Where are Sue and Mike?

NY Eve in Vegas

2014-12-31T13:37:00.000-08:00

ShowStoppers is a new show, rotating excerpts from
musicals - this time - Annie Get Your Gun, Mame,
Damn Yankees and Chorus Line. Sarah made me
promise to not sing along.

Seinfeld was great with his everyday observations
on Facebook, texting, coffee. Yada yada yada.

We played a GIANT Jenga game.
By the end, at least 5 feet high!

Quinn was in play when the whole tower
came down. This'll be great at Tahoe.
(Thank you Deb and Charlie!)

Viewing all the crazy people down on the strip,
from the safety of our balcony. Hmmm, maybe
there were crazy people up there, too.

Happy New Year 2015!! Nice nose light, Mike :)

Stratosphere fireworks on one side.

Strip fireworks on the other!!!

Christmas in Las Vegas?

2014-12-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Santa's sleigh travelled far north to pick up our Seattle family.

How good has Gwen been?

Merry Christmas to the biggest
Marvel comics fan, ever!

Sarah with a momentary fake out
on the iDrive (supposedly a gizmo
to attach your iPad to your car).

Sarah and Mark gave us each 23 and Me - a genetic
testing kit that is supposed to reveal ancestry.
DNA testing of our own spit!

Things got confusing when Gwen's friend Quinn
came down to visit. We called them "Quindolyn".
They were big fans of garbage detail, which included
the thrill of listening to the garbage clank as it
dropped down 31 stories.

Shark Reef in Vegas is the world's only predator based
aquarium. Say Ahhhhh!

Golfing in Palm Springs

2014-12-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

Palm Springs in early morning glory

Hope springs eternal on every Par 3. Mike wants
a repeat of his 1974 hole in one!

Directly across the street is what Palm Springs
looks like after development.

Palm Springs looked like this before development.

Having fun with the ball markers at the PGA Superstore.

Feeling good on the Gary Player Mission Hills
course. A lot of courses are now conserving water
by letting the fairways brown out. Great idea.

Christmas Tea in Tacoma

2014-12-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

Here's to the ladies who lunch! Megan, Kathy, Jessica,
Mom, me and Sarah. Steeped in Comfort, our favorite
tea spot, now has a painting over their fireplace
by Lakewood's famous artist, Beverly Bills!

Scones, cookies and cupcakes await... good thing
the scones are already split so the calories can leak out.

Mom hunted down cookies all the way from
Nürnberg, Germany for the goodie bag.

Marzipan pig, another favorite German treat.

Frosty the 12th Man and the new little man!

2014-12-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Mark, Sarah and a bunch of their friends
were kind to let me tag along for the
last Pacific Northwest Ballet performance
with the famous Maurice Sendak set.

Sarah decided the ballet was tiara worthy. The best
part was when a little girl in the restaurant shyly asked
if she could have her picture taken with "the princess"!

Frosty the 12th Man!

Newborn baby nephew Ryan telling me all about it.

A welcome cuddle with Mom.

Great grandma Bev has just the right touch.

Arizona birds, songbirds and birdies

2014-12-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

The 80 degree weather in Arizona was pretty easy
to take, especially in the pool. Rolly can dance
around like a kid in the water!

Kathy, Mike and Rolly being neighborhood
nuisances in front of Cookie's new house.

Litchfield Park - it was breezy but warm at concert time.

Mary Hoffman sang her perky
heart out in a live concert.

Road Runner! The coyote's after you!

So St. Louis sold the football team to
Phoenix, but I didn't realize that Arizona
actually HAD cardinals, until we saw
one on the golf course.

Denver and Crop Circles

2014-12-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

Crossing over Kearney, Nebraska on our way from
Illinois to Colorado. We see such weird beauty from the air.

The Rocky Mountains with a new coat of snow!

Our Denver family enjoying the sunshine!

Ben sporting a new sleeve tattoo, self
designed - of different kinds of crop circles.
(He would have really liked Kearney, NE)

Vanessa bravely trying out today's special
at the Polish restaurant - cream of pickle soup.

Brett introduced us (talked us into?) paczki, a Polish
pastry similar to doughnuts, but with less sugar.
Well, maybe...

Thanksgiving in Moline, IL

2014-11-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

Cookie directing Thanksgiving buffet traffic. A big
thank you to our local family who pot-lucked dinner,
including Vicki's great broccoli salad.
We brought our appetites.

