Hello all!Wow so much has happened and yet I don't know what to say. Life has begun to settle down into a lovely rhythm. The classes are difficult but engaging and the campus is small but bustling. I've gotten pretty close with my roommate, though she's definitely a social butterfly and often has places to go and people to see. She's asked that I call her "Chunnie," which is what her mom calls her. So I call her my pocket-sized-Chunnie (to which she usually responds "I am no fit in pocket!").
Some highlights: Ani Kalsang Wangmo, our philosophy professor (who actually has the same official name as my roomie) arrived last weekend and we had a week of straight philosophy after the week of only culture class that we had in her absence. It's interesting because the class is a mix of people who are totally skeptical and new to the ideas in Buddhist philosophy and people who are gung-ho and very familiar. It's really awesome and much more well-balanced and fun that way if you ask me, though it definitely gets intense at times. Going over the 4 noble truths, the concept of dependent arising, etc. once AGAIN is sometimes frustrating for me, but I like the approach that our Gen-la is taking. She's a nun from Germany and very good at explaining the concepts to a "western" audience. In a week or so we'll have to turn in our own "wheel of life," with our own spin on the traditional image. We are free to collage and/or draw, and make it pertain to our own life or any creative angle that works and demonstrates our understanding. Whatever I do I think I'll present it with performance poetry. We'll see--depends on how much time I find myself to have.
Yesterday five of us took a walk and found a waterfall! We hiked over the large rockey river-bed (which only has a small river running down its middle) over to where it comes down. When we got there I only paused to think for about two minutes before stripping down to my jeans and a sports' bra (which is the equivalent of being nude here where showing shoulders is slutty) and crawled up to the fall. No one was around but my American friends who laughed and, in the case of my friend Allie, asserted "I like you." Totally worth it. Let's hope I don't get sick, lol.
Then yesterday night we had a "family dinner" with our roommates in our little dining hall and then watched Kundun together. My roommate had to go to spend time with her favorite teacher who left today to the dismay of all of her adoring students (they just had finals for fall semester). But man, it didn't matter that I'd seen that movie before--watching it in our little library with people who are so deeply affected by the history and present reality in Tibet was SO emotional. There's one scene in the movie that shows a young Dalai Lama holding his palms out and the shot zooms out in an areal shot to reveal a vision he has of a whole field of monks who have been shot surrounding him. Man, that was hard. In our discussion afterwards we found out some more details about our friends. Many of them had no idea about the historical events that have taken place since the 50s and considered themselves to be Chinese (though t hey were aware that they were a minority who were mistreated) until they left to India for their education and suddenly found out the history that their parents had hidden from them out of fear of severe penalties. Suddenly they knew they realized that they'd left a trap, and that they could never return, and that informing those inside of the reality was nearly impossible since phone calls are tapped and mail is screened and they usually aren't allowed back in if they've been studying where they are--in the Dalai Lama's school. Heart-breaking!
The other day my friend Elinore and I came to McLeod and took a Tibetan Cooking class. It was amazing! A man who walked here from Tibet in 98 taught us how to make cheese, veggie, potato, and chocolate MoMos (amazing Tibetan "pot-stickers" kinda). It was so fun and I have the recipees to make lots when I get back. He told us his story and showed us the region he's from in SE Tibet. He had to wait until 2004 to even contact his family--when a friend walked back to Tibet and carried a letter for him and tracked down his uncle. Pretty crazy.
My roommate has invited me to visit her family farm in Spiti when we're both out of school. I can't wait--it's part of India but it's definitely ethnographic Tibet--and there are Yaks! I'll be there in harvest season. She's really an incredible person. Her family is full of ALL women--her father, nephew, and her mother's unborn male child all died long ago. She's here to become a teacher when she returns to Spiti (did I already mention that?). If you ask her who her best friend is, she's likely to answer "everybody!" She's that charismatic and loving. She loves laughing laughing laughing, and spicy chips. She usually goes to sleep after me and we both wake up super early. I leave her attempted Tibetan notes on her pillow, written on the back of my Dalai Lama quote calendar sheets (one of those ones that you peel off a sheet a day to reveal the day's date and quote) which she refuses to let me throw out--she saves every one.
What else can I report? Last weekend almost all of us went to Jimmy's Italian Kitchen and indulged in some American food--pizza, pasta, wine, and beer. It was lovely--most of us had one drink if that, but the altitude plus our having abstained from drinking beforehand resulted in mild tipsiness and plenty of giggles. I'm still surrounded with Chai Chai Chai--it's just kind of water here. Oh, and Shiva Rae instructed a group of us (yoga DVD) to assume the "reclined pigeon" position the other day. We decided that since it's questionable whether live pigeons ever recline, we re-named it the "dead pigeon" position. Our "that's what she said" jokes have gotten out of control. We have begun to use the acronym "twist" (that's what she said too...yeah there's no "I" but whatever) to make it more publically acceptable. It adds a whole new meaning to "twisted." haha.
This week I've definitely started to feel homesick, but that's to be expected I guess. I miss and love you all. Feel free to contact me, but be patient with my spacey replies.
Love and Chai,
Lara
P.S. I wanted to upload pics since I have internet but my flash drive is being spastic. later. if you have Facebook I put some up there. xoxo
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