Hello everyone,
I am guessing I will get emails asking to tell about my weekend once Mom wakes up and sees all the pictures on facebook, so I figured I would try to beat her to it! Thursday through this morning, we went to McLeod Ganj, which is like 12-ish hours away by bus. For all you Americans who have never heard of McLeod, it's a town in Himachal Pradesh, India, that people refer to as "mini Tibet" because it's where the Dalai Lama and multiple Tibetan Buddhists live. And it's on the edge of the Himalayas, if that helps you picture where/what it is.
The area itself was beautiful as almost every building has a scenic view, and I loved walking around the little town through the shops set up on the street. But then it was Eid, and most everyone in India had a long weekend, leading to many tourists and many, many groups of guys coming to the area for religious experiences, fun, and booze. Which means a thousand times more "Heyy Babyy"s, "Haellooo"s, and "How are yooouuu?"s than ever before. I learnt very quickly that I will no longer be traveling to tourist spots on Indian holidays!
It's still monsoon season, and we went to a lake where we couldn't see anything from the fog, so that wasn't exactly memorable, but thankfully, that was really the only time it rained much while we were there. We got to trek to the waterfall and play in the brook/on the boulders downstream. It was a type of gorgeousness and peacefulness that I cannot describe, and my pictures don't do it justice. I constantly just stopped and stared and smiled because of God's beauty. Also, monsoon season in the mountains is COLD. I don't really do cold anywhere, so I was quite happy for my rain jacket in the day and my fat blanket rolled around me at night!
The Dalai Lama wasn't in town this weekend, but we visited the monastery. I used to be able to look at temples and idols and stuff objectively, as artwork and history. But after last year's events and God's giving me "new eyes" (so to speak,) I cannot see objectively when they are in religious settings. If it is in a museum, great, I can value and admire the intricacy and detailwork. But in temples, all I see is symbolism. Be it the eyes or fingers on the statues, the flames on the candles in the shrines, the unlit candles, the fog surrounding the monastery area--anything and everything reminds me of God's word. And let's just say it's not all happy-go-lucky...
Moving on: I underestimated/overestimated Tibetan Buddhist monks. Yes, they are very religious. But I wasn't expecting them to be eating out all the time or driving cars twice as nice as my old one. I wasn't expecting to see 8 year old monks buying toys from a toyshop. I guess I was just thinking that for living in a strict, religious environment and being of a culture who values and honors denial of self and self-immolation, sedans and Spiderman gloves wouldn't really be a part of the picture. But, that Ozarkian stereotype got broken quickly. (Although it still kind of boggles my mind).
Other than that and eating at various places, we didn't really do much other than just hang out, relax, and walk around. Since we weren't doing that much, I wish I had counted how many times I heard "Ek photo, madam? Just one snap?" or how many times I covered my face after realizing someone's camera phone was pointed at me. Last year, almost everyone who asked for a picture was respectful and polite, and I'd often accept, while discreetly placing my hand over the opening of my purse and ensuring that no one tried to put his arm around me. These people and groups of guys were just ridiculous & crude, and I felt quite...degraded...by the time Saturday night rolled around. I don't really like talking about all the unhappy stuff because I don't think you enjoy reading the unhappy stuff, but I tell you it this because of two things that happened near the end of our trip:
1. Saturday evening, we were walking back to our guesthouse from dinner. One guy came out of a doorway and while passing me, made kissing sounds, and I turned around and gave him the death stare I learned so well from my Mom and sister. Probably less than a minute later, I felt a hand grip my left shoulder, and I flung around ready to slaughter the man who dared to touch me. But, then I saw Barkha's smirking face as she begins laughing hysterically. I don't know if I was more relieved because it was her and not some creep or because I did not break her jaw and nose like I was prepared to. Either way, I learned my reflexes are pretty good, and she learned never to do that again or she will get pummeled :)
2. When we were ready to leave McLeod, waiting for our bus at the station, a couple families stood beside us. I smiled at the sleeping child a woman is holding, and then a few minutes later she came up and shyly asked for a photo. "Just one snap?" I say, "Of course," and then my friends get to see what normally happens when I'm in India without my Indian friends around me. So, after 4 or 5 pictures with random family members, the woman passes the baby to someone else so she can take a picture with me. She thanks me, then goes to get her baby--for what I assume will be to hold her sleeping child again. And then she dumps the kid in my arms while I'm standing there completely astounded yet laughing hysterically. Also, the kid starts crying immediately, but I manage to hush him/her and smile for the picture, before handing him/her back. I understand the attention a little more when I'm wearing saris, as most tourists won't. But that day I was wearing jeans and a tunic my mom made... Sometimes, I have no idea what people are thinking. :)
I am guessing I will get emails asking to tell about my weekend once Mom wakes up and sees all the pictures on facebook, so I figured I would try to beat her to it! Thursday through this morning, we went to McLeod Ganj, which is like 12-ish hours away by bus. For all you Americans who have never heard of McLeod, it's a town in Himachal Pradesh, India, that people refer to as "mini Tibet" because it's where the Dalai Lama and multiple Tibetan Buddhists live. And it's on the edge of the Himalayas, if that helps you picture where/what it is.
