Thanksgiving in India

For Thanksgiving the four of us ate at a fancy restaurant that sold good chicken, mashed potatoes, bread and green beans! Marc and I ordered “crispy chicken” that we thought was the fried chicken, but turned out to be a Chinese saucy chicken- quite good, but not quite like Thanksgiving turkey. We realized we were eating Chinese chicken, Indian bread, green beans, and mashed potatoes, topped off with the an American Pepsi. What a Thanksgiving! The group also humored me by watching White Christmas, a tradition I’ve had for three years now. We also played Frisbee! What is Thanksgiving without some kind of sport? Overall, we were pretty pleased with our Thanksgiving in India experience.

While in India I’ve been making a list of things I’m thankful for. I started it back in October and made sure to write at least one thing down from Halloween until Thanksgiving. This is the result:

Thankful List

- Dreams. They can bring relief from stresses, help ease what I’ve missed while in India, make me laugh or smile, and fulfill my "wants" from home when I can’t have them- like restaurants where I can drink the water, food that tastes like what I expect, and of course, my family and friends.

- Christmas and pudding

- Music

- Friendly people who just start talking to you

- Sidewalks

- Drinking fountains and clean water- oh how I miss clean water!

- Clean bathrooms with toilet paper and soap

- Actually, just toilets and not squatters…

- Seemingly minor events- such as candle light vigils

- Just candles in general, especially when the power goes out

- Sunrises and sunsets

- Gorgeous visuals that give us the same promise of a new day no matter where we are

- And the are amazing from my balcony!

- good friends, who send emails just when I seem to need them

- coke, to keep the “beasties” away and calm the unsettled stomach, and bring a smile as we toast “to diabetes” with every drink

- Desserts

- Clean clothe, Just that feeling of putting on clean clothes- esp. after you haven’t for like a week… And fabric softener! I miss that so much…

- American democracy and the American dream

- Laughter, Tibetans love to laugh, and I have laughed a ton w/ my family and friends here. It can break barriers and lighten moods like no other.

- Newspapers, to commemorate big events and keep us informed

- Little things people do, such as giving you their newspaper when they are done.

- Good movies, all good movies that make you feel like a little kid again, or make you laugh, or fall in love, or believe in the good in people, or just allow you to escape for a few hours. The world tends to be much simplier in a movie, and reminds us that life can be so much more.

- Atonement, the peace that believing in another perfect world, and the comfort a Savior can bring to you, the perspective it can bring.

- Christmas songs and movies, those ongs that get stuck in your head and make you happy all day. Movies that make you think of your traditions and your family.

-Beautiful buildings and nature

- Hard work

- Intricate, detailed things

- Exercise!

- Makes me feel so good! And relieves stress so well!

- Good transportation

- Universality of being human, the things we all have in common simply because we are human

- Pictures, the keep sakes of all those moments you hope not to forget.

- Good authentic Indian and Tibetan food

- Ice cream!

- Movie theatres, particularly ones where the power doesn’t go out in the middle… Although it does make things more exciting and create more suspense…

- Alone time, the time to ponder in quiet space, rejuvenate.

- Passions/interests, that make life more exciting. I suppose they aren’t necessary, but make life so much better, worth living.

- Good books!

- Technology; computers, emails, phone calls, DVDs, news on the internet and tv… I have been so spoiled!

- Fall; the colors, cool breeze that zips through, wanting to be tucked under blankets by a fireplace.

- Heaters

- Fireplaces; nostalgic, romantic, cute and cozy, and completely warm. Plus, I really just like watching fire…

- Singing out loud

- Understanding of others

- Stars, gazing at them every night while out here- there is a calmness and sereneness in the skies at night.

- Freedom, gratitude that I’m not confined to a prison with no options, that I can work, go to school, make decisions, move to another place, have a social life and surround myself with those I love… and just the pursuit of happiness

- Classy things; black and white pictures, fancy dining tables, tuxs and dresses

- Babies and children, the awe, the wonder, the trust, the faith, the smiles.

- Difference architecture, art, designs; I really like Asian architecture, fabrics, etc

- Cologne and perfume! Oh how I miss getting wiffs of good smelling people everywhere I go! Its only a rare occurence here

- Holidays/special days, they get us to celebrate, make the most of life for at least one day. We should see every day as a gift and reason to celebrate, but we are forgetful creatures and in the hustle and bustle of the “everydayness” we forget what it means to live to the fullest. We need reminders- and these days provide just that. Reminds us that life is worth living, put the fight and zest back into us. A renewal of energy, faith, excitement, hope, and happiness.

- good food, good traditions, good family and friends, and the holiday season!

Norbulingka, Amritsar

So much to catch up on! The first place to tell you about is Norbulingka. It’s the Tibetan Art Institute. It’s secluded and tucked behind some Indian villages about 30 minutes from Dharamsala. It’s completely quiet and secluded, which almost seems like a novelty in India. We were given a tour of the art studio full of thangka paintings. No mess ups are allowed mind you, and they usually take at least a month to finish one painting. Next we saw the fabric thangkas that Buddhists hang from the walls. The work is done at different stations with groups of people working on individual pieces. Next was the woodwork shop. They draw detailed, intricate designs on the wood, then carve them out.

Last was the cooper molding/statues, some of which can take a year and half to do. As we walked through these different workshops, I realized it had never hit me just how much time it takes to make these beautiful objects. All of these projects are so time consuming, so intricate. I can never look at any of these objects the same again. Last we visited the Doll Museum. It shows the history, culture, traditions, of Tibetans all through these little puppets.

Two weeks ago we went to Amritsar, the famous Sikh site.

