many faces of Dharamsala

After yesterday's therapeutic blogging session, I had the honor of witnessing how diverse Dharamsala truly is by conversing with two men about two completely different subjects. But before I begin, I would like to preface the experiences with a fact that I learned from a stranger, "there are only 3 things that naturally excite the mind, one being conversation. When you have a stimulating conversation with a stranger you're intrigued to learn more about that person because they evoked excitement, and lets be honest...we're all adrenaline junkies." That being said, while being alone here in Dharamsala I've been able to host very intriguing, enlightening, and intimidating conversations with tourists, monks, locals, spiritualists, and realists.

The first man I met was a 22 year old Tibetan named Tenzin and he had a passion for English Literature and philosophizing about life. We actually began our conversation the same way I've started so many here in India, "Are you Indian? From Delhi? Sikh?". However, Tenzin's response to my reply of, "no, I'm actually American but Half Mexican/Persian", was different than the rest. He stood there and thanked me for proving his judgement wrong and confirming that sometimes its best not to judge. Our conversation only lasted about 15 minutes but he taught me so much. During mid-conversation about Dharmasala's enchanting/romantic atmosphere he asked me, "so what's your purpose in life". I grinned so hard because that is the only question in the English language that I love/despise, because I have NO clue what the answer is. Since I was so ill-prepared for that question I gave the most naked and honest reply, "to be happy, make those around me happy, and to write". Thank you Tenzin for asking me that disgusting question. ha

The second and less fantastical conversation was with a Muslim street vendor from Kashmir named Altholz. His family is currently living in Kashmir and are witnessing mass murderings, curfew, and prejudice against Muslims. We discussed this topic in depth and I tried to detour the conversation with less darker topics but he would have none of it. Almost every word I said became a gateway to another topic of how Muslims were good and clean people. While he was talking I couldn't help but think that I was actually happy to engage in this conversation with him because he brought me back to reality, where the world isn't just about literature and love, but about war and prejudice. He taught me that, "one bad fish will spoil the bunch"; therefore one Muslim terrorist will cause the world to judge an entire religion and its followers. Please send Altholz good vibes.

I apologize for this paragraph but I need to vent (not complaining) and release frustration. Last night I forced myself to go to bed around 7:30pm in order to avoid the daily, extra-large, and carb-loaded dinner I knew would be awaiting me at 9pm. I'm a vegan and appreciate all food made for my special diet, BUT the Tibetan culture is ridiculous when it comes to portions. My plate is ALWAYS overflowing and everything must be consumed or its an insult to the cook (although I shower Tenzin-La with compliments and insist on receiving the recipes before I leave). Ama-La even lovingly hit me-- quite hard-- when I only ate one plate two nights ago. Mkk I vented..got that out of my system.

Currently I'm at the research office with the other 5 TWA inters. My first project is to transcribe a documentary that TWA had made on Dhondup Wangchen, a Tibetan and political activist. He was arrested in 2008 by Chinese authorities on charges of encouraging separatism with his documentary titled Leaving Fear Behind. This documentary included interviews of those living in Tibet and their thoughts about the 2008 Olympics being held in Beijing. Follow these links to learn more about his story:

http://www.freetibet.org/campaigns/free-dhondup-wangchen

http://www.freetibet.org/campaigns/free-dhondup-wangchen

Dhondup's wife Lhamo Tso and their four children currently live in Dharamsala. Lhamo Tso bakes bread and sells it on the streets to support her large family.

Now off to enjoy the brilliant sunshine..uck it's monsoon season.