Dali Lama Teachings!!

This entry will focus on the notes and summary of His Holinesses teachings. It will also include examples and quotations from his texts. My grasp of Buddhist Philosophy and Religion is in no way comprehensive so I can merely put down the few things I understand. Also please comment, by bringing up questions, arguments, or personal insights. I believe dialogue and positive arguing will help further all our enlightenment. Also some of the writing is a little deep and murky but try to get through it.
The Dali Lama is the Bodhissattva of Compassion (Bodhissatva being someone who has reached enlightenment but comes back to help all sentient beings instead of breaking the cycle of re-birth) so it is no surprise that his teachings center around ways to cultivate this great virtue. He started the first teaching I listened to by talking about the end of suffering. One of the main tenants of Buddhism is that all beings want happiness and don't want suffering. In order to be released from Samsara (suffering) we must abandon ignorance. In order to abandon ignorance we must realize the dependence of existence. When we realize the dependence of all existence we see the connection among all beings. This is where compassion starts and samsara ends.
The knowledge of interdependence can be thought of philosophically as such: Everything lacks intrinsic nature. This means that things don't have a essence or soul that defines what it is. Instead what is does in relation to the rest of existence defines it. That is because nothing can exist on its own. All appearances are colored and skewed by our pre-conceptions and languages that are places on things by society and life. In reality everything is so connected and interdependent that in essence it is all one thing. The reason that we see the illusions of individualisation is because of individual causes and conditions. The next tenant of Buddhism is that all effects have causes and all causes have effects. Since all effects have causes they are dependent on each other. This is how Buddhist truly see interdependence.
Of course things are not just one thing. I see a chair, a lamp, a person and they are all separate. This lead the Dali Lama to speak about two types of wisdom. There is conventional wisdom which is the everyday view of the world. The view that differentiates, defines, and analyses things in respect to their form and function. Then there is ultimate wisdom, which views the philosophic and essential interdependence of objects. The best way to describe this wisdom is through William Blakes famous quote "When the doors or perception are cleansed, man will see things as they truly are, infinite." Of course this quote was used by Auldous Huxley in regards to a Mescalin trip, and by Jim Morrison for the name of his band, but what they thought you could learn from tripping, Buddhist say you can learn from meditating and enlightenment.
His Holiness used the analogy of a dream for how things that are essentially interdependent and not essentially real can be grasped by the mind. Even though a dream or a movie is not real, it causes very real emotions in your mind. And just as all these individualization's of existence are not essentially real they still cause very real things in your mind.
I know this is all very heavy jargon, and deep stuff, but he is merely trying to show why compassion makes sense on a philosophical level. It is important to realize that this is not taken for granted by everybody. Nietzsche did not think that compassion was the way to happiness. He believed that all living things have a 'will to power' and that all beings are constantly tyring to get more and more and more. Compassion for other beings would simply ditract from ones own power. His Holiness said that by studying these concepts of cause and effect and interdependence and truly grasping them, we would have such wisdom that we could not help but feel connected and compassionate towards all existence.
The next two concepts that I must attend to are Karma and Reincarnation. They are extremely important parts of Buddhism. According to His Holiness these are not just metaphors but real facts of life. One way to think of Reincarnation is to realize that we have an infinite number of past lives and so does everyone else. If this is true than every single person you meet has at one time been your mother in a past life. Your enemies, your friends, and people you have never met have all at one time or another been your mom. If you look at everyone this way how can you not have compassion. Also, if you look at Karma a small transgression in this life can effect you negatively in your re-birth or many life-times down the road. Also something that you did several life-times ago might be catching up with you now. This is how Buddhist justify bad things happening to good people but still accepting karmic laws of action and re-action. To me its just a bunch of gibberish that is simply metaphorical, but who the fuck am I.
Another day of teachings was centered on these discrepancies that I just mentioned. It started with all his talks do as he walks through the crowd, out of his gated compound, and into the temple. Seeing him from only 20 feet away left me with the indescribable warm feeling somewhere between mild anxiety and utter elation. I felt the same way when he laughed, which he often does. In this days teachings he spoke in English and discussed the connection between holistic medicine and scientific health. There are many studies on the connection between stress and health. Of Course the study of Dharma (Buddhas teachings) can definitely help lower stress.
His Holiness also made it clear that faith alone is not sufficient for enlightenment. Study and experimentation are virtues that the Buddha taught. This aspect of his teachings resonated with me most deeply. He then went on to separate Buddhism into three views; Buddha Science, Buddha Philosophy, and Buddha Religion. I realized that I fall into the first two categories but not the last one. Of course the Dali Lama has no problem with people accepting or rejecting any aspects of the teachings.
He also went on to talk about other religions and their often contradictory nature. He said that the Buddha taught contradictory things because it must relate to the many differences between people. What we learn from this is that the concept of God, Creator, and faith is a great path for many people to find compassion and happiness. But for others it not the best or necessary way to have compassion. Jess wrote on her facebook "I don't need God to be good" and it completely goes with this sentiment. Of course some people do need God to be good and that is ok too.
The last thing I will talk about is the idea of death and impermanence. We are all going to die and it is important to not waste our life now. If you believe in heaven than you need to do as much good now so that you have a good chance of getting in, if you are Buddhist you need to hurry up and understand all this nonsense so that you can reach enlightenment and help others, and if you are me you need to hurry up learn about the world, help people, sing, and be merry cause when I die its over. In "The Way to Freedom" by His Holiness there is a great quote on impermanence. "As the Seventh Dalai Lama said, young people who look very strong and healthy but die young are actually great masters teaching us about impermanence". Jason's death certainly taught me about the fragile nature of life. And just as he taught me to seize my own life he taught me about empathy and compassion for people that struggle in deep mental samsara. We can all learn a lot from people that struggle and hopefully we can all reach a point where compassion not anger is the first thought in our minds. I love you all.

