Dear Friends and Relatives,

This is the last of my ten articles telling of my year

in India teaching school and visiting that part of the

world. This one should be shorter than the others,

mainly because I am in the middle of typing my

research paper of the folk music of the Ladakhi

culture, which I plan to have finished by the end of

this month. I’m now taking a study break from that

project, and need to get back to it tomorrow.

Today’s last newsletter will be mostly lists, as I can

get that done in a hurry. At the end of the 3 lists,

I will tell about my last week in India, and my

feelings since returning to Colorado. This first

list, though, is most important as it concerns my

Christmas cards for this year. As usual, I will be

doing my Christmas cards and letters via regular post,

rather than email like my mid-year letters. This is

because I want to send pictures. After Christmas, I

will have digital pictures for sending via email. Ask

me in January for those, as I have that paper to

finish, and then Christmas concerts. I will also be

getting a website going this winter and will give you

that link in my mid-year letter in May next year. For

now, you have a choice as to what picture you want me

to send you. Those that respond will get their

choice. Others will get what I send (all are good).

I don’t have time to get homemade cards done, but will

enclose a picture of your choice with my Christmas

letter. Here are what I will have reprinted:

1. A photo of the area I lived taken right from my house in India.

2. A photo of school children at the Mission School

3. A photo of friends of mine in Ladakh

4. A photo of rugged trekking scenery in India

5. A cultural photo of the Buddhist culture

6. A photo of village people

7. A photo of the top of Stok Kangri (20,180feet)

8. A photo from Bombay

9. A photo from the beaches of Goa

10. A photo from Mysore

11. A photo from the backwaters of Kerala

12. A photo of me at the southern tip of India

13. A photo of one of the fancy Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu

14. A photo from my Annapurna trek in Nepal

15. A photo of Everest from that trek

16. A photo of Ama Dablam, which was more impressive

17. A photo of me as Ghandi upon my return to Colorado

18. A photo of a me on that treacherous ice trek in Feb.

I’ve been told by some people here in Gunnison that

they didn’t get all of my other letters, most

specifically the last one that I emailed in August.

So, below is a list of the previous newsletters.

Please let me know if you want any of them forwarded

to you. Everything is saved on my Yahoo site.

Part 1 June, 2002 First half of my trip to India,

including Guam, and Hong Kong.

Part 2 July, 2002 Second half of my trip there,

including Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok and Calcutta

Part 3 October, 2002 Includes details of living in

Leh, as well as my job, and the September festival

Part 4 November, 2002 About my trek around

Annapurna in Nepal during a visa run

Part 5 December, 2002 Tells about Christmas in

Ladakh

Part 6 January, 2003 Tells about my holiday trip to

areas of western and southern India

Part 7 February, 2003 Talks about my amazing winter

trek on the ice of the Zanskar River for 10 days

Part 8 March, 2003 Tells about my trek to Everest

Base Camp in Nepal on my 2nd visa run

Part 9 August, 2003 Talks about my remaining 5

months in Leh

Besides these regular newsletters, I’ve posted

specific stories on the backpacker.com website. They

are in the Trail Talk forums under the Storytelling

forum. Scroll back if you want to find them under my

name “Burntfoot.” Or, if you want specific stories, I

also have those saved, and can forward to you two or

three stories from the list below. These are in the

order that I posted them last year, and they have more

detail than I could put in a newsletter:

Happy Birthday Dalai Lama

Trekking in a Restricted Zone

As High as Denali

A Strange Week

Ladakh Festival

A Day off From School

My School in Ladakh

Around Annapurna

A Ladakhi Wedding Reception

Come to Leh

Life in Leh

Attacked by a Snow Leopard

Christmas in Ladakh

Western India and a Contest

Southern India

A dICeY Trek

A Disturbing Procession

Guide to the Everest Trek

Contest Answers

Mini Treks, part one

People Groups in Ladakh

Funny Road Signs

Into the Villages, Part 1

Into the Villages, Part 2

Religions in Ladakh

Friends in Ladakh

You Know You are Indian If. . .