Did you know that pretty close to 100% of the 40 million
turkeys that Americans eat each year are artificially
inseminated? The broad breasted turkey is bred to have
very large breasts, which physically get in the way
when the male and female try to, uh, "create offspring".

Amy and Rosemary bluffing their way through some
impossible words. Rosemary won the match by
accidentally guessing the exact definition of "plumarole",
which turns out to be a small feather.

Mr. Rogers proudly posing in his neighborhood collection
of outboard motors. And yes, he has a subscription
to "Antique Outboard Motor" magazine.

Woke up to 20 degrees, 20 mph wind and snow.
Brrrrrr! We're not used to this!

We rented a Walleyball court at the YMCA for
a couple of hours. It's a crazy game of volleyball,
where the walls represent the court lines and it's
legal to do stuff like serve it into the wall, or bounce
it into your opponent's head. No major injuries.

We'd better check his sleeves for extra cards.

Mike learning Euchre from Dennis and Tori. "Hey,
wait a minute! You never told me THAT rule!"

Midwest cousins catching (and cracking) up.

Tori was on kid patrol, here with
Katie - the kids spent hours
climbing up and down the stairs.

The early stages of Round Robin ping pong, where
everyone has a paddle and you take turns returning
a serve from the other side while you revolve in
a circle. If you miss 3 times, you're out.

Late stage Round Robin is where the speed picks up.
This game was down to only Dennis, Tim and Nick.
Dennis won - must have been the moonshine!

Riding elephants in India

2014-10-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

We were the first (OK, the only...)
ones in our group to volunteer for
the elephant ride up to the Amber
Palace in Jaipur. Asian elephants
are a little smaller than their
African cousins, but still strong!

Our tour group for India - colorful in more ways than one!

We tried on the traditional turban and
sari, to see what it felt like to be the
Maharaja and Maharani (king and queen).
In India, red is the color of weddings,
symbolizing purity, beauty and fertility.

Diwali, Hindu Festival of LIghts in India

2014-10-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

A typically stunning display of hand arranged flowers
for Diwali. Celebrated in autumn each year, it was
originally an agricultural festival, where people would
finish up accounting for their annual crops and
pray to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth for a successful year.

Wow - we're not used to seeing fireworks like this
anymore! These were the ones that they let us set off for Diwali.

Roman candles ready to light up the night.

Diwali gets its name from the row (avali) of clay
lamps (deepa) that Indians light up outside their
homes to symbolize the inner light that protects
us from spiritual darkness. This festival is as
important to Hindus as Christmas is to christians.

Sparklers! They let us have sparklers!!!

This is what you call a BIG entrance to a Diwali party.

Nothing like fireworks to bring
out the boy inside the man.

Yes, that is a real elephant walking
by - better watch my step!

Launching a good fortune lantern. Like a mini hot
air balloon, you have to light it and wait for about
5 minutes until it gets hot enough to create lift.
Which gives you time to think up a really good wish!

Indian Women and other delights

2014-10-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

Isn't she wicked looking with that one tooth?

A common sight - her teeth are stained red from
chewing betel nuts, which are cheap, addictive
and cancer causing.

Learning a lesson from a wise man. The moral of
this story is don't be the one picked from the crowd
for the demonstration unless you want to be scared
spitless by a large plastic snake.

Gorgeous saris! We felt so drab
by comparison to Indian women.

Jaipur is called the "Pink City" for the rose colored
wall, built in 1727, that surrounds the city.

Judging by the white scarves, these guys
have just returned from a religious
ceremony, probably a cremation.

We loved our stays at the magnificent Oberoi hotels.
Especially after the rudimentary accommodations
and pit toilets in Tibet!

Oberoi Hotel in Udaipur, one of the most romantic
hotels in the world!

Ready to get our pedi cab on!

Taj Mahal

2014-10-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

Grace, scale, power and beauty.
Walking through the entryway
to our first view of the Taj Mahal,
which means Crown Palace.

And you'll walk across any territory,
and any darkness, however fluid,
and however dangerous to take
the one hand, and the one life
you know belongs in yours.
(from True Love, by David Whyte)

Sunrise framed by the mosque on the side of Taj Mahal.
According to Islam, all tombs need to have an adjoining
place of prayer. The Taj Mahal is closed every Friday,
the traditional holy day for Muslims to pray.

It took 20,000 workers and 1,000 elephants 22 years
to complete the Taj Mahal. Built on a river bank,
without solid ground, the architect started with a series
of wells, which he filled with rock and mortar. The
foundation of the Taj Mahal and its grand expanse of
white marble is built on top of those rock wells,
a method still used today.