First, it was a huge shock to get back into Indian culture. For almost two months we’ve been around Tibetans. Loads of people, rickshaws, lots of noise and horns, people staring and gawking, and lots of pollution! Every Indian state is so different- in language, in looks, in behavior, etc. Punjabis for instance are exptrememly tall. Even some women are above six feet (vs. the south where not even the men are that tall). Punjabis are also much lighter in skin color- many look almost like a tanned Caucasion, while the southern Indians can be almost as dark as Africans. The Punjabis we found to be more friendly as well. They were always asking to shake our hands and introduce themselves, even if that was the only English they knew. They also loved to take pictures of us, and would ask if they could take pictures with us quite frequently.

But the big site there is the Golden Temple. It is the most beautiful building we’ve been to so far. As you walk into the square, you check your shoes in and walk barefoot all around the building. You walk through water on the way in to clean your feet as well because it is holy ground. You also have to have your head covered (as you can see from out pirate looking bandanas. The Golden Temple is in the center of a giant pool/lake. All around the square is tiled floor with a red carpet in the center.The big white buildings surround the square. The only way I can describe the feeling is by comparing it to what I think a big Muslim mosque would feel like. The loudspeakers around the square play prayers being read from their sacred book. Oh, and the kitchen there feeds anyone who comes through, which is an average of 30,000 people a day! I expected the food to be not so great, being made in the mass like that. But it was delicious! Especially the rice pudding… yum!

A little that I learned about the Sikhs, they are like a fusion of Hinduism and Islam. They have 5 symbols they wear on them at all times- a turban/head covering, a dagger, an under garment, a bracelet… and I forgot the last one. They have a long history of war and have been persecuted by many different groups. For those of you that are LDS, an LDS guy who studied Sikhs called them the “Mormons of the Middle East,” for a few of the reasons you can guess from above, but also because of their history being quite similar to the history in the Book of Mormon, particularly some of the war stories.

The Indo-Pakistan border is a little over an hour ride from Amritsar so we went to the changing of the guard ceremony. I have no idea what to say about it because I have no idea what I witnessed and what exactly happened. I’m sure it was full of symbols that were lost on me. But the guards had these amazing peacock looking hats. The march with huge arm swings and big high kicks. There was lots of yelling on both sides, lots of chanting and cheering. It was interesting to see the Sanskrit Indian language and the Arabic Pakistani language, one on each end. I also couldn’t help but realize that the land looked exactly the same on both sides of the fence. No rivers, no mountains, no land differences at all. The only thing that separated “India” from “Pakistan” was the fence and the soldiers.

We also experiences our first Bollywood movie in an Indian movie theatre. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the one I was hoping to see, from all the previews. We saw one called Fashion- which right away we knew probably wasn’t going to be a big it with any of us. But it was playing so we saw it. First I need to fill you in on a few things about Bollywood movies. There is always music, dancing, colorful clothes. There is also never any kissing on the lips- that is not appropriate in Indian culture, although the new trend is to show kissing on the neck, etc, there is still no kissing on the lips. Also, there has never been a movie about extramarital affairs- until last year when one came out. It was a huge controversy and many said such movies should not be made. But it was actually quite successful from what I understand. This new one had an affair in it- of course they don’t show anything in Indian movies, but you know its going on. There was also no dancing and no singing by the characters. It completely baffled us! This was not a normal Bollywood in any sense of the term. I think the only things that were traditional “Bollywood” were that that it was in Hindi (although quite a bit of it was in English), almost 4 hours long and the over dramatic acting. If it weren’t for those three things and for the power going out in the middle of the movie, we wouldn’t have realized it was a Bollywood movie.

The last part of our trip to mention is that I finally got sick! After almost three months of not having more than an occasional upset stomach or diahrria, I finally got sick like almost every student of India. And let me tell you, it was a great joy spending half the night by the toilet. At least it was a real toilet though, and not a sqatter like many places here in India.

Mumbai attacks

I have fallen way behind in writing in here- almost a month behind! ANd although I have much to catch up on, for the moment I just wanted to post a blog about the recent Mumbai attacks. I don't know the mileage to Mumbai, but it is probably at least 1,000 miles away from where I am at. We are just fine where we are now, so no one worry about that.

To give a little bit of information though, although this is a huge terrorist ploy here, it isn't the first one since we've been here. THe biggest and the most damage to be sure. But violence, especially around the time of elections in India, is not rare. There are huge tensions between the Muslim and Hindu groups here and they often turn violent. It's actually ironic because I had just mentioned to someone it had been a few weeks since something happened. I spoke too soon.

I'm sure I'll comment more later as the rest of the story unfolds, but for now know that we are safe in the mountains...

Festival, Celebration, Meeting, and Candle Light

This week I have so much to write about! I don’t know how I’ll get through it, but here we go.

Saturday was a big celebration for the founding of TCV- Tibetan’s Children Village, one of the big schools. There were seriously hundreds of people- maybe thousands, at this ceremony. It started with the marching in of the different houses. There are four houses in this school- and yes, just like Harry Potter. It struck me as funny, watching them march in. Marching is a huge part of every culture. Why is that? But it was quite fun to watch these kids come march in, proud and excited.

The motto of the school is “Come to learn, Go to Serve.” Those of you at BYU, isn’t that quite funny? I thought it was, and if you don’t think its funny, you need to learn BYU’s motto. After the marching in there were speeches, including one by the Dalai Lama. For those of you that follow the China/Tibet thing at all, you may have heard remanants on the news about this speech, because in it he said he’s starting to think nothing will come of these talks with China. He’s starting to think maybe the Middle Way won’t work- which is HUGE. The people here, as mentioned before, adore him and seem to be willing to do whatever he thinks is best. There will be a meeting here in November, where Tibetans will all get together and discuss what they want to do. The Dalai Lama is now trying to get the people to decide, because he is tired of the situation. He is not giving up on Tibet, like many news sources were quoting. He’s simply trying to get the people to decide, not just follow his way. But anyway, I was there when he announced it, and although it was in Tibetan, so I didn’t understand, it’s still fun to say, “I was there!” It may not seem like a big deal, but this was a huge announcement.

