Dinner Party with Our Tibetan Ohana

Last evening my partner and I hosted a dinner party for our Tibetan friends. Two of them are monks who live in Dharamasala, India and who journeyed here as part of the Dalai Lama entourage. They came to our dinner party dressed like locals and not wearing their traditional robes. One of them is the main cook for the Dalai Lama; of them is a famous Lama; one of them is the niece of this Lama who lives in San Francisco, California, and the other one is her best girlfriend; one of the boys is a local boy (the one with the curly hair), and other one is the son of one of the Tibetan ladies. Three of them share the name Tenzin which is a popular Tibetan name in honor of the Dalai Lama whose name is Tenzin. Sweeter, more gracious, happy people you couldn't imagine. We are blessed to be considered their friends.

Ohana is an Hawaiian word which translates to extended family. Five of these people photographed here we have known for many years and share much personal history and many good times, both here in Hawaii and in India.

D is for the Dalai Lama On Maui

Sorry to make you wait about the "D" word, but it's been a crazy last two days with the historic visit of the Dalai Lama to Maui. I've risen early both mornings and have had long days at events. I posted about this visit of the Dalai Lama on another of my blogs: Who's Yo Mama, and I plan to post more today!

Short story: Four of us were invited to have a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama last year (2006), and we traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in McLeod Ganj (Dharmasala) India to experience a 45 minute audience with him. At the time, I was asked to invite the Dalai Lama to visit Maui which he had never done before by Georgiana, the main lady who runs the Maui Dharma Center in Paia along with Lama Gyaltsen.

I did as I was asked, and lo and behold...one year and one month later, here is the Dalai Lama on Maui which is probably the biggest event which has ever happened to Maui. My emotions have been bubbling over with bliss! Can you tell I'm a huge fan?

The visit of the Dalai Lama to Maui was accompanied by many rules: no cameras, cellphones, videorecorders, etc....all of which I obeyed. However, I noticed many people breaking the rules of cameras, and so they photographed him and didn't get busted. However, I played by the rules, and thus, I don't have any photos of him on Maui. Oh well....

The photo was taken at the Main Temple at McLeod Ganj (Dharmasala) India in March 2006. It is an intricate butter carving, and I think it's amazing.