Instant Enlightenment

The Hong Kong airport is the happiest place on Earth!

2008-12-14T17:25:00.007-06:00

burger king. ben and jerry's. popeyes.
(!!!)

also, christmas music. what?

everyone from my group who is on the group flight to LA is currently asleep, while I talk to people in the Hong Kong airport.
I can't believe it's over!

So, let's see. I will try to upload my ISP over political prisoners (with Stephen's help, of course) in the near future, in case you have interest in reading it. Click on this link: DARBY%20ISP.pdf

Forgive the brevity, but I have gotten about 9 hours of sleep over the course of 4 nights and it is currently 8 in the morning in Hong Kong (we arrived 2 hours ago) and we don't leave again until 4:30. My brain is a little confused at the moment.

This is ridiculous. People are fashionable (or at least, I don't feel as if I'm in the 90s again), and they are all so clean! Everyone and everything are so clean... i don't even know how to handle it!

Semesters are so short.

Here's a quote that happened in South India that I haven't gotten around to putting up. This is how sad we are:
“But, at the end of the tunnel, there’s not a light – there’s only Mexican food! (said in unison)”

Okay, so I am about to go possibly get a massage, so I will be back later. (:

This was a $17,000 thangka that we got to see:

This may or may not have been ours...

Sarah, sleeping in the airport:

Stephen sleeping:

“I was intoxicated with drowsiness.”

2008-11-29T08:17:00.007-06:00

One day, our cook, with whom we communicate regularly through texts, was very late in bringing our breakfast. A little later he texted his apology, citing intoxication with drowsiness as the reason. (:

view from our roof; Loseling prayer hall

Today, we caught a peeping tom: a spider monkey! The little monks shot pebbles at it, which we expected the big monk to condemn; instead he seemed to condone it!

Written around November 14:

Okay, so: Stephen and I are now at Drepung Monastery, where we have been for about one week (wow!). We are staying in the Drepung Loseling guest house, which is pretty nice, though the shower doesn’t work (but neither of us minds bucket baths, so it’s not a big deal) and the power goes off on a very regular basis (though not regular enough to have a schedule…)

our pet lizard! he comes in the holes around our window and sings to us.

We are both working on our ISPs, which are going pretty well at this point. When we first got here, Geshe Tsundue (a former student of Geshe Dorjee’s who is basically taking care of us under our Geshe’s distant supervision) didn’t really understand my project, so he took Stephen to the Loseling school and didn’t understand why I didn’t go with him every day. Finally, however, we worked out finding a translator for me, who was able to clear up everything with Tsundue la.

with Geshe Tsundue la outside of the Ganden monastery temple.

So now, I have been meeting with political prisoners every day at 4:00, and today will be my fourth. Tomorrow I am interviewing the school’s principal, which was entirely luck!

Stephen, while having tea with him, discovered that he was arrested trying to get back into Tibet from Nepal (despite the fact that the principal speaks only a little English), even going so far as to draw him a map of the prison! Needless to say, Stephen excitedly told me when he got back and I made an appointment to talk to him about it as soon as possible.

cooking french fries!

I have been teaching English classes! I've taught classes 2 (eek), 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 at Loseling. It’s pretty fun, though definitely tricky. Luckily, being bad at remembering names and instead pretty good at remembering faces works pretty well here! Most of their names are too tricky to pick up quickly anyway, but I can remember them easily by their faces.

Class 1B- those who have to start with the Tibetan alphabet.

students trying to ignore the American taking their pictures.

It’s really difficult to know what to do- I think there is a mix of wanting to listen to us talk and wanting to talk with us, partially because they aren’t all very comfortable talking. It’s very easy to spot the good ones from the unpracticed ones, which is helpful. The hard part is getting through to the ones who are in the upper level class and barely speak. So far, it’s mostly Tibetans who have been the quietest.

morning assembly.

I try to get them to ask questions, which some do at first, thenthey stop out of fear, I think, then after a while, they start asking a lot more. I’ve been asked strange things; lots about Obama, I was asked where I was and how I felt when the twin towers hit, why I like Buddhism, why people in the west like the Dalai Lama, what the American flag means, and what I think needs to be done to save Tibetans. I think they warm to me initially because they always ask why I’m here and my answer is that I am doing my project about political prisoners (which was really hard to explain the first time).

Stephen is now a computer teacher for the computer teachers, which is pretty cute.

little monks practicing writing.

So, here’s how the monastery thing works: In Tibet, the biggest monasteries were Sera, Drepung, and Gaden. Because they were so big, each had two monasteries within them. In South India, the biggest are Drepung (4,000ish monks), Sera (2,000ish), and Gaden (1,500ish), and each has two monasteries/colleges within them. In Drepung, there are Drepung Loseling and Drepung Gomang, Loseling being the larger of the two and the one Geshe Dorjee comes from and where Stephen and I are staying.

shoes outside of the Ganden temple.

Oh, we also had a three day train ride to get here, which was no fun. Stephen got what we think was his first migraine and I got a cold (his was much much worse, but needless to say, neither of us was very productive, though I did read a whole book that was incredibly good for my project).

a little Indian girl begging - an unfortunately common site.

Okay, now it’s Sunday. Today we visited Gaden monastery, which was very nice. We arrived as some high lama was awarding those who had done the best in the recent tests, so all of the monks were assembled in the big temple. We were instructed to go in the very front and take pictures, which was scary! My heart was absolutely racing in excitement/fear that we were doing something wrong. Oh, and right outside the door were bees!

Today we also visited Geshe Dorjee la's Amala!

I taught English to class 2 of Loseling school the other day. Usually, I teach 7-10, so it was really difficult. I had them read “Curlylocks and the three bears,” which was entertaining. Oh, and this morning I taught classes 6,7, and 8 at Gomang school, which was interesting. Gomang school only goes up to 8, and they were all pretty good at English. In class 8, it was science hour, so we read their English science book; the chapter they were on was about satellites of various kinds (i.e. planets, artificial). Interesting…

a little monk from class 1 on Children's Day.