Kashmiri Blues

Still elated from last night, I climbed a little farther up the hill away from my hotel. I had my guitar on my shoulder and found a nice stoop to play on. Immediately I had a audience of Kashmiri fellows in their 20’s clapping their hands and stomping their feet. The owner of a tailor and jewelry store hustled me upstairs and started pouring me a free endless cup of chai. His brother, Samir, just opened the shop, hoping for success. The owner had his 2 year old daughter and 5 year hold son whom he had with a French women. They had beautiful big eyes and a truly unique complexion. I played a few tunes and chatted about life here in McLeod Ganj as opposed to Kashmir. They seem to like it here but miss the quiet sometimes. The streets are very narrow on this windy hill-side town so the motorbikes and cars lay on the horn like its their job. I guess its better than getting hit, but god-damn is it annoying.
After the little private concert I went down and and looked in their shops. They had some really nice Kashmiri products and I felt that they would probably give me a good deal. I would wait a little later to get gifts.It seems like all these Kashmiris I meet are somehow related, which means that they all like me and I fell I can somewhat trust them. After coming back from the teachings one day I went up to Samirs shop and chatted for a while. I enjoy learning about their very different life and home in Kashmir as much as they like to work on their English.
Eventually, I told them that I am a cook and would love to cook a Kashmiri dinner with them. He said he is only 17 years old and his mother would be much better suited to teaching me, but his mom is in Kashmir. I told him I didn’t care. WE arranged to meet for dinner the following evening and Uncle Alan came along. Samir and Showkat where gracious hosts and we had a fun time chatting and cooking in their tiny bedroom. Two 17 year olds and a 22 year old shared this room that was no bigger than my bedroom back home. It was poorly insulated and doubled as their living room, kitchen, and dining room. The water doesn’t rise, so they had to run down three flights of stair to fill up their jugs.
The Kashmiris are Muslims and we talked about the conflict between India and Pakistan. It is basically fighting over Kashmir. I figure than many Kashmiris being Muslim would want to be part of Pakistan, a Muslim state. I asked Samir and few others and they said that Pakistanis are radical muslims and terrorists and they did not want to be part of that. After many cups of chai and being invited into their home I felt comfortable enough telling them I am Jewish. They simply said we are all the same and have the same God. Samir and Showkat where very interested in life in ‘England’ (no matter how many time I said US all white people are English). They where very intrigued about our dating rituals and where especially astonished when I told them that many couples live together before marrying. They told us about arranged marriages and the elabvorate weddings put on by the whole family. I was surprised to find out that after the parents introduce the two kids they have an engagement that lasts for 6 months to 2-or 3 years. It works similar to us except their engagement lasts a lot longer so the couple has time to get to know each other.
The food we cooked was extremely simple. We chopped up onions and potatoes very small. Saute in pressure cooker. Add tumeric, cayenne, cumin, salt, masala, and water and pressure cook till done. Add on top of rice. It came out tasty and spicy. We also had a chop salad of tomato, cucumber, and radish. Following the boys example I ate with my hands. It was a messy experience as a shoveled soupy rice into my mouth, but I felt more comfortable eating like them. The food was not elaborate but it held its immense value in the experience of seeing what life is like for Kashmiri Immigrants who are just trying to make some rupees and flee their conflict torn homeland. Many of the Kashmiri’s can be dishonest and try pawn of fake or lesser quality goods onto unsuspecting tourists but at least I found some good ones.

