I arrived in the painful, bitter cold of winter. It was far below freezing! It was the first day of snowfall of the year and school was cancelled. I walked my little Bhutanese students’ home as we shielded our wind-burned cheeks against the stinging frost. However, my layers upon layers of clothes couldn’t stop the … Continued
“Om Mani Padme Hum, Om Mani Padme Hum . . . (Hail to the lotus one!).” For several months, every morning I blissfully woke up to the repeating hums passing outside my window; the beloved morning routine of a vibrant seventy-seven year old Buddhist nun circumambulating the nunnery with a prayer bead in her left … Continued
“Let’s take one of the sleeper class trains, it’s more economical and culture friendly,” Billy said enthusiastically. “No way, I’m scared! It seems dangerous; I bet criminals ride it. We will probably get robbed while sleeping. Let’s take first class with private rooms and locked doors. I heard it’s much safer for women,” my frightful … Continued