Buttercupchappati Chronicles

taxi truths

I was in a taxi recently, having a chat with the driver, as I do.

side note: taxi drivers have people hop in and out of their cars all day who mostly either complain or barely say hello. Talk to them, they love it.

Anyhow, this particular driver is Chinese and I was asking him where home is, which led to discussions of Quinghai, which led to questioning why I was in that part of the world.

I love how the universe unfolds.

Anyway, we get to the Tibetan medicine part and it all becomes very otherworldly. He has seemed a very pragmatic and practical man so far.

Ah, he says, really long pause. I love Tibetan medicine, it is very magical.

I could only agree, delighted that this person who I had never laid eyes on before felt the same way I do.

Taxi drivers are our gatekeepers to many many places, most of them unexpected. 

 This picture of me freezing in the (summer) snow on the grasslands near Mahlo was taken by my fabulous driver. We had a shocking trip from Mahlo to Xining that day. It snowed for hours, then rain and mud made the road nearly impossible once we got to a lower altitude. He was cheerful and kind the whole way.

lock and load

Hmmm, less than two weeks before I leave and I am fairly sure I have my digital entertainment options covered. (What is this fear of boredom!) Now may have to stop distracting self with electronics and look at more mundane packing requirements like knickers and shampoo...

So - actual books in hand? Two: Modern Oral Amdo Tibetan and Tibetan-English-Chinese Dialogue In The Hospital, winners both.

On Darth the mini-tab/e-reader thingy? This is where it gets seriously fun:

All 6 books of the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett -
    Game Of Kings
    Queens Play
    The Disorderly Knights
    Pawn in Frankincense
    The Ringed Castle
    Checkmate
Anna Karenina*
Jane Eyre*
Pride and Prejudice*
Japanese Fairy Tales*
The Wind In The Willows
War and Peace*
Siddhartha*
The Three Musketeers*
These Old Shades
Devils Cub
The Heart Of Understanding - commentary on the Heart Sutra
What Makes You Not A Buddhist
Niccolo Rising
The Spring Of The Ram
The Mists Of Avalon
The Hare With Amber Eyes
A Tiny Bit Marvellous
Mrs Frys Diary
Old Path White Clouds
Wolf Hall
A Clash Of Kings
A Dance With Dragons
A Feast For Crows
A Game Of Thrones
A Storm of Swords
*free to download from a benevolent internet deity

Now the ipod, here is the stuff to listen to, the spoken books, (oh and The Lord Of The Rings e-book)

Is the list too long? Should I run it together like Rat does when describing his picnic hamper to Mole when they have their first adventure together?

"What's inside it?" asked the Mole, wriggling with curiosty.
"There's cold chicken inside it," replied the Rat briefly; "coldtonguecoldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrollscresssandwichespottedmeat
gingerbeerlemonadesodawater -"
"O stop, stop." cried the Mole in ecstasies: "This is too much!"
"Do you really think so?" inquired the Rat seriously. "It's only what I always take on these little excursions;"

Or should I just say lots.

Lots.  (Twenty six, but don't tell anyone)

Hundreds of hours of listening pleasure, in my own language.

And music, again, lots.

And things to watch - may all the Gods bless you Mr Jobs, I love my Apple stuff! I have the last two episodes of Sex and the City, Rear Window, Out Of Africa, an episode of Dr Who - The Waters Of Mars, and four episodes of Invader Zim, because I can.

Think I'm good to go.

p.s.
there is quite a lot of poetry too, I'd forgotten about because its stored in a different location, and of course all my text books and manuals!

p.p.s.
The Wind In The Willows is one of my most loved books forever and I always take it with me if I can. I even took it on our honeymoon - a truth!

p.p.p.s.
TWITW actually has two perfect picnics:
      "Rat hurried off home. There he got out the luncheon basket and packed a simple meal, in which, remembering the stranger's origin and preferences, he took care to include a yard of long French bread, a sausage out of which the garlic sang, some cheese which lay down and cried, and a long-necked straw-covered flask containing bottled sunshine shed and garnered on far Southern slopes."

 

going awaaaaaay

Just when I was starting to cave under public opinion and feel bad about being away for so long (three months), this week I met a truly fabulous woman who set me straight.

I was massaging her and in our initial consultation/chat (as she hadn't been to see me before), she mentioned that she had been to Tibet many times. And, had lived in Lhasa for about two years while she studied Tibetan language at the university there.

Where she really won my heart was when she told me that after her first trip, about six weeks I think, she got home, cried for 10 days, rang her husband and said "I need to go back", and she did.

How courageous - of her. How kind and understanding - of him.

