Feb 1 (Monday) 7:00 PM
Yesterday was the last day in school The children were very sweet and some of them even made me some little crafts. I think they really enjoyed the craft because many brought me some to show me that they made of their own material with their own pictures.
Today was the first day of trekking. We took a taxi to the edge of Kathmandu and immediately started going up up up. We went up stairs for over an hour. I don't think I've ever gone up that many stairs before. Then we went “gradually” uphill which is just steep enough to not require stairs...but still uphill. We went through mulkharka and had lunch there. The rest of the way was pretty much up hill although the trail is so beautiful I get distracted from the pain easily. Paljour is a fantastic guide and doesn't make me feel like the slowest person in the world. The last little bit was downhill to Chisopani which means cold (Chiso) water (pani). We went for a quick walk before going back to the hotel. It is cold up here! And the cold wind blows as well. They put a heater under our table and it felt fantastic. There is another lady from France here and she is very friendly. T must be extra difficult to talk to the guide as english is neither of their first languages. We say lots of wildlife today. Monkeys and these funny little things that look like furry otters. They were black and white and ran and played like otters, but in the forest. We also heard barking deer and saw another kind that was small (the size of a big goat) and a reddish color. There was also a lot of birds and plants to hear and see. The views are fantastic and always make me smile. I am trekking in Nepal! I finally saw a buffalo which looks a lot like a cow, but has different fur (more like an elephants) and horns that grow back rather than frontwards. Had more dhal-bat (lentils and rice) for dinner. My stomach pains are still bothering me so I am making it an early night.
Feb 2 (Tues) 8:00 PM
Today I noticed that my camera time is off by the time conversion to America. It will be easier to keep track of the pictures if they are organized by the date. Anyway, yesterday we walked around 15 km and went more like 25 km today. My body is exhausted but I am loving trekking in Nepal. Today I saw people preparing their farms by plowing the earth with cows in yokes. Paljour says that they farm every terrace and have some kind of crop going every season. When w walk through villages there are a few people around because they are all out working in the fields. We took a break and had a snickers bar for a snack before lunch today. The chocolate tasted so good. Breakfast was basically a donut and I put jam on it. Paljour put honey on his. Lunch was boiled potato (in a pressure cooker because of altitude) and an omlet. They often put onion and spinach in their omlets. The potatos are put in the cooker just washed roughly so we take the skin off to eat them. My hands got very messy and I miss washing my hands after the toilet or after a meal. Today had some flat, but mostly uphill. We walked through several villages and are staying in Kutumsang. Pativhang yang, Thakuphaynayng (where we ate snickers), Chipling (where we ate lunch), Thankdong (break for toilet), then golfuvhangyang. There were a lot more villages, but we walked a bit further. We met up with a lady who was herding her goats and walked behind her for a short ways. She played the harmonica beautifully to pass the time. Dinner was Yak soup. Again, the meat was only available by chewing on the bone so I didn't directly eat it. However, I got a lot of meat and some bone pieces in the broth, which was fantastic. The noodles were amazing and reminded me of homemade chicken noodle soup noodles. I got a hot shower today! My first in a month. It felt so good. It is colder up here but, again, I love it. Now for sleep so I can make it through tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Jan 22 through Jan 29
Jan 22 (Sat) 8:30 PM
I am in bed early and am going to read and then sleep. Thankfully they aren’t feeding me again tonight because I am still full from the picnic. While there, I went on a walk with a new friend through the botanical garden. I really liked it even though he said that it was much better during rainy season. I believed him because all the ponds were dried up and many of the trees didn’t have leaves. It was still nice. They did a traditional song and dance that is unique to the Sermathang area (where everyone at the picnic is from). I was told the song changed even though it always sounded the same to me (they switched between boys and girls) and they did it for one hour. Then they sang it back and forth for the hour bus ride back. I wish I knew what they were saying because I must have been missing something.
Jan 24 (Monday) 9:30 PM
Today I went with Uttam to Baktapur (sp) to another Samata school. I thought it was for me to visit more classrooms but when we got there about 10 other visitors were there waiting. A guy named Jeffry had some of his students and volunteers from Australia there with him to give ~6 girls scholarships to stay in school. They also brought many school supplies and toys for the students. It was a big show and then they left. Like yesterday we had rice pudding to celebrate Uttams birthday. At least he was there today. Yesterday people filed in, ate, and then left but he never came. A different sort of celebration, but the rice pudding is good. I got rice, milk and coconut out of people as ingredients, but no measurements or methods. Good stuff, though. I felt terrible this morning and got better as the day progressed. I feel like I have been sick forever and I sure hope it stops by trekking time!
Jan 27? (Wednesday) 9:45 PM
Yesterday I really was sick and was unable to keep any food or water down until the late afternoon. I had some water and tea for the afternoon and a small bowl of soup for dinner. That was about all I could manage. I think it was something I ate on Monday. Anyway, I got to sleep all day which was very nice and I took advantage of it! I felt great today until about an hour ago so am in bed now. Pemba said a lot of people are getting sick now because of the change of weather and Nima said the garbage strike has had an effect as well. The garbage has not been collected for a week now so the streets are very dirty and messy. I went to my first “life coaching” with Bipin's wife Gill. It was nice to talk about the fun and the struggles of being in Nepal. She moved here from the UK so she knew a lot about what I was saying. School went well. The students are doing well with the craft and seem to enjoy the change of page in the day.
