12:48 AM - 07.01.05
Winter
When I arrived downtown early this morning on my way to work, the snow was melting and the birds were singing. At about 3:30 pm this afternoon the secretary who lives in my community came by to let me know the company was closing the office immediately and sending all workers home for their own safety. What happened?
At lunch I really needed a break and some fresh air. The temperature then wasn't too bad but the wind was very strong and bitter making both walking and breathing difficult. I headed over to the market square I really like - the one with shops representing cultures from all over the world and because it is close to the office twoer where I work. I was looking for a little gift for my son and myself to make up a bit for Christmas, since the bills are paid and sales are on too. I was drawn in to the Tibetan store by the sight of some dragon T-Shirts I thought my son would like. The owner remembered me from my last visit over a month ago. I was quite surprised by that since I had just done a quick walk through at the time.
He started telling me about his experiences. First as an orphan fleeing the Chinese attempts at cultural and spiritual genocide in Tibet. Walking for months through the passes in the Himalayas, then finally reaching Nepal. From there joining the other Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala. The community-in-exile there had created support services for the many children like him who had no one. He lived in an orphanage and completed his schooling, then became one of the community support workers in his own turn. He showed me photos of himself with his co-workers and the Dalai Lama. He obviously missed that life a great deal, but many Tibetans have found it necessary to come to countries like Canada in order to help their community left in Tibet survive. The goods in his store are all made by Tibetans in Dharamsala and the proceeds are sent back there for their use. He said he was close to getting his Canadian citizenship. Once that is done he can get travel papers and a passport so he can go back to visit his siblings and friends - the ones he obviously misses greatly.
We talked a bit about the Dalai Lama, what his life has been like and how he has tried to live out the principles of their community's faith. I asked if he thought that maybe the invasion of his country was meant so that the messages of living compassion, loving kindness and non-violence could be delivered to countries like ours in North America in a very human form by refugees lik himself. Our cultures really only learn by direct example and Tibet and the Himalayas are very remote. I allowed it was cruel and unusual punishment for Tibetans but a great gift for the rest of us. Went back to work wishing I could stay and talk instead, but the bills keep coming and some one has to buy the cats kibble.
Work was quiet today simply because I was working in the one fileroom with my headphones firmly in place while the laptop perched precariously on one shlef while I went through the stacks of bull clipped records there. Mostly legal and financial documents so summation demanded a lot of careful analysis and thought. Capture enough information so that critical documents can be found but not so much that each entry becomes a book. A lot of staff wandering by, some amused while others were bemused by the odd sight - me perched on a Tupperware step stool keying away. One woman asked me if I didn't feel a bit like Harry Potter - you know exiled to live under the stairs. She asked a bit about the work I did and we chatted about some of the things I'd experieinced over the past decade. That was kind of nice. Most staff don't really care or are hostile to consultants even though the company brings us in specifically to help makes their workflow more efficient. Chatted a bit with my co-worker and the finance specialist sitting next to him about our family histories at coffee break - that was entertaining in that all of our experiences had been so different even though we were all Canadians. Sort of made my afternoon being able to socialize a bit.
The secretary who lives in my community had come by to chat with me in the file room in the course of her duties too, but was respectful of not interrupting when I was working through a stack of paper trying to concentrate. When she interrupted at 3:30 she startled me a bit but it was obvious the company felt it was urgent that we all try to go home immediately. Near or actual blizzard conditions already existing in some parts of the city - whiteouts (zero visibility because of the blowing snow) making driving very dangerous in daylight but impossible after dark. The train tracks were starting to freeze over too, meaning difficulty getting out of downtown if we stayed much later. Sleeping in the office overnight just wasn't all that appealing either although it has been necessary before when blizzards have blown in without warning. did I mention I carry a toothbrush and other overnight essentials in my office in a bag just in case, for that reason? It took me about half an hour to pack everything up and put it away at my co-worker's station, then we walked out together into daylight - somewhere behind all that snow I guess. The wind by then had taken on that eerie howling wolves sound that sometimes comes with blizzards. Just hurries one on their way, right?
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