We also were lucky enough to witness Children’s Day at Loseling school, during which the students had no real classes, got to play games, and the teachers performed skits and songs for them. It was really cute. The best part was the monk who does morning announcements who told jokes in his announcer voice; we didn’t understand the Tibetan, but it was clearly really funny and his tone was entertaining enough for us. Also, the teachers performed as Tibetan boy bands! They videotaped the whole thing and at one point the guy with the camera started videotaping us from at least 4 different places! Weird weird.

Oh! We made French fries!

mmmmm.

We are still just as unusual a site here as we were, but I think we are both getting more accustomed to it. Power is still just as sketchy (i.e. sometimes we have power, sometimes we don’t, sometimes it comes on for 3 seconds, sometimes for 2 hours in the middle of the night…)

Oh, and it’s the coolest time of year here but it still feels like summer at home. I can’t believe it’s so cold in Arkansas! It’s going to be super weird to get home and be the middle of December after being here.

all of this was just for Stephen and I....

Also, we are being fattened up. I think they realized how skinny Stephen was and decided to make us feast regularly.

feasting with Ngawang Kelsang la. Chive and cabbage momos!

Today, Tuesday, we were photographers. We started out by photographing the Loseling School principal as he visited an important old Geshe and gave an offering. Then we went and took pictures all around the school. Then we went and took pictures of him making offerings in a small temple. Then we went to the main Loseling temple and took pictures of him making offerings to the abbot, deities, and all of the important monks in it, of him and his assistants giving money to all 2,000ish monks, and of the temple itself, inside which the monks were doing a puja. The puja was for him; he recently became a Geshe and this was his ceremony to give offerings and be given offerings by others.

during the puja, little monks ran around with food.

We also got to walk around on top of the Loseling prayer hall, which is huge and was completed in January of this year.

inside the Loseling temple before puja began.

Today, Saturday, we are back to being under house arrest. Apparently the policeman that was around and patrolling for passes was friendly, and has unfortunately left and was replaced by a very unfriendly one. For this reason, we can only go out at night again, which we only do to go use internet when we can or have dinner with one of our monks.

students erecting a tent on the day of the science exhibition at Loseling school.

We have also been very privilidged to receive teachings from Geshe Wangchen, a very important and well-known monk here. We meet with him every three days or so, at which time we are allowed to ask any questions we have and he answers to the best of his ability. He spent 7 or 8 years in England, so his English is very good. He is in his 70s. I don't think either of us realized just how important he is until we were asked to take pictures when he took part in a puja at Minyak Kangtsen:

Geshe Wangchen is the one on the throne at the end. Minyak Kangtsen is the dormitory that Geshe Dorjee la was in charge of and Geshe Tsundue la is in charge of in his stead. Kangtsen is the word for dormitory and Minyak is a place in Kham (a region in Tibet) where most of the monks who live there came from.

cuties.

I said in my short entry that I would comment on the awesome Tibetan fellow (also viewable here, as linked from Stephen's blog.) I interviewed him for my project, though he was not actually ever imprisoned. He has been part of every major hunger strike (as far as I can tell) for the past few decades, including a 36-day hunger strike in Delhi. More pictures later.

As for my project- I have, at this point, interviewed 7 political prisoners, 2 non-prisoners, my advisor, and 2 other monks. I have yet to really start writing, however, but I will start soon. Only about one week left...
We will be here, in Drepung, until December 7, at which time we will take a train to Delhi and arrive the morning of the 9th. Then we fly to Kathmandu on December 10th and stay there until December 15th, when we fly home. We will gain back the day we lost in coming and will have to stay overnight in LA, finally arriving in Tulsa at 10:30pm on the 16th.
Whoo.

skinny! also, mountain man.

We are getting ridiculous, friends and family. On more than one occasion, we have sat and discussed (and argued about stopping) and obsessed about the foods we will eat when we get home. We have lists. They are very very long. Whenever we get hungry, or really just when we allow ourselves to, we start up again. One of us always threatens the other with something if they don't stop and we both always end up listing off foods and drooling.
We are serious when we say we will do nothing but sleep and eat for a while after returning home.

Stop worrying. Everything's good in monk city!

2008-11-27T10:18:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to write a quick note (particularly so because the internet place closes in 5 minutes) to let everyone know that I am fine. I am hundreds of miles away from Mumbai, living in a place where there are only a handful of foreigners, all of whom (excluding Stephen and myself) are monks or nuns.

In case you are as unaware as I was until an hour ago, there was a terrorist attack in Mumbai. Click here!

I will post a longer entry as soon as I can - probably in the next few days, power permitting.

In the meantime:

(Stephen's hairs.)

(Fabulous. Explanation later.)

Ahem.

2008-10-30T05:45:00.002-05:00

So, my apologies for the overly angsty post. Today I spent about 3 hours at my director's house having lunch and chatting. When I left, I felt so much better... I think I just needed another person and I needed to talk for more than 5 minutes to someone who speaks English as well as I do.
It was good and it helped. She also bought this hot sauce I discovered at a restaurant and mentioned I liked (but couldn't find in a store), which makes me super happy. It's called Louisiana Hot Sauce and it tastes like the sauce on spicy garlic wings at Buffalo Wild Wings (if you know me, you know I'm obsessed with this stuff).
Plus, Stephen and the group return in 4.5 days, which is amazing. And I will rewrite the stupid thing, though I will inwardly rail against it, probably. It won't be very good, as I lost all of my notes, but I will try and also attempt not to hate myself for writing something way below par.
I think I just feel better having at least found somewhere with Wifi.
Please let me know if you have anything you'd like me to write about/take pictures of.

Right now, I hate it here.

