September 5th, 2008 5:07 a.m.

If I repeat myself, I’m sorry as I cannot remember what I’ve blogged about so far. Thank you everyone for your comments so far! They are wonderful to read! And no worries, my stomach is much better. It probably was just adjusting to the different food here.

Gonna be a short blog today for a couple of reasons. First off, puja begins in about a half hour. Secondly, I am going to try to post pictures today. The last 2 days I have been trying to upload a short video. I mentioned this to the shop owner who told me that it would take many hours to upload. Dang! Videos will have to wait until I get home. Hopefully pictures will be easier!

Highlights of yesterday, a man escorted me around the stupa for quite a while. I was extremely suspicious, but he wasn’t asking for anything. Until the last minute. There are so many beggars here and you can’t give out anything or you become a target.

The second thing almost broke my heart. A young Nepali woman with a baby came up to me on the streets. She asked me to buy milk for the baby as it was starving. She said, I don’t want your money. You just buy milk. I had to tell her no. All the while I am cringing inside thinking of the baby going hungry. I felt so aweful.

Later I mentioned it to Anna and I learned of the ‘milk mafia’. Young girls pick up babies in the morning, they aren’t theirs. They then ask tourists to please buy the baby milk as it is starving. The tourist will buy the milk and sometimes at the store the young girls will convince their victim to purchase even more things for them such as biscuits. Afterwards, the young girls will sell the milk back to the store at half price. I felt so much better that I hadn’t gotten suckered into it.

I was offered pot today. I was outside of the monastery enjoying a ummm… a… a cigarette, hehehe, when a nice man decided to sit down beside me. He talked to me for about 5 minutes. I told him I was staying at Lama Wangdu’s monastery. He asked if I was a Lama. I looked down at myself and my tattoos and I looked back at him and said “no” like he was totally crazy. He then tried over and over again to try to get me to buy some. I was giggling as Tim had warned me that would happen.

The day before yesterday the little monks said I look like a Hell’s Angel. I laughed. Anna laughed as she translated for me.

I have tons of pictures of the little monks. I was taking pictures a couple of days ago. They all scattered until one monk let me take his photo. I showed him the photo and now all the little monks say over and over again “just one photo.” LOL!

As usual, I have no clue what is on the agenda for today.

Oh, oh, oh, I completely forgot to mention I got to help make the larger protection cords yesterday. Totally! Just a portion of it, but it was soooooo cool. Lama Wangdu told all of the helpers that I could help with various things. Before they wouldn’t let me touch anything that might be considered work. For I am a princess. Hehehe.

So baby, the part that is wrapped in duct tape, it is the Guru Rinpoche’s mantra on a piece of fabric wrapped around the cord and then duct taped in place. I took photos. They think I’m funny for wanting to help with such things and then taking pictures of it. I took a picture of a garbage cart yesterday and Dechen thought I was totally weird. Hehehe.

I will tell you more later. Ani is ringing the morning bell. Her mantras and chants are simply gorgeous. I will videotape it before I leave.

Did I tell you what Lama Wangdu told his doctor? He told him “Rudolph my friend, Arthur my doctor, Kusan my ani-la.” Kusan is my Tibetan name and it is much easier for them to say than Loralyn so I am known as Kusan here. For those that don’t know, Ani means nun and ani-la means precious little nun.

Rinpoche began calling me that in June and it has stuck as that is what he usually calls me. Amazing, amazing, amazing! I wish you all could be here! Especially my babies! (That includes you too sweetie Tim!)

Time to head to puja. Talk to you later!