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Published: October 21st 2006
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This is my home.
Mcleod is a chilled out travellers point, and also the home to Tibetan refugees. The Dalai Lama lives here mostly, and today we vistited his temple as well as going to the Tibetan museum. It was really nice to show the others the importance of campaigning for the freedom of Tibet and the reasons behind it. Being here has ignighted my passion for the Tibetan people and country. Mcleoud is the most chilled out place I have ever came across. Set in a backdrop of beautiful green trees that dress the montains, the streets are buzzing with different people from across the globe, with plenty of cafes and places to hang about. Meeting people is easy here.
Tonight we are going to a rock concert. Students for a Free Tibet have set it up, im looking forward to sitting on the grass, surrounded by fellow like-minded, interesting and friendly people. Just being here has turned us all into Hippys. We all have brightly coloured Tibetan fluffy jumpers, and wear as much colour as possible. It feels good. The mellow groove is impossible to ignore.
I have been seeing my boyfriend of last year. Once a
Tibetan monk, he now has his own massage business as well as reading Tibetan Astrology. We have hit it off, again, and this time its going to be even harder to leave Mcleod. He is absolutely beautiful in every way.
In all honesty, I wish that I could live here. I would set up my own Reiki business as well as training my self up in other Spiritual practices. I could be involved daily in the campaigns for Tibet. I love it here.
The next few days are busy for us. We have peace marches to attend to as well as going to see the Dalia Lama at a Tibetan school. There is so much to do here.
Of course i will keep you all posted. Love you all very much and hope that i have explained well enough that you can almost feel the beauty of this little mellow town.
MONDAY
The concert was great! It was in aid of an anti-drugs and HIV prevention campaign as well as making a point of recognising the recent Tibetan murders, caught on a video as they headed to India.
We met a few Tibetans, and managed to accumulate
a little possy of head-banging, juming, silly people. We had hot Tibetan beer, which we all agreed tasted like liquidised warm apple pie! We all headed to the McCllos, the main bar here, which was nothing short of STOMPING. There were Indians dancing in the street as we arrived. We managed to worm our way in (sittting on the arm of chairs ect) and join in on the action. The whole pub was singing and dancing. We then decided to invite EVERYONE back to our hotel. Its a big room, sleeping 4 and has a kitchen and toilet. We have been calling it our home! Everyone piled back and we started playing games such as trying to get as many people to do handstands on top of each other! We managed 6 before everyone fell, making a mangled mess of human bodies. There was break dancing, tango dancing and kung foo fighting. Sophie went out to get some more beer and brought back the lead singer of the band we saw earlier that evening as well as the bass player! Sarah-Jane on the other hand brought back to police men who got very drunk, and tried to feel up all the girls! It was a great night, something i will never forget, but boy did my head hurt the next day!
Ive had to write today in my blog however because of today. In the morning SJ, Cub and myself (Sophie hurt her knee at the party and couldnt walk) walked up to a Tibetan Childrens Village who were celebrating their 40th anniversary. There were marches and dancing. The Tibetan School of Performing Art, put on a great performance, their costumes bright and beautiful. I loved seeing they way that they moved. The Dalia Lama was there but he was very hard to see, tho he did a long speech (unfortunatley for us it was in Tibetan) However the very end of the celebrations, the Dalai Lama came down the steps to get into his car. Thousands of us waited by the stairs and with a bit of nudging managed to get in the first row. As he came down the stairs, my heart started to flutter. He is beautiful, his aura is radient, his presence felt by all. As he passed me he turned and i put out my hand, which he held for a few seconds. I just stood there gazing into his eyes, smiling. WHAT A MOMMENT. Im so happy and greatful to have had that.
Mum and dad, my obsession with Tibet and the Dalai Lama has just got bigger.
Tonight one of our lovely Tibetan friends is cooking us some delicious Tibetan food. We are having some friends over, to join us in our feast.
lots of love xxx
WEDNESDAY
Yesterday was life-changing for me. I got early to go to the Tibetan Peace March. There were thousands upon thousands of Tibetans and "non-Tibetans", Tibetan flags, face paints, banners, and posters. It began at the Dalia Lama temple, where a few speeches were made, and we were all given paper with the type of chants we were to use. It began in Mcleod Ganj and we all walked down to Dharamsala (takes half an hour on the bus) Depending on where you were in the march, you follow the lead of a voice though a mega-phone or someone that had a good shouting voice. "STOP THE GENOCIDE" and we would say "IN TIBET". or "LONG LIVE" and we would shout "DALAI LAMA!". "PEOPLE OF THE WORLD" ..."SUPPORT US" or CHINA, CHINA, CHINA! .... OUT, OUT, OUT! ect. The chants were said in Tibetan, Hindi and English. I was brave enough to take lead with the chants at some points, and really got into it. We stopped traffic and got quite alot of press. At the finishing point, more speeches were made which were powerful and touching.
On the way down I happened to meet a monk called Bagdro. And after, i went and had a cold drink with him. He told me that he had been in prision for 4 years, by the Chinese after being at a peaceful protest in Tibet. Here he was tourchered severely. Once he left prision he escaped to India where he wrote a book on his experience. Since then he has travellled the world, making speeches, writing several other book and promoting the Tibetan Freedom campaign. I saw pictures of him with people like Richard Gear, French president, Dalai Lama, and he told me how he "chilled out" with The Beastie Boys and the Fuigies (cant spell it!)He was lovely, and i call him now 'my famous monk'. His most popular book is called 'My Hell on Earth'
The experience was both happy and sad. The buzz was incredible,I felt as though I have been floating down many streams, for a very long time to arrive at this point. I felt more alive then than i can ever recall. I have a purpose, a way to do something beautiful and important.
I realised that at the very momment, my dreams are my reality.
Today, 9 of us climbed up a big mountain in Bagsu, to get to a lovely waterfall where, if you are very brave (nuts?) you could swim. We naturally are NUTS and went in. It was so cold that i could feel my blood freeze. We climbed up higher and higher and sunbathed on big rocks and dipped our feet in the natural ponds the mountain streams made. Beautiful
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Lauren
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I know Wangkho too
Hi, I was dreaming of Mcleod tonight as I plan my trip back there.I started reading blogs to remind myself of the peacefullness of it all. Anyway, I read yours and I know Whag kho too. Don't worry we didn't date. Anyway, isn't he the grar. Good energy and apparently world famous.lauren laurenpricemiller@yahoo.com