I suppose it wouldn't have been a complete experience in India without getting sick at least once. Since this morning I've been exploding vile wastes from my body. The timing is just perfect, really. The Special Meetings end, during which I got to meet the Dalai Lama, and work starts to slow up a bit.
My neighbors in Victoria House took such good care of me. Azay made me tea, and Guruji gave me papaya, which really is a miracle fruit for the stomach. I'm a sworn believer now. I watched Tom and Jerry cartoons with Khenrab, who still laughs at them like he's six years old on a Saturday morning. There was also a lot of REALLY great movies playing. Like Rambo and The Terminator!. That kept me occupied for about five minutes.
And word travels fast in a small town. Especially a one-bar town. I get a call from one friend to go out, but said no, I was sick. Within ten minutes, about ten people had called me to say they heard I was ill and could they do anything for me. Fortunately, it turned out to be only food poisoning and within about 12 hours was feeling better.
Thank goodness for good friends, cartoons, and Indian biscuits.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
I'm safe
In case you were watching the news, I'm no where near Mumbai and am safe up in Dharamsala, almost as far from Mumbai as you can get. Dharamsala is a small mountain village that's highly protected by police.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Always an opportunity to teach, and always to learn
This evening at the cafe I gave Dorjee an impromptu English lesson: how to pronounce "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Lacking an iPod to play the song for him, I had to settle for printing off the lyrics. He absolutely mastered the word but got a little too ambitious in trying in the same night to take on "antidisestablishmentarianism." But he asked for the longest word I knew.
In turn, I tried to learn the traditional Tibetan greeting for the new year: I got as far as "Tashi Delek" (good wishes), which is kind of cheating anyway, because I already knew that much. It's how to say 'hello.' But the entire greeting goes on for about four breaths. If you say it fast.
In turn, I tried to learn the traditional Tibetan greeting for the new year: I got as far as "Tashi Delek" (good wishes), which is kind of cheating anyway, because I already knew that much. It's how to say 'hello.' But the entire greeting goes on for about four breaths. If you say it fast.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Just when you think you've grown up a bit Part II
On my way back from the Dalai Lama Temple:
-"Hello! Hey! Hey!" someone from behind me is calling, so naturally I make the mistake of turning around. "Hey, you know my friend? Kelsong?" It's the same guy that was at the Diwali party on my roof.
-"Yeah, I remember you two. Your friend who's soooo afraid to talk to girls?"
"Yeah. He really wants to talk to you. And I will translate. When I saw you walk by earlier, I called him and told him you were on your way to the temple. So I was waiting for you to come out. Because he wants to talk to you."
-"So you're stalking me?"
-"Yeeaah!"
Maybe, hopefully, 'stalking' is just one of those words that just doesn't quite translate. If I give it a few days, it'll all just go away. There's a big group of American students fresh out of high school just arrived in town. And it'll take about 5 minutes for my two little friends to latch on to them. Is it bad to be thinking 'Hey, it's not my problem!'? I'm sure they have chaperons anyway.
-"Hello! Hey! Hey!" someone from behind me is calling, so naturally I make the mistake of turning around. "Hey, you know my friend? Kelsong?" It's the same guy that was at the Diwali party on my roof.
-"Yeah, I remember you two. Your friend who's soooo afraid to talk to girls?"
"Yeah. He really wants to talk to you. And I will translate. When I saw you walk by earlier, I called him and told him you were on your way to the temple. So I was waiting for you to come out. Because he wants to talk to you."
-"So you're stalking me?"
-"Yeeaah!"
Maybe, hopefully, 'stalking' is just one of those words that just doesn't quite translate. If I give it a few days, it'll all just go away. There's a big group of American students fresh out of high school just arrived in town. And it'll take about 5 minutes for my two little friends to latch on to them. Is it bad to be thinking 'Hey, it's not my problem!'? I'm sure they have chaperons anyway.
A small list of firsts
It was a long day...
-first press pass
-first international press conference where I sat in between the reporters from Newsweek and London Financial Times
-first cup of Tibetan butter tea (gross!)
