Dead Internet and Meat Monks

I just wrote the entire post and lost it. Bugger, since it takes such a long time to load the page again. The broadband internet connection to Sera died earlier this evening and I'm writing this on Thuptens mobile internet. I missed the video chat at 7.30 but I called home on the phone and spoke to Alice. Today was hot and humid and I was crouched over the scanner most of the time. At lunchtime I borrowed Namgyal's TVS moped and drove back to Sera to eat lunch with Thupten. They refilled our gas can on the porch. Dangerous since one spark could blow the whole place to smithereens. Now they are cooking meat momos. They are truly the Meat Monks. House 5 must be infamous for it. They lock the gate to keep the Disciplinarian out.

Theft and Meat at the Monastery

Sunday. Spent most of the day reading and trying to finalize my article about Greater Ladakh. The deadline is tomorrow but the formatting instructions were a bit confusing. In the morning I washed my shirts. Tenzin came back from his cricket night and we made lunch. Somehow Thupten fixed a new gas can and a monk came around with it. Probably stolen from one of the big Khangtsens at Sera Je. In the afternoon a small monk tried to get some mangos from the tree in our yard, and climbed the wall. But Tenzin climbed the tree and gave him some instead. In the late afternoon Thupten, his brother and one more monk came back from Bangalore with a big chunk of meat. They are making Thintuk but I'm having veg. noodle. Suddenly the sleepy plave became a busy place with people going in and out. Thupten's brother Lobsang has secured his most wanted immigration visa to Australia and is going there in as soon as he has an air ticket. I don't think he will be back At sunset we went for a walk up to an empty plot above the monastery. It's a great spot to sit with good views over the landscape towards the Western Ghats and with a cool breeze.

Emergency Reading

Another hot day with the scanner. Finished the first file, around 150 documents. We had power all day so at least the fan was moving the air around a bit. But now it's been a power-cut since five. After it got dark I sat and read by the emergency light. Here in the computer place they have a back-up diesel generator. A lot of monks are sneaking out to watch the World Cup finals in Cricket tonight. It's against the rules but Tenzin left on a motorbike at 6. Won't come back until tomorrow. I think we are out of gas so I shall dine on potato chips or something.

Hardly Blue Cheese

I came back late from the Representative's office, and Tenzin and I went straight for a walk. Then I went to do my net business without passing "Go". The Representative is the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and his office runs the camp administration. Pretty feudal, really. It's been very hot day. I started scanning documents this morning. After lunch the lap-top was running so hot that I had to turn it off to let it cool down for an hour. The material is good, with many peronal and even confidential letters giving witness of various power struggles as well as difficult infrastructural projects. Thinley, my former field assistant came to the office. He is working in a nearby court now, claiming Indian citizenship for Tibetans who were born in India. We went together to look at the old house where the Swiss advisors used to live in the 60's and 70's. Later it was used as staff quarters for teachers at the Central Tibetan School. It's in a beautiful spot overlooking the fields but very run down. A group of young Tibetan artists were squatting there now. We have run out of gas in the house so we can't cook. Tenzin tried to get some from our neighbours today but failed. Better luck tomorrow. We had to go back to Anna's favourite again. Today the whole place smelled of blue cheese but it was a sewer problem. I hope I will survive )-:

One More Day

Stayed back in the house working on my Greater Ladakh article in the morning. I woke up by an alarm clock going off at 5.30. Some monk on kitchen duty. All night the mosque in the Indian village below had benn blaring out religious songs on high volume.

The Key Holder Herself, Mrs Dolma, was back at her desk after lunch so I went over to Camp 1 and the office to check out what was going on. On the street I met Namgyal who pulled me into a tea stall to discuss organic farming in Sweden, and as everybody knows I'm an expert on that. Mrs Dolma was very polite and there was not a sign of animosity. They know how to cover things up. But my intended working space was temporary occupied by some Indian officers so I still have to wait until tomorrow to get started.

I went back to Sera again and tried to hook up my lap-top to their internet network but it didn't work. So I talked with computer-Tenzin (is everyone called Tenzin?) about his home in Ladakh instead. He actually has a sponsor from Stockholm.

Later I went for a walk with Tenzin and Lobsang again. It's a long straight back-road that leads all the way to the end of the fields, to the jungle. Beyond that point the largest wildlife sanctuary in the world starts. Maybe some man-eaters were or elephants lurking in the bamboos?

Had dinner at Yiga Choeling Guest House where we stayed for a few days last year. Anna hated that restaurant, and it has not changed for the better.

Subramanya Takes the Blame

Went to the Representative's office this morning. It turned out to be the birthday of Panchen Lama, the high Tibetan Buddhist teacher and once the youngest political prisoner in the world. So the Representative himself, Mr Lakhpa, was at a function at Tashilunpo monastery and I had to sit down and wait. It was good to meet Dorje and Namgyal again, though. Thinley called me on the phone. He is now working in the court in Periyapatna, practising to be a lawyer. When the Representative arrived he gave me a long speech complaining about Thinley's previous presence in the office, and how that had cost them money (electricity, work space, computer, etc). Well, to cut a long story short he blamed Subramanya for everything which was convenient for me. He also complained a lot about his work overload in general to make sure I would not require any assistance. Anyway. he have me permission to do my work and I presented him with a multi-tool as a gift, but then I found out that the person with the key to the file cabinet was away for a workshop and would not return until Friday. I went back to the house and started reading about Shi'ites in Suru Valley instead. Quite ironic since I was sitting in the largest Tibetan Buddhist monestary in the world! In the late afternoon there was a thunder shower and the temperature came down a bit. I went for a long walk out across the fields with Tenzin and his friend Namgyal. It was dark when we came back. The old dog, Passang, is still lurking around the house hoping for food. Yesterday Thupten bought a meat dish and brough home, and I think Passang got at least half of it.

Cop Stop

A long day today although all I wanted to do was to register at the police station. This time they wanted 3 photographs instead of one. We had just come from town where we had breakfast so we had to go back to get some more photos taken. When we came back the Superintendent was gone and no-one else wanted to sign. They were all sitting idle watching TV. Then the guy in charge started talking to the other, discussing the possibilities of getting a few hundred rupees from me. But luckily another cop was decent and said that I had been there earlier and that they had sent me to get photos. So now I'm duly registered. I met Dorje in town this morning as he was on his way to Madhikeri. So no point in going to Lugsum's office until tomorrow.

Tuesday is the Sera monk's day off and the town was swarming of them. Tonight all the internet places have been packed and the connection extremely slow.

White walls are in

Well, I'm here again. The reconstruction of Mysore road goes beyond Peryiapatna now so it took just 1,5 hrs from Mysore. Subrmanya looked a bit worn with unkempt hair and a lost tooth but he seems to be doing fine, though. Got a new SIM-card in Camp 1. The house at Sera was refurbished inside with white-painted walls and good inner roofs. They also cut one of the big palm-trees down so now the house is quite bright and airy despite the neighbouring towers. Plastic mats on the concrete floors too. European style, Thupten told me. It's a trendsetter among the monks and now white walls are IN! Quite a difference from the muggy Tibetan monastic style rooms. Must eat now. More tomorrow.

Back to Bylakuppe

Tomorrow it's back to Bylakuppe again. I have packed a new coffee-maker, a good kitchen knife, a mosquito net, some tube cheese, and an Italian sausage. And four multi-tools as gifts. But my small bag is just half full! Think I'll pack a pillow too. I pray for a smooth ride. That should get me there by 3 pm on Monday.