It has been a long time… Timmy came to Dharamshala and we went on a 2 week wild adventure to the hinterlands (within walking distance of Tibet boarder), travel permits and nerves of steel were required gear for the region that boasts "one of the most sparsely populated regions on earth." Like being in "real Tibet" there were 1500 year old temples, yaks, and monks. Unlike "real Tibet" there was Freedom!
I brought home real yak butter home for my boys and they were so impressed, after looking for it everywhere and deciding it was not Kosher to beg some from the monks, I finally bought it from a family (Thanks Tim). It was a very delicate operation that involved at least 3 middle men, and the a crowd that smiled puzzled at the two westerners who were buying 2 KG pure yak butter.
We had a great journey, I will catch you all up some other time
Yesterday was the Tibetan football world cup, but in accordance with tradition it was as you may have expected dedicated to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s mother who was, in her day a huge sports fan! The 15the Gyalyum Chemo Memorial Cup was attended by 3,000 people and the guest of honor His eminence Gyalwa Karmapa (some people say he will take over as spiritual leader after HHDL dies before a new DL is ready to lead). The 23 year old Karmapa is, or appears to be a big grump. Luckily, I am an overzealous klutz and tripped in his path and was able capture a fleeting (although slightly mocking) smile from the holy man. And so the games began.
Perched on the hillside with my roommates we cheered for the Dharamshala team, “Tibetan Children’s Village”, who were pitted a bit unfairly against the local police department. The game was temporarily interrupted by cows who found their way onto the pitch. This I thought was streaking, India style. We chatted, drank juice boxes, (a Dharamshala staple that I am thrilled have been reintroduced since the days of lunchboxes) and enjoyed a great Sunday afternoon.
Work it seems is never ending but I like that. The monsoons are coming every afternoon there is thunder and lightning that usually knocks out power for an hour or so, frustrating but still thrilling.
Oh, I officially accepted my Peace Corps assignment looks like Amman in Oct! Oh boy
Love from the Himalayas
Rah
"We were all in the car coming home from Spokane, and Mama was reading an adventure book about Tibet that Uncle Marv had loaned her. Being a good Adventist, Mama was against books about things such as Tibet unless a missionary wrote them. But she's the opposite of practically everybody on earth in that she has to read in a car to keep from getting carsick, and the Tibet book was the only one her skunk of a brother would loan her. So anyhow, at some point in the book the author-adventurer got himself invited into this smoky little Tibetan house, sat down to dinner with the whole Tibetan family, and started eating stuff with names like Zahpahhayabrugmacharya and driking stuff with names like Padmaywhang. And as she was reading about this, Mama started squirming all over the front seat, giggling and muttering to herself and acting all delighted, till every last one of us was gaping at her. And when Papa finally asked what on earth was going on, Mama just turned to him with this wonderful, dazed smile on her face, smacked her lips, and said, "Yum! Yak butter!" And we almost died laughing - literally - since Papa gawked at her so long he nearly drove off the road."
ReplyDeleteJust a little BrosK from home. Thank you for the Tibetan World Cup photos. :0)
love,
Tay