Jan 29 (Friday) 8:30 PM
Today the girls and I went to Boudha again. We went yesterday to look and went again today to buy. It was fun to shop for everyone. We also walked around the top of Bouddha 3 times (apparently you have to walk around either 1, 3, 5, 7..... times) Then they got hungry so we went to get Buff Momo. They really like the Buff Momo. They weren't too interested in finding the place I really like with cheese momo. They also got this snack that I have seen around a lot. It is a little puff pastry that the vendor puts a hole in with his finger and then puts lemon juice in it like a tiny cup. Then they pop the whole thing in their mouth. I got an orange for a snack. The students finished their craft today. I could tell they were dissapointed that it didn't look like mine but I think they were just excited to be doing something different. The teachers also were interested to learn the craft so I showed them quickly at lunch. I like them a lot. I just learned today I am leaving on Monday. I can't believe it is going by so fast. I am glad that I am going forward to a new adventure, though. Bouddha has been fantastic and the Samata school even better. It is a great group of people and students.
I am in bed early and am going to read and then sleep. Thankfully they aren’t feeding me again tonight because I am still full from the picnic. While there, I went on a walk with a new friend through the botanical garden. I really liked it even though he said that it was much better during rainy season. I believed him because all the ponds were dried up and many of the trees didn’t have leaves. It was still nice. They did a traditional song and dance that is unique to the Sermathang area (where everyone at the picnic is from). I was told the song changed even though it always sounded the same to me (they switched between boys and girls) and they did it for one hour. Then they sang it back and forth for the hour bus ride back. I wish I knew what they were saying because I must have been missing something.
Jan 24 (Monday) 9:30 PM
Today I went with Uttam to Baktapur (sp) to another Samata school. I thought it was for me to visit more classrooms but when we got there about 10 other visitors were there waiting. A guy named Jeffry had some of his students and volunteers from Australia there with him to give ~6 girls scholarships to stay in school. They also brought many school supplies and toys for the students. It was a big show and then they left. Like yesterday we had rice pudding to celebrate Uttams birthday. At least he was there today. Yesterday people filed in, ate, and then left but he never came. A different sort of celebration, but the rice pudding is good. I got rice, milk and coconut out of people as ingredients, but no measurements or methods. Good stuff, though. I felt terrible this morning and got better as the day progressed. I feel like I have been sick forever and I sure hope it stops by trekking time!
Jan 27? (Wednesday) 9:45 PM
Yesterday I really was sick and was unable to keep any food or water down until the late afternoon. I had some water and tea for the afternoon and a small bowl of soup for dinner. That was about all I could manage. I think it was something I ate on Monday. Anyway, I got to sleep all day which was very nice and I took advantage of it! I felt great today until about an hour ago so am in bed now. Pemba said a lot of people are getting sick now because of the change of weather and Nima said the garbage strike has had an effect as well. The garbage has not been collected for a week now so the streets are very dirty and messy. I went to my first “life coaching” with Bipin's wife Gill. It was nice to talk about the fun and the struggles of being in Nepal. She moved here from the UK so she knew a lot about what I was saying. School went well. The students are doing well with the craft and seem to enjoy the change of page in the day.
Jan 29 (Friday) 8:30 PM
Today the girls and I went to Boudha again. We went yesterday to look and went again today to buy. It was fun to shop for everyone. We also walked around the top of Bouddha 3 times (apparently you have to walk around either 1, 3, 5, 7..... times) Then they got hungry so we went to get Buff Momo. They really like the Buff Momo. They weren't too interested in finding the place I really like with cheese momo. They also got this snack that I have seen around a lot. It is a little puff pastry that the vendor puts a hole in with his finger and then puts lemon juice in it like a tiny cup. Then they pop the whole thing in their mouth. I got an orange for a snack. The students finished their craft today. I could tell they were dissapointed that it didn't look like mine but I think they were just excited to be doing something different. The teachers also were interested to learn the craft so I showed them quickly at lunch. I like them a lot. I just learned today I am leaving on Monday. I can't believe it is going by so fast. I am glad that I am going forward to a new adventure, though. Bouddha has been fantastic and the Samata school even better. It is a great group of people and students.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Jan 18 and Jan 19
Jan 18 (Monday) 6:00 PM
I didn’t go to class yesterday because I still wasn’t feeling well so everyone was wondering what I was. Especially the classes that got to start their civil engineering projects today (or at least were supposed to). The class – for the most part – seems to be happy with this project so far. The 8th grade classes didn’t get to start the project today because the Prime Minister of Nepal visited the school today. The school has been in the newspaper many times since I have been here so he came to check out what the school was about. It was a huge deal (of course) with the armed guards and posted snipers the entire time he was there (which was probably about 2 hours…if that). I got to be with the paparazzi people and the news crews taking pictures for the school. I was glad I brought my camera today. I really had brought it to take pictures of the students and their project so the timing worked out well for me. Another school had come as well and they gave a presentation which was really just the dress of the different cultures of Nepal. They were all so cute! It was very warm today so the students started to get restless as the PM gave his presentation today but you should have seen their smiles when he talked to them. They also had a nun who is famous to this school for some reason and also a famous TV start there. What a fun day for the students. I hope they get to be on the news! One newscaster wants me to talk to him before I leave for the village. That would be an awesome Newspaper article…haha. Tomorrow they actually get to start their civil engineering projects. I hope they have fun!
