Blogs with Napasorn 'Cherry' Suvarnapradip

Blogs with Napasorn 'Cherry' Suvarnapradip

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Transformational Life Events

: Chiang Mai, Thailand
: lessons learned, insight gained

Life Presentation
While trading stories with Cherry at Fern Forest Cafe, she found my life adventures interesting and asked if I could make a short presentation for an interview about the turn of events that led me to my present lot - a nomadic life in search of life's Easter Eggs. She later coined the interview title, Spiritual Backpacker. Of course, I said yes.

But while doing it, I was thinking, "Why not put it in blog form?" This way, I can think back on the series of events that took place and articulate on the insight and lessons learned. I can't do that in the interview with Cherry since the interview is time-constrained for brevity. Yes, it would be good to go back to Memory Lane to piece together these events that helped shape my here-and-now.

(Mar 2021) pondering and piecing it all together

Turning Points

1. Questioning Outsider
   (Childhood) Growing up, including early adulthood, I was always an outsider. I didn't seem to belong. I had no tribe. I was not a loner, but there was this lingering feeling that I was different - not exactly special, but different. I've longed for this feeling of somehow blending in. I was even beginning to question if there was something wrong with me.
   
   At the same time, my mind was always questioning things that didn't make sense. I was even wondering why I was the only one seeing the anomalies. Others seemed oblivious or simply could not be bothered. e.g.? If God was omnipresent and omnipotent, then why do we need a priest for our sins to be forgiven? Why not talk to God? If religion was the gateway to salvation, then why do people kill each other over their religious beliefs? None of that made sense. Nearly all my beliefs disintegrated when put to intellectual scrutiny. Instead of buying the establishment narrative, I followed my instinct. This made me an atheist at an early age.
   
   Critical Mind
   I realized that I had a critical mind that kept asking questions. More importantly, I followed the logic and not the nonsense. This could be a lonely path, but still better than believing there is a tooth fairy.
   
   
   I've always been a questioning outsider

   ---

   
   
2. Celebrity party boy
   (2000-2004) After graduating from university, I landed a good job. I was upwardly mobile, enjoying the good life. Everything was different from life as a student. I had my own money, my own apartment, a car, a girlfriend, and more lady friends. I would dabble in print ads and tv commercials (Bear Brand Milk) which made me a minor celebrity. I was invited to parties. Even though it was all superficial, I didn't feel like an outsider anymore. Life was good.
   
   15 Minutes of Fame
   Everybody should have their 15-minutes of fame in their lifetime - just like what Andy Warhol said.
   
   Rite of Passage
   Also, being single and a part of the corporate world (going through the politics, the frustration, the struggle) are all part of a rite of passage. If you skipped this part of your life (either by getting married too early or becoming a monk), you probably missed out on something important in life.
   
   
   Bear Brand commercial was the first of a few tv and print commercials that gave me short-term celebrity

   ---

   
   
3. New York
   (1984-1989) Even though life was good in the Philippines, it felt monotonous. The days became predictable and I started wondering what's out there. I yearned for a bigger stage...the biggest stage - New York, the big apple!
   
   New York was a humbling experience. I came alone with no papers (just tourist visa which expired in 6 months). I didn't know anyone and my temporary lodging was just arranged by family friends. I was out of my comfort zone. Everyone who thought he was special in his country felt ordinary in New York. I was thrown into an arena where everyone had to survive. Competition for everything was intense. Life wasn't easy and adjusting to the new culture was challenging. I felt what they mean when they say that if you survive New York, you'll survive anywhere. My girlfriend from the Philippines followed me to NY where we got married. She convinced me to move to Canada where we can get legal status as immigrants.
   
   Out of the Comfort Zone
   It's good to be out of your comfort zone - to fumble and stumble, to feel small and vulnerable. You get to test your wits, skills, and know-how to see you through. It makes you value a lot of things people usually take for granted.
   
   
   New York was a formidable testing ground for surviving life

   ---

   
   
4. Canada
   (1989-2004) We had 2 lovely girls in Canada. I was a devoted father and husband. It was a new life of owning a house, doing the 9-5 work schedule and looking after the needs of the family and my 2 daughters.
   
