Perspectives of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka.  No doubt a beautiful country.  The lowlands are surrounded by the blue waters of the Indian Ocean rhythmically rolling onto white sandy beaches of the island. The central highlands, a jungle of green where a cool temperate climate offers a perfect environment for Sri Lanka’s billion-dollar-a-year tea industry. Lush tea plantations scattered throughout the picturesque scenery. Nestled within the highlands is the city…

The Original Mind of Imagination

Walt Disney once said, “Every child is born blessed with a vivid imagination.” No truer words spoken. A perfect state-of-mind to enter life: full of curiosity and void of bias or preconceived notions of race, politics and status. Ahead, only the beauty of life waiting to be discovered. Bliss. Then the battle begins. The real world slowly creeps in and starts to chip away at…

The Ghosts of Tai O

Stepping out onto the verandah, a strong feeling of déjà vu sweeps over me. I breathe in the early morning air of the sleepy fishing village of Tai O, the sound of the water inviting me out to explore. The purity of silence only a pre-dawn sky can provide, accompanies me as I walk down a path toward the shore of the South China…

Ellinor, The Year of the Goat, and Quantum Entanglement

From the moment I awake, I lie silently and listen to the calling of the universe to determine the type of day ahead, because every day has its own personality. Some mornings are overwhelming, blasting with the sound of horns and a declaration of chaos. A day that can zap the life out of the soul, and the only bright spot is thinking of the good…

The Sparrow and The Red-Crowned Crane

A small sparrow was weaving her way down along the tree line, darting in-and-out of its branches before quickly changing directions and taking a steep dive over the riverside grasses.  With a slight shift of her body she then swiftly rose again, up over the treetops. The morning air lifting her higher and holding that crispness of winter that she found so refreshing.  It…

The Fishermen’s Lore: What Lies Beneath?

As with the morning sun, slowly I rise out of bed and slip on a new day without a sound. The scents of algae, spices and humidity rise above the fading dreams of last night and I savor the moment.  Looking out at the pre-dawn sky I prepare my coffee, anxious for the day to begin. Wandering down a path, I climb into a thin,…

The Endurance of Tacloban: Heart of the Philippines

Violent winds swirl the dark, ominous thunderclouds overhead. The pounding waves crash onto the rocky shore and the roar of the Pacific Ocean makes its intention clear: thrash anything in its path. With electricity in the air, I am oblivious to everything except the power coming my way as rain beats against my face, sucking me into the depths of the storm. Ever since…

Being Time in Kenya with Heidegger

The concept of time is fascinating. From physics to philosophy, the notion of time is difficult to define. From our normal existence in the world, we often define time as ‘fleeting’ in the sense there is never enough. Frustration builds as the majority of time is spent catching up on work…work that is always running further and further away. The more worry about time,…

Hong Kong Democracy: The Umbrella Revolution

Upon first glance, the sight of demonstrations in Hong Kong is enough to take the breath away: another crystallizing moment in the territory’s rich history.  It is a beautiful thing to see; young and old united for a cause…especially one important as democracy and freedom. Yet like Hong Kong history, the protests are just one of many layers of complexity. There is a very…

Hong Kong: The Pulse of Life

There are days where no matter how I get out of bed, every side is the wrong side. Days where the dreary drone of jumbled words fill the mind and accompanies me as I sleep walk through the day.  A day, regardless of what my calendar tells me, is a week of  full of Monday mornings. Since returning to Hong Kong last week, my typical day has been…