Voicemail from Galen
"Hi John, this is Galen calling from Gomar village. We're doing well here, other than being stymied with the international phone service, but seem to have found one that works. Everything is going quite well, people have now spent a couple of nights in homestays and are enjoying them. We have commenced various art projects, including thangka painting, metal working, wood block carving, stone carving, and some other independent initiatives. We're in Tibetan class this morning and then will be breaking into various groups for art projects this afternoon. Group health is good. Spirits are high. All's well and we'll have some more blog posts and photos coming soon. Talk to you soon."
Comments
It's morning at Sue's compound in the village - everyone is animated except for Guiseppe (Sue's son), who is his usual taciturn self. The sun is shining beautifully, and apparently the stars were brilliant last night against a clear sky.
Life in the village has been simple, naturally-paced, and peaceful. Mud walls, floors, walkways are of the same color as the earth. The various components of home life meld into each other; there aren't such vast distinctions between private and public, clean and dirty, inside and out. The lack of a shared language between my homestay family and I has highlighted the importance of a pure and direct smile, unclouded eye contact, and use of a few simple words.
Posted by: Jen | July 13, 2007 07:58 AM
Thank you , Galen for the updates! Wishing y'all continued good spirits ,much laughter , good health,and beautiful art.
Love y'all,
Julia Christian
Posted by: Julia Christian | July 13, 2007 04:04 PM