Sunday walk and a fickle mind’s stable decision

7 Jun 2009

The Second Flush 2009 Darjeeling Tea season has started and the sourcing spree is a herculean task, yet filled with passion (thats what happens when you are in love with what you are doing Ahem!). We started from this weeks manufacture because it is from this week only, the real Second Flush character started showing up. Just a week before, tea samples sent to us proved to be light bodied when it shouldn’t be. Well, I will blog about it later, but for the meantime…

Haven’t been able to blog for quite sometime and today being a Sunday, thought I would take a stroll down to the Tibetan Refugees Self Help Center here in Darjeeling. Its not that I am going to this place for the first time, but every time I go and return, a ‘yearning’ is always there to go again. Maybe it’s the Tibetan culture and the Buddhist religion which I am so fond of.

It was not a pre-planned visit, just that the weather was fine and I had the camera in my bag. It was kind of a ‘walk’ thing and I was pondering upon my direction while having that local tea “milk and ctc”. Ah, Tibetan Refugees Self Help Center would be fine and I started walking. It’s a long way and people normally take a cab, but in a hilly area, you are never deprived of shortcuts – I took it.

On the way, down the narrow path from Chowrasta, numerous wall paintings can be perceived which are Buddhism oriented with some mixture of Hinduism on it. Do you know that Buddhism and Hinduism are related? Anyways, that’s a huge topic I have asked and there are tons of books on it – won’t delve deep, just wanna know ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Reached the center and sadly, as it was not my days plan, just a fickle mind’s stable decision at the wrong time – the manufacturing process of Tibetan carpets was unseen. Guess its because of Sunday, an off day. But a more interesting picture of people playing “Parasho” or “Sho” got my eye. SHO (they called “Parasho”) is an ancient traditional Tibetan Dice game comprising of 2 dice, throwing cup etc. supposed to be handmade. I said, why not have a closer look – was a rare find which one normally don’t get to see. Other times the center is flooded with tourists. Well, here the players mostly comprised of old people gambling in coins (photos included). Almost stood there observing for about an hour, had no idea what the rules are or who is the master there, just enjoyed the thrill and excitement which the players possessed.

Browse through the photos. Hope you enjoy them! Now I need a fresh cup of my new Second Flush 2009 Darjeeling Tea.