2008-10-29T06:25:00.002-05:00

I am lonely, I am sick still, and I am relocated.
I don't know where anything is, there is nowhere to eat less than a 15 minute walk away (which doesn't seem like a big deal until you think about that fact that I am a white female and Nepali men just adore those and I am not fine with being out after dark, which starts around 5.
My new hotel has no internet (well, it has it, but it's only for the owner), no restaurant, and no people, and the owner is a jerk.
Today, I discovered that the drain in my bathroom doesn't work, so I flooded 2/3 of my room when I showered. I also stayed up most of the night writing my stupid paper and then, when moving it and all of my notes to a flash drive, missed, accidentally deleted all of it. Irretrievably. So then I promptly had meltdown, called my teacher, who can fit me in for coffee tomorrow... Also, I get to write it again, apparently, because they have to have something to grade.
I finally get the stupid (insert many many angry words) paper written, even though I already felt horrible last night, got about 3 hours of sleep because of it, and then delete the stupid thing and she has absolutely no sympathy.
And I'm lonely.
Right now, don't ask me how Nepal is. Because my answer will not be positive, enthusiastic, or any other happy adjective.
And Stephen doesn't come back for a week, which isn't terribly long, but right now feels like forever.
And I met a girl from the SIT Nepal program who treated me like a leper and didn't want anything to do with me.
And I have another paper to write in the next week as well.
I feel like giving up.
On the plus side, I just had good food.

"Taxi to Thamel? 400 rs." "No. 150." "For you, special price- 300." "150"."...okay 200."

2008-10-22T22:27:00.005-05:00

I am officially fairly confident in the value of things here. And I am feeling extremely confident in my ability to barter. The men like me because I'm white, female, and I am nice to them and I think they expect me to be easy to take advantage of, and then they get really confused when I am adamant in my price (and I'm stubborn and never afraid to just not buy something) and very stern. Yay!

Okay, this is what the majority of shops (including pharmacies, phone stores, etc.) look like. The little packets hanging are not condoms, which is what most of us thought in India where they were on every roadside vendor (of which there where many...), but in fact candy.

So, I went back to the doctor. After 9 blood tests, they established that I'm not pregnant, I don't have HIV, and I don't have any of the Heps. So that's good. Basically, I'm getting better, just really really slowly. Oh, my liver is also inflamed, but apparently that's no big deal.

So then PD and I went shopping. While in the taxi, I saw these:

Yep. In case you aren't aware, there has been a Maoist group that has been waging guerrilla warfare against the Nepali monarchy for 15 years, which won the popular election last year, I believe, so they are currently the dominant power after forcing the King to step down.

So, we went shopping and I bought more presents. Once again, PD helped prove that one can get much much better prices with a local around. Plus I think he was telling them to help him out with me, because when he would barter with them his voice got kind of soft and the kind of tone you'd expect in such a situation, and he would not towards me sometimes. Hey, whatever works.

I also bought a sari. I was just debating it, but I mentioned it to him and he decided that I had to have one. So we went and got it for pretty cheap, actually. He then decided I absolutely had to wear it then, so I did (mostly because I wanted the girl to help me put it on so that I could see how it was done). I realized a little later that it was a wedding sari, but it's a cheap one, so it's not as elaborate and showy as many are. He, having come from work, was wearing a suit, so everyone we passed on the way back to a taxi (which was many, many people) thought we were getting married and offered congratulations.

Last night the power went out and, being bored, I decided to wrap it myself. I'd say I did well! I even pleated effectively! Of course, it helps that I had softened it up. Being fairly cheap and new, it was pretty rough and stiff. I rinsed it a million times (partially also in order to get out the excess dye, of which there was plenty) and washed it twice and hung it out to dry twice, and it finally worked! I think I got the majority of excess dye and I softened it quite a bit.

I stayed bored, so I then decided to take pictures.

Also, I bought myself a ring! It took forever and many many shops to find, but I finally succeeded with PD's help. It says "om mani padme hum" in Tibetan (which is what made it so hard to find) and is sterling silver. Also, the middle part spins!

Om Mani Padme Hum means "the jewel is in the lotus." It is a mantra that is on all prayer wheels and is the most well-known Buddhist mantra. Oh, and a mantra is like a prayer, which one says, sends out into the universe by spinning an engraved prayer wheel, or by hanging painted prayer flags that are blown by the wind, for the benefit of all sentient beings.
The jewel is in the lotus can be interpreted as the idea that the lotus flower, which begins in the muck at the bottom of a pond and grows to be clean and pure above the water, is representative of all sentient beings, as they have the ability to start from any level of life, karma, beliefs, etc. and achieve true understanding of the nature of the universe.

Basically, the idea is that saying the mantra with the true intention of benefiting all sentient beings is like praying for them. It doesn't mean you have to be a Buddhist; it simply means that you are raising your thoughts to all other beings to help them achieve an end to suffering.

My mom asked me whether or not I consider myself a Buddhist, for which I am sure one could make a case, considering my writing. Here's the answer:
I am not a Buddhist in the strict sense by which it will be considered by most non-Buddhists. I wondered, before this trip began, if I would go home and expound upon the spiritual revelations I had while abroad and how I found inspiration in Buddhism through the various pilgrimage sites I would visit. Before I came, I followed Buddhist philosophy of compassion, karmic retribution for one's actions, non-violence, and ignorance leading to suffering, and I continue to do so now. However, I have visited a number of pilgrimage sites (though, to be fair, none of the most revered, which are in parts of India I did not visit), and I never felt truly inspired or particularly enthralled with them.
However, the most touched I have ever felt, spiritually speaking, was receiving a blessing from a high lama, here in Kathmandu and receiving a blessing from Geshe Dorjee la at home. I think it is simply difficult for a Westerner to conceive the levity of the various myths and deities and images.
But the fact is, were I forced to align myself with a faith, I would align claim Buddhism over Christianity without any hesitation. I am not Buddhist, but I have more respect for a faith which excludes no one, is completely non-violent and therefore is never the basis for wars, promotes questioning, researching, and debating the faith itself and everything about it and included in it, and says that every sentient being is in charge of their own fate through their actions and, more importantly, their intentions, without the promise of being saved by an outside entity.
Again, if you have questions, please let me know!

To answer a few more questions from my parents:
No, I have not had mystery meat. In Nepal and India, there are next to no regulations on meat, so it is generally a very big risk to order any meat. However, there are restaurants that have meat shipped from Europe, most often, which guarantees the safety. For this reason, I am not entirely vegetarian and have had chicken and beef while in Kathmandu.

