Dolker update for 2010 Wow its been a year

I looked at this blog and noticed that I have not posted anything for a year. Not really much has happened in that time that was worth reporting on. Nepal has been going through its never ending chaos and Lama has had his hands full with the orphanage and keeping things going. He has continued to work on the adoption when he can and this past year made arrangements with another organization in Nepal to continue with the paperwork. Lama Tenzin visited during this December and we were able to meet with a man who is owner of a Nepali restaurant in Berkeley who has had past connections with someone in the Nepali government. During our meeting he was able to give Lama Tenzin the name of the man who may be a high ranking official in the cabinet in the Nepal government. Politics being what they are knowing the right people can make a big difference. This was very encouraging for all of us however I remain cautiously optimistic because these connections are still tenuous.  We will see how the information pans out when Lama is able to get back to Nepal and can follow up.  One of the main items still needed is to have Dolkers father return to Kathmandu and sign her over... again to the proper organization. (This is a story for another blog post) Lama is in the US for fundraising and to promote the documentary film made about him rescuing kids from Dolpo.

I have uploaded a video clip done by a woman visiting CED orphanage last June of Dolker. Click here to view it. Tashi Delek (Tibetan Namaste) and Happy Holidays to all our friends and family.

Photo taken of Dolker June 2010 at CED orphanage.

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