Buddies on our Tauck tour group. From all corners
of the US, we became good friends by the end
of our 12 day journey. This is a good view of the
symmetry of the minarets, the four towers surrounding
the main tomb. They appear straight, but actually
lean slightly outward. In case of an earthquake,
they would fall outward, instead of inward, to
avoid damaging the tomb.

The polished sandstone floor of the
adjoining mosque is elegantly
designed in the shape of clearly
defined prayer mats. The walls
have delicate calligraphy quoting
the holy book of Qur'an.

Just part of the jewel encrusted exterior, which includes
jade, crystal, lapis, carnelian, amethyst and turquoise.

Shah Jahan, emperor of India during the dominant
Mughal empire, suffered deeply when his wife died
during the birth of their 14th child in 1631.
Her
tomb (on the right) is exactly in the center of the
Taj Mahal. He died 35 years later. After
building the Taj Mahal, he was overthrown by
one of his sons, and spent his last eight years in
captivity, with a remote view of the Taj Mahal
from his prison window, 4 miles away from his love.

Closeup of the exquisite marble lattice inside the Taj Mahal.

"The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time."
- Rabindranath Tagore (winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913)

Good, Bad and Ugly in India

2014-10-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Ancient camel stables, extra tall
to accomodate camel and rider.

Marigolds, the new monkey snack!

Waiting at the train platform in Jhansi, India. I think
this guy though I was taking his photo, but I was
actually trying to capture the rats running around
his feet. (Red finger pointing added for emphasis)

We waited here, standing for over an hour, which
was OK until Mike pointed out that the rats probably
weren't ONLY on the other side of the platform.
Really wished I hadn't worn sandals....

Beautiful fresh vegetables for sale. Seems like the
Indian diet, primarily vegetarian, would be quite healthy,
but the reality includes many fried foods and sweets.

Bessie is looking for her calf, wandering around
the temple steps. With very limited predators and
sacred status, the most dangerous thing a cow has
to avoid is a collision with a car.

Indian street food, usually some kind of stuffed and/or
fried bread or potato with lentils and other vegetables.

Papadam is a thin, crisp frisbee of
dough. Betcha can't eat just one.
Wait - did this vendor just wipe
his nose with his shirt? Ewwww!

Coconut for sale. This guy will sell you a slice or
two while you're waiting for the stoplight.

Sacred Ganges River in Varanasi, India

2014-10-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sunrise on the Ganges River. According to Hindu
tradition, Varanasi is the oldest city in the world.

She is selling neem sticks, which are used as
toothbrushes. The method is to nibble off the
bark, then chew on the fibers until they separate
and become something like a brush. Neem has
a natural antimicrobial property.

Pilgrims who comes to bathe and pray at sunrise enter
from the west side of the river, so they can face
the sun, which they revere as a source of light
and knowledge.

The local barber sits on the bank of the river,
shaving his customer, who is calmly watching
the sunrise amidst the chaos.

This is a few miles upstream from the cremations,
but the water is still very polluted. Hindus believe
that the River Ganges will cleanse sins,
and make the pure even more pure.

Grooming and praying by the river's edge.

Future yoga teachers in training.

Mike is walking tall.

The "dohbi wallah" washes clothes in the river.
A rinse, a few pounds on the rock, and a twist.
Incredibly fast! I don't think he has a delicate cycle.

Men wear a "upanayana" or sacred Hindu
threads twisted over their shoulder. One
thread is for reincarnation, one for marriage
and one if the man has become a father.
This man has three twisted together in a
thick rope of religion and family.

Rolling down the river...

The Ganges river starts as pure glacier runoff from
the Himalayas. All Hindus have a small bottle of
sacred Ganges river water in their home. If possible,
a sip is given to the dying to cure ills and to cleanse sins.

Varanasi, India by Night

2014-10-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Garbage along the banks of the Ganga River.
Despite the fact that it is a sacred river, with
extraordinary religious importance for Hindus,
and that it provides water for 40% of India,
it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

The sales team was on it. Ready to sell us little
leaf bowls with flowers and a candle to float a
wish upon the river. These little urchins were
quite insistent. We bought enough for our whole
group to make one wish each.

Beggars lined up in Varanasi. It's impossible to know
which are independent and which are syndicated,
collecting for a boss who gives them a finder's fee.

