Things shake, then flow...

Today classes were canceled again.

Only it was somewhat more exciting (frustrating?) because I was about thirty minutes into class (various English greetings was the topic of the day) when the aftershocks of the latest earthquake were felt. So most of the students rushed outside (understand dear reader that these students have been sleeping outside on the football field for the past few nights in fear and the freezing cold) and I (being the American that I am) thought the teacher should be the last to leave so I waited in the class with the dozen or so students who didn't leave. It wasn't until the headmaster came in that I realized that on the other side of the world the teacher is the first one out and those students who had stayed were begging me to go home so that they could leave too!

So what's foreign teacher to do with half of her first week of classes canceled due to earthquakes?

Don't stifle the Spirit.

Outside where all the students had gathered after class had been canceled I chanced to meet a Chinese English teacher who is here only for this semester. Her English was very good and so I exchanged telephone numbers and knowing that I had the whole afternoon totally free I offered to take her out to tea (which, oddly enough, she had never done in Lhasa). So after an excellent lunch with my teammate of quite possibly the best egg and tomato I have ever eaten I called this English teacher up and within minutes we were settled into a tea house near our school chatting about school and our families and women’s rights (her choice of topic) and once again overdosing on sweet milk tea.

Then she mentioned a temple not far from the school.

So of course we had to go see it.

Can you imagine my surprise when this “temple” which she had spoken of was none other than the Sera Monastery! The third largest monastery in the area; Sera is a maze of crumbling buildings, gaudily painted walls, carvings of various Buddhist gods, butter lamp and water offerings, overgrown tangles of wildflowers and weeds, doors that open to courtyards that are surrounded by doors, and row after row of prayer wheels.

The sky this afternoon was dark and the gloomy grey of rain could be seen descending on the distant mountains. She complained of not enough light for her pictures; I thought it was appropriate.

Sera was a unique experience for me. For the first time I came face to face with the statues that so many people here bow before. I came ear to ear with the chants which spill out of every idle mouth, came eye to eye with the cases of Buddhist writings covered in colorful cloth. I watched as the red-robed monks shuffled clockwise around white pillars wearily spinning wheel after wheel in hopes of gaining merit.

The sky grew darker and darker and we both decided it was time to find our way back.

There is salvation in no one else…