# pinkbuddha.org > Writing Travel Art ## Posts - [The Coldest Favor](https://pinkbuddha.org/the-coldest-favor/): Photo courtesy HUUM via Unsplash One Saturday, I decided to treat myself to a spa visit. I sought mind-body purification by plunging into cold pools, then sweating out toxins in the steaming sauna.  I arrived early in the morning. Upon paying for day-use, the receptionist handed me towels and a locker key. After a couple of hours of alternating between cold-hot therapy, I drifted to the dry sauna. The Himalayan rock salt room boasted benefits of relieving stress. It featured pink crystals spread across the floor, heated from underneath. I lay down on the cozy salt and closed my eyes. […] - [Bananas for Banana Trees: Chiang Mai](https://pinkbuddha.org/bananas-for-banana-trees-chiang-mai/): Look, it’s a banana tree! I love the rustic fence, the tree with red flowers, the sky stretching to infinity. I love how this is an uncomposed composition. Banana trees, lush leaves hanging over fences bursting through fence slats like eager dogs trying to make a get away with green bunches of bananas dangling down and it makes me so happy to see food grown in the middle of a sidewalk or in the Buddhist temple square or on a plot between a botox clinic and a high-end hair salon, it’s there, this plot of banana trees with leaves undulating […] - [Cartwheels Under a Munich Moon](https://pinkbuddha.org/cartwheels-under-a-munich-moon/): Photo courtesy Brooke Balentine via Unsplash I learned to cartwheel in gymnastics class. I was five years old. Raise the arms overhead, right foot step forward, right hand down, hurl body into the air, stick the landing. Cartwheel! The joy of spinning like a wheel across the gym juiced every cell of my body like a bag of Halloween candy sugar rush. It was a perfect high. An addict, I couldn’t stop. Wearing my red leotard trimmed in white, I cartwheeled through the gymnasium, out the door, to my mom’s waiting station wagon. On the weekend at the public pool, […] - [Photo Essay: Chiang Mai](https://pinkbuddha.org/photo-essay-chiang-mai/): All photos courtesy Ayoung Kim 7:00AM I took some photos on local streets. Morning rush with people buying breakfast and/or lunch packed to-go which they’ll eat at home or at work. The streets are lined with vendors offering different items: fried Chinese donuts, Thai curries, vegetables, rice + meat combinations. The young man above waits in the queue by scrolling on his phone, seated on his motorbike. The stall in front of him specializes in grilled items: grilled pork & chicken skewers, grilled eggs, sausages. These people select various pre-bagged food to go. A person waits behind them with a […] - [The Product Launch](https://pinkbuddha.org/the-product-launch/): Photo courtesy: Ayoung Kim New Products That Promise to Do Harm, With Dr. Hippo Cratez Thank you for attending our product launch press conference. Our spokesperson will answer a couple of your questions. (A bald man with a white beard, bearing the nametag “Dr. Hippo Cratez” sits at the table in front of a microphone.) Q: Tony Riss, Spicy Times Media: What’s the name of the newest product? A: (Stands up and lifts one hand in the air, the other hand over his heart) I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius the surgeon, likewise Hygeia and Panacea, and call […] - [Chiang Mai: Local Scenes](https://pinkbuddha.org/chiang-mai-local-scenes/): I love this composition. All photos by Ayoung Kim Local scenes, spontaneous snapshots Photo essay that shows a local neighborhood, their activities, Buddhist and spiritual traditions, Thai aesthetics, and of course, some “only in Thailand” shots. 6am: Monks on “pindabhat” or going on alms rounds. They will receive food donations into their bowls. In the Theravada tradition, monks walk in barefeet. 6am: Monks receive food donations from a Thai man (partially hidden). After receiving the donation, the monks will chant a blessing to the man. The women are selecting pre-bagged cooked food for breakfast or lunch. An old-style Thai Buddhist […] - [Chiang Mai: Natural Beauty](https://pinkbuddha.org/chiang-mai-natural-beauty/): Chiang Mai photo essay I love the photo of the sky right after it opened up and unleashed a furious storm. Moody and gorgeous. It’s been awhile since I shared some favorite photos, so here we go. Yellow Below: photo of the outside of a motorbike repair shop’s yellow wall with green shrubs facing a busy street, and a yellow flower growing in front of a Thai-style mail box. I find Thai people have an innate aesthetic sense and also incorporate wild greenery for beauty, for shields, for shade. They don’t feel the need to contain and control nature into […] - [Cookie Manager: Flash](https://pinkbuddha.org/cookie-manager-flash/): Photo courtesy Shakti Rajpurohit via Unsplash The day after New Year’s, I entered a neighborhood pharmacy. I lived in a Thai neighborhood far from the tourist sector, so the chances that the staff spoke English were low-to-zero. Therefore, I had preprogrammed my translator app. Although I studied Thai, I wasn’t polished enough to explain my issue without a lot of gesticulating, which I ruled out. Armed with my electronic dictionary, I pushed through the glass doors with confidence. Two women in matching employee polo shirts stood ready to help me. I handed my phone to the first woman. She looked […] - [Eat Like the Locals](https://pinkbuddha.org/eat-like-the-locals/): Photo courtesy Crystal Jo via Unsplash Mari, my mother’s younger rich sister, wanted to get rid of us. My mother had been calling her nonstop, treating her as her personal assistant, her GPS, her tech support. Mari’s solution was to buy us an all expenses paid tour of the southern area of South Korea.  The tour focused on sights and seafood along the southern coast. It started with grilled fish dishes, then progressively became more obscure, less recognizable and less cooked. We quickly realized that breakfast, lunch, and dinner would consist of a full Korean set which included rice, ban-chan—side […] - [Agendas](https://pinkbuddha.org/agendas/): Plain glazed in a bowl on top of trail mix (Photo courtesy Ayoung Kim) Stories for Smily are stories I have written about my mother, for my mother. The saying that real life is crazier than fiction holds true: You cannot make this stuff up! I checked the GPS for the route to Oxnard. It would take approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. I got behind the wheel while uh-muh-ni packed herself, a bag of oranges and a thermos of coffee into the passenger seat. Our destination was the post office, where I would submit fingerprints for a background check. As […] - [Get Your Hands Off my Mammary Glands](https://pinkbuddha.org/get-your-hands-off-my-mammary-glands/): Photo courtesy Drew Hays via Unsplash The annual medical check-up. Time to kick the tires. Lift the hood, tighten the screws, replace the spark plugs. I registered as a patient at the Christian hospital because it was in my neighborhood. Their mission statement included the following: “Take care of others. Just like you desire that he should minister unto you.” Luke 6:31. I normally kept my distance from overtly religious organizations due to the bad taste a lifetime of proselytizing family members left in my mouth. However, the medical check up was on sale, so I paid for it and […] - [Curtain Call for the Seamstress](https://pinkbuddha.org/curtain-call-for-the-seamstress/): Photo courtesy Marilia Castelli via Unsplash Stories for Smily are stories I have written about my mother, for my mother. The saying that real life is crazier than fiction holds true: You cannot make this stuff up! She dashes down the hallway with rollers like buoys in her hair, a sewing machine bobbing unevenly under her arm. She has the idea that she’ll convert a couple of shower curtains— into an expanse