame for at least two reasons:

1. In just hearing a friendly voice in the form of words from someone you care about (you wrote to them after all) is really comforting. Content aside, to know someone is or had been thinking of you is uplifting. Traveling is essentially a world of strangers and the unknown. A familiar and reassuring voice is a light that can be used whenever the sunshine of the road fades.

2. The assumption that the content is boring is fragile under scrutiny. The certainties and regularities of home and a life left behind can smooth and caress the rough edges that the friction of the perpetually new can create. So please don't ever assume that they are boring to us, especially when they are about things we travelers cherish and love.

The prejudgement of ones own work or performance happens frequently and is nearly always detrimental. Don't judge for other people. Give it your best attempt and watch or wait for the reaction. Often you will be pleasantly surprised, but if not at least you will know the truth (that joke/story was never funny and now you can start the overdue search for one that is).

So please take a minute out of your busy lives and share your thoughts whatever you may think of them, there worth will double if you release them without judgement into the ether of the web and direct them to your eagerly awaiting friend.

Personally I can't wait.

J.T.Davies 

Arty Chanty entry 2

Selamat Datang

Wow, I am loving Entry 2.  Walking around KL is a sensory experience.  Sweet smells of pancakes, fruit, Chinese, Indian and Malay food, combined with the stench of sewers and drains. Sounds of traffic, prayer, the bus station guys shouting destinations outside KL and stall holders offering you DVD's, bags, sunglasses, watches and clothes. Visually a mix of cultural dress, Mosques, Chinese temples, cats, rats and STREET ART.  The street art in Kuala Lumpur is incredible. This is want i want to share with you in particular.

Check it out below for yourselves.  Off to Cambodia next so may be some time before the next entry. As always let me know you thoughts x

Arty Chanty entry 1

Sawadee Ka

Each time Aunty Chanty discovers artistic beauty she will share it with you through editions of Arty Chanty.

Welcome to the 1st entry, short but sweet.

Please leave your thoughts feelings and feedback.

Bangkok markets and street art.