�Living Well in Thailand� offers a mix of blunt advice, information, and entertaining anecdotes for anyone thinking about staying in northern Thailand. While primarily aimed at longer-term residents, it should also be useful to the short-term tourist. It is compiled in A-Z format for quick reference to various aspects of Thai customs, with a Westerner�s viewpoint on how to live comfortably in a very different culture. We all need a roof over our head, food, effective communication and entertainment. Thailand has a lot to offer in these respects, even on a limited budget.

�Living Well in Thailand� offers a mix of blunt advice, information, and entertaining anecdotes for anyone thinking about staying in northern Thailand. While primarily aimed at longer-term residents, it should also be useful to the short-term tourist. It is compiled in A-Z format for quick reference to various aspects of Thai customs, with a Westerner�s viewpoint on how to live comfortably in a very different culture. We all need a roof over our head, food, effective communication and entertainment. Thailand has a lot to offer in these respects, even on a limited budget.

These are some of the people I have met in my journeys to Tibet and nearby areas in Asia. The purpose of this book is very simple. It is to connect the person viewing this book to the people of Tibet; from the beggars who came to our camps of foreigners looking for food or a little money, to highly realized Buddhist Lamas. It is to put a human face on Tibet and the issues concerning the Tibetan people. The gaze of most of these people into the camera is direct and unflinching. The eyes communicate to me the pride they have in being Tibetan and in their culture and religion. They communicate strength to me: physical, spiritual, and cultural.

I am hoping that someone picking up this book is either informed about the history of Tibet since 1949, or will be motivated by the book to become more informed about that history and the current situation in Tibet as well as ethnically Tibetan areas. I won�t make any political statements myself because I want to eliminate even the possibility of repercussions on any of the people shown because of what I may have said. This is also why I won�t give very many names.

A few words about where the photos were taken. The largest number of them were taken at Katog Mardo Tashi Choling, a Buddhist monastery in what was historically the Golok area of Amdo Province of Tibet. It is now part of Qinghai Province of China. I spent 2 months at the monastery in the summer of 2007. The abbot of the monastery is Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche, who is of the Katog lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is now a citizen of the United States and I have been a student of his teaching of the Buddhist Dharma since 2004. His website is: https://katogcholing.com/ At the peak,

there were over 80 of Khentrul Rinpoche�s Western students at his monastery. The main reason I went there was that H. H. Katog Moktsa Rinpoche was going to be giving 5 days of empowerments in August. An empowerment is a ritual in Vajrayana Buddhism which initiates a student into a particular deity practice. Moktsa Rinpoche is one of the five golden throne holders of the Nyingma Katog lineage and is revered as "the Father of Katog Lineage". He is the abbot of Katog monastery in the Kham area of Tibet, (now part of Sichuan Province of China) the mother monastery of Katog Mardo Tashi Choling. It�s easy to find out a lot more information about both Rinpoches online so I won�t give any more information. Tibetan monks and nuns and lay people also journeyed to see him. I and around 10 other Americans arrived about 5 weeks earlier than the majority of the students and helped arrange things for their arrival and helped teach English in the monastery school.

Rinpoche is an honorific term used in Tibetan Buddhism. It literally means "precious one," and is used to address or describe Tibetan lamas and other high-ranking or respected teachers. This honor is generally bestowed on reincarnated lamas, or Tulkus, by default. In other cases it is earned over time, and often bestowed spontaneously by the teacher's students.

A few photos were taken in 2005 when I journeyed to Tibet to do a pilgrimage, or circumambulation, around Mt. Kailash in western Tibet. We started in Lhasa and drove to Mt. Kailash, visiting the cities of Gyantse and Shigatse along the way. Mt. Kailash is the holiest mountain in Tibet to Tibetan Buddhists and also to Hindus. Hindus consider it to be the home of Shiva, and Tibetan Buddhists believe it is the home of the deity Chakrasamvara. The Bon religion, which predates Buddhism in Tibet, believes it is the seat of all spiritual power. It is also significant in Jainism. There is a pilgrimage route of 32 miles around the mountain. At the time you could drive about a third of the 32 miles, and the rest had to be walked. It is considered more beneficial and meritorious to walk the entire way. The highest point on the pilgrimage is about 18,600 feet.

