On Saturday about fifty local people joined us and the group cruised through Laguna towards Newport Beach. There, we traversed the boardwalk and were nearly run over by hundreds of rollerbladers, "beach bike" riders and skateboarders. Several of them stopped to watch us, and people heard the group's chants from inside their homes and came out to see what the noise was about.
We then took a ferry over to Balboa peninsula, a summer vacation spot with a carnival atmosphere. People were everywhere, and in general we made quite a stir. Tenzin Chondon and Pema Lhundup led chants through the main shopping district and along the beachfront. Exhausted and hoarse, the group finished up at the Newport City Hall, where Tenzin introduced the walkers to the press and each other. We then rushed over to Ava Park's home for a lovely catered dinner. An eight o'clock showing of The Stolen Child at Anneliese's Montessori School in Laguna got us home far past our usual bedtime.
Sunday also proved to be very successful, with a crowd of fifty joining for a walk to Huntington Beach. This culminated in a small press event at the pier where the mayor of the town and his wife met with the group. Shaking hands with Palden Gyatso, acting Mayor Tom Harman made a firm call for Tibet's independence: "The purpose for today and the rest of the march is to continue applying pressure to the Republic of China until they release Tibet from their stronghold."
Generally, the walkers' spirits have been high and response has been positive, though some complain of insensitivity in this upscale area of California when compared with other California regions. One beach exchange: Teenager at the beach: "I'm an American!!" Walker: "So am I, and proud of it!' Teenager: "I don't care about Tibet!"
There was indeed a marked contrast between the shrouded
monk and the typical beachgoer, but this seemed to draw attention and
curiosity about the group from many.
International
Tibet Independence Movement
PO Box 592 Fishers, Indiana 46038-0592 United States
e-mail: rangzen@aol.com
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