Kesang of Kibber

Nestled in the mountains at an altitude of 4205 meters above sea level is the picturesque town of Kibber, where I made myself home for nearly three weeks. Why Kibber? Kesang.

Upon meeting this young woman I was already sure there was something different about her and that we would be great friends. During the cold nights I would stay in the kitchen with her while she cooked for other guests until I eventually became part of the staff. The kitchen became the backdrop for our intimate conversations and gossip and we would talk late into the night over chocolate pancakes!

Transcending cultural differences has always been an aim of mine while on the road. Whether it is with a smile, laughter or a deep meeting. I know the differences between us are only in our minds and what we have manifested from it. For me, knowing her was as much about knowing the women of India and relating that to my place in that same spectrum of womanhood.

Her world is one where women do not have the same freedoms that men do, but moreover it is a world where many people have one face for society and another for themselves.

But Kesang's advice to remedy that situation is simple.

WOMEN SHOULD LIE!!