Dharamsala

Greetings from Dharamsala! So, before I begin, on a scale of 1 to desperation, how badly do you all miss us? Cause we here in India have reached a consensus that we're never leaving. Sorry. It's not you, it's us. Anyways, on Thursday we arrived in Dharamsala. We are staying at the magnificent Norbulingka Institute. The institute was designed as a place to preserve Tibetan arts and culture, which is actively being destroyed within Tibetan walls. Let me give you a little back story... In the 1950's, Chinese military forces invaded Tibet in a violent and brutal invasion. Tibetan forces couldn't compete against the super-power that is China. Since the occupation, Tibet has ceased to exist as it once was. Now overrun by Chinese military forces, culture and tradition have been destroyed, and even His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been driven out. In fact, last year the Dalai Lama relinquished his role as political head of Tibet, but remains the spiritual head. The problem surrounding Tibetan occupation is that few nations want to get involved. Challenging China could end in disaster for any of China's allies. While our moral compasses tell us Tibetan people need our help, China plays a large role in the USA's present and future, and jeopardizing that relationship is a major risk. We have here a lose-lose situation. On the bright side, India has graciously opened its doors to refugees, and now Dharamsala has become somewhat of a mini-Lhasa. Inside Norbulingka, Tibetan arts and culture abounds. There is the most beautifully decorated Buddhist temple, where we had a meditation lesson. There are workshops devoted to preserving the arts. Over the past two days, we have tried our hand at Thangka drawing and wood-painting. Note I used the word 'tried'. There are also gift shops and restaurants for tourists like us, who come from all over to see the preserved traditions. Two of our favorite activities here so far have been our visit to the pre-school, and exploring Mcleod Ganj. On Friday morning, we visited the Norling Preschool. The school accepts children age 1 month to 6 years, and focuses on providing the children with an education, especially because their parents may not have had the same opportunity. Each smile we earned from a child was our own personal victory. How cherubic those children were... We also explored Mcleod Ganj. The town lies high up in the Himalayas, and houses the Dalai Lama's summer palace, and the temple he attends. To stand in a place where such a holy presence worships is a profound experience, especially with the picture-perfect view of the Himalayas in the backdrop. We followed up our temple visit with some shopping, and dinner at Mc'llo restaurant. To me, you can't fully understand a culture until you've experienced nightlife, and tonight, shopping and dining was just that. It was perfection! And we ate a ton of naan. I mean, does life get any better? Well, that was a mouthful. We miss you all!
-Lindsey
p.s. Hi Mom & Dad!