I have been promoted to head of housekeeping. Lest you think that this is related in any way to my proficiency in cleaning, I should point out that this is solely due to a lack of volunteers. There were three of us in this department last week; I am the only one left!
It has been particularly hectic for the last several days. On Saturday, we celebrated the end of a three-year retreat that took place at Sopa Cholong, a few hundred metres up the road. It was a big celebration, and we had many guests, all of whom required food and accommodation. Today we welcome a group of ten students from St. FX and their advisor. So the turnover has kept us hopping. I haven’t been this tired since I hiked the Annapurna Circuit. Truly.
Throughout all of the comings and goings, we find time for meditation, ritual, silence. Last evening, Paola and I walked to “the cathedral” an outcrop of jagged rock about two kms up the road to Pleasant Bay. It was a beautiful evening, and we used the time to talk for the first time since my arrival. Understand, Paola is my roommate. We have had zero opportunity to talk because we work in different areas of the house, and by the time we get back to our room in the evening, we are in silence. Last night, we shared our remarkably similar histories and an animal-in-the-bush scare. Nothing can bring you closer to another human being than believing you are about to face a bear together.
