One Day in Dharamsala
One day in Dharamsala feels like a lifetime – a sweet lifetime. Today Becky and I enjoyed the company of Tibetans at work: at the tiny Shop no 5, the Tibetan Artesans Coop, and the local Tibetan Children’s Village. Shopping for towels to solve a training challenge – a shortage of sheets and expensive laundry services – we sorted through the towel selection at Shop no 5. Actually, we cleaned the place out. We needed 22 towels – thin and quick to dry – and that’s exactly how many we found. It was a big purchase for the tiny establishment, and the shop owner, Tenzin, treated us to milk tea. We took photos (we’ll upload them when we get back to Boulder and quicker computers), and chatted with her and her mother and their smiling, dollfaced niece/granddaughter.
Our shopping spree was preceded by a huge morning – a visit to the local Tibetan Children’s Village. Our tour guide, Nyima, patiently answered our questions about its history and development. We were touched by her story and that of other Tibetan children who “lost” their parents when they set out for India via the Himalayan mountains and Nepal. Their parents loved them so much that they sent them away – to India – to seek out education and opportunities denied to them in their home country. A huge sacrifice for them and a huge gift for their children.
Back from our jaunt to TCV, we stopped by the Tibetan Artesans Coop to pay for the rugs we’d picked out the day before. The sales manager, Tsering, took note of our interest in the artistry that goes into creating the handwoven rugs, and offered to show us more of the workshop. We headed to the basement, and we were greeted by a roomful of spinners and weavers working on custom orders -all with Christmas deadlines. We hope we were a pleasant distraction for them rather than an annoyance.
We finished up our “work day” with an English conversation class at Lha. There were at least 40 Tibetans and volunteers packed into a 12 x 12 room. I was waved over by a couple of Buddhist monks. They were not what I expected. They were so easy to talk to although one asked me pointblank, “What does Buddhism mean to you?” I kept my answer short and sweet. A smile and a nod seemed to indicate I did alright.
If I had to use one word to describe a typical day for us in Dharamsala, it would be: abundant. Tomorrow’s another day and we are already counting our blessings. – Carol B.
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Tags: India, Tibetan refugees
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