Culture Day at a local school

Before my fateful trip to Lafayette, Louisiana, I spent a day with our local Tibetan group bringing their culture to the children of a local elementary school. Of course, the effort is led by Geshe Dorjee Thupton, but each table needed a few people to help teach about the culture.

There were Tibetan clothes to be tried on, various cultural icons and then, of course the sand mandelas.

I was actually pretty amazed that I looked this good in Tibetan garb; Don't forget this is on top of my usual jeans and tee shirt
Another in our group showing a typical males outfit...Geshe is making sure to get the right fit!

While I was not able to escape the native clothing demonstration; my post for the day was at the sand mandela table. It seemed to be the most popular one; who could say no to the opportunity to spread different colored sand on a pre-marked board and make pictures?


Here is the board of the mandelas; see the faint outlines of design? The spaces would be filled painstakingly with sand. Grain by grain, until the whole pattern is completed...well, that is how the monks do it. The children...they have a different approach


This little girl was so adorable. She was so serious about doing it right and I could not resist getting a shot with her tongue placed just so. You have to do that to get the sand to go just so, right?
Once it becomes a group effort well, it seems the details are lost but lots of fun is had nevertheless.