timely

despite my apparent bliss india, i wanted to be sure to communicate exactly what is going on around me as i have landed in a very interesting place in a very historical time.

i am in a place of peace, but also a place of protest and pain. i am living among tibetan refugees, many of whom have been brutally hurt by the war. the monks chant while leading daily peaceful processions through the streets at 6pm. these have been almost beautiful despite what they are protesting, as there is a lot of solidarity portrayed and sharing of pain. i am in this town at a time that is considered an extremely high tourist season, but the place remains relatively unbusy. locals suspect it is out of fear of the political situation. but there is no danger here. these protests are like anti-war protests in berkeley. there is no one to protest against. everyone agrees here that tibet should be free.

today, the olympic torch is being run through delhi. most of this town has closed except businesses owned by indians. most of the tibetans have left in droves, stacked into and above trucks, to go to delhi to protest as the torch gets relayed about. most tibetan shops are closed in protest as an act of support. since i have been here, there has been a constant hunger strike being staged outside of a temple.

this has been a peaceful town for me, but one with a greater purpose. and despite all of the violence that many people have experienced before reaching this place, the overall feeling is that this struggle should be completely peaceful. the tibetans have been really lovely to me and they have shared many parts of their culture with me in a very generous way. keep an eye on delhi in the news. and please don't worry about me.