Hindus believe that being cremated along the banks
of the Ganges river will release you from the cycle
of rebirth. The funeral pyre consists of up to
800 lbs. of wood, which is extremely expensive.
This is a ritual for the wealthy. The poor use
electric cremation.

Up to 200 cremations per day take place along the
Ganges river. We saw 14 cremations happening
at the same time.

Every evening at sunset, and invocation is given to
the River Ganges in a ceremony with seven priests,
swinging around pots of incense and brass oil lamps
in synchronization to pulsating tribal music.

We floated our leaf bowls in the water with a wish each. Seeing the families grieving on the shore
was intensely moving. A realization of the brevity of life, and how lucky we are to still be holding hands.

Hindu and Buddhist Temples in India

2014-10-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is the spot that Lord Buddha
preached his first sermon, somewhere
around the 6th century.

This woman was working pulling grass by hand.
According to our guide, her payment is that she
is allowed to keep the grass to feed her cow.

I love the timelessness of these women.

A Buddhist monk leads a prayer group. Buddhist
prayer involves mindful posture and breathing in
addition to recitation.

< Lakshmana, a Hindu temple honoring
the god Vishnu, whose role is to bring
balance between good and evil.

Red sandstone carvings glow in the afternoon light.

What the heck is that elephant looking at?

Lakshmana is known as the erotic temple.

Gandhi and India

2014-10-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Gandhi was born to a middle class,
merchant caste family. He studied
law in London and spent 21 years in
South Africa representing indentured
Hindu laborers, a formative period in
which he developed his disgust of
the Indian caste system, and his desire
to bring equality to the "untouchables"

or lowest caste.

Mahatma Gandhi is known as the "father of India".
He was the leader of Indian independence from Britain,
using non-violent civil disobedience, inspiring future
world leaders. His birthday, October 2nd, is a
national holiday in India and known world-wide
as International Day of Nonviolence.

Following numerous fasts to protest violence in
India, Gandhi only weighed 109 lbs. at the end
of his life.

Just months after independence was finalized, Gandhi
was shot at point blank range by an extremist Hindu
nationalist who resented Gandhi's partiality toward
Muslims. He died immediately. The assassin was
later executed, despite Gandhi's family's
insistence that hanging would dishonor the life
of a man so opposed to all forms of violence.

Gandhi's room, where he slept, worked and fasted

in the last few months of his life. Without pretense,

he met heads of state wearing simple homespun clothing.

The black marble slab marks the site of Gandhi's
cremation.

Indira Gandhi was not related at all to Mahatma Gandhi.
She was the daughter of Prime Minister Nehru,
who served during Mahatma Gandhi's life.
She was PM from 1966 to 1977, and then
again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
She was known for her political ruthlessness and
centralization of power. She ruled by decree,
declaring war with Pakistan and nationalizing banking,
coal, copper, textiles, oil and insurance.

Tombs, Forts and Temples in New Delhi

2014-10-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

A beautiful garden tomb, Emperor Humayan's
wife commissioned this structure after he died
in 1556. The use of water flowing throughout
the grounds was revolutionary. The architecture
used here was influential on the Taj Mahal.

Lotus Temple in New Delhi is a Baha'i Temple.
Beautiful architecture on the outside. The inside
is completely unadorned and completely silent.

Wild parakeets were abundant in New Delhi. A
lovely ornament to set off the sandstone carving.

Keeping posterity dust free.

Qtub Minar is the tallest stone tower
in India, a 240 ft. tower of victory.
Built in 1193 by a Muslim leader to
make a statement of religious power
following his conquest over the Hindus.
It was built with materials obtained
from 27 destroyed Hindu temples.

Can you imagine climbing up
such a grand staircase hundreds
of years ago?

Indian women have such beautiful colors in their
sari scarves. Even this woman cleaning the floor
is proudly color coordinated.

Inside the Red Fort, where the
Emperors of India lived for over
200 years. An iconic symbol of
India, people gather here on Indian
Independence Day, August 15th,
to raise a patriotic flag while the
Prime Minister gives a speech.

The gender gap in India reveals a
strong preference for boys over
girls. For every 1,000 boys, there
are only 917 girls. Boys are preferred
because of the enormous expense of
arranged marriages (dowries are
technically illegal, but still culturally
popular). India now prevents doctors
from telling parents the sex of their
unborn children because the government
fears parents would abort girls.

