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| Free TIBET... |
| 04.26.04 (3:48 am) [edit] |
I parted with Gil so peacefully and with much love, knowing that we both had been blessed with each other and needed to move on to other things...
He was a great introduction to what India is to me and how it is me and how it works , how I work...how this place is powerful and will reveal things about all of that , things I thought were only dream games I play in my mind... but now its all becoming and true...
WOULD you be surpised that it took me from 4:30 pm until 7 oclock am the next day to finally get from Dehli to Dharamsala?... I took a bus with other foreigners that was supposed to only be 12 hours long but ofcourse, - NEver have expectations of what things will be like !
DRAMA #1:
I get my all my bags to where the bus is, some blocks and blocks away and the Indian worker for the bus tries to charge us 10 rupies each = about a quarter for putting out bags in the trunk! I Totally refused and everyone stood there arguing and screaming at the Indian company for trying to rip us off. The people from Israel were the most vocal, and the Indian guy would NOT put our bags in the trunk without pay- when its his DAMN job and we already paid a tourist price for our ride! So then he makes some Japanese guys, who are peaceful and just wanted to get going, climb the ladder all the way to the roof of the tall bus to put their own bags on the roof if they didn;t want to pay for trunk space!! What bullshit. And we are all screaming that we will call their boss and that is bullshit and we won't pay and he's refusing and laughing at us- like a big fuck you greedy tourists, what's a quarter to each of you- but a quarter to him from each is a whole month's salary so - give it up!... leave at 5 o'clock bus, WHAT? yeah right- try 6:30 by the time the Indian guy gives in from our great protest and our bags get in - although now we are worried they will do something with them while we travel...
DRAMA#2
We are on our way YEAH! ok seats. Grab mine in the back and met these four really cool Spaniards. I heard them talking it up and broke into their little circle quickly feeling so at home and so excited to be surrounded by the language, the attitude, the way ...
So its Lisa, Sol, Jordi, and Maria.
Jordi, 25, from Barcelona, doesn't speak a word of English- test, test, long haired blue eyed hippie looking dude who is a merchant (street seller) of artwork, clothes, and other beautiful things from around the world.
Sol, is 33 very beautiful and strong, also a merchant (street seller) from the country on the northern coast..she also does a lot of Henna art (fading tattoes) - as she has displayed all over her body, which she is teaching me to do.
Lisa is from England but thinks she's from Spain she says she is a Spaniard but is quite white in appearance, and a nice lady.
And Maria, also a street seller - another strong Spansih woman 33 ish long hair, beautiful, very open minded and down to earth - cool people... its nice to learn about their culture...
So to the drama part- well I bet you would believe that they scammed us further by shoving us all into a smaller bus than we were supposed to have and that left 2 paying customers without a seat ! They tried to shove 5 people in the long back seat with the 4 Spaniards but they WERE NOT having it. And the Israelis started screaming and getting into it- a huge mess. The 2 monks on the bus were just silent and watchful the whole time.. Hence another half hour of arguing here and also at the next stop we make about a half hour outside of Dehli when others get on the bus- who paid- yet now have no seat... oh Beautiful India businessss
Drama #2
The Spaniards are awesome. Throughout the whole journey we chat it up and laugh ... at some points we try to sleep but its hard to sleep in the back of the bus with all the crazy bumps... One guy from the UK, 36ish, in the front took some bad pills and was high on something and we had to stop for him a couple times and at one point people carried him to have his own 2 seats because he was so spaced out and about to faint or something.. These Tibetan men on the bus were so strong, and cared for him so well, my first introduction to a culture I would fall in love with.
DRAMA#3
We stop almost every hour- so the driver can get a cut of the money the vendors make on the tourists- what odd people and faces we encounter on the radd- always hassling you to buy drinks something anything- even after you screamed NO the 20th time, no joke.
So now its dark out and we all keep wondering why we keep stopping and the trunk where the bags are keeps getting opened...? While we are all half asleep- my stuff ended up safe, my bags fully fully locked - I wonder how everyone else made out... shady business...
The Spaniards are stir crazy... they have been vibrating and bumping their heads for hours!- the whole time from the bumpy ride and they are giddy and laughing and trying to put a good face on what could otherwise be an annoying experience..how fun-, I lobve people like that! I know that spirit! They are actually quite hysterical from all the shaking and its so hilarious.
