Interesting things about my Journey in Vietnam

Hello Friends,I've been recently inspired by the depth of Elisha's travel journals and would like to practice writing interesting travel entries for all of you about my experience in Vietnam.I'd like to write freely so my thougts can flow. Thus, there will be no chronological order nor an order of importance. I'd like to just focus on what I have found interesting on my travels and things I've learned.Here we go...1. My great grandmother just died two days ago. It's been a trip. I came here before new years, and luckily met her before she died. She chanted to Elisha and I a beautiful sutra about the 84 famous Bodhisattvas. It was quite powerful as it sent shivers throughout my body. At the time, I thought that it was great she had the ability to chant the sutra while laying paralyzed on the bed at the ripe old age of 96. I felt she was more or less ready.So, three days ago, I call my aunt and she tells me that my great grandmother was very ill, no longer eating. I curtailed my plans to visit an island and took a train to Da Nang. That night before going to the train station, Elisha and I spotted an owl while riding on a motorcylce. This big owl with a white belly flew right above us, along the bike, and perched ontop a lampost. Elisha shared with me that Native Americans believe that owls are the messengers of death. Elisha and I figured that my great grandmother was about to die. Surely enough, as soon as we arrived in Da Nang, our family tells us that the grandmother died that night at 3:00am. The universe works in mysterious ways. And it just so happens that we made it right on time, off the train, to attend her funeral service, and to give our love and peaceful energy to my great grandmother's transformation. I felt very good with the whole service for everyone was very focused and strong to help my grandmother continue her journey. My dad, in Texas, was very happy that we made it to share our energy for my great grandmother to be liberated. I tried my best to give love and light as my aikido sensei has taught. It felt very good. Glancing over my great grandmother's corpse, I remembered a line from Lord of the Rings, spoken by Liv tyler, the elvish princess, as she was trying to save frodo, she prayed and cried, "Whatever grace within me, let it pass onto him." As I remembered these lines in my mind,opened palmed and mind focused on my great grandmother, my body shivered and tears welled up in my eyes, I was made to believe that she was going to be ok.2. We are such conditioned beings. The conditioning runs deep. I realize this when I observe my little cousins here in Vietnam. When they speak to me, they speak just like there parents do. They have similiar reactions, comments, hand gestures, facial expressions, and etc. just like their parents. It is insane. They even sometimes have the same walk. It is such a trip to witness and to observe it in them and also within myself. I must ask in what ways I have been conditioned by my parents and of which qualities do I keep and which I must ardently remove. I recommend you to do the same. For myself, one such conditioning which has become more apparent to me is my anger. This particular kind of anger I recognize, is the kind of anger I have learned from my mother. And while travelling, it has the ripe conditions to arise and for me to practice with. But, it seems that as I come to understand it more, I've discovered that this style of anger has been passed on through generations. While discussing this issue with my cousin, she shares too that she gets angry in the same way. I then asked if her mother does it too, who is my mother's sister, She says yes. And I asked if my grandfather does it too, and she says yes. It is a trip to see that some mental habits within me have been passed down. It gives a sense of compassion, especially for my mother, because she was treated with in such a way and is only reacting to the way she has been taught, as is everyone else. It is scary as I look out into the world and see how much people influence each other in their ways of being and consciousness, such unenlightened ways. Thus, I wish for everyone to surround themselves in good environments and to find truly good friends, and great teachers to show us how to think, behave, act, ad love, in enlightening ways. I am thankful to all my teachers who have helped me to remove all the conditioning and the egotistical ways of thinking that has helped me to lead a life with a bit of truth, humility, compassion, love, true happiness, and peace. I am also thankful for the dharma that teaches us the way and how to practice skillfuly to change ourselves- to discover the purity within. There is much more practice to be done, but I am hopeful.