From Jenna About June 28th
Happy belated b-day Ana Schmidt and Burke

The festival in Jomsom was an amazing event. The food prepartions started several days before-- over 20 women huddled on the floor washing and cutting veggies, frying bread, and steaming rice. Tsampa hand printed prayer flags, and decorated offering bowls with clay, other men helped set up the community hall and folded katas(blessing scarves) They day of the festival, the comotion started early (5 ish) for breakfast we were served curried veggies, popcorn, puffed rice and chai tea, then Tsampa and his wife Karma presented the 6 women in our group with Chubas (the traditional dress for Tibetan women. YES Iris, your mom wore a purple DRESS!!!! They also had a special red silk outfit for Joey 1 and 1/2-- the youngest member of out team. 9:30 Am the procession from the dancing yak to the community hall- Jane and I carried the rolled up thanka (amchi painting) and followed a drummer down the street with a large crowd following and looking on. Once in the community hall there was much discussion and arguing about how and where to hang the painting. 11 am the ceremony started--- FYI in Nepal before you talk in a microphone or everytime you pause for even a minute it is customary to blow in the microphone to be sure it is working---- so there were speeches, by Tsampa, and a few polotical figures and the great man who runs the little shop across the street where we buy TP and snickers. Then Jane and I spoke-- unfortunately we both forgot to blow in the microphone-- I hope people did not think we were too disrespectful of that custom. Tsampa's son Tsewang translated for us. Then there was a lot of dancing-- traditional Tibetan dancers, and Napali dancers and Indian dancers all in traditional costumes (they danced their hearts out to crackly tape cassette music) Tsampa presented Jane with a gift of a Lama table he had carved and painted. He presented the rest of our team w3ith blessing scarves. Then FOOD was served to all the people in attendance (hundreds maybe??) Rice, curried veggies, Tibetan bread, and chai tea. Guests in attendance all presented katas to Tsampa, his wife, Jane and the rest of the team. Jane and Tsampa had on so many blessing scarves that their faces were getting covered up. The painting was taken down and carried like a banner, Tsampa, Jane and about 30 other riders on horseback led a parade doen the street. Joey was even swooped up by a Tibetan man on a horse and he rode in the parade. Women sang and danced as we headed down the street, horns, drums and other instruments palyed and people sang, danced, and cheered. I am thrilled to say that I had my camera focused on Jane' face as she rode past me and the wind blew, picking up the katas from around her neck wrapping them completely around her face--- funny!!! once the thanka was taken into the dancing Yak (its temp home) the horse racing began. Men in colorful Traditional Tibetan outfits races up and down the cobble stone streets on horses hanging off one side of the saddle trying to pick up katas from the ground. I looked up one time to see Eric Pories (Joey's dad) galloping down the street to give it a try. He recieved the loudest cheers as he galloped his petit pony, smiling and waving his arm towards the katas. We ate, danced, and laughed till 11 pm. Though the Tibetan women did 90 % of the singing and dancing, we americans also entertained them... Eric brought out a twister game and we taught them how to play. Just before midnight our team met out on the front stoop to share a glass of wine and toast the success of the day (thanks for the bottle of West Va winewine Kim, Jim, Debra, Eric). Right after they sang happy birthday to me a guy from NY who was staying across the street came over and said it was his birthday too. He played a roubnd of twister then disapeared into the night. The festival (and my birthday) were magical. I hope the video and pictures can do it justice.

gotta go I have spent a fortune (I am a slow typist and a pit speller so this is a slow process for me). Jenna