A filling meal and a couple of crisp notes, what more could one ask for?” Sonam smiled, while adjusting his headgear. The subedar had just brought the news that the guests were about 15 minutes away. The soldiers had to rush, for impeccability was an offi cial requirement, but Sonam and his fellow Brokpa could take all the time in the world. The beads had to be worn, the sheepskin brushed, and the instruments checked, and there was always time for small talk in between everything. Of course, this nonchalant, laid-back attitude was characteristic of their villages nestled amid the rocky heights of the Himalayas.