A Day in Bloomington...

The word "dynamic" is often used to positively describe a city's variety of attractions, but for different cities, this can mean different things. New York is certainly dynamic, with its possible activities ranging from Broadway theater to Big League Baseball, and London is no less dynamic, with ancient historical sights, fantastic live music, and endless shopping all on offer. Certainly most of us want that "dynamic" quality out of the places we live, and I'm happy to report that Bloomington is one of the most dynamic small cities I've ever seen.

Take last Friday for example. In the morning, Kitty and Sabrina and I visited one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist temples in the US, and by night we were dancing in the street to the sounds of a rockabilly band. Not bad for a town of 65,000!

You know me--I had the camera with me. Here are some shots of both activites...

First, pure Tibetan style...

Yurts also attest to the involvement of the small local Mongolian community.

Sabrina points out prayer flags overhead...

A gorgeous area, really...

Tibetophiles will recognize the mandala, all made of carefully poured sand...

Kitty and Sabrina look through a gate in the base of a stupa...

The main temple complex can be seen in the background...

The Dalai Lama himself visited less than a year ago and presumably sat in the main seat. In a very ecumenical spirit, other religions are also represented. (Notice the Christian gear to the left. There was also a copy of the Quran out of the picture to the right.)

You know me--I'm always going to miss traveling, and a picture like this could have been taken in Dharamsala or Sikkim or Kathmandu... But I'm happy to say I live in a place where I can find a touch of exotica now and then...

Finally, Kitty and Sabrina enjoy rockabilly music in the street...

Sabrina dances to the sounds of the band, just out of view to the back...

...and then gets a little help from Mommy!