so, we're finally here
I'm currently sitting in a upper scale cafe making use of the wi-fi. Upper scale here means that my Indian Thali -the simplest one (plate of rice, chapatis [Indian flat bread] dahl [lentils] and subji [vegies -this time potatoes]) is about 60Rs. Which is about maybe 20Rs and with about a 1/4 less of the amount that would be served at a more simple Indian restaurant. However, the wi-fi is included in this price. It's cold enough here that my fingers are freezing as I type. The music has changed from Jimi Hendrix to a Simian Mobile Disco and Justice song. I could be anywhere in the west right now.
It's much colder than I expected -about 25 in the day -but only in the sun, if you're in the shade you feel significantly colder, and about 5 at night. The buildings here don't have indoor heating so this winter should be interesting. I was in India last Christmas and Christmas day passed by without feeling like it had at all -the summer heat really threw us off, it just didn't feel right without the cold and the snow. So, I'm kind of excited to have this weather around for this Christmas and I'm stoked for pseudo turkey dinner now that we have our own place.
We had been staying in a room in a guest house for the past week. While it was a nice place we wanted a kitchen. I'll put some pictures up when we settle in. We just moved today so our two burner range isn't working yet, and we haven't any thing to cook on or eat from.
In the past week Jon and I took a course from a resident Rimpoche who taught a one week course on Calm Abiding Meditation. He teaches a different topic each week, and for an initial registration fee of about $5, you are able to attend all of the week long courses. Each session is 2hours a day. As the tourist season dies down and the winter holidays set in, much of the town shuts down. Unfortunately most of the religious lectures stop until March as well which is when they begin again after the Dalai Lama's lectures that mark the beginning of the Tibetan New Year.
We missed about 4 days of lectures that the Dalai Lama gave by about a week. Right now he is travelling to other parts of India and giving lectures there. His official home in exile is here though, so he will return sooner or later. The Tibetan exiled government resides here as well.
Dharamsala is so lovely precisely because of such a large Tibetan population. After being here for about 2 days I realized that I was sick of being in India and that I found this place so refreshing. Dharamsala is in India, but with such a large Tibetan population it dominates over the Indian presence. I guess I didn't realize just how tense I was living in Mumbai. As much as I love it, everything there is such a struggle. It is a luxury to realize how much of a struggle it is. A luxury most can't afford when you have chosen to live it. So I think in a lot of ways, I got used to how things are there and blocked out the frustrations which in many ways maintains your sanity. At least mine. It's relaxing to be here.
This past week I have attended two talks from Tibetan refugees on their stories about living in exile. One of them was from a monk with his doctorate in Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy which he studied here in India for over 18years after he escaped from Chinese occupied Tibet. He was a political prisoner in Tibet prior to his escape as he protested in a rally and was quickly and immediately rounded up and imprisoned for almost a year. Severely mal-nourished, tortured and beaten, when he was released he was forbidden from any work what so ever, and was followed 24/7. After a while he escaped over the mountains by foot to Nepal and then again to Dharamsala in India. After being here for some time he found out that his brother in Tiber had been rounded up in connection to his departure and imprisoned for 3 years. His brother ended up dying in prison after a year due to unknown causes. Most probably, he died under torture.
Life in Tibet under Chinese occupation is strictly and severely oppressed. Tibetan culture, lifestyle and religion is intensely being wiped out. People are not allowed to follow Tibetan practices -if someone is caught with even a picture of the Dalai Lama they face immediate and unquestioned imprisonment. Children grow up not knowing anything of the Dalia Lama and think him to be a mystical legend. The traditional Tibetan nomadic life is being displaced as people are rounded up and placed into mini concrete settlements in the middle of no where, where they can not find jobs and make livelihoods for themselves. Military presence is wide spread and heavy with many inside informants. Chinese people are trucked in and resettled in Tibetan land as well as given priority for jobs, land etc. forcing the Tibetans and their lifestyle and culture out.
Many Tibetans come here in search for a better life. The monk's story is very similar to most other Tibetan refugees. Most are not prepared for the long haul over the mountains to Nepal and onwards to India and thus arrive with well developed frostbite or already hastily amputated limbs. Dharamsala serves as the final reception point for thousands of refugees each year and thus there are a lot services and organizations here to address their needs. There are many english classes, computer classes, child care opportunities etc for volunteers to fill in. Yesterday I got a chance to put my arts degree in International Development to some use as I started to write and edit a funding proposal for a local NGO. It's good to feel useful as well as to put my degree to use, but by the end of my first two hours of work I was already riled up with anger at the injustice of the whole "humanitarian aid" system. I won't get into it here. I probably will at some point as a means of release, but not just yet. Plus, I just finished writing my thesis on it so it's all still pretty theoretically and passionately embedded in me still.
Last week we went to two Tibetan music performances. One was by a contemporary Tibetan rock band which was a crowd pleaser and much fun. The other one was mostly an open mic at a local ngo around an open fire where man Tibetans performed traditional Tibetan songs (much to the glee of onlooking monks from a balcony near by) while others rapped or sang parts of songs like the Black Eyed Peas. Many foreigners joined in as well (including Jon) and it was delightful and welcoming.
We have met some really lovely people from all over the world, including a Chavista (spelling? Hugo Chavez supporter) who plans to head over and learn some more as he poses as a naive tourist. He's an avid bird watcher so he has a viable alibi prepared for his recording devices as he travels around to such places as Guinea to check out other occupied lands and peoples.