After the speeches they did song and dance performances and a kinesthtics performance. As odd as it may sound, it reminded me of the opening ceremonies to the Olympics. Just the sheer numbers of people, all moving and performing as one… It is amazing to see. It’s something that we don’t do often in the west and just I don’t know…. Leaves me in awe. We in the west just don’t’ tend to work like that, so to see a culture where sheer numbers can move as one, it’s quite the site.

On Monday they had a big celebration at the other school, the one my “nephew” goes to. They played all kinds of games- 3 legged race, relays, musical chairs, alaphbet and number races, etc. Many of the same things you’d see at school activities at home! But the funnest one to watch was where they had bread tied to a string and the kids had to eat it without using their hands. Absolutely adorable! Oh, and bragging rights, my “nephew” got second place on the number race.

So those were the two schools celebrations. This week I also attended two political events as well. The first was a Rangzen meeting. Rangzen is the Tibetan word for independence, so this is a group of people who want full independence for Tibet. The meeting was quite interesting: 4 ½ hours of a couple 100 Tibetans speaking about an issue that they all care about. The sheer passion and intensity that was so often displayed in people’s faces and voices as they spoke about what they wanted for Tibet… I could never begin to describe to you, at least not to do it justice. You would have to see if for yourself, hear it straight from their mouth. Even with a translator sitting behind me, and not understanding the words directly from their mouths, I still could not miss the intensity. At one point, the man right in from of us spoke, and as he did he was just shaking with intensity. I have been here over a month now, and it wasn’t until then that I think I even began to grasp just want this means to some of these people.

I still don’t know what I think is best for the Tibetans. I’ve been fighting with myself since I got here. For those of you that know my more recent love of Chinese history and culture, you know it must be hard for me. I still don’t’ know what I tink should happen, what would be best for China and for Tibet. There is no easy answer. But the thought that I had was that when challenges come, people become so much more through those challenges. I’m really beginning to see that it is our challenges, and what we choose to do with them that define us.

Ok, so last experience to add to this everlastingly long blog. The second event was a candle light vigil. I don’t know what it is about these… but I actually really enjoy them. The idea of a group of people coming together, lighting candles and discussing things in a peaceful way… its just really claming and yet endearing. It’s only my second one, and first one in India though, so maybe I’m still romancing with the idea of it. But there were at least twice the number of people at this candle light vigil, in favor of the Middle Way, an autonomous region. And even though it was "calm and peaceful," they still seemed to have a deeper fervor than those at the Rangzen meeting...

A few experiences

Yet another week has flown by here in Dharamsala. I am spending my days eating delicious Tibetan food and watching the news and Hindi and American movies with my family; interviewing different people organizations; talking with other young adults; helping some learn English; attending Buddhist teachings and discussions; and of course, the one guarantee for any college student- reading loads!

There are so many things I could talk about… so I’ll just pick a few experiences from this last week. Spencer came across this place that serves fabulous falafal- an Israeli food. There are Israelis all over here! I have no idea why, but they are seriously like half the tourist population here. So anyway, I enjoyed it so much when we ate it as a group that I went back a few days later to get some more. While there I began chatting with this guy from Israel. It was quite entertaining as I realized what an interesting “cultural” experience I was having: eating Israeli food in a Tibetan community in India. But despite the oddity of the situation, he found it fascinating that an American was eating falafal and we had a nice chat about Israel, the US, traveling, and taxes. You never know who you will meet right?

Monday the Dalai Lama was coming back into town after being at the hospital for a few days. The sister in my family had gone the day before to help clean the street. She and a big group were out there cleaning from 9-4:30. The street was lined with gorgeous flags. Monday afternoon pretty much all of town shut down and everyone flocked to the street. Marc and I were later at getting on the street and we still waited over an hour, just chatting and waiting. Probably one in 10 were waving Tibetan flags. Many were burning incense. When the time finally arrived, everyone was silent. As the cars drove by most bowed forward, in what can only be described as a deep reverence. It was an incredible thing to witness. The street was seriously packed like it would be for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, all to see the Dalai Lama drive by, and pretty quickly too. The cars didn’t really slow down, he didn’t get out and wave. The whole thing lasted about 30 seconds as he drove by. Many didn’t even see him in the car. Yet they all lined up, some waiting hours. It shows something about the awe and reverence Tibetans hold for their leader. They weren’t there to see his face so they could brag about it to their friends. Many didn’t even see his face. They were there for him- to welcome him home and show their love and support to him.

Another funny moment occurred the other day while I was reading in the park. I was writing in my journal some of my thoughts about nonviolence in political struggles. As I’m writing my thoughts about nonviolence, some of the monkeys wanted to show me that violence will never disappear- half the pack started yelling and jumping all over each other! Can you say ironic? Seriously though, monkeys are all over the place. And don’t be fooled by their cuteness. They wake me up running across my roof at 5 am, or steal food and clothes off the line, fight with each other, and charge humans like they are the defensive tackle on a football team. They are not as cute and cuddle as they appear.

.

I definitely had to include some photos of my fabulous balcony view. Yes, I get to see this view every time I step outside of my room.

The weather is gorgeous- only slightly chilly at night and in the mornings, but bright and sunny throughout the day.With all of these experiences and with all the information I’m collecting for my project, I am quite content here in Dharamsala. Lol now that’s not to say that at least once a day I don’t miss something from home. Because I sure do! But this experience is great and all these other things outweigh those thoughts in the end.

Hope everyone back home is doing well!

