A day in the life....

Left is downtown McLeod Ganj, so you won't be feeling sorry for us. 

And below is our front gate.  We are living opposite a monastery.  (If this conveys an image of local peace and quiet, you don’t know about Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.  Its still dark when the trumpets start.  At any time of the day or night there may be chanting, clashing and clapping or a noise like a football crowd when the home team is winning (that’s the sound of monks debating).  The little street is really too small for vehicles but pedestrians, monks and lay people, are prone to muttering aloud (mantras not the nonsense we mutter to ourselves).  There is also a young girl (?) who determinedly sings (?).  For the avoidance of doubt all this backdrop is completely delightful. )

We are up around 7, make tea. Wash with a bucket and jug.  The grey (sometimes very grey) water goes onto the flowers outside.  Head out for a kora, a wide circuit around HHDL’s temple precinct.  This involves spinning 389-396 (number disputed between us) prayer wheels as we plod around with muttering Tibetans.  Coming in the other direction are only cows, dogs and monkeys, none of which take much interest in the one-way humans. Back for breakfast, perhaps taking in the vegetable stalls. We eat well, drink a lot of tea.
Then we work, David on his palliass, me in my little nest on the floor, WiFi streaming in from next door (thanks!)
Books are going well....

Then a picnic lunch.  We might go out later (separately) for a cup of tea and a ‘little-something’ - there are more cafes per inch here than anywhere else I have known.  Then we work on until it gets dark around 6pm.  

Next I go for another little kora (just around the temple itself, usually with a few prostrations thrown in.)  At this time of day there are often goings-on in the temple – pujas or groups of monks intoning some liturgy.  

This is a debating lesson, supervised by the senior monks at the front.  Take-away pizza arrived during the session, handed out to all the participants (and us).  Delightful atmosphere, though we had not much idea what was going on, but philosophy has never seemed such fun.