Jan 19 (Tuesday) 1:00 PM
Recipe approximation I watched:
~1 Tbs cumin
~1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves
1 sliced carrot
2+ chopped cabbage – maybe bok choy or spinach
~3 c old rice
Sauté vegetables in oil and add seasoning, when tender add rice to warm.
Jan 19 (Tuesday) 9:00
Well I guess it is holiday again tomorrow. I never find out very far in advance. Anyway, now there is no school (or at least no classes) because of the festival. So tomorrow I am going to get a dress to wear for festivals since I am assuming there will be more. Today I went to the social tours office again. Not really for any particular purpose other than making some temporary plans for life coaching and trekking and maybe some other adventures. I tried to take pictures of the traffic but the organized chaos just can’t be captured on film. That will have to be left to words I guess. However, I could not get pictures of some amazing things like one guy on a motorcycle with three children off the back of a woman sitting “side saddle” on the back of a bike or a woman sitting on the back with her child on one knee being held with one arm a little too casually. In the Kathmandu traffic it was scary for me to see them.
I didn’t go to class yesterday because I still wasn’t feeling well so everyone was wondering what I was. Especially the classes that got to start their civil engineering projects today (or at least were supposed to). The class – for the most part – seems to be happy with this project so far. The 8th grade classes didn’t get to start the project today because the Prime Minister of Nepal visited the school today. The school has been in the newspaper many times since I have been here so he came to check out what the school was about. It was a huge deal (of course) with the armed guards and posted snipers the entire time he was there (which was probably about 2 hours…if that). I got to be with the paparazzi people and the news crews taking pictures for the school. I was glad I brought my camera today. I really had brought it to take pictures of the students and their project so the timing worked out well for me. Another school had come as well and they gave a presentation which was really just the dress of the different cultures of Nepal. They were all so cute! It was very warm today so the students started to get restless as the PM gave his presentation today but you should have seen their smiles when he talked to them. They also had a nun who is famous to this school for some reason and also a famous TV start there. What a fun day for the students. I hope they get to be on the news! One newscaster wants me to talk to him before I leave for the village. That would be an awesome Newspaper article…haha. Tomorrow they actually get to start their civil engineering projects. I hope they have fun!
Jan 19 (Tuesday) 1:00 PM
Recipe approximation I watched:
~1 Tbs cumin
~1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves
1 sliced carrot
2+ chopped cabbage – maybe bok choy or spinach
~3 c old rice
Sauté vegetables in oil and add seasoning, when tender add rice to warm.
Jan 19 (Tuesday) 9:00
Well I guess it is holiday again tomorrow. I never find out very far in advance. Anyway, now there is no school (or at least no classes) because of the festival. So tomorrow I am going to get a dress to wear for festivals since I am assuming there will be more. Today I went to the social tours office again. Not really for any particular purpose other than making some temporary plans for life coaching and trekking and maybe some other adventures. I tried to take pictures of the traffic but the organized chaos just can’t be captured on film. That will have to be left to words I guess. However, I could not get pictures of some amazing things like one guy on a motorcycle with three children off the back of a woman sitting “side saddle” on the back of a bike or a woman sitting on the back with her child on one knee being held with one arm a little too casually. In the Kathmandu traffic it was scary for me to see them.
Jan 20, 21, 22
Jan 20 (Wed) 8:00 PM
Today was another day off from school. The family had a celebration at the monastery but only Pemba went. There were a lot of things to do here. The girls had homework and more patty things had to be made (rice flour and water mixture deep fried). I did wash again. I feel I was more successful this time and also less rushed. In the morning the girls and my host mom took me shopping for a dress for festivals. I was too tall to buy one already made so I got to choose fabric and had it specially tailored. Nobody seemed too excited about it but I am looking forward to going back in 3 days for it. I walked to the grocery store again today (Gemeni) to get the candy for the students. The children here don’t know what “candy” is because anything sweet is known as “chocolate.”
Jan 21 (Friday) 8:30 AM
Interesting things from the newspaper this morning:
1. The #1 cause of death for women in Nepal between the ages of 15 and 49 is suicide. And they say that # is underestimated because most people don’t want Police attention when that happens so take care of it on their own.
2. It was not until the last few years that fatherless children were allowed to become citizens of Nepal. This came about (if I understand correctly) because the civil war that lasted 8 years and ended in 2006 left too many children fatherless. Also, if the parents are unknowns a child can be given the last name Nepali.
