Summer 2009 Blog Entry Two

Stanzen Namgyal's Family

This is part of my Ladakhi family and extended family. There are four houses in their compound and ever time I spend the night I have to visit all four houses and drink juice, milk tea and Ladakhi tea at each house plus a little snack. Refusing is not an option! I love the picture they have hung in the kitchen as some of the photos I have taken of them are proudly displayed. I've been sponsoring Stanzin Namgyal's education since he was in Upper Kindergarten and have been visiting his family for the past three years. If you click on any of the images they will enlarge.









































Baby Chospal who I've known since Tsewang was pregnant.






















Tsetan, Stanzin's father,.






Stanzin being goofy with cousins Dawa & Tsering.
















Tsewang, Stanzin's mother, with cows.






When I sleep over at their house I sleep with Stanzin, sister Stanzin, Chospal and Tsewang. I think we all snore but sleep deeply.

TEEN PARTY TIME
If you ever wondered about the teens in rural villages, just outside Leh, here is an example of a party I was invited to as a grandmother figure (abilay). [surprisingly this reminds me of when I took hip hop lessons with a room full of junior high girls!] It was Stanzin's cousins 18th birthday party. She is attending Class 12 in Jammu and has her girlfriends from school with her during their school break. It hardly seemed different from our teen parties sans alcohol. They had about seven bvowls of chips and snacks, an iMac on a black inflatable couch blaring music and just the typical girl hanging out scene. This is probably not typical in terms of the iMac & furniture but cousin's family is not as poor as the rest. I was told the next morning that they danced for awhile and stayed up until 2:00 AM talking. Notice the hand gestures!