One of the photos was taken in Kathmandu, Nepal on my way to Tibet the first time in 2004. Another was taken in Bodhgaya, India in 2010. A few were taken in or near Zhongdian, China in western Yunnan Province in 2012. This is an area that is ethnically Tibetan and I was there on a pilgrimage with my teacher, Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche, to receive more teachings and empowerments from H. H. Katog Moktsa Rinpoche.

The core of Tibetan Buddhism and the Tibetan culture is compassion. I am hoping that compassion for the Tibetan people is increased at least a little by the viewing of this book and that you are motivated to get more informed about issues concerning Tibet.

I�m not good communicating with words, so I�ve kept them to a minimum. This book is meant to be a visual communication and experience.

These are some of the people I have met in my journeys to Tibet and nearby areas in Asia. The purpose of this book is very simple. It is to connect the person viewing this book to the people of Tibet; from the beggars who came to our camps of foreigners looking for food or a little money, to highly realized Buddhist Lamas. It is to put a human face on Tibet and the issues concerning the Tibetan people. The gaze of most of these people into the camera is direct and unflinching. The eyes communicate to me the pride they have in being Tibetan and in their culture and religion. They communicate strength to me: physical, spiritual, and cultural.

I am hoping that someone picking up this book is either informed about the history of Tibet since 1949, or will be motivated by the book to become more informed about that history and the current situation in Tibet as well as ethnically Tibetan areas. I won�t make any political statements myself because I want to eliminate even the possibility of repercussions on any of the people shown because of what I may have said. This is also why I won�t give very many names.

A few words about where the photos were taken. The largest number of them were taken at Katog Mardo Tashi Choling, a Buddhist monastery in what was historically the Golok area of Amdo Province of Tibet. It is now part of Qinghai Province of China. I spent 2 months at the monastery in the summer of 2007. The abbot of the monastery is Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche, who is of the Katog lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is now a citizen of the United States and I have been a student of his teaching of the Buddhist Dharma since 2004. His website is: https://katogcholing.com/ At the peak,

there were over 80 of Khentrul Rinpoche�s Western students at his monastery. The main reason I went there was that H. H. Katog Moktsa Rinpoche was going to be giving 5 days of empowerments in August. An empowerment is a ritual in Vajrayana Buddhism which initiates a student into a particular deity practice. Moktsa Rinpoche is one of the five golden throne holders of the Nyingma Katog lineage and is revered as "the Father of Katog Lineage". He is the abbot of Katog monastery in the Kham area of Tibet, (now part of Sichuan Province of China) the mother monastery of Katog Mardo Tashi Choling. It�s easy to find out a lot more information about both Rinpoches online so I won�t give any more information. Tibetan monks and nuns and lay people also journeyed to see him. I and around 10 other Americans arrived about 5 weeks earlier than the majority of the students and helped arrange things for their arrival and helped teach English in the monastery school.

Rinpoche is an honorific term used in Tibetan Buddhism. It literally means "precious one," and is used to address or describe Tibetan lamas and other high-ranking or respected teachers. This honor is generally bestowed on reincarnated lamas, or Tulkus, by default. In other cases it is earned over time, and often bestowed spontaneously by the teacher's students.

A few photos were taken in 2005 when I journeyed to Tibet to do a pilgrimage, or circumambulation, around Mt. Kailash in western Tibet. We started in Lhasa and drove to Mt. Kailash, visiting the cities of Gyantse and Shigatse along the way. Mt. Kailash is the holiest mountain in Tibet to Tibetan Buddhists and also to Hindus. Hindus consider it to be the home of Shiva, and Tibetan Buddhists believe it is the home of the deity Chakrasamvara. The Bon religion, which predates Buddhism in Tibet, believes it is the seat of all spiritual power. It is also significant in Jainism. There is a pilgrimage route of 32 miles around the mountain. At the time you could drive about a third of the 32 miles, and the rest had to be walked. It is considered more beneficial and meritorious to walk the entire way. The highest point on the pilgrimage is about 18,600 feet.

