barbie world

During my month in Bali, I traveled mostly with women in their 20s and 30s - all in the fitness industry, with most of them there for an aerialist training. Social media is a primary source of their livelihood, a medium to recruit clients to their OnlyFans or fitness profiles. The best editing apps or filters on Instagram or Tiktok were common topics. I found myself chronicling more of my travel on Instagram this time around, with friends encouraging me to do so as they enjoy keeping tabs on my experiences. 

It was interesting to learn the 'tricks of the trade' - the positions, the lighting, the angles, etc. that brings out one's best look. Perhaps at some point it becomes second nature but it seemed a lot of work to me, when it appeared to kill so much time getting the right Instagram photo or video. Everything was 'insta' - insta-weight loss, insta-abs, insta-booty, insta-contouring, insta-teeth whitener, insta-full lips ... 

In a world of insecurities, envy and FOMO, conforming to be the 'standard' or 'norm' was a rat race to the bottom of mental health. In Vietnam, I found myself being curious of establishments where I would see a number of people taking pictures as some memento, only to find out that there was nothing special about the place other than it being 'Instagrammable'. The Vibes is a multi-event venue that was designed specifically with this in mind. The atmosphere, the plating, etc. are photo-perfect but the food, drinks and service make it clear that what is reflected in the prices are the photo ops.

During my walks, I frequently ran into duos/trios with trash bags of clothes and jewelry, oftentimes with tags still on them, doing photo shoots with their smartphones. It reminded me of my time in Bali, spending time waiting for my travel companions to plan their daily outfits and/or hair and makeup. While we may all be aware of the filters and editing that goes on, we all seem to have some dissonance with the illusion and reality.

BDC (synchronicity (part 2)) would say that he preferred natural beauty yet he would also spend countless hours scrolling through social media or dating apps with FOMO of the illusory women. He had issues with partners, including me, on our wardrobe either not being sexy enough or too sexy. Despite his protests, I knew he had an issue with my age, and as with any of his other 'conquests', I was just a story for him. 

Being around the women on the other side of his screen, I found myself intrigued by that world. It was empowering that a woman could make over 100Gs catering to these men's delusions. Men paying to fly some of the OnlyFans women for a 'vacation' and yet somehow telling themselves and others that they don't pay for sex was an 'alternative fact'. He was convinced that when he paid for an OnlyFans person to rate his dick, it somehow was sincere and not canned, primarily because of a reference to a delay in doing so. They laughed and explained to me that it was part of their bag of tricks to add to the delusion.

I did find myself feeling self-conscious with his issue on my age as I was traveling with them. I tried the filters, which (perhaps the universe intervening) didn't work on my Instagram, and the photo edit apps that seemed to just be such time suckers to my being in the moment and experiencing Bali and its people. Clearly practice makes perfect as they seem to be able to do all of that much more efficiently, and I will have to say, the results were sometimes amazing. 

I think a healing moment for me though was when new friends (young 20s) were discussing the age of my travel companion who is in her late 30s and struggles with a lot of insecurities including body image. I was torn whether to remain silent or not. In the end, I spoke up, having to reveal my age to provide context and speak on her behalf. In the patriarchal world where men are admired for the 'salt and pepper looks', feminine empowerment should include women supporting each other (spiritual masters) as we are on a continuum of a similar aging cycle. They were humbled and had spoken boldly as they had made the assumption that I was just a bit older than them (early 30s). Age in the end is just a number that for many is used to 'bully' others into their insecurities.

Greta Gerwig's Barbie attempts interlace the zeitgeist of the modern era to redeem the unrealistic standard of perfection that added to the sexist and misogynistic view of women as 'eye-candy'. Having an existential crisis, Barbie enters the real world and somehow learns the importance of inner beauty. Over its six plus decades, Barbie has been revamped with various careers as some inspiration for girls; however, it took 57 years for its body shape to change in 2016. She is still Caucasian (the quest for snow white), despite a majority of the world being Asian. While Ken is just Ken, Barbie still epitomizes the expectation that a woman be 'everything' with stellar look, career woman, silent partner and perfect mother - all at the same time, feeding into the delusions of men like BDC and incels.

