Tenjewberrymuds
byI had an unbelievably similar dialogue from my hotel room in Siliguri the other day (minus the crisp bacon). The following is a telephone…
Round-the-World Honeymoon
Tea Time 4: The Survey Continues
byThe final phase of fieldwork for our tea worker nutrition survey has been frustratingly slow. Our work has been hampered by access problems in…
Swastika: Symbol of Peace
byIt is everywhere, this ancient sign of Hindu and Buddhist law. “Swasti†is Sanskrit for well-being, and the angular, clockwise-spinning arms are an auspicious…
Kalimpong: The Road to Lhasa
by“Buddhism is very simple,†said Ola Bantha, as he stood over our table in his dimly lit Road to Lhasa restaurant. “Nothing is permanent….
Oolash! A Day in the Life
byThe doorbell starts ringing at 8 o’clock in the morning, Saturday, our first “day off” in weeks. The day’s visitors include the typical Bengal…
Bhutan: Forbidden Border
byI read somewhere, several years ago, when Bhutan was an unimaginably far-away fairyland (instead of an unimaginably close fairyland), that Bhutan’s King had some…
Mass Fantasy
byI am one month late acknowledging Indian Independence Day, but in a place where the word for “yesterday†is the same as that for…
Are Starving Photos Inappropriate?
byAfter yesterday’s post regarding starvation deaths, a creepy feeling gripped my shoulder, and I decided to ask this question out loud. Maybe some of…
New Orleans News
byThe tragedy in New Orleans has been in and out of the Indian papers. Of interest is that India donated $5 million and Bangladesh…