Hello! My name is Sandra, though most everyone calls me Sandy. You can also call me Sandy Jayne. I was born in the year of the wood ox in Princeton, New Jersey (wood ox? 1985). Stone Ridge, New York, a land of streams, maples, pines and deer, is where my family lives and is the place I consider my home.

They say that the ox is diligent and sturdy, while wood is simple and pliable. We can say that my ox attributes guided me through college with a degree in East Asian Studies in 2008. With my head under a desk lamp, and my mind in the clouds, dancing with the sages, poets, and romantics of the past, I focused on Chinese language and Asian religions. When my degree was earned, the time for following my heart and wondering the world of red dust commenced. With a backpack and open mind, I entered the rushing stream of the world. My heart brought me to India and Nepal, and my mind brought me to China.

For the last three years, China and Nepal have been my home. I’ve been a student of Chinese and Tibetan languages, an English (ESL) teacher, a volunteer, a gardener, and a dreamer. I’ve worked in a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery in Nepal, in a language school in China, spent a summer in a Zen monastery kitchen in California, and I have tutored a number of young Chinese students. This year, living in Chengdu, Southwest China, I’ve developed a liking for the Sichuan dialect, quite a tonally enthusiastic language! Re tian zan men yiqi shua yi ha ba! (In the warm days let’s play together, how about that?!)

My passion for learning languages springs from my curiosity of different cultures and ways of life. It has been my experience that language connects people and leads us a fuller experience of culture, knowledge and wisdom. Studying languages can also expand our thought processes and give us new ways to conceptualize and understand reality :)  My other main passion and concern is the health and welfare of our precious blue planet! I’ve done volunteer work on organic and permaculture farms and started gardens in my backyard. My long time dream has been to build a small “handsculpted” house, grow vegetables and perhaps raise a few animals with the thought that change ultimately must come from every individual. 

A few things that bring me great enjoyment include: exploring, getting to know people and places, cooking, trying new foods, and  playing outside with kids. Here in China, I love riding my little bicycle around town, chatting with locals, having a bowl of noodles made Sichuan style (drenched in chili oil), visiting art markets, soaking up the atmosphere in public parks, and drinking the uncountable varieties of fragrant, mind calming Chinese teas. When the mood strikes, I pick up a pen or a brush to sketch, paint, or write a few verses… To keep a balance of body and mind, I practice yoga.

My greatest happiness comes from friendship, helping others to solve problems and grow, and being in the magical world of nature! I think that happiness is the result of connection. I believe that the seeds of our deepest happiness are always present. With care and attention we can wake up to our truest selves! As a counselor this summer I am excited to get to know and learn new things with all of you! We can help each other along this truly wonderful path that is human life.

In the days and years ahead, I plan to continue my language studies. I hope to be a teacher, perhaps a bilingual teacher, a friend, a nurturer and guide, committed to learning and growing and helping others to grow and learn in ways that suit them. There is a saying in Chinese that says, ‘Who, of all of us, can even say what will happen tomorrow. . .’ With that in mind I try to cherish each day and each small moment and suffuse it with the joy of existence! 

I’m looking forward to clear nights and the smell of pine,
dry afternoons and cool water, the glow of fire and the sound of laughter…
I am so grateful to share a timeless summer with all of you!