My avatar and tag line

"I'm but a traveler in life and a paddler in the sea of samsara"

This is my avatar. Many people asked me, "Wow, is that you? A six-pack hunk?"

Of course the answer is no. The reason is simple. If I am that hot, I will put up my real photo instead of a cartoon. Ha!

I drew this a while back and liked it a lot, so I chose it as my avatar. This also fits my tag line because this is a picture of a paddler.

I can't remember how the line came to me. It draws from my interests in traveling and dragon boating. But it is also about how I felt about life.

Life is short and fleeting. In this endless cycle of birth and death, I feel like a traveler, visiting this life, this place, this time, only but for a short while. I do not wish to trample over anyone, I want my carbon footprints to be small. I hope I leave behind pleasant memories in those who I briefly met, and take with me a bit of positive karmic energy to my next destination.

Samsara is the Buddhist term referring to the endless cycles of rebirth. It is often described as the vast ocean, with sentient beings struggling and drowning in it. I do not wish to be drowning in Samsara. I would have my raft and paddler. The Other Shore is far and beyond sight. But I shall not be adrift. I paddle with my own effort and little by little I shall find my way there.