The next chapter – Dharamsala has had some changes since my last visit, and not just the weather.\u00a0 The monsoons can start any time now, and most evenings about sunset, though it is fine and sunny, the thunder starts.\u00a0 It is quite eerie – it sounds like the mountains are on the march – quite different from thunder at home.<\/p>\n
The tourists are a different breed too since February – mostly young and dressed straight out of the 60’s\/70’s – that is, the girls who are not wearing the current fashion of low slung skirts or jeans and shoestring tops, tatts and, of course face jewellery.\u00a0 Some of the deadlocks are amazing.\u00a0 The young male Tibetans are out in force, looking for the girl would could make it possible for him to get a foreign passport.\u00a0 They are fairly trendy dressers in a hip\/hop or rap style, most have motorbikes and speak good English.\u00a0 The girls love them, and I must admit some of them are gorgeous with almost American Indian brave looks – long hair and headbands.<\/p>\n
Shops are springing up everywhere – just the plywood, 3 metre square building with a small glass window which is the usual here.\u00a0 There are also 3 cinemas – rooms which show videos, about 4 or 5 shows a day.\u00a0 The videos are all recent.\u00a0 I haven’t tried that entertainment yet.\u00a0 Two Western-style coffee shops have also opened.\u00a0 Well, the coffee is Western and very good, but the service and decor not quite!<\/p>\n
There are also more computer rooms snd ISD\/STD phone booths located in them.\u00a0 The computers I’ve found so far are so old, the keyboards have the lettering worn off, and apart from the snail pace of connection, every exercise seems to take a million different buttons to press.\u00a0 Maybe the experts can sort it out, I can’t.\u00a0 I see there are computer lessons available so maybe I should take a course.\u00a0 I might have to learn Hindi too, as there seems to be a number of keyboard with Hindi script.\u00a0 I changed to Yahoo as it is more efficient here.\u00a0 I also got an Indian Intel card for the mobile – it is much cheaper than Global Roaming.\u00a0 Text messages are cheap.<\/p>\n
Of course, like all authorities and their impeccable timing, it has been decided to do up the roads.\u00a0 This consists of throwing a layer of gravel over the dirt, then spraying bitumen willy-nilly over the top.\u00a0 The pot holes are left and sometimes I think the the bitumen spraying is not so indescriminate when tourists are trying to get by.\u00a0 All this work is done by hand.\u00a0 The men load the gravel into baskets, which the women carry on their heads.\u00a0 They have amazingly graceful walks.\u00a0 The bitumen is also sprayed by hand (by the men) with a gadget similar to a weed sprayer.\u00a0 The Indians do this work and have their children with them.\u00a0 They are so good, playing quietly for hours with whatever is available, stones, a plastic bottle, a piece of string.<\/p>\n
There are heaps and heaps of classes – language and cooking, meditation and massage apart from the teachings at the Temple and the more esoteric stuff at the Library and Archives.\u00a0 That is a little bit out of town so I have yet to go there.<\/p>\n
As I write, 2 young Indian women are picking over the garbage below.\u00a0 At least they are not sitting on their bums begging.\u00a0 I only give to the lepers or the blind – sometimes to ‘my sadhu’.\u00a0 The others come up with a string of kids, begging they are hungry.\u00a0 I’ve never seen such a well-nourished lot and the women all wear jewellery (gold).\u00a0 Begging is well-organised business.\u00a0 I hear they even have a union.<\/p>\n
So far I haven’t got any regular volunteer work.\u00a0 I have my name down for a medical centre opening soon.\u00a0 The office was closed when I went to see the ex-prisoners group.\u00a0 So much for appointments!\u00a0 Blackfella time is nothing to here.\u00a0 I am helping 2 girls with conversation English, but they do a lot of giggling and I think it is the novelty, rather than a real desire to learn.\u00a0 But they are nice and always give me something to eat, if I want it or not.\u00a0 Went to one of the ‘poor’ schools again.\u00a0 It seems to be only English help they want everywhere.\u00a0 The kids were infested with head-lice and fleas and I saw maggots crawling allover the verandah, I decided my altruism was not strong enough.\u00a0 I really don’t want to teach English.\u00a0 I rather use what nursing skills I have.<\/p>\n
Love you all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The next chapter – Dharamsala has had some changes since my last visit, and not just the weather.\u00a0 The monsoons can start any time now, and most evenings about sunset, though it is fine and sunny, the thunder starts.\u00a0 It is quite eerie – it sounds like the mountains are on the march – quite … Continue reading