What Does A Retired Guy Do For Exitement???
Goes off on an adventure! To Asia to work and play.
Toward Prea Khan
About me - Richard Pinkowitz
If it is challenging I will try it. Even midway towards my 79th birthday, I create my own challenges. They are motivating; to keep healthy, to learn and to maintain a youthful spirit.
I am fortunate on this adventure to volunteer with the World Monuments Fund due to the help of Jeff Allen, to assist in two projects; Angkor in Cambodia and Ayutthaya in Thailand. To add to my personal adventure I have signed up for an 8-day meditation retreat in Nepal. Never done one so, “Why not.”
As way of background, I have a Ph.D. in Chemistry in ’71. An era where the entire University's computing power was less than a single cell phone.
After retirement in 2017, I became an “Itinerant Chemist” working in museum research labs studying colors and pigments in past centuries art. Currently I am a volunteer at The Met Scientific Research Laboratory working under Dr. Marco Leona, a wonderful mentor, and his fantastic team of scientists.
I have also worked in the curatorial department of other museums, MFA Boston and British Museum, documenting, measuring , creating catalog entries.
In 2018 I taught tour guides at Mogao Caves, in Dunhuang China for over one month. Quite a fascinating experience, spending afternoons in many of the over 400 decorated caves, learning about the art and practicing presentations.
I must give thanks to some people who have helped me maintain my health to be able to attempt this adventure. My trainer, Mike Gilmore at his studio Fit4 in Newton, my PCP Dr. Steven Atlas at MGH, Internal Medicine and my oncologist, Dr. Rick Lee, also at MGH.
Training, mostly in my later years has helped fight the losses of aging and cancer treatments. Drs. Atlas and Lee watch over me quite carefully in exchange for my adventure stories.
About - The Trip
I am more than a tourist and less than an expert. I find the world and different cultures fascinating. I love the art. I am a foodie and will be testing lots of street food and maybe a fantastic meal or two. I will wander the streets.
Fortunately, I will be working at the World Monuments Fund sites with locals and hope that they will guide me towards the more unique.
Ten weeks in Asia, Cambodia for four weeks, Thailand for four weeks and then two weeks in Nepal. About four years ago I did visit Angkor as a tourist. It was overwhelming. So much to see in such a short time, with fatigue from travel crimping energy, Now, a more leisurely pace to view and learn. Hopefully this pace will be a benefit to followers.
I had visited Thailand about 25 years ago but only had two days to enjoy the wonderful people and take a boat ride through the canals. I hope to repeat this plus more. Certainly the food will be a great treat.
Nepal is all new territory, and a meditation retreat which will be a challenge. Days of silent meditation to a guy who cannot keep quiet for two minutes. Most friends think I will be told to leave after two hours. Some, the true friends, believe I am too stubborn and too cheap to be thrown out without a refund. We shall see.
For the Reader
I am not a professional writer. I do hope to find topics that are interesting.
I am not a professional photographer. I just hope to present some interesting images.
I am curious and I hope to find fun and interesting and strange things to report.
Comments and hints are accepted. I wish this to be fun for you and want you to follow, so if you want something more, please ask.
Lastly, I wish to thank my partner and muse, Aviva Rahmani, (www.avivarahmani.com) for her help and motivation.