Happy New Year!

Today's post is going to be cut a bit shorter than originally intended on account of my phone taking way longer than anticipated to upload pictures from Canada.

So, in lieu of that, I will say simply Happy Losar! March 2nd this year marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year, which is called Losar (I believe it's the same in Bhutan... but don't quote me on that). If I understood my students correctly that one day in conversation class, Losar is traditionally celebrated by receiving new clothing, playing games, and eating lots of brightly colored noodles. I don't know about you, but I say that sounds like at least as much fun as the American equivalent of  getting drunk, watching a big shiny ball drop on TV, and kissing someone you may or may not actually even know.

I wish I could be in India right now to celebrate with my students and friends. Lately I've also been feeling like I really wish I could have been there for Holi, the Hindu spring festival where people throw colored dye at each other all day long (apparently). Go ahead, click on that link and tell me that doesn't look like an absolute blast. Maybe next spring, if I'm not off teaching somewhere already, I'll head back over there to check it out.

In related news, the job search continues. I've had a couple of interviews but so far nothing has gone past that. My top pick for the moment is Japan; solid pay and a first-world culture I've always found interesting makes it an enticing destination. I've got a friend who's currently teaching in China and trying to convince me to head that way. China isn't exactly near the top of my list of places I'd like to visit simply based on the fact that I tend to be a little outspoken on issues of human (and animal) rights and welfare, gender equality, and other such stuff, and China isn't exactly known for championing any of those. It's also the biggest reason I can't see myself teaching in the Middle East, even though they tend to pay better than anywhere else in the world. They can afford to, after all... they've got all that oil money. As a woman, though? Nah, not going to fly with me. I'd be deported before the first week ended.

Adjectives, yarn-snobbery, and travel plans abound

I arrived at Tibet Charity this morning and was told that I had received "another package." Apparently this is not a common occurrence around here, because even from the very first one, people have seemed surprised that I am receiving mail here. Everything I have gotten so far has been fantastic (you are fantastic!), but I've gotta tell you -- I really don't need any more stuff! I really appreciate everything I've gotten, but it's expensive to send things from the US to India... don't feel obligated. Really. If you still decide to send something, though, we are no longer in serious need of dry-erase paraphernalia. ;)

This morning's package from my dear friend Nicholas included replacement knitting needles (which I was extremely happy to get since the ones I brought from home have sadly been broken.. all they've got in Dharamsala are crappy plastic ones):

No, I can't tolerate plastic knitting needles. Yes, I'm a yarn snob. I am okay with that.

I shared the dark-chocolate-covered almonds that accompanied them with my fellow teachers and the few of my students who were around. It's nice how we have a little community here: it's not unusual for someone to bring a treat to pass around after lunch for all the teachers and staff here. For a while it was dates, sometimes dark chocolate, and once we even wound up with gulab jamun.

Class went well; we wrapped up our lesson on adjectives that we had started on Friday. The book had, inconveniently, given a rule as "in English, an adjective comes before the noun it modifies." On the surface, I don't have a problem with this. The confusing bit came in during the one set of examples where it gave sentences like "That car is expensive." I'm sure we can all agree that in this particular case, the adjective most certainly does not come before the noun it modifies. We wound up spending some time going over how one sentence can be said both as "These boots are new" and "These are new boots," thus shifting around the word order, and other such examples. I decided to give them the homework of writing me a page in which they describe their homes to me. I'm interested to read through their work tomorrow.

This evening, after classes, I accompanied Gill, Marie, and the newly arrived Gustie (from Austria, who has taught here once before) to one of the local travel agencies to see about booking a trip at the end of the month when we have some time off from teaching. I may get some dancing in after all! We then walked up the road to Nick's, one of the better restaurants in town that also has the magic trio of qualities you want in a restaurant: good food, reliable wifi, and a toilet. They also do some damned good dessert. If you're ever in town, make sure to check them out.

We eventually found ourselves in a discussion about the Beijing Olympics and how some of our group couldn't believe they had been allowed to be held there, given the human rights violations that occur regularly in China. The others of us mused that in general, people seem to support the Tibetan cause, but governments are more concerned with keeping economic superpowers like China appeased. Sadly, it's nothing new; it's exactly what happens every day, all over the place. I could go into a rant about it, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say I've felt like this on a regular basis for the last few years.

So it goes. At least I've escaped the rampant materialism of the West for a little while; I think I'm going to have to get rid of a bunch of my stuff when I get home. If you want to call dibs on any of it feel free to let me know; be advised, however, that I'm not going full-on ascetic or anything, so don't get your hopes up for any of the particularly good stuff (like my PS3 or my sewing machine).