Tahnee White

You wake to the sound of a gong, and the voices of 150 monks chanting. You can join in this morning ritual if you wish however it is nice to have a lie in before your day begins. This gong also signifies every meal, class, and pooja (meditation) beginning. For myself I have 3 classes, one in the morning, and two in the afternoon. At first I thought the nature of monks would be very somber. Turns out they act just like regular children! They discipline and pick on each other during class and are very physical; they are all boys so have a lot of energy. During in between these classes you are free to explore the village of Sundurijal, the suburb Drikung Kagye Rinchling Monastery is situated. As I am caucasian, the locals are fascinated (I assume) by how different I am. Children run around on the streets even in the dark of night, playing games and either being shy and hiding when you wave or boastfully practicing their English with you asking ‘what is your name’ or sharing theirs with you. After classes finish for the day there is again an opportunity to partake in the local culture. If you stay in the monastery this is also the monks free time. All of them love football (or foodboll as they say) and there are 2 games going at once. Other monks play Jacks or Carrom, a game similar to pool where you sink your colour, though it is played with discs and fingers. If you wander the streets at night the town is alive with life-safe from the heat of the day-you can see street vender stalls, children running and playing hide and seek, and old men gambling at the game of Ludo. Sometimes the elder monks wish to practice their english with you in the afternoon or evening, so before bed a nice conversation with one of a few adult monks can be had, before retiring for the day. Living in a monastery is truly a mixture of peace and chaos!