Jan 22 (Sat) 10:00 AM
I think yesterday has been my favorite day here so far. School went better – the students weren’t determined to push my limits. During one of my breaks I was looking for the English newspaper and walked into the teachers lounge. The female teachers always hang out in the room while the boys tend to sit outside. Anyway, one of the girls had string in her mouth and both her hands and was hovering over another girl sitting on the floor. I asked what was going on and she was fixing and shaping eyebrows. They asked to do mine which was helpful because I didn’t bring tweezers. It was absurdly painful but I don’t think my eyebrows have ever looked so good. They were laughing at me (for fun) because my eyes were watering so badly and my eyebrows got so red on my light skin. The students definitely noticed the redness even in the dark classrooms. Then Susil took me out to a music show. He is currently a student of music and his classes were canceled for this show so he asked if I would like to attend with him. I loved it and was more than impressed by what these musicians could do with the special Nepali drum they used. I really liked it. Plus I got a 30 min motorcycle ride to and from the show, which was at the same location as the orphanage talent show. I love riding the motorcycle here. It is scary but relaxing at the same time and it is a great way to explore Kathmandu. Then we had visitors for dinner at home – which is always a surprise to me – and a volunteer from another NGO from China was there. We talked a lot and it was nice to hear how she enjoyed Nepal as her stay is almost over.
Today I am at a picnic, I think mostly family as I recognize several of the people from dinners during the past week. It was pretty much like our picnics except we had potatoes and “beaten rice” rather than hamburgers and we sat on tarps rather than at tables. I am still unsure how the people can sit cross-legged for so long. My legs fall asleep and my hips ache after not too long. It was an hour busride to the picnic where all the women and children got seats (although we were very squished) and the men stood in the aisle.
Today was another day off from school. The family had a celebration at the monastery but only Pemba went. There were a lot of things to do here. The girls had homework and more patty things had to be made (rice flour and water mixture deep fried). I did wash again. I feel I was more successful this time and also less rushed. In the morning the girls and my host mom took me shopping for a dress for festivals. I was too tall to buy one already made so I got to choose fabric and had it specially tailored. Nobody seemed too excited about it but I am looking forward to going back in 3 days for it. I walked to the grocery store again today (Gemeni) to get the candy for the students. The children here don’t know what “candy” is because anything sweet is known as “chocolate.”
Jan 21 (Friday) 8:30 AM
Interesting things from the newspaper this morning:
1. The #1 cause of death for women in Nepal between the ages of 15 and 49 is suicide. And they say that # is underestimated because most people don’t want Police attention when that happens so take care of it on their own.
2. It was not until the last few years that fatherless children were allowed to become citizens of Nepal. This came about (if I understand correctly) because the civil war that lasted 8 years and ended in 2006 left too many children fatherless. Also, if the parents are unknowns a child can be given the last name Nepali.
Jan 22 (Sat) 10:00 AM
I think yesterday has been my favorite day here so far. School went better – the students weren’t determined to push my limits. During one of my breaks I was looking for the English newspaper and walked into the teachers lounge. The female teachers always hang out in the room while the boys tend to sit outside. Anyway, one of the girls had string in her mouth and both her hands and was hovering over another girl sitting on the floor. I asked what was going on and she was fixing and shaping eyebrows. They asked to do mine which was helpful because I didn’t bring tweezers. It was absurdly painful but I don’t think my eyebrows have ever looked so good. They were laughing at me (for fun) because my eyes were watering so badly and my eyebrows got so red on my light skin. The students definitely noticed the redness even in the dark classrooms. Then Susil took me out to a music show. He is currently a student of music and his classes were canceled for this show so he asked if I would like to attend with him. I loved it and was more than impressed by what these musicians could do with the special Nepali drum they used. I really liked it. Plus I got a 30 min motorcycle ride to and from the show, which was at the same location as the orphanage talent show. I love riding the motorcycle here. It is scary but relaxing at the same time and it is a great way to explore Kathmandu. Then we had visitors for dinner at home – which is always a surprise to me – and a volunteer from another NGO from China was there. We talked a lot and it was nice to hear how she enjoyed Nepal as her stay is almost over.
Today I am at a picnic, I think mostly family as I recognize several of the people from dinners during the past week. It was pretty much like our picnics except we had potatoes and “beaten rice” rather than hamburgers and we sat on tarps rather than at tables. I am still unsure how the people can sit cross-legged for so long. My legs fall asleep and my hips ache after not too long. It was an hour busride to the picnic where all the women and children got seats (although we were very squished) and the men stood in the aisle.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Jan 15 & Jan 16
Jan 15 (Fri) 7:45 PM
Today was a very nice day. It is still cold and foggy in the mornings like it has been for the past two mornings. I am surprised how much my ability to handle cold has diminished since I’ve been here. T-shirt weather back home has become long-john, sweatshirt and sweatpants weather here. That may have something to do with being sick, though. I have a cough and runny nose and am tired all the time. I slept for 10 hours last night, took an hour nap today and could go to sleep right now. I hope I am better for the festival tomorrow!
Today I hand-washed my clothes. It took a very long time and they are still drying. Unfortunately, that means I will probably be wearing my dirty sweatpants to the festival tomorrow. I won’t ever complain about doing clothes at home again! I also think that the detergent they use here may have ruined a few of my shirts. The look spotted, but it is difficult to tell until they are 100% dry. Mom reminded me today that haven’t mentioned anything about money yet. The scarves I bought yesterday were 30 rupees, or not even $0.50 each. The purses were 200 rupees. Right now the American dollar is 75 rupees. Andrew and I had a wood-fired pizza at one of Raj’s favorite restaurants “Roadhouse Grill” for 500 rupees, including tax and tip. Taxis cost around 200 rupees during the day and closer to 400 at night.