Toilet paper here is generally very rough and resembles streamers in both texture and form. It is fairly difficult to find in both India and Nepal, though Kathmandu has a reasonably large population of Westerners who refuse the water and hand method.

The most common religions are Buddhism and Hinduism, though there are also many Muslims.

There are many stray dogs here, which I find terribly sad. This is one of the issues that pushes me away from the more devout Buddhists here. It kills me to see them circumambulating the stupa (the path is lined with prayer wheels and they recite mantras as they go) and stepping over or around dogs that are starving. There is also a disease here that I have never seen or heard of; basically, the dog's intestines start coming out, which eventually kills them. I have seen so many dogs that are about to die and some that are dead already, just ignored for a while.
I don't understand those who say they have compassion for all sentient beings, yet refuse to help certain forms. This is, of course, not universally true, as I have often seen healthy, happy dogs hanging around monasteries where they are likely to get scraps. In answer to the initial question, they are allowed inside the monastery courtyard, but they never attempt to go into temples as they have curtains hung over doors and dogs here know better.

Kathmandu as fiction is a topic for another entry, I believe. Suffice it to say that, as one of the poorest countries in the world, it is impossible that any city could be as imagined by a Westerner, particularly one with such a great population.
Oh, and as for altitude:

I can kill two birds with one stone - I love nicotine and I want glasses!

2008-10-20T04:58:00.005-05:00

So, the quote is from Lucy, one of the girls on the trip. She has always wanted glasses and her eyes are just barely too good to get them. She also smokes and, upon discovering that smoking leads to poorer eyesight, made the aforementioned statement.

I've added many more photos to my flickr account (comment!).
The following is what I have written over the last week or so.

(this was last week, right after we got to Kathmandu)
Yesterday I had a stomach x-ray done. Pretty interesting. It looked cloudy, which I correctly suspected to be a bad thing. So now I'm on medicine, which is good, though I'm not particularly thrilled about the way the next few days are going to go.
I'm sorry for waiting so long to write - I've been expecting to be better every day and it just hasn't been happening (though it should now!).
Alright, where am I? I am currently in Kathmandu, Nepal. We are staying in the Tibetan sector, which, as far as I can tell, I very much like. There is a lovely monastery in which most of the monks seem to have purpose and many old Tibetans are always making slow circles around the stupa.

It’s weird to order room service here – they tell you it’s completely fine, but the person who brings it always looks quite perplexed and a little put out. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed room service twice (the third is on the way), and I’m not sure if they know why I don’t leave my room.

Here, as with everywhere I’ve been in India, people spread out barley (wheat?) to dry on the rooftops. It’s fun to watch the fat pigeons slowly discover the goldmine before something (and rarely the person in charge of the goods) scares them away.

Oh, there are also roosters and turkeys on the rooftop next to our hotel.

.............

So, on Thursday (I think...), the group left to trek to Mustang. I had gone to the doctor a second and third time in the two days preceding this, and the doctor basically said that there is so much stuff stuck in me that it will take a while before I'm ready for any kind of serious exertion. I was definitely upset, but I managed to ignore it for the most part until after everyone left. It's hard, though - I don't feel exceedingly tired because I've been taking it easy, though I definitely am still stuck in the vicinity of my bathroom. I am glad I didn't go, simply because I would have been miserable. Of course, there is the fact that I am missing the highlight of the trip and the closest environment to pre-invasion Tibet in existence and everyone else is on it. What can you do, though, right?

I bought these to cheer myself. (:

I'm doing pretty well, though. Not much exciting to report, though, while reading by candlelight outside my room the night everyone left (the power went out around 5:45 while I was at dinner), the hotel manager PD (“You can call me PD – like Puff Daddy hahahaha!”) came and offered that, should I get bored, I am welcome to go sit and talk with the employees downstairs. Super nice. I took him up on it a few days later and have since learned 1. how to play one of the most popular Nepali card games and 2. that I should never ever play for money against locals. I was smart enough to refrain and simply watch, but they went through money like crazy!

So, I'm getting pretty good at bartering. I've also bought more jewelry than anything else, and I just keep finding more that I want to give people! It's hard to keep from spending money here, though I'm doing a pretty good job so far.

Oh, so PD is taking me shopping tomorrow, which is exciting. I will get much better deals with him there. Also, we're going to take the hotel scooter/motorcycle, which will save money but be a little terrifying. I've never ridden on one before!

so, here are some pictures that I like. But go look at flickr for more!I think all goats should be spoken to in German. I swear they respond better to it.This was right before leaving D'sala. My Amala didn't come...
This is my best picture from the drive down from D'sala.
Yeah, this was in Delhi and we were all thrilled. We had Sbarro and Subway and McDonalds.
This is the Bah'ai lotus temple. Look, we're cute!

This was taken as I was walking down the stairs from the plane after arriving in Nepal. I found out at the bottom of the stairs that it was a completely illegal thing to do. Whoops.

This is the top of the stupa.

"Man, I hate Samsara." - Stephen Coger

2008-10-02T07:15:00.004-05:00

So, I'm sorry for not writing in a while. Here's the short story: last week got sick with stomach stuff, got better, then sick again with cold stuff, then a little better before the weekend, then sick again Monday with stomach stuff that has continued until now.
So that brings us up to date. I have officially missed I think 4 days of school... maybe 5. Might go to the hospital tomorrow because it turns out Stephen Coger (who got sick a couple of days ago) went today and has a parasite. So that's good. I'm a lot better, but still not fantastic, so we'll see.
Oh, I also haven't been home in a few days because 1. I'm unwilling to go up and down the hill, 2. I can't eat or smell their food, and 3. I want/need a real toilet.
I feel kind of bad for that, but they'll just have to forgive me. Also, we leave on Monday afternoon. Crazy.

So, here's the interesting stuff that I won't be going into terribly much detail about right now:
I've been to the hospital here, which was interesting. You pay 10 or 50 rupees to be seen (50 during lunchtime, which is what I did), then some tiny amount for medicine. Mine was IRS 19. Basically, this was the second time I was sick and I saw a med student from Australia who had no idea what he was doing.
Also, in-patients all sleep in one of two big rooms and there is no regulation of who goes where within the building.

