Humanity in general loves spring. We like the flowers that bloom, the return of the daylight hours, and the warmth in the air. Around the world, religious celebrations and the changing seasons seem to go hand-in-hand — in the states we have Easter, Passover, and the Spring Equinox, all marking the coming of new life.… [Read more…]
March 14, 2011
![An aerial view of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. [Courtesy of "National Land Image Information (Color Aerial Photographs), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism."]](http://yaksandyetis.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/800px-fukushima_i_npp_1975_medium_crop.jpg?w=90&h=75&crop=1 "800px-Fukushima_I_NPP_1975_medium_crop")
I am shocked and saddened by the recent earthquake in Japan. I’m half-Japanese with all my family on my mother’s side living in Tokyo and Okinawa. The news from Japan seems to keep getting worse and worse, the latest reports being the scariest of all: that of a sustained and long-term nuclear crisis. The residual… [Read more…]
March 10, 2011
March 10 is a historical day for Tibetans: In 1959, Tibetans in the capital city of Lhasa surrounded Potala Palace to protect the Dalai Lama and fight back against the People’s Republic of China. Today March 10 is observed as “Tibetan Uprising Day” to commemorate the continuing struggle of Tibetans to free their country from… [Read more…]
March 6, 2011
This week, the Hindu population of Kathmandu had reason to celebrate. The ladies wore their finest saris or kurtas bedazzled all over with silver and gold, while the men gathered in big, roving groups with mischievous glints in their eyes. Little children drank too much “bhang”—yogurt mixed with cannabis—and had to take to their beds… [Read more…]
February 25, 2011
In Nepal, it’s springtime. The days are longer and warmer. Sitting on the balcony under a blue sky with the sun on your face and the birds busily creating a racket in the trees nearby feels so idyllic that you could sing a song about it. But springtime also has its downside in Nepal. Spring… [Read more…]
February 21, 2011
(In which we sleep poorly and breakfast with monks.) -The Last Stop- This is the third and final installment of our experiences living at Tibetan refugee settlements. I don’t want to overburden the reader, so I’m keeping the writing at a minimum—after two previous Tibetan settlement posts, there’s only so much more a person can… [Read more…]
January 31, 2011
(In which we make Tibetan bread and are inducted into the elderly women’s circle.) -Karma- Our second camp, Paljor Ling, defies Tibetan camp norms. Instead of being surrounded by trees, hills, or a gorge, it’s surrounded by traffic and a congested, chaotic scene of crowded shops and street vendors. While most other settlements are in… [Read more…]
January 26, 2011
(In which I am labeled “tourist,” Taylor runs a relay, and I realize how outrageously privileged Americans are.) -A Brief Overview- For months, Taylor and I have been planning to live in the homes of Tibetan refugee families in Nepal. When the Chinese invaded Tibet in the 1950s, Tibetans fled to all parts of Nepal… [Read more…]
Nina Wegner, a twenty-something journalist, editor, and Westerner in Nepal, is in search of local lore, momos, and yetis.
March 21, 2011
6