http://www.nelbar.com/index.htmlHot News!enweb@nelbar.comCopyright 2007 V Nelson Barnes2007-03-29T10:36:38-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:32:34 -0400web@nelbar.comHome2007-03-29T10:36:38-04:00http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/2ee0cf308188fda5797ac6876137218b-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/2ee0cf308188fda5797ac6876137218b-6.html#unique-entry-id-6 
Check out these links:
 
Kuensel Newspaper (I was interviewed and mentioned in an article)
Jacqueline Bovaird (this is a friend who's on the program with us.  she's a photo student at NYU.  keep checking out her photos of Dharamsala and Bhutan as she posts them)
 
Tomorrow we start to head back west again.  Friday-Sunday we're going to backpack through a mountain pass.
 
I've got to run and work on my research proposal (it was due this morning!). 
 
Love to you all, Carolyn]]>web@nelbar.comHome2007-03-15T10:41:36-04:00http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/20c61b3654ec610c5238809fe88a4f74-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/20c61b3654ec610c5238809fe88a4f74-5.html#unique-entry-id-5Bhutan has been amazing so far.  We flew into Paro and drove directly to Thimpu where we spent a few days. While there we met the Chief Justice of Bhutan, who is one of the key members in creating the constitution (which the country hopes to adopt in a few years).  We also met young people who have started up the first radio, newspaper, and television programs in the country.  We've been really well treated and the government has been extremely hospitable.  In fact, because of our group's connections with the government, we have permits to enter sacred sites most Western tourists don't have access to and we also are exempt from the over $200 a day fee that Westerners must pay to be in the country.  After our few days in Thimpu we drove all day one day to Punahka where we were able to enter the ancient and holy dzong.  Inside there were gold statues reaching hundreds of feet in the air and intricate paintings outlining the Buddha's life story.  After one night in Punahka, we spent 10 hours on the road to get to Bumthang where we've been staying the past few days (more specifically, Jakar).  It is a beautiful farming community nestled in four valleys connected by a deep blue river that runs down from the glaciers.  While here, we've been living in farm houses with locals outside of town.  I've planted potatoes in the fields with my family and yesterday morning, I helped milk cows.  This valley is the most breathtaking and gorgeous place!  We've been getting to understand the local political, education, health care, and social systems as best we can.  In Bhutan, when men and women marry, there is no ceremony or party.  The man simply moves into the woman's home (It is a matrilocal society, where woman inherit the property).  Marriage is very fluid and it is normal for partners to separate and form new relationships without any social stigma.
 
On another note, my initial research proposal has been excepted for April and May!  I'll be in Dharamsala and another Tibetan settlement (TBD) comparing changing marriage patterns.  I've still got lots of preparation to do though!
 
In a few days we start a two day drive, continuing east to Sherupste where we will live with local students studying at the university there.]]>web@nelbar.comHome2007-03-15T10:40:18-04:00http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/ec9f6d3e4e69d6357d0124d3f06caab2-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/ec9f6d3e4e69d6357d0124d3f06caab2-4.html#unique-entry-id-4
On a lighter note, he's quite short and made lots of jokes during his speech!

The next few days we have lots of tests and papers due.  Tuesday night we are driving out of the mountains and taking a night train to Delhi.  Thursday we'll fly to Bhutan.
]]>web@nelbar.comHome2007-02-28T15:16:10-05:00http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/d7804816e8135d49609b45e1bf36575e-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/d7804816e8135d49609b45e1bf36575e-2.html#unique-entry-id-2 
Today begins the 3-day celebration of the Tibetan new year, or Losar.  All Tibetan families have been running around buying goods and cleaning to prepare for the biggest festival of the year.  On Friday we rolled dough over our bodies hoping to keep away disease for the year.  Then we placed a piece of our clothing in the dough and put it in a bowl with pieces of food, sugar, salt, and tea.  Then Pala constructed a "bad god" out of dough and put it in the bowl as well.  Eventually we took this bowl outside and blew it up with fireworks (ideas about fire safety, especially after drinking, are quite lax here!).  Also that night, we had a special soup called goothug.   It contains some tiny dumplings, some of which have special contents.  For instance, I got a piece of wood in one dumpling (symbolizing that I will be lazy this year).  I think my Amala gave me that dumpling on purpose!
 