Barbie has Barbie learning about self-love and Ken learning self-awareness. While there are debates and cultural wars on this movie, it is more about humanism and the choices we have in life, including empowerment, and the choice of using it from love or from fear, including enabling illusions that keep us from our own truths.

laying on of hands

Perhaps in clearing the cobwebs of recurring themes of unwantedness and hidden (saudade (part 5)), it exposed a deeper wound of security (bluebird); yet, his contradictory actions at the end had me wondering (synchronicity (part 2)) where this would take me and what is to be learnt. While the presence of the raven (bubble of bliss, blossoming, and saudade (part 6)) seemed to represent some masculine protection, I had never consciously thought that I felt 'unsafe' until being overwhelmed with feeling emotionally safe during bluebird.

I have minor experiences with reiki as a clearing of energy before medicinal healing sessions such as 5-MeO-DMT (blast off), but have never tried a dedicated reiki session although I had thought about becoming a licensed reiki healer. I have discussed being a part of a healing center over the years with a number of people, including a friend who had moved back to Vietnam from Singapore. We had last connected prior to CoVID when I was planning on relocating to Vietnam for a few years. 

Unlike Bali or Thailand where individuals go looking for healing during their spiritual journeys, Mandala Wellness is in a country where modalities like osteopathy, hypnosis, and reiki are foreign to the locals. As with the Law of Attraction and devoting one's energy into one's passion, somehow practitioners and clients seemed to find their way to the center. I had wanted to try new modalities, hoping to clear any stuck energy that may have resided around my shoulders and elsewhere in my body from emotional traumas I had processed. 

Elsa first studied reiki in 2008 in order to help manage her own anxieties, eventually utilizing it as a tool to help family and friends. Like the empath from 22, she was able to 'see' beyond my energy field, perhaps some memories of what my body held, in addition to moving the energy in the reiki session. Noting that my third eye (sixth chakra) is very active is a testament to my spiritual growth over the years and honing in on my connection with the spiritual self/world.

The crown chakra (seventh chakra), represented by the color violet, has come up in my QHHT (leap of faith) and Christmas 'trip' (violet goddess). She saw an image of my 2-4 year old self crying  and reaching out while seeing someone take my father away. At my root chakra (first chakra), she saw lots of energy flowing there with an imbalance, indicating needs of reassurance or concerns about safety, whether financially or physically, and unclear idea about family and home. 

Energetically, the seventh chakra has a connection with the first chakra as they represent the extremities of the chakra system. That image from my crown chakra was my enlightened self giving me a clue about the imbalance in my root chakra, which came up in bluebird and synchronicity (part 2). My father (full circle (part 3), full circle (part 5), and full circle (part 8)) was in the South Vietnamese Navy at that age, resulting in us becoming 'boat people' as we fled the country. He could have been pulled away to go to war or at the refugee camps when they separated us into barracks. In addition to the war and even as a latch key kid, being responsible for my siblings (full circle (part 8)), there was a lot weighing on my shoulders at an early age that would naturally contribute to concerns of safety.

In what I had thought was a lesson in blossoming to receive, in actuality, it seems as if it was the start to balancing the pendulum of independency and learning to let go and allow others the opportunity to be a partner in my safe haven, truly creating the 'home' to no longer need the self-protection that was erected in childhood (safe haven), always having to rely on my self ... the lingering responsibility and burden that had remained stuck in my shoulders.

The sacral chakra (second chakra) embodies our 'own dwelling' where sensuality, emotions, creativity and intimacy resides. She had me giggling when she recounted the 20 something me excitedly playing hide and seek in a very child-like manner, in front of some figure in the shape of a giant mushroom or cauliflower floret. While I still haven't figure out the symbolism of the giant figure, it still brings a delighted smile to my face with her visual, especially with deep connections and pleasure being such a heart focus to my current journey. In line with connections with others, she also received the message that my path shows fulfillment relating to counseling or coaching others, perhaps in the area of mindfulness/life.