One of the photos was taken in Kathmandu, Nepal on my way to Tibet the first time in 2004. Another was taken in Bodhgaya, India in 2010. A few were taken in or near Zhongdian, China in western Yunnan Province in 2012. This is an area that is ethnically Tibetan and I was there on a pilgrimage with my teacher, Khentrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche, to receive more teachings and empowerments from H. H. Katog Moktsa Rinpoche.

The core of Tibetan Buddhism and the Tibetan culture is compassion. I am hoping that compassion for the Tibetan people is increased at least a little by the viewing of this book and that you are motivated to get more informed about issues concerning Tibet.

I�m not good communicating with words, so I�ve kept them to a minimum. This book is meant to be a visual communication and experience.

In 2003 I was given the opportunity to go to China to teach English. I had a contract for one year. I realized that life in China was more interesting than anything I had experienced before so I stayed. This book contains many antidotes and stories about what happened to me, around me and in China generally. This is a first-hand view of everyday life in China.

In 2003 I was given the opportunity to go to China to teach English. I had a contract for one year. I realized that life in China was more interesting than anything I had experienced before so I stayed. This book contains many antidotes and stories about what happened to me, around me and in China generally. This is a first-hand view of everyday life in China.

"Something Super: One American Lives, Learns and Teaches in Taiwan" is a personal memoir about American David Pendery's life in Taiwan since he moved there in 2000. His story examines political and educational issues in Taiwan, the many unique elements of Taiwanese life and culture, and his personal experience in the Asian country.

Drawing on notes from his personal journal and other of his own writings, personal communication, numerous published writings, and references to other writers and scholars, Pendery crafts a collage that tells his story of life and travel in Taiwan, teaching and student life, satisfying friendships, his new family life, his educational path, studying Chinese, and his employment in schools and other locations.

The prose in the work is sophisticated, but at times hard-hitting, as Pendery does not shy from criticizing what he feels are problems in Taiwan, while suggesting improvements. In spite of the criticisms, the book concludes with a heartfelt affirmation of the nation�s outdoor grandeur, the rich aesthetic life to be found in Taiwan, and the rewards and surprises he has found in his work, education, and new relationships during the last 12 years. In the end he finds his journey has been like some magical Chinese tale, and he has found "something super" in Taiwan.

"Something Super: One American Lives, Learns and Teaches in Taiwan" is a personal memoir about American David Pendery's life in Taiwan since he moved there in 2000. His story examines political and educational issues in Taiwan, the many unique elements of Taiwanese life and culture, and his personal experience in the Asian country.

Drawing on notes from his personal journal and other of his own writings, personal communication, numerous published writings, and references to other writers and scholars, Pendery crafts a collage that tells his story of life and travel in Taiwan, teaching and student life, satisfying friendships, his new family life, his educational path, studying Chinese, and his employment in schools and other locations.

The prose in the work is sophisticated, but at times hard-hitting, as Pendery does not shy from criticizing what he feels are problems in Taiwan, while suggesting improvements. In spite of the criticisms, the book concludes with a heartfelt affirmation of the nation�s outdoor grandeur, the rich aesthetic life to be found in Taiwan, and the rewards and surprises he has found in his work, education, and new relationships during the last 12 years. In the end he finds his journey has been like some magical Chinese tale, and he has found "something super" in Taiwan.

'At 52, I went to live and die there.' A life of retirement with her pet in what had seemed to her as the most beautiful country in the world turned out to be a life of adventure and personal challenges: getting used to living on a houseboat, enduring and enjoying Himalayan mountain and water treks, teaching all ages of Kashmiri students and running schools, exploring her own ideas and beliefs in wonderful exchanges with Kashmiris, both educated and uneducated, facing accusations of spying and murder, fighting for her home, and the final deciding factor of deteriorating health. The presence of her Irish Setter, who accompanied her and journeyed everywhere, affected everything she did and was a source of much fascination to all.

�A China Moment� is Clare Bagshaw�s informed and insightful account of the rewards and challenges of living, working and travelling across the breadth of China and beyond.

Clare battles through cultural barriers and social nuances to gain an understanding of the dynamics and history of China and Her people. The relationships Clare builds with local Chinese and western compatriots offer a unique insight into the contradictory societies living side by side.

