Week Ten: Last Week and Parting Words

Hi everyone! It is with sadness and also a little bit of surprise that I write this final blog post on my tenth and last week interning with Machik. The summer truly flew by in the best way possible, and now on the other side of my internship I can truly say that I learned so much about Tibet and China, while also making lots of new friends and having many meaningful experiences. I am grateful to have had this opportunity and I will miss Machik and everyone I worked with there greatly!

Now for a report on what I did for my final week - much of it was spent preparing for the final report which I gave on Thursday, alongside one of my fellow interns. While he discussed youth culture in Sikkim, my report was on the relationships between various countries and the Dalai Lama, in light of the latter's succession announcement on July 6th. In the process of my research I covered not just contemporary relationships but also the historical links between various countries and Tibet, leading to fascinating discoveries like the choyon (priest-patron) dynamic between Tibet and Mongolia or the fact that the Dalai Lama has never been allowed to visit South Korea, despite repeated requests from the South Korean Buddhist community. 

I also had the privilege of carrying out a volunteer service project alongside my coworkers during my final week. In honor of the Dalai Lama's call to go out and serve the community, we volunteered with Bread for the City, an organization that provides food for DC residents in low-income communities. Our volunteer activity specifically consisted of running a "grocery store" where individuals could come and shop for free, using a point system determined by household size. We would help them determine how many and which items they could acquire based on how many points they had, and then retrieve it for them. After spending a whole summer in DC, it felt fitting to be in the position to give back to the community. It also quickly became apparent that the need in DC is great, based on the amount of people who came in, and were still coming in, even after our shift was over. I think carrying out this kind of service work is very important and I hope that I will continue to be able to give back even when I work as a lawyer, such as through pro bono work or other service opportunities.

Finally, I also had the opportunity to go with my coworkers on a non-work related outing: we went hiking up the so-called "Billy Goat trail" on the Maryland side of Great Falls Park. This aptly named trail involves a literal scramble up the side of some very steep rock formations, though we were rewarded with some great views (when we weren't looking downwards trying to prevent a broken ankle). I appreciated the chance to get closer to my coworkers, and it was also eye-opening in its own ways. For example, the terrain of the Billy Goat trail is apparently very similar to parts of Tibet and Dharamsala; when I asked if hiking was therefore a popular hobby in those areas, they responded that "actually, we just call it walking."

With that recap of my final week with Machik, I just want to end with some reflections on my experience this summer. A lot of attention has been on Tibet recently due to the Dalai Lama's birthday this summer and his announcement about his succession. I think as a result, a lot is going to change in the relationship between Tibet and China, as well as Tibet and the rest of the world. Being at Machik this summer was quite timely for this reason, and I urge the rest of the world to not forget about Tibet as we approach this significant historical moment. I think recognition is a powerful tool, regardless of what form it comes in - legally, socially, or just existing in public consciousness. Machik has worked tirelessly to bring recognition to many aspects of Tibet: its legal status and the human rights abuses it has endured, the need for better education and opportunity for Tibetan youth, and its vibrant art, culture, and language. And I had the opportunity to work on each of those facets, whether by creating brochures for Tibetan films to be used in future screenings, or carrying out research on Tibetan treaty relationships with Britain stretching back to the 1900s (and sadly terminated in 2008). I'm grateful for the chance to work such an enriching, multifaceted internship, and I hope I will be able to contribute to Machik's work in the future!

I also had a wonderful time living and working in DC and Northern Virginia. While perhaps not as exciting as some other locations for the international internships, it gave me the opportunity to deeply appreciate a region of the US I had only spent limited time in before. There is important work being carried out in our nation's capital every day, and I am honored to have been a part of it, if only for the summer. Also, I just had a lot of fun! I got to do the classic tourist activities, like going to Le Diplomat (which is quite delicious!), and also live like a real local (commuting to work in 98 degree heat wearing full business casual, only to get rained on while I'm running to catch the last train). I got to explore beyond the city, for example going two hours out of the way to Luray Caverns (which I would highly recommend if you have any interest in beautiful rock formations or people who have gone missing in caves - guess which one I am!) I even spent a whole day in Maryland, and it was nice, except for the part where I nearly got mowed down by another driver (but that too is part of the authentic experience, or so I've heard). Overall, while I will be happy to be back in Williamsburg, I had a great time this summer, and I can't wait to return.

So that concludes the end of my blog! Thank you to everyone who has followed along this summer - if you've made it this far, you deserve a prize. I look forward to the rest of my time at William & Mary Law School and everything the future holds!