At Lha and More

This first week I was at Lha Charitable Trust, or Lha, for 3 activities. I co-taught a Beginners level English class. I joined conversation circles. And on Saturday I helped distribute clothing.





Here's the class I'm co-teaching with Linn from Australia. The class meets for an hour Monday through Friday. It's the second level of Beginners so they know some. They're all adults. I believe they're all Tibetan. Most are Buddhist monks or nuns. None are from monasteries/nunneries in McLeod Ganj/Dharamsala. They've come from Tibet, other places in India or who knows where. Some come and go every few months. Some are here for several years. That probably depends on where they are from. They come to study, mainly English, and to be near the Dalai Lama.

From 4 to 5 Monday to Friday Lha has conversation circles. Anyone is welcome. They like to have one native speaker for each circle. Generally there were 5 in my circle. This past Friday my circle was these 4 young women and one young man. The girls came from Tibet 7 to 8 years ago when they were 10 to 12. One came with her family, two with older sisters, and one by herself. They are finishing high school and want to attend college. The young man came 2-3 years ago. He studies English on his own but likes to come to the conversation circles. The girls are on summer holiday now and came for the extra practice. I learned about Tibetan issues on Friday.

On Saturday the classroom became a clothing distribution center. When I arrived at 10:30 the hall was already full of people. Soon after10:30 we began letting people into the room in groups of 2-3 but eventually let more in at a time to relieve some of the crowding in the hall. Each person was allowed 3 items for themselves and 3 for each of their children. We had a steady stream of customers until about noon when the door was shut and the last 20 to 25 people were allowed to take as many items as they wanted. Shoes were the most popular item and there weren't many of them. I know Leann brought some of the donated clothes with her from Arkansas. I'm not sure where the rest came from.

After the crowd dispersed we all went for lunch before tidying up the classroom. Do we look a bit frazzled?

I think I've already mentioned that Lha is a non-profit social work organization whose main aim is to help Tibetan refugees. They are in the middle of a raffle that ends this week. If you'd like to know more about Lha, to know more about the raffle or to participate in the raffle, go to www.lhasocialwork.org.

This morning I made the 2 km walk to Bhagsu. It reminded me of McLeod Ganj but much much smaller. The monks in Monday's conversation circle were right...there is a pool for swimming there. But they were also wrong...I saw only men swimming in it. Further on was a waterfall but more remarkable was how clear and cold the water was and how the monks/nuns were washing and drying their robes.


I did spot the guesthouse on the other side (left) behind the big tree. Looked like a lovely spot for a quiet retreat. In the distance must be Dharamsala and on the right is the path back to Bhagsu.

Finally...it's confession time. I was misinformed, not paying attention or misled...willingly, I think. Those mountains I see from my room? They are not the Himalayas. They are the Dhauladhars. I would have to cross them and one or two other ranges before I'd reach the Himalayas. So it's from behind the Dhauladhars that the sun rises and it is the snow on them that reflects the sunset...as in this photo.

P.S. Late yesterday afternoon two monkeys walked by my window. They were on the half wall of the balcony. I wasn't fast enough to get a picture. And I did check.... the kitchen door was shut.