I filled my last day in “Tibet” (for those of you who just joined us: a town in north India where His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government are in exile) with all of the things left on my wish list: a Tibetan cooking class, monks debating, a live concert, and a movie. The cooking class was granted by Sangye’s Kitchen, and it was momo day! Chris, Bear, and I are now experts of this rare culinary art. Just as I am planning to open a restaurant called “Hip Hoppers” (inspired by Sri Lanka’s cuisine), “The Momo the Merrier” will be coming soon. Vegetable, mushroom, spinach and cheese, chocolate – I can do it all. Watching the monks debate was incredible. This daily routine is a spectacle for all, fellow monks and tourists alike. There is supposedly a syllogistic sort of logic to the process, but, from my point of view, it was a group of monks shouting in Tibetan, pushing each around (playfully, but forcefully), and frequently slapping the back of one hand into the palm of the other. I believe the latter indicates a completed case, like “Yeah, that’s right. What you got? Bring it!” It seems the serene monks take advantage of this brief period in the late morning to ruffle their robes and embellish deep thought with flamboyant actions. In Bear’s attempt to explain the whole scene, he said that, depending on how skilled a monk is, he could win a debate declaring that the sky is yellow. In the evening, we watched the Dharma Bums perform, two Americans that use their guitars and songs to fight for Tibet’s freedom. We left the coffeehouse performance at intermission to catch a movie at one of the McLeod Ganj movie theaters – a room with seats, a big screen television, and a DVD player. We met two Americans while we waited outside. Two girls with two very strong opinions regarding my future travel in India: 1) It’s not worth going to Jaisalmer if you don’t sleep in the desert for a night. 2) It’s not worth going to the Taj Mahal if you don’t go at sunrise. Sounded like good advice to me…

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