-
Death Poems: A Unique Tradition
In Zen Buddhism, there is a tradition where monks write a short poem in the last minutes before they die, summarizing their life’s wisdom in just a few lines. It’s thought-provoking reading. The Norwegian poet and author Erling Kittelsen reminded me of a book called Diamantfjellene – dikt ved døden (The Diamond Mountains – Poem […]
-
Back to Blogging + Self-Publishing Journey
I am back to blogging after almost three years of absence. It was a tough time during the pandemic, but it has faded into a distant memory, and I hope it will stay there forever. My husband and I went through a tragic experience over those years, which made us more introspective and filled us […]
-
Mission Madness: LSD Trip with a Religious Twist
How easy is it to start a new religion? This topic is discussed in Mission Madness, where I tell Bai Hu and Cou Rong about a revelation influenced by LSD, which I got from my psychiatrist to get in better touch with myself (this is no longer a medical practice, and LSD is now illegal). […]
-
Mission Madness: Buddha’s White Cat
There are several stories about Buddha’s white cat, and the Kung Fu master Cou Rong, who plays a vital role in Mission Madness, shared a version with me that is written down for the first time here. A fine little story from the book: When Buddhism came to China, it was believed that cats could […]
-
Mission Madness: A Chinese Femme Fatale
In the Prologue, I mention that liquor is often served in large quantities during business dealings in China. However, this also happens privately, as I discovered when I accidentally encountered the tiger woman, Bai Hu. Here is an excerpt from the book about our first meeting: Bai Hu was an unmarried masseuse in her forties […]
-
Mission Madness: The Beginning of It All
Several Norwegian initiatives encountered problems in China when a Chinese dissident was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. This also affected me, as I had optimistically traveled to the Middle Kingdom to help establish a film company there. Mission Madness is about what this led to for me, and I begin the book like […]
-
From Gong to Mandalay
A reckless comment on social media can quickly lead to anger, contempt, and hatred. This little story is about the opposite. It is about how maturity and kindness take the sting out of criticism and create good vibes. It was a great relief when restaurants started to open again after the most severe Corona measures […]