Friday, July 10, 2009

Man Capris, Monkeys, Goat Farming and other Ridiculous Things




Friday is a good day for random thoughts and pictures so enjoy this eclectic little mix.


I am a staunch and vehement denouncer of man capris. My ire for this particular fad is only surpassed by tight jeans for men and fanny packs. However, I find myself retracting all my previous slander. Monsoon season in Nepal has made me see the functionality of man capris. It is low class and inappropriate to wear shorts around the monastery, and yet it is impossible to keep full pant legs dry while wandering through flooded streets. After the first two days of meditating on wet pant legs I decided to roll them up and effectively make all my pants, man capris. I even rolled up Carhart's...my hypocrisy knows no end.


I have attached a picture of a monkey because, well, monkeys are funny.


An older Tibetan woman walked by my friend Maggie and then turned around, walked back up to her and, completely unprovoked, smacked her on the arm. She then turned to another friend of mine, Elena, and took a swipe at her (Elena had cat-like reflexes and managed to dodge the octogenarian assault). Upon asking Lama Gerry what might have caused such a response, we found out that older Tibetan folks have reservations about white people because they think they might be ghosts. The only apparent way to prove your corporeality is to stick out your tongue and show that it isn't blue. I have so far resisted the urge to buy any blue raspberry blow pops...


I have attached a picture of goat herding because it brings back fond memories of my old goats. Bo and Luke RIP.


We have been trying a number of different meditations these last few weeks and have just finished with some breath control training. In one particular type of meditation the practitioner is asked to pucker his/her butt, take a deep breath, seal off the breath in the lower lungs and then breathe shallowly from the upper lungs. This is a fascinating method and it really keeps one's attention. Upon having done it for about 20 minutes our class took a break and Lama Gerry asked what we thought. My friend Zain replied, "Is this something we should be doing right after breakfast?" I second Zain's concern as my bowels don't need any help moving things along:)


The sixth Dalai Lama once visited with a family whose son was headless. They fed him through a hole on the top of his neck.


That's all I have for now folks have a fantastic Friday!

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