A lot of chang is flowing everywhere as well (an alcoholic fermented barley drink).  In fact, we had an oral Tibetan language test yesterday (after a two hour written one) and our teachers made us drink chang before the test saying it would, "help us to speak Tibetan better."  It didn't really work...but it was funny.
 
Last night at home we constructed a pyre out of fried dough and a lama came and placed pieces of tear-shaped butter on it.  Then we meticulously gathered bowls of dried grapes, figs, apricots, nuts, candies, and fruit and put them around the altar.  Today my Amala woke me at 4 am to a bowl of hot chang (after which I went back to sleep).  Later everyone dressed in their finest chupas (Tibetan garb), myself included, and we headed out to the temple at the monastery of His Holiness.  We circled the Temple three times amongst HUGE crowds and made our offerings inside as well.  Needless to say, a fair amount of socializing was happening there too. 
 
I'll try to send out some picutres in the next few days.
 
Please keep me up to date on what is new with you all!
 
Carolyn]]>web@nelbar.comHome2007-02-07T12:48:42-05:00http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/fffa2688e583af61c303b72d97b7b574-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.nelbar.com/page17/page0/files/fffa2688e583af61c303b72d97b7b574-0.html#unique-entry-id-0
I'm here, safe, happy, and trying to soak in everything.

After a 36 hours of plane rides and airports, we made it to Delhi very late.  Manu-la and Puntsok-la (our directors) greeted us and put long necklaces of yellow and red marigolds.  After a few days of orientation in New Delhi we started our 2-day bus ride up to the mountains.  The first day was relatively flat and nice.  The countryside is so green and beautiful.  There are gorgeous temples everywhere.  However, poverty is everywhere as well.  Our second day on the road was very windy and dangerous (in addition to the normal danger of Indian driving in general).  The mountains are incredible. While driving we saw little monkeys everywhere, cows, goats, camels, horses, dogs, yaks, and some interesting birds. 

Finally, we made it to Dharamsala and up the hill to upper-Dharamsala or McCleod Ganj. It is incredibly beautiful here.  We are perched on the hills and in the distance you can see the tips of the huge, ominous, and snowy Himalayas in the distance.  It is so diverse here:  'Westerners', Kashmiris, Indians, Tibetans, etc.  Also, there are lots of monks and nuns everywhere with the most beautiful temples and monasteries.  The roads squiggle back and forth and up and down; I keep getting confused and lost.  The electricity and internet are very sparatic, and go off and on multiple times a day.

Last night was my first night living with my new Tibetan family.  We are in a small two-room apartment without running water or heat.  They are the most wonderful people!  My Amala (Tibetan mother) is very short and stout, but full of energy.  She escaped from Tibet 13 years ago by walking for 23-days over the mountains without food or water to speak of.  She says most of the people she left with died along the way.  Once she got here, she studied very hard for three years before working as tailor.  My Pala (Tibetan father) is an ex-monk (shh!  It is a secret!) who escaped Tibet after being released from a jail for political prisoners.  Once here, he met Amala and they were married.  Therefore, he is extremely educated and is an amazing thanka painter.  Recently, he hasn't been able to make a living painting, so he has opened a small restaurant near our apartment.  He is the most amazing cook!  Speaking of which, since I'm a full-fledged member of the family, I have to work every-other night in the restaurant cooking, washing dishes, serving, and cleaning!

My Amala is VERY strict.  She is constantly quizzing me with Tibetan words and when I get them wrong, she scolds me and joking slaps the back of my hand.  I was reading for three hours last night and started to fall asleep around ten, and she went on and on about how lazy I was.  So , my new nickname is 'lazy.'  She says she'll be nice today since I don't have class, but she says on class days I should be up to 11 reading every night. I told her I had already read a lot and was already ready for class tomorrow.  She just stared at me an then said, "You are lying to me!" and scolded me even more!  She is hilarious!

My Amala's 14-year-old niece is living with us too.  She and I sleep in the livingroom together.  She just came from Tibet a month ago and is very shy.

Tomorrow our first formal language classes start, along with our regular thematic studies and field work seminars.  I'll be in school from 8:30 to 5 everyday, with a short hour break for lunch.  All of our instructors are very demanding, so I'll have to be working pretty hard here the first month (not to mention working the restaurant too!).

Forgive me if this email is choppy and sloppy.  I feel nervous in these internet cafes, especially with the men working here constantly reading over my shoulder.  I miss you all and think of you often!  Please keep me up to date with your news from the states!

Fondly, Carolyn

]]>