September 3rd, 2008 4:19 a.m. Nepalese time

I miss you baby! I’m sorry we haven’t had any chance to talk lately!!! Anna showed me another internet café today that I am going to try out today hopefully. After an half an hour of trying to send just one email, I gave up! Please forgive me!

Yesterday was a day of debauchery! I shopped and shopped and shopped. (Tim please let the bank know I’m in Nepal! Thank you!) I even smoked! Yeah for me!

I woke up at 1 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep. So I fiddled around until about 5:30 a.m. when the Tara puja began. Anna told me that all monasteries in Nepal began with a Tara puja. Very beautiful!

We then had breakfast. It was a spicy potato dish with an interesting rice as a base. I can’t remember the name of the rice, squished rice? It is squashed and then it is roasted. It is really good, like shoestring potatoes.

Anna and I then went shopping for puja clothes. Lama-la’s granddaughters were Tibetan dresses made out of a beautiful brocade. I decided to skip the super pretty for the traditional. There is such great beauty in the simplicity of traditional Tibetan clothing. I order a black dress with a white shirt and picked out a really lovely hand woven wool apron. I am so excited! It should be ready for big Guru Rinpoche puja next Tuesday.

We did some more shopping and then headed back for lunch. Right after lunch, Anna, Lakpa (not sure of the spelling of his name), and I went shopping for a chod damaru (a drum), a bell, and dorje. Lokpa knows how to shop. We went to a bazillion shops before he finally found the instruments he liked. Of course he picked out the most expensive ones, hehehe, and I think he is totally coveting my drum! Anna too! I am so honored that these people continue to bless me so greatly!!!

I returned to the monastery just as Dechen was leaving to go to the Internet. But before that, I broke down and bought a pack of cigarettes. Yeah for cigarettes. Oh how I love you! Let me count the ways, singly, in a pack, in a carton… oh swoon! So anyway, cigarettes are 60 rupees a pack here or in US dollars that would be 80 cents. Nice!

Dechen held my hand as she led me across the street. Being near traffic here is deadly! They will hit you. They will run you over! We finally found an ATM that worked and then found the totally crappy internet. Dechen headed back to the monastery and I decided to do a bit more shopping around the Stupa by myself. I picked up some gifts. Anna came and found me as she was worried I would get lost. I think I did pretty good by myself!

Oh and 2 notes. A 110 volt surge protector does not convert to 220 volts. It just makes a loud pop and gets super hot instantly! And when you ask the kids to grab your brown flip flops so that you can pack them for a month in Nepal… you know… your most comfortable pair of sandals… basically your best choice for day to day wear… make sure the kids don’t grab 2 left sandals! Oh well!

You wouldn’t believe how absolutely amazing this place is while at the same time being absolutely disgusting. Garbage cans are not used here. Wherever you throw your garbage is ok, like completely wild! And there is open sewage lines flowing across the sidewalk. Anna told me that Nepal has the 3rd worse air quality in the world. I would hate to be in the worst place.

Anna definitely is going to be my best friend by the time I leave here. She is so super helpful and loves answering my questions. Even the dumb ones!

As we were walking yesterday I was telling her how honored I was to be able to do such a powerful thing! I honored I was that Lama Wangdu invited me here. Anna told me what a great blessing and honor I was receiving and Lama Wangdu sees something powerful in me. I am introduced to everyone as Lama Wangdu’s friend and special guest who is staying in his LIVING quarter.

I don’t understand. I am simply awestruck. I don’t feel deserving of the blessings I am receiving here! As Anna and I talked she simply shook her head when I said that my first Buddhist anything was in May. I am staying right above his reception room and right next to his temple room.

Why me? I cannot express the absolute cool-ness of this! I probably will continue to blabber on about how cool this is. I’m sorry. Someday I hope to understand and until that happens I will continue to be awestruck!