Ginger Lemon Honey Tea...

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.

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!)

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

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!

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

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... (: