Whoops!

Some things I didn't have time to share
Some answers to questions

Hemis Monastery

Mask Festival

Library & Library Books

Tikse Monastery

Ling Rinpoche at Siddhartha School

"The present Ling Rinpoche is the seventh in this line of reincarnate mastes, a number of whom have acted as tutors to the Dalai Lamas of Tibet. In 1940 the Sixth Ling Rinpoche became tutor to the present Fourteenth Dalai Lama, becoming his senior tutor ten years later. In 1959 he journeyed with him into exile in India; later Kyabje Ling Rinpoche became the Ninety- seventh Gaden Tripa, head of the Gelug school. In 1985, two years after he passed away, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche’s reincarnation was born in the North Indian town of Dharamsala. His mother died a few months after his birth and he was given into the care of Tibetan Children’s Village Baby Room until he was eighteen months olf, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognized him as the reincarnation of his senior tutor. At the age of three he was admitted into Loseling College at Drepung Monastery in South India, and since 1996 he has been living at the monastery full time. Under the guidance of his two main teachers, Geshe Wangchen and Geshe Thubten Rapgay, Ling Rinpoche is working toward completing his geshe degree. He speaks English and has traveled a number of times to South Korea, coming to the United States in 1993. In March 2004 he received full monastic (gelong) ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the fifteenth anniversary of the date when the Dalai Lama had himself received full ordination from his tutor, the previous Kyabje Ling Rinpoche." Tricycle Magazine

Little Monks w/ice cream

Tired Young Monk

Buddhist Wall Paintings

For those of you who asked about the toilets

Most Common
with or without a
flush

My personal favorite!

Stay tuned for follow up Blogs regarding lessons learned, equipment reviews, progress on the school library, writing a manual for Ladakhi children on how to handle library books, and so much more. This is really the beginning of my journey as I establish a model for providing library environments, library books, and library instruction to the many non-government schools scattered throughout Ladakh, India.

Nubra Valley & H.H. Dalai Lama

Diskit: Nubra Valley

His Holiness in Disket

Camel Girls Rule!

18,380 Feet Altitude

Sign of the Week

Graduation

My last few days in Ladakh could be described as bitter sweet – so many activities so little time to reflect. Saying goodbye to the children, some of their families, and my colleagues at the school was very difficult. My time to return seems so far away.

Graduation was a real success with parents dancing, students presenting and performing, a very special speech from HH Dalai Lama’s sister (Pema Jetsun) who promoted the value of an education and HH Dalai Lama’s brother who was the honored guest for the function. All the weeks (and months) of preparation paid off as the program was flawless. Staff and students alike should be applauded for their demonstrations of Ladakhi culture

Prince Siddhartha

(Play)

Student Dances

Student Dancer

Culture Demonstration

Weaving Demonstration

Yak Dance

Family

Family

Parent Dance

Archery Contest

Presenting The Siddhartha School Library

The library is as finished as I could manage with the timeline, resources, and the business pace of India. I had the carpenter drag in the unfinished furniture so I could get a feel for what the room will eventually look like. The students who came in dropped their jaws in awe. At the last minute Uschi, from Germany, bought a new carpet that we had picked out and had it installed. The carpet pulled the whole room together. Morgan Reynolds Publisher donated about 30 biographies and the Maine contingency brought those and books I had purchased beforehand in the states. Then two generous women from

California each donated $100.00 so I was able to purchase many local books e.g. Birds and Mammals of Ladakh, Flowers of the Himalayas, Ladakhi history books, etc.

Many students made it a point to thank me for the wonderful new library – they are so excited about being able to sign books out to go home. Teachers are also signing out books that I selected for them specifically. Books are so expensive for the local population to purchase and there are no public libraries so the teachers are thrilled to have the benefit of a library right at work.

I will be designing a small children’s book and teacher’s manual on how to care for and handle books from the library. Also how to find books in the library using the Dewey Decimal System and specific classifications. Because of the lack of libraries in the Ladakhi culture books aren’t enough – it’s learning to use books and care for them. Without the knowledge of how to handle books the children will shred them in a matter of days. This is not out of a malicious nature but rather unfamiliarity and lack of education in these matters. The resources I develop will specifically be designed for Ladakh but can be retrofitted for other cultures as well.
Any of you retired librarians out there who would like to benefit third world & rural cultures to establish usable libraries please contact me. Or if you have Abridged Dewey Decimal System and Sears Subject Headings books that you would like to donate – it would help out in many libraries in the Ladakhi & Tibetan communities.