Pasang and I were in the kitchen working on the Tibetan alphabet after breakfast when Cook came in and told him his assistance could be used at the woodpile out the back door. We peered out, and sure enough, a line of little monks with chopped wood piled high on their backs was pulling up to throw off their loads. From the rock walkway above, they’d toss their firewood down into the wood-stacking area.

Everyone was quite involved and it was obviously a community effort. Naturally, Joanna, Nate and I were eager to jump in and get our hands dirty. It’s fun how every day here brings something new, sometimes an unexpected activity or tradition. I wake up every morning with a great sense of anticipation for whatever the day might bring. I love that the Sherpa people love photos, videos, and every type of memorabilia; when I pull out my camera to capture a moment, someone always tells me to jump into the thick of the action while they film. Everyone I’ve met is so incredibly warm and inclusive – for the first time I have a nice collection of pictures that actually portray my involvement in daily life and community events!

(see photos of wood-chopping day at www.shirah.mobi)