Food!!!!!!!!!!!

O yea. I forgot to talk about the food. It is pretty fucking good. The Indian food that I got on the plane coming here was better than 90 percent of the stuff they try to pawn off in the states. Usually American Indian food is just improperly cooked slosh with curry in it. The food that I get for 20 cents at a street side stall is very good. The samosas, which are deep fried savory pastries filled with a spiced potato mixture, is always accompanied with a chickpea sauce. There are many varieties and they differ in their color and spiciness. They also like to use yogurt and curd a lot here. I am not always a fan but sometimes if they put some on the food it balances the spiciness. They also like to use a sweet chutney for balance. In Almora the chutney they use is made from apricot because that grows locally. I am actually not a fan of the chutney but in a jam the apricot is fantastic.
Most restaurants offer what is called a Thalis. It is basically a sampler platter that comes with bread, rice, and a yogurt dessert. You can get it veg or non-veg. I have had some good ones and some bad ones. It also always comes with Dal. Dal comes in a enormous amount of varieties and is lentils cooked in a spiced sauce. Some are more spicy than others and some are more soupy than others. It is all based on preference, region, and variety of lentil.
The bread is also something to marvel at. Of course Naan is always readily available but it must be cooked in a tandoori oven. A tandoori is the Indian version of a grill but it is basically a large concrete cylinder which has either coals or wood as the heating element. It adds a great flavor to the meat or bread. You cook bread by sticking it on the side of the oven, and you cook meat on skewers(I think). There is also roti. Which is a cheap small round bread that is cooked on a skillet. And there is pratha that is basically a large version of roti with a stuffing.
The eating experience itself can be an adventure. All the chai shops and street side vendors look dirty as hell, but my policy is “if its hot its good to eat”. I went to a awesome street side hole in the wall, and squeezed on a old wooden bench next to a bunch of haggard looking Indian men. I had dal with alo pratha (potatoes inside). It was delicious and to my surprise the cook keeps coming over and filling your plate free of charge. I spent 30 rupees on lunch (75 cents) and it was all you can eat and delicious. Overall the food is great. I hope I learn how to cook some of it. (I’m working on that)

Hippies and Buddhism no way!!!

Not long after, a 60 year old Chilean women sat next to me and sparked a conversation. She immediately 'took me under her wing' and started to tell me about her 9 year residence in Dharamsala. She speaks, Spanish, French, Portuguese, English, Tibetan, and who knows what else. I guess someone that talks as much as her needs that many mediums. It was pretty funny because she kept saying that her study of Dharma (which literally means the Buddha's teachings) has helped her be much more quiet and subdued. Her passion for the study of Dharma was intense and after introducing me to a few friends, and sneaking me back to the kitchen for more soup, she brought me to this breath-taking hillside path that encircles the temple. The trees where strung with Tibetan prayer flags and the hillside was covered with carved rocks that had the mantras painted on them. After a stroll passing robed monks we reached a holy place. She showed me the many shrines and monuments that house the Dali Lama's deities and special Buddhist documents. She told me to meditate on me family and my wishes to help their suffering, as I circled these holy shrines exactly three times. The hillside path had many vantage points on which one could meditate or merely look out onto the Dharamsala valley.
I lost the Chilean women before I even caught her name, but this town has a uncanny way of making you run into people. In fact the reason I lost her was because I ran into the Australian man that I met in Delhi. On top of that, one of the Chilean woman's friends coincidentally knows Uncle Alan and stayed at his house in Almora for over a week.
The late afternoon was spent wandering the streets, drinking chai, half looking for uncle Alan, and eventually trying to meditate on one of the vantage points (I ended up falling asleep). I finally meet up with Uncle Alan at night fall. We went to Jimmy's Italian Restaurant. He ran into a friend named Phil Void who has a band named Dharma Bums (I am guessing after the Jack Kerouac book that I am coincidentally reading). He was performing that night so we spent the evening eating decent Italian food (in India go figure) and listening to stereotypical hippie music with Buddhist lyrics about Dharma and the end of Samsara. It made my toes tap and some of the songs where really good. The vibe at the restaurant was happy and communal.
Nights have been ending pretty early around here and when Uncle Alan retired I pulled out my guitar and hit the streets. And old Tibetan couple that owns a cafe listened for several songs on their way home, and a few people on balconies came out to listen. They clapped and cheered me on, and obviously I was very happy to have an appreciative audience. I sang dear prudence which was written a few 100 kilometers away in Rishikesh. I also did some other songs in my repertoire, which if you ever heard me play, is basically Beatles songs, blues songs, and a few half written crappy songs that I try to make up. I went through a few and slowly the crowd dispersed.
Not long after I made some new friends, although not the two-legged kind. Instead two stray dogs came over and nuzzled up next to me. One kept putting his paw on my hand like he was trying to help me play. With the stars out, my heart filed with the days teachings, and my trusty guitar in hand I felt invincible, and a kind of happiness I wish for everyone. Right then a possum or something ran across the street and my new pals where off. It reminded me that these streets are truly wild. Of course their bigger bellies made me realize their kindness is clearly an adaption for successful survival. Which means if I had any food I would have given it to them, haha! I went to sleep with a smile on my face.