   Gracefully Surrendering the Good Things Behind
   This stage taught me that my life was no longer mine. By being a family man, my personal desires/needs have to be subordinated to family needs - no complaints. I relished my new role.
   
   
   I was a typical family man in Canada with a lovely wife, wonderful kids, a paying job and a modest house in the suburbs

   ---

   
   
5. Separation
   (2000-2004) I loved my wife and I was devoted to my family. But even with the best of intentions, the marriage failed. We separated for 4 years but I still spent the weekends with my kids. The separation culminated in a nasty divorce.
   
   Love is Fragile
   This taught me many things - love is fragile (there is no such thing as a vault-solid love), love and good intentions are not enough to keep a marriage together (there is a lot of hard work to keep it together).
   
   Being Present
   Nothing is permanent, the future is an illusion (people subscribe to it because it gives them emotional solace or psychological well-being), the only thing that exists and the only thing that we can work with is the here-and-now, the present.
   
   
   already separated, I spent the weekends with my kids. I was a devoted father. We biked, made bread and spent time in parks

   ---

   
   
6. Yoga
   (2001-present) I was introduced to yoga in Canada where it was offered free by my employer. Even as a beginner, yoga felt like I've practiced it all my life - perhaps I was a yogi in a previous life. I immediately embraced it wholeheartedly and took it with me to this day. I continue to deepen my practice always in awe of the many revelations it unravels. Yoga has fortified my body, increased my awareness and allowed me to see a bigger picture of life.
   
   Yoga
   Yoga (the whole 8 limbs and not just the physical postures), is a life enabler. It almost feels like having an unfair advantage over others.
   
   
   Yoga gave me strength of body, mind and spirit

   ---

   
   
7. Burning Man
   (2003) To give someone an idea of what Burning Man is, it's a one-week event that happens in the desert of Nevada (USA), 120 miles from the nearest city, where you can run around naked giving free hugs and nobody will say no.
   
   Coming alone to the desert and reveling with 30,000 like-minded seekers was deeply transformational. I experienced a reality that was far removed from the default world I have always known. I've never been back, but The MAN continues to burn inside me.
   
   Life is Bigger than your Career
   This taught me that there is an infinite horizon far broader than the visible one immediately in front of me. I trusted this new horizon. I realized there is a more beautiful world that extends beyond career, social ranking and material belongings. I could no longer settle for anything less after that. You couldn't put the genie back in the bottle.
   
   
   
   Burning Man gave me a glimpse of an infinite horizon

   ---

   
   
8. Fired from the job
   (2003) After Burning Man, I was a different man. I was no longer afraid of the uncertainties of life. I just wanted to be real...to be at my authentic self. When my boss would not make the necessary changes to increase efficiency in the workplace, I told her she was incompetent. HR intervened, tugged me aside, and said I could keep my job if I shut up. I couldn't. I couldn't settle - even if I was going through a nasty divorce with a $22,000 personal debt. I got fired. This was when the magic really happened.
   
   I got severance pay commensurate to the amount of my loan - $22,000. My 4-year debt was miraculously paid overnight. I was debt-free! Still going through the trauma of divorce, it was one less pressure. I saw how my universe was coming to my aid.
   
   Red Pill or Blue Pill - making the wise choice
   Life will continue to offer a fork on the road - the proverbial red pill or blue pill. There is no right or wrong choice. How life takes its turn depends on the choices you make. The universe is here to help, provide and look after your well-being - if you let it.
   
   
   getting fired came as a blessing in disguise...my universe at work behind the scene

   ---

   
   
9. Divorce
   (2004) 4 years after the separation, when my ex-wife realized I wasn't coming back, she filed for divorce. I thought divorce was simply coming to terms and signing a piece of paper. But no. Divorce is an all-out war that destroys everything and everyone. I would soon realize that. Everything was cordial between me and my ex-wife until she hired a lawyer who savaged me in court. All I wanted was to comply with the law. But divorce, by its very nature, and lawyers, by the nature of their profession, are vicious. I felt my head being put on a vise where they increase the pressure with every passing day. The pressure kept mounting until I began to see black. I was afraid I might snap. Men who snap become deranged. He gets a gun, shoots his wife, his kids and kills himself. I researched and that happens often even though the media is silent on it. I didn't want that to happen. I asked for help - something I'm not used to doing. This was when my universe intervened.
   
   Don't be too Proud to ask for Help
   Life can deal you a heavy blow where your intelligence, life experience, and wits are not enough. Everything can seem bleak and hopeless. You can either turn on the bottle, drugs, violence, or simply let go and ask for help.
   
   
   divorce was destructive, divisive and left everyone damaged

   ---

   
   
10. Off to Switzerland
    (May 2004) The divorce proceeding was taking its toll on me. I was having skin ruptures from the stress and I knew that I was close to snapping. I feared what I might do. I was lost and asked my universe for help.
    
    From out of nowhere, I received a plane fare for Switzerland, paid for, including accommodation in one of its fine hotels. It came from someone I helped many years ago. I have already forgotten about her. She just stated that she had accumulated a lot of air miles and wanted to give it to me. With my $22,000 debt already paid overnight, I was off to Switzerland. Away from Canada, away from the stress, and away from snapping. My universe saved the day for me.
    
    A Benevolent Universe
    The universe is here to help, provide and look after your well-being - if you let it. This was a defining moment for me to realize that there is an unseen hand looking out for my well-being. From hereon, I let go and trusted the process. You are never alone - there are very powerful forces at play just awaiting your call.
    
    
    the free ticket to Switzerland to take me out of Canada had the fingerprint of my universe stamped on it

    ---

    
    
11. Letting Go: France, Italy, Philippines
    (May 2004) With my newfound trust in my universe, I completely let go and let the flow take me where it takes me. I didn't have to do anything. All I had to do was say YES to the opportunities that presented themselves.
    
    In Switzerland, I met someone who invited me to stay with him in France. In France, I met someone I met in Burning Man, who invited me to travel to Italy with her. In Italy, I was invited to join a hippie commune in Germany. I decided to visit my Dad in the Philippines before committing myself to a hippie life in Germany. My life took a different turn upon reaching my motherland.
    
    Letting Go
    If your heart is in the right place and your intentions are good, let go (stop controlling everything and just trust the process). Let the bigger forces take the rein. just enjoy the magical ride.
    
    
    
    Paris, France: wine with Naomi with the Eiffel Tower in the background
    
    
    
    
    Milan, Italy: renaissance architecture
    
    
    
    Boracay, Philippines: after many years of absence, I was back in the Philippines
    
    
    I didn't have to do anything but say YES to the opportunities that took me to Switzerland, France, Italy and the Philippines. My universe was taking care of my itinerary.

    ---

    
    
12. Sagada
    (May 2006 - Mar 2009) After a while, Manila felt stale and the need to move on beckoned. Sagada is a remote and isolated mountain village where head-hunting was still practiced generations ago - but it is spectacularly beautiful. It's one of those places I've always imagined living in since I first saw it in the early 80s. With my high-performance mountain bike, Sagada became my playground. I would wake up in the morning thinking, "Hmmm....what excites me today?" - no boss, no deadline, no rush, no stress. Even though I had no job, the web projects kept coming in without me looking for them.
    
    Follow Your Bliss / Excitement
    By living in Sagada, I followed my bliss and lived The Life. The worst fate is to be haunted the rest of your life thinking, "I should have done it."
    
    
    
    
    living in Sagada was pure adventure and bliss - mountain biking, wild water rafting, waterfall hikes, gourmet meals by a Michelin-rated chef, etc.

    ---

    
    
13. Survivor Philippines Castaway
    (May-Dec 2008) Out of 40,000 who auditioned for Survivor Philippines, I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the 18 castaways. Life played a cruel joke on me here. It lifted my ego to dizzying heights and dropped me to shatter into many bits like a watermelon. I was voted out too early in front of a national audience. I dreaded coming out of the house feeling publicly humiliated. But life lifted me back again through the support and kind words of the viewing public who appreciated how I played my role.
    
