Marsha Maung: Write. Cook. Read. Watch. Try. Innovate.

As planned, we ate out in a nearby kopitiam but today was a little different. As we were eating, a monk walked in the kopitiam. As far as I could see, he wasn't soliciting but mainly looking around. We continued eating.  I would be horrified if he started asking for money...but he didn't. He mainly walked around maybe trying to find the right people.  He held a basket of stuff to pass around. Some might assume he was selling and pushing stuff...I had a feeling he wasn't really. Maybe he was looking for food? Maybe some people, like monks, don't really have any intentions.  For some reason, he walked up to us, the three of us, and asked if he could place these blessing/friendship bracelets on us. Of course, I said yes. Buddhist friendship bracelets, often known as Thai " Sai Sin " or Tibetan knotted bracelets, are  string accessories blessed by monks or artisans to symbolize protection, good luck, and interconnectedness . H and-tied, they are worn o...