[b]The Foothills of the Himalayas[/b]
The drama is over -- day breaks and we hit the foothills of the Himilayas like breaking into some dream some dream - as we are all very worn and in a meditative sleepy state- We watch in awe, speechless the sun rising over the snowcapped mountains that are just little foothills - just a glimpse of the power and beauty of nature of the immense Himalaya Mountains... darkskinned Indian Santa Claus looking men in bright robes hike the mountain roads with carved walking sticks at early dawn, chickens and birds stir all over, the "untouchables" as are called the lowest class of Indians in the caste system, darkfaced, torn saris ( Indian dresses/robes), children slung on their backs and waists, and footless handless toothless men lurk about... and the beautiful faces of the old Tibetan women and men - there is something so bright in their eyes - like there is something they have seen, that they know and they can't but help even carry their knowing of truht and all that is pure and true in their eyes...
Later that day when I finally get to meet and speak with Tibetans I trutly get to see why their ways create those eyes of the Tibetan.
I end up rooming with Jordi when we arrive. We have breakfast and nap.
I wake up 2- to not miss a thing.
I wander around a little to get acquainted with the area.
A large parade of Tibetan youth color the streets with huge signs, screaming Free Tibet! and Free the Lama! As it turns out -- China has stolen a 6 year old Tibetan boy- who was a Lama- which means he is in the Lama family- a spiritual Buddhist light, Lamas, like the Dalai Lama, the eldest Lama, are the closest things to Buddha walking on earth. So Communist China stole the little Lama 6 years old, and no one knows where he is. These people are stripped of their land and have been pushed around and abused by China for many years because they want to become independent country from China. They ARE a different more spiritual people and I don't think China can handle that - and so The highest Buddhist light - the Dalai Lama - had to walk over the Himalayas miles and miles to escape China from killing him off- WHY would they want to kill a man who is the ultimate Buddhist, stands for peace and love and compassion in every way I will NEVER know. And the people here are struggling to gain the land back that is rightfully theirs, and to gain freedom to be full Buddhists and free from communist China's sick ways...
I also found a Reiki Master and talk with him for an hour about Reiki and his teachings. I may take yoga with him as well. He's a great man. He has a strong presence, at peace, and glowing dark Indian skin- which is unlike the Tibetans who partly look Chinese but are a total thing of their own- no doubt.
I ate my dinner at Chuyki's. The 2 young Tibetan cuties that work there sat down with me and ate their meals they worked for. I ended up staying the night until 1 in the morning speaking, smoking, laughing, dancing with the Tibetans. An older Tibetan man sat down at the table too. The young Tibetan named Karma ( what a name!) said the older man was "The Doctor" of the community, he's a powerful man- with a great wealth of knowledge. I had deep conversations with him about his work and mine. He's actually The Tibetan Youth counselor for drug addictions, and HIV mostly...he has traveled the world working for 14 years and now resettled with his people. His work and his life story was astonishing... we went back and forth about the world its problems, its causes, Buddhism, spirituality, everything for hours...
All of this another one of those extremely meaningful powerful experiences that carry with it special divine messages I am so smiling about the whole time in a state of bliss even though we at times talk about the more sad issues about the hell our planet is going through- all mostly on the cause of the US, or atleast as their stupid macho "we are such superpower rulers of the earth" attitude and pushiness and greed tends to reflect.... but usually always does get into the mix of being the ultimate cause- or atleast no help to the worlds biggest problems as we destroy our planet- by having the taboccao, leaky Oil, and Pharmaceuitcal Corporations in complete control of everything due to their great wealth fed by corruption of fucking people over just to make the million dollar white men make another million...
I have now moved to my own room at the Yellow Guest House. There's a beautiful view of the mountains and the villagers below right out of my door, right from my window of my small room...
and I am contemplating staying here one month.
I will be teaching some Tibetan refugees English at the Youth Center and Karma also wants me to teach him everyday and he said I could get free meals at the restaurant if I do. What better way to learn about a people. When teaching is less work for me and more love- what better way could I spend my hours here than exchanging with this beautiful Buddhist community?
Many things are waiting just around the corner and its all so exciting and uplifting...
much love and peace to you all, Hope you are well! Let me know how things go.... Andrea...
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