'till next time
I'm currently sitting in a upper scale cafe making use of the wi-fi. Upper scale here means that my Indian Thali -the simplest one (plate of rice, chapatis [Indian flat bread] dahl [lentils] and subji [vegies -this time potatoes]) is about 60Rs. Which is about maybe 20Rs and with about a 1/4 less of the amount that would be served at a more simple Indian restaurant. However, the wi-fi is included in this price. It's cold enough here that my fingers are freezing as I type. The music has changed from Jimi Hendrix to a Simian Mobile Disco and Justice song. I could be anywhere in the west right now.
It's much colder than I expected -about 25 in the day -but only in the sun, if you're in the shade you feel significantly colder, and about 5 at night. The buildings here don't have indoor heating so this winter should be interesting. I was in India last Christmas and Christmas day passed by without feeling like it had at all -the summer heat really threw us off, it just didn't feel right without the cold and the snow. So, I'm kind of excited to have this weather around for this Christmas and I'm stoked for pseudo turkey dinner now that we have our own place.
We had been staying in a room in a guest house for the past week. While it was a nice place we wanted a kitchen. I'll put some pictures up when we settle in. We just moved today so our two burner range isn't working yet, and we haven't any thing to cook on or eat from.
In the past week Jon and I took a course from a resident Rimpoche who taught a one week course on Calm Abiding Meditation. He teaches a different topic each week, and for an initial registration fee of about $5, you are able to attend all of the week long courses. Each session is 2hours a day. As the tourist season dies down and the winter holidays set in, much of the town shuts down. Unfortunately most of the religious lectures stop until March as well which is when they begin again after the Dalai Lama's lectures that mark the beginning of the Tibetan New Year.
We missed about 4 days of lectures that the Dalai Lama gave by about a week. Right now he is travelling to other parts of India and giving lectures there. His official home in exile is here though, so he will return sooner or later. The Tibetan exiled government resides here as well.
Dharamsala is so lovely precisely because of such a large Tibetan population. After being here for about 2 days I realized that I was sick of being in India and that I found this place so refreshing. Dharamsala is in India, but with such a large Tibetan population it dominates over the Indian presence. I guess I didn't realize just how tense I was living in Mumbai. As much as I love it, everything there is such a struggle. It is a luxury to realize how much of a struggle it is. A luxury most can't afford when you have chosen to live it. So I think in a lot of ways, I got used to how things are there and blocked out the frustrations which in many ways maintains your sanity. At least mine. It's relaxing to be here.
This past week I have attended two talks from Tibetan refugees on their stories about living in exile. One of them was from a monk with his doctorate in Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy which he studied here in India for over 18years after he escaped from Chinese occupied Tibet. He was a political prisoner in Tibet prior to his escape as he protested in a rally and was quickly and immediately rounded up and imprisoned for almost a year. Severely mal-nourished, tortured and beaten, when he was released he was forbidden from any work what so ever, and was followed 24/7. After a while he escaped over the mountains by foot to Nepal and then again to Dharamsala in India. After being here for some time he found out that his brother in Tiber had been rounded up in connection to his departure and imprisoned for 3 years. His brother ended up dying in prison after a year due to unknown causes. Most probably, he died under torture.
Life in Tibet under Chinese occupation is strictly and severely oppressed. Tibetan culture, lifestyle and religion is intensely being wiped out. People are not allowed to follow Tibetan practices -if someone is caught with even a picture of the Dalai Lama they face immediate and unquestioned imprisonment. Children grow up not knowing anything of the Dalia Lama and think him to be a mystical legend. The traditional Tibetan nomadic life is being displaced as people are rounded up and placed into mini concrete settlements in the middle of no where, where they can not find jobs and make livelihoods for themselves. Military presence is wide spread and heavy with many inside informants. Chinese people are trucked in and resettled in Tibetan land as well as given priority for jobs, land etc. forcing the Tibetans and their lifestyle and culture out.
Many Tibetans come here in search for a better life. The monk's story is very similar to most other Tibetan refugees. Most are not prepared for the long haul over the mountains to Nepal and onwards to India and thus arrive with well developed frostbite or already hastily amputated limbs. Dharamsala serves as the final reception point for thousands of refugees each year and thus there are a lot services and organizations here to address their needs. There are many english classes, computer classes, child care opportunities etc for volunteers to fill in. Yesterday I got a chance to put my arts degree in International Development to some use as I started to write and edit a funding proposal for a local NGO. It's good to feel useful as well as to put my degree to use, but by the end of my first two hours of work I was already riled up with anger at the injustice of the whole "humanitarian aid" system. I won't get into it here. I probably will at some point as a means of release, but not just yet. Plus, I just finished writing my thesis on it so it's all still pretty theoretically and passionately embedded in me still.
Last week we went to two Tibetan music performances. One was by a contemporary Tibetan rock band which was a crowd pleaser and much fun. The other one was mostly an open mic at a local ngo around an open fire where man Tibetans performed traditional Tibetan songs (much to the glee of onlooking monks from a balcony near by) while others rapped or sang parts of songs like the Black Eyed Peas. Many foreigners joined in as well (including Jon) and it was delightful and welcoming.
We have met some really lovely people from all over the world, including a Chavista (spelling? Hugo Chavez supporter) who plans to head over and learn some more as he poses as a naive tourist. He's an avid bird watcher so he has a viable alibi prepared for his recording devices as he travels around to such places as Guinea to check out other occupied lands and peoples.
'till next time
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