The Monks say I have a 'Naughty Mind'

Me in my suit, practicing.....
The temple were we had our meetings
The sleeper train before the beds were made up, one above and one below, like bunkbeds
Poking my head out the window, almost got hit by a sign! Have to really watch out for obstacles!
View out the back of the train, very slack safety regulations in Thailand

OK I do know how to behave properly in most situations......after another night on the sleeper train to Chiang Mai I ended up going to the Wat Suan Dok Meditation camp. I was talking with a girl from Holland, Linda, who was staying at my guesthouse and she had checked it out at the temple so I thought why not I was due for a new cultural experience! So after a brief introduction to Buddhism which was very interesting, it's not a religion or philosophy it's a way of thinking, off we went out into the country after stopping to get our food supplies to the Meditation Training Centre.
After trying and trying to 'still my mind' and focus on keeping it blank and finding that impossible the monks explained to me (and others as well!) that our minds are naughty and like monkey minds. Always jumping around with different thoughts. Apparently it can take a while to practice and master meditation and quiet your mind and I believe it! So practice practice practice.....lots of homework for me!
All in all it was a great experience. We chanted (can't say I am a chanter any more than I am a singer!) even at 5:30am the next morning...... did yoga (loved that), did an ALMS offering to the monks (that's when they walk with their bowls and you offer them food), had discussions and tried a couple of different types of meditations. It was peaceful, relaxing and enlightening, maybe one day my mind will be 'pure'!
What I gathered most from this is to -
Concentrate on the present, don't dwell on the past. Today is history, tomorrow is a mystery! :)