While she noted that she cleared a lot of the energy that I noted in my shoulders, she also detected a hesitancy over my throat (fifth) and heart (fourth) chakras, highlighting that I have not addressed whether and when I would have children. For a second, I was surprised that this came up until I remembered a moment a few months before. While I have thirteen frozen eggs somewhere in North Carolina (22 and kissing my boo boos), I had always viewed it as an insurance policy in case I had a partner who wanted children. I had been indifferent yet always knew I'd be an excellent mother. I cannot explain the times though even in the last few years when the time came to renew the storage term, I never doubted for a second when I opted to continue to keep them rather than donate them to research.

In the midst of in the NOW, he had once joked that we should have a baby. It seemed foremost in his mind during his processing of his past relationship which a mutually-agreed upon abortion was the beginning of an end when both started to individually have misgivings about their decision. I did not put much thought on my reaction at the time, but it was the first time in my life where I answered 'yes' internally while laughing externally at his spontaneity. For the first time, rather than evaluating the quality of the father in answering that question, I just knew as a mother. It was just a fleeting feeling and moment, and I never thought about it again.

After the session, I waved it off as a curiosity, similar to astrology, numerology, fortune tellers or tarot cards...another potential sign but nothing definitive. Quite frankly, I did not know where to start in addressing that. I started thinking about how excited I was to get my puppy (baby girl), which then led me to the acknowledgement that I was already starting roots and building my own family with a puppy. Was this also connected to what she observed in my root chakra about uncertainty of family? Was it connected to safety and allowing others to be part of that?

The time spent with Kai (11:11 (part 14), bluebird and baby girl) where his parents allowed me to be another mother to him or Harry and Archie for over a month in Vietnam had me not only exposed to 'mothering' children 24/7 but also to pregnant mothers. I had decided to give it six months or so with my new puppy to see how my life changes before broaching the topic again, knowing I would be happy to go down this path alone. Only then, did I mention it to another soul, who suggested we go see our dear old 'fortune teller' (11:11 (part 6)) as a fun curiosity before our trip to Hoi An. 

Needless to say, while the couple of other times that I've gone with my friends as a mindless hangover ritual, she has been fairly accurate with what she saw of our lives 1-2 years out, my 'future' could easily be viewed as generic to 'dating' highs and lows. This time though without any prompting with a specific question to ask her, she highlighted synchronicity (part 2), and was very specific to the baby boy with a father with blue eyes that will 'love me more than I love him' which is the Vietnamese way of saying he will be 'taking care of me' and being that trusted partner in our haven and home. 

As I marveled at the beauty of Mother Earth and the magic of the universe (twilight), another thing Elsa underscored as my source of self-care and recharging, I felt the calmness and miracle of all past, present and future connecting right at that moment in time in that specific spot in the ocean.

twilight

I have always appreciated the beauty in sunrises and sunsets (a taste of heaven and puffs of cotton). But it wasn't until the time that I have spent in Hawaii over the last year (to infinity and beyond) that I started to explore the magic in the Sun's crepuscular rays. During my month in Oahu last spring, we would try to catch sunset everyday at the Maunalua Bay Beach during our evening walks with Pele.

Canggu, Bali

While in Hilo on the Big Island, the sunrises (11:11 (part 13)) beaming through my bedroom's sliding door served as the rooster's crow to greet the day. But in Kona, it seemed a ritual for many, whether floating on surfboards, lounging in sand or standing cliffside, it was a siren song that bewitched locals and tourists alike to watch in silence and awe as the hues dynamically displayed its vastness across the horizon. Sometimes, one would even get a glimpse of dolphins and whales frolicking in the distance or a sea turtle basking on the rocks.

