08 7 / 2012
Once in a while
Believe like a fool.
‘Cause some day in life,
It’ll make you grow
that extra inch of height
an extra layer of support
the extra sense of humor
this extra brick of strength
04 7 / 2012
A glimpse of the peak of Mt.Everest (also known as Sagarmatha in Nepali) as we flew into Kathmandu from Lhasa.
13 6 / 2012
Bits of Beijing II
Tiananmen Square:
Wanfujing Market
A bustling market area lined with shopping complexes, there’s also a an amazing bazaar hidden in the corner with stalls selling everything from scorpions on a stick to colorful paper hats.
Entrance to the Bazaar
Wanfujing Market is known for its ‘exotic’ foods: scorpions and silk worms on a stick!
Bullet (Fast) Train:
Running up to 304 km/hr the bullet train takes passengers to various cities within hours. Our train took us to the city of Jinan, known for its natural springs.
13 6 / 2012
Bits of Beijing
Beijing, once more…but this time minus the rushed shopping and official appointments. My mom and I decided it was just going to be one week of exploring Beijing.
On our first day, we decided to visit the Lama Temple and White Pagoda. Our friend suggested we use the Beijing Subway rather than flagging down taxis or haggling with the public buses. So we did. Armed with three different maps, my Mom and I took on the subway which has stops translated in English. If you ever visit Beijing, use the subway. It’s cheap (only 2 Yuan/ 31 cents), efficient (beats Beijing traffic any day) and clean.
The Yonghe (Lama) Temple:
The Lama or Yonghe Temple was built in 1694 during the Qing dynasty. It used to be a residence for Prince Yin Zhen and was later converted into lamasery, or a monastery for monks of Tibetan Buddhism. 
There are three different archways and numerous temples within each courtyard that hold statues of different Buddhas from Maitreya to Sakyamuni. Some temples have been turned into small museums that display the royal family’s old artifacts. One of the most famous aspects of the Lama Temple is the 26 meter tall (about 4 floors) statue of Maitreya Buddha which is made of pure white sandalwood.
The architecture of the temples resemble royal chambers but the colors are the simple red, white blue, yellow and green combinations seen in Tibetan prayer flags and decorated in monaseteries in Tibet, Nepal and Bodh Gaya (India).
The White Pagoda:
The White Pagoda was built in 1271 by Arniko, a famous Nepalese engineer. He frequently traveled between China and Nepal exchanging art forms and leaving behind trademarks, such as the White Pagoda. Though it was under construction when we went, the Pagoda resembles stupas that you see in the mountains of Nepal that border Tibet. There’s also an awesome statue of Arniko in a Dhaka topi (hat) and dowra surwal (traditional Nepali outfit)
(Stupas in Tibet)
More photos in the Photo Gallery and more posts to come!
