Category Archives: Blog

Wishing everyone celebrating Thanksgiving a happy and peaceful holiday — sending my love and gratitude from Oman!

On this Thanksgiving Day, I’m giving thanks for how my time with Syrian refugees in Lebanon — as a teacher, friend, patient, and advocate — has fundamentally changed me as a person, and radically transformed my understanding of compassion, resilience, friendship, and love. All day today, I will be thinking of my refugee friends in Lebanon, and hoping against hope that their circumstances will improve soon, and that in the coming year we will all be able to give thanks for an end to the Syrian war — it can’t come soon enough.

It’s impossible to curb your enthusiasm when chatting with Cheryl Hines — Queen of Comedy and proud disability advocate — in Bhutan…

I had such a great time in Bhutan that I decided to share my Himalayan travel adventure in a new article, “Behold the Beauty of Bhutan,” which was just published by Huffington Post. Thank you for any help in passing on the piece/peace!

In the wake of Friday’s terrorist attack at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako that left nineteen people dead, Mali has begun observing three days of national mourning. My family, friends, and music and dance teachers in Bamako (like many others in Mali) have been very shaken by the violent attack — the latest example of how difficult and dangerous the past several years in Mali have been. But despite the worsening security situation, life in Bamako must go on. Thinking today of all those in Mali who have been traumatized and affected by this recent attack, and sending them my love and concern from afar…

It’s easy to feel serene in the sands of the Sultanate, because of Oman’s natural beauty, friendly citizens, and policy of peace. In the words of Tawfiq Al Lawati, a Majlis Al Shura member: “From day one itself, Oman has been a peace loving country. Oman believes in dialogue and negotiation. It has played a crucial role in defusing regional tensions. It respects people and governments elected by them.”

I’ve been very fortunate to live in Turkmenistan for extended periods of time in both the capital and the desert. While living in Ashgabat, I had the opportunity to ride an Akhal-teke horse — a breed in Turkmenistan beloved for its impressive speed. Thus, I was intrigued to read a new article today in The Guardian about horse-racing in Turkmenistan…

I’m happy to hear that my alma mater, Brown University (from which I graduated four times I liked it so much), just announced a $100 million dollar plan to improve race relations on campus…

Why do I heart living in Oman? Because surveys show that it’s one of the friendliest places for expats in the world…

I was very sad to read the news just now about the ongoing hostage situation in Mali. I’ve studied West African dance and drumming in Bamako, and I hope that all of my family and friends in the capital are safe — the people of Mali have been through so much these past few years…

It’s a joy and delight to be in Muscat for Oman’s 45th National Day — sending warm and festive greetings to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos & all of my friends & students in the Sultanate of Oman!

While exploring Punakha Dzong in Bhutan, I was drawn to these gorgeous gilded doors. Punakha Dzong, which was the seat of the Bhutanese government until the mid-1950s, shelters some of the most sacred religious relics of the Southern Drukpa Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism…

Looking at the statistics in this article on bombings in Lebanon since 2011, it’s hard to believe that I was in Lebanon for over 25 bombings while teaching at the American University of Beirut…such a sad state of affairs…

While blissed out in Bhutan, I took this photo at the entrance of Punakha Dzong — the “Palace of Great Bliss.”