In Western countries, women live
about six years longer than men.
This is not true in India. Evidence
shows that girls are given less food
and less health care than boys. Girls
are given less medical attention, and
are often taken to the hospital very
late in an emergency.

Politics, Marriage and Garbage in India

2014-10-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

Modi is India's new Prime Minister.
Elected by a large margin, he plans
to build the "India of your dreams".
That includes improving education,
military strength, sanitation, and
foreign investment.

India has been independent from the British since
1947. The period in which the borders were decided
between India and neighboring Pakistan was a
tumultous time with up to a million people dying
due to sectarian violence. Tensions remain high,
especially since both countries now have nuclear
weapons.

Modi is instilling the philosophy
of "Clean India" to the general
public. Last month he encouraged
everyone to pick up a broom in
the spirit of patriotism.

India has a huge garbage problem. We had several
people tell us that if they put garbage in plastic bags
as Americans do, then there would be nothing for
the sacred cows to eat! As part of the
"Clean India" campaign, Modi is contracting with
local garbage collectors in each neighborhood.
Even Obama has pledged to use his influence to
encourage American charities and companies to
offer experts and new technology solutions to
improve public sanitation in India by 2018, in
time to mark the 150th birthday of Matahma Gandhi.

Typical classified ad in which arranged
marriages are requested "by caste" which
indicates hereditary class and social status
in India.

Amazing how all the women and men
are smart and beautiful in these ads!

Karva Chauth, a Hindu festival of married women,
took place while we were in India. Women honor their
husbands by fasting from sunrise to moonrise,
dyeing their hands with henna designs and
praying for their husband's health and longevity.
No such "festival" is celebrated by husbands!

India by the Numbers

2014-10-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

India is estimated to have one third of the world's
poor, defined as earning less than $1.25 USD
per day (by the Indian Planning Commission).

India is crowded. There were about 60 people
on this bus! India averages 954 people per square
mile. (The US averages 84 people.) India is expected
to take over China as the most populous
nation by 2025.

54% of India's population is under the age of 25 -
that's a whopping 550 million young people.

Literacy in India stands at about 74%, well below
the world average of 84%. By sheer numbers, India
has the largest illiterate population in the world.

All public computers in India use Microsoft Windows -
English Edition. Internet can be slower than
watching cows graze.

India doesn't have an official language.
Most Indians speak Hindi, far fewer
speak English. There are over 22
dialects, each spoken by over 1 million
people, so distinct that they qualify as
languages. The number of English
speakers increases with each generation.

Cows in India are sacred, and beef is never on the menu.
Hindus believe that if you kill a cow, it is equivalent
to killing 64 gods and goddesses. Cows roam
the streets and highways, aimlessly munching on
garbage. As a result, much of the the milk supply
is tainted with toxins and chemicals.

India does not excel in modern food distribution.
They lack food chains, refrigeration, trucks and
stable electricity in many areas. As a result, as
much as 40% of food produced is wasted. The
Indian Parliament has this on their to-do list as
the growing population needs a stable food supply.

The weather was warm in
October, but India seemed
to have a near permanent
haze from agricultural fires
and vehicle emissions.
India is home to several of
the world's worst cities
for air pollution.

We saw scenes like this all over India. The women's
long sarees flapped in the breeze as though they
were going to catch the tire at any moment.
Motorcycle helmets are very rare. India's
traffic fatality rank is 77th out of 192 countries
in the world. FYI, the US is 107th.

Cricket is the number one sport, and the national uniting
passion of India, with nearly three centuries of history.
Great cricket players are rock stars, and among the wealthiest
of Indian society. This was a rare moment of spontaneous
recreation along the Ganges River bank.

Most of India's tap water is unfit for traveller consumption.
We drank only bottled water in India, and luckily avoided
diarrhea aka "Delhi Belly". 75% of India's rivers
and lakes are so polluted they should not be used
for drinking or bathing. But they are.

Food and Prayer in Lhasa, Tibet

2014-10-11T02:27:00.000-07:00

Devout Tibetans spend hours a day spinning a
prayer wheel, a metal cylinder on a handle with
a small weight attached. Inside is a scroll with
Buddhist prayers, and they believe that by spinning
the wheel, prayers are sent out automatically.

Morning incense at Jokhang Temple, the holiest
temple in all of Tibet.

Some pilgrims prostrate themselves all the way to
the temple, up and down, moving only feet at a time.
It can take years for them to travel from their home
towns to Lhasa.

Our fascination with Tibetan food wearing thin,
Mike was SO excited to find a western restaurant
with a menu he could get excited about!

