Amritsar

  Amritsar, Punjab, India
Friday, September 12, 2008

Hello !!

I was glad to finally leave McLeod Ganj. I really enjoyed my time there but it was the informal teaching I had enough of. The one-on-one tutoring I did was highly worthwhile and it reminded me of how difficult a language English is to learn. It was the conversation class that was getting old. It was so informal. I saw different students every night, although a bunch of the same people came every night, so I couldn't plan anything. And they kept wanting to talk about the same things...the election, karma, reincarnation, etc. I learned so much from them and I'm so glad I did it, but I'm also glad that I'm done. Check out these two emails I got today from two of my regulars...one of which told me he loved me...YIKES!!!

dear Jennifer
how are you and where are you now ? i realy miss you , you help for tibetan people ,i think ,you are kind woman . we was meeting for short time in Mcleod Ganj .my hope is we will be meeting again one day .
I think about your face when i come to english conversition class in the monastry , i am sorry ,my english is very poor ,so there are many mistake . ok thank you
taphun

and from my Tibetan admirer...
Dear teacher!
I am extremely thanking you for yours reply. i am continuously going to the classes everyday. But i am alone without you in the classes, because you gave me lots of a deep impressions while you living in the McLeod. Especially you beautiful mind, behaviours and wonderful teaching in the classes. i am very interested ask you about our true ways of life during that time. but we didn't get any special time since you visited in McLeod. Here we have good climate and weather all over the McLeod of Dhramsala. I hope you we come again McLeod, because your wonderful teacher from the western world. if you have don't mind, please tell something about your romantic love past and recently? today i have much time to you about my romantic love. i hope you talk more about our different experiences. i hope you will write back to me soon.
Sincerely yours,
Dorjee

I can't wait to reply to that email. I don't think he can even handle hearing about my experiences!! Just kidding Mom and Dad :)

I forgot to take more pics of my students from the conversation class but I did take on of Jigmei, the monk I met with everyday...

Jigmei

After I left Dharamsala, I spent two days in Amritsar which is very close to the Pakistani border. Back in the heat of India, I miss the mountain weather already! Located here is Sikhism's holiest shrine in India, the Golden Temple. You can only take pictures on the walkway surrounding the pool so I'm sorry to say you're going to miss out on seeing a couple things.

Entrance to walkway

Walkway to Golden Temple

Golden Temple

The walkway and the bottom part of the temple are made of marble with the same inlay as the Taj Mahal. The top portion of the temple is made from over 1500 pounds of pure gold. Inside the temple is the original Sikh holy book and there are four priests that rotate all day to keep up continuous chant from the holy book and the chant is broadcast over loadspeakers.

Bathing Ghat

There is also a museum by the main entrance that tells the history of the Sikhs. Also inside the complex is a dining hall. All are welcome to eat for free and they serve close to 40,000 people a day!!

In prayer

I'm already at my next destination, Chandigarh. Obviously I didn't think too highly of Amritsar. I'll be in touch soon with updates from Chandigarh.

Hope all is well.
peace,
Jen