Haeundae Sunset

Haeundae Beach, Busan, Korea, January 2009.

Happy Lunar New Year!!!!!

In honor of the new year of the ox!
Haeundae Beach, Busan, Korea, January 2009.

More Fishy Art

I just can't get enough of these
fishy paintings! Busan Aquarium,
Korea, January 2009.

Art, With a Sense of Humor

From the special New Year's exhibit at the Busan
Aquarium...Busan, Korea, January 2009.

Pray for ALL Troops

This week one of my good friends ships out for
his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, so this
post is for him. It was written in the cement
pier of a public park in Greenwich, Connecticut.
(Not to lessen the gravity of the words, when I
first read it I was absolutely sure it said
'PRAY FOR OUR TROUTS', which had a certain
kind of gramatically evasive logic situated as it was
in a popular fishing spot. I was thinking, man,
either fisherfolk around here have had bad luck
lately, or the local environmental activists have a
good sense of fun.) Greenwich, Connecticut,
July 2008.

National Cultural Treasures Numbers ...

An 800 year old Buddha that I am
particularly fond of meditates on
the 1300 year old stone pagoda in
front of him. The tiled roof of one
of the monks quarters of Sangkyesa
forms the backdrop. Korea,
May 2008.

Yoga

Changwon, Korea,
January 16, 2009

Puppy Envy

Yes, I really, really, really, really want a dog.
New Delhi, India, January 2005.

Snow Day

Cold, white flakes falling outside for the first
time this year (and only the second this season)
beg for something sunny inside to warm things
up. Bhodgaya, India, January 2005.

The Real Korea?

More junk shop delights...a traditional Korean
drum sheltering a machine-gun toting, camo-
wearing dancing baby and old-fashioned clock.
Too bad I couldn't get a good angle on the
taxidermied squirrel tucked in there with them.
Chilsung Market, Daegu, January 10, 2009.

A Few of my Favorite Things

Yesterday afternoon outside a junk shop in
Daegu...seriously, who doesn't need a second hand
tuba? or taxidermied sea turtle? or alto sax?or, or...
what a wonderful, wonderful place!
Daegu, Korea, January 10, 2009.

Horizontal Colour

Botanical gardens and spinning wheels, Yunnan Province, China, January 1, 2004.

Blessings

A child-Buddha figurine collects coins in
exchange for blessings. Sangkyesa, Korea,
April 2008.

Inspiration

Just in case your new year's resolution involved
something environmental...a little inspiration
from China. Yunnan Province, China,
January 2004.

Cornell in Winter

Cornell University, Ithaca,
New York, USA, February 2008.

Feathered Friends

Kunming, China, January 2004.

Happy New Year!

Yunnan, China, January 2004.

I've never been a big one for resolutions, but new year's does seem to be as good a time as any to think about what I want to accomplish in the not-too-distant future. So here they are (in no particular order), my new year's NOT-resolutions...

Spin a prayer wheel in Lhasa or Khatmandu (would both be pushing my luck?).
Finally make it south of the equator.
Officially start my PhD.
Run atleast 15 km per week (November marathon?).
Get into a yoga headstand without using a wall or a spotter.
Spend less money on unnecessary things.
Get my semester lesson plans done before the semester begins.
Let my loved ones know how much I love them more often.
Give a speech to my department in Korean (teacher's day anyone?).
Pay off my visa bill.
Master the art of making kongbiji (or at least make a bowl that is edible!).
Learn to play all 5 notes on my danso.
Set-up soapling.com to accept online payments.
Publish a photo (not myself!).