Back in the holy Varanasi

This time I have decided to write in english because to write in swedish, with our three special letters, taskes a long time here. So what has happened since last time.. Well me and Elin went to Bodhgaya and stayed there for one week. In Bodhgaya there is the Bodhithree under which according to buddhism Buddha had his enlightment. It was really interesting to experience that town because there where so many different kind of buddisms there. There was tempels from Thailand, Bhutan, Tibet, nepal (i think) etc. And of course the Maintempel where the Bodhithree was. We sleept in a tempel and monastry called Karma tempel. It was a monastry for young tibeten monks. One day I talked to one of the monks teacher. While we where talking, the monastarys dogs came to say hello. The monk chassed them away and said that sometimes, when they poped somewhere, he had to beat them. He also said that when the young monks didn't do there homework, he had to beat them to. I was very surprised to hear this from a buddhistmonk. Well I guess my predjudices about the buddhist monks holiness fick sig en torn, so to speak. Though, I thought it was intresting to see how differently two cultures can interpret a religion. According to my view of buddhism, one can not beat another person (normally at least). but I guess why i think like that, is because I am growned up in a culture where it is not ok to beat eachother (not even for educational purposes). According to buddhism one shall try reduce the sufferings for all beings. Well, i can imagine that this buddhist monks view of reducing suffering for this boys was to have them make their homework. And the only way he knew of how to make that, was by beating them. So i guess no matter what religion or belife you belong to, you will always be coloured by your culture.

In Bodhgaya we meet a japanese who payed our rickhewdrive to the train station, because he had been in sweden and "learnt so much". I guess he wanted to pay that us as a "thank you" to the swedes. Funny... :)

Now I am in Varanasi again. I say I, because now i'm alone. Elin went to Delhi this wednesday and last night she flew to Sweden. She most be home by now.

I have started to take some hindiclasses with a very good teacher. Many people here appreciate that I try to learn their language. In the hotel even the guys who is cleaning and making the food speaks a lot with me. (normally i don't think they have that much contact with the turists). They are the best to talk to for practising the hindi, because they don't speak so much english. Except from them there works Bhai, Panda and Rajeev. They take care of the turists and have a higher position in the hotel hierarki. Bahi is laughng all the time and has a space between his fronth teeth, with Rajeev it is becoming a tradition to play chess in the evenings and Panda just has a funny name (Elin thought he looked a little bit like a Panda as well, and I can just agree).

Now i'm going to pull out my earplugs and go back to the hotell. My earplugs is the most precious thing I have in this country, without them i would be both deaf and crazy!

Take care til next time..