I've had a couple of slow days in Mcleodganj (upper Dharamsala): His Holiness was holding public teachings and the volunteer office was therefore closed (it also was the last day of Losar, the Tibetan New Year). I just missed being able to hear the teachings, but he'll do a half-day teaching on Saturday, on the topic of the Jataka Tales (Buddhist teaching tales). I'm hoping to be able to hear that teaching. Today, the volunteer office reopened, and I've now begun my English teaching work.

During the slow days, I was glad to have some down time to rest and recuperate--it's been two months of steady travel, after all--and to get to know the lay of the land. Getting geographically oriented is especially important for me because I have little natural spatial awareness (as all who've traveled with me know). At this point, I've walked all the streets of Mcleodganj, circumnavigated the great temple complex where His Holiness lives, and taken a couple of walks out of town to nearby villages. Because everything is built on steep slopes, one necessarily gets lots of exercise going anywhere in or around town. And that exercise is all gotten in beautiful country: paths winding up through verdant forests and out across open slopes with views in all directions. I should be in great shape by the time I return home!

Nevertheless, having nowhere to go, nothing to do, and nobody who knew my name was surprisingly unsettling, even in this lovely, intriguing place. I'm struck today by how much more comfortable I feel already because I've now accumulated colleagues and acquaintances, and a role here. We humans are deeply social animals!

As for my role, I'll be teaching a daily intermediate English class at the office of Lha, a Tibetan-run social service organization. I've only had one day of interaction with the staff, and am already very impressed with their efficiency and professionalism. They run a series of English courses, from complete beginner to advanced, as well as courses in other languages, including Tibetan (geared for travelers; I'm hoping to learn some Tibetan) and French. They offer a range of other social services for Tibetan exiles as well (I think they're all exiles themselves), as well as some services for visitors, such as homestays with Tibetan families and language classes, which generate an income stream for their social service work. (I'm giving some thought to a homestay, though I'm happily situated in a pleasant, inexpensive guesthouse right now.)

Beginning tomorrow, I'll be observing the volunteer who's now teaching the intermediate English class, and then will take over from her when she leaves at the end of the month. I also committed myself to participating in the daily (M-F), informal, open-to-all "conversation cafe" held from 4 to 5pm. I participated in today's cafe, and realized that it's likely to be a highlight of my time here. The conversationalists were a very international group, weighted towards Tibetans (including two senior monks) and native English speakers like me. We divided into pairs or small groups and talked in English for an hour.

My conversation partners were A, a university student from Tokyo (who reports that family, friends, and colleagues there are all fine), and M, a university student from the region of Tuva in Russia (Tuva neighbors Mongolia). Both are on spring break right now. A is studying international relations and M is studying journalism. A is here to participate in a work camp, creating murals and fences for a nearby children's village. For M, this is his third visit to Mcleodgang: he feels a strong affinity with the Tibetans, as does his sister, who is a local Tibetan cultural scholar. What lively, inquiring minds they both have, and how internationally aware they are! Our conversation ranged very widely. Judging by the sound level in the library where we were all gathered, everyone else's conversation was equally engaging. Now I'm looking forward to tomorrow's gathering.

Another opportunity for me would be one-on-one tutoring of English students on weekday mornings, which I will also try to do as time and energy allow. When I first entered Lha's office this morning, I encountered S, a Tibetan student of English who's deeply interested in improving his English skill. Talking with him, hearing a little of his personal story (he left Tibet relatively recently), and seeing the eagerness in his face makes me inspired to do as much as I can to help. The only challenge is that there are many other fascinating activities here that interest me. Life, as always, refuses to stay in perfect, uncomplicated balance!