Description: Prayer flags are everywhere in Tibet. The colors represent the five elements of the sky (or space), wind, fire, water, and earth. When the flags flap in the wind, they radiate the blessings written upon them out into the world. A profile of Mount Amnye Machen looms in the background.
Description: We spent many hours on the road in Amdo heading from Xining in the northeast to Mount Amnye Machen in the south. It was an uncomfortable, bumpy journey, but the breathtaking scenery made you forget about leg cramps. As the mountains rolled by the window, occasionally a stupa would punctuate the landscape. These structures contain sacred Buddhist relics and symbolize the Buddha’s presence in the world.
Description: Nothing beats a hot plate of the northeastern Chinese staple, dumplings. Or jiaozi, as it's known up here in Dongbei. Your true initiation as an S-tier expat is mastering your chopsticks skills well enough to dip and down your dumplings without splattering soy everywhere. Good luck!
Description: Sweden gets a lot of things right. Along with amazing public transportation, national healthcare, and flatpack furniture, another of these things is the concept of "lagom", which loosely translates to "just the right amount." It's a nice concept that completely permeates Swedish culture.
Description: Ubiquitous throughout parts of China, Tibet, Nepal and India, prayer flags are thought to emanate positive energy out into the universe when blown by the wind. The design looks pretty cool, too. The colours symbolize the five elements - red is fire, green is water, blue is sky, yellow is earth and white is wind.
Description: We spent many hours on the road in Amdo heading from Xining in the northeast to Mount Amnye Machen in the south. It was an uncomfortable, bumpy journey, but the breathtaking scenery made you forget about leg cramps. As the mountains rolled by the window, occasionally a stupa would punctuate the landscape. These structures contain sacred Buddhist relics and symbolize the Buddha’s presence in the world.
Description: Booze is universal, as is shouting something before you empty your glass. In Sweden, this word is “Skål!” You’ll be saying it a lot if you go there.
Skal! T-Shirt
$24
Description: We spent many hours on the road in Amdo heading from Xining in the northeast to Mount Amnye Machen in the south. It was an uncomfortable, bumpy journey, but the breathtaking scenery made you forget about leg cramps. As the mountains rolled by the window, occasionally a stupa would punctuate the landscape. These structures contain sacred Buddhist relics and symbolize the Buddha’s presence in the world.