Oh, and P.S. it’s funny how many people here know about the U.S. Presidential elections. It seems like most people watch the news here, and it is certainly on BBC and CNN here. Sometimes I almost wonder if more people here don’t know more about the candidates than people at home…

Moving in with Families

October 14^th, 2008

We have been back in Dharamsala for a week now and I couldn’t be more content with my life for the time being. I am decidedly not a big fan of Delhi and have sworn to not go back until it is time to leave. I much prefer the Tibetan northern mountains.

With that said there are two quick note to make about Delhi to those of you who are LDS. First, I got to listen to general conference live for an hour. Can I just say how utterly amazing it was that I got to sit on a Saturday night in an internet café and listen to the words of the apostles live, from the other side of the world. Second, that Sunday we got to attend the branch in Delhi. We’ve been told since we were little that the church is the same everywhere, that every member in the world is taught the same lessons every Sunday. But even knowing this does not take away the awe completely when you sit down with a group of Indians and discuss the gospel in the same way you would back home. It was truly a neat, neat experience. And they were of course, completely friendly and just really sweet to us.

The day after we arrived back in Dharamsala we moved in with Tibetan families here. Now I think I’ve made it fairly obvious that I have loved being around the Tibetans. But moving in with a family has only made me respect and love Tibetans even more. It makes my days seem more real too, having people that I interact with twice a day. Even when I don’t want to venture too far that day, I get part of a “cultural experience” every morning and night.

So each of us moved in with a different family. I seriously have like the most ideal set up I could ask for. MY room is actually separate from the family’s- it’s an upstairs room with my own bathroom. They said they like to put the students there so they can study in peace without the young boys around. But, they told me to come down any time I want to talk and watch tv or what ever. I can be with them when I want and then retire to my room to study or just relax alone.

MY family consists of the grandmother who is bed ridden, the parents (Amula and Pala are what they are called here), their three adult children and then the two grandchildren, ages 3 and 4. One boy is the eldest son’s, the other the daughter’s. All of the kids speak English really well, particularly the boys, one of which works for the government so he speaks English frequently, and the other attended an Indian University. They all know Tibetan, Hindi, and English.

I have breakfast and dinner with them. Breakfast I just go down when I’m ready and dinner is around 8. After dinner we hang out and talk and watch tv. Sometimes Hindi or American movies, sometimes tv shows or music stations, some times the news or sports (much to my delight). I had a great experience with one of the sons the other morning. We were watching the Red Soxes play Tampa Bay and flipping between that a a cricket match, with me explaining baseball to him and him explaining cricket to me. I had a ball!

Anyway, that is all for now, but ask whatever questions you want. Now that I am pretty immersed in things and see them every day there are probably a lot of things I forget to mention… so ask whatever you want to know.

A quick note on my research- without boring all of you with the political details I’m reading and finding here, it completely intrigues me to see how different cultures and groups of people choose to handle different problems. Tibetans choose to handle their situation peacefully, while other groups who have lost their homeland have chosen to react violently, such as Palestinians. It is becoming more and more fascinating to me how these Tibetans have chosen to deal with their situation…

Beauty and the beast

I sat on the most comfortable couch I’ve sat on in five weeks- possibly one of the most comfortable couches I’ve sat on ever. The AC was pumping high and I don’t think I could have felt cooler- while outside was devastating hot and completely humid. Light jazz music was playing in the background. People were walking around cleaning and polishing the already clean floors, walls, etc. When the two people got up from the couch across from me, someone came and refluffed the pillows. A waterfall outside with doorman waiting to open the door to all who came up.

I wish I could say that I stayed the night at this place. It was just a temporary waiting area as we waited in Delhi to meet the faculty for the visit. But just being there made my mind flow in so many different directions. I know those of you that are reading this are probably more interested in the things I’ve seeing, hearing, doing, etc. but for this one I can’t help but just right about some of the thoughts I had as I sat in the most luxurious place I’ve been in five weeks. We have been so lucky really- we always have had beds, usually a toilet, decent food, and none of us have been sick, expect minor stomach irritation or headaches. Other groups sleep on concrete floors, get sick so much, don’t always have decent food, rarely have toilets, etc. We really have had it nice. But being in a place like this... it just reminded me what plush and luxurious things are like. The longer I am out here the more I am beginning to realize that in order to really enjoy the good things in life we really do have to see the bad and not so good things. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at a nice place like that. Even in the Bellagio and the Venetian and other gorgeous hotels, I don’t think I’ve ever looked at them and felt so much comfort, peace, and tranquility and sheer awe as I did at that hotel- only because I’ve seen so much poverty, so much garbage, and so many just sad and dirty things. The contrast in life is what really allows us to see life for what it is. It really is the only way, at least I think, for us to really understand what is truly in front of us.

I’ll talk a minute about the beggars. I don’t think I’ve said much about them. IN order to try to make those of you in the states understand, we aren’t talking about bums- people who sit on the side of the street with a sign asking for money. Those are bums in my book now, but not beggars. Beggars sometimes sit, but they will always talk to you and try to get your attention. Most of them will walk with you and follow you for a bit. Often they will touch your arm. Many of them will carry babies and children with them and ask you to just buy food. They are not passive in the least. And they are everywhere- all up and down the streets. Today we heard from Marc who was down in the south for a bit, that in the local paper they actually had an article asking people to stop giving money to the beggars. They found out that people would rent their children out to beggars for the day so they could make more money. This seems completely absurd! But things like that happen all the time. It’s so hard to see it, and every day. But like I said before, seeing these things, although not easy, allows me to see the good things in an even better light. I think I’ll come home with quite the purified and grateful heart.

