Week Three

Week three has nearly ended.  I have a quiz tomorrow, but I've been doing well on our twice-weekly quizes.  I missed half of the classes today, though, as I'm yet again dealing with a stomach ailment.  It goes with the territory here in Nepal.

Last Monday a large group of us from Rangjung Yeshe Institute were supposed to go to Swayambunath for a large celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lamas' birthday.  However, teh night before we all started hearing that things were cancelled by the government under pressure from China, so I would estimate that only two-thirds of those who signed up to go actually showed up that morning for the busses.  Part way there, most of the studetns on one bus decided not to go afterall, so the busses pulled over and the rest of the students from the second bus joined us.

After waiting in traffic for a while, we finally got on Ring Road and headed for Swayambunath.  Unfortunately, there was a protest blocking the road part way there.  It seems that some people had been accussed of kidnapping and had been taken into protective custody by the police.  A crowd had gathered to demand that the police release the accussed so teh people could kill them.  If my information is correct, two of the four had already been beaten and later died in the hospital.  It turns out there was no kidnapping at all.  It all seems to have started as a fight between two groups. 

Most of our group decided not to wait out the protest and so the bus turned around and headed back to Boudha.  However, I and a few others decided to get off the bus and get a taxi to Thamel where we did a little shopping.  Mostly we looked at books and had lunch and then headed home.  It was a pretty uneventful day. 

This coming Sunday, my friend Miroj (with whom I went to school in L.A. at University of the West) is celebrating his birthday.  He's having some monks over to his parents' home to perform a puja (a chanting ritual) and I'm invited.  I won't be able to keep up with the other monks, I'm sure, but I will certainly lend my prayers.  

In other news, my host brother Tenzin headed back today to Varanasi, India where he studies.  It's just me and Kunga now.  Luckily he's a good cook or I'd starve to death!   

Comments

[NellaLou]

For the stomach ailments try to have Dahi
दही (curds/yogurt)a couple of times per week. I find that really helps in India.

[Rinchen Gyatso]

NellaLou,

Great idea! I'll try to pick some up more often.