I just remembered that thing I said about Tibetan humour.

There was a time in my life where I grew obsessed with jokes. Normal everyday jokes. I would often analyse why a given joke was funny and why English people would laugh whereas Americans would just look confused. At the time, I was living in a Buddhist Centre where there also lived two Tibetans. While working in the shop, I asked one if he could tell me a Tibetan joke. He told me two and I will try to relate them as accurately as possible here.

A man goes outside because he needs the toilet. He goes behind a thorn bush and gets a lot of thorns stuck in his backside. When he goes back inside his house, he complains and gets told off for going outside to go to the toilet.

A monk goes to a house to do Puja (i.e. perform a Buddhist ceremony of offering) with some other monks. While he is sitting doing his prayers, he smells some sausages boiling in the kitchen. So he goes into the kitchen when no-one is looking and takes out a long sausage. It is too hot for him to eat so he puts it on his head like a turban! So he goes to sit down with the sausage looking like a turban and salt water is running down his face. Thats as far as I can remember.

Sorry if you feel those jokes are a bit lame, but they do at least reveal the Tibetan sense of humour. It is not word play or puns that we find funny (see 'why are there no aspirins in the jungle? Because the parrots eat 'em all'. Nor is it the realization that the situation description has fooled us (How do you get two whales in a mini? down the M4. It works when told aurally). Its just plain silliness and reflects a contentment with plainness that seems unique to Tibetans. They are often content to eat just roasted barley flour (tsampa) and drink butter-tea. That is, three times a day for weeks on end. I don't want to give the impression that Tibetans are in some way super-people. But their contentment is something to be revered and remains something I myself should learn from.

They also like Fawlty Towers.