Czech Republic-Prague

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update... and now there's too much to say to go into too much detail.

Joel and I hung out in Delhi for a day and a half. We were able to check out a few of the tourist spots and get a sense of the city. We were very lucky with the weather and enjoyed a nice cool day of 86 degrees.

I went to Paris to the Bat Mitzva of the girl I took care of when I lived there. It was great, and I wore a dress that I had bought in India. I really miss Paris. My French wasn't so bad either.

Now I'm in Prague. Mom and I met in the airport, and went to the hotel to find out that Chuck and our friend Dan from Hawaii had surprised us by coming to Europe! That was not part of plan. Very cool.


(Ok, not the greatest picture, but it's better than nothing. Thanks, Dan.)

We're leaving on a train to Krakow tonight after three days here in Prague. I'm excited to see how a Western sleeper train compares to the Chinese and Indian ones I'm used to. I'll let you know.

Back to Delhi

McLeod Ganj has been a great experience. We have met many many refugees from Tibet and heard their stories--so powerful and tragic. China is making a concerted effort to wipe the Tibetan culture out. Many Tibetans are unemployed because they don't speak Mandarin; nor do they attend school if they don't speak Mandarin. The job situation has caused many Tibetan women to turn to prostitution, adding AIDS and HIV to their problems. China has set up many incentives to get more Chinese people to move into Tibet and push and breed out the Tibetans. We went to the Tibetan Library yesterday where they house some artwork that was saved from the country, and in the same complex is the Government-in-Exile as well as the Tibetan Torture Survivor Society where they provide physical and psychological care for the refugees that come to McLeod Ganj that spent time in Chinese prison. I don't want my blog to be another forum for Brodie-Buzzkill, but China is able to continue with these practices mostly because the world doesn't know they're doing it. The best way I can help the Tibetans we've met and their families is by making others aware of their people's situation. Click here to learn more.

Anyway, Joel and I are leaving McLeod Ganj this afternoon for Delhi. We've taken a Tibetan cooking class and were able to give a monk and two of his classmates English lessons. The Dalai Lama has been traveling and will be back in India sometime next week, so we haven't seen him. Joel may go to see him speak in Ithaca this fall. We've met so many great people here: fellow travelers, our cooking instructor, the monks, an aging American hippie promoting the Tibetan cause... we'd love to stay longer.

Joel will be back in New York on Friday; I will be heading to Paris for the Bat Mitzva of one of the kids I au paired for. I bought a dress here since I found out about the event while I was in India. Then I'll meet my mom and Krista (sister-in-law) in Prague a few days later. I'll be keeping up with my blog as much as I can from there too. Should be a pretty dramatic gear shift: Delhi to Paris to Prague...

Silly Bessie

This is one of the few pictures I was able to take on my camera before it broke. It seemed like quintessential India: we're inside a restaurant in Delhi and a cow walks up for a taste.

McLeod Ganj

This is the town where the Tibetan government in exile and the Dalai Lama are currently residing. India has sort of given them this town. It seems to have more Tibetans than Indians, and possibly more Westerners than either... not really, but there are a lot. Joel and I watched a very powerful documentary called Tibet: The Cry of the Snow Lion about the Chinese invasion of Tibet.

It's great to be here among Tibetan Buddhists who are able to practice freely and educate their children in their own language and traditions.

The tourist-town means that Joel and I are enjoying relaxing days of shopping, bookstore browsing, and eating a variety of foods. We're staying in our most expensive hotel yet: $15/night for the two of us. (We've been paying $5.) It's got electricity, a foam mattress, and even a hot shower! This is luxury.

Tomorrow we go to the Tibet Museum, Library, and check out the Dalai Lama's pad. I'll have more to say later, I'm sure.

For now here's a picture from McLeod Ganj that I stole from Google...