Bir (it's Pronounced BEER)

Bir, the little Tibetan colony in Northern India, did not welcome me with open arms. Instead, it welcomed me with folded arms and a turned up nose in the form of pouring rain, thick mud, and bitter cold temperatures making me yearn for the Delhi heat. The first day we remained cooped up inside due to the inclement weather and did not get to see the town nor get a view of the seductive Himalayas. It was an especially depressing greeting after such a drawn out journey to get here. After the bus ride, we still had to take an hour trip to pick up a volunteer at the airport only to find out her flight was cancelled due to inclement weather. Therefore, we had to turn around and head back two hours to the home stay. No one was particularly chatty and good-humored that day.

However, the next day the sun made up for its extended absence from the sky by brilliantly shining in a shimmering azure sky. I woke up to a bright day casting light on the seemingly thousands of prayer flags rippling in the gentle breeze. I saw, on that second day, what people meant when they compared Bir to Heaven.

Bir and Delhi are polar opposites. Delhi bustles busily at all hours in a state of mass chaos whereas Bir follows a slower calmer schedule. Also, its people are almost entirely refugees from Tibet and thus the religion is almost completely Buddhist. As many of the volunteers here before me said, Bir is not India, it is Tibet. During our orientation, we learned all about the Tibetan situation. We learned that 129 monks, many of them under 25, committed self-immolation (setting themselves on fire) within the last fews years in an act of protest against the Chinese control of Tibet. They know that they could never challenge such a powerful country as China, and therefore are not seeking independence but rather autonomy. Until today, they could not even be recognized as Indian citizens even if they were born here. Now, at least, they can apply for passports if they are over 25.

What a heartbreaking story. Misplaced people forced out of their native land and not properly embraced by another country. At least here in Bir, they have the ability to conserve their impressive culture and to speak their native tongue.

Despite my not-so-warm welcome, I feel at peace here. Every day after volunteering, we do yoga on the roof of the home stay and it is the most relaxing hour of the day. During the night, we help teach the monks English. The days go by at a spitfire pace, and I'm loving every minute of it.