Trailer of documentary done on Lama Tenzin and CED kids

Walking the Waking Journey Directed by Ferdie Balanag from glenfactor on Vimeo.

Dolker winter update

It has been awhile since we sent any updates on Dolkers adoption progress and people have been asking about her status.

Over the this past year Dolker had returned to CED, the orphanage Lama runs in India. Penpa, Lama's sister went to Nepal with her husband Gompa and Dolker to continue the process. At that time she was told it would take at least 45 days for paperwork and process. The government still in a state of political instability saw some of the Maoist power in the government decline. The Maoist Prime Minister stepped down. This could have been good for us but unfortunately is just causes more confusion and creates a shuffling of government employees.

Penpa was going to return to Nepal a couple months ago but there were many Hindu holidays and not much would have been accomplished.  We spoke to her while she was in Nepal just a couple of weeks ago and the unfortunate news is that because of the

Political situation it put our paperwork back to square one. She did make a connection to continue the work however at this time it means getting her father back to Kathmandu for yet more paperwork. He tends Yak in the remote Dolpo region. So getting in touch with him is problematic.

We spoke with Lama recently and he is doing everything he can to reach him and has vowed that he will not give up until this work is completed.

Words don't really express how hard it has been to not have her with us at this time.  Dolker celebrated her first birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas with us last year.

We still hope and pray and try as best we can to stay connected with her.  We call India at least once week and talk to her. She will read from some of her books to us and I will read from her Sponge Bob book to her.  We always tell her how much we miss her, love her and want her here so she will not lose faith.

This photo was taken while Dolker was in Nepal with Penpa this past summer.

Email from Penpa

Dear family,

Thanks you so much for your sending money for our expenses. She was so happy to bought cloths and she enjoy to see NEPAL king old palace.
We were whole day in downtown for shopping.Here some of picture that you love to see her and we was suprise she is wearing 27inch waist paint. The older gal top is perfect fitting for her. She is studying good too.

penpa

Summer update

I have been running into many people in Alameda recently asking me what is going on with Dolker and the adoption process.

Very recently there was much turmoil in Nepals political structure.  The short story is the Maoist Prime Minister tried to fire the

head of the Army and as a consequence was forced to resign.  This has left things in a little bit of an upheaval as other

parties have now come into power. This actually turned out to be a positive thing for us since the Maoist government was not

pro adoption.  Just an FYI the Maost government is not part of the Chinese government or political party, it's Maoist in political idealogy.

But that's a whole other story.

Lama Tenzin's sister Penpa was in Nepal working on the adoption process when this was going on.  You may not think it

to look at her but she is a pretty tenacious negotiator.  She has become more intimately involved to make sure things were 

moving along and that we can get her back.  While she was there she was able to make progress and find the right channels

to get things going.

Dolker's paperwork is officially in the governmental process.  This was not the case when we went their initially.

At this point we are waiting to hear when we can return and complete the adoption.

We hope this will happen very soon however we know that their process does not follow our western 

ideas of timely progress.  It's a country in chaos and as such many people are suffering.

We call her at least once a week and let her know how much we miss her and love her.

Lama has recently traveled to the Philippines to screen a film that was done by some U.S. filmakers on his

trips to Dolpo to rescue the kids.  Dolker is in some of the shots. 

Many of you may have read about the trek that Lama takes to rescue the kids but if you really want to get a 

a sense of it view this trailer. 

View trailer on the website. CLICK HERE

http://walkingthewakingjourney.com/ 

Penpa is in Nepal

Penpa Negi is Lama Tenzin's sister. Penpa came to the U.S. with Dolker in July of 2008.
She stayed with us for a little over a month. We took a vacation in Tahoe a few days after she got here. We camped had meals went on hikes. She made great Indian food and would use a kitchen knife to smash Cardamom seeds to make authentic Chai. It was her Birthday while we were in Tahoe so we made her a cake. She had not had a birthday party for just herself in a long time.
She made a comment before she left how it so great that she got to spend so much time with Dolker and really get to bond with her. At the CED Orphanage she is watching over 22 kids so I imagine not much one on one time with the kids. Her and Dolker shared what became Dolkers room while she visited and we all got to be one big family. It will be good to have her in Nepal for Dolker. She speaks very good english, is very articulate and caring.
We all grew very close and miss Penpa very much.

Below is an email that we received today from her.

Hi to all,

I am in NEPAL for here to do continuse prosing of dolker and everyday since i came from India i had meeting with TINLEY,DOLKER FATHER,AND THE ATTORNY,KIRAN LAMA.We are doing best and as soon as possible so please i will make finalise and let you know everything OK.It mine great luck to do somthing for you and lama tenzin lak,

penpa
Nepal

In print and online

We have had a few articles and blog posts about our story recently.
Lucinda Ryan wrote a wonderful article that was on the front page of the Alameda Journal.
She did an excellent job of capturing a different take on our storoy.
It was a coincidence that Michelle Ellson interviewed me the day before the Journal article
came out. Lucinda had interviewed us several weeks before so I did not know they would
come out so close together.
A few minor factual corrections to Lucinda's article. I did not actually start the photo page until we returned from Nepal. Tinle is not a filmaker but one of the principal actor's in the film "Himalaya" (he is the one with the hand around the girl).
He used to lead trek's to these remote regions and is an actual Chief in the Dolpo region.