The area itself was beautiful as almost every building has a scenic view, and I loved walking around the little town through the shops set up on the street. But then it was Eid, and most everyone in India had a long weekend, leading to many tourists and many, many groups of guys coming to the area for religious experiences, fun, and booze. Which means a thousand times more "Heyy Babyy"s, "Haellooo"s, and "How are yooouuu?"s than ever before. I learnt very quickly that I will no longer be traveling to tourist spots on Indian holidays!
It's still monsoon season, and we went to a lake where we couldn't see anything from the fog, so that wasn't exactly memorable, but thankfully, that was really the only time it rained much while we were there. We got to trek to the waterfall and play in the brook/on the boulders downstream. It was a type of gorgeousness and peacefulness that I cannot describe, and my pictures don't do it justice. I constantly just stopped and stared and smiled because of God's beauty. Also, monsoon season in the mountains is COLD. I don't really do cold anywhere, so I was quite happy for my rain jacket in the day and my fat blanket rolled around me at night!
The Dalai Lama wasn't in town this weekend, but we visited the monastery. I used to be able to look at temples and idols and stuff objectively, as artwork and history. But after last year's events and God's giving me "new eyes" (so to speak,) I cannot see objectively when they are in religious settings. If it is in a museum, great, I can value and admire the intricacy and detailwork. But in temples, all I see is symbolism. Be it the eyes or fingers on the statues, the flames on the candles in the shrines, the unlit candles, the fog surrounding the monastery area--anything and everything reminds me of God's word. And let's just say it's not all happy-go-lucky...
Moving on: I underestimated/overestimated Tibetan Buddhist monks. Yes, they are very religious. But I wasn't expecting them to be eating out all the time or driving cars twice as nice as my old one. I wasn't expecting to see 8 year old monks buying toys from a toyshop. I guess I was just thinking that for living in a strict, religious environment and being of a culture who values and honors denial of self and self-immolation, sedans and Spiderman gloves wouldn't really be a part of the picture. But, that Ozarkian stereotype got broken quickly. (Although it still kind of boggles my mind).
Other than that and eating at various places, we didn't really do much other than just hang out, relax, and walk around. Since we weren't doing that much, I wish I had counted how many times I heard "Ek photo, madam? Just one snap?" or how many times I covered my face after realizing someone's camera phone was pointed at me. Last year, almost everyone who asked for a picture was respectful and polite, and I'd often accept, while discreetly placing my hand over the opening of my purse and ensuring that no one tried to put his arm around me. These people and groups of guys were just ridiculous & crude, and I felt quite...degraded...by the time Saturday night rolled around. I don't really like talking about all the unhappy stuff because I don't think you enjoy reading the unhappy stuff, but I tell you it this because of two things that happened near the end of our trip:
1. Saturday evening, we were walking back to our guesthouse from dinner. One guy came out of a doorway and while passing me, made kissing sounds, and I turned around and gave him the death stare I learned so well from my Mom and sister. Probably less than a minute later, I felt a hand grip my left shoulder, and I flung around ready to slaughter the man who dared to touch me. But, then I saw Barkha's smirking face as she begins laughing hysterically. I don't know if I was more relieved because it was her and not some creep or because I did not break her jaw and nose like I was prepared to. Either way, I learned my reflexes are pretty good, and she learned never to do that again or she will get pummeled :)
2. When we were ready to leave McLeod, waiting for our bus at the station, a couple families stood beside us. I smiled at the sleeping child a woman is holding, and then a few minutes later she came up and shyly asked for a photo. "Just one snap?" I say, "Of course," and then my friends get to see what normally happens when I'm in India without my Indian friends around me. So, after 4 or 5 pictures with random family members, the woman passes the baby to someone else so she can take a picture with me. She thanks me, then goes to get her baby--for what I assume will be to hold her sleeping child again. And then she dumps the kid in my arms while I'm standing there completely astounded yet laughing hysterically. Also, the kid starts crying immediately, but I manage to hush him/her and smile for the picture, before handing him/her back. I understand the attention a little more when I'm wearing saris, as most tourists won't. But that day I was wearing jeans and a tunic my mom made... Sometimes, I have no idea what people are thinking. :)
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