Jan 16 Saturday
Happy New Year! (year 2137) Today we celebrated Lhosar, or the new year for my host family. The morning started early for the family preparing the house for company. I am not feeling well today (just a cold) so I slept in until around 9:30. My clothes still weren’t dry so everyone was in their nice clothes and I was in sweat pants and a sweater. Nobody told me it was dress-up day or I would have bought something new. Oh well, I look so different anyway, it doesn’t make much of a difference. The entire family gathers for brunch between 10 and 11 and we all eat a lot of food. Then the men (including me today) go around to everyone’s house to do a prayer and song. The first song is just singing (more chanting, really) the second song ends with roksi in the hand and then, I think after a prayer, we lick it off our hands. The third ends with throwing rice and flour into the air. Beer or wine is drank at each house so the fourth house was more of a party with throwing flour at each other and a lot more laughing in their conversations. They insist I drink roksi when I cough and it actually does help a lot, which is great. I don’t like sitting and cough and sneeze and sniffle so close to everyone. I got noodles for dinner ( much like top ramin) since I am sick. Thank you, Lisa for the NyQuil and DayQuil!
Today was a very nice day. It is still cold and foggy in the mornings like it has been for the past two mornings. I am surprised how much my ability to handle cold has diminished since I’ve been here. T-shirt weather back home has become long-john, sweatshirt and sweatpants weather here. That may have something to do with being sick, though. I have a cough and runny nose and am tired all the time. I slept for 10 hours last night, took an hour nap today and could go to sleep right now. I hope I am better for the festival tomorrow!
Today I hand-washed my clothes. It took a very long time and they are still drying. Unfortunately, that means I will probably be wearing my dirty sweatpants to the festival tomorrow. I won’t ever complain about doing clothes at home again! I also think that the detergent they use here may have ruined a few of my shirts. The look spotted, but it is difficult to tell until they are 100% dry. Mom reminded me today that haven’t mentioned anything about money yet. The scarves I bought yesterday were 30 rupees, or not even $0.50 each. The purses were 200 rupees. Right now the American dollar is 75 rupees. Andrew and I had a wood-fired pizza at one of Raj’s favorite restaurants “Roadhouse Grill” for 500 rupees, including tax and tip. Taxis cost around 200 rupees during the day and closer to 400 at night.
Jan 16 Saturday
Happy New Year! (year 2137) Today we celebrated Lhosar, or the new year for my host family. The morning started early for the family preparing the house for company. I am not feeling well today (just a cold) so I slept in until around 9:30. My clothes still weren’t dry so everyone was in their nice clothes and I was in sweat pants and a sweater. Nobody told me it was dress-up day or I would have bought something new. Oh well, I look so different anyway, it doesn’t make much of a difference. The entire family gathers for brunch between 10 and 11 and we all eat a lot of food. Then the men (including me today) go around to everyone’s house to do a prayer and song. The first song is just singing (more chanting, really) the second song ends with roksi in the hand and then, I think after a prayer, we lick it off our hands. The third ends with throwing rice and flour into the air. Beer or wine is drank at each house so the fourth house was more of a party with throwing flour at each other and a lot more laughing in their conversations. They insist I drink roksi when I cough and it actually does help a lot, which is great. I don’t like sitting and cough and sneeze and sniffle so close to everyone. I got noodles for dinner ( much like top ramin) since I am sick. Thank you, Lisa for the NyQuil and DayQuil!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Jan 13 & Jan 14
Jan 13 (Wed) 6:30 PM
Today I showed the students my pictures from home. They were fairly excited and were sad I didn’t have very many pictures to share. They thought my house was beautiful and my family all looked the same. The boys were especially excited to see who this David guy was who is my boyfriend. I took half of the class at a time into the library because it is so small and there are so many of them (about 40 per classroom). In the library there is a dining room sized table and benches so they could sit and look at the pictures in the middle. The other half worked on answering questions like “what do you like to learn about” and “what are your hobbies.” Many of them wanted me to teach them math and science because those are their weakest subjects. The majority of them also said they want to be social workers or health care providers for he poor and orphans. I think coming from that background themselves helps to encourage them along that path. They are all so sweet and I want to take them home with me and put them thru school in the States. The education is fairly good here but I feel w/o financial support nearly all of these students don’t have a chance for college. Samata itself is a very good school. The passing rate for students is significantly higher than the national average and it only costs them 100 Rs ($1.50) per month to attend. The founder has received many international awards and I feel lucky to have met him. He was in “Ode” magazine recenty.
Jan 14 (Thurs) 9:00 PM
There is no class tomorrow so today I started a project to have them build a tower from straws and tape. Just brainstorming today and the construction will start Sunday. There is a Hindu festival on Friday which I have only been told it means they eat a lot of food. Andrew and I went to a fair trade market today and I found a lot of cool things. I only bought a purse and some welcome scarves that I have gotten here at the house and at the school. They are the most meaningful thing to represent my trip so far.
Life is going well. The food is still fantastic although Andrew and I had wood fired pizza today for dinner. The lack of spice was welcomed by my system. Another new year treat was made while I was at school today. Basically rice flour mush deep fried. Doesn’t have much flavor to it.
