Sakya Resource Guide is Temporarily Down

The SRG is down because the hosting company is doing some major changes to their infrastructure. Unfortunately I do not have a mirror site, so, that means SRG is down for up to a few days. They say maybe up to five. For those avid SRG viewers all I can recommend is that you spend a little time with the HAR site. I know it is a meager substitute but it is all I can suggest. On HAR look especially to the News page because this month, April, and it's only the 15th, there have already been thirty-four (34) news items uploaded. If you can get through all of those in the next few days while SRG is down then I will be impressed. Because, it is not just that there are 34 items, it is because there are numerous new pages added for each of those News items. It really is a lot of material not to mention the hundreds of new images that have gone up to accompany the News items.

Now, the reason for the goat? Well, the mountain goat picture was taken some years ago outside of a small cave that clings precariously onto a cliff a few hundred feet above my cabin in the mountains. You can tell by the beautiful white fur that it was the fall. I am actually going to the cabin tomorrow. If I see anymore mountain goats then I will surely take a photo. Usually at this time of year I see more moose and elk. I hope a bear hasn't gotten into my supplies. Usually they are too quick to photograph especially if you come across one on a path - they usually bolt for the cover of underbrush and forest. The bears at the cabin are quite wild and not as familiar with people.

Life in a Plastic Bag

It is now seven months living out of plastic bags. With no end of the problem in sight.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

It has been some weeks since I was last bit by a bed bug. That has now ended. I was bit on the leg at approximately 5:30 this morning. It was the normal feeling. Waking up with a slight discomfort from a sound sleep which I had been enjoying for the last week or so since the flood, the discomfort grew. After a few minutes there was the tell tale raised red welt of irregular shape similar to hives. The honeymoon is over. This has been the longest period of time in the apartment this year, since the outbreak, without being attacked in the night. It must be three weeks since a real certifiable bite, but that doesn't mean the paranoia wasn't there, the sleeplessness and the lack of life quality. Bed bugs are a quality of life wrecker.

Do Bed Bugs Drown? Looking for a Silver Lining.

Well no, I haven't had any bed bug bites for almost two weeks which means of course that I am due any day now. The apartment was sprayed on Saturday the 18th and it usually lasts about two weeks before I start seeing the buggers again and feeling the sting of the bites. They have been spraying my apartment since April and others even earlier.

But, back to my question. Do bed bugs drown? The reason I ask is because I am looking for a silver lining in a leaky roof. I have been up since 3:30 mopping up and placing a bucket where it will do the most good. When your leak is bigger than the bucket there is actually no such thing as 'most good.' It is actually all bad. The roof was replaced over the summer because it was old and leaky - now we have a new leaky roof. The leak last night found a new route and did not follow the paths of the four previous leaks experienced over the previous years and coming to a head (fountain head) in the spring with four simultaneous leaks.

The good news is that because of the ongoing war with the bed bugs all of my belongings are still wrapped in plastic bags. Nothing was damaged in the spring either except for a stained mattress from a leak directly over one corner of the bed. Last night was the same, only wet plastic bags, and a wet floor dripping onto the ceiling of the apartment below.

The worst thing of it all is the not getting any sleep because of either the bed bugs or water dripping noticeably into the apartment. With leaks there always needs to be a concern for electrical outlets, appliances, computers, etc. Luckily there hasn't been a fire in the building for about 6 years. At that time the tenant below me left a pot on the stove to cook and then went and had a nap. The pot cooked, melted, and then caught fire. The entire building was filled with smoke, everybody evacuated. The smoke was later cleared out by the firefighters. It smelled of barbecue for several months. It didn't help with trying to sleep. I slept uneasy for many months knowing I had such neighbours right below me.

The time before that, there was a fire on the 2nd floor of the building next door. The fire was deliberately set by a disgruntled super that had been terminated. That same super had illegally rented the apartment down the hall from me. The tenants took occupancy in the middle of the night. The following day they had surveillance cameras installed and mounted in the hall way. It was nearly a year of drug dealers and hookers up and down the staircase all night long before the illegal tenants were legally evicted.

You know what? It sounds like it is time for a nice trip, or a long restful coma. I think I will choose the trip. China and Tibet sounds good to me.

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs & More Bugs

Yes the bugs are back. I woke up unexpectedly to a slight itching in the palm of my right hand, the ball of my right thumb to be exact. Not a normal location for a bite but yes there it was. As I was slowly rousing from my dream and entering wakefulness with my attention drawn to my hand, and that feeling that now I recognize so well, my eyes opening slowly, I briefly caught site of something, a speck of darkness, moving across my body at stomach level, highlighted against a white T-shirt. The bug, had moved from my hand and was looking for an escape route across my body to the other side of the bed. I immediately wrapped the bug in the folds of the T-shirt and leaned over to my right side, the side table, to grab a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol kept next to the bed, always, always a bottle of rubbing alcohol. The alcohol kills the bugs on contact - stops them dead in their tracks. One shot, two shots, it was over quick, quickly dispatched to the other world.