Alameda Journal article

The Island blog

Whats happening

The question we get asked the most often by our people who know of our story is what's happening with the adoption. Unfortunately the answer is not much. After we left Nepal Lama Tenzin has had a string of issues to deal with in his family. Relatives dying, others going into the hospital. Because he was really spearheading the whole adoption process with the government and lawyer, things essentially stopped when he could not be more directly involved.
We spoke to him recently and he has had some more stability and support come back into his life and is planning on returning to Nepal (hopefully in the next few days) and continue the process.
This does not mean anything will happen quickly however at least we will know more of what is going on and where the whole adoption process stands. After he is able to get the whole process started with the government then there will be a waiting period during which he will bring Dolker back to India to CED where she can get back enrolled in school for the time being.

We think about Dolker all the time and miss her in our household. We talk to her about once a week and let her know she is missed and her friends are still thinking of her.
We hope and pray and send positive thoughts out that this will resolve itself soon.

This is Dolker and Dawa Bhuti.
Dawa goes away to boarding school, when she is home she
helps Dolker email us, go to long distance phone booth place and takes her around Boudha. She speaks some english so
sometimes we have brief conversations with her.
She is very sweet and we know she really likes Dolker.

This is some kids who are living at Tinle's house.
Dolker's sister is on the right.
These photos were sent from Kathmandu by Dawa Bhuti.

Dolker Father and Sister in Kathmandu

Doler her sister Nyimo and her father (don't know who other kid is. At Tinle's property in Kathmandu

I have uploaded some new photos to my flickr page.
There are some sets that are just of Dolker, some of the artwork from the kids in her class
and some from Tinle's family where she is staying in Kathmandu now.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11615092@N02/

Artwork received

We spoke to Dolker today and she finally got all the kids artwork.

It's hard communicating and she seems to be losing more english every time we talk to her.

She appreciated all the kids artwork drawings and cards. She asked to talk to some of her

friends so we are going to try and set up a phone call so they can talk to her.

She also asked to talk to Mr. Jaeger, her teacher.  It will be very difficult because of the time

difference to make that happen. It is twelve and a half hours ahead there so we call either

early in the morning or at night around 7 or 8.

Overall she sounds in good spirits.

We all miss her.  For the first time she said she missed us also.

We make sure to tell her how much we love her and are working on coming to get her.

Lian, Jaime and Emily,
Classmates and good friends of Dolkers.
They are all in Mr. Jaeger's 3rd Grade class at
Otis school. The school has put together a coin drive to help bring Dolker home. A girl in Ms. Harris class donated all of the money she made over a weekend doing chores. It was about $15.
We recently collected the change and deposited it at the bank and are still waiting to see how much it was. The amazing and touching part of this is that the kids can actually contribute in a tangible way to helping to bring Dolker home.

Click here to see more photos of the kids

Cards and artwork for Dolker

Package of artwork cards and notes were sent to Dolker on Mar 16
The kids in Mr. Jaegers and Ms. Harris 3rd grade class at Otis school in Alameda did a bunch of artwork cards and notes for Dolker. They all miss her and hope she comes home soon.
Here is one sample I thought particularly touching. They were all great though, some kids did little books and many had drawings of SpongeBob who she particularly likes.
Click here to see more of the kids artwork

I have added a set of photos of CED to my photostream on Flickr. Click here to view.

CED is Lama Tenzin's orphanage in Dehradun India. CED is Where Dolker was before she came to the US. She was at CED almost 2 years before she came to live with us in Alameda.

This photo was taken in the room next to the bunk Dolker slept in. (Dolker is in green)

We spent about a 5 days in India before going to Kathamandu. We played together, ate meals together and went on several field trips. These kids all came from the same region as Dolker. They have all seen much hardship and they now have the opportunity to go to school and are well cared for at CED. They work hard, study hard and are some of the most joyful kids you will ever meet.

Update on Dolkers Progress

Hello Friends and Family,

Yesterday we talked to Dolker in Kathmandu and she seemed in good spirits. A few days ago we called and she did not sound as happy so this time it was very comforting to hear her voice and feel she was doing better. She always asks for Emmett and wants to talk to him. She always asks when are we coming to get her.

There is a phone at Tinle's house however it is not always answered. Dawa Lhamo is Tinle's sister and she has a mobile phone that we call on.

Dawa is in the purple, Bhuti the girl who has helped Dolker with email is directly above her (in red).

1st email from Dolker to us

Dolker was able to send this email from Kathamandu on Feb 28th.

My dear Mom,Dad and Emmett,
I'm very happy to read letter from you.I like it and I miss all of you.I miss my bike,school,friends,magie and momo. Here, I'm very fine and enjoying with my father,sister and Thinle's family. They do very kind to me.I often meet my aunt and her daughter.And I hope you guys are also enjoying .Would you guys tell my friends "HI and I miss them very much" this is from Dolker.
Emmett, I miss you very much Okay, you are a good brotherOkay and i miss you and your friends and you are 7 grade okay.Boooo...........
Mom and Dad, I miss you guys very much .And say "Hello" to your friends, this is from Dolker, okay.
I'm good and having lots of Tibetan delicious foods.
Take Care and good bye.
Your loving daughter,
Dolker.

1st email from Bhuti

Bhuti is one of Chief Tinle's granddaughters living at his house in Kathmandu. She is mostly away at boarding school. When she is home she helps Dolker email. This was sent Feb 26th 2009 Good Afternoon Mrs.Tricia,    It was very nice to hear from you as soon as i come to check mail,Thankx. Yes, of course you may mail Dolker through this address and I'll print it out and hand it to Dolker.She will be very glad to read letter from her family.Anyway, I've told Dolker to write a letter to you guys and if she finishes  the letter,I'll send it to you. Happy Losar to you,too. May this Tibetan New Year brings you and your family lots of success and prosperious life throughout the year.   Many greetings to Mr.Philip and Emmett.   Your sincerely, Bhuti.