107. The other side of the fence

You know, travel agents are missing a big trick.  The best way to get people to book tickets to India would be to tell them the truth.  Their ads should read “Lose weight!  Get down to what you weighed  before you were fully grown!  Lose so much weight that when you get home you can have an orgy of eating everything you ever wanted, and more, and still be less than when you started.  And its fab in India too!”  Don’t you think that would have people flocking here?  India would become the no 1 tourist destination.   I’m thin enough to be a model.  Why didn’t I do this when I was 17?  I could have had a whole different career!

So, I’ve just been to a Tibetan doctor.  I don’t think he looked at me once, all he did was feel my pulse in both wrists, but I mean really feel it.  And he got it right, spot on, as he mentioned exactly my symptoms – without me saying a word. So I now have little brown packets of pills that look like sheep poo and taste disgusting – beyond disgusting.  It all took about 5 minutes and cost Rs 200 (£2.40) which was the cost of the medicines, not the consultation.

There was a play here the other night – inspired by the poems of the wonderful Tenzin Tsundue – its touring India, produced and performed by Indians who said they knew nothing about Tibetan issues before starting on the play.  It was great to see some theatre, listen to the “meet the actors” talk after, and to remember the theatre world I left behind to embark on my journey of being 60.  A bit strange being on the other side of the fence observing, not part of it all.

Please please read TT’s poems even if you don’t normally do poetry. You can download them here: http://www.friendsoftibet.org/tenzin/writings.html  start with "Kora".

It’s a bit dispiriting spending so much of my precious time left here in flushing myself down the loo. Will my poor, thin, weak little legs be able to walk me up those mountains next month????