Life in the land of lamas

Once we'd gotten over our rather rude arrival in McLeod Ganj, the town above Dharamsala where most people stay -- home to the Tibetan government in exile and the Dalai Lama -- we started to enjoy it here.

We've gotten to spend time with my old friend Purnima, who's studying at the
Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Centre. We decided to spend several days taking classes there as well and are enjoying studying yoga in its original country. I'm learning a lot that I think will be relevant to my teaching. (And one way or another, it's a veeeery different experience from studying in California.)

We visited the center of the Tibetan government in exile, which seems to be part temple, part school, and part humming-with-energy NGO.


Butter lamps at the ready



No guarantees, even here

The museum there was very well done and deeply saddening, with stories of the torture of Tibetan people continuing to current times and the desperately difficult flight some have made to India. It made me wonder how this issue can be made new again for people far away, and what could finally make the Chinese government -- so seemingly implacable -- relent.

Students for a Free Tibet have some thoughts on this.

But the life of many monks continues here in Dharamsala, fortunately, and we happened to be there when they were debating. This is great. Lots of hubbub punctuated by a step forward and a decisive clap-of-hands-at-the-opponent. Surprisingly aggressive!


The sound of two hands clapping


Clearly some unassailable logic being employed here

As befits a hub of Buddhism, McLeod Ganj is home to many living creatures, including some very large and handsome dogs.

I made a friend

Unfortunately these dogs, like the monks, enjoy getting together for debate sessions, and like to howl in unison every few minutes at night, especially at the magic hour of 3:30 a.m. Ah well.

We're also learning that what we thought was our balcony, which has a rather nice view, is not really our balcony at all.

The view between showers in the second-wettest place in India

In fact it is a major monkey thoroughfare on which the monkeys are suffering our presence.

We are also learning NOT to ask monkeys to look at the camera. They don't like eye contact, turns out. They get angry, turns out. Angry monkeys are kind of scary. Especially from a couple of feet away. Fortunately we got rabies shots before leaving....