Holes and Thoughts

Cutest kid, Tenzin
Originally uploaded by raindrop52.

Lhasa is kicking my ass so far in the following ways:

1) Altitude. I'm finally getting used to the 12,000 plus feet, but man, was it tough to sleep and move the first night. I wasn't too happy about my beer-drinking tolerance either.

2) Traffic. I walked to school this morning (~50 min. walk vs. 10 min. bus ride) and on my way back from the Yogurt Festival (see pics). During those walks, I nearly got run over by bicycle peddler men and yak trucks. This truly is survival of the fittest.

3) Bowel movements. This is associated with the Tibetan cuisine, or food in Tibet, in general. Until last night, I thought I had a cast iron stomach. Boy was I wrong. After a dinner with the two Sichuan guys I met the first night, plus their military buddies (yes, I found this out during dinner that they all served in Lhasa for about five years), I got back to my room, only to be tortured in the stomach for the next seven hours. That was not fun, and that leads to my next point...

4) Bathrooms. I would definitely tell anyone from a developed country who comes to any developing country to leave that word behind at home. Instead, they should ask where the hole in the ground is. And I'm not talking about the higher-end porcelain holes in the ground, but rather, I'm referring to actual holes in the dirt ground. Make sure to bring extra toilet paper, kleenex, towels, or underwear, if it comes to that (no comment from personal experience).

I can clearly see the mixture of cultures here in Lhasa. There is a Han Chinese part of the city in addition to the older, Tibetan Lhasa. I've been trying to stay in the Tibetan area and buying souvenirs and goods from them. A lot of Sichuan and other Chinese people or entrepreneurs are moving here to take advantage of the booming tourist market. I hope it doesn't take over the place. There's already a strong Chinese government presence everywhere one goes. There are guards standing at every other large intersection.

While I'm strolling along the streets in my designer jeans and DCFC concert shirt (but with a newly bought 8 rmb watch), I glance around to see a 50-year old man carrying a two-year old, asking for money. I see pilgrims in their simple outfits, kneeling on the wet stone ground, praying for not a few minutes, but a few hours. Today, a boy even grabbed a hold of my right leg and would not let go until I gave him money, even if it was a cent. I really didn't want to, because it would only aggravate the situation of him thinking making those moves equals free money. Anyhow, I gave in, and gave him a cent. A cent.

Are these people geniunely content or tryingly complacent? This question spins in my head more and more over time. It's not such a simple question nor does it have an easy answer. Sure, all cities across the world have the homeless, beggars, middle class, etc. But what is really going through the head of the woman who prays while it rains? What keeps Tenzin, an eight-year old orphan boy, motivated to stay at the school, but not run away? Or the man selling antiques and turquoise jewelry day after day, after day?

I think it's all about knowledge. Knowledge is power, knowledge makes the world a bigger place, knowledge is a weapon, knowledge can be manipulated. Truly, we live in a fortunate place with everything at our fingertips. I probably could live like that woman praying had I grown up in a place such as Tibet, Nepal, or Africa. But I've seen larger that that sliver of the world, and once it's opened, it can't really ever close.

Okay, time for dinner. It's raining again yet the sun is still shining.

P.S. I <3 western toilets.