Wowsers. So much has happened in the last 5 or so days! I can't believe it's only been a week since I got back from LA.....
On Wednesday I got a call that Katok Geytse Rinpoche, he's Tibetan, but lives in Nepal, was coming to teach this weekend, so Kersten & I went to help set up on Friday and then attended the teachings on Saturday. There were a lot of Tibetans there (by American standards), not to mention the Lamas that live at the center. Also, 2 American girls that are translators (whom I met in Austin last summer) were here to help- it was SO great to see them and pick their brains about Tibetan. I was thoroughly enjoying myself!
Sunday I went to Anam Thubten Rinpoche's temple for his meditation & teaching (he is the teacher I moved here to study Tibetan with). In the morning I rode my bike to Phillipe & Kathleen's house (about 15 min ride from mine). They are on the Board of Directors for Rinpoche's sangha and they offered to drive me (it's a looong bike ride, longish bus ride and no BART station). Their grandson, Liam (7), was with them and he and I immediately bonded. Afterwards, they took me to lunch at an amazing Thai restaurant by their house- so generous!
Monday I went back to Phillipe & Kathleen's house for a meeting with some of the Board members because I'm going to oversee Rinpoche's online book store (send orders). I live right by a Post Office, hooray! It was really wonderful to spend some time outside of the temple with sangha members, they're really gentle and amazing people. Monday evening I met up with my Tibetan friend, Thubten, and we walked around for over an hour in Berkeley and then he took me to a great little Indian restaurant in downtown Berkeley (again- everyone is so generous to take me out!) His Tibetan is the dialect that I understand & speak so we could really get to talkin', hehe, and we did! We barely spoke English (only when he was explaining a word) for 2 1/2 hours. *whew*
Today was spontaneous and just amazing. I woke up and decided to ride my bike to the Berkeley Marina, it's about 15 minutes. I locked up my bike and then walked around the circular path that juts out into the Bay...it's breathtaking. The weather was in the low 70s and windy...it took about 30 minutes. As I was unlocking my bike, I got a phone call from my Tibetan friend, Pema. It went like this:
Pema: Hi. What are you doing?
Me: I've been riding my bike.
Pema: Where are you?
Me: Berkeley Marina
Pema: Me, too. We're having a Tibetan picnic today.
Me: Awesome! I'm going home to shower! :)
So, we briefly said hello and I rode home to shower while he was setting up. Meanwhile, Kersten called while I was riding and I answered (I know, I know, it's not the smartest thing to do)...she said she was coming to get me for the picnic! Yay!
The picnic was amazing. Katok Geytse Rinpoche, along with a horde of other Rinpoches and Lamas were there. There were also Tibetan families and great food! We also played frisbee, raced (running), jumped rope, limboed, high jumped (over the rope)...it was SO much fun. I was 1 of maybe 4 white people there, haha. Kersten is Filipino-American, so we tease her that she looks Tibetan and blends in.
I just got home from school (grad class) and thought I would share my wonderful day.
Here are some photos:
Kersten & I
Katok Geytse Rinpoche (under the umbrella) & another Rinpoche (can't remember his name- he's in white)
Tibetan-style tent full of Rinpoches, Lamas & Tibetans
A very fun Khenpo (can't remember his name) does the limbo (Kersten's holding one side)
I was thinking today of how scared I was to come back to the US...but I have just as many opportunities here to hang out with Tibetans and I am SO grateful.
Also, for those of you who remember Richard (my spiders in India)...I have a little one, "Ricky," living in my room here....we co-habitate quite well. :)
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