Last Day of Our Adventure! As we sipped our coffee at breakfast, the lace curtains fluttered in the morning breeze. Cath and I looked out at the mountains and sadly reminded ourselves that this was the last day of our fabulous adventure. We walked the Barkhor around Jokhang Temple a final time and popped in … Continue reading Farewell China Tour (Day 10)
Samye Monastery In order for a monastery to be a monastery, it must have three things: holy statues, scriptures and monks. The Samye Monastery, founded in 775, was the first in Tibet to have all three. Located across the Brahmaputra River from the city, the monastery was a little tricky to find. We checked out … Continue reading Farewell China Tour (Day 9)
Yamdrok Yutso Lake Whew! What a relief to wake up feeling relatively normal. We still couldn’t believe the dramatic effect of the altitude on our bodies. Chum Zhun picked us up after breakfast, and Feng Shifu drove us out of town. Puffy white clouds floated in a sapphire sky, bluer than I’d ever seen in … Continue reading Farewell China Tour (Day 8)
Feelin’ the Altitude When we woke up on our first full day in Tibet, Cath and I both had red swollen eyeballs – not puffy eyelids like after a crying jag, but literally swollen eyballs. I was actually afraid that my eyes might explode. We also had killer headaches, the kind I used to get … Continue reading Farewell China Tour (Day 7)
Tibet!! As our plane approached Tibet, we bounced around through strong turbulence. Suddenly, the plane emerged smoothly into clear skies and the snow-capped mountains stretched as far as we could see. Stunning! From Approaching Lhasa Our local guide, Chum Zhun, greeted us at the Lhasa airport with white prayer scarves. Later, we saw similar scarves … Continue reading Farewell China Tour (Day 6)
China recognizes around eight distinct regional cuisines. The food in Shanghai is a bit oily and bland, but the food in Sichuan Province (home of two stops on our trip – Lijiang and Chengdu) is notoriously spicy and delicious. Crossing Bridge Rice Noodles In Lijiang, Cath and I asked Li Qiong to take us to … Continue reading Farewell China Tour – (Usually) Yummy Sichuan Cuisine
Breakfast each day in Lijiang was at a cute Tibetan café across the street – eggs, toast, yogurt, fruit and coffee. A nice start to our busy days! Impression Lijiang Our first stop of the day was the show, “Impression Lijiang,” a spectacular extravaganza directed by Zhang Yi Mou, who also directed the opening ceremony … Continue reading Farewell China Tour (Day 2)
And we’re off … As soon as I knew this would be my last year working at Shanghai American School, I began planning my farewell tour through Southwest China and Tibet. My friend and colleague, Cath, was returning to Canada after two years, so she was eager to join me. For months, we talked and … Continue reading Farewell China Tour (Day 1)
Recently, global news has filled my heart with sadness and anxiety. As a teacher of little kids, I try to maintain a light-hearted demeanor and a smile on my face. With adults, I joke about suppressing my feelings as I sing a song from the musical, “Book of Mormon.” When you start to get confused … Continue reading Dalai Lama brings bliss to American Embassy School
Leaving Delhi Wednesday morning, November 11, the smog was so thick one of the kids in our group asked, “Can the plane really take off in this?” Just an hour later, though, we looked out the plane windows at the snowcapped Himalayas and a sapphire sky. At Ladakh Sarai, our home for the next few … Continue reading Loving Life in Leh