The last real class of the term is today (I don't count the stare-blankly-and-space-out pedagogy seminar as a class.) The shift in the weather seems to have been responsible for the insomnia that swept Santa Cruz two nights ago; none of us are used to the menthol-fresh crispy-cold air at night (and, following a conversation in the grad lab yesterday, it sounds like none of us want to/can pay for heat.) As a result, being on nigh-military rations of sleep, I'm not in a big rush to head off to campus this morning.
I stayed up a whole extra hour last night and watched the Discovery Channel Everest Show. It's really well done. I have no idea how the cameramen hauled their gear, considering what a horrible time everyone (except for the stud Danish guy who doesn't use bottled oxygen and the doctor from Oregon [represent]) has trying to just drag themselves up.
The real point of the show is, of course, sherpas. Days before the tourist climbing parties head off for the summit, the sherpas have already been up and down the mountain several times dragging bottled oxygen and supplies up to the four camps on the way to the summit. Each tourist climber is assigned a sherpa who tries to prevent their dumb honkey ass from getting killed. And, as far as you can see in the interactions with the tourists and the sherpas, the latter are generally in good humor about the whole thing (probably not least of which because they're getting paid buttloads of western currency in Nepal.)
Which brings me to a point: my new imaginary band name is the Sex Sherpas.
11.29.2006
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7 comments:
sherpas have been very controversial in the world of mountain climbing and everest. they are pretty F'ing tough though, and definitely are the bad asses. they don't get paid as well as they should, compared to what the tour guides make off of their services. and they are often blamed for the bad stuff that happens and not given credit for the good. Krakauer nearly destroyed Lopsang Sherpa's reputation in "Into Thin Air", while never actually interviewing Lopsang himself. His story is really sad. I won't eleaborate, or my comment will end up as long as your post. But Lopsang's widow was left destitute after Lopsang's death in 1997 in an avalanche on Everest. He was one of the most famous and talented Sherpa's and still didn't have money to leave for his family. It's an F'ed up system.
i do like your band name though. and I really like that part in Zoolander where Hansel has sherpas.
I watched the IMAX special called Everest and they interviewed a bunch of sherpas in it. Very cool stuff. The people who make it to the top without oxygen - bad ass dudes. That's got my vote for absolutely amazing.
There was an odd National Geographic article a while back called "Why Sherpas Thrive" which discounted the sherpas-as-victims narrative, but I'm sure they get screwed.
And, yeah, the no-oxygen guys are amazing. They're genetic freak amazing, even.
I think the other culprit of my oversleeping this morning was precisely what you said: crisp cold air in Santa Cruz made me turn the heat on high last night before heading to sleep. Granted, I live in on-campus housing where they pay the bill... and rent is too damned high so I need to milk it for every penny!
P.S. You are more than welcome to come over in the next week or two and enjoy my free heat as often as you would like!
those controversial sherpas! i want to read that national geo article. most of what i read was about the "into thin air" everest controversy, which haappened about ten years ago. in the book i read the guy was good friends with lopsang and was defending him. lopsang got screwed in more than a money kind of way though. any way you look at it, it's a fascinating lifestyle/livelihood.
Sex Sherpas = awesome! I have long forgotten my love of using the word "sherpa" as metaphor.
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