-first time wearing a chupa (traditional Tibetan dress and official uniform of the Central Tibetan Administration employees)
-heard a guru play sitar
And...(don't read this one, Mom)
-first time riding sidesaddle on the back of a motorcycle.Almost ran over a monkey.
-first press pass
-first international press conference where I sat in between the reporters from Newsweek and London Financial Times
-first cup of Tibetan butter tea (gross!)
-first time wearing a chupa (traditional Tibetan dress and official uniform of the Central Tibetan Administration employees)
-heard a guru play sitar
And...(don't read this one, Mom)
-first time riding sidesaddle on the back of a motorcycle.Almost ran over a monkey.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Taking a deep breath...
It's a big week coming up for Tibetan people and Tibetan news, and I'm already two weeks in without a full day off. On Sunday the Tibetan delegation will hold their first press conference following their return from Beijing over a week ago. China's already released their statements, so it's well known by now that the talks failed to gain any ground.
Starting Monday, Tibetan officials and invited guests will begin a series of meetings and discussions with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the future approach to dealing with China. It's suspected that among the topics for discussion will be who will take the place of His Holiness as political Head of State for the Tibetan government in exile, and whether or not to maintain the efforts for autonomy in place of complete independence.
To catch up on exactly what is the conflict over Tibet, I would recommend Thomas Laird's "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama." It really is the least-boring history book you'll ever read. I read it this summer before leaving for India.
Follow the news this upcoming week. And as always, pray for peace.
Starting Monday, Tibetan officials and invited guests will begin a series of meetings and discussions with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the future approach to dealing with China. It's suspected that among the topics for discussion will be who will take the place of His Holiness as political Head of State for the Tibetan government in exile, and whether or not to maintain the efforts for autonomy in place of complete independence.
To catch up on exactly what is the conflict over Tibet, I would recommend Thomas Laird's "The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama." It really is the least-boring history book you'll ever read. I read it this summer before leaving for India.
Follow the news this upcoming week. And as always, pray for peace.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press
The Tibet Post
My first articles:
"Barack Obama Wins 2008 US Presidential Election"
"China Arrests Tibetan Monk Jigme"
and more pictures uploaded.
My first articles:
"Barack Obama Wins 2008 US Presidential Election"
"China Arrests Tibetan Monk Jigme"
and more pictures uploaded.
Tibetan Delegates Travel to Beijing
Six Tibetan delegates travelled to Beijing on Thursday, October 30, 2008 to present the Chinese government with a detailed description of the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) demand for autonomy within the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The CTA is asking for an autonomy in which a democratic Tibetan administration be allowed to form and to regulate all domestic issues of the Tibetan people, leaving control of foreign policy and relations in the hands of the Chinese government. The delegates representing His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the CTA are senior envoy Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, junior envoy Gelsang Gyaltsen, and three senior assistants Sonam Norbu Dhepo, Bhuchung Tsering, and Kelsang Tsering.
Secretary of the CTA Department of Information and International Relations Mr. Thubten Samphel said that in Beijing the delegates will spell out in detail to the Chinese exactly what is meant by autonomy. “What we want is on the table and there is nothing hidden behind our proposal. His Holiness is a Buddhist monk—he cannot, he does not play this sort of cat-and-mouse game,” he said. Since the 1980s His Holiness and the CTA have conceded demands for complete independence, taking up instead a middle-ground approach for autonomy within the PRC. “What we have and what we consider precious is our culture. Because of this, political things like independence do not matter to the extent that we gain enough freedom to protect and promote this culture. Then we can live with the Chinese government,” Samphel said. Still, Chinese accusations that the Dalai Lama is separatist have inhibited previous talks between the Tibetan delegation and China. “Right now what China is doing is indulging in this blame game saying His Holiness is the cause of all the problems in Tibet. And our position is that these problems are there because of the implementation of wrong and shortsighted policies,” Samphel continued.
The Tibetan delegation will also petition the Chinese government to let Tibet be open to international media, to send an international delegation to investigate who is behind the unrest in Lhasa instead of placing accusations on His Holiness, and to provide free medical care to those injured in the uprisings back in March of this year.
