Something About My Face?

So last night Keith and I drove to McLean, Virginia. We were going to a tsog with Ralo Rinpoche's Taiwanese sangha. I was pretty grumpy as I hate racing home from work, gobbling dinner and then driving in traffic (while Keith studies in the passenger seat) to get there by 7:30.

So we'd arrived and made our usual stop at some grocery store I don't know the name of. As usual, I'd gone in to get something to bring for the feast we have at the end of the night. As usual, I was wearing my white shantab and was receiving lots of stares from kids and adults which I pretended to ignore.

I chose some tiny sticky looking donuts and stood in line. While waiting for my turn, I vaguely noticed that the cashier was an older asian man and exuded a really nice calm feeling. And then it was my turn and we said hi and I told him I didn't need a bag. I was noticing that his name tag said DOI and thinking that sounded like a Vitenamese name when he said, "There's something about your face....I can't explain," in heavily accented English. "Oh!" I sort of chuckled.

"Are you still in school? Are you working?" he hurriedly asked. "I just graduated..." I gleefully replied. "I see you are going to have a very good future..." he said oh-so-mysteriously. And goosebumps rose over me. "I hope so!" I laughed. "Yes, I see this," he said. "God bless you, have a wonderful night..." "You too," I said...

And he wasn't strange or creepy. I'm really not one to believe in fortune tellers. Like when my friend Sal who's going through a divorce insisted he had to stop and talk to the gypsy looking lady on the sidewalk in DC (and pay her money). But this felt different. He seemed so sweet and peaceful and true. Maybe I just want it to be true. I want it to be some sort of auspicious sign.

But I can't stop thinking about it. What did he see in my face? And what would "a very good future" mean anyway? Right now, I'm not sure what that would even look like to me. What would make me happy? Would it mean I get a book deal and somehow make enough money to pay off all my student loans? Would it be that I have a baby who makes me unbelievably happy? Is it that in the future I'll be able to live half in America/half in Asia? Does it mean that someday I'll become accomplished in Buddhism?

Keith said it must mean I'll be happy. And I'll take that. I'll more than take that.

Actually, Etsy

Actually, I've put my book up for sale on Etsy.....http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11766840

Maria Taylor/Xanax

Books For Sale

I still have a few books left. If you'd like to buy one, you can email me at ngawangpadme@yahoo.com........................

Hooray!

It's official--at 10:15 this morning I finished gluing the pages into the very last book! I feel so free and so relieved and so excited to be done all my school projects--forever!!!!

This is It

Finally, my last week of school is here! I've been so busy these last few months with three classes and work (and putting a manuscript together and making books)! And yay--now I'm almsot done--inching my way towards days of free hours--book reading here I come! I'm so excited--I already have two books waiting inthe wings: The Concubine of Shanghai by the beautiful writer Hong Ying and the Creative Family (even though I don't have kids--I could do with some more nannying ideas...)by Amanda Blake Soule of the beautiful blog Soule Mama.

PaperPinwheel Journal!

My online journal is now up! You can check it out at http://www.paperpinwheel.com/!

May Day and More Books

Two More Things

In my best of Baltimore list I forgot to add two things...

They are:
1) BlueHouse--if I was the type of person to work at a coffee shop, this would be the one. As far as the store goes, everything is beautiful and yes, expensive--but right now they're having a sale. (Fells Point? same as below)
2)HarborNews--best (only?) magazine shop in Baltimore--they also have really sweet cards and candy and chocolate and notebooks... (Fells Point--well, maybe not technically Fells Point, but close, right behind Whole Foods)

Open Your Heart Music Video

this camp video has got to make you smile...