Hello Everyone,

I am finally back to Delhi after 5 months in Leh with slow internet. I will use this email to update you on those past 5 months. In September or October, I will send you the last installment (part 10) summarizing things and letting you know which pictures I will be sending in my Christmas letter so that you can have your choice if you wish.

Like the others, this one will probably be long, but I will try to keep it as brief as possible. I returned from Nepal and my Everest Base Camp trek on about the 11th of March. At that time, it was too cold for full-day classes, so school was only a half day for a week or two. Even so, the overcast afternoons were downright uncomfortable.

In March, I got to see two events, both disturbing.  The first was the Muharram holiday. This is the day that Shia Muslims beat themselves up (literally) with fists, chains, knives (very gory) and so forth to acknowledge the suffering of Ali's sons. They believe Ali should have succeeded Mohammed as caliph, as opposed to the Sunni's who had a different succession.

The second event was the festival at the Matho monastery. This festival is unique in that they have oracles who, when given substances (alcohol + narcotics) go into a trance and do things like drinking boiling water and jump from balcony to balcony and cut themselves with swords without bleeding. To me, this all looked fake. BUT, in the crowd there was one lady who was definitely demon-possessed for about five minutes. I'd never seen that before!

April was more calm, with me continuing to teach guitar, keyboard and recorder before and after school, the choir during lunch, and general music during the school day. The choir had a program just before Easter. I was going to do an American theme, but scrapped that idea due to the Iraq war. Instead, we did a Disney movie program. I also started a trekking class this month.

Easter was a good event. We had a sunrise service at the Moravian cemetary, which was good. But, as I am not a morning person, I don't remember much. Like every other normally-vacant enclosed area, though, the preparations of removing organic material had to be done the day before. The regular Easter service at 10:00 was excellent, and we again had a packed church for the occasion. And, all week, there were hour-long readings in Ladakhi of the Passion Week scriptures. I went to most of these and played the hymns required on the keyboard.

Following Easter, we had exams at the school. This meant that I was free for a couple of weeks. I used this time to first go to Skurbuchan village (Apr. 21)and meet Tsering Stanzin, whom I interviewed in December. Tsering Stanzin is about the best traditional folk singer in Ladakh, and I was referred to him by several people. As it was planting season, we got everything done in one evening, and I ended up getting 14 songs down on tape recording, as well as the Tibetan/Ladakhi script for those songs. I have since gotten that translated into English, and will later be putting down his songs into musical notation.

Back in Leh in May and June, I got an additional 9 songs from 3 other singers in different parts of Ladakh. With the extra time to spare, I went from Skurbuchan the following day (Apr 22) to Uletokpo, and walked in a few miles to the Rizong Gompa where I stayed with the monks there. They gave me food, and I showed them on the keyboard how to play their mantras. The day after this (Apr 23), I walked back out to the main road, and then in to Alchi on the other side of the Indus River. I visited the school there and spent the day teaching songs and dances. This was the one school that I taught music at 3 years ago on my first visit. The day after this (Apr 24), I walked out to the main road, caught a bus, and then went to Likir village and gompa. I again spent the night in the gompa with another American named Andrew. In the morning (Apr 25), I taught the monks some songs (some Christian) and then walked out and caught a bus back to Leh.

2 days later (Apr 27), I caught the weekly bus to Wanla village. There, I found the old lady that I had taken a photo of 3 years ago and gave that to her.  She and her family had me over for tea. Yes, she remembered me! I was with Andrew yet, and we explored the village. As there was no hotel, a family took us in and fed us for $1 each. The next day (Apr 28), Andrew and I explored the Shillakong Gorge, and then walked over the pass to Lamayuru. We went back to Leh on the 29th. The next 3 days, I went out to SECMOL, which is a combination school-reform center and hostel. The students there are ones who need an alternative method of teaching. They also give workshops to try and reform the corrupt government schools in Ladakh, especially in the villages.

We had a going away party back in Leh on the 2nd of May for Kima, our assistant pastor, as well as a big snowstorm that blew the tin roof off my house and caused another small disaster inside my apartment.  The kitchen roof partially collapsed, and rubble and mud was on top of the cement table in there. As I don't use that room, that is the condition I left it in, even as I left this month. On the 3rd of May, Andrew and I headed out one last time and took the bus to Alchi. From there, we walked over a high pass in the snow to a villge not even on the map. But, a family took us in, as usual. Even in that remote village, they had heard of the Mission School, so I am trying to get a scholarship for that boy.

May was a good month, where I got some things done at the school. There were also holidays like Muslim Eid, local elections, and Buddha's birthday. I got the bulk of my teaching done this year during that month. June had me tying up loose odds and ends. I gave my 2nd term exam early, and took digital photos of most of the students. Both the Dalai Lama and the president of India arrived in Leh (as well as a famous soccer star here), and I got to see both of them quite close. But, the big event of the month was Parents' Day at our school. I spent 6 weeks working on a musical play for 60 choir students only to have it destroyed by an inadequate sound system that we didn't have a chance to test. Everything over here is done last-minute, and in this case things DIDN'T turn out okay. But, the dances that groups had worked out went well. After the program, a beautiful Muslim lady came up to me asking for recorder lessons. It turns out that she is the mother of my best keyboard student. I was hesitant due to my short time in Leh remaining, but she convinced me to try. In 3 weeks, she was as good as almost any of my students at the school who had been studying for months. Most of the lessons were at her beauty salon, which has a sign that says "Only for Ladies." I asked her about that, and she said "My husband would kill me if I cut a man's hair!" July began with only teacher meetings, as the Dalai Lama was giving sermons. I dressed up in Ladakhi traditional clothes and did a rap and dance for the teachers to emphacize Mrs. Basu's (English teacher for younger grades) workshop on using rhyme to help teach English. On July 5th, I had a dozen trekking students with me on a river rafting trip on the Indus River.

Then, I did a 2-day trek covering 30 miles that went over a high pass (Stok La) on July 7th and 8th. The following 3 days were a retreat in a neighboring village for our Bible study group. The leader is Wapang, who is from Nagaland. He was a gang member in his younger years, and did a complete turnaround when he became a born-again Christian. My last local treks were a moonlight trek to the Shanti Stupa, and a difficult day-hike up Nanga Sago peak (19,000 ft).

My good friend, Kurt Schneider, arrived from Germany for our trek on July 15th. I had a good time showing him shops and restaurants, as well as the old fort and palace. And, we were lucky enough during the two days were were in Leh to see a cultural show of the music and dances. We stumbled upon that by accident.

Kurt's reason for coming was to do the Rupshu/Changtang trek in the remote part of Ladakh southeast of Leh. That trek took us over passes as high as almost 18,000 feet, through an impressive gorge, past lakes that were fresh water or salt water, one village with an active gompa, and many nomads with yaks, dzos, sheep, pashm goats (pashmina shawls come from them), and donkeys. At one nomad tent, we were given curds (yogurt made in a sheepskin). And, we climbed two peaks; one over 19,000 feet, and the other over 20,000 feet! The trip was good, but could have been better. We didn't have the number of days and time available to really do that remote trek properly, given campsite locations, access, and peaks we intended to climb. But, we still had fun. I'd like to return in 2 years. Our return to Leh after the trek was via a painful and slow truck ride over Taglang La pass.

Upon returning to Leh, I had four days remaining before leaving Ladakh; after having arrived 13 months earlier. On Sunday, I played keyboard one last time in church and said good bye to everyone. And, on the following three days, I did almost all of my shopping for the year, as well as some last minute music lessons and said good bye to the students and teachers at the school. On my last day, the 6th, I gave a 5-minute farewell speech in the Ladakhi language. I had written it out in English, and the Bodhi teacher had put it into Ladakhi/Tibetan script, which I am starting to be able to read. I used part of my 17-day trek to figure out the pronunciations, and my ponyman helped me. Upon returning to Leh, I had help finishing up things with the help of an old man from church who can read both languages.

I left Leh on the 7th of August and came here to Delhi. After 3 days here sight-seeing and eating mango ice cream, I went to Jaipur. This is the city of the Maharajahs, and I saw numerous palaces, forts and a few temples. I have now returned to Delhi, and will be here just one more day before my plane back across the ocean. Please feel free to call, email or visit if you wish. I'd like to hear from you all.

God bless you, and I pray you had as good a year as I have had.

Keith Koepsel