of the sea. The Korean school at church—allocated for the once-a-week lesson—was mired in monochromatic brown carpet and brown curtains. The room looks like soy sauce! Children can’t […] - [The Filling](https://pinkbuddha.org/the-filling/): Photo courtesy engin akyurt via Unsplash Stories for Smily are stories I have written about my mother, for my mother. The saying that real life is crazier than fiction holds true: You cannot make this stuff up! Uh-muh-ni emerged from her bedroom with a confused expression. This was not unusual. Finding me in the kitchen, she announced, “I lost my filling.” I immediately sympathized; a lost filling brought back memories of excruciating nerve pain. “Oh no!” I exclaimed. “Did you eat something hard?” Uh-muh-ni looked at me quizzically. This also was not unusual. “Hard?” she repeated. Her eyes rolled back […] - [Indian Night: Still Life](https://pinkbuddha.org/indian-night-still-life/): Photocourtesy RKTKN via Unsplash Bodhgaya, —the holy village where the Buddha attained enlightenment. Her first trip to India, first pilgrimage, first order of the day: find the bodhi tree and bow down. Liberation on her lips, it had made her a beggar, hands clasped at her chest. She knelt dressed in white and pressed her forehead to the dirt. The village men, born poor, stayed poor, some abandoned and left to the streets as orphans. Beaten savagely by their own people. Poor beating poor. As if to beat out the poverty, beat out the scarcity, beat out their own starvation […] - [Po Cha Be Like; Equal Opportunity](https://pinkbuddha.org/po-cha-be-like-equal-opportunity/): Photo courtesy Prchi Palwe via Unsplash Po Cha Be Like Tibetan butter tea is heaven, luxury in a cup, silky like cream-colored satin. Like swallowing a perfect pearl. Flavor like sour and salty and sharp. Milk from humble yaks in the high steep ranges of the Himalayas. The national beverage, common as monks in maroon robes. I procured my homely brew from a Tibetan tea man. A mixture of hot smoky tea with lashings of butter, creamy milk, and salt. Luxury seated at a window overlooking the Himalayas, luxury curled onto a deep, red cushion, clasping a cheap metal cup, […] - [Dog is God Spelled Backwards, Finale](https://pinkbuddha.org/dog-is-god-spelled-backwards-finale/): Pablo asleep under the Christmas tree. Photo courtesy: Ayoung Kim The year before his passing, he crawled under the Christmas tree and fell asleep on top of the presents. To remind us of the gift he was and will always be. —Dog is God Spelled Backwards, part 1 The routine We woke up to rain this morning. Rain necessitates a specific series of events: Wrap the bandages on Pablo’s hind legs in cling film. Struggle to fit snow booties onto all four of Pablo’s giant paws. Step outside and play crossing-guard to stop cars at the crosswalk. Watch a pile […] - [Dog is God Spelled Backwards, part 4](https://pinkbuddha.org/dog-is-god-spelled-backwards-part-4/): Photo courtesy: Ayoung Kim I took the boys to the park. Two men waved me over—I think they’re both deaf and homeless. One man wanted to know what happened to Pablo’s legs. I told him it was bandaged to protect the pressure wounds. He didn’t understand, so I lied and said, “His joints gets stiff.”  The man replied, “Oh, arthritis? I have that too! It hurts so bad!” He said he noticed Pablo had difficulty walking, and said he’d been watching him for the past seven years. That’s true—we’ve known these men in the park for years. He motioned to […] - [Dog is God Spelled Backwards, part 3](https://pinkbuddha.org/dog-is-god-spelled-backwards-part-3/): Pretty boy Liko. Photo courtesy: Ayoung Kim Pablo is aging before my eyes. He seems to sprout new fatty tumors on a daily basis; there are two that are growing like deer antlers above his ears. I was scratching his chest the other day and felt another plump, round bump. Assuming it was another tumor, I bent over to take a closer look and behold!—I was pinching an engorged tick between my fingers! And it was still alive and waving its legs! Gripping tweezers between my fingers and Pablo between my legs, I extracted the tick in one piece. Pablo is fine. Pablo doesn’t listen to […] - [FOBby Barbie](https://pinkbuddha.org/fobby-barbie/): Photo courtesy Sandra Gabriel via Unsplash My parents often dressed me in a too-short cherry-printed dress I had outgrown. Photos of our family at Niagara Falls and there  I am in the cherry dress hanging just below my waist exposing my yellow terry cloth underwear. I wore them or was clothed in them  so often it became a principal part of my repertoire as in when  my Barbie needed an elegant gown, it was the yellow terry cloth  underwear that I wrapped underneath her arms and tri-folded to a  skin-tight-fit secured with a safety pin. My best friend  came over with […] - [Eating Envy](https://pinkbuddha.org/eating-envy/): Photo courtesy xandreasw via Unsplash I read a book titled Adult Children of Alcoholic Parents. It described the fear a child feels when they see their parents’ behavior become erratic and aggressive; it addressed their coping behavior to control their parents. As children, they impaled themselves on the sword of self-loathing when they couldn’t extract the love they wanted.  I think about a book titled Adult Children of Body Shaming and Canine Hating Dads—It will describe my shame when I brought my best friend home for a sleepover and my dad called her out for eating donuts for breakfast—the very […] - [Dog is God Spelled Backwards, part 2](https://pinkbuddha.org/dog-is-god-spelled-backwards-part-2/): Pablo “m’ama, non m’ama, m’ama” (she loves me, she loves me not, she loves me). Watercolor and pen. By Ayoung Kim Pablo, our monk-artist-deep-soul golden retriever, loved dancing with drag queens. At the time, I had been living in a three-story flat in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco with my sister and two friends. We had been hosting performance parties regularly for a couple of years, which transformed into a showcase for our friends to demonstrate their ability to don Marge Simpson-esque wigs while dancing to cabaret-style choreography. It also afforded the opportunity for our housemate and some friends […] - [Dog is God Spelled Backwards, part 1](https://pinkbuddha.org/dog-is-god-spelled-backwards-part-1/): Pablo, our gentle giant. Photo courtesy: Ayoung Kim This is a collection of stories I sent to family members in the year before our beloved golden retriever Pablo’s passing. I never intended to publicize any of these. However, Pablo’s light shouldn’t be kept within the confines of our family. These stories bear witness to the greatness of his being, and to the hapless humans coping unceremoniously with the inevitable. Pablo himself remained dignified, and as his strength weakened, his energies focused intensely inward.  