So we are leaving Dharamsala tomorrow. So much has happened that I don't think I can recount it all. In the past two weeks, I have (not) celebrated Losar, fully celebrated my cousin Ramya's wedding, and gone to a remote village called Tashi Jong where there is literally only one restaurant and three stores.
So apparently when people say "No Losar" they actually mean "No Losar." The first day was basically like any other day. Although we did eat a traditional losar breakfast, and the altar was very nicely decorated. The Losar breakfast includes this rice wine with actual chunks of rice and bread...I really disliked it, but so did my brother so we ate it with losar cookies and that made the whole process a whole lot better. We then had a bowl of rice that I think was the same type of rice and ingredients that fermented into the wine, but it tasted a lot better....although I did appreciate being drunk at eight in the morning. Other than that, we just went down the temple where there were these gorgeous butter statues in the temple. It was a pretty chill sort of day; that night I got on a TWELVE HOUR bus to Delhi....I wanted to kill myself. However...the wedding itself was pretty awesome.
It was my first family wedding, and I absolutely refused to miss it. I'll put pictures up soon, but basically it was awesomeness all around. It was so nice hanging out with the cousins that I never get to see. I'm so jealous of them sometimes. It was also really awesome seeing my family. Though I'm not altogether that homesick so the shortness of their trip coinciding with mine wasn't tooo bad. Ultimately the main message I think of Indian weddings is man we like to draw things out. Not that I was really complaining and the wedding part was over by like noon. Such a weird feeling, let me tell you. Afterwards we went to go see the flats that we're building in Guindy. The other really great thing about Indian weddings is that it's not stationery. You don't have to sit and wait till the whole thing is over...unless you're getting married, but even some parts of the wedding involve a lot of walking. :-) When you're bored you can just go eat, or take a nap, or go for a walk. haha weddings are more fun if you're not getting married.
Anyway, I was in Chennai until the 28th and headed to the Dharamsala airport...a biplane which was better than the Bus, but still terrifying...From there I drove to Tashi Jong. I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to find my group, but because there really wasn't a town, I just drove into the main square and my groups was chilling in the one table that was in the courtyard/town square. Haha. But seriously Tashi Jong was incredible. There were all these little children monks that were adorable in every sort of way. Most of them came as refugees from Nepal and are now being educated in the monastery. Which really is a great opportunity. But it's still a little heartbreaking seeing these little kids acting older than they are. Though they did still play a lot of cricket and soccer in the town square. I could really go on and on about Tashi Jong because it was an amazing experience, but most of it would have more meaning to me and my group than any one else.
In other news, tonight is my last night of homestay...I'm really sad to be leaving Dharamsala, but VERY excited for Nepal. For anyone whose curious, in the past week I have gone from Dharamsala to Chennai to Dharamasala to Tashi Jong to Delhi to Nepal all in the course of one week....I am officially a certified India traveler!
Love till next time! (Probably tomorrow and a continuation of these entry)
Swetha
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