I'm so happy being in Nepal, even if I don't do my ISP at all, or it flops, or whatever, I'm happy simply existing like a character from the unbearable lightness of being or the stranger. There's a certain intoxicating and disgusting beauty in just existing.

I have also decided Thailand is the source of all that is holy and good here (well at least from America). I only increasingly find that I am fascinated by Thailand and identify with its form of Buddhism.

I'm amazed Nepali children survive the first few years of their life, between abusing animals, all the dangerous traffic and the shards of glass and pollution I saw one playing with today.

I'd also like to say I HATE anthropology - I'm not an anthropologist nor did I claim to be or express the desire - I knew from that first class with crackpot prof. bledsoe. Speaking of her, thinking of her rec I realize/continue to worry that I have no prof that I know even remotely well enough to get a rec from - I blame it on NU being so big and impersonal. Anyway getting back to the point, why the fuck am I doing a month-long research project. The monks here are horribly inhospitable compared to Dolanji.

On a better note my laptop is working again after I was stupid enough to try to boot into OS 9. The stupid thing wouldn't start but all I had to do was insert the OS X install cd, reselect my OS X to get it working. go figure. The mac is whack, but what can you expect after being abused in the mail for several weeks. It's actually bent in half, a bit just as Graham warned it could. Don't worry I'll be all over Apple as soon as I get back, along with my ipod.

I think it's time for a translator on this bad boy, I'm getting nowhere fast with Tenzin Namdak only here for four more days. I can't believe nobody speaks English here when so many did in Dolanji. I'm almost done, I can't believe it. It's scarey and sad and amazing and wonderful - too many emotions all at once.

I think these monks are a bunch of enlightened potatoes, to use one of prof. caudron's phrases - out of touch and unable to communicate with young people and westerners that are interested in the religion - which could have a stake in teh future of their tradition. Interestingly, the more remote Bon monastery was much more with it in terms of accomodations, ability to communicate, willingness to share their religion with others. Perhaps I could do a cross comparison between the two for part of my write up.

Another interesting note: the main temple hall is the epicenter of both Bon monasteries and serves as a place that lay practitioners can go to and circumambulate or prostrate or whatever. Is it the same in the West? are the Bon 'centers' as much a focal point? I guess it depends on the level of devotion.