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

We got what will probably be a once in a lifetime opportunity yesterday- to hear the Dalai Lama teach! We had heard he was coming to Dhar to present some teachings. We went and got our id badges earlier in the week and then went down at 7:30 in the morning for the teachings at 9. We ran into a student we’ve worked with at the English conversations class and he invited us to come sit with him on his mat. Tibetans don’t think its good for you to sit on the floor- they think it makes you sick, so they all offer bags, jackets, mats, cushions or anything else they have to make sure you don’t have to sit on the floor. Yet another fine example of their amazing hospitality. Another fine example happened on the temple grounds. IN the middle of the teachings monks get up and pass around Tibetan bread (kind of like big English muffins, or at least the taste) and butter tea. They literally served thousands of people that were there. The Dalai Lama drank tea and the middle and laughed and said, we have to take care of the physical body too, not just the mind. His laugh is adorable and he laughed so often. He’s so quick to laugh and also so down to earth.

The Dalai Lama teaches at his temple here. Everyone gathers all around on the different floors around the temple and they have tvs set up for everyone to watched. He usually teaches in Tibetan of course and they have translators for many different languages- English, Korean, Chinese, etc, which they broadcast on different radio stations. It is also for those that can’t make it to the temple, so they can listen to him also from their shops and what not.

As he started talking he was asking who spoke what languages. When he asked who spoke English he realized much of the group spoke English, as a huge number had come from Singapore, which speaks English. When he realized this he then said he would try to teach in English, that way more of us could understand him directly and so he could work on his English he said as he laughed playfully. Not only did we have the honor of hearing him teach, but we got to hear him teach in our own language!

His teachings were wonderful! He started the first session with some simple ideas of love and compassion. Although I could never rehearse to you his teachings in the way that he did, I do want to share a few of the things that struck me while I was listening. Two of my favorite Buddhist teachings so far have been their thoughts concerning compassion and happiness. He taught that happiness is created from our intelligence- much like the common phrase we have that attitude is everything kind of. He said that material things are important, but that our happiness comes from our emotions as well. He said that although many are wealthy, educated and good people, they are not happy because they worry so much. He said that often we take too short of a perspective, that we short sight things and then see obstacles to be much bigger than they really are, so much that they seem unbearable. He said when we step back, take the wider perspective and different angle, we can see things as they really are. Buddhists are very much about trying to see reality as it really is- and not as it “appears” or sometimes seems to be. There is a gap between “appearances” and reality- and our job is to explore these differences and try to come to reality as best we can.

Like I said, I also love their ideas on compassion. He talked about some of his early memories with his mother and how she provided the best example of love and compassion, as most mothers do for their children. Lol, it was quite funny when he said that he used to bully his mother. It’s hard to picture him as a little child bullying his mother. They are also very science oriented, and he mentioned a study that shows that children who get their mother’s touch their first few weeks of life develop so much better. Those who grow up with full affection and care are often more intelligence and are able to show compassion and care to others more easily. To Buddhists it is also very important to have both a healthy mind and body, for this leads to a freshness and self confidence, which allows us to face all the challenges that come our way, and allows us to love and show compassion to all despite how things may be.

Anyway, I’m still just learning the basics of Buddhism- and His Holiness went much deeper than that. If you have any basic questions, I might be able to try to answer them, or ask someone, so please ask if you have any questions.

To try to describe the setting and feeling of the teachings a little more, I can tell those of you of the LDS faith that it is much like the feeling of general conference- in fact very, very similar. Watching him walk though the crowd reminded me of President Hinckley so much! As he walked by smiling, and waving I saw the faces of those looking up at him, full of complete admiration, love and respect. There is something so unique in the eyes of individuals looking up at their cherished leaders... There is also something to be said about these old, spiritual leaders. There is just something about them. They are so full of love, easy to laugh, and are just so warm and happy.

Life is Beautiful

In Dharamsala they advertise for almost everything by fliers posted all over. They are quite helpful in finding things to do, places to find classes, volunteer, etc. Saturday afternoon I saw an advertisement for Talk Tibet, where they watch movies and have discussions on Saturdays and Sundays, alternating between movies and discussions. I thought hey, this could be cool! I’d love to hear some of their thoughts in discussions.

Cinema 59 is a list of international movies that show different groups struggling through freedoms. This Talk Tibet group are showing these every other Saturday now to help Tibetans to see other groups who have struggled for freedom. This time they showed “Life is Beautiful.” First, I love this movie and was excited to watch it. But more than that, the idea of these Tibetans, gathering in a classroom with pads on the floor and watching Life is Beautiful projected onto a sheet… just all the intricacies of the situation… I mean many of them don’t know English all that well, yet here they are watching and sympathizing with these Jews from more than 60 years ago. They could sympathize with them maybe not by words and language, but by feeling and circumstances. Freedom needs no translation. It was quite the experience! And I just couldn’t help but think the title of the movie was so appropriate for this evening. Life is beautiful.

Specncer, Kerri and I had gone to an organization called LHA to volunteer on Friday. They said to come back at three on Monday to help with an English class. When we got there today the teacher of the 2:00 teacher began explaining her program. I thought, this is great, they are really trying to get us involved. As the conversation continued she said she was leaving for a hike. I asked when and she said tomorrow. As the conversation and instruction continued I realized she was leaving, and we were taking over the class. They weren’t having us help, but having us teach the class! I made sure they realized we had no teaching experience whatsoever… they said, oh you’ll be great! You are a native English speaker and as long as you can talk to them it will be so helpful. So, starting today we are teaching an English class to intermediate level students. Lol we’ll see what tales I can tell in the next few weeks on that…

After being introduced to that we went to the advanced English class. What they do for this is just have English speakers come in. Everyone grabs a cushion and forms little groups on the floor, one native English speaker with any where from about 3-5 students. We just talk together and practice their English. It was a ball! They are all so energetic and excited! I’ve never had so much fun trying to understand English with a thick accent. And their English is very good! Most of them have only been learning for a few months. Besides a few words where the accent is extremely thick, I understand them really well. It was an absolute ball! These Tibetans are so happy, energetic and excited to learn English.