I also saw a Tibetan doctor. It basically works like this: you go at 5:30 am and wait until the place opens at 8 or 9 (down in a dark alley, at that) and then a guy comes out and you fight everyone else who is waiting for a number, then you estimate how long you have and come back then. When you go, you wait in a room and this old old monk comes out and his little followers make you show your number and when they pick you they demand your "pee-pee" and then push you into a little room with other people. You sit, he reads your pulse on one hand, then the other, then back to the first, all the while you are telling the translator/prescription writer what your issues are and then they write you a prescription for Tibetan medicine and tell you to come back in a week, which you only do if you don't have school....
Anyway, they gave me big round capsules of herbs that I had to take before breakfast, then after lunch and after dinner. They tasted horrible, incidentally and also turned my tongue kind of yellow.

We went to Tso Pema, which means the Lake of the Lotus, which is a very beautiful, very quiet pilgrimage site. It was super depressing, however, because there were so many dogs starving to death.

I also saw His Holiness speak, which was amazing, except that I wanted to die the entire time. But he was still amazing and it was worth it. The old ladies sitting by us were super cute, too. Stephen and Stephen went to get lunch for us and I stayed and they all kept trying to share their food with me.

More soon, I promise. I have to go write a paper that was due a few days ago.
Also, some good news: I ate 1/3 of a power bar, some chips, and some cashews today and they've stayed! Yay!

Pictures!

2008-09-16T06:22:00.001-05:00

Pictures are finally up!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darbyg/
On the right side, click on 'India!'

Ginger Lemon Honey Tea...

2008-09-14T06:46:00.003-05:00

is the best thing ever. At least, it is when all you've had to drink in the last 12 hours is copious amounts of butter tea.
There are a 3 places to find wifi in Dharamsala: our school, though only during certain, extremely restricted hours, the Green Hotel, which is very expensive, and the Mandali Coffee House, where it is free if you buy 100 irs' worth of food/coffee. Since a mocha is 60 and honey lemon ginger tea is 40, it's not that hard.
So that's where we are. Today the clouds decided to chill with us, so it looks as if we're just floating among them. There are a few trees across the street, but they are vague and resemble a pencil sketch of trees on blank paper. You can see the wisps blowing in the door.
I can hear people speaking Tibetan, English, French, and Hindi, and there's a crazy begger going up and down the street, yelling at people, motorcycles, and chairs. Monks keep passing on the street; some in red robes, some in yellow, but many with mala beads clicking away in their fingers. I love the old monks and nuns, those whose faces look like drawings of old Native Americans, their faces completely divided in friendly creases, emphasized by their huge smiles.
Many of the monks wear crocs, which will never cease to amuse me. Students in my program have mentioned on numerous occasions how surprised they always are to see monks with brand-name shoes and nice watches. I guess I'm used to snazzy monks.
There is a pair of Indians across the street, arguing with a Tibetan man over the price of some jewelry. They are dressed to the nines, likely because they are still excited newlyweds showing off their honeymoon wardrobe. Behind them, fighting his way up the hill, is one of the many lepers missing various apendages. He goes up and down this hill often, though I've only seen him with his hand out once. There are a few who station themselves in a few particular places and never seem to leave
A very distinguished, anthropologist-looking woman with white hair and a scarf just came in. She ordered right behind me without my hearing a word and then breezed out to the patio. The younger girl with her, dressed in all the appropriate hiking clothes one expects to need in such places, asks naive questions, such as "do you have tea?" and then stands for a minute before realizing they will bring it to her.
As with all coffee shops here, there are 3-5 employees, all males in their mid twenties. Unlike most, however, this place is very clean, newly painted, with an entire set of matching furniture inside and outside. There is no question that their wifi, which was illegal in Dharamsala last year, is the reason for their success, as it attracts tourists of all kinds who are desparate for contact with the outside world. Like most places, all of the music played here is American. Right now there is some easy listening, really nice, jazzy music (think Barry White...), but at any moment it could change to Shakira, whom Tibetans seem to really be fond of, or Linkin Park, which was playing here this morning, apparently.
I'm so full, but then I never seem to be hungry anymore. Amala makes bread in the morning, or brings out bread she made recently, and she often makes me an egg or we eat leftovers. This morning we had fresh bread and potato momos. Then lunch, at which time Stephen and I often share things, and we both always eat too much because it is always so good. Then dinner, when Amala stuffs me to bursting with tea (or hot water, which I recently -finally!- pursuaded her to give me instead of butter tea) and momos or thukpa, which is soup with homemade noodles.
Sunday is the new Friday for us, as we have class Wednesday through Sunday. I've been waiting for this, as I feel like I am already behind in all of the things I need to have done for school. I'm still struggling with the ISP, but I'm starting to have ideas regarding the similarities of Tibet with former East Berlin. We'll see.
I miss hugging! I also miss holding Stephen's hand and being openly affectionate. I miss being allowed to sit how I want and show my knees, though my sitting posture is definitely improving. Oh, and I miss being allowed to pet dogs and cats that I see and knowing that they don't have rabies. Also singing.
I miss you people, but I think having Stephen here is easing my homesickness. I think Germany really taught me what it's like to be lonely and not know who to call at any given time (be it when a problem arises or just to go to the city) and I'm really feeling greatful to have some home with me. Costa Rica will be an experience for him, especially since he is doing all of this backwards from me.
I'm ready to do laundry. There are two places in town with dryers, and those are the places I will go. I can't wash clothes at home because Tibetans are very private about underwear and socks, and I would have no place to hang them up, plus I want the satisfaction of a washing machine and real laundry detergent.
I tried to add a few pictures to my flickr account, but they seem to be stubborn and won't go. I'm sorry for the brevity, but I will try to put more up tomorrow!
To satiate your need for pictures, here's a cutie:

What do I miss? Chocolate.

2008-09-11T06:48:00.006-05:00

So, the good news is that as of yet my family is very nice. The really good news is that their 3 kids in fact don’t live here, as I initially thought, but live in the Tibetan Children’s Village. Amala (Tibetan word for mother) has a constant, huge smile, which is comforting when I have no idea what’s going on. Pala (father) is nice, though he knows about 5 English words. Oh, Amala speaks a little English, thank goodness, though it’s generally pretty impossible to convey anything to her.

