Abuse of hospitality

We all love and respect the Dalai Lama, as a great humanitarian and advocate of human behaviour and rights. Personally I would love to be privileged to meet him one day, when I will eventually begin my travels around the world, who knows, we may meet up in India.

His wish for Tibet to be independent is well chronicled, I too have read his
books and teachings with interest, but does a singer such as Bjork do him a service or cause disapproval and dishonor on such a man, when at the end of her concert she shouted and chanted the word Tibet.

When I approach my students, with the same candor and curiosity that they show me, I see the hurt and defense in their voices and eyes, that she should have done this act. They do not understand why the west would wish them to separate this province from the rest. They feel that China has greatly enhanced the life of the Tibetan people, that their cities have grown and prospered and are no longer that lonely primitive place on the Himalayan peaks.

This is not propoganda talking, for I have students who travel their often, selling 'Mercedes' cars to a small amount of the citizens, because they need a powerful engine to drive through the mountain roads, till they can
pass no more and only foot or donkey will suffice.

I myself just feel confusion and discomfort at their hurt, for I know only too well as an Israeli how the world can judge and condemn, only writing the side of the story that will sell the newspaper article.

Almost a day does not go by, that I am not approached and asked to explain the situation in Israel. These people ask me with an objective mind. They do not totally believe all that is written by the journalists and they themselves feel misjudged by the west. They listen with interest to
my explanations and ask questions at my rough map drawings.

I have always considered myself a non racist or judgemental person, having greatly suffered first hand the opinion of others who thought their way was the right way and feel a great responsibility to my country in my
telling of the situation. At the end they thank me profusely for my time, ability and knowledge and I feel small in their praise.

So in respect of that, I am writing this post today. I in turn tell them that it is up to them to educate the west and that I admire the Chinese for taking this unprecedented move to open their doors to the west, to criticism and appraisal.

They too, as we all do, wish for a peaceful solution to the Tibetan problem and that the world will look upon them with a more open mind.