The absence of children

The wall next to the village Tibetan school, I found out later that it was white Wednesday, the day when all the children dress in traditional Tibetan costumes and eat no meat. It is observed to remember their relatives in Tibet, who also observe white Wednesday as a way to keep their culture alive. 

Another close shave.  I have to try this. 

We visited the big Tibetan Vilłage Community School, it is a very large complex where the children live. This is the principals office, who said that we could not observe classes even though we were famous researchers from the USA. But we kept asking, so he took us to another sub-principle, who introduced us to the art teacher, and after awhile got very excited about showing us around the place.  As usual, we arrived at an auspicious time, since they would be having a preview of a big cultural performance competition that night.  Clark managed to get invited. 

The teacher drew a lonely landscape from Tibet on the whiteboard, and then students drew for awhile, their own version. The landscape included a Yak and a Yak tent. Later, he showed us paintings and drawings students had done, often with themes of the experience of moving to India from Tibet because of the oppressive Chinese culture and government. Later we found out that many of the students had parents who still lived in Tibet. We were told that parents living in Tibet will take their children to Nepal and meet someone who will take the children to India where they become part of the school. They do this in the hope that their language and culture will not be lost. Many other people we me had walked to India over the Himalaya. 

A child asked, you will not take my picture and send it to China, will you?

Above the school was a path and little shrines, a sweet smelling forest of prayer flags. This area included secluded places where monks seek solitary refuge.