Saturday 22nd May 2010
11.20am
Halfway up a mountain sat on a rock in the shade
I didn't let the jewel thing distract me yesterday. I concentrated well on reading in the library, on reading the paper, on reading Siddhartha, and on reading Vanity Fair which I dived back into. I've finished my Buddhist Ethics book.
Of course I did think about the jewel situation a little, I've decided I'll research it all on the internet and come to a firm decision on Monday. I undecided about whether to tell anyone, such as my dad. I was pleased that when the desirous thoughts of obtaining £10,000 crossed my mind I was able to see both the good and bad sides of the situation, and how destructive a desire for money can be.
Freeze them. See the feelings growing like an approaching train, and in a sense put them out of your mind, waving to the train as it disappears from sound and view.
Rather than let the issue take over me today I have slotted it in for practical rational deliberation when I am not busy educating myself. The feelings to indulge in the grimiest elements of it rose and fell.
I went to the library yesterday and helped 3 people newly arrived find the way there. I met Tensing in the street at lunch as I was on my way to meet him at a coffee shop. He had mistakenly thought we'd see each other on Thursday so had to make other plans, so I didn't teach him and instead marched back down the hill to the library for another hour and a half until 3.30pm. Then I marched back up the hill again to McLeod. Isn't this up and down hills lark just like an old nursery rhyme?
Spent some time at a rooftop cafe, where I found a book on sociolinguistics which was interesting.
Concerning the jewel thing there is no way I'll go near it if drugs are concerned.And even then I'll want the guys involved to give me all their details; copies of their passports. Which is something they said they'd want from me.
I finished, at the library, a book called The Way It Is by an American guy who became a monk, then I started on a Dalai Lama book, a commentary on the 37 practices of the a Bodhisattva.
No eclairs last night but I bought some this morning, it's the weekend.
The Champions League Final is tonight, the last real game of football before the world cup.
It'll cost 70rps to watch it, so I doubt I'll bother.
I met a woman from Brisbane, Liz, who is staying in the room next to me for a while. We shared some brief conversation as I shaved and she brushed her teeth by the communal sink.
The rules for Indian tourist visas are often being changed to restrict abuse of them, but I've never known what that abuse was. Maybe it's related to the jewel thing. Getting a little ahead of myself, or just putting 2 and 2 together, I remember a Dutch guy I met in Calcutta dropping hints about things you could find up in Darjeeling if you hung around there for a while. So I wonder what he may have been alluding to.
It's funny, this morning the only English newspaper around was the Himachal This Week as the others hadn't arrived. Inside two of the first articles I came across was a 'Greed is sometimes good' piece about the sequel to the film Wall Street, and how doing business in India is tightly regulated. While there was also a double page spread on how to enter the jewelry business in India...
Last night I ate curd, banana, a small amount of biscuits, Diet-Pepsi, and a piece of Tibetan bread.
Washed my clothes by hand this morning.
Right now I am just going to sit here on this hillside and read for a few hours. Finnish Siddhartha.
In the distance I can hear the children at the Tibetan Children's Village.
Where I am sat it is deadly silent. Prayer flags are tied to the trees, red, white, yellow, blue and green.
The town of McLeod is to my right while I can see some snow capped rocky mountains behind the town; their peaks perching up high above the tree covered hills. There is a gentle breeze.
2 weeks, 3 days until I go home.
There is a temptation to go and see some other places in India, but I'm enjoying the simplicity of life here. Plus anywhere south of here is too hot. 30 degree here everyday is good enough for me.