Tibet

Currently we are preparing for Tibet's (and China's) New Years which is coming up on the 18th. Everyone here is stacking up on firecrackers (and full out fireworks), they buy them by the arm loads. They set them off in the streets... so far we have seen a mans vendor stall start on fire and a 4 year old boy stick one into a tracker engine... we got out of there pretty fast. It is really quite crazy because the streets are really narrow and packed with people this time of year. I am really afraid to walk on the back streets around town. I guess on New Year's Eve the Chinese parade Chinese dragons in front of the Potala Palace the Dalai Lamas old residence and political head quarters)... so that should be utterly disturbing to watch) and set off fireworks all night so we won't be getting much sleep that night!

Tibet is a pretty crazy experience. We loved the "Tibetan" parts (the culture, people, religion, architecture, etc.) of India and that is why we decided to come here but China has completely hijacked most of what we loved about Sikkim, Dharamsala and Ladahk (India). They have torn down most of the old building and moved the nomads into settlements that look much like housing developments in the states (all the same housing layout, set in neat little squares, and topped with a Chinese flag). Most of the "cities" are Chinese military towns and it is virtually impossible to patronize Tibetan owned shops and hotels. The monasteries that were blown up in the cultural revolution are now being rebuilt but have very low quality.... the paintings and statues are just not the same and most holy places have been reduced to museums in order to make a tourist buck. Many days leave us pretty depressed and feeling helpless about the current situation.

Oh and I just finished a conversation with a French girl who explained to me that she studied Tibetan culture for three years... got a scholarship to study in Beijing... where she digests (happy) Chinese government propaganda while "keeping her mouth shut", no foreign texts are allowed. Currently she is traveling Tibet speaking with the locals in Chinese... her chosen language instead of Tibetan. Once she finishes studying she will work for the Chinese government in Beijing... where they systematically destroy any Tibetan artifacts that could be used against their theory that Tibetans are really Chinese... she gave examples. How can anyone study Tibetans history and culture and then work for someone who is destroying it?!?


Overland into Tibet:




Lhasa:




Eastern Tibet:




Shigatse and Gyantse: