Tibetan Refugees in Bylakuppe Camp, India

These are photos of Tibetan refugees at a Tibetan refugee camp in South India called Bylakuppe. These are older people who left Tibet in the 1950's and 1960's when China was first invading Tibet.

Photo of a Tibetan woman gardening. This cat was just lounging on this woman's back as she picked vegetables. The woman didn't seem to mind, and she was laughing when I asked to take her picture. This is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. I have a soft spot for cats.

Photo of Tibetan Medicine Doctor. I visited this man's traditionall Tibetan medicine clinic at the Tibetan refugee camp. Tibetan medicine is a holistic form of medicine, that incorporates all aspects of health, including spiritual health. The diagnosis process is a lot like Traditional Chinese medicine, feeling the pulse and looking inside the mouth. The doctor may prescribe certain herbs or even meditation to cure his patients.

Photo of Traditional Tibetan Medicine. Since many of the herbs used in Tibetan medicine are hard to find in India, the are shipped from Tibet. The doctor stores them like this to give to his patients.

Photo of a red Dragonfly. This dragonfly is the same color of the robes of Tibetan Buddhist monks. Could this be an incarnation of a lama?

Photo of an old Tibetan Refugee. This woman came from Tibet in the 1950's as a refugee. She was one of the original people who started the Bylakuppe camp. We visited her in her home and she told us some of her amazing story of survival.

Buddhist Temples at Tibetan Refugee Camp in Bylakuppe

These are photos of Tibetan Buddhist temples at the Tibetan refugee camp in Bylakuppe, India. At the camp there are many temples where Tibetan monks live. The monks left Tibet because of religious persecution.

Photo of Tibetan Buddhism Temple in India

Photo of Tibetan Refugee camp with a Buddhist temple.

Photo of a Tibetan Buddhist Temple of Tibetan Refugees in India.

Model of the Potala Palaca Temple in Lhasa. This is a model of the main Tibetan Buddhism palace temple in Tibet.

Tibetan Refugee Temple in Bylakuppe, India.

Photo of a Tibetan refugee monastery in Bylakuppe, India. This is where the Tibetan monks live, next to the temple.

Tibetan Refugee Art

These photos are from a Tibetan Refugee Camp in Bylakuppe, India. I visited this camp in 2006 when I was studying abroad in India. This camp is interesting because it is in southern India. Most of the Tibetan refugee settlements are in Northern India. These are photos of Tibetan Artists and Artisans at the refugee camp.

Photo of unfinished Tibetan Buddhism Tanka paintings. I visited at art studio and school where young Tibetans were learning how to paint Tankas. These are traditional Tibetan Buddhism paintings depicting gods and goddesses of Tibetan religion. The art is very exact, making sure that each paintings has the right proportions and colors and details.

Photo of a Tibetan Refugee Artist sketching for a Tanka. Like artists in other cultures, these kids were really "cool." They had long hair and earrings and wear dressed in trendy clothes.

Photo of tibetan rug weaving. The camp employed local Indian women to weave Tibetan carpets.

Photo of Tibetan Prayer Flags. This man was making Tibetan Prayer Flags at the artist studio.

Photo of Tibetan artists painting Tankas.

Quitirrissi Indigenous Community, Costa Rica

Global College took a field trip to Quitirrissi, Costa Rica. This is a community of Huetar indigenous people. We visited a shaman, an organic farm, and women in the indigenous community.
(A photo of a costa rican saddle)

(photo of an indigenous farmer man in Costa Rica)

(Organic Chickens in Costa Rica)

(Global College Teacher, Emilio. He teaches Indigenous People of Latin America)

(The indigenous organic farmer)

Photo of the Traditional indigenous House of Costa Rica

(Road in the Indigenous Huetar community of Quitirrissi, Costa Rica)

(Photo of the mountains in Quitirrissi, COsta RIca)

(an organic farm in Quitirrissi, Costa RIca)

(Global College students on a Field trip in Quitirrissi, Costa Rica)

Global College In-gathering Costa Rica

These are photos from the In-gathering at the Costa Rica Center of Global College. We went out to the campo to meet all the new faces, eat lunch, and play in the pool. Oscar got a little rough playing basketball, so we had to tame him down. Otherwise it was a fun time.
(Global College students sitting on the floor)

(Photo of Filipe, a Global College advisor, threatening students to do good work with a noose)

(Ileana and Steve, two Global College Faculty. They really are wonderful people. Steve loves to play games in his class!)

(Photo of Emilio, another Global College Advisor. He is funny and looks at his feet)

(More Global College students. I think they all have dread locks. I could not tell them apart for a long time.)

Daoist Temple, Hangzhou

Global College/ the Friends World Program of Long Island University took a field trip to A Daoist Temple in Hangzhou near West Lake. These are my pictures from the Daoist Temple.

Daoist Carvings on Trees

Daoist fish pond with Coi fish

Traditional Daoist Chinese Architechture is shown in the roof

Traditional Daoist incense burner used to make offerings to Daoist Gods

Two chinese Daoist Gate Keepers watching over the temple

A Friends World student smiles for the camera

This is a picture of our Chinese Teacher Tian from Friends World College who taught Traditional Chinese Philosophy

A Daoist garden in the courtyard to relax

More pointed roofs and chinese architecture

Another Chinese Gatekeeper to the Temple

Photos of the Andes Mountains, Ecuador

These are my photos from when I visited the Andes mountain range in Ecuador. Most of them are on bus trips through the mountains from Quito to the Amazon Rainforest, or from Quito to Otavalo.

Photo of the Andes Mountain range

Another photo of the Andes in Ecuador

Photo of a mountain pass on the highway in the Andes outside of Quito, Ecuador

Photo of A little indigenous hut/ bungalow in the Andes Mountains, Ecuador

This photo shows the destruction of mining and building roads in the Andes mountains. The roads go to the amazon jungle, so that loggers and oil trucks can pass through. Ecuador.

Photo of a town in the Andes Mountains, Ecuador

Photo of an indigenous town in the Andes Mountains, Ecuador.

This is a photo of an oil truck hauling oil through the Andes Mountains. The oil is from the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

The Amazon Rainforest, Ecaudor

In Ecuador I spent a few days living with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon Rainforest. Here we participated in their daily lives, eating the same food, doing the same activities, swimming in the river.




This is a tree they call the devil's penis because of the color and unique shape.

Here are some trees in the Amazon rainforest.

This is an indigenous man swinging on a monkey vine in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

These are Global College (Friends World) students standing in the Amazon Rainforest with our indigenous guide.

This is a waterfall in the amazon rainforest.

This is an indigenous persons house in the amazon rainforest in Ecuador.

This is the indigenous community in the Amazon rainforest, Ecuador.

These are Global College students preparing Chicha with indigenous women in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

This is a teacher from Global College wearing an indigenous hat made out of a leaf in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

This is the inside of an indigenous household in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

This is cut-down tree wood in the indigenous community in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.


This is what the indigenous people wear for clothes in the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

Indigenous woman cooking Yucca, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador

This is a basic meal of what the indigenous people eat; Corn, bananas, and yucca from the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.