Hello Friends,
First of all, Happy New Year!!
What an adventure we are on! We are having so much fun!
It is very easy for me to paint a picture in a few words of a life not so dissimilar to ours in the USA - went to buy groceries, got a cell phone, etc., etc, but truly it is quite foreign in so many ways. So I thought maybe I would describe some of the situations that are far more involving then might be imagined, and share a little of life here, so far.
There is a noticeable hum over Lhasa, and all inhabited Tibet. It is heard above the din of traffic noise, not diminished by the clatter of horse carts, louder then squabbles and arguments, and stronger then the sound of Chinese soldiers marching together.
In 1998, as I was finishing up my schooling at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Ca, I became aware of a peace tour with Patricia Sun & Marilyn Hutchison, going to the USSR. They were heading out shortly & I raced to submit visa applications to the consulate, in order to go along. I’m still not sure why I was so determined to go. But there I was, suddenly, traveling to an unknown region with about 12 other people. It certainly turned out to be a very good decision.
I first travelled to India in 1988, with no return ticket or itinerary. I had a very loose idea of what I wanted to accomplish, other then taking photographs. Although meeting local people is one of the most rewarding aspects of my international travels, I am also interested in the architecture, ruins, history and culture. I prefer rural settings or small towns, to large cities. Traditional art and customs seems more intact, and life runs at a slower pace, with more opportunities to sit and get to know people.