the last page

I've decided to put a closure to my Tibet chapter and this is going to be the last entry I blog on Tibet. The clash that Tibet has given me was afterall too surrealistic and as now I have found no way to escape from my material self, I just have to leave Tibet behind and go back into the reality and hopefully, stay happy.

So two more things I have tell about this Tibet trip. First, the Panchen Lama, and second, the broken hearts in Tibet.

I and the girls saw the Panchen Lama. It was not a planned encounter. It happened when we were heading our way out the Zhashenbulun Palace at Rikece, when we heard some tourists shouting informing others that the Panchen Lama would appear in 20 minutes after his third walk-around of the Zhashenbulun Palace. So despite the fact that we were on high latitude and not supposed to take up fast motions, everybody started to run up the stairs back to the top, being afraid to miss the million dollar chance to see the sacred figure.

So there he was, accompanied by two other Lamas and several body guards, walking down the hill with a graceful smile on his face. And here I was, trying to figure out who was the Panchen and a good angle to get a shoot, was basically emotionless, as compared to the stirred up crowd.

What stirred me up too, was our second encounter, also unplanned. As we departed and reached the bottom of the Zhashenbulun Palace, the Panchen appeared again. This time the crowd seized the opportunity and all rushed up to the Panchen, bowing in front of him and yawning for his blessing touch. I too, being a non-devoted Christian, followed the crowd, and so left a leg that my girls today still pull. It's only because I wasn't aware of the ritual that I was supposed to have my head down when I await the Panchen's holy touch. And I wasn't bowing to be exact at that moment either, I was only bending my knees, having my butts in the air, and staring into the eyes of the Panchen with a silly smile when he touched my forehead.

The touch didn't give me a spiritual feed, but I was thrilled by the fact that I was touched by the Panchen. The cute 15 year-old Panchen. My other three girls, who were being cool and just standing aside at that time, then started to make fun of my silly act, in particular H. But I think she's just jealous of me because she wanted to do it too but she coudln't and didn't. (yes I'm writing this because I know YOU'll be reading it...my get back...haha love ya you crazy b*tch)

On another note. I've decided that Taipei's not the City of Sorrow (悲情城市), Lhasa is. Almost every restaurants and bars we went into, they're playing these sad breakup songs, which just didn't quite fit into our vacation mood. And I just have to quote this from a friend I met there, all men who visit Lhasa have been divorced, and all women who visit Lhasa smoke (到拉薩的男人都離過婚，到拉薩的女人都抽煙). This is quite an interesting conclusion of Lhasa. The four men we spent quite some time with in Lhasa have all been divorced, one even been divorced twice. I guess it is true in a way, that most people who decided to go to Lhasa, this religious city, were there to do some soul searching.

And of course, I too fit into the conclusion.