Sunday 23rd May 2010
11.20am
On a hillside behind the Dalai Lama's residence, sat on a piece of cardboard, McLeod Ganj
India
I wonder how long I can sit here before the heavens open.
It's sunny but spots of rain are in the air.
I didn't see the Champions League Final, least of all even know the score.
Yesterday I got back from the mountain around 3.30pm and went into...got dragged into...a conversation with a shoe fixer from Rajasthan.
They are all from Rajasthan.
Inevitably after becoming your friend after 5 minutes they ask you to buy some food for them, or some milk or flour.
They do actually fix shoes sometimes though, and pretty well.
Then I used the internet in two different places as the connection was hopeless at my usual haunt.
In between I picked up my daily food.
I hope Blackpool won the Championship Playoff Final, I still like to see Ian Holloway do well.
During my web research I looked up various courses and MAs beginning after I get back.
I saw a job at the Sherlock Holmes Museum as Sherlock Holmes.
If I do any course I want to do it because it is what I want to do or is something that'll improve me and contribute towards helping others and me. Otherwise it'll be better to just enjoy being rather than doing.
Although I wasn't consumed by the jewelry thing I naturally out of curiosity researched it and to be honest over the past 24 hours it hasn't entered my mind at all.
There are warnings on the internet about several scams involving jewels.
...thunder
So my inclination is to walk away. I have £26000. If I had £16000 I'd only think about getting up to £26,000. The fact is life goes on and I am lucky enough to have what I have.
I ate my usual food last night but had extra biscuits. As a bonus I nabbed the last copy of the TOI when I got back from the hills.
Finished Siddhartha, it's a very good book and makes some great points. My translated copy wasn't so good though. There were only minor errors but it seemed like a copy and past job using a word spellchecker...
...more thunder...
...I can see rain falling in the distance as I look across the valley here, cascading down. The sun has gone to now.
Lightening...
...luckily I have my rain jacket in my bag.
There was no bad spelling in the book, just some dodgy grammar and misplaced words.
If instead of it or is, the kind of thing that wouldn't be picked up by a spellchecker.
Now I've started a book that Tensing gave me on meditation. Meditation becomes more intriguing to me as the day goes by. Learning about the simplicity of it and how to let yourself go and do it.
There is such a strong belief that you need a teacher and that special techniques must be followed to enter higher states of being, but they are all fallacies it seems.
Meditation can be done anytime anywhere and in many positions.
Last night I did 80-90% of the crossword and completed the HTW Sudoku. But made a silly error with the TOI one.
Last night I felt pretty tired . More so than in previous days.
Rain today but the land is so dry here that there are small forest fires.
There was one I could see last night burning on a hill in the blackness of the night, it was gone this morning but it was just one of several isolated woodland fires I've seen.
The land is very dry.
Windy...time to go...
(15 minutes later)
...so it's raining now.
Thunder is rippling, there is total cloud cover. As I walked up the main road from the Dalai Lama's house to the main square all the street stall owners began covering their goods with plastic sheets. Umbrellas began to open up along the street like quick blossoming flowers while the beggars, also anticipating an on coming storm, outstretched their hands for one last rupee before they them themselves ran for cover.
I've stopped under a circular bench lined shelter halfway up to the main square.
It's not pissing down but it's coming I think.
I've completed my circumambulation of the Dalai Lama's home though. Along with dozens of other Tibetans and monks who walk along each with their rosary in hand.
I decided today I wont roam so far, it's Sunday and I want to relax, drink a lot of tea in different cafes. This morning I had a nice cup of Darjeeling with milk.
I ate a small pastry in the cafe as I read and ate a few sweets as I looked over this diary.
Study rain now.
This shelter is standing room only now, almost.
I'll find another cafe later, and use the internet again.
The pastry was sweetish and had a nice feeling and not too dry.
I'm satisfied more when I overly concern myself with the future less. The future I want to face in a more matter of fact way, than with mere speculation. Too much speculation, doesn't seem good. Considering things, thinking real things through, that's different from speculating.
I'm not sure if that'll make sense to anyone else, but it makes sense in my mind.