Today I showed the students my pictures from home. They were fairly excited and were sad I didn’t have very many pictures to share. They thought my house was beautiful and my family all looked the same. The boys were especially excited to see who this David guy was who is my boyfriend. I took half of the class at a time into the library because it is so small and there are so many of them (about 40 per classroom). In the library there is a dining room sized table and benches so they could sit and look at the pictures in the middle. The other half worked on answering questions like “what do you like to learn about” and “what are your hobbies.” Many of them wanted me to teach them math and science because those are their weakest subjects. The majority of them also said they want to be social workers or health care providers for he poor and orphans. I think coming from that background themselves helps to encourage them along that path. They are all so sweet and I want to take them home with me and put them thru school in the States. The education is fairly good here but I feel w/o financial support nearly all of these students don’t have a chance for college. Samata itself is a very good school. The passing rate for students is significantly higher than the national average and it only costs them 100 Rs ($1.50) per month to attend. The founder has received many international awards and I feel lucky to have met him. He was in “Ode” magazine recenty.
Jan 14 (Thurs) 9:00 PM
There is no class tomorrow so today I started a project to have them build a tower from straws and tape. Just brainstorming today and the construction will start Sunday. There is a Hindu festival on Friday which I have only been told it means they eat a lot of food. Andrew and I went to a fair trade market today and I found a lot of cool things. I only bought a purse and some welcome scarves that I have gotten here at the house and at the school. They are the most meaningful thing to represent my trip so far.
Life is going well. The food is still fantastic although Andrew and I had wood fired pizza today for dinner. The lack of spice was welcomed by my system. Another new year treat was made while I was at school today. Basically rice flour mush deep fried. Doesn’t have much flavor to it.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Jan 9 and Jan 11
Jan 9 (sat) 10:45 AM
Part-way through the epic pastry-making process:
“Easy to eat – difficult to make” –Pemba
Jan 11 (mon) 10:15 PM
Yesterday was a strike. The vehicles could not drive although there were some motorcycles that risked the punishment if they got caught. Raj told me that a general strike is supposed to be where people follow the strike if they agree with the topic. However, now the Maoist party tells businesses to shut down or the strike “or else” so it looks like they had a successful strike. School was closed and Pemba and I went to a monastery. The sky yesterday and today were actually a beautiful blue for the first time. I could see the mountains and I wasn’t choking on the polluted air. We walked many miles and it was a beautiful day. I would have liked to be in shorts and tank top while walking, but everyone was in coats and pants. I did have to go down to a T-shirt because I was just too warm. How are they in coats?!
Pemba and I went out for Thomba which is a millet wine and cheese momo with Yak cheese. Yum!!
Part-way through the epic pastry-making process:
“Easy to eat – difficult to make” –Pemba
Jan 11 (mon) 10:15 PM
Yesterday was a strike. The vehicles could not drive although there were some motorcycles that risked the punishment if they got caught. Raj told me that a general strike is supposed to be where people follow the strike if they agree with the topic. However, now the Maoist party tells businesses to shut down or the strike “or else” so it looks like they had a successful strike. School was closed and Pemba and I went to a monastery. The sky yesterday and today were actually a beautiful blue for the first time. I could see the mountains and I wasn’t choking on the polluted air. We walked many miles and it was a beautiful day. I would have liked to be in shorts and tank top while walking, but everyone was in coats and pants. I did have to go down to a T-shirt because I was just too warm. How are they in coats?!
Pemba and I went out for Thomba which is a millet wine and cheese momo with Yak cheese. Yum!!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Jan 8
Jan 8 (Fri) 10:40 PM
I think I am finally getting on a reasonable time schedule. Last night I slept for 12 hours and that is just what I needed. Today I taught actual lessons for the first time. I used a geometry lesson to get a feel for their mathematics abilities. The 7th graders couldn’t find the volume of a sphere with a string and ruler while the 9th graders did just fine. I didn’t go to my 8th grade classes because I was going to the orphanage. However, today was their talent show so it was at a different facility. It was the final cut of talents. Some kids danced, some sang and some gave performances through a speech that influenced their own lives and was a current event. I was more than impressed by all of them. The girls looked so beautiful and the boys had a ton of creativity and charisma. Most talents were traditional Nepali dances performed by young girls. However, one girl danced to a modern Nepali song and one boy actually danced to Michael Jackson. I find he was very influential in this society. When choosing characters [for a debate lesson] one student at Samata wanted to be MJ. This performance at the talent show was 100% MJ and his name has come up one or two more times. Strange…
I took a taxi for the first time today. Pemba put me on one to get to the UP office and it went fine (it was only 200 RS [or like $3]). Binita put me on a taxi home and negotiated for 350 Rs which was reasonable since it was dark and night rides cost more. However, this driver upped the price to 600 Rs when we got there. I only had 500’s and needed change so I lied and told him I only had one 500. Pemba was upset when I told him I had to pay 500 Rs to get home…now I know what to do. I am starting to get used to the traffic and don’t feel like I am going to die every trip…baby steps :)
I think I am finally getting on a reasonable time schedule. Last night I slept for 12 hours and that is just what I needed. Today I taught actual lessons for the first time. I used a geometry lesson to get a feel for their mathematics abilities. The 7th graders couldn’t find the volume of a sphere with a string and ruler while the 9th graders did just fine. I didn’t go to my 8th grade classes because I was going to the orphanage. However, today was their talent show so it was at a different facility. It was the final cut of talents. Some kids danced, some sang and some gave performances through a speech that influenced their own lives and was a current event. I was more than impressed by all of them. The girls looked so beautiful and the boys had a ton of creativity and charisma. Most talents were traditional Nepali dances performed by young girls. However, one girl danced to a modern Nepali song and one boy actually danced to Michael Jackson. I find he was very influential in this society. When choosing characters [for a debate lesson] one student at Samata wanted to be MJ. This performance at the talent show was 100% MJ and his name has come up one or two more times. Strange…
I took a taxi for the first time today. Pemba put me on one to get to the UP office and it went fine (it was only 200 RS [or like $3]). Binita put me on a taxi home and negotiated for 350 Rs which was reasonable since it was dark and night rides cost more. However, this driver upped the price to 600 Rs when we got there. I only had 500’s and needed change so I lied and told him I only had one 500. Pemba was upset when I told him I had to pay 500 Rs to get home…now I know what to do. I am starting to get used to the traffic and don’t feel like I am going to die every trip…baby steps :)
Friday, August 20, 2010
Jan 7
Jan 7 (Thurs) 6:30 PM
Today was another fun day. I was supposed to start teaching today but they always told me ti was there free time so we always were playing games. An example is they would ask how many letters was in my Mom’s name and set up the alphabet in that number of columns. For Connie:
A b c d e f
G h I j k l
M n o p q r ….
