Tibet Up-date (02Apr10)
Don Cullen has provided an up-date from Tibet, for further info click on the link below .....
Hi everyone,
Greetings from Chengdu.
First of all, I must tell you that it is cold, wet, sleet and snow here and I think of home in Melbourne where I guess it is a very comfy 20 - 25C!
To start off with, the pictures attached are of Palmo, the young woman I mentioned in my last newsletter. Palmo leaves next week for her new job, which is at a place called Zachuka, which is a bit of a hike from Chengdu where she now lives.
I mentioned to Palmo that I had talked about her in my last email to you all and being Tibetan, she got a touch of shyness and asking her to have her picture taken for this email,was like asking her to donate her right arm. let's say that it took a lot of persuasion!
Anyway, you can now put a face to the name and I have wished her well from the supporters of Tibetan Village Project Australia.
As you know, I came early this year to work on the Bata Clinic for Doctor Pasang. There is a small problem that has manifested, and it is about one metre deep! No prizes for those who get the correct answer, but suffice to say that work has halted and will be for some time yet. (The best laid plans of mice and men, etc, etc..................)! I suspect we will gain some brownie points by turning up to help though???? I have been in contact with the village by phone and it looks like we will be able to get through by Monday or Tuesday
This has not stopped us from getting on with other projects, as well as looking in more detail at a couple of other small projects that we had on the back burner in the same area. Speaking of the same area, I spoke with "Tsedron", the Abbess of Tsechen Choeling Nunnery. You may recall that we provided a teacher in September last year to teach the Nuns some basic things like reading, writing and arithmetic? Out of the 71 Nuns in the Nunnery, 54 are illiterate and I am pleased to say that the teacher is working out very well. It appears we may have a few scholars amongst them who have become excellent students. While writing this, I think how fantastic it is that an opportunity has been opened for those Nuns, yet, it saddens me to think of how many others will never get the same opportunity! But, one cannot dwell on that, we need to look at what we can do and concentrate on that result.
On the local scene here in Chengdu, let me explain the cost of things, though, I am speaking about the poor end of town. Three of us went to dinner last night at a "Dumpling" restaurant. one of the 3, is a "local" and promised me the best dumplings in China! Let me set the scene, though I have toned it down a tad as some may have a weak constitution. The "chef" for want of a better description had the mandatory cigarette hanging out of the mouth, hawking between drags and cooking, the floor was straight concrete under the mud and the tables had been wiped down, I suspect, in about 1958. The "roaches" were very busy scuttling around the place and the rubbish in the corner was stewing bubonic plague I suspect. I shall not mention the "conveniences" particularly after all the rain here, but those of you who have travelled with me to Tibet, will have an idea of what I am talking about? Having set that scene, though toned down, I have to say that the dumplings were absolutely fantastic and I will go again.
For the record, those that have travelled with me, you know that I have a rule and that is to only eat food that is scalding hot and fruit, or boiled eggs with shell or skin still on so that I can peel it myself . This, along with boiled or bottled water, will see you through any travel in third world countries. The Dumpling meal, which included 2 bottles of beer and a coke cost Y50, which is in A$ about $8.50.
I have to close now as we are about to meet with a couple of representatives from a Monastery in Sihurong, a remote area of Kham. They are desperate for help with Medical & Education supplies and heard about us through the grapevine. Not sure if we can help, as we are well aware of stretching ourselves too thin, but we can at least listen to them and then make an assessment.
Peace & Light to you all
Don
First of all, I must tell you that it is cold, wet, sleet and snow here and I think of home in Melbourne where I guess it is a very comfy 20 - 25C!
To start off with, the pictures attached are of Palmo, the young woman I mentioned in my last newsletter. Palmo leaves next week for her new job, which is at a place called Zachuka, which is a bit of a hike from Chengdu where she now lives.
I mentioned to Palmo that I had talked about her in my last email to you all and being Tibetan, she got a touch of shyness and asking her to have her picture taken for this email,was like asking her to donate her right arm. let's say that it took a lot of persuasion!
Anyway, you can now put a face to the name and I have wished her well from the supporters of Tibetan Village Project Australia.
As you know, I came early this year to work on the Bata Clinic for Doctor Pasang. There is a small problem that has manifested, and it is about one metre deep! No prizes for those who get the correct answer, but suffice to say that work has halted and will be for some time yet. (The best laid plans of mice and men, etc, etc..................)! I suspect we will gain some brownie points by turning up to help though???? I have been in contact with the village by phone and it looks like we will be able to get through by Monday or Tuesday
This has not stopped us from getting on with other projects, as well as looking in more detail at a couple of other small projects that we had on the back burner in the same area. Speaking of the same area, I spoke with "Tsedron", the Abbess of Tsechen Choeling Nunnery. You may recall that we provided a teacher in September last year to teach the Nuns some basic things like reading, writing and arithmetic? Out of the 71 Nuns in the Nunnery, 54 are illiterate and I am pleased to say that the teacher is working out very well. It appears we may have a few scholars amongst them who have become excellent students. While writing this, I think how fantastic it is that an opportunity has been opened for those Nuns, yet, it saddens me to think of how many others will never get the same opportunity! But, one cannot dwell on that, we need to look at what we can do and concentrate on that result.
On the local scene here in Chengdu, let me explain the cost of things, though, I am speaking about the poor end of town. Three of us went to dinner last night at a "Dumpling" restaurant. one of the 3, is a "local" and promised me the best dumplings in China! Let me set the scene, though I have toned it down a tad as some may have a weak constitution. The "chef" for want of a better description had the mandatory cigarette hanging out of the mouth, hawking between drags and cooking, the floor was straight concrete under the mud and the tables had been wiped down, I suspect, in about 1958. The "roaches" were very busy scuttling around the place and the rubbish in the corner was stewing bubonic plague I suspect. I shall not mention the "conveniences" particularly after all the rain here, but those of you who have travelled with me to Tibet, will have an idea of what I am talking about? Having set that scene, though toned down, I have to say that the dumplings were absolutely fantastic and I will go again.
For the record, those that have travelled with me, you know that I have a rule and that is to only eat food that is scalding hot and fruit, or boiled eggs with shell or skin still on so that I can peel it myself . This, along with boiled or bottled water, will see you through any travel in third world countries. The Dumpling meal, which included 2 bottles of beer and a coke cost Y50, which is in A$ about $8.50.
I have to close now as we are about to meet with a couple of representatives from a Monastery in Sihurong, a remote area of Kham. They are desperate for help with Medical & Education supplies and heard about us through the grapevine. Not sure if we can help, as we are well aware of stretching ourselves too thin, but we can at least listen to them and then make an assessment.
Peace & Light to you all
Don
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