November 2009
14 posts
Saying goodbye to India...for now
The final two weeks of my trip were a whirlwind of activity as I tried to finish my research, do some last minute sight-seeing, and say goodbye to friends. As I had hoped, staying in upper Dharamsala made it much easier to work on my Departmental Honors research. I met some Tibetan women through my host mother and made other contacts on my own. I found myself running from one restaurant or caf...
Beginning a New Adventure :-)
Though it’s hard to believe how fast the time has gone, I’ve already said a few of my goodbyes and am now beginning the next chapter of my trip. Thursday was my last day to volunteer with Cross-Cultural Solutions, so I will no longer be leading the women’s group during the week. I will, however, see the women from Khaniyara again because one of them has invited me to live with...
October 2009
23 posts
A Chance Meeting
I’ve posted some pictures below of a couple of my friends in Dharamsala, Saja and Chuden. Both are Tibetan monks, and the circumstances of our meeting were unusual to say the least. To make a long story short, I found myself agreeing to lead an English class for a French woman, an Indian policemen, two Indian taxi drivers, and two Tibetan monks one Saturday evening earlier this month. A...
Dalai Lama and Diwali
Upper Dharamsala was bustling with activity last week as local Tibetans and international tourists gathered to welcome His Holiness the Dalai Lama home from his latest travels. Thanks to some holidays on the Indian calendar, I had a couple days off from volunteering and was able to attend a few of the Dalai Lama’s public teachings. On the days of the teachings, my friends and I went to the...
Celebrating Holidays and Making Friends
Festivals have a unique ability to blur boundaries and unite people in a spirit of excitement and celebration. Monday was Dussehra, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil in the form of Lord Rama’s defeat of the demon king Ravana. I had the day off from volunteering, but I went to Khaniyara village anyway to have lunch with the women’s group. In celebration of the holiday,...
September 2009
24 posts
Dragon Paddle Boats and Thieving Monkeys
On Thursday, I went to Chamunda temple with the women’s group. We took the bus there and back because it’s too far to walk. The temple was especially crowded since we are still in the middle of the Navaratri festival, and the inner part of the temple was decorated with hanging strands of dried marigolds. We didn’t wait in the long line to go inside, but we walked around the...
