There's something about this horrible feeling, being a western person in a poor country never being able help as much as you want. I try to give as much as I can, but it's never going to be enough. Besides, I'm just giving here and now because it's all in my face and as soon as I get home I'll forget about it...or? It's a classic dilemma.
I feel like an idiot talking to people who've done volunteer work for years, when I just felt slightly better after paying the school fee for a boy. There are so many great people out there; teaching English in slum schools, helping out in hospitals, raising money for Tibet. My heart is growing day by day seeing all those amazing things happening. And the real heroes; the boy in the coffee shop running the café alone since both of his parents are sick, the monk living in a shed with no toilet or running water and still smiling in bliss every time you look at him - these people make their life worth living in ways hard to imagine.
Last time I was in India I promised myself to never go back (I was even sicker that time). This time I want to tell everyone to go here - it's for sure a life changing experience!
Showing posts with label Himalaya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Himalaya. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16
Teach a monk?
"Hello! My name is Jamyang, I'm a TIBETAN refugee monk living in McLeod Gang. I'm learning ENGLISH and I've been having CONVERSATION classes with friends. Now they are leaving and I'm looking for somebody else to talk to. So if you are interested please contact me, I'll be very greatful!! Thanks :)"
The Tibetan monks are very keen to learn English since they're refugees and have to live outside their country. My new monk friend Thuptean, keep writing down things I say all the time in a little notebook. He can't afford to have any more English classes, since it cost him 200 rupees a month (less than 3€). Instead, he learns from the tourists.
Tuesday, September 15
It was worth it!
Sorry for disappearing, I got really sick and I'm in bed with a fever. This is what happened: The buddhist monk Thuptean, took me for a hike at the mountain two days ago. Quite soon we realized it took quite much longer for me to get up, being not half as fast as him (he's like a mountain goat!) + filming and taking pictures and all.
So when we met a group of Americans who invited us to stay over the night in their camp on top of the mountain, we accepted their invitation. When we got there the sun was about to set. We were about 12 people up there not believing our minds! Being above the clouds, watching birds with a wingspan broader than a tall man quietly gliding by, surrounded by goats, sheep and cows, watching the most beautiful sunset I ever saw in my life. I don't think I ever felt so happy.
Later on we were sitting around the campfire, getting a delicious (madly poisonous I found out later) Indian dinner with vegetables, dal, rice, chapatis and chai masala. I was quite suspicious, since the mountain people who lived up there cooked the food in a shed and it was no spring water on the top - they had to carry the water up with donkeys - which probably didn't improve the hygiene in the kitchen. But I didn't want to be rude, and it was wonderful after the hike.
The group up there were social workers from Louisiana, their professor took his students to India every year for different charity work. One of his students called Mike, knew Tibetan to Thupteans delight, so they had a long conversation.
It's really cold in the mountains at night, I bought a hat and socks up there, sleeping in all my clothes + a thick sleeping bag which kept me warm. I fell asleep to an Indian couple arguing loudly in their shed (keeping everyone awake for about two hours wondering what they acctually argued about) and the rest of the locals playing drums singing around the campfire trying to not listen to the fight.
Next morning when I woke up I wanted to puke. And I did. Quickly I decided it was time to get down to the village better sooner than later. With a stomach that I don't want to get into the details about, the hike was a pain in the ass (literally). I couldn't keep any water in my body and got quickly dehydrated. When I got down I had a high fever shivering and sweating like mad.
Since the hotel I stayed in before was fully booked they wanted me out. I was lying on the sofa in the TV-room 'to get some energy', not being able to stand up. The receptionist still tried to get me out of there, and she spoke to the manager who also said I had to leave. I didn't have the energy to get into a discussion about why I couldn't get out in the pouring rain with all my stuff and a high fever and diarrhea. I think the manager changed his mind when understood what condition I was in; my face wet by sweat and exhaustion. I got to stay on the couch. When I woke up the fever was down and I got some medicine from a doctor who proclaimed food poisoning. Of course. It's always a matter of time before you get it in India, I've been there before - that's why I put this at the end of the trip...
Ps. One more thing: The rental of two tents + two sleeping bags + 2 dinners + 2 breakfasts + 1 wollen hat + 1 pair of wollen socks + plenty of drinks and snacks, came down at the bargain of 13 € (900 rupees) + food poisoning. And you know what - it was worth it!
So when we met a group of Americans who invited us to stay over the night in their camp on top of the mountain, we accepted their invitation. When we got there the sun was about to set. We were about 12 people up there not believing our minds! Being above the clouds, watching birds with a wingspan broader than a tall man quietly gliding by, surrounded by goats, sheep and cows, watching the most beautiful sunset I ever saw in my life. I don't think I ever felt so happy.
Later on we were sitting around the campfire, getting a delicious (madly poisonous I found out later) Indian dinner with vegetables, dal, rice, chapatis and chai masala. I was quite suspicious, since the mountain people who lived up there cooked the food in a shed and it was no spring water on the top - they had to carry the water up with donkeys - which probably didn't improve the hygiene in the kitchen. But I didn't want to be rude, and it was wonderful after the hike.
The group up there were social workers from Louisiana, their professor took his students to India every year for different charity work. One of his students called Mike, knew Tibetan to Thupteans delight, so they had a long conversation.
It's really cold in the mountains at night, I bought a hat and socks up there, sleeping in all my clothes + a thick sleeping bag which kept me warm. I fell asleep to an Indian couple arguing loudly in their shed (keeping everyone awake for about two hours wondering what they acctually argued about) and the rest of the locals playing drums singing around the campfire trying to not listen to the fight.
Next morning when I woke up I wanted to puke. And I did. Quickly I decided it was time to get down to the village better sooner than later. With a stomach that I don't want to get into the details about, the hike was a pain in the ass (literally). I couldn't keep any water in my body and got quickly dehydrated. When I got down I had a high fever shivering and sweating like mad.
Since the hotel I stayed in before was fully booked they wanted me out. I was lying on the sofa in the TV-room 'to get some energy', not being able to stand up. The receptionist still tried to get me out of there, and she spoke to the manager who also said I had to leave. I didn't have the energy to get into a discussion about why I couldn't get out in the pouring rain with all my stuff and a high fever and diarrhea. I think the manager changed his mind when understood what condition I was in; my face wet by sweat and exhaustion. I got to stay on the couch. When I woke up the fever was down and I got some medicine from a doctor who proclaimed food poisoning. Of course. It's always a matter of time before you get it in India, I've been there before - that's why I put this at the end of the trip...
Ps. One more thing: The rental of two tents + two sleeping bags + 2 dinners + 2 breakfasts + 1 wollen hat + 1 pair of wollen socks + plenty of drinks and snacks, came down at the bargain of 13 € (900 rupees) + food poisoning. And you know what - it was worth it!
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