So here we are still in Dharamsala and I don't think I ever wanna leave. Despite my constant moaning about the cold ( sorry folks but I do hate it) there is no where else I would rather be. It is absolutley stunnning here there is always something to do and everyone is so bloody nice, I just wanna stay here forever.
We have started our Tibetan lessons, it's so much fun, it's just me and Soph and our teacher Lowl who is an absolute honey and praises my attempts at Tibetan even though I am shite. Today he asked in Tibetan " where are you from?" and my answer " I do not have a question" !!! Oh well it's all part of the learning. Sophie seems to be a natural and am starting to think she was Tibetan in a past life. We only have a few more days of learning but hopefully we can keep up with it and will know a bit more than " I do not have a question" by the time I get to Tibet.
After class this morning we went down to the temple where the Dalai Lama was saying prayers for a long life and peace to all sentient beings. We couldn't understand what was being said but it was just lovely anyway. During the praying monks came out into the crowd and were giving out fruit, bread, sweets, biscuits etc. which all started tamely enough but I guess they could see they couldn't get to every one so they started chucking the sweets into the crowd and before we knew it loaves of bread were being lobbed in the air and fruit flying past us! I'm surprised noone was hurt but it was all done in good fun and we were all just laughing, the kids loved it. A lovely way to feed people and everything had been blessed by the main man. After the prayers he came walking past and me and Sophie swear he was looking straight at us with that cheeky little grin of his.
Our English conversational classes in the afternoon are brilliant. It's mostly monks and it has been so lovely to speak to them. The first day I was talking to two, can't remember the names unfortunatley. One was from Bhutan and his English was good and he seemed to be quite a lovely and holy monk. The other one (my favourite so far) was 21 and from Ladak and his English was not so good but he had a bit of a cheeky glint in his eye. He spent most of the hour staring at my tits, must remember to wear a tighter top tomorrow bless him! I think he is more cut out for smoking spliffs than praying which is probably why his parents sent him to the monastery. When I met him the next day he made a little cushion for me to sit on next to him (probably wanted to check my puppies out again)and said I was his Lama aaaawwwwww I lurve irm. Yesterday Sophie was chatting to him and let him read some stuff from a book she wrote in. Unfortunately the word shit was in there which he seemed to understand was a bad word and kept saying it and giggling to himself. Think we should leave the book at home next time before we get kicked out! My monk today was 21 and from Nepal and just lovely his English wasn't so good but we got by. Doing this conversational stuff really has been one of the best experiences of my life. The monks are fab to hang out with and you don't even have to try to be funny as they just laugh all the time, they are just amazing people. Which brings me on to a tiny little rant about Tibet, just please go to these websites and read about what is going on over there and if you can sign a petition to help the Tibetans get some of their human rights back, please do it. We have met so many lovely kind people here but all of their stories are the same. They have had to walk over the Himalayas risking their lives not knowing when they will see family and friends again in the hope of getting a better life and it is just shit. www.tibet.org www.tibet.com www.tibet.net Sorry to get political an all that.
So we are off to the bar tonight for a few cheeky Kingfishers to make the most of our time here. I think we are gonna spend St Patricks day here and leave to Rajastan after then so until next time peace and love to all Annie xoxoxoxoxo
