[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]* This update was written yesterday but sent to us today. The group has returned to Kangding and will soon be back in Chengdu.  Now that the project phase has ended, we as instructors have been reflecting on our project in Yolonshi. To start, the experience was incredible. The homestay was intense and conditions…

What does it mean to complete a project? Does it mean creating an object, or does it mean something much more? For us, it means something much more. This past couple of days we have been putting in a lot of work. We decided, as a team, that we could do more to help the…

People often go to work or build something for someone, but why they are doing it is often overlooked. Here in Tibet, you look around and see so many things; most are spectacular, but some are very concerning. One of the most concerning things you see is trash. It is everywhere. Trash is the reason…

Today, we started our day an hour early to try to get extra work done. The day went a lot smoother because we separated into more defined groups. We continued building up our first structure by using our concrete mix and cinder blocks. At the same time, we worked on our second project by pick…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]This post was written a couple days before we received it. The group has now moved to the village of Yolonshi to start their project work.  Today we started the day by walking across the street to Abu’s house to visit a 1300 year old monastery. We got white scarves*, offered them to the…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text letter_spacing=””]Today our group woke up at a hotel in Kangding. We ate breakfast in a restaurant; the food was the same items we’ve been eating for both lunch and dinner as well. Boss Hog (our driver) and Tenpa (one of our Tibetan guides) drove us to a monastery in Kangding. This monastery was one…

In the U.S., we go through every day not thinking about what we have. We go by day to day eating what we want, drinking what we please and petting animals without suspicion. In Tibet all of these luxuries are non-existent. Every day here has had new experiences, some weird and unordinary, but all extremely…

You would love this city—the bright lights, the streets full of people, the air conditioning blasting in our rooms. However, getting here was no easy feat… to get to Chengdu it took planes, trains (automated people mover??), and automobiles. We began our journey in LA, where we struggled to find each other, ate, and got…