China’s economic transformation has brought wrenching social change. Young people have abandoned ancestral villages, leaving their parents in the countryside – a generation now struggling with solitude even as its health deteriorates and its economic circumstances languish. Their animals are their saving grace. The connection between them is inseparable. They are both survivors. One wears the traditional cultural revolution clothing; the other keeps warm the old-fashioned way.
Bhutan’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness is all encompassing. Families are united and all members respected. I met these grandparents and grandchildren in a remote village. On their daily visit to the general store, I was astounded by their attire and their ease in taking care of the grandchildren. There was no crying, everybody was at peace.
Every Buddhist man in Myanmar is expected to serve as a monk twice in his life: once as a novice monk, between the age of 10 and 20, and then again as an ordained monk, any time after they turn 20. Some serve as a monk for just a few weeks, while others remain dedicated to being monks forever. It’s not uncommon for boys, particularly in smaller towns and poorer communities, to spend their childhood years serving as monks. Living in a monastery means free education, free food, and free accommodation.
