Monkeying in the Mountains with His Holiness

I attended the first day of teaching by HH Dalai Lama today, it was really moving, he is truely an awesome being. I have found a great charity HOPE in McCleoud where I have just spent a happy time chatting with young Tibetans, I love the Tibetans, they are so interesting and compassionate, seeing them with HH is so touching, the Tibetan and Ladakhi cultures both resonated with me in a special way, they are simple and gentle, perhaps it is the strong element of Buddhism in both that really makes them appear so genuine and grounded in humanity. I think Indian culture is harsher, but it has a place in my heart. I love how everyone is considered to be family, and everyone calls each other brother/ mother etc, society is run according to the heart and it seems to work in a very chaotic way!! I mean people often make payment in ways other than money and people trust one another by default. In the west societies function according to laws and etticut much more, less heart involved! Negative aspects of this FULL ON society are the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor, the lack of awareness of the environment, and the status of women, men do not see women as equal, as inferiors and objects of sex, apart from mothers that is, older women are treated very differently!!! However I often find younger men who are quite able to have an educated discussion with me, but they do say that they think of western women as different to Indian women, and I suppose in the main they are!
Another thing I love about Asian culture is the aspect of gift giving, if someone is given a gift they accept it without question graciously, whereas I find that westerners often decline gifts which baffles (and offends Asians). I love giving gifts and it is a delightful thing when my gifts are recieved unquestioningly.
I love walking around the mountains here and I got into adventures (quelle surprise!) a few days ago when I tried to find a waterfall, I lost the path and found myself in the middle of a jungle, and suddenly realised that I was in the middle of a community of human sized black faced monkeys, who were clearly distressed by my presence, I was a bit alarmed I admit as I realised how vulnerable I was, so I decided that it would be a good idea to sit down and meditate, so I did and the monkeys chilled out. I mused that maybe they could understand the energy that I gave off when I was meditating as it was simpler than the complex human nature of today that is so far removed from our ancestors!
I have met some folk who I was in Leh with, and they are great companions, I plan to trek to the snow line with a lovely French Canadian after the first set of teachings and sleep in a cave!!
More adventures await me....