The best food ever, period. The nicest and more genuine people I’ve had the joy to encounter. From cooks to maître d’s, the cleaning lady, the Grab driver, restaurant owners, people on the streets, the shop keeper, and especially the KKBC Dharma devotees, everyone is so incredibly kind. And I don’t mean kind for the sake of it. I mean deep in their hearts kind. Generous with their time, with their care. Smiles like the sun, sincere and warming. Inside the KKBC center, taking in the skyscrapers and wildly ornate architectures, or wandering the streets in search of culinary inspiration, I feel so safe, so comfortable here. People invite you in to their lives. It’s very touching, a city so big to be so welcoming, so inviting.
The sights and sounds, the smells.. oh the smells here are outrageously good. Smells I couldn’t possibly imagine recreating at home just waft throughout the air enticing you with their exquisiteness. What I love so much about Singapore is how incredibly diverse it is, yet all its residents have kept their culture, their language, and yes, their deep love for home cuisine alive and thriving. This shows a happy people, when they can celebrate together, live together, never losing their identity, their history, their family traditions. All cities should take a close look at what’s happening here, do what they can to get a bit of that Singapore magic for themselves.
And so, Karmapa is here once again in the Lion City. Crowds gathered in the hot sun to welcome, halls full for Empowerments, prayers and pujas. A full day of Kagyu Monlam. You can always count on a full program here, endless activity guided by the energy of the city, the excitement of Karmapa’s visit, and the people’s joyful nature making it all so special. The KKBC volunteers are especially amazing to me, watching as they take care of every minute detail, keeping things smooth and flowing. Against all odds, under extreme pressure, all the while with big smiles and gleeful exuberance. I wish I could be so carefree and joyful, we should all take a line from their book, some of that Singapore magic is alive in them. I love what I do, what I do is amazing. It’s easy to love my work, and I feel eternally grateful for it. But to have such joy doing the mundane, the arduous, the tireless, the thankless, this is where I find deep inspiration in the folks that have invited us here. They are simply amazing, and I thank them deeply for making me, and our team, so welcome. We should all be so joyful in the mundane, and especially the thankless. This is Dharma in action.
There’s lots more to come, we are just getting started. Enjoy the photos from days one and two, see you all very soon with more! :)
