15-July-2006*Nongte

Yesterday was day 3 of the Nongte Village Summer Nya Festival. To celebrate the occasion, the local men's dance group donned their full gear to perform for the village. I'm not sure how it came about that our family decided I should join them. I didn't really want to do it, but consented to their wishes knowing it would make people laugh.

My costume was incomplete at the top and the bottom: I didn't have the traditional Se-död, or leather and red felt boots, and I didn't have a Pi Sha, or white felt cowboy hat. But, from my ankles to my neck I was properly attired, wearing the poofy white and red rough silk mBu-Re Dodra, or pantaloons, and mBu-re Ngu-li, or white long-sleeved shirt with brocade collar. Over the top, I wore a long, heavy brown dress chuba or Thema Kachung, cinched up by a bright green Shi Dzong Kerog or silk sash. On my feet I wore my large white Nike running shoes and on my head I wore my trusty Tilley Hat.

The sun shone brightly and the heat was intense as the group gathered to start up the circle dances. Of course, I was a complete klutz, usually out of step and hopping around like a baboon trying to get onto the correct foot. I felt the total fool, sweat running down my face, chuba slipping off down my shoulders, pantaloons drooping down and tangling midst my bumbling feet.

But the villagers loved it and laughed heartily. At one point, the village chief decided to "teach" me some "special" steps as a clown act. We did rapid foot thumping, twirling jumps, and falling onto the butt. All were highly entertaining to the crowd. Then I taught him a 3-step waltz, which must have been quite a comical sight: two men, fully garbed in Tibetan dance costumes, fumbling through a waltz on a grassy cattle meadow, surrounded by smiles, laughter, tractors, tents, horses, dogs, trash, trees, mountains, and the deep blue Tibetan sky with its intensely bright golden sun.

The rest of the dancers were really skilled, and moved with easy fluidity as they circled, twirled, and swished their long sleeves in perfect synchrony. Each half of the group sang the lovely dance songs in unison and the two sides traded verses back and forth.

After the dancing was done, I was able to disrobe and chug a Budweiser. We whiled away the rest of the afternoon teaching the village children how to play Tag, Freeze Tag, and Red Light-Green Light. Later, we visited Egg's brother Bu-Luo's tent for some boiled eggs, fried peanuts, beer, orange juice, and strawberry vinegar drink.

As evening drew near, we were transported back home by a crew of bikers. I rode with Uga. Mom rode with Benjo. Tessa rode with Tsultrim Dorje. Tara rode with Truda. Several other bikers carried others and we raced up the mud road back to the prayer flag festooned suspension bridge that crosses the Tsang Chu and leads us ever home to Tong-go.

14-July-2006*Nongte

Yesterday was the second day of the annual Nongte village summer party. After touring Egg & Tsega's new home, still under construction, we spent the rest of the day at the party grounds east of the village next to the Tsang Chu.

Every household had set up a party tent, equipped with sitting carpets and plentiful libations: beer, chang, orange soda, Pepsi, Red Bull, candy, dried apricots & figs, crackers, and plenty of dried meat. Interspersed among the party tents were open-fire kitchens and transport fleets: motorcycles, trucks, and numerous Mao tractor wagons. The party grounds are also an open pasture, frequented by grazing cattle, dzomos, horses, and the omnipresent scrounging dogs.

As we approached the grounds we observed a pack of kids playing naked in the Tsang Chu. Later, the kids busied themselves horsing around and playing various rough and tumble games. We amused ourselves eating, drinking, playing with the kids, and snapping photos. I was the big celebrity there and the kids always followed me around. I had an attack of Art Makosinsky's "crazy hand," which amused the kids greatly. Also, whenever I snapped a photo I was immediately thronged by a pack of kids and curious onlookers, all wanting to see what the photo looked like on my camera display screen.

Later, a group of men got up and started singing and doing circle dances. Tara joined in as the only woman. She knew every step of every dance and kept right up with the men, even dancing in more of a men's style. I also joined in, to the immense amusement of the audience. The entire village was sitting and standing around, watching me make a fool of myself. Of course, I knew none of the steps and I'm clutzy anyway, so my dancing was really comical and the laughter rolled with my every misstep.

Later, we chatted in the Tongo tent with Egg's brother Tse Sung. I knew that Egg's family had been persecuted after the communists came, but I was rather shocked to hear what had happened to him. When he was 15 years old he, along with an elderly man and woman, had the daily job of cutting and carrying wood to the residence of the party boss, Chöga, who lived up the valley. They had an axe for chopping wood and ropes for binding and carrying bundles of wood. One day, Chöga accused these three of plotting to kill him using the rope to tie him and the axe to chop off his head.

They had committed no crime, and were only doing their assigned jobs. They had never dreamed of killing Chöga. Nevertheless, all three were convicted and imprisoned. The elderly two died in prison. Tse Sung spent 22 years in prison. After his release, the government admitted had made a mistake with his imprisosnment and paid him 900 yuan (about $130 Canadian Dollars) in compensation.

The utter stupidity and pointlessness of this whole episode really upsets me. Tara told me there are many stories like this, of other stupid events that happened after the "liberation."