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Sharing more than tea
Mountain climber finds adventure 
and life’s work in Pakistan

By MELISSA RIGNEY BAXTER - 
Special to TimeOut 

April 23, 2008

 
Greg Mortenson is one of those rare individuals willing to make the plight of others his life’s focus. Fifteen years ago, after a failed attempt to climb K2, the people of a Pakistan village in the Karakoram Mountains helped him recover. When he found out the village had no school, he promised to return and build a school in exchange for their kindness.

Though the villagers said many westerners had made promises before, Mortenson followed through - first by himself and then with the help of others. He built not only one school. He built 55 schools, many especially for girls, throughout the region.

"Three Cups of Tea" is the story of Mortenson’s struggle to meet his promise and includes illuminating glimpses into a very different culture. The title comes from a saying from Haji Ali, the village chief of Korphe, the first village Mortenson encountered.

"Here (in Pakistan and Afghanistan), we drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything - even die," said Ali.

While it seemed to Mortenson that the process of building that first school took too long, the villagers had different expectations of the way things would come together. They exhibited an extraordinary patience and were willing to wait. Finally, Mortenson was able to keep his promise. Throughout it all, he was returning to the United States to earn money, solicit donations and tell the story of these people who lived in the isolated mountain region.

After Sept. 11, Mortenson found himself an unlikely ambassador for both cultures and was attacked on both sides. He even survived a kidnapping in the mountains. Through it all, however, Mortenson kept focused on his goal, even after he married and had children of his own.

While the story is compelling, the book itself sometimes gets bogged down in the details and a few too many adjectives. The real-life characters are sometimes introduced and dismissed so quickly, the reader doesn’t get a real sense of who they are. As for Mortenson, his dedication comes through but his passion isn’t always evident.

However, the mission Mortenson has accomplished is impressive and inspiring. In the acknowledgements, he writes, "It is my vision that we all will dedicate the next decade to achieve universal literacy and education for all children, especially for girls. More than 145 million of the world’s children are deprived of education due to poverty, exploitation, slavery, gender discrimination, religious extremism and corrupt governments."

More information about Mortenson and the book can be found at www.threecupsoftea.com.