In a series of recent public appearances, His Holiness has lashed out at the Chinese accusations and their unwillingness to cooperate through dialogue, and is considering retiring from his responsibilities of dealing with the Chinese central government, to be discussed in a meeting on November 17 in Dharamsala. In a speech delivered at the 48th anniversary of the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) His Holiness said, “I have reached a decision that I can no longer bear this responsibility. I see no useful purpose being served by my continuing to take up this responsibility.” After his statement received worldwide attention, the CTA maintains that the media misrepresented him.
“His Holiness said he is impatient. He said his faith and trust in the Chinese leadership is growing weaker. But at the same time he qualified his statement [at the TCV] by saying if there is a positive response from the Chinese then he will bear the burden of trying to resolve the issue,” Samphel clarified. “If there is this will then he is willing to carry forward, push forward the dialogue process,” he said.
This week’s meetings are the eighth round of talks between Beijing and the Tibetan delegation since the first meeting in September of 2002, and are the first face-to-face exchange since the closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympic games and the March political unrest that preceded the games with a series of protests and demonstrations staged in Lhasa. “If there is one thing that is very clear, it is that there is this widespread, deep support and sympathy for the concerns of the Tibetan people. This is something good that came out of the Olympic games and the protests that followed the torch,” said Samphel.
(article running in "Compassion in Action" Newsletter, November 2008)
The CTA is asking for an autonomy in which a democratic Tibetan administration be allowed to form and to regulate all domestic issues of the Tibetan people, leaving control of foreign policy and relations in the hands of the Chinese government. The delegates representing His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the CTA are senior envoy Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, junior envoy Gelsang Gyaltsen, and three senior assistants Sonam Norbu Dhepo, Bhuchung Tsering, and Kelsang Tsering.
Secretary of the CTA Department of Information and International Relations Mr. Thubten Samphel said that in Beijing the delegates will spell out in detail to the Chinese exactly what is meant by autonomy. “What we want is on the table and there is nothing hidden behind our proposal. His Holiness is a Buddhist monk—he cannot, he does not play this sort of cat-and-mouse game,” he said. Since the 1980s His Holiness and the CTA have conceded demands for complete independence, taking up instead a middle-ground approach for autonomy within the PRC. “What we have and what we consider precious is our culture. Because of this, political things like independence do not matter to the extent that we gain enough freedom to protect and promote this culture. Then we can live with the Chinese government,” Samphel said. Still, Chinese accusations that the Dalai Lama is separatist have inhibited previous talks between the Tibetan delegation and China. “Right now what China is doing is indulging in this blame game saying His Holiness is the cause of all the problems in Tibet. And our position is that these problems are there because of the implementation of wrong and shortsighted policies,” Samphel continued.
The Tibetan delegation will also petition the Chinese government to let Tibet be open to international media, to send an international delegation to investigate who is behind the unrest in Lhasa instead of placing accusations on His Holiness, and to provide free medical care to those injured in the uprisings back in March of this year.
In a series of recent public appearances, His Holiness has lashed out at the Chinese accusations and their unwillingness to cooperate through dialogue, and is considering retiring from his responsibilities of dealing with the Chinese central government, to be discussed in a meeting on November 17 in Dharamsala. In a speech delivered at the 48th anniversary of the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) His Holiness said, “I have reached a decision that I can no longer bear this responsibility. I see no useful purpose being served by my continuing to take up this responsibility.” After his statement received worldwide attention, the CTA maintains that the media misrepresented him.
“His Holiness said he is impatient. He said his faith and trust in the Chinese leadership is growing weaker. But at the same time he qualified his statement [at the TCV] by saying if there is a positive response from the Chinese then he will bear the burden of trying to resolve the issue,” Samphel clarified. “If there is this will then he is willing to carry forward, push forward the dialogue process,” he said.
This week’s meetings are the eighth round of talks between Beijing and the Tibetan delegation since the first meeting in September of 2002, and are the first face-to-face exchange since the closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympic games and the March political unrest that preceded the games with a series of protests and demonstrations staged in Lhasa. “If there is one thing that is very clear, it is that there is this widespread, deep support and sympathy for the concerns of the Tibetan people. This is something good that came out of the Olympic games and the protests that followed the torch,” said Samphel.
(article running in "Compassion in Action" Newsletter, November 2008)
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