Blogs from Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, Asia - page 7

another week in india this one has seemed to go by rather quickly. the routine of school helps with that, considering we are in class all day five days a week. i am enjoying my monday off, sitting in a cafe watching the rain coming down outside, finishing a cup of gingerlemonhoney tea. i just bought a bunch of techno/electronic music on itunes and am definitely jamming over here in this dimly lit corner. one thing that i have to make note of that i'm noticing in terms of cultural differences is that here it's apparently ok to stand over someone's shoulder and and look at what they're doing on their computer. example: the guy that works here just stood over my shoulder for a good couple of minutes just chilling and watching me. i hope ... read more

i'm sitting in a cafe in india and they just played the backstreet boys i don't know who they are trying to cater to but if they knew anything they'd be playing nsync.... ha. so it's almost week 2 in india. though i am starting to feel more comfortable in my surroundings, it definitely feels like i have been here longer. a week ago i moved in with the lobsang family. my amala (mother), pala (father) and 15 year old brother tenzin are incredibly kind and have made me feel totally at home. days are pretty full. i wake up early, usually around 7 and eat breakfast (usually some homemade pita-bread/tortilla like thing) and eggs. i have class at 9, and we live right near the school so it's not a very far walk. in the ... read more

August 26, 2008 Hello from McLeodganj, I am staying in a great place here…after staying in a worse place for a night, I scoped out the area and found a wonderful guesthouse with marble floors, huge room, very clean, TV and very new. It’s really inexpensive and I often calculate that if I shared expenses with someone, this room would cost me $3 a night, but since I am a single traveler, it is costing me $6! It is a nice warm tolerable temperature here, but the monsoon is in full bloom. It is very damp here, and it is cloudy, foggy and overcast. It rains everyday, but not unlike a November in Vancouver. The mornings are the best with some sun shining through for a short time, then the clouds roll in, thunder roars and ... read more

Geo: 32.2207, 76.3188I'm teaching English in the monastery in the afternoons to a small class of enthusiastic, and very giggly Tibetan monks. I think I've fallen in love with all of them already. I'm learning so much more than I am teaching them. I ask them so many questions about Buddhist philosophy (which they've all been studying exclusively since childhood) and it's maybe the most beneficial learning I've ever been exposed to. Really, what is more valuable than your own personal well-being? And as the Mahayana Buddhists would say, I've learned, finding inner peace and then sharing it with others. That is the core of the philosophy. More than the idea, is the practice. It feels indescribably good to live in a village where everyone practices compassion, treats you as though you are a trusted, loved ... read more

Geo: 32.2207, 76.3188Can't believe my luck to spend three whole days listening to the Dali Lama lecture on Buddhist philosophy. Can't help but feel that these words will change the trajectory of my life for the better.... read more