Instagram story viewer> @allianadkm> Posts

ALLIANA MYERS

@allianadkm

2K

followers

1014

following

certainly
uncertain

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Before I left for Asia I sold my camera and all of my camera equipment. I had graduated with a degree in photography 4 years before that but I had barely taken my camera out of the camera bag. I thought to myself, “when I get there, I’ll buy a camera. I’ll start from scratch. I don’t know what I’m doing but I’ll reteach myself.” Seven months passed and I never bought a camera. I was embarrassed and upset that I had a degree in photography but didn’t even know how to work a camera, let alone own one. I was particularly hard on myself because I was witnessing some of the most incredible things I had ever witnessed in my life.

I guess when I said I’d start from scratch I didn’t realize that it meant really from scratch. Without any equipment, without any camera, without any expectations, just my phone and a free editing app I had downloaded. I didn’t realize but it’s what I needed.

Of course there are times where I wish I would’ve had a professional camera to capture moments that a phone camera could never come close to capturing but at the same time I’m glad I didn’t. I’m glad that I got the opportunity to be humbled and grateful for what was in the present. I’m glad I had the opportunity to rediscover what it means to be creative without the pressure of being a certain way or meeting a certain standard.

What I’m trying to say is, sometimes I think we feel like we’re not doing enough. Especially if we have a degree that seems to just be collecting dust. And maybe other people that we see on social media seem to have it a bit more together than we do but in reality, I think we’re all kinda feeling pretty similar and that’s wonderful! Life is full of mystery and surprises and we’re all capable of making the best of what we have. We don’t have to let the restrictions stop us from trying to do what we love. And we should all probably be a bit more comfortable with being humbled.

I still have no idea what I’m doing but at least I’m a little more okay with that now and if I am then so should you :) So, anyway, enjoy the last photos that I’ll be posting from Asia which I took and edited on my phone 😀🍾🧘🏻‍♀️📷🕊️ by @allianadkm

182

34

4 months ago

Taiwan has 16 officially recognized indigenous groups and these indigenous groups arrived on the island some 6500 years ago and about 2000 years then later spread as far as Madagascar and all the way to Hawaii. Meaning, that all of these (Austronesian) people share ancestral DNA with indigenous Taiwanese folk!

Just to put it into context, Judaism (more specifically the story of Abraham) was only just beginning as a religion when the indigenous people of Taiwan began sailing across the Pacific Ocean.

Unfortunately, in the past few hundred years the indigenous people of Taiwan have experienced many injustices. This includes being forced off of their lands, forced to change their names, forced to worship a different god, and forced to stop speaking their native languages (so much so that some of the languages have even gone extinct).

Which is why I felt all the more grateful and lucky when I, literally just by chance, got to visit the Katratripulr tribe of the Puyuma indigenous people during their annual harvest festival. This festival gathers entire lineages for dance, song, and spiritual renewal in their native language and native dress. Sustaining and strengthening traditions that are slowly being forgetting in today’s modern world.

One of the most astonishing things about this whole experience was that these people were devout Christians but they celebrated and embraced their indigenous indentity simultaneously. They chanted and danced in the lot in front of the church. They sang their hymns in their native tongue. Many of them had even proudly introduced themselves with both their native names AND their chosen names from the Bible (I.E. John, Paul, Peter).

This all just put into perspective for me that for thousands and thousands of years culture has been changing and developing, people have been migrating, religions have been formed and adapted, languages have come and gone. And it all seems so important to us right now (because, in a way, whatever is right in front of you IS the most important thing) but at the same time it’s just.... life.... that’s about as good of a description as I can give. But I’m sure you understand.

🌞🪭🕊️⛰️🪢👯 by @allianadkm

50

11

5 months ago

Imagine you’re outside wandering around a huge mountain in the jungle and it’s a sweltering 35°c (95°f) outside. The air is thick and there is no wind and you feel like you’re drowning. Suddenly, you feel a very cool breeze brush past you. It’s there and then it’s gone. You turn toward the direction of the breeze and you see a very small opening in the side of the mountain. You’re not sure what you’ll find but you’re drawn by the irresistible and refreshing air that is seeping out of the barely visible crack.

When you climb inside you find yourself in another world. Another world that has been sitting inside of the belly of this mountain for millions of years. Before Homo sapiens (us) had even evolved and when a lot of the world was covered in ice. This world has survived earth quakes, floods, wars, revolutions, extinctions, love and death. It has sat there quietly in the dark, dripping away and humbly creating one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen.

The paradise cave in Vietnam felt a lot like that. I spent about 3 hours wandering around only 1km out of 31km of that cave! Standing in awe in front of some of the biggest stalactites and stalagmites I have ever seen in my life. Questioning my existence and feeling so grateful to be alive all at once.

On average, stalactites (hangs from the ceiling of a cave) and stalagmites (rises from the ground of a cave) grow 10 centimeters every thousand years, which means when you walk into a cave and see a formation that is as tall as you, it probably took about 18,000 years for it to form. Just for reference, that would be around the year 16,000 BCE! We were still hunter gatherers transitioning from the most recent ice age then.

Just like trees, there is something so humbling about standing inside of a cave that is millions of years old. A cave that formed so beautifully without any expectation of admiration or recognition.

Paradise cave was only discovered in 2005 on accident. Just imagine how much we still have left to discover on this wonderful and beautiful planet of ours ⛰️ 🫂 🪄 🪨🌏💧 by @allianadkm

84

15

6 months ago

I’m not religious but there’s something about places of worship that move me deeply. Maybe it’s the collective belief that who/what you are praying to is actually listening. Maybe it’s the incredibly beautiful art and architecture that can be found in temples/churches/mosques both old and new. Maybe it’s the passion, the devotion, the faith, the innately human feature to try to understand what we’re doing here and how we can make the most of it.

From chanting monks in a zen monastery in South Korea to people who celebrate their 4000 year old harvest festival in a Christian church in a small village in Taiwan -

to magnificent temples at the top of a mountain in Thailand and 1,500 year old ruins of Hindu temples in Vietnam -

from Buddha to Jesus to Allah .... from the moon & stars to Shiva to the first rain of the season

We all believe in something. We all find peace and sanctuary somewhere.

And for just one second, let’s have fun and imagine that all of these beautiful things, no matter how different they are, led to kindness, peace, understanding, and acceptance rather than war, hatred, judgment and suffering.

But then I guess the world wouldn’t be what it always has been and probably always will be.

🛕🕊️🕌✨⛪️🌱 by @allianadkm

145

7

7 months ago

We have a lot to learn from mountains.

When I’m stressed or overwhelmed, sometimes I close my eyes and imagine myself on top of a mountain alone. It has taken effort, dedication, and strength to reach the top but the silence that rests above the world can’t be found anywhere else. It’s a silence that takes your breath away. A silence that quiets your mind.

Not only is there silence, there’s perspective. It’s like being at that in between height when you’re on a plane, taking off or landing, where you’re just close enough to see all of the little people and their cars but just high enough to realize how how many things are happening all at once, all the time. This only lasts a moment on a plane but when you’re on top of a mountain you really get to sit with this perspective.

Very often we get so focused in on what’s going on in our lives. Every little detail, every little thought. Who am I? Am I doing the things that I’m meant to be doing? Who do I want to be? Did I accomplish everything I intended on accomplishing? Am I important? Am I special? Loved? Funny? Annoying? Do other people think like me?

But while you’re running around with all of these thoughts and feelings, the silence and perspective lay waiting for you at the top of a mountain somewhere.
And if you close your eyes and imagine yourself there, then maybe for a second, you can find the silence and perspective within yourself.

⛰️🧘🏻‍♀️🗻🫂💫 by @allianadkm

156

26

9 months ago

A small list of things you can find in any given market in Southeast and East Asia:

• Every single part of an animal that you can imagine (eyeballs, testicles, brains, hooves, tongues, hearts, everything!)
• A group of aunties that will laugh at you in the most loving way possible (or maybe they’re actually just haters lol. who know and who cares! they’re the best!)
• Probably the cure for cancer
• The best fruit in the world
• The best snacks/treats in the world
• Many living octopuses (and yes, that’s how you say it)
• Solid gold
• Someone who will fix literally anything for you in less than an hour (bags, motorbikes, watches, clothes)
• The will to live

and much much more! 🐙🥥🛵🩴🍊📿🐟🧠 by @allianadkm

93

7

9 months ago

I experienced many firsts in Asia but by far the most exciting was learning how to ride a motorbike (a semi-automatic at that!).

