Study Abroad

Choe Chang Lani Dangtsi Nyingu

So ya la tengchog cha le min la duk
Shehgang hala nangwa zomki laha
sempe rewa drupsong drup la ha son

Gaga Tro Tro Nang Dang
Keepe tsawa tsuksong

Choe Change Lani Ngulphor di la
So ya la mantsig lensum don laaa Yop
Shey Gong ah la, nangwa Zom Kyi La
Rejay drebu Min Song. Min Laaaa Song.

Suprising fact #2348: Tibetans are pretty into their liquors. The previous stanzas are the words to a Tibetan Drinking song dedicated to Chang (pronounced Chong), a tibetan beer made from fermented Rice or Barley (Hey Julie, if you're reading this, you can drink it!). All of our group was pretty into giving it a taste, what we didn't expect was it to be made and served BY OUR TIBETAN LANGUAGE TEACHERS. hahahaha. This was a most excellent reward for our struggles in language classes. And they have impeccable timing as we just took our first weekly exam which was brutal in and of itself...Anyway, I really appreciate this particular custom. The beer we had was made from rice (our teachers said next time it would be barley and it would be fermented longer...the stuff we had wasn't very strong) Traditionally, one sings this song while serving the Chang. The special cup has three lumps of butter along the rim and a space which marks the place the drinker is supposed to dring from. The drinker then dips a finger into the cup and flicks it upwards three times as an offering to the gods (I encourage all of you to adopt this custom the next time you drink, it's a good sentiment right?) And now for the good part, the drinker has to chug the cup at the end of the song while the rest of the crowd chants Chik, Nyee, Soom (1, 2, 3) over and over again. Altogether it was a unique experience that was entirely unexpected to a mysticized culture that most of us envision as entirely pure and holy. HAHA. In addition, I have also had the song stuck in my head all day/weekend.

So far, we have had the most amazing time meeting some absolutely incredible individuals. One of the first nights we were here, a group of us stopped to eat at the Momo Cafe, a small sketchy looking joint with most excellent yogurt. And lo and behold, we sit next to a table that happen to be the leaders of the Tibetan Youth Congress. The TYC is one many NGOs dedicated to the freedom of Tibet. Unlike other groups, however, the TYC is very famous for its work and MANY members of the current parliament have served as heads of this noteworthy organization. Many of this organization also disagree with His Holiness and his policy of the Middle Way and want to fight. This creates a unique tension between younger and older generations....the fact that their thoughts may be in disagreement causes an indescribable heartache carried by many of those involved in the Free Tibet movement. It's very moving to hear both sides of the story...from the group that abandoned everything so they might have a chance at freedom and from those that have never seen their homeland but are fighting for the cause none-the-less. The TYC is also the group that regularly organizes Hunger Strikes and protests. It was here that we first heard about the "No Losar" movement. According to Tibetan sources, the Chinese authorities are giving money and essentially forcing Tibetans in the TAR to celebrate Losar (The Tibetan New Year). This is, however, in disagreement with Tibetan custom mandating a mourning period of one year and a restriction on all celebration. Many Tibetans lost loved ones in the March Uprisings last year and so are unwilling to celebrate Losar as it has traditionally been done in the past. In response, the TYC has organized a movement to encourage Tibetans in exile to honor the suppressed wishes of their brethren and to not celebrate. Instead, there will be religious services and supposedly a hunger strike. If our homestays are any indications, such a proposal is going to be universally respected in these parts (which I guess is why I'm not too sad about missing the second two days for Ramya's wedding).

All of this was confirmed by the current speaker of parliament, Karma Chophel who came to speak with us in class and also got his start in politics with the TYC. He explained the structure of the Tibetan government and it is especially interesting to see the dynamics between Religious institutions aka Monastaries and the State of which H.H Dalai Lama is regarded the highest positions in both instances. Though they are technically separate (and provide a solid secular education via the TCV (Tibetan Children's Village), monasteries provide some of the largest monetary donations neccessary for infrastructure in Tibetan settlements. Other donors we learned from Tsering Dorjee, jt. secretary of home aka department of the interior, include individuals like Richard Gere, and governments like Ireland and Norway (the former I find particularly ironic given the whole NRA-ish). The tibetan government or rather the Central Tibetan Administration as it is called due to political reasons, is surprisingly accessible. A group of us just walked into the building to get an interview with Tsering Dorjee. It really is a struggle for them, always having to toe the PC line. A few years ago, when Chophel first became speaker, the Parliament was called an Assembly because of pressure from the Indian government (who of course felt pressure from the Chinese).

The whole thing is rather discouraging...giving one the impression that the CTA really has no power (which may or may not be true). Also, as an interesting sidenote, Chophel disagrees with the Dalai Lama and his Middle Way policy as does, some think, the current Prime Minister. The politics of this issue are growing with each day H.H grows older. I predict this to be the cause of many fireworks in the future. Though many lay people still agree with the Middle Way, my Pala made an interesting point when I asked him about the issue. He said that the Chinese just have so many people and compulsory military service. If Tibetans in exile were to fight for Tibet, they would first face their own brothers and sisters...Tibetans forced to serve in the military by the Chinese. What a mess. Though negotiations have been ongoing, Tibetans here aren't holding their breath. And I certainly don't blame them.

