Moonlight Sonata

Sometime back, I as planning to visit Southern Thailand. To go to some temples for prayers. But before I could go, there were a series of bombing in Southern Thailand in the Yala provinces. Two weeks after the bombing, I thought it is a good time to visit. I emailed a friend to check out the situation, especially in the Hat Yai town and was told that things are pretty quiet. I was advised to stay away. My own assessment is that once the town has been bombed, you will have quiet and safe days for a year or two. A friend who wanted to go Nakorn Si Thammarat Province to pray at the Phra Mahathat Woramaha Wiharn temple decided a change of venue and drive to Betong, Southern Thailand and asked me whether I was interested. I said yes. There are some beautiful temples (see pic), good and cheap food. It's about 5 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. Only vegetarian food for me.
 
It's a short trip, leaving very early on Saturday and combing back on Sunday afternoon. There are also some very good food stops along the way, such as Lenggong town which is famous for its fish ball, not your ordinary but huge and bouncy fish balls served at the Khen Pang Restaurant. Then also the famous Loh Dee Wan Tan noodles.

There is another stop, a restaurant in the middle of a Chinese village along the way. I can't remember the name of the village and restaurant that serves very good food but I know how to go there. Sometimes, you can get to eat some exotic fish too depending on the season. If I do stop there this time, I will take a photo. It's been years since I have been there. Wondered if they are still the same?

Have food will travel. I like to travel all over the country with friends and my family to eat. Luckily peninsula Malaysia is blessed with good roads. I have driven North to South, West to East and the coastal roads sampling foods along the way. All in my pre cancer days.

How things can suddenly change, just over night. A day earlier, cancer free and the next day terminal cancer, no cure - there are no medicines for you. It's incomprehensible. Nights are forever now. How do you comfort your heart? How do you tell your loved ones? How should you go on living?

There is one thing that many people forget especially in times of distress. The power of the mind or thought. Weather you live or die, all depends on it. We are all conditioned with our habitual thinking.  Chose your thought wisely. You have to the power to change destiny.  You have the power to visualize like in a fantasy how the story would flow. You decide. Not your doctors or anybody else.

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata was originally named as "Quasi una fanatsia", which basically means "almost a fantasy". The third movement is fierce, the dumping of a spurned lover for another. The metaphor is the dumping of a death thought for the life thought.