Tibetan Beach Day

       So I don’t think I’ve told you this  yet, but there is a group of about 20 Tibetan orphans staying at the Tibetan Pavilion with us. They are all between 13 and 16, and they live in a school in Darmsala.

      Before every meal, they sing an elaborate chant, paying homage to the 1^st through 4^th Dalai Llamas. So now, instead of loud village music being my alarm clock every morning, it is Tibetan chanting!

Up until today, we really haven’t had too much connection with them; both groups are very busy, and language is a barrier. But recently our group decided that it would be nice to give Kalsang, the wonderwoman who runs this place, a break of a few hours. So today we all divided up and took the kids for adventures!

      Henry, Jessica, Sarah and I took 4 girls to the beach. Though I was reluctant to go at first because of my aching for alone time, it ended up being so fun. We rode through the village in a little adventure group, cruising past the bright shops and village bustle. We arrived at the tranquil beach after the bike adventure, and all the girls were so excited! This is the first beach they have ever been to. Then we all joined hands, and ran yelling into the waves!

      It was a good experience for me in a different way too, because though I love the beach and feel very comfortable with it, I have too many memories of being dragged in the sand by intense Santa Cruz waves. Consequently, I have been avoiding swimming! But having the Tibetan girls with us today really eased me to break out of my shell, and swim out past the waves to go bodysurfing! Henry and I helped one of the girls out about 30 feet into the water. She was scared, but was a good swimmer. Once we got past the breaking, we could float on our backs, being carried gently by the lulling waves. It was so enlivening, rejuvenating, peaceful, and lovely! The brightly painted, wooden fishing boats flanked us in the distance. It was such a wonderful experience.

      It amazes me what bright, open, sharing and friendly people these kids are. When I hear “Tibetan orphan”, I think of a suffering life. However spending time with these kids has really opened me up to seeing past that simple perception. They are genuinely interested in connecting and sharing with us, and they have aspirations just like me.