MORE OF CLAUDINE’S TRAVELS
Herewith, in response to less than overwhelming demand, Part 2 of “Beijing to Lhasa to Kathmandu”.
Suggesting that you might want to read this puts me in mind of my roommate Heather wanting to share her Thesis with me.
While attending graduate school at Georgetown University, I shared one bedroom of a two-bedroom apartment in a three apartment Georgetown townhouse with Heather, a graduate student from Texas enrolled in Georgetown’s Foreign Service School. Heather was beginning her third year of a two year Master’s degree program unable to pass the Georgetown created and non- standard French exam and unable to complete her Thesis.
Georgetown’s language exams were non-standard, and very difficult, so the French part of Heather’s long stint in Graduate school was understandable. But, Heather’s family was wealthy, so get a tutor?
The Thesis, on the other hand, just kept going on, and on, and on. Unfortunately, no matter the work entailed, it never engendered any interest even on the part of the assigned professor or me, the captive audience roommate.
On evenings I was suffering from insomnia, I would turn on my light, awaken Heather, and ask her to talk to me about her latest Thesis (the focus or “thesis” of the thesis frequently changed). Heather always accommodated, and after a bit of listening I would always fall peacefully asleep.
When I graduated and left Georgetown, Heather was in her fourth year of the two-year Foreign Service Graduate program and the Thesis was yet longer and remained of interest only to Heather.
There are similarities here between the Tibet travelogue and the Thesis, but I have vowed to write this, and Bob has been kind enough to format and incorporate the photographs, and what else is there to do in January? If you are inclined to read any of this, you might want to read about Lhasa, skip or skim to Mt. Everest and skim through the remaining monasteries as well.
Please be assured that Part 3 (Nepal) is on the way. (smiley face here)
I will refrain from sharing a motoring trip to the Auvergne and the Rhone Valley regions of France in October. Rodney and I had traveled most of these roads before and more than once, but it is hard to get enough of France. It remains the most beautiful country in the world. Unfortunately it is inhabited by some of the most arrogant, irritating, and pompous of peoples. And, true to form, they went on a general transportation strike leaving Rodney and me to spend our last couple of days trying to ensure that we could get home.
Happy trails
Claudine