Of course we talked more, and her husband has had times where he has travelled after his heart calling too. And they work it out. How inspiring when you meet people who take this step up into their authentic selves!

I so know that whack of mixed emotion when getting off the plane at Melbourne airport. Wonderful to be home, fantastic to see all the people you love, when can I go back again? When you really connect with a place, with a people, you are forever torn. When somewhere other than your home becomes a heart place to you, you are forever counting the days to when you return there.

What a blessing.

Then we are truly awake in the world.

Mahlo, one of my favourites places anywhere, forever.

feeling the [girlfriend] love

Fantastic couple of days, really since Tuesday, where I have been able to either spend face to face time or spend talk time (love skype) with all my best girls. Best medicine.

Last night a dinner with a friend from way back in High School, her husband made a telling comment as they were going home: "How old were you two when you met?" "Twelve" was the answer. His comeback, "and you've been talking about your mothers ever since?"

Well, yes.

And even although there have been long, long gaps where we haven't seen each other, the conversation is always just as though we've paused to take a breath. (Although in reality, I don't think much breathing is involved when we do get together, takes away from valuable talking time.)

And then the sad,

for me,

being such a sooky mother.

The number two son is making his move on leaving the nest. He's going to go the London road for a bit and see what's there for him. It will be great, he will love it and he will learn so much about himself and his fellow earth monkeys. I am very very happy, except for that part of me that is very very sad. One eye is crying a little, secretly, when no-one is looking. Just a warm up. The hardest part? He is probably departing while I am away and so won't be here when I get home.

Still, it's a good excuse to visit London, not that I need much encouragement in that direction anyway! And he might be homesick and home by then .... not!

yes, I confess, there will be real books too

just a few essentials

 
These two are the most important.

But I also have a secret language weapon...

This is my dear dear friend Sonam when we first met in 2006. I call him my Tibetan son, and he is.

And here we are last year at the Yellow River. Like any good son, he tolerates being hugged by his "mother"! I can't wait to see him again.

Help me Luke Skywalker!

I have gone over to the dark side!

Everyone knows I am a book girl. Real books that you can hold in your hand, read, look at, lend to a friend, put on the shelf until the next time you need to visit the world between those particular covers.

In theory I have admired the idea of ebook readers, but wasn't wanting one for myself. If I commuted to work, maybe, in one year I could probably read my way through a small forest. I think the printed word is one of our great acheivements on this blue planet. All you need to read is a book (and adequate light, yes I know). One book can be read by many many people. Anyway that is a rant for another time.

But here's the thing. My upcoming travels have sedced me over to ownership of this previously scoffed at item.

Looks innocent enough, doesn't it?

Being the resident Hermione Grainger of my TTM class means I was planning on taking all my texts and notes with me for the three months I'll be away, good revision time I thought.

That's a big chunk of my luggage allowance right there.

So there was the perfect rationalisation! (Plus I love a new toy.)

But the other big thing that has been worrying me is the lack of reading material. You cannot buy english language books where I go; and I cannot carry three months worth of reading, not without much excess luggage and a small troupe of muscular boys to carry it for me.

That was enough to make it a "necesary purchase", next is the fun part! Yes, yes, loaded up the pdf files of all the texts and notes for my TTM studies. Now filling up the clever little device with pleasure reading.

I am a comfort reader. I love to re-visit favourites over and over. So that's what I am taking with me, my library of favourites.

A much bigger pile!

 
That's not all of them, its the ones I could find easily this morning. And I have discovered something wonderful, lots of these books are available for free, and the others are a fraction of the cost of a hard copy. I have pre-ordered the new George R. R. Martin, due out in a couple of weeks, and it will be delivered directly to my device! So I can see myself a happy resident in the electronic reading camp and the actual book in hand camp.

This is my favourite picture: everything, and the wee black case that has it all and more.

 
Think I'll name it Darth.

Mind you, I still love a big pile of books, that says happiness to me!

 

 

just so you know

because I don't want anyone to feel left out (although if you have not heard my elated screeches - where have you hidden your eardrums?)

I GOT MY VISA! Yes, it is in hand, and in the other is a ticket to Beijing. Smiling sounds too simple for what is going on, but it will do.

So, much happy dancing, and much much excitement at the thought of spending three whole months studying and practicing TTM. And of course huge amounts of gratitude to all those who helped make this opportunity mine.

Did I mention I was excited?

The countdown is on, leaving at the end of July.

And yes, already worrying about three months worth of reading in a place where there are no english language books for sale. (And let's not even go there thinking about three months without a hair dryer!) Minor sacrifices - especially the hair, I don't have to look at me.

