Meditating with Buddhist Monks

No longer knowing whether time existed, whether this display had lasted a second or a hundred years, whether there was a Siddhartha, or a Gotama, a Self and others [...] Govinda stood yet a while bending over Siddhartha's peaceful face which he had just kissed [...]. He smiled peacefully and gently, very graciously, perhaps very mockingly, exactly as the Illustrious One had smile.
Govinda bowed low. Incontrollable tears trickled down his old face. He was overwhelmed by a feeling of great love, the most humble veneration. He bowed low, right down to the ground, in front of the man sitting there motionless, whose smile reminded him of everything that he had ever loved in his life, of everything that had ever been of value and holy in his life.

Having never really spent time learning something about Buddhism except some small parts within Siddhartha, seeing monks every day on the streets, people praying and sharing food with the Buddha, it was time to get an introduction to meditation and Buddhism.
So Sandra and I decided to stay two days at the International Meditation Center of the Buddhist University of Wat Sun Dok (aka Mahachulalongkornrajuidayalaya University - I needed to write this name down as I am still not able to pronounce it properly), where we would learn the basics of concentration meditation and everything that is connected to is.

The day starts at 5 am and is filled with meditation and chanting - all in silence, almost no talking. I find it quite difficult to clear my mind, concentrating on breathing, on a sound, on counting beads, still it feels different being there, it feels different that there is so much silence, it feels different in a good way. My back hurts from the different positions, since I can feel muscles ache I have not felt before. In some teaching session and discussion we learn about Buddhism, which makes so far sense to me as a religion, a philosophy as well as way of living.
I hope I will practice meditation, will try to include it in everyday life and will learn more about Buddhism. I feel I wanna come back here or some other place, maybe live with monks for some time at some point later. So far, I know at least that monks are not vegetarian, are supposed to shave all their hair and eyebrow only for simplicity and have a great sense of humor.