If I had remained in Lhasa, even without the Chinese occupation, I would probably have carried the ceremonial role in some orthodox way.
The liveliest effusions of wit and humour are simply what the reader of a novel has a right to expect.
Winning supporters over can only really be achieved by what you do, not what you say. It's no use just smiling and shaking hands and getting quoted with witty one-liners.
In 25 years of exile, I've never had a frozen account, either in Switzerland or elsewhere in the world.