The year before his passing, he crawled under the Christmas tree and fell asleep on top of […] - [This is What Love Looks Like](https://pinkbuddha.org/this-is-what-love-looks-like/): This morning uh-muh-ni came padding into the kitchen complaining of heaviness. My whole body feels heavy, I don’t know why this happens. She stretched onto tip-toes for a box of cereal from the top shelf. It’s been there for over a year. Fumbling with it she noted, Oh, I never opened this. Scrambling out the door to babysit two kids at church, breakfast would have to be on the go. She jammed a fistful of popcorn into one baggy, and poured the over-one-year-old cereal into another. I’m hungry, she said, I’ll eat these in the car. Like a stoner with […] - [Teaching English in Taiwan](https://pinkbuddha.org/teaching-english-in-taiwan/): Students spooking a colleague on Halloween. Go home! The moment classes concluded and students spilled out into the hallway, the Taiwanese administrators hollered, “Go home! Min, go home! Benjamin, go home!” Yikes. I wondered what the students had done to piss off Anna, one of the administrators. She barked like a sergeant dressing down her ranks. “Go home Bobo! Go home Rich!” In response, students sprinted out the door with monstrous bookbags draped over their bony shoulders. This scene repeated not only at the end of the night, but at the end of every class—scenes of chaos in which students […] - [Students in Taiwan](https://pinkbuddha.org/students-in-taiwan/): Students dance to a grammar song. Before meeting my students, I attended training for two weeks. The owner employed specific methods to teach subjects such as vocabulary, grammar, phonics, reading and writing. He observed me teach in person. He filmed my classes for a month to make sure I executed his method properly. However, regardless of all of the preparation, nothing ever went completely to plan. Students play a game during a break. I looked out at a sea of eight year old faces. Taking a deep breath, I asked them the question I had rehearsed during my training. “Students, […] - [Morning Appointment](https://pinkbuddha.org/morning-appointment/): Photo courtesy: Karolina Kolodziejczak via Unsplash The other morning, we had to go to UCLA medical center for uh-muh-ni’s check-up. With an early morning departure time, uh-muh-ni had woken only fifteen minutes beforehand. She was scampering around in the kitchen in staccato movements: fixing her coffee, packing fried man-doo, and grabbing a bag of tangerines for the road.  “We have to leave soon,” I told her. “Huh?” She whipped her head towards me.  “We have to leave soon!” I shouted.  She frowned and nodded.  “Bring a plastic bag for trash,” I reminded her, thinking about tangerine peels.  “What?” Uh-muh-ni asked.  “Bring […] - [Living in Kaohsiung Taiwan](https://pinkbuddha.org/living-in-kaohsiung-taiwan/): Love River, Zuoying, Kaohsiung, Taiwan I was originally hired to teach in Taiwan in 2020, during Covid-19. I had been living in Thailand at the time, living through the shut-down. In order to satisfy the Taiwanese Ministry of Education’s requirement to pass a medical exam at a government hospital only, I flew from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. This meant I could not go to my private hospital with quick processing, fluent-in-English MD’s, and efficient infrastructure. Pity for me. I endured cruel and unusual punishment in that cattle-call-no-social-distancing government hospital, excess of three hour wait time and still never called to […] - [Coughing Flower](https://pinkbuddha.org/coughing-flower/): Part 1 She sits a folded flower in her chair, coughing into her iPad. Pulling a tissue, she spits floral spittle into it, tosses it to the ground, wadded and soiled. Her stigma is swollen. It’s constantly dripping. She declares her diagnosis: “I have too much nose.” Coughing Flower swipes her iPad and wipes her stigma. More floral essence spit into tissues, wadded at her ankles. As if to compost herself. Cough cough cough. She looks outside and sends her cough out onto the patio. “You azalea pink blooming,” she says. Her only visitor—besides her ex-husband—upon giving birth to her […] - [Tenderloin of Taiwan](https://pinkbuddha.org/tenderloin-of-taiwan/): This photo of the bathroom omitted from this Airbnb’s property…I wonder why. Just as I reached the gate to the apartment building, I saw an old man with his penis out pissing on the bushes in front. I wasn’t in the Tenderloin in San Francisco but in a suburban neighborhood in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It wasn’t midnight or 4:00am but in the middle of the day in bright daylight. The small man, nearly bald with scant hairs around his ears, clad in a loose white tank top and baggy shorts, flicked his head toward me and turned back to finish his […] - [Taiwan: North to South](https://pinkbuddha.org/taiwan-north-to-south/): My first trip to Taiwan coincided with Tomb Sweeping holiday. Unfortunately, hotel vacancy plummeted while prices sky rocketed. That’s how I ended up in this capsule with shared toilet for $70/night in Taipei. The weather in April reminded me of that saying, “April showers bring May flowers.” I didn’t stick around long enough to know if flowers bloomed, but it rained every day in Taipei. Days were gray and drizzly, like the sky had an annoying runny nose… or was I who had an annoying runny nose? Having arrived from Thailand where I was able to read a little Thai, […] - [Artistic Georgetown Penang](https://pinkbuddha.org/artistic-georgetown-penang/): Customers browse this art gallery café warehouse. I arrived in Penang sleep-deprived while holding optimism on a short leash. Given my experience in Kuala Lumpur, I didn’t let myself open the gates to unchecked glee. Although my admiration and love of the art scene in Georgetown is well documented, I needed to check my hotel’s hygiene standards before I could relax. I would have to wait several hours before I could do that. Having flown in on the first flight of the morning, check-in would not open for another five hours. The receptionist allowed me to store my suitcase behind […] - [Slumber Party at Kuala Lumpur Airport](https://pinkbuddha.org/slumber-party-at-kuala-lumpur-airport/): Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia re-opened its borders post Covid-19, and I booked my trip. I had fond memories of my previous visits to the country, and looked forward to roaming around the markets and soaking up the culture. Unfortunately, during the two-years of Covid-19 closures, hotel rooms remained vacant, unswept, unkempt. Dank corners became breeding grounds for mold and insect colonies. When Malaysia flung its borders open, hotel owners failed to clean up their properties before the guests arrived. Enter me. I checked-into my hotel, located in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur with great anticipation. However, my “city view window” overlooked the […] - [Dear Santa](https://pinkbuddha.org/dear-santa/): Students line up to see Santa Claus at the on-campus Christmas parade. Write a letter to Santa Claus Being a Christian school, Christmas time brought as much excitement and anticipation as if it were celebrated in a Christian country. I led my students in the ritual of writing a letter to Santa. They detailed what good things they had done, what things they wanted in return, and crucially, what they would leave for Santa to imbibe and ingest. This student writes that she helped teachers organize activities, and that she wants an iPhone. Also, she promises to leave cookies and […] - [Nicknames](https://pinkbuddha.org/nicknames/): Students login with their nickname handles for a warm-up game. Gift from one of my students. To Do list: Go to the bank, buy a toy for my niece, speak to a guy about a paint job for my Porsche.  