The first few days in Dharamsala were a little tough, but now it seems like things are falling into place nicely. Most mornings are gorgeous, the sun shinning brightly. Then the clouds move in and it gets windy and rains for a bit most afternoons, at least so far. They say the rainy season is almost over though. Then we hope to go on a day hike. I cannot begin to describe the beauty here! It is absolutely gorgeous. I ran into a lady from Scotland and said she must feel at home her then, at least scenery wise. She laughed and said this area is called the “Scotland of India.”

Oh, and a funny thing that came across in a conversation the other day! With talking with an Indian man who runs a shop here he told me that India is famous for three things: PPCG- pollution, people, corruption, and garbage. I laughed full heartedly because we have seen each of these as problems in this country. It’s always funny to hear locals express thoughts you have had.

The Weary Traveler

It was about 6:30 as the sun was rising over the mountains. I’d been trying to sleep for hours on the bus, but finally gave up. When I opened my eyes the picture I saw almost made the last 12 hours of the worst bus ride of my life worth it. The bright orange sun began putting off it’s orange glaze over the most lushus green covered mountains. As the sun rose further it drifted over more green until it hit the river just below. It was a true masterpiece.

So to be quite honest, our journey from Kushalnagar to Dharamsala was long, completely tiring, and really not that pleasant. We left last Friday and took what should have been a 5 ½ hour bus ride up to Bangalore. The bus got a flat tire though… and my impression after waiting for an hour and a half for them to change it was that they really didn't know how to change the tire. I’m no expert, but there was a lot of banging… I didnt think that was typical of changing a tire… But eventually we did make it Bangalore.

IN Bangalore we stayed one night while waiting for our train to leave Saturday night. Banglore guys… it felt just like any big city in the US. I’m putting a few pictures on. For those of you from Vegas, it felt a lot like the strip shopping ways, maybe a lot like down by the M&M factory. It serious is just like downtowns in America, full of shops, etc. We even caved and bought ice cream sundaes at the McDonald’s. It felt like home- and there were quite a few other white people too. Remember, we only saw two in Kushalnagar for the week and a half we were there.
Saturday night we went to board our train. The train left at 7:20 Saturday night was was suppose to arrive in Dehli on Monday morning at 10. It was quite the experience! We went pretty much over almost all the country, seeing all the green. There were some beautiful places we passed to be certain! But there were also some destitute places along the way. It’s interesting because here I’ve noticed that poverty is not hidden away. In the states, we have the ghettos, where most of the “poor” congregate. Then as you get to other parts you have nice houses, etc. Here, they have the most beautiful buildings… right next to run down shacks. The most beautiful next to the complete destitute… It's interesting to see. Startling in many ways.

But back to the train ride, we met some interesting people. Lots of people just see the white kids and want to know where they are from, what they are doing, etc. Lol although I think the funniest thing to watch was the last night we cracked out the cards and started playing hearts. By the end we had a small crowd gathered around watching… Lol Americans playing cards, go figure right? Oh, but that reminds me. One, these trains are cheap- so they are dirty to be certain. The bathrooms… you def try to avoid. But also on these sleeper trains you have 6 in each compartment. When its night time you put the seats up and it forms 6 beds. Perfect number right? 6 for 6. But the problem is they also let people get tickets to board the train without sleeping places. So at night you end up having a lot of extra people without beds… It just made me think because we would never do that in the states. But here they crowd as many people as possible…

After the train ride we stayed in Delhi that night and then boarded the overnight bus ride that I mentioned at the beginning. 13 hours, from 630pm-8am up to Dharamsala. The experience is so hard to describe… I think the closest thing I could compare to in my mind is what I thought a bus ride in Africa would be like. Now what that means, I don’t know because I’ve never been to Africa nor ridden a bus there. But its what I pictured it would be like. Now don’t get me wrong- I never feared for my life. But we went on some crazy roads where I thought we’d lose a tire. It was overnight… but not a one of us sleep a wink. At one point we even forded a river… yes, we drove over a small river in a bus… I literally laughed outloud and said where are we? But we made it up to Dharamsala.

It is beautiful up here guys! It's just tucked away at the foothills of the Himilayas and it is astoundingly beautiful. The most shocking thing though is just how many westerners there are here…. They are everywhere! There are Italain, French, American, Israeli, etc food everywhere. You can’t walk down the street without running into more westerners. It was a huge shock since for the first 3 weeks we hardly saw any…

Anyway, I think that is all for now. It was a long journey up here… But we are finally here in this beautiful place.

Food and questions

So I've had a lot ofquestions about food. So far we have mostly had Indian food, so I'll share a bit about that for now. For breakfast we usually just have fruit, usually bananas because they are very sweet, and they have them still on the stalks, they just rip them off right there when you buy them; but we also have oranges and pomegranates sometimes too. Grapes, apples, etc are around, but we are discouraged from eating them because they were probably washed with the water, which would thus give us the bacteria anyway. We were given a piece of guava from our train mates yesterday too. Fresh guava is great! So we eat things with a peel. Sometimes we get rolls at the bakery, or eat biscuits (kind of like cookies, the only similar thing I can think of are they are kidn of like graham crackers?). We’ve had eggs and this bread thing, kind of like a pancake only way greasy- hence we only had it once, too much for our stomachs. So that’s breakfast.

