general principles
Many years ago I was flipping through a magazine (I honestly can’t remember if it was a fashion magazine or Playboy or Parade or what) and there were short bios of a few women – a photo, a name, a…
Tag ponderings
the art of the pour
At herb school once, Michael had demonstrated making some herbal preparation (Hayden’s Viburnum Compound, maybe?) and was pouring it into little bottles for us. A very enthusiastic student who always sat right up front, looked on with rapt attention and,…
on migration
It’s not a writer’s block, so much as a writer’s blockade. I have tons of ideas, about so many things, I just can’t get to them until I get past this. Being an immigrant. How can I say anything unless…
worthy of respect: europe
An American friend was visiting Berlin last week and mentioned that he was having a hard time negotiating transactions, that his usual smiles and friendliness weren’t being rewarded the way they are in Austin. He was frustrated. He was confused.…
showing respect: north and south
An American friend was visiting Berlin last week and mentioned that he was having a hard time negotiating transactions, that his usual smiles and friendliness weren’t being rewarded the way they are in Austin. He was frustrated. He was confused.…
the remembering problem
I put the herbs in the teapot on autopilot, then stopped and thought “wait a minute, what was this blend to treat?” I checked and realized that problem is gone. (By the way, rooibos as a simple really seems to…
how to not mind the cold so much
18 winters in Austin, and I was moving to Berlin. “But how will you endure the winter?” everyone asked. Before Austin, I spent a traumatic winter in Minneapolis, the worst cold snap on record. For 3 weeks straight, the temperature…
on the other hand
One of my favorite things about studying other languages is coming across words that don’t translate neatly and directly. I’m fascinated by the fact that people who speak different languages approach the world with such different tools for making sense…
25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall
It’s the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall and I’d like to write about what being here for that has meant for me. I’ve been a little blocked, though, because I was trying to get it all…
sitting at the feet of Dr. Lad
Today a student in my German class asked if I knew a little about Ayurveda. I said I did and found myself telling her about when I went to Albuquerque to take a workshop taught by Dr. Vasant Lad. On…