Category Archives: Blog

I was very sad to hear last night about the suicide bombings that killed over forty people in Beirut. In response, Lebanon has declared today a national day of mourning. Though media outlets like the New York Times, NPR, and Slate insist on labeling the scene of the attacks a “Hezbollah stronghold,” those of us who live or have lived in Beirut know that Burj al-Barajneh is a diverse working-class neighborhood (no doubt targeted for its significant Shia population) that is home to a crowded Palestinian refugee camp. So when I saw “Burj al-Barajneh” flash across my computer screen as breaking news, I didn’t think first of Hezbollah — I thought of the children in the refugee camp of Burj al-Barajneh to whom I taught yoga and the Palestinian doctor there who treated me with acupuncture. I can’t imagine how traumatized everyone in the area–regardless of sect or political affiliation–must be from the shock, carnage, and aftermath of the blasts…

If you visit Bhutan, make sure to stop by the National Museum, perched directly above Paro Dzong. The 17th century watchtower pictured above was renovated in 1968 to house the museum (but due to earthquake damage in 2009 and 2011, the museum’s masks and thangkas are now on display in an adjacent annex). Since I’ve studied “non-western” masked performance for over fifteen years with my performance mentor, Professor John Emigh from Brown University, I was particularly impressed and inspired by the museum’s collection of festival masks used in traditional dances performed by Buddhist monks…

Having excavated for seven winters at the Great Pyramids of Giza with Brown University and Cairo University, I can assure you, as can my former boss Zahi Hawass, that they were not constructed to store grain…

While visiting a Buddhist temple in Bhutan to celebrate the occasion of Buddha Descending, I tried soaking up some wisdom from these friendly young monks…

Greetings from the Kingdom of Bhutan! Since I’ve been enjoying my current travels through the Land of the Thunder Dragon, I will be updating my blog with many photos from Bhutan in the days to come…

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a diplomatic National Day reception for Taiwan in the Sultanate of Oman. Taiwan is the second largest importer of Omani oil, and trade between Oman and Taiwan reached $3.82 billion last year…

Tonight I went with friends to the Royal Opera House in Oman to see a spectacular production of Turnadot. The Royal Opera House in Muscat is pure opulence, and I was delighted to enjoy its beauty from the inside. In 2001, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos (a devoted admirer of opera and classical music) ordered the construction of the Royal Opera House — the first in the Arabian peninsula. The inaugural season featured Plácido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, and Renée Fleming. After its opening in 2011, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos said: “they [art events] express a common human cultural heritage of strong meaning and deep impact.” This season will feature some of my favorite musicians, like Anoushka Shankar and Salif Keita from Mali. So come to Oman, and come to the opera!

While I focused on Syrian refugees with disabilities in my latest Huffington Post piece, “More Help Needed for Syria’s Disabled and Maimed,” there are also many Afghan refugees with disabilities who are attempting to make the long journey to asylum through Europe. A recent BBC article highlights a group of Afghan refugees from Mazar-i Sharif who are in the middle of their trek — including an ailing grandmother whose grandchildren have been struggling to carry her and her wheelchair across long stretches of gravel in Europe. Now that the Taliban have seized control of the strategic city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, the steady stream of refugees fleeing from Afghanistan to Europe will undoubtedly increase…

Last week, I had the unique opportunity to drive across Oman with archaeology colleagues to visit faraway archaeological digs in the desert. Whenever we got out of the car, we had to hike up mountains, dunes, and ruins to reach the ancient sites we wanted to see. Our desert marches also gave me an opportunity to take photos of our car from a distance to capture a glimpse of the landscapes we were driving through…

Earlier today, the Taliban captured the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan. While doing so, they overtook the intelligence service headquarters, freed prisoners in the city’s jails, and set UN buildings on fire. When I was in Kunduz a few years ago, the Taliban already maintained a significant presence in the city. After entering Afghanistan from the Tajik border crossing, I had to pass through Kunduz to reach Balkh and Mazar-e Sharif — a journey which will now be especially dangerous, as the Taliban also captured villages today on the highway that connects Kunduz to Mazar-e Sharif and Kabul. The taking of Kunduz marks the first time in 14 years of war that a major Afghan city has fallen to the insurgency. It remains to be seen what the consequences of today’s victory will be…

I teamed up with archaeology colleagues this week-end to explore different archaeological sites scattered around Oman — from inscriptions to towers and tombs, it was an absorbing learning and travel adventure for all of us…

I’ve been very fortunate to live in Turkmenistan for extended periods of time to conduct research on Islam, excavate medieval Islamic archaeology, and help preserve Sufi shrines on the Silk Road. I love Turkmenistan, and I’m grateful for all of the friends that I’ve made while living there. Women of all ages in Turkmenistan have welcomed me into their homes to share with me the richness of Turkmen culture and spirituality. Recently, at the summit for global development at the United Nations, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan announced that Turkmenistan intends to develop gender equality during the next few years. He stated: “We have set targets to achieve full gender equality and provide opportunities for self-fulfillment for all women and girls. The fulfillment of these goals is our common goal.” I know that many Turkmen women and girls will benefit from this ambitious plan — and I’m hoping to return soon to Turkmenistan to see how they implement these goals…

While venturing far off the beaten path in Oman to explore archaeology and Arabic graffiti, my colleagues and I stopped for a coffee break at this picturesque perch above the palms…