Serious thinking about language skills as well. Classes are on in earnest and I am trying to quell the thought that I am way too old to be learning Tibetan. Come on, even Tibetans find it hard. And really, I need to improve my repertoire in the Chinese area as well; two phrases - hello and thank you - get you points for politeness but that's about it. (And they tend to lead taxi drivers to leap to the assumption that I speak fluent Chinese, sorry, I smile in many languages however).

"Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good"
 

 

a new one

Two thousand and eleven, a year well launched with friends and family, laughter, dancing, singing, momo's, Texas chili, margaritas and The Rocky Horror Picture Show on dvd.

I suspect the horror part was all of us doing the time warp some time around midnight, but anyway...

It was cozy - and that is one of my main words for this coming year. I want to snuggle in and read, study, work, create, be myself; with occasional outings for travel where I do all that, just in a different place.

Key words for 2011:

reflection

meditation

mantra

reading

study

music - really listening, not just playing in the background

healing - myself and my patients

art

writing

solitude

gratitude

poetry

a dharma year
a catching up year
a year where I return to Amdo - always!
a year where I say hello to myself, everyday

well - resolution comes from resolve, so let's just see.
Intention is everything, I tell everyone else that! Best listen to my own awesome advice.

Happy new year everyone!
Peaceful, safe, prosperous and brilliant.

Eggplant parmigiana and Emilio

Well, strictly speaking, Emilio's Grandmother.

So there we were on the bus, the small bus not the big bus. Important distinction because the big bus was for the Italian group and the smaller bus was for the motley collection known as the English Speaking Group. Oh and yes, this is while I was in Tibet.

Back to the bus, the back of the bus to be exact, where Emilio has taken a seat by invitation, we made him an honorary English speaker. Emilio is very cool and makes me laugh all the time. We are driving from Mahlo to Labrang, not so far as the crow flies but a long way by roads that are either being re-built or have been washed out by all the recent rain.

We have been late to get started due to various administrative details and it always takes a while to round up all of our Italians and get them on their bus and ready to go.

This means no lunch on the way. While we do have bags of interesting Chinese snacks and biscuits which we all share around, that's not lunch is it? And remember, we have been away from western food for over three weeks now.

This is when Emilio decides to give us, in great detail, with great passion and appreciation, his grandmothers recipe for eggplant parmigiana. You could almost smell the basil and the tomato and the thought of actual melted cheese had most of us in tears. We had to threaten him with eviction to get him to stop.

But I couldn't wait to try it when I got home, and after finding some gorgeous eggplant at the market, today was the day!

 

 

It was delicious!

Who doesn't go to Tibet to get great recipes for Italian food? A hundred thousand blessings on this Italian Grandmother and her slightly crazy but very lovable grandson!

so, now I get it about the Birkenstocks

I never understood Birkenstocks.

European backpacker types and aging hippies wore them, until they fell apart seemingly.   Often, most un-attractively, with socks. The whole socks and sandals thing was a crime against nature when I was a young thing. Worse than hairy legs under pantyhose. And why was such an unappealing shoe so expensive? Really?

But, when I first visited Kathmandu a few years back I started to re-evaluate the whole Birkenstock thing. Everyone was wearing them, especially all the monks. Why? Because there were cheap knock off's for sale on every corner in Boudanath.

How bad can they be I thought. $19 as opposed to $150 at home, hey give me two pairs, I'll go crazy.

Oh I did go crazy. Those things tore my poor feet apart. There was no way this footwear was ever going to not hurt me. I threw one pair away while there, and tried and tried with the remaining pair when I returned home. But no, these shoes were mean.

As you can imagine, this did nothing for my relationship with the brand.

Until, I was getting my gear ready for this last trip and and the voice in my head spoke (the same one that said, yes I know you have asked people to kill you if they see you in a pair of crocs, but have you tried those puppies on? They are comfortable! Forget about ugly!).

And as I was close by an outlet place, thinking about the hot humid weather I was heading for, and how a girl can't wear her hiking shoes all the time, I let the voice sway me.

Half price set up a wave of panic, but I re-assured myself that these were actual Birkenstocks, from the proper Birkenstock making place. And to make me even happier, the half price ones were red patent leather. How could I not.

I wore them around home for a few days, gingerly, remembering shredded feet in Nepal. So far so good.

So into the bag they went and I am GLAD. These shoes are awesome! Comfort plus, everyday it was a pleasure to slip my toes into them. Light, soft, make-me-happy because they are red. I am never looking back. Humidity did not phase them, walking over all terrains did not phase them. Thank you to the shoe deities who made them so.

In the photo here, you see me with the sartorially splendid Ngakpa's from Jawa village. While my away from home for too long bedraggled self cannot compare, just look at those shiny red shoes, those are happy feet!