I’m getting accustomed to being talked over.

The first night I stayed with them I gave them their gift, we showed each other pictures, and then we sat around awkwardly until they invited my to go to the temple with them. We circumambulated the entire monastery/temple area (very long, mostly uphill), then thrice around the temple itself. The picture is from one corner outside the temple, overlooking Mcleod Ganj (the Tibetan part of Dharamsala that is uphill and much much smaller than main Dharamsala).

She’s a housewife and he works at a glass bead place of some sort. Their children are 12 (boy), 8 (girl), and 7 (boy). I didn’t understand that they don’t just go to school, but in fact live there, so when I walked in to the house, I nearly had a panic attack.

I would estimate 16x16, though I am terrible at estimating size. I’m not quite sure what to do about all of my stuff; I only brought my daypack with some stuff in it and there’s no place to put it. I guess I won’t bring my backpacking pack as it absolutely won’t fit. Which of course begs the question of what do I do with all of my stuff?

The bathroom is particularly fun, as it is a communal bathroom. Did I mention that they don’t use toilet paper in India? They use water. This being the case, I’m very glad I brought toilet paper but I’m not sure what to do with it. The toilet doesn’t flush, so I’m not really sure how all of that works…

On the upside, I live very near Stephen. I live at the bottom of the neverending stairs and over a little way(I’ll show pictures at some point but I think I’ve scared Mom enough for this entry) and he lives in the middleish. Plus near the top third of the stairs is the school. Basically, I’m going to have great leg muscles by the end of this. It’s not the length of the distance, but the incline. Or both, in this case.

It’s a little weird how they will be doing mantras or at the temple doing prostrations and converse with one another all the while.

We had a ton of soup last night. It was very good but there was so much and they just keep filling my tea cup before I can say no (or when I’m not looking) and it’s considered bad luck for them if I don’t finish.

I wish I could talk to them more easily and ask them what would be best to do with all of my stuff. Maybe if I brought just my big bag and squished my daypack up somewhere, things would fit better? The problem is that my daypack is just sitting on what is my bed (though I may try to convince Pala to let me sleep on the floor so he can have his bed back) and on the floor next to it at night. I think my big bag would overwhelm the space. I really don’t need all of my clothes, but it would be pretty handy to have them…

Tuesday night: Tonight a very nice monk named Nawang Kelsang who is going to try for his Geshe degree next year came and ate momos with us (he’s a Gelugpa from Drepung Monastery which I discovered is different from Drepung Loseling). I asked him many questions and he asked me a few. I realized how much Geshe taught me! For example, he asked if I knew White Tara and I was able to tell him so much about her! I was so proud to show pictures of Geshe and Rinzin and the mandalas and tell him what I know. He got my Pala to find a book that has mantras and lessons in English, Tibetan, and Chinese, so I will be able to study that while I’m here. Oh, and he’ll be here 2 months and said I can come interview him and ask him questions! Yay! It makes me miss my Geshe la, though! I tried to convince Nawang Kelsang to come visit in America and he said maybe next year. Woo!

It’s now Wednesday and I have yet to get online. I feel crummy today, but I’m hoping it’s my body trying to fight off something else. I am so glad Nawang la will be here the entire time I will be. He makes it so much easier to be there.

Thursday: I can finally post this! I am so lucky to have Nawang in the house; I feel like my Tibetan is improving so much faster with him around.

I'm really learning how tough Tibetan women are. Amala gets up every day and carries big buckets of water. She also does prostrations, all of the cooking, and all of the cleaning. Sometimes it's clear how tired she is. I try to get her to let me help, but she rarely will. Sometimes I push it and take a bucket of water before she can, but I don't want to offend her.

It's so hard to keep from buying everything. There are so many pretty things (clothes, jewelry, everything you can imagine, basically...) and they are all so cheap. I'm trying to keep from indulging too much, partially as a matter of space considerations.

There's definitely some frustration among students regarding our workload. We basically have hours' worth of work with almost no time to do it. Between being in class from 9am-5pm, not being out after dark (as a female), and spending time with my family (who tend to be either talking loudly or watching TV all of the time), there's really very little opportunity. There is no question that this is an intense program.

I really like the old people here, and particularly the old monks and nuns. I can't help myself when I see them... I just break into a huge smile (directed at the person) and they tend to smile just as emphatically and sometimes take my hand in theirs. It's a wonderful feeling...

On a very personal note, I expected to lose weight while here. I think that despite the regular activity, the opposite is in fact true. My family eats more than seems possible. It's taking them a while to realize that my stomach can't keep up.

I have yet to get sick, though I think I either have a cold or allergies. I'm really glad I brought sudaphed... I think the altitude is definitely affecting everyone in our group. That, plus waking up around 5 or 6 every day....

Today we learned how to actually read words in Tibetan, which is super exciting! Finally past just the alphabet and numbers! I've definitely learned a lot of phrases and words, though my family is now very eager to learn English, so we'll see how that goes.

It's so interesting how evident status and gender are here. Amala always sits on a stool on the floor when we eat, whereas Pala and Nawang always sit on the couch. It seems she is always expected to refill bowls and cups and to clean afterwards. She also always begins to eat only after everyone else has started. I wonder if I should be sitting lower than Nawang and Pala, but I think my role as guest helps a little.

The weather here is now amazing and perfect. It hasn't been raining, though we're in the clouds and therefore the threat is always present. Also, the electricity is a little unstable (i.e. if it lasts all day long without going off, then we are very lucky).

Next entry will have more cultural observations and details, I promise!

Oh, I nearly forgot! We get to see a teaching by His Holiness!!! Oh man!!!!!

For Julie.

Look! We're alive!

In Dharamsala (finally!)

