Making Dinner at Secmol.

Another video I made at Secmol back in the spring. The kitchen is a fun place to chill, especially on mokmok (pronounced momo) night. Mokmoks are steamed dumplings.

Back in the USA

It's been a great summer back in the USA, and I'm hesitant to post this on "jamesinladakh" but it's easiest to stick with one link so what the hell. For a few weeks the idea was to drive out west and visit friends while picking up occasional hours with my old employer Courthouse News Service. But then I was offered a job as a crew leader for Baltimore City high school students, maintaining parks. The Student Conservation Association interviewed and hired me two days before a training program in Pittsburg began, so I made a quick decision to abandon the road trip. Looking at my finances even after working a summer job, it's clear that that was the right move. Still, I managed a long weekend in Chicago over the 4th of July and a couple of Ocean City New Jersey trips. Together with a closing ceremony for the spring VIS crew in Vermont, I guess I got around a good bit this summer. And now I have some trail and footbridge building skills. Working with the Baltimore kids was amazing too, and forced me to be more authoritative than in my capacity as intern out in Ladakh. This, I think, will help me to better balance my teaching style in the long run.

Returning from Ladakh in May without a job, but with at least some security/fall back plans, gave me a great feeling of liberation. At the same time, the couch surfing was horrible. Nothing against my gracious hosts, but there's a lot to be said for personal living space. In this way, it will be nice to return to my little greenhouse nook at SECMOL (see early blogs).

This summer it was also nice to at least play one good show with MoBeano. It had seemed like we could fit a couple in, but this was unrealistic thinking on my part. I got really busy. Also musically, I managed to raise donations of new and used musical equipment to bring back to SECMOL. We've got keyboards, a new acoustic guitar, a violin, and even accordions. This is exciting for me and all of the Ladakhi students around the bend. Some of my favorite students will be at the campus again in the fall, which I am also incredibly excited about. So, the beginning of our fall experience will be an entrance into Ladakh on foot during a fifteen-day trek before we even get to the campus! But first, a few days in Delhi starting on August 28th! I seriously need to find some time to loaf. Anyway, the path continues to get carved out, deeper into Baltimore now, and deeper into Ladakh soon. Maybe the paths will meet somewhere in the middle. Keep in touch, my friends.