    No Expectation, No Reaction
    I learned how important it is to be equanimous and detached. To be attached to expectation (eg fame) is to invite misery into your life. Oftentimes, the obvious expectation is not what happens because there is an underlying purpose that was meant to be served. I'm grateful to learn that, even if I did so the hard way.
    
    
    
    promotional poster for the launch of Survivor Philippines
    
    

    
    interview at Showbiz Central after being voted-out

    ---

    
    
14. Vipassana Meditation
    (Apr 2009) With my deepening practice of yoga, Jim, a Buddhist friend (RIP), broached me about a 10-day silent meditation course - Vipassana Meditation. I went and life was never the same. To date, I've done 9 courses including Satipatthana.
    
    With this practice, I was able to exorcise my demons. The ones I can't get rid of, I was able to reduce to insignificance and put to sleep. I now live life anger-free and harmoniously. I began to see my role clearly. What yoga opened up, Vipassana flung wide open. I still had to remain vigilant because in moments of weakness, these monsters will either awaken or come back.
    
    Mind is a Powerful Ally
    Meditation (which is one of the 8 limbs of yoga) plays a critical role in stilling a troubled mind, providing clarity of thinking, and seeing reality for what it really is. You make conscious decisions with an equanimous mind. Auto-pilot reactions become a thing of the past.
    
    
    Vipassana Meditation empowered me to exorcise my demons. I now live in harmony with myself, with others and with the universe at large

    ---

    
    
15. Philippines: travel and adventure
    (Mar 2009 - Sep 2014) After my yoga certification course in Sagada, I felt the need to leave. I had no idea where, but I left anyway, letting the wind take me where it takes me. I took up temporary residences as a base while continuing my travels. But at some point, I decided to travel homeless with nothing but what I can fit into my backpack. I gave away my bed, frying pans and all household items, and paid my last rent. I had no regular job, but the money kept coming - not much, but enough for travel and adventure. I was relying heavily on my instinct and wits for my survival. There was no career to worry about, no home to pay rent or mortgage to, no deadlines, no boss, and no stress - there was only the open road and the opportunities that lay ahead.
    
    My universe took me to many places where I met many people and engaged in many adventures. I didn't question where my universe was taking me. I just let go and fully trusted the process. In all those years of being lean on money, I've never skipped a meal or slept on a sidewalk.
    
    Trust the Process
    The universe is more than willing to play with you. But only if you let it.
    
    
    
    chilling on a hammock on a limestone outcropping
    
    
    
    snorkeling the coral reef of Apo Island
    
    
    
    beach yoga in Coron, Palawan
    
    
    
    body paint modeling in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental
    
    
    
    tv guesting
    
    
    
    kayaking at Lake Balinsasayaw
    
    
    
    mountain climbing Pico de Loro Peak
    
    
    
    freediving to 15 meters
    
    
    
    caving Sumalsag Cave, Sagada
    
    
    After leaving Sagada, I simply let go and my universe took me to one place after another. I had this non-stop life of travel for almost 3 years

    ---

    
    
16. Overseas Traveling
    (Sep 2014 - present) After continuously traveling the Philippines for years, it felt time for a bigger stage. I was still homeless with very little money and no job. But again, enough money was coming in to pay for day-to-day expenses. To conserve my little cash, I would talk to hotel owners, restaurant owners, bike shop owners, cafe owners and trade my services for their products. With this approach, I was able to sleep in nice hotels and resorts, eat good food and get basic services. Consequently, these same owners became good friends. Some even become deeply trusted friends.
    
    You are Part of a Much Bigger Whole
    It's a big wide world out there. There is more to me and the culture I was born into. The diversity of people, culture, and tradition make an animated mosaic we can all call home. We may look different on the outside, but we all share the same human needs and desires.
    
    Work Smart
    You can work hard, or work smart.
    
    Strangers are Friends You haven't met Yet
    You can also see potential clients as customers or see them as friends who have yet to meet you. How you see the world architectures the reality you live in - the choice has always been yours.
    