And then ask what column each letter was in. So the first letter was in the third column and the second letter was in the third column so they would then make the entire column into a row:
C I o…
C I o…
And then ask again for the column. The first letter is in the first column so it is a c. The second letter is in the second column (and second row) so is an O. Anyway, they had a fun time “magically” knowing names in my family. They are also enjoying teaching me some Nepali. It has some differences to the language spoken in the house. For example, Shimboodoo [spelling is literal] means delicious in their culture but not in Nepali.
Some students from Oxford were at the school today teaching now to debate. The students seemed 100x more interested in that then my math lectures. I need to make them for interesting! I went to a Monastery with the family today. They had some kind of afternoon celebration. The building was beautiful so I will bring my camera next time. The food is still fantastic although they eat far too much and too foten, but you are supposed to finish the plate or it means you didn’t like it. So far every meal I have eaten until I felt like I was going to lose everything. I need to ask for smaller portions but I am already eating less than everyone else is.
I also went to Bouddha again today. I like that place a lot. It is touristy, but fun and cultural as well. Well, the lights just went out again even though they were only on for like 30 minutes and I am tired of writing in the dark.
Today was another fun day. I was supposed to start teaching today but they always told me ti was there free time so we always were playing games. An example is they would ask how many letters was in my Mom’s name and set up the alphabet in that number of columns. For Connie:
A b c d e f
G h I j k l
M n o p q r ….
And then ask what column each letter was in. So the first letter was in the third column and the second letter was in the third column so they would then make the entire column into a row:
C I o…
C I o…
And then ask again for the column. The first letter is in the first column so it is a c. The second letter is in the second column (and second row) so is an O. Anyway, they had a fun time “magically” knowing names in my family. They are also enjoying teaching me some Nepali. It has some differences to the language spoken in the house. For example, Shimboodoo [spelling is literal] means delicious in their culture but not in Nepali.
Some students from Oxford were at the school today teaching now to debate. The students seemed 100x more interested in that then my math lectures. I need to make them for interesting! I went to a Monastery with the family today. They had some kind of afternoon celebration. The building was beautiful so I will bring my camera next time. The food is still fantastic although they eat far too much and too foten, but you are supposed to finish the plate or it means you didn’t like it. So far every meal I have eaten until I felt like I was going to lose everything. I need to ask for smaller portions but I am already eating less than everyone else is.
I also went to Bouddha again today. I like that place a lot. It is touristy, but fun and cultural as well. Well, the lights just went out again even though they were only on for like 30 minutes and I am tired of writing in the dark.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Jan 7
Jan 7 (Thurs) 6:30 PM
Today was another fun day. I was supposed to start teaching today but they always told me ti was there free time so we always were playing games. An example is they would ask how many letters was in my Mom’s name and set up the alphabet in that number of columns. For Connie:
A b c d e f
G h I j k l
M n o p q r ….
And then ask what column each letter was in. So the first letter was in the third column and the second letter was in the third column so they would then make the entire column into a row:
C I o…
C I o…
And then ask again for the column. The first letter is in the first column so it is a c. The second letter is in the second column (and second row) so is an O. Anyway, they had a fun time “magically” knowing names in my family. They are also enjoying teaching me some Nepali. It has some differences to the language spoken in the house. For example, Shimboodoo [spelling is literal] means delicious in their culture but not in Nepali.
Some students from Oxford were at the school today teaching now to debate. The students seemed 100x more interested in that then my math lectures. I need to make them for interesting! I went to a Monastery with the family today. They had some kind of afternoon celebration. The building was beautiful so I will bring my camera next time. The food is still fantastic although they eat far too much and too foten, but you are supposed to finish the plate or it means you didn’t like it. So far every meal I have eaten until I felt like I was going to lose everything. I need to ask for smaller portions but I am already eating less than everyone else is.
I also went to Bouddha again today. I like that place a lot. It is touristy, but fun and cultural as well. Well, the lights just went out again even though they were only on for like 30 minutes and I am tired of writing in the dark.
