Wanders of Monlam Journey Some tid-bits, some stories and mostly a way for us to stay connected...

Well I am cold. I mean really cold, but this place is just beautiful. It is nothing like what I had expected, maybe because my expectations were so low? It is really great. I have a large private room, the bathroom is basic, but has hot water 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. Except for 3 days per week, one which is our day off. There are many buildings surrounding the main gompa (monastery), which are placed exquisitely on a large hill overlooking a rolling valley that is covered in fog in the morning and then slowly shows itself as the sun breaks through late afternoon, did I mention that it was cold? It’s hard to be this cold because there is really no warming up. I can’t remember ever being anywhere without heat, I slept well my first night under my good for “sub degree temperatures” sleeping bag + wool blanket I bought in town. Food so far has been tasty. Too much wheat, white rice and tofu for my taste, but all vegetarian, Thankfully there are eggs on the menu for breakfast.. So far the schedule seems manageable. Mostly because I am a beginner and can’t attend the advanced Tibetan text classes in the afternoons. I will still attend two classes a day. One from 9:00-11:00 and my beginning Tibetan class is from 11:30-1:00. This will pretty much be my schedule for the next 2 months. I have one day off a week (I think Wednesdays) I have daily Internet access that I haven’t used yet and I hear it is supposedly very slow. Also, I can make phone calls for 5 rupees a minute to the US (about 14 cents) So. I will be more accessible than I thought, and will hours everyday just for studying. Plus time for exercise; in fact my room is down 100 steep stairs that have to be climbed back up when I want to go anywhere! I have been averaging 5 trips a day up and down, To mostly any destination here it’s a hike, There are about 25 people in the program, For those of you reading from SF Shambhala, Center, Rob Lee is here as well as Jesse Litven who lived in the Bay Area for a short time a few years back. It is a nice group. France, England, Ireland, Canada, Greece, Spain, Australia, Argentina, USA, Taiwan and Malaysia..It’s really cold here. Imagine living in San Francisco without heat, now imagine it to be 30 degrees and surrounded by concrete and marble. I’m not complaining, really..Just cold. I have posted some pictures of my view. In the morning under the fog and then some of later in the afternoon. Some of my room and building where I am living as well as the stairs! More to come and please write! Laura