Emily Strasser
I am a Junior, English Major with a minor in Anthropology at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. I love to write, read,travel, and play Irish fiddle. I spent last summer in Oaxaca, Mexico. This semester I am studying Tibetan Language, culture, and philosophy in Dharamsala, India, the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile.
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
School: Vassar College
Abroad Program: Emory Tibetan Studies
Where I've Lived Abroad: Dharamsala, India - Oaxaca, Mexico
A Tea Break in Dharamsala
Home is Where the Heart Is
21 Jun 2009
In some ways, Bhutti’s village of Salapi is the community I’ve been dreaming of since childhood. I’ve always been a ... read more
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India
We Traveled Seven Hours To A Sacred Lake To Walk In Circles?
“What are we going to do now?” I asked Bhutti. “Just walking around,” she answered, matter-of-factly. After a harrowing seven hours in crowded Indian buses, we had checked into our ... read more
19 May 2009
India
HOW TO: Buy Clothes Like An Indian Woman
I walk into a dim shop piled high with brightly colored fabrics. The Indian shopkeeper looks at me expectantly. “Kurta?” I ask tentatively. He nods and gestures for me to ... read more
16 Apr 2009
India
SLIDESHOW: Savory Snacks, Sacred Rivers, and Tibetan Buddhists In India
An Indian snack and sweet shop in Pragpur, Northern India rather ironically wishes its customers good health. While not exactly ... read more
28 Jul 2009
Insider Tips
India
Gift giving: don't expect effusive thanks
As I unpacked my suitcase, I pulled out the nice soap and journal I had brought as gifts for my new Tibetan roommate. “Here, I brought you something,” I said ... read more
16 Mar 2009
India
Scarves and shawls galore!
Indian and Tibetan standards of dress are more modest than American standards. Avoid tight pants, shorts, and short skirts. A shawl or scarf is an indispensable fashion accessory—you can ... read more
16 Mar 2009
India
Sleep Tight, Loose Underwear
“Good night, sleep tight, loose underwear.” The first time my Ladakhi roommate said this to me, I sat up in bed in surprise. “Loose underwear?” “Yes, so funny…” she said ... read more
13 Apr 2009
India
Wake up early!
The mornings in India are the holy times. Sikh temples begin to wake up their holy book around 2 a.m., and really get going around sunrise. You may wake ... read more
15 Apr 2009
India
Don't forget your kata!
If you are spending a lot of time around Tibetans, and especially if you are meeting important religious or political leaders, it is a good idea to always carry a ... read more
23 Apr 2009
India
Hello, one photo?
Traveling in India, expect people to ask you to take pictures of them, or be in pictures with them. I found that Indians wealthy enough to own a camera often ... read more
04 May 2009
India
Hooray for Bollywood!
Prepare to hear the lyrics to popular Bollywood songs in shops and taxis all over India, and the faces of the ten most popular Bollywood stars plastered all over advertisements ... read more
04 May 2009
India
Immerse yourself in local style
Pack light and buy clothes there! Even though people told me before I left for India that the standards of dress are much more modest, I still ended up bringing ... read more
11 May 2009
India
Hone your basketball skills
Tibetans love their basketball, and they’re good too. How well you play proves your social status. One day, my Tibetan teacher decided to have a fun class outside and ... read more
11 May 2009
India
A drop of water won't kill you
While traveling in India, it's easy to convince yourself that every bite of food potentially contains a strain of death. While it is smart to be cautious about tap ... read more
23 May 2009
India
A Passage to India
Passage to India by E.M. Forester, set in India under the British colonial rule, is a marvelous book to read while traveling in India. His descriptions beautifully capture the ... read more
23 May 2009
India
Gotta love momos
Do not miss the momos! Small dumplings stuffed with meat, cheese, veggies or potatoes, and fried or steamed, momos are a signature Tibetan food. You can buy them on the ... read more
23 May 2009
India
Be sensitive when it comes to the Dalai Lama
Whether Tibetans support the Dalai Lama’s middle way approach, which advocates autonomy for Tibet within China, or advocate full independence is a sensitive subject. His Holiness is so revered ... read more
23 May 2009
India
Buses are the best!
If you’re going to be traveling in the mountains of Northern India, you’ve got to resign yourself to lots of buses on curvy mountain roads. Despite the extreme ... read more
29 May 2009
India
Two scenes: take your pick
For traditional and modern Tibetan music and dance, try to attend one of TIPA’s (the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) shows. For a very different but equally fun and ... read more
29 May 2009
India
Dharamsala is hopping in the morning
Nightlife? What’s that? I guess it depends on which crowd you’re hanging out with, but among the locals in Dharamsala, nightlife is pretty nonexistent. In my home-stay family ... read more
31 May 2009
India
Tibetan uprising day
In the Tibetan exile communities in India, March 10, Tibetan Uprising Day, is the political event of the year. It commemorates March 10, 1959, when protests and revolt erupted in ... read more
31 May 2009
India
Enter with Care
Dating Tibetans can be tricky, due to different cultural expectations. Tibetan women are generally reserved with the opposite sex, but Tibetan men are often very interested in American women. Just ... read more
21 Jun 2009
India
Take refuge in a Sikh temple
If you arrive in Delhi, or any other Indian city in the wee hours of the morning after an overnight bus or train, head straight to the nearest Sikh Temple ... read more
