existential struggles in greater China and southeast Asia
Finally, thanks to my gracious host in Penang, I was able to visit some farms in an area of Malaysia called the Cameron Highlands. Â The Cameron Highlands are a unique area in peninsular Malaysia because temperatures there are 10 degrees Celsius cooler than everywhere else, with an average high temperature of 20 degrees and an average low of 13 degrees. Â The Cameron Highlands’ temperate climate is mostly due to its high elevation, about 1,500 meters above sea level.
I’m starting to find that Buddhists around the world are pretty into environmentalism.  The Sunnyvale  Zen Center in Silicon Valley, California  has a solar photovoltaic system on its rooftop and an abbot who emphasizes the importance of protecting the environment in his Buddhism classes.  The American Bodhi Center in Houston, Texas has a large organic garden, and many of its members are avid organic gardeners, composters, and recyclers.
Last week, I visited a Thai temple in Northern Malaysia largely made out of used glass (beer!) bottles.  Unfortunately, I made the amateur mistake of forgetting to charge my extra camera battery, so  I had to resort to using my mobile phone.  Even worse, my mobile phone camera appears to be operating at a sub-optimal level:
April 13 was the New Year celebration for Thailand and Myanmar, also known as the Songkran Water Festival. Â Unfortunately, I was in neither Thailand nor Myanmar on that day, but I did the best I could – I visited Thai and Myanmar Buddhist temples in Penang, Malaysia.
Here’s an environmentally friendly reminder I noticed in the Thai temple:
