Dharamsala

We arrive in McLeod Ganj, the smaller town perched above Dharamsala in the foothills of the Himalayas. We took a night bus from Delhi - 12 hours. The last half of which was on increasingly bumpy, windy roads, narrowly scraping (and I mean inches that would be lost if the buses weren't perfectly parallel as they passed) by other rickety buses at frightening speeds next to steep drop-offs. I get small bruises on the elbow that I bouncily try to lean on the window frame.

A few observations about India. Men and poor people pee everywhere except the grass in designated parks. Telephone and electricity wires are haphazard rats' nests of odd wires, some a couple inches thick, draped over tilting posts, ledges, and corners of buildings. Street vendors stir cackling snacks in spitting oil pans. Touts wander through stopped traffic offering small toys, newspapers, water, sliced coconut, oranges, and baked nuts to drivers and passengers. One man spins an empty basket on a finger and makes a kissing noise at me in my bus window. The kissing noises, along with gropes and cat-calls, is called Eve-teasing here and the problem is given a lot of lip-service in the newspapers. I think its a telling name for the behavior because it reveals a victim-blaming attitude that explains these actions as inevitable reactions to a perceived female sexuality. Because India is not known for having a large Christian population, I assume that the Eve reference fits into the variation of British English that is spoken in India.

Indian buses have large cabs up front, sometimes with space for extra passengers during the day and for the extra men who help the driver by checking and selling tickets, dealing with luggage, filling the gas tank, wiping the fogged up windshield, and navigating slim passes with other vehicles. The cabs are decorated with images of Hindu deities, blinking lights, and various tassels. Along the route bus hands pick up and drop off various large sacks at small towns, providing a delivery service as well.

We arrive in McLeod Ganj on the first day of the Tibetan New Year, Losar. The owners of the Om Guesthouse give us a key and never check us in - they are busy entertaining family. McLeod Ganj is the home of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile. It is the center of the expatriated Tibetan community. There are many settlements in India but all expat Tibetans (I have yet to hear of an exception) come to McLeod Ganj at least once. For some, immediately after they leave Tibet, usually via Nepal, feeling it necessary to be blessed by H.H.. Zaq and I lived here for a month in homestays two years ago, learning the Tibetan language, politics, history, and religion.

There are small patches of snow on the ground, something I never saw the last time I was here. My previous visit had been during an unseasonably warm year. The cold creeps in through the few centimeters of breathing room between the door and its frame. The windows aren't doing their best either. No heater. After an early morning nap, Zaq and I head first to get some lunch from the J.J.I. Cafe which is owned by one of the older Tibetan women who taught our language classes, Nima-la. She is a mischievous woman who loves teasing us and playing a part in some of our schemes. Her sons are a successful Tibetan rock band, the J.J.I. Brothers, so the family has had opportunities to travel. Unfortunate for us, she was in Holland with them while we visited Dharamsala. The town is quiet and empty of Tibetans because many were up early for prayers at the Tsuglhakhang, the main temple next to His Holiness' house. The first day of Losar is spent at home with family. Here, the holiday is 3 days long but in some places, it is celebrated for one to two weeks.

There are quite a few Westerners in the J.J.I. and I wonder which ones might be current S.I.T. students. Instead, I am discovered by Sean, the older brother of a good friend and former housemate of mine. The world has suddenly spasmed into its miniature form in which, no matter the distance, everyone is a hug away.