The unfortunate thing was that I was having a pleasant dream and there were still several hours of sleep left. The good news, if it can be called news, or really anything to look forward to at all is that they, 'THEY', the exterminators, are coming in to spray the apartment again today.

More Bed Bugs

Abercrombie & Fitch store in New York City closed because of a bed bug infestation. New York City has also passed a new ordinance that requires property owners/managers to inform prospective tenants of any bed bug activity, over the passed 12 months, for all rental units.

A Temporary Escape - Vancouver

I have made a quick exit and vacated my apartment while the workmen begin to replace the roof over head. On Friday they installed a temporary plastic ceiling in the apartment to try and catch all the falling debris, dirt and dust. It is not very attractive but hopefully will do the job it is intended for. In the process of closing up the apartment for the week or so that I will be away as they busily work, I noticed new brown water stains on the southern wall above one of the two windows on that side. I now have four known leaks. I have not been visited by any of the small pests since returning from Paris. I did have a red mark on my right arm the first night back, Wednesday, but can't say for sure that it was one of the nasty pests - known in Tibetan as 'demon lice.' I need a break, that's for sure.

The Christie's Auction in Paris on Tuesday was a mad house of activity and I have not yet landed - mentally - enough to begin to talk about it. After my Wednesday night sleep listening to the water drip from the ceiling into a bucket - not much sleep at all - I enjoyed the opening of the Tibetan Contemporary exhibition at the RMA. By the way, in my life, I have never before slept on a wet mattress because of leaks from the roof or ceiling. There was an after party at Merchant's restaurant with over 30 people in attendance. I hesitate to mention any names for fear of getting anyone into trouble. It was a good, no, great time, good friends and good conversations. Any opportunity to spend time with good friends is time well spent.

Back in New York

The flight from Paris to New York was pretty good considering the airline I flew only has business class seating. It is called Open Skies. I know, I hadn't heard of it either.

I didn't sleep too well last night in the apartment because of the rain coming through the roof into the bucket right next to my bed, plop, plop, plop. The mattress had already gotten wet by the time I returned from dinner at 9:00 p.m. I pushed the bed away from the new leak making sure to avoid the old leaks. I dried the mattress on the wet side as much as possible and placed a bucket to collect the dripping water. I did not have good dreams.

The workmen come in tomorrow, Friday, to cover the apartment ceiling with plastic sheeting stapled to the walls. The sheeting will hopefully catch and collect much of the roof debris as it falls through. The workers are being told to be careful on the rafters so that they don't inadvertently step and break through the ceiling causing an even bigger mess. Can you believe it! It's like I'm in Bangladesh during a bad year of monsoons - but oh no, this is New York City.

I have booked a ticket to leave NY for Vancouver tomorrow night. Who knows when the roof work will be finished and the apartment cleaned up? Maybe the bed bugs will also leave because it is just too Third World for them as well. Remember, these are not ordinary bed bugs, these are New York bed bugs.

A Bold Attack & Postponement of Battle!

Last night was a set back for me. After the previous night with no bites last night at approximately 3:30 a.m. there was a definite attack with some force. I received six small bites, two to each leg, and two on my upper right arm. I looked for the bugs on the bed and under but could see nothing. They are likely to be in the infant stage yet big enough to draw blood. They are very difficult to see at this phase of their development. I have been both spraying and cleaning regularly but apparently to no avail as this second or third nesting of eggs has hatched. My gut feeling tells me they are between and under the floor boards.

Once I know when the exterminators are returning again for the third spraying then I can plan on spreading diamataceous dust throughout the apartment floor completely filling the numerous spaces between the floor boards.

Any good commander knows when it is time to back off and change the strategy. A new campaign is opening on Monday morning which will make it difficult to continue the fight against the bugs. The property management company plans to start work on replacing roof above my apartment, I am on the top floor, making it intolerable to remain here in the apartment. Yes, the roof leaks as well. The work will probably last for two weeks.

The worst part of it is that the ceiling in the apartment is not completely closed in and sealed. The edge of the ceiling that butts up against the brick wall is not flush but rather has gaping openings that go directly into the sub-roof. Whenever someone walks on the roof, or roofers are working, then a tremendous amount of dust, sand, dirt, and rock fall directly into the apartment through these openings creating a huge mess. The same debris also falls down through the chimney and out through the fireplace opening.