The Chinese Occupation

Everyday in India has been starting pretty early.  It is nice to go with the flow of the sun a little more.  I am feeling very relaxed in India and Dharamsala is a pretty hip place.  There are a ton of tourists from all over the world and you feel a little bit more part of the crowd, than a huge sore thumb.  Making the walk to the temple is a cool feeling.  Everybody is smiling and excited to see His Holiness.  I prefer to refer to him in this exalted way, it does more respect to a man who has done so much for humanity.  At the entry to the temple we stopped for our morning chai and I got vegetable momo's (little Tibetan steamed dumplings stuffed with a variety of vegetables) topped with spicy red chili sauce.  We made our way inside, again by-passing all the lines.  This time I abandoned my bag and felt the role of Buddhist worshipper much more.  I was carrying a round meditation pillow, I switched out my jeans for yoga pajamas, and of course I have my trust prayer bead in tow.  Since this is the last day of teachings for this session, it was a packed house, and unlike yesterday I had no breathing room.  I was very worried that I would not be able to sit cross-legged for such a long-time after my experience yesterday.  

I distracted myself by chatting with a young Tibetan next to me.  He moved out of Tibet seven years ago and finds life in Dharamsala difficult.  He is not a monk and wears western cloths.  His English is pretty good and he has a sister in Boston.  Finding work is not easy for many of the refugees and loneliness from leaving their family can also be rough.  Many have had family members killed, tortured, or imprisoned.  The Chinese are ruthless, blood-hungry, propaganda spewing, imperialists and people here don't like them very much.  Of course when His Holiness speaks about them he refers to them as neighbors and does not delve into negativity.  It is a true testament to the phrase "love thy enemy".  The Chinese have murdered over a million innocent Tibetans who simply want to have sovereignty over their homeland.  I had no idea why the Chinese would do such a disgusting thing and spoke to many people about it.  

I talked to a very friendly 70 year-old Tibetan woman who told me that they want Tibets rich minerals, precious stones, and valuable texts that they sold on the black market.  I had another discussion with a brash white women from Vancouver.  She was a big talker and strong minded, especially when it came to exposing the 'red-handed butchers' of China.  She said that Tibetans don't believe in mining, because it destroys nature and ruins the rivers, so there are tremendous amounts of resources that are untapped.  Also, Tibet is a very strategic center for this part of the world.  On top of that good old-fashioned Imperialism is playing a big factor.  Unbeknownst to me, Tibet is actually a very large amount of land, and 1/3 of 'China' is made from this stolen country.  