No matter how the day unfolded, we never regretted packing up the car to chase the sunset in Kona. With the feet grounded in sand and skin absorbing the ions of the salt in the air and ocean, the experiences were always calming to the senses and provided a reset to the energy. Some of our best self-facilitated therapy sessions occurred after we returned from sunsets.

Gili Trawangan, Bali

Yet, it isn't often that one can find a location, other than high above in the mountains where both sunrises and sunsets grace the sky like puffs of cotton or to infinity and beyond. While in Bali, it seemed as if we could catch one or the other but not both, until we got to Gili Trawangan Island where we could rent bicycles to explore the other side of the island. Meeting a group of aerialists while in Ubud had me stumbling into my first aerial yoga class during sunset at the aptly named, Sunset Beach Yoga.

Sanur, Bali

With almost a month this time around, I was able to explore more of the beauty of the Balinese culture and people since eat, pray, love. Snorkeling in the Gilis while on a local concoction of magic mushrooms allowed our eyes to see the vivid colors fauna and creatures of the ocean. Like last time though, I was mistaken for a local Balinese a few times, affording me the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of being a local as well. I was happy that our last night was at the tip of Bali, one of the few places to enjoy both sunrises and sunsets, and as I flew out the following evening, I was blessed with my final sunset on Bali from the porthole of the plane as we were taking off.

* * * * *

I have paddle boarded a number of times in my life, primarily in the calm waters of lakes like Lake Tahoe or bays. With no daylight savings time, sunrise was a little after 5 AM, requiring a meet up time of 4:30 AM. So a sunrise paddle boarding excursion in the ocean was less than ideal for this night owl. But in the wee hours with the moon lighting my way, the East Vietnam Sea off the coast of Hoi An was as calm as lake waters. I went out further than I had planned, being lured towards the Cu Lao Cham Island, in the direction of the rising sun. We were not alone out in the expanse of the ocean, with the local fishermen rowing their basket boats out to check their nets, with one elated to share news of the few crabs that landed in his net that morning.

Perhaps because of the atmosphere that day, the sunrise was full of red, yellows and oranges, even before and after its peak at 5:19 AM. The brisk sea air, the undulations of the ocean, the hues in the horizon, and the titillating energy all around took me back (or forward) to the breathtaking minutes at a taste of heaven. I lost all track of time and awareness of anything else around me. It was perhaps the visuals that could have corresponded with the vibrations and energy I felt during my 5-MeO-DMT journeys (blast off).

It took me awhile to finally hear the sounds of my paddle board companions as they were calling out to me to not go out much further. We stayed out there for another hour or so, connecting with strangers (with one being a marine biologist) and discussing the miracles of life that humans have not acquired the knowledge to explain ... quantum physics, space-time continuum of a block universe (in the NOW) ... and in the end, we all agreed that we would choose to believe in magic and miracles.

As we got back to shore, there was so much activity, with some enjoying the beach for recreation and sport before the heat of the day became scorching and unbearable. It would seem as my friends were accurate when they said that the locals enjoy the beach and town before 8 AM and after 5 PM. According to them, the only people you see on the beach in between are the foreign tourists.

Hoi An happens to be one of those spots where one can catch sunrises and sunsets because of its topography. On the bridge in Old Town, without the obstructions of buildings or mountains, the locals gather before dusk to bid adieu to the brightest star in our skies.

* * * * *

While I knew that the lack of sun in recent decades has resulted in many illnesses and diseases, I have since learned of the benefits of the crepuscular rays to our bodies. At the low horizon, the sun's spectrum of light travels through more of the atmosphere, creating alternating bands of light with the highest contrast of blue and yellow lights. This contrast stimulates the photosensitive cells in the eyes, which in turn, is important to eye health and effects the hypothalamus pituitary parts of the brain, regulating not only the body's circadian rhythm but also hormones, impacting everything from metabolism to nervous system. Adjusting to the sunrise, sunset, Earth's vibrations and meal times of a location is one way to combat jet lag.

So not only are sunrises and sunsets music to our souls, they are driving forces to our bodies and health. Therein lies another magic and miracle of the universe.