Tales of Clare�s travels, for both work and enjoyment, are accompanied by the rewards and frustrations of daily life in China, providing an amusing and heartfelt tale.

�A China Moment� is Clare Bagshaw�s informed and insightful account of the rewards and challenges of living, working and travelling across the breadth of China and beyond.

Clare battles through cultural barriers and social nuances to gain an understanding of the dynamics and history of China and Her people. The relationships Clare builds with local Chinese and western compatriots offer a unique insight into the contradictory societies living side by side.

Tales of Clare�s travels, for both work and enjoyment, are accompanied by the rewards and frustrations of daily life in China, providing an amusing and heartfelt tale.

�A China Moment� is Clare Bagshaw�s informed and insightful account of the rewards and challenges of living, working and travelling across the breadth of China and beyond.

Clare battles through cultural barriers and social nuances to gain an understanding of the dynamics and history of China and Her people. The relationships Clare builds with local Chinese and western compatriots offer a unique insight into the contradictory societies living side by side.

Tales of Clare�s travels, for both work and enjoyment, are accompanied by the rewards and frustrations of daily life in China, providing an amusing and heartfelt tale.

'This is a memoir of a year I spent off the beaten track in China. From the Pacific coast to the dusty heart of Central Asia, I travelled 10,000 miles through virtually every region of that vast country. My backpacking adventures were much more than just a young man’s solitary wanderings. I taught myself Mandarin so that I could communicate with anyone and everyone I came across. My book is a personal account, yes, but it is also reveals China through the eyes of the Chinese. I spoke to people in every part of the nation, from politically-disillusioned artists in Shanghai to poverty-stricken farmers in the mountains of Tibet. As my book moves through vastly-varied encounters, the reader joins me on my journey and emerges with an enriched vision of China.
 
A hallmark of my travels was that I sought out the lower rungs of society. You can learn a lot about a state by how it treats the people at the bottom. Away from the white heat of China’s industrial boom, in areas that few foreigners ever visit, I spoke with people who were gaining little and losing much because of China’s growth. However, in this book I do not simply offer a clichéd account of how China’s authoritarian government is oppressing its people.  My encounters were often surprising and I have tried to present all of them faithfully in my narrative. For example, the priceless experience of being lectured about the Chinese Space Program by a boastful Tibetan shepherd- a man I had imagined would be fiercely opposed to Chinese rule- is one of many thought-provoking anecdotes I share with the reader.
 
Nico Hobhouse'

'This is a memoir of a year I spent off the beaten track in China. From the Pacific coast to the dusty heart of Central Asia, I travelled 10,000 miles through virtually every region of that vast country. My backpacking adventures were much more than just a young man’s solitary wanderings. I taught myself Mandarin so that I could communicate with anyone and everyone I came across. My book is a personal account, yes, but it is also reveals China through the eyes of the Chinese. I spoke to people in every part of the nation, from politically-disillusioned artists in Shanghai to poverty-stricken farmers in the mountains of Tibet. As my book moves through vastly-varied encounters, the reader joins me on my journey and emerges with an enriched vision of China.
 
A hallmark of my travels was that I sought out the lower rungs of society. You can learn a lot about a state by how it treats the people at the bottom. Away from the white heat of China’s industrial boom, in areas that few foreigners ever visit, I spoke with people who were gaining little and losing much because of China’s growth. However, in this book I do not simply offer a clichéd account of how China’s authoritarian government is oppressing its people.  My encounters were often surprising and I have tried to present all of them faithfully in my narrative. For example, the priceless experience of being lectured about the Chinese Space Program by a boastful Tibetan shepherd- a man I had imagined would be fiercely opposed to Chinese rule- is one of many thought-provoking anecdotes I share with the reader.
 
Nico Hobhouse'

Westerners often travel to India for revelation. This book chronicles three trips made there  by two Westerners,  the author and his wife, over nine years. Revelation did occur to them as an aspect of those trips though perhaps not in any form they might have anticipated. India is an assault upon everything from the five senses to one’s sense of history and religion, one's sense of the whole world in fact. It overturns, it overwhelms all categories and assumptions. It knocked  two seasoned travelers off their bases as the pages  of this book demonstrate. And enriched them too. Irruptive India.