The Chinese are vicious spreaders of Propaganda and the over-whelming majority of the Chines population live in complete ignorance.  The Chinese elite tell the people that the Dali Lama and rich Buddhist are in fact slave-owners.  While they kill  over a million innocent people and brutally torture prisoners they tell their people that they are liberating a country.  The dissemination of information is China's biggest enemy.  Of course the Internet is a valuable tool for truth.  I was thinking that the best way to make a change is to inform the Chinese population about the atrocities and the conscious of the masses would over-turn the government.  Of course I am not the first to think that.  His Holiness and other Tibetan elite are constantly trying to figure out ways to inform the Chinese people of the truth.  Unfortunately the Chinese government is constantly trying to figure out ways to suppress the truth.  In fact, Google has sold out and now has extensive limits on the what the Chinese population can access.  They also funnel information to the Chinese government, informing them of what individual users view, inadvertentley causing much suffering.  (These facts on Google and their cooperation with China is based on a talk with the women from Vancouver so primary sourcing is not available.  I will try to do more research and so should we all).

As I spoke to the young Tibetan man probably in his late 20's, the reality of these atrocities where impossible to ignore.  The only work he could find was part-time as a cook in a office.  The chatter in the crowd settled and the chanting from the monks ended as His Holiness ceremoniously began his teaching.  Today's teachings where centered on the end of the seven-points to mind training.  It culminated with a vow to abstain from murder, stealing, lying, inappropriate sexual activity, and any form of intoxication.  He allowed everyone to perform any number of these vows.  Drinking alcohol has been pretty unnecessary out here and I have only done it once so far. 

After the first 20 minutes or so monks always come around with large tea pots and pour a round for the entire audience.  It tastes like warm milk with a touch of green tea.  The experience of community was more important than the taste.  On the last day of teaching I started giving out mini-crunch bars to the old Tibetans around me plus the many children in the audience, and like a good grandma one women refused to stop feeding me bread and cookies that she brought.  I tried my best to say no and thank you but she was not satisfied unless I kept saying yes and dunking it in the bowl that they let me borrow. 

On top of the tea, they sometimes bring bread and even hard cash for the robed monks.  Near the end of the morning session old Tibetan cooks wearing blue aprons and worn blue long-sleeve button-ups carry out enormous pots for soup and rice.  When I say enormous I mean hundreds of gallons easily.  A parade of monks come and fill the pots with steaming hot rice and a vegetable soup.  I conveniently place myself near the food( of course) and when the teachings ended the entire crowd made a mad dash.  I grabbed a spoon and started vigorously doling out soup.  I filed my pitiful little plastic bag that formerly housed my vegetable momo's and contemplated how I was going to eat soup with my hands.  Of course, the generosity of the Tibetans shone through as a old man witnessing my torment lent me his spoon.  I sat on one of the temple steps admiring the magnitude of this experience and watched as the now full masses flooded out of the temple. 

Trip to see His Holiness the Dali Lama

The overnight sleeper bus finally make it to Dharamsala.  The 12+ hour bus ride was anything but pleasant.  The passengers for whatever reason started playing musical chairs and a young Indian man sat next to me who insisted on resting his bony head on my shoulder.  The bumps, horns, twists and turns made an awful nights sleep.  Thankfully the last 20 minute ride from the main part of Dharamsala to McLeod Ganj was worth the agony.  On the left an extensive valley opened up  and a baby blue backdrop  set the scene,  on the right was a steep hill covered in pine, rocks, and eroding cliff line.  With every turn and switchback a successively more breathtaking scene came into view.  

Finally the Frenchman in front of me pointed out the town of His Holiness's main temple and exiled home.  The jagged start of the Himalayas cast a shadow over the small town clinging desperately to the hill, just as the snow clings to the rough powerful cliffs thrust into the clouds.   McLeod Ganj only has a few streets with shops, restaurants and hotels catering to the many people visiting for the teachings.  Apparently His Holiness is only here for teachings once or twice a year.  Our impulse decision to come here was one of the greatest decisions of my life.  

Free roaming cows and well-fed stray dogs mingle with little tibetan children, who run past their robed parents, on their way to school.  We where lucky enough to find a room on such short notice, the accommodations are nice enough and cost 500 rupees for a double.  We arrived in time for the last two days of the first session of teachings and will probably stay through for the second session.  Even though we are exhausted from the bus ride we follow the herds of robed monks and file inside the temple.  An Australian man that has lived around here for many years helped us through the lines and showed us where to sit.  I was bubbling with anticipation as we by-passed all the Tibetans and Western woman.  Don't ask me why but foreign men are the biggest minority so we don't have to wait in line for very long.  Eugene, the Australian chap, let us use his radio so we where able to hear His teachings in English.  The temple was anything but lavish and we sat in the little courtyard in front of the steps leading inside.