In preparation most of my belongings are wrapped in plastic bags already because of the bugs, and the remainder of the possessions such as bed and computer, lamps, chairs, telephone, T.V. etc., will need to be completely covered in plastic as well. Once the roof work is finished and before returning back to the apartment it will require a good professional cleaning with an industrial vacuum and a lot of effort.

So, the battle of the bugs is on hold for awhile. In the meantime I have not been offered any kind of accommodations by the property management company and therefore I am on my own with finding a place to stay here in New York or choosing to travel and working from afar. I will share my experience as it unfolds.

Hallelujah, Bed Bugs Be Gone - Damn It All

Hallelujah, an amazing thing happened, I, in frustration, sent a strong e-mail to my boss and cc'ed the property management company responsible for the apartment and building, in which I dwell in New York City. I complained of a lack of communication and a lack of any, I repeat ANY, communication with the property management company, other than dealing with the super. I also cc'ed it to many of the other officials responsible for the ownership of the building - which by the way has an un-controlled BED BUG problem - that is, the whole building.

Hallelujah, I sent out the e-mail at approximately 2:00 p.m. today and by the time I arrived back at the apartment (to find a U.S. Census notification of a non-compliance of not responding to the racist U.S. census, I'M SORRY - RACIST, I turned around at approximately 8:00 p.m.), pushed under my door at 8:00, and there it was. There was a correspondence from the management company, the gold, the treasure, a Rosetta Stone, Magna Carta, it was all there - an acceptance, an acknowledgment of a problem, a faint wish - maybe, to possibly wish to remedy the awful situation.

See the image, the document above, see what was presented after several months of discussion, complaining and bitching. A letter, as if they were on top of it, Ha Ha, what a lark, in control, masters of their domain - HELL NO! They have been pushed into a corner by my e-mail and they are simply responding, reacting, appearing competent. Please don't think there is an end in sight. This is New York, there are winners and losers and nobody has time for anybody who stands in between.

The Fight Continues

The battle is sporadic. Mostly waged in the wee hours of the morning. The exchanges can be brutal and emotionally traumatic but the fight goes on. I have employed a new liquid deployed as a spray against large areas of the room. It is called Bed Bug Patrol and is a completely natural product with a strong hint of clove oil. The ground up sea bug dust, Diatomaceous Earth Dust, has been dispersed to the most important areas in need of defense - cracks, crannies and creases. The idea is to begin to limit the active area where the bugs - little bastards - are able to mount an attack, corral them into a small defensive zone, and then crush them with a final lethal blow.

Yes, I was bit!

Two bites last night around three in the morning. I will have to re-double my efforts. Needless to say I didn't sleep much after that. Have a look at this link about an apartment building in Princeton, New Jersey http://bedbugger.com/2010/04/03/bed-bugs-in-princeton-apartment-building/. It is a good example of the communications, exchanges and lack of them between some landlords, tenants and the health authorities. I am sure that the laws in New York State will be somewhat different from New Jersey. One problem with landlords and owners is that they often think that the regular pesticide company that comes once a month and sprays for cockroaches, silverfish and mice are up to the task of eradicating a bedbug infestation. It is a little bit like thinking that a regular doctor, a general practitioner, can perform complicated heart surgery requiring specialized tools and equipment. Bedbug extermination needs experts. Without recognizing this then the problem just returns again and again and the landlord spends more and more money. More tenants leave and the apartment building has a high turnover. The rent starts to go down and the place is of course already beginning to be rundown. Finally it ends up being a skid row apartment (or house). That is the life cycle of an untreated bedbug infested dwelling.

The Calm Before the Storm

No bites last night and none the night before, this of course means that they, the 'bugs', have been well fed. I have to be extra vigilante tonight because they are undoubtedly getting hungry 'on the move' and I am the only thing on the menu. Buckle up. It's going to get bumpy.

I have been informed by the building manager that the next bedbug spraying of the apartments won't be until the end of next week - plenty of bug breeding time in there between now and then. I am not yet confidant that the building owners are treating this matter with the seriousness and urgency that it requires. Regardless of that, I am on the offensive and have scoured the internet for reviews and anecdotes of bed bug sufferers and information on various products. I have also ordered a variety of different sprays, dusts and environmentally friendly concoctions - no DDT. I will let you know which items work and which do not. I am taking the battle to the bugs.

Yet, all of that being said, I figure even if the exterminators get the things out of my apartment I still have no control over the apartments of anyone else in the building, and they may be lazier than me, stay infested, and spread the bugs back to my apartment yet again. So, in other words, I am at war with both the bedbugs and with anybody who doesn't have the resolve and strength to get rid of their own damn bugs. To that end I must turn the apartment into a fortress surrounded at the outer edges with a series of ditches and tank traps filled with diatomaceous earth dust. Then, a film of poisonous enzymes - organic warfare - followed up by regular preventative spraying with a variety of lethal cocktails - striking randomly. However, none of this advanced arsenal of weaponry has arrived, as it was just now ordered, and until then I will continue to do battle with the enemy using rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle as my front line weopon. That is the strategy, that is the resolve - let the final battle for the apartment begin.

Constant Vigilance - The War of the Bed Bugs

Every night is potentially a battle although depending on the infestation the bugs may only feed every three or four days. Depending on their number they might need to feed every night. While waiting for the third spraying of the apartment which is usually five days between sprayings I have resorted to a spray bottle and alcohol. No, not for drinking - for spraying the wooden bed frame and then the area of the floor under and around the bed. This seems to work for a few hours at best. The alcohol kills the bugs, babies and eggs on contact - but only on contact. If they are hiding around a corner then they are safe - the little bastards.

I learned early on while staying in India in the 1970s that neither the Geneva Convention nor the Bodhisattva Code of Ethics need apply to bed bugs. They are a serious health risk and can spread salmonella and other diseases. I am also investigating other treatments such as natural products that destroy and keep the bugs at bay. Let it be said that the 'battle is on.'

My allies, the apartment management company and their hired mercenaries have not been overly successful in the battle but it is still early and there are many more days of fighting before this campaign is done.

In the end either I will be Lord of the apartment or the bed bugs will.

The Inevitable

Well, I guess it was just a matter of time, inevitable. When you live in a tenement flat in New York City, over a hundred years old, with porous walls and floors, and people coming and going, moving in and out - it had to happen. BED BUGS!!! BED BUGS!!! BED BUGS!!!

The question now is what to do about it and - not too patiently - watch how the property management company deals with it. Will they be aggressive in extermination or laid back and fight the scourge topically. The next two or three weeks will tell the story. One thing I already know for sure is that I cannot live with bed bugs.

All of my New York belongings which are basically clothes and books are wrapped in plastic bags and fill the middle of the apartment in order to facilitate the exterminators and their need to spray the corners of the apartment, walls, ceiling, etc. The wooden bed frame has been sprayed and the entire floor has been sprayed over the course of two extermination visits. Between the first and the 2nd visit (2 days after) I was bitten and after the second visit (2 days after) I was bitten again.

The exterminators are scheduled to return this coming week - Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Somehow I don't think that will be enough. I was told that in the building on the floor below me there was one filthy apartment that was overrun with bed bugs similar to the image at the bottom of this post. It was said that if you moved any item of furniture or lifted anything at all in that apartment then dozens of bed bugs would scurry in all directions.



Feeding Habits of Bed Bugs (from Wikipedia): "Bedbugs are bloodsucking insects. They are normally out at night just before dawn, with a peak feeding period of about an hour before sunrise. Bedbugs may attempt to feed at other times if given the opportunity and have been observed feeding during all periods of the day. They reach their host by walking, or sometimes climb the walls to the ceiling and drop down on feeling a heat wave. Bedbugs are attracted to their hosts by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide. The bug pierces the skin of its host with two hollow feeding tubes. With one tube it injects its saliva, which contains anticoagulants and anesthetics, while with the other it withdraws the blood of its host. After feeding for about five minutes, the bug returns to its hiding place. The bites cannot usually be felt until some hours or even days later, as a dermatological reaction to the injected agents, and the first indication of a bite usually comes from the desire to scratch the bite site. Because of their natural aversion for sunlight, bedbugs come out at night.[8]



Although bedbugs can live for a year or eighteen months without feeding, and purportedly up to three years in the case of the species Oeciacus vicarius (the cliff swallow bug),[9] they normally try to feed every five to ten days. Bedbugs that go dormant for lack of food often live longer than a year, while well-fed specimens typically live six to nine months.

At the 57th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America in 2009, it was reported that newer generations of pesticide-resistant bedbugs in Virginia could survive only two months without feeding.[10]

Low infestations may be difficult to detect and in the early stages, victims may not realize they have bedbugs. Patterns of bites in a row or a cluster are typical, as the insects may be disturbed while feeding. Bites may be found in a variety of places on the body."



I will look into some Tantric Buddhist texts to see if there are any special practices, charms, talismans or mantras for eradicating these bugs. Bed bugs were well known to Tibetans who called them 'demon lice'. Mipham Rinpoche had numerous techniques for getting rid of a wide range of pests from mice, to rabbits, body lice, rabid dogs and more.