For lunch and dinner we usually have similar things. In Indian restaurants we eat rice or various breads (paraotta, roti, nan, etc- parota is my favorite) with the different gravies, which are just like things from the Bombay House. They all have different things in them, such as potatoes, cauliflower, peas, carrots, spinach, meats (which we try to stay away from because meats often aren’t cooked well enough), coconut, and other similar things. My favorite so far was this coconut (kurma here) dish- it was wonderful! Some are great, some WAY too spicy (even when we ask for no spice, its still way hot). Tibetan food though, is a lot like Chinese food- lots of fried rices and chow mein type dishes. My favorite thing is the momos- Kind of like a pasta type shell thing with either meat or vegs in them (Tibetans love beef- so that’s usually what they make). They are wonderful! I’m going to try to learn how to make them I think… That is something I would really miss. We filter our water and drink that- never drinking water from anything but our bottles or bottles we buy. Filtering water makes it safe, but doesn't help the taste. We drink usually a soda a day too- because its one of the only cold things we drink ever. They also have these drinks called lassi- a milk/curd type drink. It is sweet and actually really good. For the malaria pills everyone else is drinking they have to eat curd every day, so we usually get those b/c they are WAY better than curd by itself (which they often eat with rice- and unless you add sugar, the curd really isn’t that enjoyable… at least not to our mouths). They actually do have chocolate, although it is different. Actually, sodas are slightly different too. They are the same "brands" but they must be slightly different mixtures because they do taste different. But we all love the munch bars- which are a lot like kit kats, just not quite as good of chocolate. But they def hit the spot. And many of the baked goods are pretty good too. One cookie thing tastes a lot like a lemon cookie from the states.

So there is food for you. Also I've been asked questions about Tibet. I'll give brief answers fior now. The situation is so complex from all angles... so bare with me here. Did Tibet start out as part of China? Well that depends on who you talk to. As a historian we always joke about how history is only the story of the winners- the losers' stories are usually destroyed or tainted by the victor. With the current China/Tibet situation there is no winner yet, hence the "history" is not completely decided yet. Culturally, religiously, and by language, the Tibetans were their own people before Mao came to power. He went into Tibet and claimed it as part of the "old CHina" that he was trying to restore right after taking over in 1949. He made an agreement with the Dalai Lama (who was a child then, and is still the cuurent Dalai Lama), called the seventeen point agreement (I'm sure you can look this up on wikipedia, though I haven't tried). IN it he claimed Tibet would stay religiously free and be autonomous essential. But in 1959 things were bad enough that the Dalia Lama and tens of thousands of Tibetans fled for their lives. They fled to India, and since then have been in various settlements INdia set up for them here. We were in Bylakuppe in the south and now will be in Dharamasala, the capitol of the Tibetan government in exile. So in the end, CHina claims Tibet has always been a part of China and Tibet says no we have not.

As for the Dalai Lama, he is only important to Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhism has so many different sects... which at the end of this trip we are visiting Bodh Gaya (sp?), where all the major sects are. ONce there I will share some of the differences. But the Dalai Lama is only big in Tibetan Buddhism, at least a sfar as I understand right now. But he is an amazing man! HE's doing all kinds of things and is huge all over the world.

Sorry all of this is scatter-brained and not completely helpful. At the end of this I will have a big paper to write... and then I'll be able to answer all of your questions completely accurately :) THanks for reading guys and thanks for the questions! Keep firing away!

September 11th, 2008

So here I am again, in much less than a week. We actually aren’t leaving until tomorrow… and I’ve had a few cool experiences since then I wanted to share before our take off to the north.
For our Buddhist studies course we have been talking with the monks about the basic ideas of Buddhism. IT has been quite the experience! There are many, many good things about Buddhism that I think everyone should learn. I am a big advocate of the world’s religions. Any religion that teaches people to do good and be better people is a great asset to mankind. I love all religions that preach to be good, regardless of anything else. Buddhism encourages this to the max. The Dalai Lama has said if you are a Muslim be the best Muslim you can, if you are Christian be the best Christian you can. They only hope that you can take whatever good you can find in Buddhism and use it to make your worship and beliefs stronger. Their techniques of meditation and the encouragement of learning to control your thoughts and mind are awesome. Any human being, religious or not can benefit from it.

It was also great discussing our different religions together. Although I don’t think any of us are going to “convert” each other to the other’s ideas, there was a mutual respect during the sharing of ideas. Just because in the end we don’t’ leave the conversation thinking and feeling exactly the same doesn’t mean that one of us is wrong. It doesn’t mean we can’t respect each other’s beliefs. What an experience it is to have two people share their differing beliefs and leave the conversation with a deep respect for them and what they are trying to do.

They are also just good people, trying to hard to do good in the world. These people have hooked us up in so many ways. When we told them we were heading up to Dharamsala they got out their contacts, told us of places to stay, looked up numbers and addresses… all because that is what they do. They help people in any way they can. We had mentioned to a friend who works in a shop. He asked how we are getting the tickets for the train and said there is a Tibetan travel agency he knows, called them and set everything up with them. Can you believe that? They are constantly looking out for how they can help others, and completely without return. Every time we have tried to buy someone lunch or done something to try to show them reciprocity they tell us no, please. We do this because we want to, not because we want something in return. Marc told us he’d experienced this before in India in his previous trip. They tried to pay someone for all the help he gave- which was days. But he refused, saying you are my friend, I do this because you are my friend. I am not doing this for pay, but because you are my friend. How I wish we could all learn to do this! What a better place the world would be… They not only say it, but mean it as well.

Also, today is September 11th, and as an American how can writing that day down not stir some thoughts. Particulalry for those of us out of the country. I won’t get to watch the news and hear some of the remembrance specials going on today (and if any of you want to share what you hear, see, etc. about those, please do ). But being away from the States makes any American grateful for their homeland. That is not to say that America does not have its problems- for it surely does. And being out here makes you realize some of the materialistic, selfish things of American society, as I jsut stated in the previous paragraph.

