110. Here we go again

WHAT have I done to deserve this?  My insides were so much better and I was feeling good and now I’m down with it again.  Went straight back to the Tibetan doctor who has prescribed me sheep poo pills for 2 months.  In fact I quite like them now, you can feel them doing you good and they make you feel fresh and give you an appetite.  He was great, knows his stuff, remembered me, and really gave me attention and advice. He had a student with him so I sat with an arm stretched out across the table to each of them so they could both feel my pulse, chatting across my arms to each other in Tibetan.  Mind you, a Western woman who has lived here for ages tells me I’ve probably got a parasite.  Charming.  I think I’d rather trust Dr Yeshe.

Went to a very powerful meeting last night.  There’s a monthly Indian magazine that focuses on a specific issue for each edition, looking at it in depth, and this month its Tibetan self-immolations.  They did a launch here with some of the writers, and a question session after. It was packed with Tibetans and westerners.  The speakers/organisers were excellent, truly excellent – inspiring.  Then an older Tibetan stood up and said that he wanted to know why people think that the Middle Way (the official party line which doesn’t insist the Chinese must leave Tibet, only grant autonomy) will ever succeed, and that once this is dropped in favour of campaigning for the Chinese to leave he is ready to self immolate.  He meant it.  He was sitting next door but one to me.  He is an extremely well respected writer and intellectual, passionate about his country.  In tears, he was telling of some of the things that Tibetan people have done, literally giving their lives, non violently, for the cause of thwarting the Chinese. He spoke twice and each time when he sat down he collapsed and passed out on the floor, the second time it didn’t look as though he would ever get up again.  

If you want solid read, an excellent one I might add, it will be online soon at...............

http://www.india-seminar.com/semframe.html

Look out for Tenzin Tsundue's piece, also Bhuchung Sonam's and another one by a Tibetan Parliamentarian on page 41, she spoke and was absolutely awesome.