ทุกวันมีร่วงโรยและเติบโต

February 2008

Dear watjai + chabaa,

To sum up my experience at mantarniwas has been a bit difficult to do. it has taken some time to reflect on the peaceful and nurturing environment i was fortunate enough to be immersed in for ten days. from the moment we threw ourselves onto the bed of the pick-up truck to hitch a ride to the house, i knew the days ahead would open up a new world for me. as we drove through the hillside, the wind doing a very good job at undoing any proper hairdo i might be trying to maintain, the greens of the bamboo forests and the crisp blue sky above replaced the images of the bangkok's cemented landscape i had left just that morning. when we reached here, the very top of a thatched roof was all i could see of the bamboo hut, sticking out above the tall blades of grass that filled the the rolling landscape of the land, quite different from the brown, naked earth of the surrounding houses whose land had been cleared to make way for the blanket of monocultures that would grow from it.

throughout my stay, i learned how a genuine respect for the ecology of the natural world and dedication to a simple, peaceful life is reflected in the landscape of the resulting environment: the main living space of the hut is modest and made of all natural materials, mainly bamboo. at first glance, it may seem primitive, but after spending time preparing and eating delicious meals, making coconut milk, planting seeds, learning to weave, cutting up bamboo to start cooking fires, pounding chiles, trying tasty sweets and drinking cup after cup of tea all in the space of this little hut, the environment created inside is dynamic and sensitive to the various pulses of the day: calm morning fog, which provides cover from the sun so we can cut grasses in the morning or do some laundry, clears away to the reveal the warm sunshine of the late morning and afternoon, a signal that it's time to bring out the roselle fruits to dry (to make into tea) and then go inside to rest and eat breakfast. as the sun begins to set, it's time to go back out onto the land and water the many young fruit trees (bananas, mangoes, guavas, papayas,...), and after sunset, when the last precious rays of light linger on the horizon, the time has come to exchange working clothes for a sarong, grab the bottles of homemade mung bean soap and kaffir lime shampoo, and head down to the stream for a bath.

my time at mantarniwas was filled such generosity, patience, and goodwill, and i hope that someday i can pass on the seeds of peace that have been handed to me by two amazing people. thank you for everything.

with love,

22 years old,

Architecture student from california USA.

April 3, 2008

P’Chaba and P’Wat

Away from the today’s commercialization.
I love this simple lifestyle surrounded by the natural beauty.
Everything from taking shower in the stream and sleeping in the darkness with sound of birds and insects, to going to gathering food in the mountain and all conversation with tea after tea,
will remain in my heart as a joyful memory. 

Above, my greatest pleasure comes from meeting you two.
P’ Chaba, thank you for cooking such a wonderful food.
It is so good that I couldn’t stop myself from eating Until my stomach gets painful.
Your cooking is truly the best. 

P’Wat, thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge About living in nature.
Your passion for converting this land to utopia gave me such an inspiration. 
Thank you so much for your special hospitality.

I hope this place grows to abundance of greenness.
I am looking forward to being back here in the near future. 

Peace,
Yuky ,
Japan.

21 September 2008
Dear Wat and Chabaa

There are a lot of really good and nice things I experienced the last weeks. Things I did not expect in that way. You, beeing so open-hearted and friendly, the amazing and fantastic food (special thanks for this, Chabaa), staying so close with nature, which sometime scared me a little bit when I though of the elephant and snake stories. And also the working outside, that had quite some healing effect on my restless mind like the meditation I did here.

All this I will keep in my heart and mind, but overall there is one thing of unbelievable big value for me and this seed you definitely helped to plant.

When I came here I had only a vague idea about what life can be.

Sure, I was hoping to get an idea here, what reason else took me to your place. But leaving you with new inspiration and moreover hope that there is something that is worth looking for, that is at least worth to try, makes me happy and very thankful.

Thanks a lot for all this

Alexander. Germany
invia@gmx.de

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 29 January, 2009

Dear Wat and Chabaa,

Thank you so much for hosting, teaching us, and sharing your lives for the past two weeks. We so enjoyed stream baths, pre-meal meditation, and of course, Chabaa's cooking. We've rarely eaten so well.

Our favorite memory from our visit is from the afternoon we went to your neighbor's house looking for vegetables, and cut down banana flowers while talking about community. It's great to know that you're putting so much passion and energy into cultivating a community here. We wish you the best of luck in that endeavor.

More than anything, this has been a therapeutic experience for us. It is so refreshing to live according to natural rhythms: waking with the sunrise, sleeping with darkness, and eating when hungry (and working hard enough to appreciate the meals). Thank you for introducing us to this wonderful country in its most natural, beautiful, and humble setting.

Yours,

Audrey Audrey.Bergmann@gmail.com

Kyle edge65@sbcglobal.net