The first time I had to drive my own motorbike, by myself, all alone was in a small town in Thailand where I was visiting my cousin. It was a 45 minute ride through nothing but jungle and rice fields. I was terrified and electrified and exhilarated. I was also going like 10mph, so that’s probably why it took me 45 minutes, haha.

And the last time I got to drive a motorbike before leaving the freedom and flexibility of Asia, was a 9 hour ride through the windy mountains of Cao Bang, Vietnam.

Not even once, in the whole 6 months that I was driving a bike, did I crash.. until my very last ride. I slid on some oil on the mountain two hours into my nine hour ride on my way back to Hanoi.

Luckily, I fell gracefully enough (and that’s not me bragging, that’s just luck) that I didn’t break any bones, hurt anyone else, or destroy my bike. I was able to get back up and drive for another 7 hours with a little blood on my knee and a gratitude so deep that I felt no pain (even though it’s been 8 months and my knee STILL HURTS).

Now.. how can I finish this in the cheesiest way possible.. oh yes... here we go... Nelson Mandela once said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Just kidding lol, I mean, it’s a nice quote but what you do after you fall is up to you and non of my business. Just know that life is precious, have as much fun as you can but wear a helmet, and yeah try to be grateful every time you arrive anywhere safely, even if you have blood on your knee. 🛵💨💥🩹 by @allianadkm

131

21

10 months ago

I can’t really describe the feeling you get when you hug a tree that has survived almost 1,100 years. Through war, through natural disasters, through thousands of seasons, through silly made up, man-made bullshit.

Yet, you never hear the tree complain. You never hear the tree claiming territory, making up what’s mine and what’s yours.
But we know that trees can communicate so, who knows.. they probably do complain. lolz (lemme not try to be so poetic and romantic here)

Trees remind me to be humble. To be resilient. To be adaptable and innovative. To be myself. (oops, I failed) They remind me, more specifically, that there have been at least 5 mass extinctions on Earth and every single time life returns. And it returns even more vibrant and beautiful than before. 🌳💥🌱🫶🏼

Be kind to the Earth and each other, complain productively, and remember that you are small and insignificant (but in a good way! 😄) by @allianadkm

127

10

10 months ago

One of the things I was the most excited about seeing before I came to Asia were the water buffalos! Because... well, first of all, they’re so damn cute. And second of all... well, yeah they’re cute lol.

But when I arrived, I saw people just kinda walking around with them as if they were pets that needed to be taken out for their daily walk. I got to wondering why? and what? When I looked more into it, I realized that they (obviously) are much more than just cute, domesticated bovines.

They have been in the Southeast Asian region for 4,000 - 5,000 years and were always traditionally used to plow rice fields, transport heavy things, and help farmers in any other way seen fit.

But... now we have tractors.. so what is to be made of the Southeast Asian water buffalo? It’s true that they are used less frequently for farming needs but they’re still very symbolic.

Owning a water buffalo in Vietnam is seen as a sort of investment. One buffalo can be worth anywhere from 20-40 million VND (800-1,600 USD). They are seen as a symbol of wealth, success, and stability. And in the mountainous regions of Vietnam, where tractors can’t reach, they still rely on our two horned friends for assistance. Oh yeah, and their manure is extremely valuable and used daily for fertilization. Yay poop! (lol sorry) 😅

Once, in Vietnam, I met a shepardess who was in her 70’s. I asked to photograph her with her herd. She agreed and began to tell me about how she’s been coming with her buffalos and cows to graze every. single. day. for over 50 years. She’s the woman in slide 7.

I honestly don’t really have anything very profound to say to wrap all of this together. I just think they’re beautiful creatures and I respect farmers and sheperds so much. It is at the root of who we are as humans.

