Big lucky

Another day in which I felt like Dharamsala was smiling on me. Ellen and I got up early and hiked to the medition temple and enjoyed another lovely guided meditation. I love starting my mornings with exercise and “innercise.” It didn’t rain that much today and once again, I saw some sunshine! Everyone is a little bewildered because during monsoon season, it’s supposed to rain all day every day. I know that this nice weather is thanks to Dhondulp.

My favorite part of today was when I showed Dhondulp the footage of the lion man’s show and he watched it incredulously and said “what the hell is this?” We laughed for a long time and took turns speculating what exactly is wrong with the lion man or if he’s just a genius taking money from western tourists. Our conversations then ranged from the holocaust (he’d just watched a WWII movie) to his upcoming physics conference. I told him that we only had five more classes left but that my days were his and that we can hang out and practice English as much as he wants. He said he that “it is his big lucky” to have me as his teacher. Dhondulp also said that before I go we have to have a picnic and I have to meet his parents because he has told them a lot about me and they ask a lot of questions about his “funny teacher.” When I told the girls about this they joked and said it sounds like Dhondulp and I are getting serious.

Today Dhondlup told me that his best friend praised his English and he told him it’s because he has a very good teacher. This made my soul smile. He also told me that he wants me to skype to classes of 30 people at his home monastery in South India. I hope that he’s not serious about this because I can’t say no to him but the thought of my face on a giant screen in a classroom full of monks makes my palms sweat a little.

After my cherished time with my monk, I went to yoga. The yoga here is my favorite I’ve experienced. The teacher is known all over the world and every time he chants at the end of class, I swear my soul leaves my body. Unlike home, the standard yoga classes here last two hours. It’s only 100 rupees (about $2)! The teacher focuses on more warm up, stretching, and relaxing between difficult poses than I am used to. I love it. I want to find a  studio more like this one in Colorado but I don’t think there are any.

After yoga we were pretty tired so we went home and ate our rice and veggies and called it an early night. Only five more days in Dharamsala and I can feel this place tugging on my heart a little bit, asking politely, not begging for me to stay. I’m about to say goodbye to some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. But that is life and the alternative would just be to not have met these people and it’s “my big lucky” that I’ve met them.