Art By Tali Landsman

For generations, God and spiritual matters were considered lofty and airy, to be kept in the realms of “pure,” unearthly, selfless and elevated ideas. It was considered OK to pray for world peace, for the end of world’s hunger, for ending wars..... For a higher advice and for the healing of the sick or for the well being of a suffering loved one. But.... Praying for goods or material things FOR OURSELVES, was considered childish, selfish, overly materialistic and not worthy of our “limited allotted time with God”.... not worthy of bothering God with at all..... New Age self help gurus, have turned the table on this belief. Now, everyone, even preachers in Christian churches, pray openly for new cars, for large donations and for more money. But while they set their eyes eagerly on the cash, they forget the soul of people who they urge to advance. They forget about inner calm and peace, and they end up with people who are successful, but constantly hungry and yearning for mo...

It was a summer afternoon and I was preparing to do an art show. To help me to pack the art into my van, my husband backed the large van for me, out of our driveway, and into..... a wall. An ugly dent and scratch marks, were left on the back and on one of the sides of the shining new black van. My husband felt terrible. We only owned the van for a short period of time before this. We bought it new, and it was fitted for me, to ensure maximum space for safely packing and transporting the art inside it. The estimate for the repair of the van, came so high, that I casually mentioned that since it is just a ‘cosmetic thing’, and since we will probably get many more scratches driving across the USA, we might as well accumulate some more scratches, before we spend so much on repairing it. Time went by and soon I forgot all about the scratches. We did not accumulate more dents and scratches, but I got so used to seeing it there, that I did not actually see it any longer. A few ...

I see him standing in the doorway of his floating home. Seven steps above the water level. Odd numbers are considered lucky numbers. His bare chest is glistening in the sun He is wearing only a brown sarong That may have been red once, But now it assumed the color of the river In which it was washed too many times. Our eyes meet... His eyes are strong.... Provoking, but with a calm daring gaze. He locks my eyes into his own... My heart clutches inside my ribs... These are my last days in Cambodia. I may never come here again.... This may be the last time I see these people... MY people...." I find myself thinking: "I want to stay! I belong here... Calm and living simply.... Lulling the day away in a hammock, A fish and rice for lunch... Some fresh herbs and lemon, Sprinkled on top... A chat with a loving friend A swim in the river... A body so fit and so strong... I yearn to trade places with him... To let him have my life... While I take his brown sarong And wrap it around m...

Since we arrived in Cambodia, I have been seeing temples daily.   I have dreamt of visiting Angkor Wat since I was in high school and seen black and white photos that one of my photographer friends brought back from his travels.   But by now, I am feeling 'all templed out'. I need to sit and meditate, with closed eyes... in a quiet temple....     I decided to go see a remote 'floating village'. A leisurely boat ride down a river filled with blooming Lilli flowers..... to visit a picturesque floating village.....on a large lake...... It sounded so exotic to me... (there is another floating village close to Siem Reap which is NOT worth a visit, since it is mostly a tourist attraction. If you do plan to visit, write down the name of the floating village I mentioned below, you will not regret seeing it.)     The floating village of Kompong Khleung, on Tonle Sap lake, is located about an hours and a half drive from Siem Reap.   You drive through small villages where people m...

In Cambodia, much attention is given to balancing the worlds of heaven and earth. Gods, Angles, Advisors, High incarnations and Guardians, are symbols of the world above. The 'Nagas' are the serpent spirits of the underworld. Garuda (named like the Indonesian airline), and deities of half snake half human, are often used symbols of the underworld. The spirits of the underworld, are said to be guardians of hidden treasures and concealed teachings. They are also believed to inhibit springs and rivers, create droughts by withholding rain, and believed to be able to control the weather, to bring about flooding and storms. The snake, is a symbol of the underworld. If you take a walk around Angkor Wat, you will often come upon the three, five and seven headed snake symbols, used in sculptures and wall carvings. On bridges leading to gates and temples, you will most commonly see the five headed snake. Here in Cambodia, devout Buddhists are not vegetarians. On the island Bali Indonesia...

Siem Reap, is located on the northern part of Cambodia. Land Locked with no coast or a large lake, it is a HOT city. Summer temperatures regularly climb to 45 degrees Celsius, (around 115 Fahrenheit) so, I am very grateful that today is a chilly 32 degrees Celsius in the shade....   It is customary for people to battle the heat by taking long breaks during the day, between noon- 3 pm, to eat, rest and take naps.   This is where you'll find me, spread like a pancake, half heat- stroked, laying flat on the cushions of an air-conditioned cool bakery-cafe called "Blue Pumpkin" in the center of the city.   Most tourists take their cue from the locals, and desert the hot grounds of the temples, to rest in the pool of their hotels or spend the afternoon away, 'comatosing' in air-conditioned places.   The Blue Pumpkin is all white and very chic, with free fast Wi Fi,  smiling attendants and good ice creams flavors that you'll only find in the tropics.   Siem Reap is a...

When a REALLY SMALL (physically) young woman, tells you that she will get a SMALL commission, if you'll let her walk you to the massage parlor, instead of just giving you the brochure, it give the word 'small', a whole new context. You look into her soft brown eyes and you really want to help her.... So of course you say yes... She leaps onto her feet and walks fast, zigzagging down side streets, weaving her small frame between the scooters which are tightly parked on every stretch of available sidewalk. Occasionally, she throws a look over her shoulder, to make sure that you are still following her... Or have you changed your minds.... We start laughing... Joking that the reason a 75 minutes foot massage cost only $9, is because it is actually located on the border with Laos, and not within the city limits of Saigon at all... But she eventually stops, wait for us to catch up, and ushers us into a second floor of a massage place where I sigh with relief, when I see that ou...

Most Asian people, view food in terms of 'energy' consumed, and hold the belief that if you eat certain animal or its organs, you gain the spirit's attributes of that animal. If they have no exact explanation as to the benefit of eating a particular animal, they always say that it is a great aphrodisiac, or an 'Immune system builder.' So...... eating monkey's brain, will make you smart. Eating snake, makes you fertile and hard... "More better than Viagra!" says the sale person in broken English. Eating bear's paws (totally illegal, but still done in tacked away restaurants), makes you strong and fearless as a bear... And so on. Most Vietnamese people are devout Buddhists. Young and old, they pray to the goddess of mercy, 'Kwan Yin" or to the beloved Buddha. They erect shrines at home, and at their work place, to show love and gratitude to the giver of good fortune and good health. Vegetarianism, is considered a virtue in Buddhism, although...