First Day at TWA

This morning I woke up at 5am went for a jog in the Himalayan mountains and just absorbed my new surroundings. For the past two days I've been in Dharamsala with my new host family, trying to learn the daily routine and customs. A majority of you know that I am a VERY active person, accustomed to a high-paced lifestyle and no sleep. I've got youth on my side so I'm taking advantage:) HOWEVER, I'm in India and it's a different world with different rules.

The moment I arrived in Dharmasala, I was greeted by a taxi driver paid by TWA. His name was Tenzin and he was an extremely eccentric person. He took me the scenic route towards my host family's home and we passed by tea plantations where I witnessed every shade of green. There was not a spot of bare land, and at 2pm the green scenery was peppered with brightly covered tunics that the tea workers were wearing. Needless to say, Dharamsala is the antithesis of Delhi and I'm in love. When we arrived in the main plaza I met my wonderful host mother Tenzin, whom relayed the message from Dhardon (the intern coordinator) that I was to rest for the next two days. My heart dropped because I wanted to dive in the craziness that had been promised.

Saturday and Sunday were the epitome of relaxation. All I did was write, read, eat, sleep, write some more, and watch the world cup. This was also the time that I got to enjoy my new family. I have a host mom (Tenzin La), grandma (Ama-la), grandfather (Pa-La), servant (Gina), and 2 dogs that chase the monkies away. A majority of you are probably stuck on the "servant" part of the last sentence. Well in India this common and Tenzin is actually helping a friend by allowing Gina to stay in her home free of charge. Gina comes from a very poor Indian family in Southern India and is 10 years old. She is absolutely beautiful and has such a curious spirit. Tenzin-La, Ama-La, and Pa-La treat Gina as though she is family but still require her to assist with the cooking and cleaning. Anyways, I've been able to spend the past two days with this amazing family and its been nothing short of wonderful.

So now I'm at TWA's main office and within the first 30 minutes of my arrival I've been asked to proofread a declaration about tomorrow's district wide mock elections that will be posted all over the city. Let me explain in further detail about the mock elections. As a step towards a democratic refugee community, his Holiness the Dalai Lama has ordered that particular seats in the Exiled Tibetan government be elected democratically. TWA is responsible for overseeing this process and is hosting a mock election tomorrow in preparation for the actual elections on October 3rd. I was also just told a moment ago that I will be following my host mother around Dharamsala while she publicizes the event to the masses and will be responsible for delivering the same message in English (Dharamsala is a large tourist destination for westerners). Yay...public speaking has always been a love of mine.

Wish me luck and sending everyone great beautiful vibes.