h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

John, I must doff my hat to you ... a truly splendid entry and one that has been handled brilliantly.

I would have thought that this was just the kind of thing that would sit neatly in 360 as well as here, seeing as, as you say, so many people have looked the other way not wanting to upset China.

Recent world history seems to indicate that there was a gross oversight at the start of the 60's ... all the recent "world" conflicts have stemmed from one nation trying to oppress another yet we have one of the worlds most incredible countries and cultures that has been ignored for over 40 years.

When I was 18 I spent 6 1/2 months teaching english to and living with Tibetan monks in exile, just outside Darjeeling. Obviously a lot of them were too young to have been in Tibet at the time of the invasion, but on the other hand a number of them had made the treacherous crossing of the Himalayas and had seen the horrors that the PLA had inflicted. I was even lucky enough to pay a visit to my best friends parents home in an off limits area of Sikkim. When they had fled Tibet this was where they had first settled. I have no photos, just memories and what I wrote in my diary, but it will go with me to the end.

Never have I met such a charismatic race. From the youngest of the monks I was teaching (age 10) to the oldest (nearer 70) resident they all had a certain something which I can't put my finger on.

I could go on all day but I won't as I have work to do. But once again, a brilliant article.

Just a small point ... I seem to remember that the name Dalai Lama was a corruption of the name Dala'i Lama but I may be wrong. It still means Ocean of Wisdom so it really is a knit pick!

Also, Seven Years in Tibet was based on Heinrich Harrers book of the same name, and while I'm at it - - there's another absolutely brilliant book by Mary Craig called Tears of Blood - A Cry for Tibet which describes the whole invasion. She interviewed hunreds of tibetans and the stories related are enough to make you choke and if only half of the stories are half true (which I doubt is the case at all) it is still just as traumatising.

As I said before, absolutely brilliant ...

Thanks, Ekki; that's very kind.

You're right about 'Tears of Blood'; it is brilliant, and very moving. It's in a recommended reading list attached to one of the Entries... I hope.

I'd love to include something about your experience if you'd care to contribute. It doesn't have to be long, but your perspective would be valuable. I think a first person narrative would be welcomed by the editors, in this case.

JTG

Back to books for a sec... have you read "Ama Adhe, The Voice that Remembers", by Adhe Tapontsang and Joy blakeslee? It is an incredibly powerful book - it woke me up to the Tibet tragedy.

JTG