Author Archives: admin

I experienced one of the best meditation retreats of my life in this turquoise treasure in the heart of Bukhara…

I was happy to see Kazakhstan — one of my favorite Silk Road stops — listed on the New York Times’ 52 best places to travel in 2017 (very grateful to have traveled all over the country while doing research there)…

I love the turquoise calligraphy decorating the Amir Chakhmaq Complex in Yazd — it’s especially stunning at sunset…

Behold the blessed beauty of Bukhara — one of my absolute favorite madrasas (and cities) in the world…

This is one of my favorite little corners of Samarkand — turquoise dome heaven (and Arabic calligraphy to boot)…

I kicked off my New Year’s Eve with a concert of Broadway show tunes at the Royal Opera House Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. It was great fun to hear songs from Oklahoma, Oliver, Carousel, the King and I, and other musicals performed by baritone Simon Keenlyside and the Prague Philharmonia. The first song of this evening’s gala was “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” from the musical Oklahoma! Wishing all of you a “beautiful morning” to start off the New Year. Happy 2017!

I’ve been very busy collecting spare parts to make a spaceship to leave this crazy planet behind! Time for blast off! See you on Planet 9! Happy New Year!

Last night, while out on the town in Muscat, I had an unexpected and healthy treat — fresh coconut water (out of the shell!) at this gas station in the Sultanate of Oman. You can fill your tank while replenishing yourself with electrolytes at the same time! A fun two for one! Yum!

Good news! China has just banned its ivory trade — about time! Hopefully now elephants in Africa will not become extinct in our lifetime. I’ve been so grateful to observe these magnificent creatures in the wild while on safari in Kenya and Tanzania (I led a safari for Columbia alumni and returned later to do the trip with my family). I also had the chance to visit elephant and rhino orphans at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya — where the adorable baby elephant above walked right up to me for a head rub after chugging his morning bottle. I love our elefriends and hope they can recover quickly from their horrific slaughter across Africa. To foster one of the baby elephant or rhino orphans at the Wildlife Trust, please visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust online. To learn more about the visionary work of Dame Daphne Sheldrick, check out the film Born to be Wild, narrated by Morgan Freeman.

Today (December 30th) is the 100th year anniversary of the murder of Rasputin in Russia. I had the chance to visit Moika Palace (where he was killed) when I was studying Advanced Russian and Russian film at St. Petersburg State University (and getting in touch with my Russian roots). Within the walls of this palace, there is a detailed exhibit that explains the influence and death of Rasputin — but for me the best part of the palace is the charming little theatre inside (it’s my absolute favorite theatre in the world). To learn more about this mysterious figure in Russian history, check out this new book.

I made history yesterday when I gave the first public lecture on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in the Sultanate of Oman (patient perspectives in public are virtually non-existent here — come to think of it, it was probably the first talk of its kind in the entire Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf!). I was very honored to be asked by a team of doctors from Sultan Qaboos University Hospital to offer a “patient perspective” of my medical (mis)adventures as an “elastic girl” in the United States and the Middle East (I even mentioned acupuncture and tai chi in Beirut). I’ve also done my “freak show” of dislocations for doctors and medical students in the United States, Lebanon, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, and South Korea. It brought me great joy to share with an auditorium of Omani doctors what I have experienced and learned along the way to help increase their understanding and awareness of this rare syndrome.

As a disability advocate and scholar on disability, I have been fortunate to speak about disability with activists around the globe — like Laila Atshan, a blind Palestinian Harvard-educated therapist treating Yazidi victims of ISIS, and even His Majesty, the Dragon King of Bhutan, at the Royal Palace in Paro. Raising awareness about physical, emotional, and mental disabilities through workshops and public events (in high schools and universities) in Lebanon and Oman has greatly enriched my life in the Middle East and Persian Gulf over the past five years. Further, working with Syrian refugees in Beirut as a professor, yogini, mentor, and volunteer has made me more aware of the intersections of disability and war. The positive reaction of the audience yesterday was a welcome reminder of how important it is to increase awareness, understanding, and compassion for people with disabilities around the world.

After I spoke, the doctors gave wonderfully informative clinical presentations on how to treat a patient with EDS (particularly in the field of anesthesiology). I was grateful for their expertise and knowledge — I learned a great deal from them and was proud of our group effort. After the talk, a group of Omani medical students came over to talk to me, insisting that I do a Ted Talk and write a memoir about my experiences because they found my presentation so inspiring. Who knows — anything is possible, I suppose — even for a gumby gal.

I just received this nice New Year’s greeting from the Center for Bhutan Studies — I spoke at their GNH (Gross National Happiness) international conference at the Royal Palace (where I had the honor of speaking with the Dragon King of Bhutan) in Paro.

When I was doing research in the desert in Sudan, an older Sufi woman unexpectedly pulled me from the crowd to join her in the spirit of the dance. Here’s a short video of us making our way together around this celebratory circle…enjoy!

I enjoyed exploring Islamic shrines in Karakalpakstan on the Silk Road — this one requires going underground…