Many Days

Many days have passed since I was able to publish to my blog. All that has changed. I now have Internet access in my room at the school, when there is electricity, and when I am not teaching or tutoring.

But rather than overwhelm you like I have been, let's start with the morning view from my room. In the far distance is a lower peak of the Annapurna Range, some lower hills, the back side, top floor of the main monastery building and some beautiful flowering Bougainvillea. (?)

Turning to the left are my neighbors who rise a bit earlier than I but sometimes I catch sight of them scaling up to the roof. Here's a glimpse.

The "genome study of the Rhesus Macaque shows that humans and macaques share about 93% of their DNA sequence and shared a common ancestor roughly 25 million years ago."  (Wikipedia)

So besides being my neighbor he's my cousin.

Every night is cold and every day warms up . I wear a t-shirt AND flannel pj's and two thick and heavy blankets at night, and a hot water bottle to remove the day's ills from my back, and strip down to the lightest t-shirt in the sun by midday, only to bundle up for going down to dinner at 6:30. The monastery has no heat as far as I can tell. Breakfast in the dining hall is freezing and the windows are wide open. (What about the monkeys?) I wear a t-shirt, nylon vest, fleece and pashmina wrap and still I am cold until the steaming hot victuals enter my system  


So now for the best part of all -  my new students the ever energetic, all male population of young Buddhist monks. This was taken in the dining hall on a day off. My dear friend Anne had at the last moment a few days before my departure, dropped off some supplies and they included a cutsie deck of cards in the shape of snowmen. They are playing "High Card Take All." The kids informed me that they only play cards at New Years. Losar, their New Years is not until February.  Oh well all bad influences come from western lands. lol