velmadrake

there is confusion as to why I spent six months in India and what exactly I did there. I went to study Tibetan language-that was my main purpose. In pursuit of that I spent a hair over 5 months in Sera Monastery. While there I also was able to get classes for two different Buddhist scriptures-one was for the Umachidon and the second for Dura (nevermind what they are about, just leave it said that they are hard texts to get classes for in the US). Some have suggested it was a vacation. For me it wasn't a vacation as I worked a lot trying to learn Tibetan and spent a significant amount of time studying those two texts.

What did I get out of it? Well, I would say I have a strong foundation in vernacular Tibetan-I can't "speak" Tibetan without them making accommadations for me and my "broken" Tibetan. As far as the scripture classes go I gained as much as I could from my classes-I feel quite content.

On the home front here in NJ I have fully got back into the swing. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I start back to work next Monday. I am told I am building a gallery in the Chelsea area of Manhattan-actually very close to my last job, maybe like 3 blocks away.

As far as classes go, this weekend I will start again with Art. I am a little nervous as I am unsure how work will affect me-haven't worked in 10 months so it may be quite exhausting.

Here is a quick pic of me just a few minutes ago:  

Still long hair, and yes there is an increasing amount of "less" of it.  Jampa Dundrup like to call me "MTV" because my hair line looks an awful lot like the letter M. 

Last is Skype.com  By now many have heard of it, free internet phone calling.  Tonight I had my first overseas call.  It's dead easy.  So, all those international folk who have not spoke to me in years it's your job to get skype, search my user name-velmadrake and give me a call.  They also have an instant message service-which like tonight came in quite handy as I was being taught some rudimentary sentences in a foreign language and the caller was able to type the text as well as say it-granted she typed some other things of a rather colorful nature in reaction to my horrible pronunciation but never mind.  I highly recommend this skype business, especially for overseas calling.  Oh, the service supports video also, but you need windows xp for that-then you can not only have audio but live video as well-now that would be very cool.

sisters xmas cookies.  Now I feel a little guilty.  My poor sister-the same one that has 3 little spaz's of her own-is freaking out about these dang cookies.  She's a normal busy American and didn't make them yet and is guilting over it.  So I figure the only way to lift the burden of guilt is for her to not have the task to do anymore-so I am giving her a really hard time so she makes them fast and just gets it over with.  I know, I know, how kind right-really it's nothing....

Got my pizza, ben & jerrys and I am really liking my cable connection for the internet. I have had two nights of basic regular sleep and I feel fine. I am glad to be back, see friends, be in familiar surroundings. Lurking in the back of my mind though is the future and the directions that my life is headed.

While I haven't lead on much, I have to say that going to Sera was far better than anything I could have imagined. For one thing it opened my mind, I was getting narrow minded and now I have a much more broad vision-mostly concerning Buddhism and what it means to practice and study Buddhism. Encapsulated with that thought is a much deeper appreciation of what I have here in my own community. Especially with regards to Art and the Teachings that he gives. There is none better to be found anywhere as far as I am concerned. I have seen a dynamic community that is well organized and wish very much that in some small way that our community here could learn from Sera become more organized and dynamic in our ways of getting as much as possible from the Teachings. This is very much on my mind as I make my way back into this community here in NJ.

I am going to keep this blog going. I have some readership in Sera and many dozens, heck probably hundreds of other countries. I believe it's a good way to keep my family abreast of my more mundane goings on in my life. I will be writing about work and life here in my dharma community and continuing contact with Sera. I am set to get a digital camera soon and will be able to post photos-especially since I have a cable connection and electricity anytime I want it(don't laugh man, I almost went postal on the computer in India more than once for lack of electricity or failed internet connection) and a computer that is running very smooth.

I have to thank the old ladies who helped me again, my shoulders are really stiff from the little bit I did carry those bags. Had I carried them the distance I am sure at least one arm would have fallen off by now. So thanks another million times little old ladies.

Air India "the oldest fleet of planes on the planet-fly with us and we guarantee to scare the heck out of you"

Hey if anyone wants to join me in thinking up the best slogan for Air India please do send them in, I will post any and all-as long as they are truthful like the ones I am writing.


Much love to everyone,
Andy

Yes, it's true, he is in his own bedroom in little Howell, NJ as if he never left. Well except for 6 months worth of mail sitting on his floor-have you ever seen 6 months worth of mail, it's a notable amount of junk a person such as myself is sent.

I had a great time in India-I have to say that first because it's most important. Next I get to say that no one in their right mind should ever fly Air India, they're Crazy (yep, they receive the coveted Crazy with a capital "C" Crazy award of the century). People had their passports stolen (plural-people)because of Air India's disorganization, the elderly were ignored, too many broken promises of service to mention etc, etc.. In all 26 hours of delay between my two flights home. As the Brits would say, I'm knacked. Their slogan has to be something like "Air India, the largest employer of non-committal, disfuntional people on the planet".

I can't say it feels good to be home, probably due to my feeling rather strange from sleep deprivation. I will keep you updated as to my getting back into the grove.

The trip did end on a nice note. Since my flights were so delayed, the ride I had arranged to pick me up was canceled (at least I think it was, I emailed you guys but you didn't respond-I hope you haven't been hanging around waiting for me somewhere in JFK). So I took the bus home. It was nearly four hours getting home from the airport, the whole time I was wondering how the heck I was going to carry my 140lbs of bags from the bus to my house. I am not much for asking favors of strangers but I got up the courage to ask someone on the bus if I could borrow his phone so I could call a friend to pick my up-he lent it to me begrudgingly, so when I got the answer machine (thanks for being home guys!!!) I didn't want to make another call. The bus let me off with my bags and I commenced carrying them. I must be getting wimpy because I really could not carry them very far and had to rest. After some time I had made it about 200 yards and some old ladies dropped off a friend of theirs close to where I was walking, they saw me and the hassle I was having and offered a lift-thanks a million friendly old ladies.

I feel like I have forgotten how to sleep, like I got a coffee buz. I am going to lie down, but after an hour or two if sleep doesn't come I will be back complaining more about Air India-"let us waste our profits on wasting your time-come fly with us and let us really confuse you".

Well a nice trip to India could not possibly be complete without some big incident along the way. My flight has gone through a course of being delayed to now being fully cancelled. The events leading up to this moment have been hilarious.

The passengers upon hearing of the first delays starting rallying, there were a few impromto leaders guiding the way (mind you, I merely observed, I was a little scared at the passion they showed for something so simple and stayed out of the way for it). First they demanded drinks, then food and answers and and.... They were yelling and screaming, the crowd was cheering, there were scuffles and masses of people moving this way and that. It was nearly riotous. In the end the news people showed up and the flight made national tv. The crowd really liked that.

Now they have put us in a hotel, the 4 star variety. The food is great!!! I have more stories to tell but my time is limited so I leave it for later.

Best Andy

Hot food, everytime I eat it in India I imagine the cook singing that song in the kitchen as he prepared my food....

Got a little time, I am not going to bed tonight so as to get a head start on the jet-lag routine.

Went to the goverment run coop in Delhi. Set prices, no haggling, no sales people and very nice quality items. It was a pleasant way to spend the last day in India. After I treated myself to an upscale meal-I recommend the Embassy in Connaught circle to anyone looking for a good meal.

I have met several Tibetans that I know from Sera, here in this wierd little community. They should form a coop of their own. As it is everyone is doing their own thing and no one seems to be prosperous for it. A lot of people sitting around. Not my problem though so nevermind...

Bike rickshaws, I have meant to make mention of them. For short runs somewhere they are very easy and cheap. I usaully end with a 80lb twirp that has to stand on the peddles to make it go. They are obviously in fairly good shape these guys. While taking one today I cracked my head fairly hard on a rickshaws canopy frame. We were cruising along and hit some big pot holes-the canopy frame is made for dwarfs-so while I was tossing around from the pot holes I made hard contact with the frame.

See ya all soon,
Andy

I have left Sera and am now in Delhi. The train ride was over 40 hours. I am glad to have seen India and as you might guess not wanting to see it again.

Leaving Sera was not ceremonial in any way. The day approached and I slowly made my rounds and bid friends farewell. The last week I took it pretty easy. I felt unsettled and even more so now. I think I will have some adjusting to do when I get back home.