2008-09-06T06:40:00.002-05:00

So, I'm in an internet cafe looking out over the foothills of the Himalayas. Stephen's a little upset because we didn't lock our hotel windows closed and monkeys got in and ate his lifesavers, though we're hoping they didn't get anything else that is of more value. Dharamsala is much smaller than initially expected and the roads are very narrow. It's cleaner than anywhere else we've been as yet, which is a nice change. Very crowded and tight, though. It's amazing how these drivers force their way past one another on roads we would find tight for a single lane.
Fewer beggars than Delhi, but they are definitely still here. It's nice how many tourists there are, because it means people are a little less interested in staring at us here (though don't misunderstand - they simply don't turn all the way around to watch us walk, but they still stop what they are doing to stare).

So getting here was fairly interesting; we took an overnight train (definitely an experience!), during which I barely slept because of wrenching my neck, though many students said they slept amazingly well. I couldn't help but feel a little nervous, being on a bottom bunk along the main hallway. I slept with my important things in my stomach pouch, my purse between me and the wall, and my feet through my backpack straps. Perhaps a little unnecessary, but it eased my mind a little.
This is the toilet on the train.

We were expected to arrive in a little town at 7am, but the train was very slow (I suspect the engines kept going out) and we arrived around 10:30. We then proceeded to take jeeps up to Dharamsala (usually a 3 hour drive), but were detained in a very small town because of a protest. Apparently (according to our driver, Ahmet), the women worked in manufacturing fabric and had not been paid (by the government) in 10 months. They had been allowed an hour to protest in the street, though the traffic made for much longer. Needless to say, we were all hot and hungry by the time we finally got through.

It's so interesting to talk to children here. They get so excited to see cameras, and particularly excited to see their own pictures. This one went and got her mother to show it off. I would have done anything to print it for her.

Stephen and I are in a room together (odd number of males and we were the most comfortable with it), and we both went to sleep around 7 last night. I think everyone averaged about 6:30-8. We will be meeting our host families on Monday (it is Saturday at 5:21pm right now for me), which is scary, but exciting.

Oh, today we went to the kindergarden where we will be having classes, and while descending some dark stairs, I discovered a spout of water that went up my skirt. Upon further inquiry, I discovered that I had managed to step on a slightly rotten tomato, which covered my thighs and skirt. That being the case, I decided I deserved to buy a skirt today, and it is beautiful (and was 300 rupees/$6.73). (:

There are so many monks and nuns, and it makes me so sad that I don't (and probably won't) know any of them. I wish Geshe could be here to introduce us!
There are many roadside stands, all of which have interesting food that I can't name. Some have momos, which are basically Tibetan dumplings (and also wonderful). We've eaten at a few restaurants at this point and everything is wonderful. It's actually quite nice, not being able to drink the water, because it gives me an excuse to always get tea or other interesting drinks.

Apparently, there is a German bakery here that I want to look into...
This is the view from our window.

...I know, right?

Last few hours on Prithviraj Road

2008-09-04T06:02:00.004-05:00

I don't know what to tell you that Stephen hasn't already said!

The past few days we've been in Delhi, which is the capital of India and has 14 million people.
The first day, we were given the afternoon to go where we wanted, so a group of us decided to visit Khan Market, which is apparently one of the most expensive markets in India. First, there were dead dogs in the alley between the inside road and the outer areas. Secondly, I can tell I will have to make an effort to feel comfortable in Indian markets. They are generally very dirty, disorganized, and the people who work in them give female tourists especially creepy looks.

It's amazing how different India is from everywhere else I've been. Delhi is very crowded and there is a very large problem with inflation, disease, and poverty. It's very striking to drive around and see all the homeless and destitute (of all ages...) wandering next to the streets. Underneath every bridge you will find many who are seeking shade, and construction sites are surrounded by those looking to steal some water from the running hoses, often to wash their clothes. In the market, I saw an old woman going through all of the trash bins, pulling out paper and assorted waste, for reasons I cannot entirely guess.
I've seen one man peeing near the same market, though I'm lucky not to have seen more.

We females have really learned about repression by being here, and Delhi is a liberal place. We cannot look men in the face, as that is seen as a come-on and invitation. We can never drink or smoke in public, and particularly never in front of elders, as that will mark us as easy, even if it is offered by someone we know. We must keep as much skin as possible on our shoulders, chests, and legs covered, or we will invite grabs and pats in inappropriate places. We must rely on the males in the group to stay with us in the evenings especially, as we cannot even discuss personal/relationship issues without it inviting unwanted attention (i.e. if someone asks what my view on dating is, i can't answer anything about it short of i don't want to talk about it).

I'm hoping to get my host mother to take me shopping for some traditional Tibetan and Indian outfits, as it will help me to blend in a little better and look a little less interesting to local men.

Also, women never drive, they always ride on the backs of even motorcycles or bikes and always side-saddle. Men definitely dominate public places, such as markets and stores. Women tend to walk and sit behind men as well. Everyone goes barefoot a lot, be it because of heat, lack of funds, or personal preference, I don't know.

Yesterday Stephen and two girls and I went to Lodhi Gardens, which is basically the couples' spot, so we were able to hold hands again (woohoo!). Oh, did I mention that it is pretty inappropriate for us to hold hands/hug/etc. in public, for us to be alone anywhere except outside, and bad for either of us to sit next to an indian of the opposite sex?
Anyway, I took some really nice pictures while at the gardens.

We also took a ride in a rickshaw, which was definitely an experience. Here there are no lanes an no rules, just go as fast as you can manage, ignore signs, and honk every time you blink to remind people you are there.
A therapist came and talked to us and said that there is a funny commercial on tv here for cell phones in which an Indian guy from Delhi is at school in America and can't sleep because it is too quiet, so he calls his mother in India who holds her phone outside. The honking, loud birds, and people put him right to sleep.
That's pretty much the way it is. There is never quiet here. Ever.

Here are some funny quotes from two Indian female doctors.

Indian toilets are ceramic holes in the ground, so don't think someone just ran away with the toilet seat.

Student: What are the signs of japanese encephalitis? Dr. Chawla: Let's not worry about that right now - just avoid it.

Lots of people in India spit and they aren't checking for dehydration - they're just gross.

