November MEN-o-PAUSE
Masculiminal is Taking a quick Sabbatical
As the title suggests, the Masculiminal blog is going dark until December as I take a break from real life in the magical Kingdom of Thailand. The reason for this break is mostly so I can focus diligently on relaxation, but also because lately I’ve found that writing this blog has been slowly changing from exciting self expression to a tedious chore that I struggle to fit into my schedule. With that said, I promise to return to the Masculiminal mission recharged this December with bright eyes, sun-burnt skin, and a cacophony of thoughts, ideas and social commentary to share with whoever is willing to listen.
For now, dear readers, I will leave you with a short link roundup of interesting blogs and informational websites highlighting some of the more fascinating elements of Thai history and culture. You’ll see from the links below that the Thai people have their own version of the Jungian male archetypes (King, Warrior, Magician, Lover) that have been a part of their history for thousands of years.
King
The pic above is Vajiralongkorn Mahidol, better known as Rama X, the current king of Thailand. The Thai people take their monarchy very seriously and if you’d like to do the same, follow the link below for a brief history of their royal family.
Culturetrip: A Brief History of the Thai Royal Family
Warrior
Muy Thai, also known as Thai Boxing, is Thailand’s national sport and also an ancient martial art. Originally developed for use in war, the “Science of Eight Limbs” is widely regarded as the ultimate form of striking combat. It is the pride of Thai athleticism and is widely regarded as a way of life. For more on this richly cultural form of hand-to-hand combat, follow the link below.
Martialnerd: The Legendary Origins of Muay Thai
Magician
Traditional Thai tattoos, as depicted above, contain a very sacred and spiritual history. Known as Sak Yant, these tattoos are meant to be drawn on the body by a specially trained and educated monk called an Ajarn master. When the tattoos are applied, they are said to contain a magical spell that helps protect the wearer in any number of mystical ways. Check out the link from Medium below for more details.
Medium: Exploring the age old Talismanic Tradition of Thailands Sak Yant
Lover
As a close cousin to the Japanese TV genre called Yaoi, “Boys Love” is a new genre of TV quickly gaining popularity in Thailand. As Country already known for it’s freedom of gender expression, Thailand has now moved LGBTQ+ media to the big and small screen in a major way. To find out more about this rapidly rising cultural phenomenon, see the link below:
Timeout: Thai Boys Love Culture
As always, thank you for reading this disclaimer post/link round-up and remember, cigarettes don’t count when you are on vacation.
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While your curiosity and readership is what inspires me, cold hard cash is the only thing that will ensure the continued growth of Masculiminal as I strive to consistently produce clever and interesting content.
Peace be with you,
Greg.