Tourist Sights in Ladakh

“This is Problem”

Cravings

Summary of My Year

Things I’ve Gotten Used To

Excuses for Missing a Class Reunion

My Last Trek in Ladakh

I ALSO PLAN TO POST THESE LAST STORIES BEFORE

CHRISTMAS:

Mini Treks, Part two

India-Pakistan War Situation

Book Report Summaries of 40 Books Read

Now that the lists are done, I need to update you

about the last part of my year. Following my flight

back to Delhi, I spent one week before returning to

America. In Delhi, I completed shopping for items

that were requested by friends and/or relatives. In

Delhi, I went shopping and got fifteen dollars worth

of spices and tea, which are worth about four times

that here in America. In Delhi, I gorged on mango ice

cream, which is my favorite flavor. I still haven’t

found any back here, though I’ve got people looking!

In Delhi, I went sight-seeing to a few places I’d not

yet seen. In Delhi, I took a last few crazy rickshaw

rides. And, I got to Jaipur for 3 days. That is the

city of the famous and rich Maharajahs that ruled

small kingdoms as puppets under the British rule.

That city was rich with palaces and temples, and I was

glad I went there instead of returning to the Taj

Mahal. Following this, I paid a bunch of money for

all the extra luggage I had and flew back to America.

I had one layover in Amsterdam, and another in Detroit

where I went through customs. Luckily, they didn’t

charge me duty, and never opened my bags. I got out

of Detroit 2 hours before the blackout they had back

in August.

Back in Colorado, I picked up my pickup truck from

Kathryn Greeson, a very good friend who used it last

year, and drove to Wisconsin to visit relatives. On

the way back to Colorado from there, I visited several

people in the Weyauwega area, as well as Kurt

Schneider, Sheila (Patrick) Edwards and Galen Gunnink.

All were excellent visits. I got back to school

within one minute of when I was required to be there!

On Friday of that week, I shaved my beard and head

(except for the mustache), put on a white loincloth,

and walked in to the teacher meetings barefoot as

Ghandi. Some of their reactions were priceless! I’m

now hoping it grows back to normal before Christmas.

I think it will.

Finally, I need to briefly mention my feelings upon

returning. I didn’t think I’d be affected by reverse-culture-shock, as warned by some friends.

And, at first it didn’t appear to be so. I drove

straight for 20 hours back to Wisconsin on the right

side of the road. Things seemed to be the same at my

parents’ place. Things seemed to be the same at my grandparents place. Things seemed to be the same with friends I visited. Things even seemed to be the same at the school here, regarding the people and the way things are run.

But, it has hit me little by little. I just can’t get

used to how easy we have things here. Why should a

huge school building like mine have carpet over every

square inch except the toilets? Why should I even

have carpet in my trailer home? Do we really deserve

such things as central heat, hot water from the tap,

two or three cars per family, large screen TV’s, and

other such things? Do we really need huge

supermarkets with climate control instead of 10 foot

by 15 foot mom and pop grocery stores? Do we really

need streets that are paved and wide enough for five

vehicles side by side even in a small town? No, we

don’t really need those things. But, at the same

time, if we can afford them we shouldn’t be denied

them. I had a disagreement with the new

superintendent here on the first day of teacher

meetings. He made the statement that we here in

America deserve all the finer things we have to offer

like nice homes, fancy sound systems, good cars, and

the like. That is wrong. We don’t deserve these

things. Rather, we deserve the right to work FOR

these things. That I have no problem with. Needless

to say, I do miss the people in India, and the city of

Leh. At the same time, I am grateful to be back, as

the students and parents here appreciate me to a much

higher degree than they did back in India.

If I haven’t heard from you in awhile, please email

and/or send a card during the upcoming holiday season.

Keith Koepsel