writing from the moon.

this place is wild. i'm in ladakh, by the way. and i've been here before--i spent the summer here in 2007--but now that i'm back, i'm just as struck by the sheer ridiculousness of the existence of ladakh on our planet. on a bus ride with my students yesterday, i listened to them try to make comparisons--to find similarities between this landscape and the national parks where their families vacation. and i understand the urge to make connections; in new situations, i do it, too. (ironically, on a trip to the sierra nevadas over the summer, i commented that it looked a little like ladakh...) but what a joke. this place is like no where else--not even like other places on the tibetan plateau, which are much greener, and therefore much more of-this-earth. to be honest, i don't think my body likes it here. high altitude eco systems leave me cracked and chapped and a little feverish. (and for whatever unexplained reason, i have a hard time peeing a altitude...? sounds impossible but it's true). but beyond all that, being here is a blessing. literally. ladakh's glaciers are melting, and it's not just possible, but probable, that in twenty years, people won't live here anymore. it's sickening to think about--and i'm not much of an environmentalist--but it's hard to avoid looking this particular issue in the face. usually the environment just feels so... abstract. but here, people have an extremely delicate relationship to land. deserts are tough places to live. deserts at 14,000 feet are even tougher. but ladakhis do it, and i've gotta say, they do it beautifully. we spent the last week doing a servie project at a nunnery and i fell in love with the nuns. if only for them, we've gotta save ladakh.

i suppose it's time for me to go eat some garlic soup. i'm in leh with one of my students who is sick while the rest of my group goes trekking. raju, the cook at our guest house, just came to the door and said to me, "madam, for dinner, garlic soup is perfect for you?" hard to say no to that. so i suppose that yes, garlic soup is perfect. for me.

love,
e
p.s. does any one read these things? am i writing to myself?