So my special lady and I went to see the Dalai Lama down in Middlebury this past weekend. Yeah Middlebury is a pretty big deal in case you didn't know! It was quite an interesting crowd with students, local celebs, and aging hippies. As it was 35 degrees and quite raw out we showed up only about a 1/2 hour early and had to sit way in the back of Nelson Arena which was fine. There were only a few thousand people there so you could still see and hear fine. My wife overheard some dipshit say they had been camped out in line since 4AM. Really? So you could get in the 2nd row as opposed to the 32nd? Ok, whatever weirdo. Anyway, the real line to camp out in was for the bathroom. The ladies line was 30 minutes plus. I guess gross granola bars and lemon bar are a quick means to bodily purification, otherwise known as poop city.
Security was everywhere. The Lama has an entourage and cruises around in a size able caravan which includes an ambulance (just in case). He was introduced first by Midd President Ron Leibowitz and then Sen. Patrick Leahy apparently an old pal. His Holiness then came out for an hour plus talk followed by a Q&A session. It was really quite good. Calm, well spoken for not having English as a first language, thoughtful, and really very funny, the Lama was as advertised. He spoke of peace and understanding but more so of stepping back and thinking through the obstacles that may arise in your life so that you can react in a thoughtful way... that way mostly one of mutual benefit if possible. We become more of a like minded community with less personal differences as we become more global. Best of all he told personal stories and busted out a series of little jokes. He also broke out a funny color coordinated visor for his seated Q&A. Another impressive feature of the speech was his translator. While His Holiness is quite fluent in English, from time to time he would be looking for a word or expression and after a nod to his translator the quiet guy in the suit would express it for him. That is an amazing connection and must involve great trust. All around 2 thumbs up even with the bathroom situation.
We then went over for lunch at the Storm Cafe. I had not been there in years but it was really quite good. I had a chicken cheese steak (or was it turkey?). In any event it was a bird and it was delicious. The roll was good, the cheese was good, and the hot peppers gave it a nice kick. The side Cesar was also crisp and not over dressed. Delicious.
So Gunga Gulunga!!!
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