Delhi to Dharamsala

Trying to avoid immediate lung cancer, my mom wore a medical mask whenever she left the hotel in Delhi.

What can one really say about Delhi? My advice: avoid it if and when you ever travel to India. Fly to any other major city, just don’t bother with Delhi. It is one of the most polluted and congested cities in the world. It’s miserable. One day of ‘sight-seeing’, if you can see through the smog, will leave the laundry water black when you rinse your clothes. If anyone wants to compare China and India, all they have to do is visit Beijing and Delhi to see the major differences. China is years ahead of India in mass-transportation and traffic control alone. The levels of infrastructure are so vastly different. India, as much as I love it, still has a long ways to go and maybe that is the difference between the world’s largest democracy and China—a communist state lacking in many personal freedoms. Anyway, the point is, we all couldn’t wait to get OUT of Delhi as soon as possible.

Don't let the spectacular buildings deceive you--Delhi is dirty and has filthy air!

Unfortunately, the journey from Delhi to Dharamsala requires a 12 hour bus ride. We bought tickets on the overnight semi-sleeper luxury VOLVO bus. But even then, we had to listen to a Hindi movie blaring over the bus speakers for over three hours, had to navigate Delhi’s horrendous traffic, and then had to climb into the foothills of the Himalayas on Indian roads. Even after taking 1 ½ Benadryl, my ear plus in, my seat leaned back, and my head resting on my feather pillow (courtesy of Malaysian Airlines) I couldn’t sleep much. Which means my parents didn’t sleep a wink!!

Luckily, arriving in Upper Dharamsala (aka McLeod Ganj) was a breath of fresh air—literally!! It is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and without many roads, it drastically reduces traffic. There are some taxis, buses and rickshaws, but almost no private cars in town, except for the Dalai Lama’s entourage of course.

We have been here just over a week. We have settled into an apartment owned by a very generous and kind Tibetan family. We have the two rooms on the floor above their apartment. My parents are in one apartment with a kitchen, refrigerator, TV w/cable, and bathroom. My little apartment with a bathroom is next door and has room for a kitchen but nothing is hooked up. We are located a little above the main town. Well, 133 steps from the road to be exact. But all the roads are hills around here. That means my commute to school is 15 minutes downhill, probably 200-300meter descent and my commute home is 20 minutes of walking UP! It is good for me after the trek, but my parents are struggling a bit with the hills and steps. ‘Slowly slowly’, as the Nepali guides would say.

Enjoying Fresh Lime Sodas on one of the many rooftop cafes

Dharamsala, seems very safe so far. I have walked home alone after dark a few times and never been worried or felt afraid. The biggest nuisances are the large troops of monkeys that roam about and pass by our apartment balcony 2-3 times a day. This is also mating season and the males are especially vicious right now. But other than the wildlife, the town is pretty quiet. Walking around the main bazaar you see the same 10-15 beggars that sit in the same places everyday. However, none of these beggars are Tibetan, they are all Indian, and I heard a rumor that they are all South Indian. The first few days in town trying to negotiate and decide how to treat them were difficult. They see a foreigner and start whining for money. I don’t mean to sound heartless, but I don’t give to beggars. If I have food, I will sometimes give it, especially to children. But we were warned by some other teachers that many of these beggars will sell back food you buy them for money. And one woman who is missing all her fingers, probably due to leprosy, makes enough money to support her daughter through college. Great, good for her, but I refuse to support begging. So, instead of blatantly ignoring their greetings and pleas, my parents and I have started greeting them as we would anyone else. I say ‘hello’ or ‘namaste’ and ask them how they are and smile at them. They all recognize us now and know we won’t give money, but also know we will acknowledge them as humans. Most people don’t even do that much. I realize I’m not a saint, I’m no Mother Theresa, I pick my causes and like to give where I know it is going to a worthy cause. But everyone deserves to be treated as a human being and smiling never hurt anyone.

Tibet Charity, Dharamsala

My parents and I all started teaching at the Tibet Charity’s Multi-Education Center last week. I have an intermediate class for 90 minutes M-F. The class has about 15 regular students comprised of Tibetan monks, nuns and lay people. Many of the students have stories about escaping from the Chinese controlled Tibet (walking days in the mountains, being shot at by border guards, and leaving family & friends) so that they can get an education in India, where the Tibet Government in Exile resides. The school offers them free English, Hindi, and computer classes. There are also drop-in conversation classes they can attend. It is hard not to be overwhelmed by their stories and their desire for a Free Tibet. Yesterday one of my students, a young monk, gave a 2 minute speech entitled “Why I study hard”. He explained that he hopes to fight the Chinese someday, that the Tibetans HAVE TO fight the Chinese. But he doesn’t want to use guns or violence, he wants to use intellect. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for all the young Tibetans to get an education and study hard. Only if Tibetans are educated can they outwit the Chinese someday! So everyday he attends English classes, science classes and his Buddhist studies class. He isn’t unusual, some students take 4-5 English classes a day and cheered when I asked them if they wanted me to give them homework!

All the students are extremely eager to learn, ask questions, answer questions, and participate. After teaching in Japan, it is shocking to see how motivated students can be. It seems the main difference is that Tibetans are learning English to save their country and culture. The Japanese view English as destroying their country and culture. And the Chinese seem to view English as the means to becoming the next major empire. As I travel and learn more about the motivations for learning English in different areas of the world, it makes me think harder about where I want to teach and who I want to teach. For example, I could never feel good about teaching in China, especially after living and teaching in a Tibetan refugee community. And while Japan pays the bills, I wonder if teaching innovation and research isn’t wasted on a community that is only learning English to function, not survive in the world. Unfortunately, teaching Tibetans or disadvantaged populations, the most rewarding teaching, isn’t sustainable for teachers unless they are supported by a large trust fund. Where is the middle ground? And how does my dream of teaching in the middle east factor into this?

The view from our balcony at 7:30AM