The local cheese monger, who wears a face mask
to protect himself, but has no protection for the cheese.

This decision is a no brainer.

Instead of sheep's head, we decided on a Tibetan
Hot Pot and yak meatballs. I really don't think
anyone in our group will miss Tibetan food.

Dalia Lama's Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet

2014-10-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Potala Palace is supposed to be the home of the
Dalai Lama, who escaped Tibet in 1959 before the
Cultural Revolution. Amazing that the Chinese
Government, now so involved in limiting the lives
of Tibetans, honors them with this image.

Mountain wear and outdoor dealer North Face got
their name from the North Face of Everest.

Such a beautiful calm night for a photo shoot.
This model was a trooper - truth be known, she
was wearing waterproof boots and had a very
drippy veil by the time she was done.

Potala Palace as reflected in the pond across the
street.

Seattle quality coffee in Tibet!

The park near Potala Palace. An inspiration.

Debating monks in Lhasa, Tibet.
Handclapping - point made.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Tibet on the road...

2014-10-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

Yak. Butter. Candles. We saw a few!

At Yamdrok Lake in Tibet. Yes, I'm riding a yak.
It's what you do in Tibet!

Gods can be fierce in Buddhism.
This one is fighting the god of death.

The Tibetan canon is a loosely defined set of sacred
texts, saved on paper, in shoebox sized tablets.
The contents are written in Sanskrit under each
of the fabric tabs.

At a cushy 14,000 ish feet. This is about the elevation
of Mt. Rainier - no problem!

Sheep crossing during rush hour. Both
clothes and a meal, right before your eyes.

Mike anticipating some Tibetan
watermelon. Fruit has been a
luxury item on this trip - such
a treat!

In Buddhism, snakes are known as the "persecutors
of all creatures". Yech!

Observing a water powered barley mill. The owner
was very proud to offer us a pinch of freshly ground
barley flour to chew.

Our last view of the Himalayas. With yak!

Buddhist Monasteries in Shigatse, Tibet

2014-10-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

Yak butter candles at Rong Pu Monastery, the
highest monastery on earth, next to Mt. Everest.
I'll never forget how they smelled, or how they
warmed the small room.

Rong Pu is a sacred spot to pray before making
the arduous Everest climb. We climbed down
vertical stone steps into a cave to see this tiny shrine.

Monastery of the Panchen Lama,
who has a sacred reincarnated
lineage, is a scholar and the one
responsible for finding the
incarnation of the Dalai Lama.
Unfortunately, the Chinese
government has taken it upon
themselves to appoint the latest
Panchen Lama, violating Tibetan
Buddhist traditional belief.

Swastikas are not an uncommon sight in Buddhism.
Note that the arms go clockwise, in the opposite
direction of the Nazi swastika.

Since the Panchen Lama is known as
a scholar, prayers from students are
frequent before exams. They are
typically given with money and a pen.

Monks accepting donations for the temple.

The Panchen Lama's monastery was founded in 1447,
and today is home to thousands of monks. Two thirds
of the buildings in this massive complex were
destroyed in the Cultural Revolution, but a few
beautiful original doors remain.

Small amounts of money are tucked
everywhere at monasteries. The
sheer volume taken in must be far
beyond the amount necessary to
feed the monks or run the temple.
The Chinese government takes
any or all donations as they wish.

Children of Tibet

2014-10-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

Strike a pose, girl!

Children work in Tibet. We frequently
saw them in the fields. Organized child
labor is discouraged, but many family
operations use their children.

Ready to watch mama do the washing.

No TV or smartphone to distract this
kid, who made a great toy out of a
string, a shoebox and some bells.

Young boys between the ages of 6 and 12 are recruited
by monks. Long before they have the maturity to
accept a life of monastic celibacy, they start on years
of prayer, meditation and sparse food. Some,
like our guide, don't become monks, but
continue to teach others about Tibetan religion.
But even he admitted that many monks have lost
their way since the Dalai Lama left Tibet in 1959.
Heavy corporal punishment and sexual abuse has
been repeatedly reported.
http://www.tibettelegraph.com/2013/06/what-
lies-beneath-robes-are-buddhist.html

The granddaughter of our bus driver, who said,
"Bye bye!" and blew me a kiss. My heart melted
like a tub of yak butter.

Tibet's children face a life under oppressive Chinese rule.
Even if they know no other life, they are losing their traditions,
their language and their dignity.