Hundred if not thousands of Tibetans and foreigners sit cross-legged with all eyes fixated on the T.V. screen that is the centerpiece of the crowd.  Behind that is a large statue of Buddha.  I am immediately surrounded by some very nice Americans.  Susan and Sharon are two older women who stand out particularly.  They are in the process of becoming bodhisattvas, which are outstanding Buddhists that forgo the ending of cyclical existence and instead come back each life cycle to help others.  They are wonderful and smart people who study Dharma and send many blessings to my family.  

For the most part, the courtyard was filled with Tibetans both young and old.  Toothless men thumb through their prayer beads and gaze blissfully at His Holiness on the T.V. screen.  Tibetan grandmas have wide smiles as adorable little kids scurry around.  The monks inside chanted Om Ma Ni Ped Me Hong in a beautiful melodic rhythm.  On top of that bugs buzzed in the background in a chanting way that merely added to the powerful drone.  I listened intently when His Holiness spoke and took notes.  It was very hard to hear because the radio was not great, it was painful to sit, and it was very complicated.  The experience itself was still fantastic and the sense of community unreal.  My first day of teachings was an overwhelming success but the fatigue was starting to set in.  Later in the blog I will summarize the notes and write on what I learned from His teachings.

The second day in Delhi started as all my days do in India, with a cup of chai. After that I went on a morning stroll through the streets of Manju Ka Tilla. Through the winding tight corridors I made my way to the Buddhist Temple in town. The big bellied monk was sitting behind a huge drum and clapping these two metal bells together, which simultaneously hit the large drum. He was also chanting in Tibetan. I took my shows off and dropped a few rupees in the dish in front of him. The temple was modest but covered in pictures of Buddha and His Holiness. There where also incense burning and candles being lit by older devout Buddhist. It was quite the experience and I the chanting and sounds are very touching.
I walked back to my hotel and only had to avoid a few beggars. The beggars are everywhere, although a little less so in the Tibetan refugee community. Some of the beggars are just little boys, some are ear cleaners, some are cripples and others are old men with scales in front of them trying to make a rupee or two. The most depressing I saw was a little 5-6 year old girl holding a infant. They are very resilient. I have been torn about giving to the beggars. I saw some of the beggar boys running up to a corner shop and buying chewing tobacco. I also read that in India the beggars don't starve because the harvest is very abundant. The books tell me that many beggars will try to rip you off and you should be very careful. It is still hard to see this much poverty.
After the walk back from the temple I spent a few minutes alone on the balcony of the hotel. Unbeknownst to me behind the Tibetan neighborhood was a large beautiful river flanked by well irrigated fields and small huts where the farmers live. It was a beautiful scene and a health respite from the overwhelming hustle and bustle of the city. It reminds me that I need to get out of Delhi and get into nature where I really belong. It was a truly pitureseque scene and flocks of birds circled to roof tops. Old Tibetan women opened their windows for morning fresh air and laundry lines where filled with freshly cleaned red robes.
Why do the bird flock together?
Are they smart enough for the safety of other,
Or too stupid be alone?
Or is it foolish to question what simply is?

This makes me think very deeply about the flocking of humans to this over-crowded city.
Indians love to flock. Especially to malls filled with American stores. I was in a district with no less than 4 malls each bigger than most malls in the US. But I digress.
Me and Uncle Alan decided that seeing His Holiness in Dharamsala is too good of an opportunity to pass up. We talked to many people about it and found a few contacts for places to stay. Plus is will only cost 500 rupees for the 13 hour bus ride. I am so excited, not only to see His Holiness, but also to get the hell out of Delhi.
If you read this tell me, it gives me more motivation to transfer it from my notebook to the computer. But I can certainly see myself giving up on typing.

