Our Project Happiness students from three continents met with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama this afternoon.
We had scheduled a thirty-minute audience and in fact His Holiness was so interested in the students’ questions that we ran nearly 90 minutes.
Among the students were three who had emigrated from Tibet by crossing high passes in the Himalayas – they’re students at Upper TCV now – and two Nigerian students. Both groups were accompanied by their teachers. The California students came by air, train and car and we’ve documented some of their activities already – with more to come.
Until we can get more student experience online, you can read about them at the web site of the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Archives for March 2007
It has to be Grass-Roots or it Won’t Work
The goings-on here in Dharamsala are absolute proof that for a cross-cultural, around-the-world project to work, you have to have on-the-ground grass-roots support. Without it you go nowhere.
Our three wonderful teachers (we call them coaches in the project) have made a world of difference in how the project has progressed – and the next few months for each of them will also make a huge difference as we make the quantum leap from three schools to many, many schools.
Who are they, and how and why are they making this difference?
[Read more…]
The Importance of Face-to-Face
Face-to-face (F2F) meetings are incredibly valuable for establishing context.
Without them, we are just words on paper or sounds thru a pair of earbuds.
Today at the Upper Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV) the Project Happiness students from three continents, representing the cornerstone schools for Project Happiness, met and shared each others’ cultures for two hours, then had dinner together to complete the day.
As hosts, the Tibetan students first performed a number of dances.
When the Dalai Lama came to Dharamsala
Here’s an interesting story about His Holiness the Dalai Lama first coming to Dharamsala, India. By one who knows it first-hand. Tenzin N. Tethong is President of The Dalai Lama Foundation. Sky (me) and Ward Mailliard had a discussion with Tenzin while the Project Happiness students awaited lunch.
The interview lasts approximately 7 minutes. Play it with QuickTime or VLC Media Player.
Play the interview: | |
On the road in Northern India
Perhaps I’m getting used to it, and since I’m not such a world-traveler I don’t know how it compares with the rest of the world, but New Delhi traffic seemed light today. Four of us and a local driver took the 300+ mile trip north from Delhi to Dharamsala. Skirting the central city, we progressed rapidly and began our journey. Probably most notable to Americans on the roads here are the thousands of families on motor scooters (see photo). This is a largely urban phenomenon and as we progressed farther into the “countryside” there were still numerous multi-person scooters, but fewer carrying whole families.