Monday 31st May 2010
10:30pm
My bed at the Dip Tse Chokling Monastery
So I've got my FM radio, water and my bread and am all set to go to the 1st day of a 3 day teaching by the Dalai Lama tomorrow. Spent 190 rupees on the radio, worth it I think. 9am TCV.
Went to the library this afternoon half-heartedly but did some worthwhile reading. I've was excited heading back to the monastery after I picked up the radio.
Got 2 parathas for dinner which, coming from a different hole in the wall cafe tasted a little different but good. Ate curd, raisins and biscuits. One Diet Pepsi.
This morning I bumped into Tensing. It was good to see him and we talked over a chai. He has a special pass for tomorrow as the teaching will be aimed at Tibetan Students. Many of them Tensing tells me have travelled from far away parts of India for the chance to hear him talk.
Had an urgent need to shit in the woods earlier. No idea why.
After acquiring some official information on the teachings after seeing Tensing I bought a loaf of brown bread, visited a local temple that had no toilet and read Vanity Fair for an hour on a hillside after relieving myself in a secluded wooded area.
I read some interesting stuff about colonialism and Buddhism.
Did the TOI sudoku, stuffed up the Tribune one. Both crosswords were tough though my mind was a little distracted this evening in anticipation of tomorrows teachings.
Saw a jar of mango chutney, 73 rupees.
Today the skies were blue and the sun hot.
Today I withdrew cash for the first time since I was in Kathmandu one month ago.
Will try and get online tomorrow and also book my coach ticket to Delhi.
Need to wash some clothes soon too.
Recently bought a small pot of honey for 25 rupees that I should use.
I'm hoping for a good day tomorrow
The FM radio is needed to listen to the translation of what the Dalai Lama says, without it would almost not be worth going at all.
Around me everyone leaned in close to get a good view. Everyone snapping away except me. One rule about attending a teaching is no cameras.
I befriended a Swiss guy who I gave me e-mail address and he said he'd send his pictures in a few weeks. I hope he comes good. Basically the only tight security was at the entrance to the main hall and around the Dalai Lama himself. You could easily come and go from the school with a camera or a gun and no one would know.
My radio came good. Easily tuned into the FM frequency. But no translation but it seemed many people were downhearted. I was sat under a canopy in the basketball court watching the TV pictures from inside the hall. Everything was in Tibetan. Many foreigners after 30 minutes seemed to slope away. Some stayed. Generally there was plenty of room for everyone.
The broadcast could be picked up where ever you roamed in the grounds.
On the verge of leaving I tired the radio one more time, while I was heading to the gate with only a freely distributed book in Tibetan to show.
Fantastically the translation had begun. The teaching had started at 9am with the translation kicking in around 10.15am. So I sat on some steps overlooking the main hall and the motorcade on the edge of the large sand playground and listened to my hearts content. I was fully revived and fulfilled until the end of the proceedings around 11.20am.
At which point the Dalai Lama said he'd return tomorrow if his health prevailed. I hope it does. I'll take my camera.
10:30pm
My bed at the Dip Tse Chokling Monastery
So I've got my FM radio, water and my bread and am all set to go to the 1st day of a 3 day teaching by the Dalai Lama tomorrow. Spent 190 rupees on the radio, worth it I think. 9am TCV.
Went to the library this afternoon half-heartedly but did some worthwhile reading. I've was excited heading back to the monastery after I picked up the radio.
Got 2 parathas for dinner which, coming from a different hole in the wall cafe tasted a little different but good. Ate curd, raisins and biscuits. One Diet Pepsi.
This morning I bumped into Tensing. It was good to see him and we talked over a chai. He has a special pass for tomorrow as the teaching will be aimed at Tibetan Students. Many of them Tensing tells me have travelled from far away parts of India for the chance to hear him talk.
Had an urgent need to shit in the woods earlier. No idea why.
After acquiring some official information on the teachings after seeing Tensing I bought a loaf of brown bread, visited a local temple that had no toilet and read Vanity Fair for an hour on a hillside after relieving myself in a secluded wooded area.
I read some interesting stuff about colonialism and Buddhism.
Did the TOI sudoku, stuffed up the Tribune one. Both crosswords were tough though my mind was a little distracted this evening in anticipation of tomorrows teachings.
Saw a jar of mango chutney, 73 rupees.
Today the skies were blue and the sun hot.
Today I withdrew cash for the first time since I was in Kathmandu one month ago.
Will try and get online tomorrow and also book my coach ticket to Delhi.
Need to wash some clothes soon too.
Recently bought a small pot of honey for 25 rupees that I should use.
I'm hoping for a good day tomorrow
The FM radio is needed to listen to the translation of what the Dalai Lama says, without it would almost not be worth going at all.
Around me everyone leaned in close to get a good view. Everyone snapping away except me. One rule about attending a teaching is no cameras.
I befriended a Swiss guy who I gave me e-mail address and he said he'd send his pictures in a few weeks. I hope he comes good. Basically the only tight security was at the entrance to the main hall and around the Dalai Lama himself. You could easily come and go from the school with a camera or a gun and no one would know.
My radio came good. Easily tuned into the FM frequency. But no translation but it seemed many people were downhearted. I was sat under a canopy in the basketball court watching the TV pictures from inside the hall. Everything was in Tibetan. Many foreigners after 30 minutes seemed to slope away. Some stayed. Generally there was plenty of room for everyone.
The broadcast could be picked up where ever you roamed in the grounds.
On the verge of leaving I tired the radio one more time, while I was heading to the gate with only a freely distributed book in Tibetan to show.
Fantastically the translation had begun. The teaching had started at 9am with the translation kicking in around 10.15am. So I sat on some steps overlooking the main hall and the motorcade on the edge of the large sand playground and listened to my hearts content. I was fully revived and fulfilled until the end of the proceedings around 11.20am.
At which point the Dalai Lama said he'd return tomorrow if his health prevailed. I hope it does. I'll take my camera.