Then I looked at the student roster and noticed the following names: I begin roll call: “Oh.” Silence. “Oh?” A boy with a confused expression pops his head up and raises his hand. “Are you Oh?” He nods. “Prim?” A girl with perfectly tight braids raises her hand. “Milk? Cream? Ice?” At one point I wondered if I were reading […] - [Students Doing the Work](https://pinkbuddha.org/students-doing-the-work/): Students doing the work, and sometimes having fun. Example, one student drew a picture of me while I had them write down classroom rules! I guess the joke’s on me. Lining up for morning assembly. Hilarious students My students had no problems showing me their personalities, beginning at first period with the student who drew me during an introductory lesson. Throughout various topics, they let me know how they feel, let me know their opinions, and found ways to include me and tease me within the lessons. I loved that my students were creative, feisty, and forthright in revealing their […] - [The Good Thing About Getting Lice](https://pinkbuddha.org/the-good-thing-about-getting-lice/): I got head lice from my first teaching gig in 2020. It was during Covid-19, when all non-essential businesses were closed and shut down. This meant that I could not seek professional help to eradicate the lice, and I could not get a hair cut either. I purchased every different lice treatment possible, and although I felt the population decline, they never died to completion. It was four months before I finally rid myself of that infestation. Once back in the US, I wore a shower cap continuously for four days. Those parasites suffocated and died in my scalp. On […] - [Welcome to Term 1](https://pinkbuddha.org/welcome-to-term-1/): Photo of Jesus in the library. Lord knows I need help with PowerPoint. Having attained a fresh visa I flew back to Thailand and slid immediately into teaching summer school. I was thankful to have remained on Thai-time for the three weeks I taught online in CA, for it allowed me to transition without any jet lag. I applied to teach summer school because it gave me a chance to teach M6, which is 12th grade in the US. I had a great time teaching seniors. They were well-spoken and for the most part, well-behaved. Since this is a private […] - [Nuthin' but a G-Thang: Teaching US Black History in Thailand](https://pinkbuddha.org/nuthin-but-a-g-thang-teaching-us-black-history-in-thailand/): Third time’s a charm. I almost flew to Mexico. In reaction to consecutive unceremonious conclusions to teaching in Thailand, I had my finger on the “purchase now” button for a one-way ticket to Mexico. It’s close to my home state of California, and I had been reading about lovely tacos and tortas. I reasoned that I deserved a tranquil environment in which to re-set and re-assess my life goals. I doubted if I would ever throw my CV into the TEFL ring again. I re-imagined a future of studying Spanish and learning how to salsa. Then two things happened: I […] - [The Local Life: Chiang Mai](https://pinkbuddha.org/the-local-life-chiang-mai/): Wandering around Chiang Mai reunites me with kawaii-cuteness, sparks a chocolate tasting, and leads me to reminisce about my dancing queen days…I mean, nights. These little piggies went to Moshi Moshi. Wall of stuffed piglets in Moshi Moshi. They are adorably clad in onesies topped with cow-horns and bear-ears because, why not?  Pablo’s heaven Seeing all these stuffed toys smushed together, I could only think of Pablo, my deceased darling once-in-a-lifetime Golden Retriever. To say he loved stuffed animals is an understatement. He was the patron saint, the Mother Theresa of stuffed toys, and loved them whether the leg or […] - [Pfizer Christmas: Getting My Covid-19 Booster in Chiang Mai](https://pinkbuddha.org/pfizer-christmas-getting-my-covid-19-booster-in-chiang-mai/): Look what I found under the Christmas tree! Let’s get that free booster shot I had recently arrived back into Chiang Mai after terminating my employment and moving out of my toxic-swamp-diarrhea-stank-apartment in Khon Kaen. While getting caught up with local news, scrolling through the expats-of-Chiang-Mai Facebook group, my eyes fell on a post about Pfizer vaccines for free, open to the public, with no appointment necessary. It was possible to get a 1st, 2nd, or booster shots, in addition to other vaccines such as Moderna or Astra Zeneca. The author said that the entire process only took 45 minutes, […] - [How to Legalize a TEFL Certificate in Chiang Mai](https://pinkbuddha.org/how-to-legalize-a-tefl-certificate-in-chiang-mai/): Legalize it, don’t criticize it (thank you Jimmy Cliff) I completed my TEFL program two years ago at school in Chiang Mai. At the end of the course, each future-EFL-teacher received an official certificate of completion. Since my school is a Ministry of Education affiliated school in Chiang Mai, I am eligible to legalize my certificate in Chiang Mai (rather than going to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok—nooo! Not that place again!). The director of the school sent an end-of-course email detailing how to get the certificate legalized, along with a Google-maps location. Sounded easy-peasy. Until it wasn’t. […] - [Teaching English During Covid-19](https://pinkbuddha.org/teaching-english-during-covid-19/): Zoom class for P2, 2nd graders. All in; will I succeed? In my previous post, I described how I had flown to Thailand during the height of the country’s Covid-19 crisis, which required much quarantine-time, expense, and faith that my goal to teach English would yield a successful outcome. In absorbing all of the hurdles and risk it took to realize my goal, I had pushed all my chips onto one number, like a stubborn, over-confident gambler. “All that remained was to see if my chips hit the jackpot.” My chips did not hit the jackpot. The initial post of […] - [Korean Kimbab in Khon Kaen](https://pinkbuddha.org/korean-kimbab-in-khon-kaen/): Being new in this town, I decided to go exploring, find out what the locals enjoy, and expand my boundaries by taking a trip to—the local mall. Yes, mall. In fact, I did discover different cultural offerings, evidenced below! Who’s the real OG Kimbab King? The Korean obsession is alive and well on the ground-floor of a mall in Khon Kaen. This restaurant—named “Kimbab King” (wow) (hmm…) (my grandmother might be the OG Kimbab King) offers a variety of Korean kimbab—or sushi rolls—for those of you who have not yet joined the K-obsession.  Let’s review the menu:  “Spicy Wagyu Bulgogi Kimbab”: […] - [First Impressions: Getting Hired to Teach English in Khon Kaen, Thailand](https://pinkbuddha.org/first-impressions/): Typical Khon Kaen-Isaan meal of grilled chicken, somtam (papaya salad), and sticky rice in bamboo containers. The silver bowls—filled with ice water—were not for rinsing greasy fingers, but for drinking out of. Famous last words. In our initial conversation, when I had booked my flight to Khon Kaen, the recruiter insisted on picking me up from the airport. I told her I would take a taxi, but she said “First impressions are important, so I want to be the first person you meet.” Famous last words. I told her my plane landed at 5pm. At 4:50pm she sent a message […] - [Chiang Mai in the Pandemic](https://pinkbuddha.org/chiang-mai-in-the-pandemic/):  What a difference a pandemic makes: this road, once packed elbow-to-elbow with tourists, bicycles, motorbikes, bustling cafés and street hawkers—now desolate and empty.  Ghost town Directly from my 14-day quarantine, I flew to Chiang Mai. Having booked a room in the center of the city, I immediately went out to have a look at my beloved Chiang Mai. As I passed through familiar neighborhoods, it was devastating to witness the number of closed shops and restaurants. It was a ghost town. I walked into a pharmacy and the owner recognized me. She said most residents in Chiang Mai were vaccinated, and […] - [Quarantine in Bangkok](https://pinkbuddha.org/quarantine-in-bangkok/): It’s not you, it’s me. No, it’s you. I won’t lie. Seven months of living with uh-muh-ni was six and-a-half months too long. At first, I felt as if I had worn out my welcome. By the end, I believed it was she who had worn out her welcome, in her own home. It was time to go. I had tried to leave earlier. Ever since leaving my teaching job abruptly in Jan 2021, I had been pining to teach in Thailand again. I scoured the job boards, and sent resumes. I was invited to Zoom interviews. I got offers. […] - [Karmic Episode Home Perm](https://pinkbuddha.org/karmic-episode-home-perm/): Karmic Episode art-card. Chaos reins: Living with uh-muh-mi Let the record show: on June 25, I caused my mother to have a heavy heart and confess it to the Lord. Just a question: Could she not have left her diary in her room and not in mine? The Terrorist on Mother’s Day Years ago, I mailed uh-muh-ni a gift for Mother’s Day. For her part, she drove home, spied a plain brown box on her doorstep and naturally assumed, “Terrorist!” She phoned my middle brother saying someone left a suspicious box on her doorstep, filling him in on her suspicions.  […] - [The Dancing Queen In My Room](https://pinkbuddha.org/the-dancing-queen-in-my-room/): Sun sets over Bangkok and my time in Thailand I’d been feeling ragged. Chewed up and spit out. Tears would spring out of my eyes in fits and starts. I had canceled my work permit, believing immigration would honor my visa amnesty. They did not. Instead, they gave me seven days to get out of Thailand. First I had to leave my school, now I faced leaving my beloved Thailand.  Yes, I could have gone through the process of requesting a “Covid-19” extension, but somehow I felt all the wind go out of my sails; as if I was forcing […] - [I STILL Love Teacher: Teaching English in Thailand](https://pinkbuddha.org/i-still-love-teacher-teaching-english-in-thailand/): “sa-rang-hae 사랑해— I love you”, artwork on student’s desk The New Puppies Term 2 began like the previous term: short-handed since we lost two teachers, scarfing lunch in less than an hour, and sprinting through periods 1-10. By the end of the first week, I was exhausted. However, the adrenaline of meeting new students powered me through.  In our first meeting, I asked each student for their nickname, and to tell me one thing they liked. I told them they could say anything, such as, “I like to play games, I like football.” Many students said, “I like to sleep,” to […] - [I Like…YOU! Teaching English in Thailand](https://pinkbuddha.org/i-like-you/): “I LOVE TEACHER” Photo of my whiteboard (with a pink filter) Congratulations to me for surviving my first proper first-term gig during which the only consistency was inconsistency. Constantly changing schedules, welcoming new teachers, saying goodbye to other teachers, swapping classes, filling in for other classes, and falling in love with all of my students. It has been a mutual love-fest, to which my whiteboard above attests. Without further ado, here’s an assessment of Term 1: “Wo Love laoshi” My students wrote in half pinyin, half English “Wo Love laoshi”, which translates into, “I love teacher.” As is customary, I was […] - ["I'm Here for 69": Teaching English in Thailand](https://pinkbuddha.org/im-here-for-69-teaching-english-in-thailand/): It was my third day on the job. I stood outside my door waiting to meet my students. The first boy approached me and said, “I’m here for 69.” Pause. “I mean, 6/9.” Like a flight attendant introducing passengers to the friendly skies, I said, “Welcome,” and gestured to the classroom. Thus began my initiation into teaching high school in Thailand. Requisites for teaching: Hand sanitizer, disinfectant soap, alcohol, and instant Nescafé. From government hospitals to government schools In my last post, Two Hospitals, Two Ferries, Two Showers, I described how no school in Thailand would even invite me to interview because I […] - [Two Hospitals, Two Ferries, Two Showers](https://pinkbuddha.org/two-hospitals-two-ferries-two-showers/): “Are you looking at my bootie?” This cutie chillin’ on the sidewalk in my neighborhood in Chiang Mai. What an amazing hip-opening pose.  Appreciating sunlight streaming through these local trees. Covid-19 effects: Chiang Mai looks pretty grim. Many businesses permanently closed down with loss of tourists. Good news, bad news I was offered a job to teach English in Taiwan. No school in Thailand would touch me because I am too old and not white. However, as part of the hiring process in Taiwan, I had to go to an approved government hospital in Bangkok to get a health check […] - [America's Last Nerve](https://pinkbuddha.org/americas-last-nerve/): How I survived Covid-19 Not by flying back to the US, per the urging of the US Embassy in Bangkok. Not by following a myriad of strange “Covid-19 cures”, such as: Priests in the Philippines spritzing holy water and alcohol on people. Buddhist monks in Myanmar advising people to eat limes with three palm seeds. A church in South Korea passing around a bottle of salt water to spray into the mouths of the entire congregation. 40 members got infected. And let’s not forget the time President Trump suggested people inject themselves with disinfectant to kill the Covid-19 virus. Personally, […] - [The True Vow](https://pinkbuddha.org/the-true-vow/): This stand set up in front of 7-11 says: “Screening point Cold Temperature” Then the paper below instructs: “Gel alcohol Wash your hands” Literally, that’s the advice from 7-11: To inquire within yourself whether you have a cold or temperature, and whether you do or not, Come on in! Just wash your hands with gel first. They do not instruct to inquire within yourself whether you have a cold or temperature, and if so, turn around and cross the street because there is literally a hospital across the street! I am not exaggerating—the entrance of 7-11 faces the entrance of the hospital! […] - [Choking in Chiang Mai, Covid-19, Pig's Head and Liquor](https://pinkbuddha.org/choking-in-chiang-mai-covid-19-pigs-head-and-liquor/): Time to bring out the big guns With infections of Covid-19 rising on a daily basis, the Thai government strongly advised people to stay at home. Like many other countries, non-essential businesses have closed. People are panicking—buying toilet paper and praying—or… Offering an entire pig’s head and a bottle of liquor at the local spirit house. (Note: the man on the motorcycle zooming by just to the left of the altar) …wearing face mask on his chin… and eye glasses on his forehead…  On that note, we’ll need another pig’s head and a case of liquor to help us through […] - [Pick Your Poison](https://pinkbuddha.org/pick-your-poison/): Q:  Do you want Covid-19 (Corona Virus), or the worst air pollution in the world? A:  Uh, yes please Ahh, burning season in Chiang Mai again. Aside from stinging eyes, chronic sore throat, and choking down toxic air, there’s the global pandemic going on—Covid-19.  So how has life been impacted? Washing Eggs I buy my lunch at a local restaurant that sets out all the food in chafing dishes. The other day, I ordered two boiled eggs to go. I was already questioning my decision since a fly was crawling on them—the eggs were peeled and ready to eat. The […] - [Going Incognito](https://pinkbuddha.org/going-incognito/): Trying to go incognito. The day after New Year’s, I entered a neighborhood pharmacy. Since I live in a Thai neighborhood far away from the tourist sector, the chances that the staff spoke English were low-to-zero. Therefore, I had already programmed my phone to translate my issue into Thai. Although I am studying Thai, I’m not polished enough to explain my issue without a lot of gesticulating, which I ruled out completely. Armed with my electronic dictionary, I assumed we could address this easily and discretely Two women in matching employee polo shirts stood ready at the entrance. Feeling optimistic, […] - [Monsoon and Mary Christmas](https://pinkbuddha.org/monsoon-and-mary-christmas/): Photo essay Monsoon going out with a bang—literally pounding the roof of the car for three hours.  Dinosaur donuts hit the spot on a rainy afternoon. Kayaking on the Ping River. Welcome Cold Season! Doggie duly outfitted in a fleece vest. Pretty café.   I sit all afternoon in a library filled with books of art, design, and creativity. So inspired by Van Gogh’s trees…  Americano and green plant. Another pretty café.  