India Basic

Some basic things I was wondering about before I came was how much everything costs and what the bathroom situation is like. I will start with the less gruesome. The conversion rate is about 45 rupees to the dollar. The auto-rickshaw ride cost 200 rupees and was a 20 minute ride. The chai comes either spiced or sweet but both are very sweet. You can buy it on every street from a man or boy brewing it in what looks like a hundred year pot. For all I know it might be. Unlike a 3 dollar venti you pay 5 rupees for a small and 10 for a large. The large is a normal mug size. It is pretty strong so you don't need a large glass. It tastes great. The spiced ones they sometimes throw in fresh ginger. They always use milk to brew it.
The hotels we are staying in have been mid-range. Costing between 400-500 rupees a night. They have two beds and a bathroom with hot water shower. Both have even had western style toilets. Most toilets you use are holes in the ground. It is funny because when I visualized this I though it would be dirt but they use the same material as our toilets they just prefer it without they seat. This is most likely because of cleanliness. The Indian few our toilets and toilet paper as just as dirty as we view their method. The first time I used a toilet in Mumbai it was a western toilet but the seat was all wet. That is because next to the toilet was a hose with a spray attached to the end. You stick that near your bottom and go to town. It is actually pretty sweet and does a great job of cleaning without any rough toilet paper. Unfortunately most places have only a cup. Sometimes there is just a little spicket where the toilet paper should be and you have to go through the fickle dance of cupping your left hand under the faucet, trying to move it to your bottom without losing all the water, and then splashing it up. Needless to say I have not perfected the art form. Also needless to say the left hand right hand thing is pretty fucking important. I use my right hand for everything that goes into my mouth and it is not hard to remember. Ok I must run and get some breakfast

Arrival In Dehli

The travel books say that Delhi is a city where the past and present intertwine.  Sometimes it feels more like they are butting heads.  The relatively modern airport is adjacent to the close quartered squalor, that inundates most of this dillapitating city.  Dust, trash, and dung waft through the air as freely as the incense and chai tea, which is just strong enough to mask the former (most of the time).  Of course the scent of countless street food vendors also do a good job of making my morning walk bearable.  My ride from the airport to the hotel, in a auto-rickshaw or tuk tuk, made is abundantly clear that the old and new like to brawl on the streets.  Huge horned cow (or yak not really sure haha) and bicyclists swerve past the endless auto's and motorbikes.  Baboons and little children squat next to each other and go to the bathroom right on the street.  In fact, our auto-rickshaw driver had to stop and take a leak.  The ride ended when we reached our destination of Manju Ka Tilla.  

This is a close quartered Tibetan neighborhood that houses many refugees from the former Buddhist state.  The streets are plastered with signs exposing the "red-handed butchers" of the Chinese communist regime.  Alongside that are signs of upcoming Tibetan music performances and various advertisements.  A little lower numerous vendors sell Buddhist trinkets, prayer beads, bells, tea-cups, clothing, books, incense, and jewlery.  Many of the items are beautiful and at night you can hear the cling and clang of young men hammering intricate designs into soft metal.  

This area seems like a relatively popular tourist spot, which means there are a few white people besides me and Uncle Alan.  In fact, we meet a man from Australia who got to perform classical guitar for the His Holiness the Dali Lama.  Apparently His Holiness has returned home after a long tour and is giving teachings.  We are not planning on leaving because the trip up there would be long, costly, and we have no hotel.  (Although not out of the question). 

The streets are vibrant both day and night and as the sun rises so does the steam coming off the warm Tibetan Chapati.  These look and sort of taste like large rustic english muffins.  I washed it down with a hot cup of sweet chai tea that was poured from a huge thermos.  The old Tibetan man was constantly brewing and refilling his thermos with milk from a stainless steel pot carried to him by a young boy.  You can see these boys running to and fro all around Delhi.

We spent our first day in Delhi running around looking for a store that could service Uncle Alan's lap-top.  We also tried to find a whole-sale market that had cheap green corduroy.  The streets of Delhi are filthy.  Usually we take a bicycle rickshaw from the metro to the hotel.  It is operated by young men no older than 17 and old men no younger than 60.  The common attributes seem to be a weight that doesn't exceed 110 pounds and a mouth with bad teeth.  I have no idea how they are able to lug us around on the poor rocky streets of Delhi but they manage.   It is especially impressive watching them dodge huge trucks while taking us on the wrong side of traffic (to get us close to our hotel).  To hammer home the point about the dichotomy of new and old Delhi, the subway system is impeccable.  I did not see one piece of trash throughout my many trips on the rail.  Speaking of the rail Indians do not value personal space.  If you are waiting in a cue they are perfectly content standing so close you can feel their breath on the back of your neck.  At some of the busy stops you end up getting jammed in the rail car and hanging on for dear life as the crowd surges.  

OK I am tired I guess this isn't bad for a first entry.  Write to me on facebook if you wanna know anything in more detail or if you just wanna say hello!!