While at Sera I saw everything. I experienced new monks brought to the monastery as youngsters-one in our house and a couple in Gyalrong house. I saw the inside of the school where I taught two English classes. I took classes and went to the debate ground, as well as having interviewed many monks about the learning process. I went to the temple for puja's with the monks. I saw working monks and the lives they live. Also the older monks who are house masters and further on the retired ones. I saw many faucets of the inner workings of the monastery, the disciplining, comradity etc.. Finally the last week there an old monk from Gyalrong passed away and I attended his funeral with the monks which started at 9PM one night and lasted until 6AM the following morning. Even though the pace and mood of Sera is slow and relaxed my 5 months there were in fact jam packed full of information that needs chewing over.

David Newman in fact came the last week. He arrived sickly and remained that way until I left and in fact he left with Bob and I and we dropped him at a hospital in Mysore on our way to Bangalore. I don't think it is anything serious and in fact he was feeling better but needed to be checked out thoroughly to find out what was plaguing him. I wish him all the best and pray he can work through this and find a way to be at Sera without being ill.

I am holed up in north Delhi in this quirky "Tibetan colony". It exists solely on the shoulders of tourists-Western and Tibetan alike. So basically anyone that wanders in here that is not indigenous is a source of income. It's weird because everything that is for sale (and the Tibetan's love setting up shop) is only geared to tourists. There is nothing really practical here-no normal food-stuffs, clothes, medicine etc.. Plus it's small enough that everyone knows one another, a very tight-knit group of people-I don't like it. However it is very cheap and the rooms are very clean so I ain't goin nowhere.

Rode India's first Metro (city underground train) today. NYC could learn a few things from the Indians that's for sure. It's so clean, soundless, spacious and really easy to figure out. It cost's something like .25 cents a ride-unless you get a monthly pass and then it's cheaper. It is obviously changing the landscape in the city having made it so easy for workers to commute from further away so easily.

Talk to you all when I get back in a few days.

Best,
Andy

Here we are, the last week in Sera. I will be leaving this coming Sunday for a few day stay in Delhi and then my return to the states on April 14th.

This last week or so I have been winding down, less classes much more relaxed schedule. The last days now I am more or less taking time to smell the roses.

Yesterday I went to an Indian friend of Gehse Lotar's for lunch. This was really fantastic. A small glimpse into a family's lifestyle. They fall into the category of the "well-off-farmer" class. Still a totally simple, basic lifestyle-except for the satellite dish and TV. Cooking with wood, livestock living inside the house, a small 8 inch square bit of glass in place of a roof tile which is the only light source for the living space-takes five minutes to get used to it but then it's adequate. Like that, I really enjoyed myself and the food was delicious.

Went to Gyalrong house last night for the in-house debates they do there once a week. It is a wonderful motivation to learn Tibetan to think I could someday participate in the debates. These guys are really fortunate to be able to do it.

I will try to post some photos I was able to take recently so be on the look out for them.

Best,
Andy

I was just on line verifying my plane flight and remembered I had forgot to mention my trip up north. When I leave I will take a train from the south all the way up to the north to Delhi. It's a 36 hour trip for which I have booked an A/C class ticket. Truth be told I prefer the lower class coaches-open and more human. The A/C coaches are like sealed boxes and not many people. However the monks scared me with their stories of the eunuch gangs that roam the trains lower class coaches and beg money especially from tourists. Yes, gangs of eunuchs-it's India, what can I say.

Anyways I am looking forward to the trip. I have enjoyed the Indian landscape what I have seen of it so far. I thought this was good chance to see a big stretch at one time. Also it's much cheaper than flying and I have well entered the realm of poverty.

Right now it looks like Bob and I will share a car from Sera to Bangalore where I will catch my train and he will fly home. I will then spend a couple days on the train and then a couple days in Delhi. April 14th will be back in NJ-hey did anyone take care of my taxes??!!!!

Andy

I am showing what the inside of the Temple looks like, it's quite beautiful

 

  Ok, that didn't go so well, it's rather small I think (the little square to the left of the "O" in Ok is the picture-I'll try again--

     Better.

Then, the bird sitting on a chair in the dining room--

      This one is for the nephews who can't believe that wild animals inhabit the house with us.  I don't have a picture of the toad family that lives under the stairs, but they aren't that attractive anyway....

Andy