D’autres adieux aujourd’hui, en particulier celui à mes 35 kg de bouqins qui vont finalement être envoyés. Une bonne chose de faite.
More goodbyes today, first to my books, at last, a shipment of 35 kgs is ready to be sent now, and I don't want to hear anymore about the details...
Puis au revoir à mon prof de littérature-poésie tibétaine, Drakpa, qui, comme les autres profs tibétains m’a patiemment enseigné sa matière, en répétant plusieurs fois s’il le fallait de son accent rocailleux de l’Amdo les explications que ma petite cervelle n’arrivait pas à comprendre. Quelle chance d’avoir rencontré de telles personnes qui étaient vraiment désireuses de me transmettre leur savoir et leur tradition. On aimerait avoir davantage de ces profs chez nous aussi. Mais encore plus que cela, Drakpa considère que nous sommes des amis, et donc il a voulu absolument cuisiner des momos pour moi, ces sortes de raviolis tibétains (que vous pouvez admirer ci-dessous). Ils étaient très bons, et ce fut un plaisir de parler tranquillement tibétain avec lui et sa sœur (une nonne) autour d’un repas. Il a insisté pour venir me dire au revoir au taxi mardi, donc je le reverrai encore une fois. C’est des moments comme ca qui font oublier les coupures d’eau, les marchandages infinis, la poussière et l’agitation, et rendent ce voyage infiniment profitable et heureux.
Then good-bye to my literature-poetry teacher, Drakpa, who like the other Tibetan teachers taught me so patiently and diligently, repeating several times with his scraping Eastern accent if necessary. He wanted to make momos for me today, so I came for breakfast and we had rotis with "Yag butter" from Lhasa (!!!), we read a little the Story of the Ramayana, which represents a climax of scholarly poetry in Tibet, and for lunch he made those momos that you can admire below, these sort of "Tibetan raviolis". Everything was quite tasty, and it was nice to just chat Tibetan casually with him and his sister (who is a nun). Like the other teachers, he refused the donation I wanted to give him, because what is important for them is to transmit their knowledge and their tradition. I have complete faith that it was a sincere gesture from their parts, and it is very moving to observe something like that from people who don't have much and for whom knowledge still means something by itself, not as a means to acquire a name on a bookshelf or a position in some student factory... He insisted that he will come to send me off on Tuesday at the cab. This is moments like that that make this whole trip worth thousand summers in Chicago.
Tea shots.
J’ai dit au revoir à mon tailleur aussi, qui revient sans cesse à la charge pour me demander de l’aider à le faire venir aux Etats-Unis ou en France. Il veut que je dise qu’il est mon frère – j’ai essayé de lui dire que je ne suis pas sur que cela passe…
I also said bye to my tailor, who insists of asking me to help him to come to America or France. He wants me to tell the authorities he is my brother - I told him we can try, but I doubt it would work.
