On a trip in India years ago, on one of my final days in Kolkata, I had only one thing left I wanted to accomplish. That was to check out the flower market. The evening before I had decided that if someone tried to talk to me, I would make an attempt to be open …
On a solo trip to Kolkata a few years back, I was picked up at the airport by a representative from my hotel, cheerfully awaiting my arrival. She escorted me to the car where the driver was waiting for us. When we pulled away from the airport she turned back to face me and said …
One of my first 'big' solo trips was to India and Nepal a few years ago. My main intention was to go to Nepal, where I would be spending a month volunteering at a Buddhist Monastery. I decided to add on a month in India beforehand to see some areas I had never been to …
"India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only." ~Mark Twain India is unlike any other place you will …
Not to be confused with loser, Losar is a celebration of the Tibetan New Year. I had no idea what this was but was very fortunate to find myself at a Buddhist Monastery in Nepal for this occasion. I cannot tell you accurately the history of Losar, or any factual significance of the different traditions, …
My time in a Buddhist Monastery taught me a lot. I learned about the very real struggle of Tibetans and the evils committed by the Chinese government. I learned what it feel like to be a vegetarian and eat so much rice it literally felt as though it was coming out of my pores (seriously …
If you visit Nepal, visiting Bodhnath Stupa and it's surrounding area is a must. As one of the major sights to visit in the Kathmandu area, I had already made a trip before starting my time volunteering for a month at Rinchen Parli Monastery. It is full of tourists but is a very important pilgrimage …
In my daily teachings at Rinchen Parli Monastery, one of my favorite experiences was my time spent with Khenpo Dhondup. Khenpo is basically the principle of the monastery, and has become a great friend. His has an incredible drive to learn English and we continue to be in touch via Skype all these years later …
Volunteering in a Buddhist Monastery.
I am about to write four words I never thought I would say: Welcome to my blog. I have always had a desire to write but was so intimidated by the concept of writing a blog. Write something for anyone in the world to read... Are you kidding me? Who would give a …