    
    
    Siem Reap, Cambodia: exploring the fabled Angkor Wat
    
    
    
    Bangkok, Thailand: with the cast of Muay Thai play in Asiatique
    
    
    
    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: motorbike culture
    
    
    
    Vientiane, Laos: temple rest from the bike ride
    
    
    
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: at the Petronas Towers
    
    
    
    Singapore: at the Marina Bay Sands
    
    
    
    Ubud, Bali, Indonesia: at Taman Hati Ashram for Pranavayu Yoga
    
    
    
    Pokhara, Nepal: with the snowcapped Anapurna Mountain range in the background
    
    
    
    Rishikesh, India: Crow Pose on the Ganga River
    
    
    
    Yangon, Myanmar: Sule Pagoda in the background
    
    
    
    Chiang Mai, Thailand: waterfight at Songkran
    
    
    It has been a dizzying travel adventure, but for now, I'm enjoying my stay in Chiang Mai.

    ---

    
    
17. At Present
    (Mar 2021) During these Covid times, nothing is certain. Even my stay in Thailand hangs in the balance. In the meantime, I enjoy whatever abundance rains on me here in amazing Chiang Mai - yoga, fitness, coffee conversation with friends, and Blues music. I am grateful to my one benefactor without whose generosity I wouldn't know where I'd be. Thank you Mike.
    
    Half Full or Half Empty? The Choice is Yours
    Life will never be the same when this pandemic blows over. You can live in fear in these Covid times or you can simply enjoy the ringside seat. You can tell your grandkids, "I was there when shit hit the fan." The glass is either half empty or half full. Both are right - but you make the call.
    
    
    keeping fit and strong at all times, allow me to respond on-the-fly when life beckons
    
    
    Thank you, Mike 🙏

    ---

    
    

Ending Thoughts
Going back in time to write about this was grounding. It's like looking back and seeing how much ground I've covered. The best thing is, the journey isn't over yet.

I've seen many changes in me as I pursue life on the open road while staying on the right path. Now, I no longer feel like an outsider. I don't even feel the need to belong. I'm simply comfortable under my own skin, feeling self-contained. I enjoy being with people, not to validate me, but to enjoy celebrating life with.

In all these travels and adventures, with hardly any resources, I was at the complete mercy of my universe. But my blessings transcend statistical probabilities. Again, this only validates that there is an unseen hand looking after my well-being. The universe I believe, is there to be at your service - if you let it. It is far wiser, far more knowledgeable and far more benevolent than it is given credit for. Once you let go and trust the process, you see how things are architectured to pave the way for your journey. With a staunch relationship I have with my universe, I feel the power of the Big Bang right behind me. I feel the divinity that mantles this universe. It's a heightened perception of reality very few get a glimpse of. I wake to a new day always thankful to be alive and experience this magic.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

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Chiang Mai INFORMATION

Chiang Mai Map

Chiang Mai, Thailand

IMPORTANT PLACES
Bus Station
Train Station
Chiang Mai International Airport
Nong Buak Hard Park - free yoga classes daily

HOTEL
Arun Dara Villa - 7 exclusive rooms, 1 swimming pool for every room, grand opening
Nawa Sheeva Hotel - big rooms, high ceiling, salt-water pool, restaurant, cafe
Nawa Saraan Hotel - low density (4 spacious rooms), stone garden setting, Koi fish pond, Old City location
Arun Suite - 3 bedrooms in a 3-storie guesthouse within Old City, ideal for families

RESTAURANT
La Pizza Chiang Mai - Italian pizza, pasta, wine, dessert, coffee
Natural Bird Nest by Burapa - authentic bird's nest soup

WELLNESS
ITM - International Training Massage School - Chiang Mai's most prestigious massage school
Float Chiang Mai - sensory deprivation float pod
Zira Spa - upscale authentic Thai massage and spa treatment

MOTORBIKE RENTAL
Tawan Bike - motorcycle rental | +66 91 635 2863 | Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200

Travel Tips for Thailand

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