Blogs from Mcleod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, India, Asia - page 11

Three young Tibetan monks and one woman sat in a semi-circle around me--warmly smiling and contorted into various positions to fill the small floor space between us. They had ushered me here--gesturing with their arms and saying, “Please, come, come” and I had sat--succumbing their welcoming smiles and eager energy. In the absence of language, they stared at me with great anticipation--as if I might magically light on fire or begin to distill great wisdom. Now what? Minutes before, we had signed up to volunteer for the one-hour English conversation course, where newly-arrived Tibetan refugees practice English with native speakers. We had been instructed to go to the “library”--a small white light-filled room packed with about 25 Tibetan English students and 8 other volunteers. There was no discernable system in place. Instead, each volunteer just drifted ... read more

Hello Dalai Lama, Well Hello, Dalai Lama, It's so nice to have you here while China's doing wrong, You're looking swell, Dalai Lama, We can tell, Dalai Lama, You're still glowin', you're still crowin' You're still goin' strong. We feel the World swayin' While your Monks are sayin, One of your old fav'rite songs from 'way back when, .... Can you picture a Mel Brook's musical? Karita, Kim, Farah, James, and I headed off to Dalai Lama’s exiled home this weekend. We had Monday off because Delhi is celebrating Eid this weekend. According to Wikipedia, “Eid ul-Fitr is a Muslim holiday celebrated when Ramadan, the month of fasting, finishes. Muslims do not fast on Eid ul-Fitr. When you see the new moon after Ramadan, the next day is Eid ul-Fitr. Eid ul-Fitr lasts 3 days. In ... read more

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! Firstly, because we used to joke back home about us starting a survival series much like those on discovery channel. Yet we didn't count on making it past the first episode due to being iced by a falling tree or something. Secondly, because we are not that professional concerning survival, see us failing to make fire and forgetting valuable equipment on the top of a mountain later in this story. Thirdly, unless the himalaya’s are in your backyard, you can’t anyway. But first, It is known that we made Mcleod Ganj our base camp. From here we conducted several small, 1day, hikes around the area. These were nice as you can see on the pictures supplied. There is one trip however on which I would like to elaborate, the trip ... read more

Well, the date has finally been nailed down. On October 28, 2011 the world as we know it comes to an end. I guess I should not say 'finally', as the Mayan people calculated this date as 'the end' thousands of years ago. All this is according to a long haired, slightly bearded Slovenian guy staying at my friends guesthouse. Ulosh was a bit of an extreme hobbyist, and the other day he gave a casual two hour presentation on the 'potential end of the world topic' to me and a handful of other travelers, as he smoked hand-rolled cigarettes. A little out there, maybe, but nonetheless I found it pretty interesting. Dharamsala is actually pretty full of interesting people. Two weeks ago I came up here from Amritsar, only intending to spend a few days ... read more

There is a lot I don't understand. I don't understand the thanka paintings on the temple walls. They are frightening- Buddhas depicted with snake tongues, sharp fingernails, ivory skulls, wild eyes. Where are the fat, smiling Buddhas with the Santa Claus bellies I see in the west? I don't understand the spirit of the old woman who spends her days circumambulating a holy site. Each step wracks her body with pain from her sad, 80-year old hips, but she doesn't stop. Her eyes have failed and when she spoke I saw black nubs where teeth should be, but on she walks, only stopping to press her wrinkled brow to the smooth rocks in prayer and devotion. When she asks for money I give the twenty rupees in my pocket but I wish I could just take ... read more