My name is Sein, I belong to the Karen minority group in Myanmar. I grew up in a rural Karen village along the border with Thailand. I later came to America as a refugee.
For years I worked as a handyman, taking on construction and installation projects for restaurants and businesses in the Southeast Asian community in San Francisco. It is a wonderful community, with a lot of friendship and support within network.
In the last year, I decided to take my 8-month Buddhist sabbatical. Buddhist men in Myanmar go through this rite-of-passage, dedicating time to meditation and prayer. I shaved my head and became a vegetarian for that period of time.
Coming out of my Sabbatical, I was given the opportunity to co-own Tender Loving Food in the Tenderloin. I see it as a wonderful beginning to the next phase of my life.