Summary: Nuns’ Science Leadership Program 24th March, 2025 – 12th April, 2025

 Nice summary of the "Nuns Science Leadership Program" that took place in Dharamsala, India, March 24 to April 12, 2025. 

 

10 Favorite Photos

 Here are my 10 favorite photos from Dharamsala, India (2025)

Home at Last

The worst thing about travel is the traveling.  Sitting in one place for a long time can be boring, tiring and uncomfortable.

After the 8 hour flight from Delhi (departure time was 3 am) to Frankfurt, the 10 hour flight from Frankfurt to Seattle was uneventful, except for the crying baby immediately behind me. Unlike the SpiceJet flight from Dharamsala to Delhi, this last leg of my journey was very smooth.  As we descended through the clouds on approach to Seattle, I took a look out of the plane's window for a view of the south side of Mt. Rainier.

The Seattle Airport (Sea-Tac) has a new international terminal that welcomes visitors from around the world. On the day I arrived, the airport was very busy.  Because I carried on all of my bags (just one small backpack and one piece of carry-on luggage), I did not have to wait at baggage claim.  Instead, I went directly to immigrations/customs. Because I have something called "Global Entry," I went directly to a special area for quick service.  In fact, there was no one in line!  It took me 30 seconds to show my passport to the immigration agent and I was done.

Well, almost done.  I still had to get from the airport to my house and decided to take the light rail (train) from the airport.  Because of construction on the light rail system, I had to change trains twice; usually there is no change at all.  The changes added an extra 30 minutes to the trip, but after all the traveling, it did not seem like much time at all.

Total door to door journey:

Departure time in Dharamsala:  7 am (India time) on Monday morning
Arrival time in Seattle: 2 am (India time) on Wednesday morning

      Total travel time:  43 hours

It's nice to be home.

In Transit

 

I was prepared for a long wait in the Delhi Airport for the trip home so I left my hotel at midnight for my 3 am flight to Seattle via Frankfurt.  To my surprise,  it took me only 1.5 hours from the time I arrived at the airport to the time I was sitting at my departure gate.   And that included exchanging my remaining rupees back into dollars. 

The flight into Frankfurt was uneventful and arrived early.  The Frankfurt airport is large and I had to take a tram from the arrival gate to the departure gate.  I had to go through security again.  The Germans are very,  should I say, careful.  I received one of the most thorough pat down searches of my life.  Let's just say that the security officer knows me quite well now.

On The Way Home

Science for Monks and Nuns staff arranged for a car to pick me and two other science teachers up at the hotel at 7 am.  The Kangra Airport is about a 30 minute drive from McLeod Ganj.  Right on time, the car showed up and we started our descent to the valley below.

When we got to the airport, we found out that the flight to Delhi would be delayed for three hours.  Many other flights leaving Kangra airport were cancelled, so I felt lucky that I did not need to make other travel plans.  To appease its customers, the SpiceJet airline provided a cup of instant ramen (Masala flavor) and mango juice.

Finally, the passengers boarded the plane and we took off.  I must admit that this 1.5 hour flight to Delhi was one of the bumpier ones I have had in a long time.  As the plane door opened when we landed, a rush of hot air entered the plane.  I turned on my phone and noticed the temperature display: 104 degrees F.

A short walk to a car waiting for me and I was off to a hotel for about 10 hours before I must return to the airport for my flight back to Seattle (via Frankfurt, Germany). 

Conference Day 6

The final day of the conference was Sunday, April 20.  The weather for the day started dark and stormy with thunder, lightning and rain around daybreak.  However, by 9 am, the skies cleared and I started my walk down to the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives for the last time.  As I made my way down the street, I joined a group of nuns who were also headed to the library.  We stayed mostly on the street on our walk until the end when we traveled on a small trail.

Inside the Tibet Museum

First on the agenda was a tour of the Tibet Museum.  The Tibet Museum, located just across from the library, is a multimedia exhibit of the people, land and culture of Tibet.  I strongly suggest that if you are in Dharamsala that you visit this excellent museum.

When everyone made it through the museum, the monks and nuns gathered on the grass of the Central Tibetan Administration to showcase their debate method for a film crew.  The monks took turns making their points.  Then it was the nuns turn to debate.

After lunch, conference participants divided into four groups: nuns, monks, abbots and western science teachers. Our charge was to discuss our ideas for the future of the Science for Monks and Nuns Monks program.  The program has been around for 25 years and staff wanted to know where we all thought the program should go in the next years. The afternoon ended with a cultural dance and song show put on by the library staff.  They not only danced and sang, but some performers played traditional Tibetan instruments. 

Finally, it was time to say goodbye.  I thanked the conference organizers and bid farewell to some monks I had not seen for 15 years and to some monks and nuns who I just met this trip.

My Nemesis

I had my suspicions, but I could never prove it...until now.  Everyone morning between 6 and 7 am, I would hear loud, booming noises.  It sounded like a metal garage door or metal shutter opening.  Sometimes it happened more than once.  I thought perhaps construction or a shop opening.  But 6-7 am seemed a bit early. Sometimes I saw monkeys on the deck or tree outside my room, but could not pin the blame on them.

But now I have video evidence of the culprits: it was the monkeys!  My new nemesis!!