Impermanence

Hey people! Lots has happened since my last post. First off, I started an 8-day course in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and meditation today, at the Tushita Meditation Centre. It runs from 8:45am until 6pm everyday. It seems great so far, but tomorrow the real test begins, because there will be no speaking (by students) for the rest of the course, except during discussion sessions. I'm sure you're all super excited about the plethora of philosophy rants which are sure to come! I feel a little bad though, because I had to abandon my volunteer work to attend. Just like how the Buddha abandoned his family in search of enlightenment. Just like that! Heh, actually I saw a great movie about that recently, Samsara, which I heartily recommend to anyone interested in (a) Buddhism, (b) love stories, or (c), cool stuff. Anyway, the photo above is me and some of my class together for the last time :(

In other news, I moved out of my hotel and into an apartment. It's just a room in an apartment, actually - an Austrian guy (who likes chess!) lives there with his Tibetan girlfriend. It's way cheaper than my hotel, has a better view, a balcony, more space, a kitchen, a very cute kitten, a working shower rather than a bucket, and as an added benefit I'm being sucked into their vast social network. I've already been to a Tibetan-American wedding, a disco party turned bad, and a number of crazy house parties.

In short, stuff is fun, and I'll be sad to have to leave next month when my visa expires... Everything is impermanent I suppose - especially when you're travelling.