Mary Christmas Thai-style! - [Warm Heart, Charred Lungs](https://pinkbuddha.org/warm-heart-charred-lungs/): “I can’t breathe. I can’t stop coughing. I have to get out of here asap.” That was 7:00pm. I had phoned Evelind while wearing my pajamas and facemask. The next day, Evelind and Michael drove me to Chiang Mai. I had to leave Warm Heart. My cough for the past month suddenly got worse. Months of inhaling poisonous, toxic air had wreaked such damage that I was gasping and couldn’t breathe. Burning season. I didn’t know that I would be living in the thick of active, burning crops. I didn’t recognize the near fatal symptoms. The only protection proffered was […] - [Signs of Love](https://pinkbuddha.org/signs-of-love/): The Crêpe Station Brigade Somtum Lady cradled the jumbo plastic bowl at her station. Due to a slow somtum business day, Crêpe lady had bestowed her with whisking duties, which is why Somtum lady grasped the large bowl of crêpe batter at her station. Her whisking motion is exactly the same as her making somtum motion—she pounded down upon the batter as if smashing unripe papaya flesh. It looked awfully awkward, using an over-sized whisk and seeing lumpy batter remain lumpy. I dare say Somtum lady only shines when using a mortar and pestle. Anyways, it was no matter because […] - [Buddha of the Food Court](https://pinkbuddha.org/buddha-of-the-food-court/): They actually changed the music—muzak—at the food court. Lately they’ve been looping a country-sounding Thai-crooner. Change her lyrics to English and she could stand in for fill-in-the-blank-female-country-singer. Sorry—that is obviously not my forté. The female Thai teachers of one of the Thai language schools continue to squish tables together. I notice a different white male eating with them—it is a new term. New student? New boyfriend?  There’s also a group of women who descend en masse in coordinated costumes. One day they were dressed in smart corporate suits. Another time—in a nod to Northern Day—they all wore traditional woven dresses […] - [Where I Live Chiang Mai: Photo essay](https://pinkbuddha.org/where-i-live-chiang-mai-photo-essay/): Waffle and Muffin like chicken I live in an apartment whose owners have two dogs: Waffle and Muffin. Both males; Waffle is seven years old, and Muffin is one year old. Hence, he is the hyper one, and sprints to the front door whenever I come in, while Waffle sniffs in his elder-status aloofness. They like to dress smartly in dapper blue diapers and grey ascots. Muffin has demonstrated mad skills: he can sit, give high-five’s, and answer phones and check-in guests. He likes working the front desk with his person. One morning, I came downstairs just as Muffin and […] - [Muzak in the Mall: The Greatest Love of All](https://pinkbuddha.org/muzak-in-the-mall-the-greatest-love-of-all/): Omelette-on-rice-with-green-curry-combo  I take my lunch in the food court of an outdated mall. They only have one track that loops “The Greatest Love of All”—nonstop—muzak-style. The food court serves mainly the employees of the mall, each represented by their respective color coordinated polo shirts; other local Thais, students, and on the weekends—families. There are a smattering of foreigners from the Thai language school in the mall. It appears all of the instructors are young, Thai females. They scoot tables together while they eat their omelette-on-rice-with-soup-combo. A white male sits with them—the boyfriend of one of the instructors. I wonder if […] - [No More Punching Penises](https://pinkbuddha.org/no-more-punching-penises/): This dog is in a heat-induced coma in front of 7-11. This article states that the Royal Rain unit has been dousing the up-country regions in water to alleviate the extreme haze and dangerous levels of pollution. Personally, I don’t think it made a dent. The pm2.5 AQI (air quality index) was 251! Acceptable AQI is 50. Unfortunately, after one-and-a-half months of sucking in smoky, toxic air, experiencing stinging eyes and raw throat and lungs, I made an appointment with a doctor. She diagnosed me with “acute laryngitis and bronchitis”. The doctor prescribed the usual allopathic treatment for cough: antihistamine, […] - [Teaching A, B, C: Volunteer in Phrao](https://pinkbuddha.org/teaching-a-b-c-volunteer-in-phrao/): Beautiful Lanna style house: Warm Heart offices and orphanage The Thais call the north “up-country”. This is a region dotted with cozy villages, red-dirt roads, roosters, and unfortunately—a lot of smoke. Every year for three-to-four months, farmers to clear their fields by burning everything. Although hazy, it is beautiful here. Many evenings as I sit in meditation, I can hear a monk chanting in the distance, or the tinny sound of Thai music blaring on a radio. One evening it was so hot that I left my door open and watched night fall, quietly blanketing everything in darkness.  A group […] - [Don't Have Syphilis, Get a Thai Work Permit! Phrao, Thailand](https://pinkbuddha.org/dont-have-syphilis-get-a-thai-work-permit-phrao-thailand/): Warm Heart dog. Warm Heart Volunteer I arrived at Warm Heart Worldwide to volunteer as a TEFL teacher. Located 70km north of Chiang Mai, this nonprofit is tucked in the village of Phrao. My students—the orphans—would depend on me to teach them and deliver fun, engaging lessons. I felt nervous, but thankfully had my TEFL training to lean on. Before I was able to begin teaching, I would have to obtain a work permit. Thus, I was escorted by two Warm Heart staff to the local hospital, where I submitted to a chest x-ray and blood-draw. Folks, I don’t have […] - [Chiang Mai the Polluted, Chiang Mai the Hipster Art Scene](https://pinkbuddha.org/chiang-mai-polluted-hipster-art/): I think every post has to start with a dog. Chiang Mai has the illustrious honor of being in the news for being such a pretty and charming city with a small town vibe. Now it has the ignominious honor for being the world’s most polluted! More polluted than India, Bangladesh, and China! This past weekend, the PM2.5 AQI (air quality index) was over 400! The residents are so angry, they want the governor replaced: “When its Air Quality Index (AQI) topped 400 on both Saturday and yesterday morning, residents launched a petition at Change.or calling for the governor to […] - [Luxury, Kawaii, and Too Many Chocolate Cakes: Vientiane, Laos](https://pinkbuddha.org/luxury-kawaii-and-too-many-chocolate-cakes-vientiane-laos/): I flew to Vientiane, Laos to make my volunteer visa for Thailand. Unfortunately, I had failed to consult the Thai Embassy calendar and didn’t realize that Friday, May 8 was a national holiday—”International Women’s Day”. I had assumed I could pick up my passport that day, and fly out that same evening. But after having already booked my flights, I realized I’d have to change them and cool my jets until the next business day—Monday—an extra four days. Photos above and below: Direct from dusty, hot, low-hygiene India where I stepped in someone’s feces every day—cow, monkey, dog, peacock, human—I […] - [Devotees at Ramana Ashram](https://pinkbuddha.org/devotees-at-ramana-ashram/): Upon successfully completing my TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) course, I had to leave Thailand in order to apply for my volunteer visa. I would submit my application in Laos, but I took a detour to Tiruvannamalai, India in order to visit Arunachala and Ramana Ashram again. This devotee couldn’t help but wilt in 100 degree weather and succumbed to the marble floor, snoring loudly. An ashram attendant tapped his stick on the floor, waking her up. Many times, the ceiling fans stood idle during the hottest part of the day. An ashram attendant did not tap his […] - [Techno Club in a Songthaew](https://pinkbuddha.org/techno-club-in-a-songthaew/): In order to prepare for my upcoming English teaching volunteer service, I enrolled in a TEFL (teach English as a foreign language) course in Chiang Mai. For four weeks, 8am-5pm, I brushed up on grammar rules, learned how to make lesson plans, and taught classes as a teacher-in-training. At the end of one day, I walked out to the busy road and hailed a songthaew to take me home. I told the driver my destination, he nodded and we agreed on a price. Then I turned to run to the back of the pickup which is where all the passengers […] - [Lessons Learned: Never Put Your Hand in an Indian Toilet](https://pinkbuddha.org/lessons-learned-never-put-your-hand-in-an-indian-toilet/): Having spent a year and three months abroad, I have not come away unscathed. Although the majority of my experiences have been filled with the kindness of strangers, adorable dogs, inspiring art, and otherwise drama-free days of applying balm to my mosquito bites, I did have to learn some lessons the hard way. Case in point: this blog post begins and ends in the toilet. Without further ado… Tiruvannamalai, India While I had come to Tiruvannamalai for holy reasons, I found myself performing a decidedly unholy act. Unfortunately, I had to learn this: Never put your hand in an Indian […] - [Chiang Mai, Thailand: Soi Culture](https://pinkbuddha.org/chiang-mai-thailand/): Photo Essay In a previous post, I stated that Georgetown, Penang was one of the most photogenic cities I’ve ever visited. Chiang Mai, Thailand not only matches or surpasses that photogenic quality, but additionally, I found the locals and animals utterly charming. The aesthetics reflect the creativity of Chiang Mai-ers in blending their traditional Lanna village with hipster vibes. The mood reflects the personality of of this northern city: one-of-a-kind style with a sense of humor. Twelve-hour train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. This little guy sums it up. Woman bathing her baby right next to train tracks. Pretty Chiang […] - [What it Takes to be Real](https://pinkbuddha.org/what-it-takes-to-be-real/): Published in Zafigo.com I was not looking forward to going to Delhi. In preparation for the trip I had memorized an entire sheet of scams:  I really did not want feces on my shoes and get ripped off at the same time! But these are minor annoyances compared to the daily, horrific violence that happens to women in India. Yeshe—an American teacher—had told me that while she was in Majnu-ka-tila, a taxi driver broke the knees of a female tourist in order to steal her bag. She warned me, “Don’t go anywhere alone!” The publicized gang-rape and death of an […] - [Georgetown, Penang Malaysia: An Artist's Haven](https://pinkbuddha.org/georgetown-penang-malaysia/): Photo Essay Due to its well-preserved heritage buildings, Penang’s capital, Georgetown, has been accorded a listing as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. In my opinion, Penang is one of the most photogenic cities I’ve ever visited. There was never a bad shot, and the beauty and mood of the city translate from the real thing to digital photos. I attended a symphony, poured over art books in a chic boutique, drank my share of coffees in numerous hipster cafés, and attended a gallery opening at Hin Bus Depot. Penang is an artist’s haven. Hin Bus Depot features several large […] - [Ahjumma goes to a Tibetan Wedding](https://pinkbuddha.org/ahjumma-goes-to-a-tibetan-wedding/): I went to tell my landlady that my bulb had burned out. It was 7:00am and she was in the kitchen cooking, while one of the Indian domestic helpers—a teenage girl—stirred several large pots on a roiling boil. My landlady, Da, is petite and wears her dark hair parted in the center and clasped in a low bun or ponytail, as is the custom of married Tibetan women. As I was about to leave she called out. “My husband is back from America and he speaks very good English. We would like to have you over for dinner.” She has […] - [Temple Scenes: Tsuglagkang Temple](https://pinkbuddha.org/temple-scenes-tsuglagkang-temple/): I was fortunate to be in McLeodganj to witness and participate in several special celebrations—including teachings by the Dalai Lama himself. The Dalai Lama’s temple, Tsuglagkang Temple, is a busy hub of activity. Daily there are devotees spinning prayer wheels, chanting, and performing full-body prostrations. Monks debate and foreigners watch. Domestic Indian tourists throng the temple and take selfies with everything and everyone while their children jump up and down on the prostration boards. Admittedly, there can be a carnival atmosphere, but the Temple takes it all in stride, focusing on the Dalai Lama’s example of infinite compassion. PADMASAMBHAVA DAY […] - [Dogs of McLeodganj, India](https://pinkbuddha.org/dogs-of-mcleodganj-india/): Photo essay Cutest police on earth! This dog is sunning himself in a parking space dedicated for police on duty! Napping on a meditation cushion at the Dalai Lama’s Temple. Women perform full-body prostrations while this dog naps at the Dalai Lama’s Temple. “Three amigos” hanging out in front of a Tibetan home.  These guys take a nap at the Dalai Lama’s Temple I passed this little guy on my way up and down the stairs to the main road every day. This isn’t a photo of a dog, but a photo of the stairs I took to the main […] - [Temple Town in the Himalayas: McLeodganj, India](https://pinkbuddha.org/temple-town-in-the-himalayas-mcleodganj-india/): McLeodganj is a Himalayan Hill Station which the British used as an escape from oppressive summer heat waves. McLeodganj is now mainly known for being the home of the Dalai Lama’s temple—Tsuglagkang Temple—and the exiled Tibetan Parliament. It is also home to many NGO’S and charitable organizations. I am here to volunteer with Lha Charitable Trust as an English tutor for Tibetan refugees. Installed in an apartment with other volunteers, my door opens to lovely mountain scenery. Built into the Himalayas, McLeodganj’s mountainous terrain feature scant areas of level surface, therefore one is constantly climbing steeply uphill or downhill. My apartment, a […] - [Arunachala: Notes from a Devotee](https://pinkbuddha.org/arunachala-notes-from-a-devotee/): Full Moon Giri Pradakshana My phone lit up at 4:00am with a message: I’m here. I hustled down the cement stairs of the two-story guest house run by a loving and protective Indian couple. The husband was already awake and waiting by the front gate. Using a heavy silver key, he unlocked the massive chain and swung open the metal door. Ram stood just beyond, wearing the same clothes from our supper six hours prior. Unusually tall at 6’4”, he sported ruffled black hair with a black beard—speckled with stray gray hairs. A polo shirt, trousers, and a cloth purse […] - [The Holy Hill: Arunachala](https://pinkbuddha.org/the-holy-hill-arunachala/): Photo essay from Tiruvannamalai For years, I had heard about Arunachala, the spiritual heart (some say of the world) at Ramana Ashram. I had heard about the spiritual communities that had sprouted amidst the local village, necessitating more markets, stores, restaurants, chai stalls, dwellings and yoga shalas. I saw photos of foreign spiritual seekers dressed in traditional Indian clothing, draped in mala beads, their foreheads smeared with powder. I knew of spiritual teachers leading meditation retreats. I listened to seekers describe Arunachala’s power, while others told stories about mystical experiences. When I had an opportunity to join a meditation retreat […] - [Bracelets and Hunger](https://pinkbuddha.org/bracelets-hunger/): My wrist is adorned with bright ribbons and bracelets from Mu and Shu. Those girls like little sprites in their dark linen costumes, their hair swept up in black headpieces, bangles stacked practically to the elbow. They acted as my guardian angels, magically appearing on my path or coming up behind me, wrapping their tiny arms around me, clasping their small hands over mine, calling my name in a sing-song voice that reminded me of my youngest sister when she was a girl. “Good morning Ayoung. Ayoung, how did you sleep? Ayoung, you have freckles. Ayoung, you have nice teeth.” […] - [How to Ensure Getting Checked by Customs](https://pinkbuddha.org/how-to-ensure-getting-checked-by-customs/): An Acupuncture Volunteer in Guatemala I had been instructed to mark “Tourist” on