It's absolutely amazing hearing these stories from people around here. I think Mackenzie's host mother really put the whole thing in perspective. Originally, the host family was hosting another girl on the program, but that girl left due to personal issues including homesickness. Mackenzie then moved in because apparently her host family decided to be in Delhi the whole time (weird and confusing, I know) But anway, Mackenzie's new Amala said, "[The other girl] was only here for a few weeks and she went home because of homesickness, but I haven't seen my home or family in fifteen years." It's stories like that which really put things in perspective.

Beware of Monks and Monkeys

So that was the bit of wisdom given to me by one of my teachers, Tenzin-la, during our many "Burning Questions" sessions. Since my last blog post, I've been in Dharamsala for the past four days. It feels almost surreal being here. The first day we mostly just looked around and slept because we took this insane overnight train from Dehli to Pathankot (which lasted 12 hours) and then took jeeps up this scraggy mountain road. The views were breathtaking, but the driver I swear was drunk or tired or something....and the teacher that was in our jeep, Tsering-la, agreed. Anyway, that ride took about four hours give or take Jimmy throwing up. People getting sick is probably going to be a running thing on this trip. I think in the past four days, all of us except one or two have been feeling really terrible. Travelling like we do takes a huge toll on your body. Every time I feel a little down though, I just look at the AMAZING views. It's hard to describe just how close you feel to the mountains. Saying foothills of the Himalayas doesn't begin to cover it. Pictures just DON'T do it justice. All those scenic shots of this hills? not even close.

So anyway, the first day was mostly us just trying not to die. The next morning was lots of fun though. A couple of us went to this place called the Coffee Bean, which I am ninety five percent certain is an attempt to copy the United States. The first time we went there it was empty, because it was like eight in the morning and NO ONE in Tibet gets up that early to do business besides monks and apparently the owners of the coffee shop. But the second time, the place was PACKED (I mean it might have also had something to do with the fact that they also had computers with web cams, but still). There were all this "cool" tibetan teenagers just hanging out and watching Hindi Music videos on the flatscreen! TV. At one point, one of them lit up a cigarette. A couple of young monks were, I kid you not, gambling in a corner with a couple of their friends. And in case any of you guys are wondering, it is this monk that our teachers are warning us against. For all those out there with this idea that monks are pure and virtuous, apparently alot of them do NOT follow the stereotype. The one thing we are warded against is teaching them english behind closed doors (apparently bad things happen because many monks were placed in the cares of monasteries when they were very young and are "curious" or just have no interest in keeping their vows). So lesson of the day: Nuns or Ani's are okay, monks are not.

Classes are pretty interesting. We started Tibetan in Dehli, but mostly just seriously started picking it up right now. It is a very very complicated language, but the phrases they teach us are remarkably convenient. Though my spelling, I can tell you now, will suck. For the same sound, they have about four or five different spellings all meaning different things. Oh well, I did also get a 10 out of 10 on our first language quiz where we had to write the letters of the Alphabet. Other classes seem to be find. In our Field Study Seminar we've had two assignments. One where we've just observed and another when we had to ask a random person on the street for a map and compare it to one we've already drawn. It was to see the differences in perception. This assignment might have gotten me in trouble because I ended up talking to this Himalchi shop boy and a Kashmiri shop keeper and now every single Kashmiri on the street recognizes me as I walk by. I'll just have to be careful. We haven't really done much academic work, which suits me just fine for now but a part of me is itching to get back into the school groove. There is a large part of me that feels out of place and misses the comfort of home. The easiness, I guess. But this is still all so amazing and new, I'm waiting to settle down before I really see how I feel.

The first couple of days, we stayed at Hotel Tibet which was obviously made for foreigners because it has a western toilet and toilet paper. AMAZING. My standards have obviously shifted. We also often get running water, though not always because there is a water shortage because it hasn't been snowing like it normally does. I did have the pleasure of being face to face with a monkey twice as it just stood there staring through the window. We moved into our homestays yesterday. I live with a lovely older couple. This is my Pala's second wife. He and his first divorced. His daughter still lives with her; his son goes to school in a nearby town and is in college, around my age I think. Pala was in the army and enlisted when he was 17. He fought in the war that created the state of Bangladesh. He now works in the H.H Dalai Lama's temple which meant that I got the VIP tour of the place yesterday which was incredible in every way. He also speaks really good english. I don't know much about my Amala yet because she doesn't speak any english, but she is from Kham in Eastern Tibet which is really cool. Pala was born in Ladakh because his Pala fled Tibet when the Chinese first started to invade in 47. Our home is nice but very very very small. Like one room. There is a niche with a bunch of homes/apartments and a couple of shared bathrooms between the group of families (eastern style of course, but it's nice) My family also is really excellent about respecting my vegetarianism, though I hope that they understand it's okay by me if they eat meat.

Oh and speaking of the Dalai Lama, I saw him twice as he rode by in a car. He has doctors appointments in Delhi so all the streets are lined with Tibetans waiting for his blessings. The cars are totally see through so it's really like being face to face with him. We were only told about his leaving, my Pala took me to see him the second time and pushed me to the front. It was really sweet. this is really only a portion of my adventure, so I'll post more later....now I have class that I'm late for...nothing new there but particularly ironic given that class is downstairs.