But at the same time, how can you not be grateful for some things? For a land advanced in many ways much further than much of the world. This is not a cocky statement in the least- travel to a third world country and you will realize just how much we have. INdia is beautiful in many ways, but also way dirty and disgusting in others. I've seen more garbage and disgusting things in the streets... For a land of order and relative peace. An example, the police system. Ok, American cops are far from perfect- but for the most part you can count on them to do their job. Here… not even close. Lol corruption is rampant. I’ll elaborate later… We have it, but not at all like this… For a land where we do feel safe (at least as much as one can in this crazy world). There are bombings in India all the time... For a land where we are free to make what we want of our lives. A young child in the ghetto can rise up and make something great of his life. Here, it really is virtually impossible with the class system. Honest and truthfully, it really is. SO although America is not perfect, we really are a blessed people, and leaving the country makes you realize that more than I think anything else will. But we have so much to be grateful for, so much to live for. So my Sept. 11th wish is not that we see America without her faults- see her with her faults and be grateful we have what we have. Here’s to hoping we take advantage of that!

September 8th, 2008

Today we went up to Sera, the monasteries area, I went into the library there for a while. Most of it is in Tibetan of course, but after fishing around I found some things in English. Lots of basics on Buddhism, which will be totally helpful. But the word that caught my eye the most was Rangzen- the word that for Tibetan youth means independence. It’s a magazine/newsletter done by the Tibetan Youth Congress, the young adults/teenagers magazine for those wanting independence. Actually, I wrote down what their main motive is, “TYC has, since its inception endeavored to cherish and preserve this sacred gift of identity in its highest and most pristine form- a completely free and independent Tibet.” This magazine is written by the young adults I hope to start talking to and interviewing. Reading this made me completely excited to get to start talking to these individuals.

Also, I realize that I am ahead of myself some what here. I know there must be at least a few of you who don’t’ even know really what Tibet is. Tibet is currently a province of China. Tibetans are a minority of Chinese. Hopefully you’ll start seeing pictures on here soon. It is a province of China, but China has violated human rights in Tibet, and Tibetans want to gain some level of better independence from China. Some are calling for a complete break-off, some just for Tibet to become an autonoumous region of China. Those are the very basics… And I’ll gladly explain in more depth to whatever questions you guys send my way.

We are officially heading up north now, so the real action will begin in about a week when we get there and situated :) Take care this next week my faithful friends, and the adventures will be bigger and better soon ;)

The Karuna House

September 4th, 2008

“And you find this kind of rootless existence appealing?” So said the rich, first class mother on the movie Titanic, to which Jack, the third class vagabond told her that he did, for when he woke up he didn’t know where we’d end up or who he’d met that day. This is conversation ran through my head as we pulled away in a rickshaw yesterday afternoon as we left the Karuna House after a few hours.

We’re kind of in a limbo state right now, waiting for a few things to work out so we don’t have a lot planned each day. Our only plan on Thursday was to met a contact’s brother. We showed up to his store and he greeted us and then took us to a rickshaw, haggled the price with the driver and welcomed us to get in. He said the driver would take us to his brother, but nothing else. We all got in and kind of laughed. Well, this will be an adventure. The driver drove us somewhere between Kushalnagar (where we are staying) and Bylakuppe (the Tibetan village), somewhere kind of the middle of no where except this gated area. “Here” he said. We all kind of looked at each other. Here? Marc confirmed with the guy, this is it? He said yes. We got out and walked toward the gate. What do we do, knock? So we knocked and waited. Nothing. The Indian rickshaw driver then smiled and came over and knocked harder and insistently. Well, its an adventure right?

A Tibetan man came out and waved us in. We were seated outside one of the buildings on some beautiful benches next to a built pond, surrounded by sleek tiles. In the pond were some beautiful plants and some of those Japanese fish (sorry, I don’t know the real name). A little black dog with long, shaggy fur greeted us calmly and happily. The place was clearly very well taken care of, which contrasts greatly with the buildings we are used to seeing. I don’t know how else to explain the place except serene. Completely serene.

A Tibetan man came out and greeted us. He told us he was the founder of the house, a home for disabled children and young adults. He told us about how he had started the place, what goes on, about some of the children, how the place is run. Honestly, I don’t think I could have been more impressed. He took us on a tour of the place and the whole place was beautiful. But it was so much more than just the beauty of the buildings or the quietness of being away from everything. The place itself was just serene.

The Karuna Home (Karuna is the sanscript word for compassion- completely fitting, no?) was built in 2004 by this man, Lama Khube Rinpoche. He was educated at the monastery and finished his studies (20 years of study at the monastery, yes 20) and then began traveling and teaching. He decided on this project and finally got it working in 2004. He now has 22 students living and learning there. He is hoping to take in 5 more students a year until they reach capacity. Some of the children cannot walk, some cannot see, some cannot hear, some have mental disabilities, some cannot speak. But all are treated the same and all are taken care of, go to classes to learn and improve, get the medicine and therapy they need. All at the expense of the home.

He explained to us that since Tibetans cannot have a refugee status ( because that would be admitting that Tibet is a free nation, which India cannot with the pressure from China), the government cannot grant them a lot of things, including homes for the disabled. They cannot go to Indian homes either. SO, there is no place in Tibetan society for these children, that is until this Rinpoche build this home.

There are so many things I could say about this home… but none of them would do justice. But we met some of the kids and as he talked about them, tossled their hair lovingly, you could tell how much he loved these kids, and you could see in their eyes how happy they were. All of the children were happy, vibrant. They were quite a site. A beautiful site indeed. I’ve never seen a happier bunch of children. HE said they have a set structure, they treat the children as people and they have seen much improvement in the discipline, learning, and happiness of the children. I completely believed it.

The Rinpoche took us into an office/sitting room after the tour and just chatted with us for a while about what we were studying, what we were doing, about his life, his work, about the Tibetan community, Buddhism, and many other things. It was fantastic. And to think we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into when we showed up…

If you want to know more about the place, check out http://www.karunahome.org/. There are pictures and better explanations. Ask questions though too, if you have them.

Oh, and just for fun, here are some pictures of the gorgeous fields that surround Bylakuppe, which we get to drive by every day we go to Bylakuppe.