I'm getting married!

On the 27th May 2008. I know because the tailor in McLeod's told me so. There I was talking to Mr Seeklam about the trousers I wanted him to make when the inevidtable question about my marital status was asked. Mr Seeklam was horrified when he found out I wasn't married. After nearly choking on the news he told me about his son who ran another tailors in Delhi was actually looking for a wife. He even showed me a picture. Mr Seeklam looked genuinley sad for me when he told me I could have married his son if I was Indian and Hindu. You can imagine my dissapointment on hearing the news. He seeded a lifetime of textiles in Delhi right before my eyes then cruely snatched the 'dream' away from me. I was crest fallen.

Mr Seeklam then looked at me like he'd just remembered he had a couple of grand stashed behind the counter, grabbed my hand and read my palm. Pointed at a few lines with his biro and grunted. He then declared that I wasn't to worry. I'm to be married 27th May 2008. He even wrote the date on my palm in case I forgot I suppose!

He also went on to tell me that there in fact 3 men after my affections. None of them will talk to me about it. Can I just take this opportunity to say if any of the men he's talking about is reading this then please feel free to approach me. All applicatants are considered on a case by case basis. Although I must admit I do have a strict criteria!!

Seeing The Dalai Lama

OH. MY. GOD. I can barely contain my excitement. Today I saw the His Holiness The Dalai Lama. It was completely unexpected (like most things wonderful) and I was totally elated afterwards.

Someone who shall remain nameless had suggested to me that I wouldn't get to see him as was busy drinking cocktails with Richard Gere in America. Outrageous I know! However despite the cynicism of some friends I had actually already heard on the grapevine that HH (His Holiness) the Dalai Lama was returning from American. Word was that he would drive through McLeod on the way to his residence in the village.

I didn't really think that much of it. The thought on standing around at the side of the street waiting all day for a glimpse of him didn't really appeal to me. Besides I assumed the streets would be packed. So I went to yoga instead. Obviously two hours of Hatha Yoga one of the best instructors in the world, Vijay (FYI!!), gave me more karma points than I'd anticipated. I strolled out afterwards, noticed the streets were deserted and asked one of the shop owners, who I'm now friendly with, what was going on. He stared at me like I was mad (a look I've come to know and love!) and told me HH was driving through and were I should stand so I can get a good look at him. I nearly screamed. And then sprinted up a steep hill to secure a place.

Fortunately for me my new friend and Tibetan Buddhist Monk, Tezin, was waiting in the crowd. Next think I know I'm standing with a couple of Monks with burning incense in my hand waiting for the Dalai Lama to drive past. How surreal and frankly how brilliant. If someone had told me this time last year - while I was slaving away in PR, loathing every single minute of it then drinking myself into oblivion each Friday to try and forget about my week - that I'd be chatting with monks while waiting to see the Dalai Lama I would've roared with laughter as a mask to hide the fact I secretly hoped they were right!!

The build up to the drive thru was pretty impressive. Days before the Tibetan prayer flags (five colourful flags: red, yellow, green, white and blue which represent the five elements: earth, water, fire, cloud, sky) had been positioned all the road to the Temple where the DL lives. Images of the Buddhist/Tibetan endless knot (based on cause and effect ie karma as it all links up) had been painted all away along the road leading to the temple. It wasn't overly busy. Maybe a few hundred people (mostly Tibetans) lined the streets holding burning incense and praying. The atmosphere was very peaceful.

We knew his was coming when the security guards started to walk down the street asking people to move back. As soon as he car approached the monks I was with and many of the people around me started to bend down, lower their heads and pray. It was an amazing sight. And then there he was. I got a clear view of His Holiness, all smiley and cute bowing his head with his hands in pray position. I swear he gave me a knowing look and a nod!!!

At home in McLeod Ganj

I spent just over two weeks in McLeod and I have to admit if it wasn't for the fact it was beginning to get so cold in the evenings - my hands nearly dropped off with frost bite when I was in bed trying to read my book - then I would've stayed longer. It's the only place to date I've felt at home. I loved it.

McLeod is home to thousands of Tibetan refugees. So it's really not India at all, more like a mini Tibet. At least without the Chinese breathing down their necks. People mainly talk Tibetan or Hindi. The Tibetan way of life and customs are clearly evident around the village. From the elderly women who wear traditional head dresses, the prayer wheels that people hold as they walk around the village mumbling their mantras to the turquoise jewellery on stalls, to the momos sold by street vendors. The Tibetan way of life is very strong. And there's a real village/community feel to McLeod too which is rather nice. A breath of fresh air in fact from the hecticness of dirty Delhi.

McLeod is set in a valley. The mountains are the backdrop for the small village which is set on both sides of the valley. It's busy, lots of shops which obviously I like but not too hectic. The temple is one of the most important to Tibetan Buddhists outside of Tibet plus it's the home of the Dalai Lama and certain areas of the surrounding area of the temple are really beautiful.

The sun shines brightly during the day and the sky is a crystal blue. It's quite surreal sometimes. For example you'll be sitting on the veranda at Nick's drinking a lassi and overlooking the valley when an eagle will swoop past. Then you look at the roof tops and a few monkeys will run across!

At night it's freezing which has naturally meant I had to go shopping for the must-have wrap. I also had to have a strong word with myself in order to avoid going for the ultimate traveller look of a hooded multi coloured yak wool jacket. Seriously, I brought a copy of Vogue (admittedly 3 months out of date but who cares) to sort myself out. It's actually frightening how if you see something enough it starts to grow on you. I wouldn't mind if it was a Marni jacket but I was starting to eye up some seriously tree-hugger esq items. Please forgive me.

McLeod has everything I like to do on offer. I practiced yoga daily with the world renowned Vijay, meditated, hiked (well, okay I walked up to a waterfall in a near by village called Bagsu and nearly lacerated my feet. It took longer than 30 mins which in my book qualifies as a trek!), there are a few movie houses with some of the latest releases, you can teach conversational English to Nun's and Monks (which I did - see pic!). And there's the temple which is really peaceful. Most importantly McLeod allows you to take chilling out on to another level. Plus it's really friendly.

The hub of the activity happened at a vegetarian Tibetan cafe called Gakyi - home of the best veg curry and brown rice. I virtually set-up home there. I met a ton of people from all walks of life: Swiss, German, Brazilian, Canadian, Scottish, Norwegian, Austrian, American and Australian. Each evening we'd all meet up, take over the small cafe and tell jokes. Well, they did. Jokes aren't really my thing. The only ones I do know tend offend people so for the benefit of world relations and for the first time in a long time I thought it best not to share my humour - I was trying to make friends after all!

Overall the pace of life in McLeod is so much more relaxed. I ended up chatting to all manner of people be it monks, nuns, travellers, locals. And some of the stories I heard were definitely eye openers. From local Tibetan guys who 'pray' on young innocent western woman to monks that de-robe for their lovers to the best skin care treatment (yep, I think I may have found the best anti-wrinkle cream to date!). It was fantastic. I could've stayed there for a very long time. But I had to leave. Someone 'kindly' introduced me to the Tibetan Bakery. It was there that I experienced chocolate balls for the first time. Amazing. Too good in fact. I had to leave to save my waistline!