(talking about bartering) It's quite an enjoyable game. It can go back and forth and remain quite friendly. It can go on or hours... endless cups of tea!

Oh, we also got stuck in an elevator yesterday! The limit was 8 people and we had 10... It was only about 15 minutes, but it was a little scary nonetheless. The situation wasn't helped by the fact that our director is claustrophobic. Best moment: So what's everyone's favorite sea creature?

On a personal note, today has been really hard for me. I wrenched my neck this morning while I was in bed and it was worse than I think I have ever done it before. It literally felt like someone was drumming on my head with their fingers. It's hurt so badly today and I'm not sure what to do about, especially since I have to carry my backpacks around tonight.
Which leads me to now and the future:

Tonight we are taking a train to Panthakunt, where we will arrive at about 7am tomorrow, from which we will take jeeps up into the mountains about 3 hours to Dharamsala. So by tomorrow afternoon, we'll be in a hotel!

We are no longer going to Tibet, which doubtless you know by now (doubtless; without a doubt.. mom will know). We are instead taking what is apparently the most difficult trek they've ever done to get to Mustang, Nepal. It is an amazingly beautiful Tibetan community very near the border of Nepal and Tibet, which takes 3-4 days to hike in and 3-4 days to hike out of, with no exceptions.
I am not going to pretend that I'm not a little disappointed to not be going to Tibet, though I'm still excited and it will still be really neat. I'm also really nervous about my feet. They're doing alright, though definitely sore and probably not ready for such a strenuous excursion. Luckily, we'll have llamas to carry all of our stuff and we'll basically have a large caravan with supplies, so all I need to worry about is carrying my daypack and walking.

We are able to make requests about our host families, and I was the first to place mine. They know most of the families, but some left Tibet only one or two years ago and are completely new to the program. The reason for this, as explained by director Manuel, is that they used to use only the same families, but His Holiness requested that they spread students around, so to speak, and use new families every year.

First, I requested to be near Stephen, partially just because I like him and partially so he can help me stretch my calves every so often, which I will especially need after traversing the rocky terrain (of course the latter was the only reason I gave, which Pam the director found acceptable). Secondly, I asked to be placed in a house with a family that doesn't speak English. I am probably crazy and making my life much harder, but I had good reasons for it (though I may be really angry with myself later). Basically, I learned in Germany that the best way to learn a language you don't know is to live with someone who doesn't speak yours. It forces you to memorize everything you possibly can in order to speak to them, not to mention that it allows you to have a little more quiet time by not having to speak to them as much. Then again... I'm realizing that I might learn a lot less about the culture if my family can't tell me about it. Shoot. Shoot shoot shoot. Oh well. I guess I'll think about this more, but I doubt I'll change. I'm willing to have a family that can't speak English, and I'd rather I had one than someone who is absolutely terrified at the prospect.

I can't wait to get to Dharamsala where it is cooler. Also, I love drinking coke from glass bottles.
Oh, I tried to load a video, which I took while Stephen and I were in our first rickshaw. Unfortunately, I can't get it to upload, so you'll just have to wait, I guess!

In Hong Kong!

2008-09-01T19:10:00.002-05:00

Well, it's about 8am in Hong Kong and we all discovered the free wifi in the airport. Nearly everyone is sitting on their laptops.
It's kind of thrilling, not knowing where I'm going to be by tonight and what my bed will be like and the next time I'll shower... It's also Tuesday here (we skipped Monday entirely while in transit), so that's a little weird.
The flight wasn't too bad, though true to form I was unable to sleep more than in about 15-30 minute intervals, probably not totaling more than an hour. I really want to take off my boots and stretch out on the floor, but I think I might get some funny looks. If I were in the states I really wouldn't mind, but I imagine I will have to ignore such urges for the next few months.
It's still strange to think that I won't be home for another 3.5 months, but I guess I'll get it into my head at some point.
Surrounding the airport are some beautiful little mountains. The clouds are heavy and low, which gives the impression of being nestled within the tops of mountains, though they really aren't terribly tall.
There are two monks sitting near us, and it is so hard to refrain from asking if they know Geshe. They are wearing saffron and maroon, and I am fairly certain they are Tibetan. It feels like every monk in India should know Geshe, but they may not even know English. We are all flying towards Dehli, so they certainly know Chinese, which doesn't help me much.
The group seems really good so far - no one has really been interested in really delving into getting to know one another time, though we've all chatted about how we got here and our majors, etc. There is no one as of yet that strikes me as a stressful or more difficult to like person, which is promising.
On a personal note, my feet are swollen and hurt really bad and I am going to have a really intense headache for the day (a result of not sleeping enough). We arrive in Delhi at about 9:30am, so it will be a long day. I think everyone is crossing their fingers that the professors will be kind and let us settle in before we start doing anything too exciting. I am going to have to get used to greasy hair... maybe I'll dread it (except that it would look terrible and I don't think there will ever be enough time for that!).
I suppose I should go before I wear my battery down too much. There's no telling when I'll be online again, but I will update as soon as I can!

the eve of departure

2008-08-31T02:30:00.002-05:00

Well, it's 2:30am the morning I am supposed to leave. Actually, my flight is in 11 hours and 50 minutes. Stephen and I have both just finished packing and now have only to write our 5-7 page essays before we can leave. I'd say we're both feeling a little run down at this point, but there's so much left to do!
If you go to his blog (click here), you can read a very good overview of what we're studying, where, and why.
I had intended to write more, but seeing as it is getting progressively late and I have much to do, I think this will suffice for now.
Tomorrow we leave! I don't feel nervous or excited or anything right now. As with Germany, I imagine it will start to hit me when I'm on the plane. Of course, my enthusiasm regarding arrival in Germany was delayed three days and died off by the time I got there, but that's a story for another day.
I think everything should go accordingly tomorrow and we'll arrive in India on the 2nd. Of course, it's slowly dawning on me how terrible I'm going to feel when I get there. If I get more than three hours of sleep tonight, I will count myself lucky. That, plus 40ish pound hiking backpack, 15 pound daypack, and a 14 hour flight will definitely equal some crazy jetlag.
Maybe I can find a massage therapist in New Dehli... (: