Heading Down the Hill
It's our last full day here in Dharamsala, and even after several weeks it feels like we were only given a brief moment to look into the culture of the Tibetan community here. From daily speakers on the history and current political situation of Tibet to witnessing monks en route to vigils to watching international coverage on Olympic torch protests by the BBC, we've certainly had our fill of exposure during our time here...but then there's always another story to be heard, another perspective to add to the mix in trying to understand the lives of those living in this hill-town refugee community.
Personally, taking the time each evening to have a conversation session with a Tibetan woman learning English has been a powerful way to connect to one person's story. From 7-8 pm, Tracy and I talk with our conversation partners about many topics- life in Tibet, India, and the USA...the current momentum of media attention towards the Tibet independence struggle...our own personal ambitions...and also more mundane things like hobbies and favorite foods. Tracy and I both enjoyed defining the word "lawn" last night as "a planned area of grass," and I was interested to hear about "ice saddles," which involve frozen mounds of yak dunk fastened with rope and then used to pull people along ice. Didn't get that growing up in Boston.
One thing Yangzom, my partner, has spoken of that has stuck with me is her flight from Tibet. In the moments before she began talking about it, I had some brief thought along the lines of "she's done it too," referring to crossing the border by walking over mountain paths for weeks. And then a moment later I was hearing her account- waking by night and sleeping by day, more than half the group being children (herself being just 16), difficulty staying warm and feeling full without having sleeping bags or an adequate supply of food. Though her story is similar to those of many Tibetans here in Dharamsala, it was still powerful to hear, to be reminded that behind the label of a person learning English or selling momos or running a small shop or raising a family, there are personal histories of struggle and dislocation...and then it's also just one of the many layers to be unearthed and understood up here.
Tomorrow morning we'll drive back to Delhi, and after a few days of city life we'll fly up to Ladakh for the greater part of our remaining time, as the students have decided to spend their student-led portion there as well. We'll be traveling to the Chang Thang plateau, which is similar geographically to the far western portions of Tibet. There we'll stay in Choglamsar and collect stories from Tibetan refugees who have lived in Ladakh since 1959. High mountains, rural homestays, and trekking ponies, here we come!