I hope you enjoy looking at their faces as much as I did 🐃🫀🌾🩶
(And yes, some of these are cows but essentially the same thing can be said for them, too) by @allianadkm

82

8

a year ago

On the full moon in February I happened to stumble upon a multi-day festival, held once a year in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Buddhists from all over come to the 800 year old temple where it is believed one of The Buddha’s teeth is held! (If I didn’t see the tooth... is it really even there?)

The people purchase a very long yellow cloth, walk around the main stupa (dome shaped structure that holds relics (like teeth)) three times while they chant out loud with each other. The cloth held over their heads. After the third round they wrap their cloth around one of the 158 smaller stupas.

This is an act of merit. An act of respect and thousands year old tradition.

These cloths symbolize honor, community, devotion.
Many people write prayers for protection, good-luck wishes, intentions for the future, and messages to deceased relatives on the cloth. It is seen as a personal offering to The Buddha.

A few days later, I returned to the temple and witnessed the humor and irony of what it means to be a human in this world; all of the cloths that these people had so passionately walked with were being thrown into a mindless pile on the floor.

It made me laugh. We take things in life so seriously and then, next thing you know, all of your wishes, all of your efforts are being wrapped in a ball and collected for disposal.

But humans are persistent. Even though this cycle of wishing and disposing happens every year, we still show up. We still have hope. This tradition has been happening for thousands of years and I have no doubt that, if we are still around for another few thousand years, we’ll still be wrapping pointy stones with cheap fabric in hopes of a more peaceful life. taken in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand by @allianadkm

68

9

a year ago

⚡️again, if you don’t wanna read this whole thing, then please just skip to the last paragraph :)⚡️

About 2,000 years ago, during the time of The Buddha and Jesus, there was a male bodhisattva with the sanskrit name Avalokitsvara “The One Who Perceives the Sounds of the World”

A Boddhisattva is a being who is on the path of becoming a Buddha (an enlightened being), but chooses not to leave the cycle of suffering in order to stay in the world and help those around them find peace.

This particular boddhisattva is known as the Boddhisattva of Compassion and when he made his way to China, some 1,300 years ago, people began percieving him as a HER; the gentle, merciful mother figure, Guanyin. The feminine yin energy. The balance to the masculine image of The Buddha. (Although some places still identify her as a him i.e. South Korea!) Isn’t the fluidity of life and perception just so fun? lol

THEN about 1,000 years ago a Lin Mo was born on an island in China. From birth, was she said to have been gifted with great intelligence, compassion, and the ability to sense the struggles of sailors at sea. When she was a bit older it was believed that, during a trance, she was able to guide her fishermen brothers to safety during a storm with her spirit.

After her death her spirit was worshiped as a protector of sailors and goddess of the sea, earning her the title of MAZU, “Mother-Ancestor”

Although Guanyin is Buddhist and Mazu is Taoist/Chinese folk, they are both seen as compassionate, guiding, protective and divine female (sometimes male) figures across Asia. Some even believe that Mazu was a manifestation of Guanyin’s spirit.

There is so much pain in the world right now (in fact, there always has been and there always will be) so, it is ALWAYS the time to choose compassion & understanding. To tune into the feminine energy that lives within us and around us. To choose a path of honesty, self responsibility, peace, and coexistence. Hug the people around you (and trees), listen to the people that are hurting (no matter who they are), and try to follow the lead of these compassionate goddesses who symbolize the compassion that lives within each one of us 🌊✨🪬💛🫂 by @allianadkm

124

8

a year ago

During my time in Asia I experienced a lot of firsts. Many of those included modes of transit. I had never taken a night bus or night train before, never driven a motorbike before, never flown 13 hours on a plane alone before, and certainly never been crammed into a tiny sedan with seven other people for 6 hours before.

For me, these transitional experiences are always a moment for reflection and a sort of light meditation. It’s like going through a portal, from one place to the next.

I feel like it’s easy to forget these moments when we think back on our experiences but they’re a good reminder that “it’s not about the destination, it’s also about the journey” (sorry, I had to LOL).

But seriously, put some headphones in, look out the window, people watch, take a nap, and enjoy the ride! whatever will be will be... stressing about it won’t change the outcome. 🏍️☄️🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️🎧🧡 by @allianadkm

152

19

a year ago