my customs form, and to say that everything in my suitcase was for “personal use.” “Don’t worry,” I was told, “we’ve never had problems getting our supplies through customs.” Another friend’s mother echoed that by saying she never had her bags checked although she regularly brought in supplies via the Rotary Club. My entire suitcase was filled with Chinese herbal medicines, supplements, acupuncture needles, a sphygmometer, an otoscope. I was literally bringing the clinic to Guatemala, where I would be working as a volunteer acupuncturist in a […] - [Mangia Sarcola, part 4](https://pinkbuddha.org/mangia-sarcola-part-4/): Panel 3 of José, “mamma” (mommy). Watercolor and pen, by Ayoung Kim This day is soft in my memory —as if soft clouds frame every moment in a benevolent cushion. José had spent the previous twenty-four hours unloading his bowels and guts. It smelled foul, like poison coming out of him. In the weak, early morning light, he stood trembling in my office, barely able to support his anorexic frame. I looked at my boy; he looked at me. His eyes were far away; his guides were already taking him. He was becoming translucent, like the faintest, finest veil. But […] - [Mangia Sarcola, part 3](https://pinkbuddha.org/mangia-sarcola-part-3/): “Dreaming of the dog,” ink on paper, by Ayoung Kim I don’t cry as much anymore. You get used to it. Death. We thought we had to euthanize José three times already. We’ve made the decision to forego chemo. We’ve had the discussion of If He Goes During the Night. If he goes during the night, he’ll release body fluids and defecate—prepare towels. Cover him with a blanket. Drive him to Colma to the pet crematorium. No one slept last night. Each time José got up, pacing, panting, we woke up. At 5:30am I finally followed him into my office […] - [Mangia Sarcola, part 2](https://pinkbuddha.org/mangia-sarcola-part-2/): Panel 2 of Pablo, “m’ama, non m’ama, m’ama (she loves me, she loves me not, she loves me). Watercolor and pen, by Ayoung Kim José collapsed again last night. One minute he’s whining with joy as I come up the stairs, holding the stuffed octopus in his mouth. The next, I’m taking a steaming hot shower, pull on white flannel pajamas. I’m talking to the lavender, I’m talking to the house. It’s beautiful, it’s perfect, everything. Isn’t it? Isn’t it? —and next I see José splayed out in the middle of the family room, his head twisted at an awkward […] - [Mangia Sarcola, part I](https://pinkbuddha.org/mangia-sarcola-part-i/): We found out that José has cancer. It’s hemangiosarcoma, our veterinarian said. I don’t know if it’s the spread-really-aggressively kind or the spread-more-slowly kind.C (my fiancé at the time) asked, How long does he have?Anywhere from three months to one year, she replied.C turned to our little altar on the mantle. Crying openly, he lit some incense and candles. The way I heard it was, José has “mangia sarcola.” It sounded like an Italian entrée of glistening pasta and bits of lamb nestled on a bed of arugula, dressed with olive oil and garlic. It sounded like an Italian film […] - [Mae Sot Thailand](https://pinkbuddha.org/mae-sot-thailand/): Photo essay Ban Thai Guesthouse is gorgeous, with traditional style architecture that suits my aesthetics perfectly. Elegant rooms with shutter windows and silky mosquito nets created a luxurious sanctuary—and my home for the duration of my volunteer service at Mae Tao clinic. Bird of paradise arrangements mirror the natural beauty that surround the guesthouse. Elegant common area and foyer at the entrance. Some volunteers of Mae Tao clinic got together to join a Burmese cooking course. Our guide Bobo describes the menu for the day while an assistant pours oil in the wok to fry noodles. Our cooking course goes […] - [Acupuncture with Dirt on my Face](https://pinkbuddha.org/acupuncture-volunteer/): Volunteering on the Burmese Border Mae Sot, Thailand The other day I nearly made the head of parliament faint while giving him acupuncture. He had arrived—with his entourage in tow—at the urging of a patient I had treated earlier in the week who had been suffering for years with a disc problem at L4, mild scoliosis, mild lordosis, severe sciatica. Apparently after one treatment she felt “cured” and enthusiastically brought her friend to me for knee and shoulder pain. Unfortunately, he was treated in a chair, it was his first time getting acupuncture, and he was afraid of needles. A […] - [I'm Stoney, but not Stoned](https://pinkbuddha.org/stoney-stoned/): An Acupuncture Externship in China I spent a month at Guangzhou TCM University Hospital observing four doctors, each with different specialties. I met my translator at the entrance to the TCM department—he was holding a sign with my name on it. He introduced himself by saying, “Hello, I’m Stoney, but not stoned.” Sporting thick black eyeglasses, a shaggy hairstyle and white lab coat, he resembled a genius scientist. He waited for me to pull on my white lab coat, then grabbing my wrist, pulled me down a long hall way. The schedule was grueling; six hours of standing. My translator […] ## Pages - [SUBSCRIBE](https://pinkbuddha.org/subscribe/): Subscribe to Pink Buddha to receive your monthly newsletter for a dose of happiness, humor, and authenticity. Better than a vitamin! * * * - [ART](https://pinkbuddha.org/art/): Original artwork.Handmade.With love.Sometimes created in a studio; often in my travel journals or on cheap paper, backs of envelopes, at dingy bars, fading light on the beach, in a corner of a famous temple. *note: I was honored to be asked by Ayya Anandabodhi and Ayya Santacitta to create artwork for their historic Bhikkhuni Ordination at Spirit Rock. You may read more about it here:https://tricycle.org/magazine/making-sangha-whole-again/ - [WRITING](https://pinkbuddha.org/writing/): Writing is the backbone of this website—creative writing, short stories, essays, poems. Writing is my way of painting, of creating canvases that evoke the romance of unexpected encounters, and the unintended hilarity of unceremonious situations. Writing is my way of comprehending what can be comprehended, and my way of expressing vulnerability when I cannot comprehend. Writing is my way of showing others what is possible, my way to inspire and encourage. When writing, I do not feel any boundaries, I do not feel confined to one genre, one style, one voice. My writing draws inspiration from writing teachers, poet laureates […] - [TRAVEL](https://pinkbuddha.org/travel/): I have visited, volunteered, worked, transited through and lived in numerous countries. I have been lost, I have been found, I have been menaced, threatened, and scammed in several countries. I have been loved and in love, I have made friends and met old friends by traveling. Travel—it seems—chose me; I never had a choice. I discovered new skills, learned new languages, tasted exotic foods, and cooked foreign dishes. I have slept balled up on a 1960’s rusty overnight bus, the one in which a Laotian man hid in the luggage compartment as we smuggled him into Vietnam. I have […] - [ABOUT](https://pinkbuddha.org/about/): Pink Buddha is the umbrella for stories that stem from volunteering, traveling, meditating, and teaching. Think of this website as your dose of arm-chair travel with generous lashings of irreverence and laughing at inappropriate moments. Pink Buddha is not only for people who like the color pink or for people who like the Buddha. This website will appeal to those who love travel writing, creative writing, and dogs. This website will appeal to those who long to break through perceived boundaries and discover new countries and communities. If this resonates with you, welcome! - [Privacy Policy](https://pinkbuddha.org/privacy-policy/): Who we are Our website address is: http://pinkbuddha.org. 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