Sunday, February 15, 2009

Three Cups of Tea....

This book is on a mountaineer ”Greg Mortenson” who failed his attempt to climb K2 (Second highest peak in the karakoram ranges standing tall at more then 28,000 ft) who turned to a humanitarian… and have build more then 50 school in northern Pakistan (Baltistan)

Three Cups of Tea…. Its an old saying in the Balti province:
" The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family... "

The story starts in 1993 when decide to scale K2 to honor his deceased sister “Christa” who had dies at the age of 23.


1993 - He attempt along with 4 other people after 70 days of trekking and with only 3000 feet to reach the summit they were forced to call of their expedition due to bad weather and injuries…. And on his way down he got lost and trek all alone and end up reaching a village (Korphe) by the time he reaches he is barely breathing and frequently collapsing due to lack to strength…
The villagers do take care of the unknown climber and get him back to health…

The village headmen “Haji Ali” took him to the village school, which was on open ground (with a backdrop of K2) with 78boys and 4girls studying math (4th grade) most of them using a twig and writing on the dirt, and few fortunate to have slate and using twig dipped in muddy water to write…..and the teacher was shared between 2 villages as Pakistani government could no afford to pay $1 pay day for a teacher, but was able to maintain a standoff with India at “Siachen glacier” (highest battleground located at 18,000ft)

So Greg finally return back to Montana (USA) with a promise made to Haji Ali (headman of Korphe) that he would return and build a school…

Once back he start his nurse jab and in the quest of saving money end up sleeping in his car daily… he do send on 580letter and 16 grant petition to all famous and rich, but end up getting one check of $100… his mother help him to speak in front of her school where children start a penny (1 paisa) and end up collecting $680…

Finally he get help from “Jean Hoerni”(who himself a mountaineer and been to karokoram range) who helped in with $12,000 check (that the amount estimated by Greg to build a school) with a note “don’t screw up”

1994 --- Finally he reach with all the material and supply, but the Korphe had a separate problem as it was connect only by a rope bridge “with basket” spanning 400 feet above Indus (which is roaring down)… so know he wants a bridge to be build….

1995 --- So Greg return back to Montana(USA) and calls up “Jean Hoerni” for more help he agrees ask him to get him a picture of the bridge and school once complete… so in the next summer and end up building a bridge of 400ft length, and promises he will come back again next year to start the work of school

1996 --- Greg returns to build the school, but faced with a new problem there been a landslide 40kn before Korphe, and his supplies had to be carried. So the villagers determined that their children’s be educated, trek to and fro (3 days each time) carrying all the material on their back (cement, wooden planks)… so finally after 3 summer and lot of determination the school is build…

Meanwhile “Jean Hoerni” is on death bed get to see the photo of his school and is happy end up making Greg Director of a new organization to help people and a million dollar sponsorship….

I have just finished to this far… will scrib more one I do finish the book..

Hope you also end up reading the book…

/Ani

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