Today was another fun day. I was supposed to start teaching today but they always told me ti was there free time so we always were playing games. An example is they would ask how many letters was in my Mom’s name and set up the alphabet in that number of columns. For Connie:
A b c d e f
G h I j k l
M n o p q r ….
And then ask what column each letter was in. So the first letter was in the third column and the second letter was in the third column so they would then make the entire column into a row:
C I o…
C I o…
And then ask again for the column. The first letter is in the first column so it is a c. The second letter is in the second column (and second row) so is an O. Anyway, they had a fun time “magically” knowing names in my family. They are also enjoying teaching me some Nepali. It has some differences to the language spoken in the house. For example, Shimboodoo [spelling is literal] means delicious in their culture but not in Nepali.
Some students from Oxford were at the school today teaching now to debate. The students seemed 100x more interested in that then my math lectures. I need to make them for interesting! I went to a Monastery with the family today. They had some kind of afternoon celebration. The building was beautiful so I will bring my camera next time. The food is still fantastic although they eat far too much and too foten, but you are supposed to finish the plate or it means you didn’t like it. So far every meal I have eaten until I felt like I was going to lose everything. I need to ask for smaller portions but I am already eating less than everyone else is.
I also went to Bouddha again today. I like that place a lot. It is touristy, but fun and cultural as well. Well, the lights just went out again even though they were only on for like 30 minutes and I am tired of writing in the dark.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Jan5/6
Jan 5 (Tues) 7:43 PM
We went on a city tour today (Andrew and I). We went to a famous/important Buddhist temple and Hindu temple. They are very different from each other. The Buddhist temple is also known as “the monkey temple” because there are a lot of monkeys there (lots of dogs too). The flags (5 colors) represent the five “parts” of humans or 5 “parts” of the earth. For instance, the blue meant sky and the yellow meant the body…I think. The guide spoke goo English, but not great English. The Hindu temple area you can’t go in so we walked around the area. The river going past is said to be holy water so they burn bodies and put the ashes into the river. It was overwhelming to watch people being burned even though they were pretty much all the way covered. They are dipped in the water until the entire family has gathered around and then placed on five levels of wood (that each represent something) and then burned. And people just sit and watch. And tourists take pictures.
After the tour, Andrew and I were taken to our host families. Mine is only 5 minutes from the school so I can walk there. Only the son knows English so he translates. He showed me around today and we are in a very neat part of town. I will enjoy walking around and exploring. My room is bigger than any other room I have had before with only a bed, bookshelf and closet. Pretty nice. Right now I am writing by candlelight because the city turns off lights for 8 hours a day. It is split into two 4-hour sections. It is fun because when the lights come back on everybody does a quick “yeah” and then continues doing whatever. I really like it here so far…and this home has real toilets!
Jan 6 (Wed) 8:45 PM
Today was the first day of school. It was stressful but fun. They wanted me to teach today but I have no idea what the students do and don’t know. It makes it difficult for me to teach productively. So today I just had a question/answer session in the classrooms about life in USA. Each class had one of two interested students. The rest like to make jokes and laugh in Nepali. I can’t tell if they like having me there or are simply unimpressed. I went to the market (fruit and veggies along the sidewalk) and saw that they measured weights by placing known weights on one place and hold up a balance to estimate. I am still tired but they don’t eat here until 9:00 PM. I think I might try and shower in the morning. Before I give my first actual lesson on the atmosphere.
They always ask my age, my family, and if I am married. When I tell them my sister is they get excited. Then they ask if I “have a partner.” One girl asked for David’s name and what qualities he had.
We went on a city tour today (Andrew and I). We went to a famous/important Buddhist temple and Hindu temple. They are very different from each other. The Buddhist temple is also known as “the monkey temple” because there are a lot of monkeys there (lots of dogs too). The flags (5 colors) represent the five “parts” of humans or 5 “parts” of the earth. For instance, the blue meant sky and the yellow meant the body…I think. The guide spoke goo English, but not great English. The Hindu temple area you can’t go in so we walked around the area. The river going past is said to be holy water so they burn bodies and put the ashes into the river. It was overwhelming to watch people being burned even though they were pretty much all the way covered. They are dipped in the water until the entire family has gathered around and then placed on five levels of wood (that each represent something) and then burned. And people just sit and watch. And tourists take pictures.
After the tour, Andrew and I were taken to our host families. Mine is only 5 minutes from the school so I can walk there. Only the son knows English so he translates. He showed me around today and we are in a very neat part of town. I will enjoy walking around and exploring. My room is bigger than any other room I have had before with only a bed, bookshelf and closet. Pretty nice. Right now I am writing by candlelight because the city turns off lights for 8 hours a day. It is split into two 4-hour sections. It is fun because when the lights come back on everybody does a quick “yeah” and then continues doing whatever. I really like it here so far…and this home has real toilets!
Jan 6 (Wed) 8:45 PM
Today was the first day of school. It was stressful but fun. They wanted me to teach today but I have no idea what the students do and don’t know. It makes it difficult for me to teach productively. So today I just had a question/answer session in the classrooms about life in USA. Each class had one of two interested students. The rest like to make jokes and laugh in Nepali. I can’t tell if they like having me there or are simply unimpressed. I went to the market (fruit and veggies along the sidewalk) and saw that they measured weights by placing known weights on one place and hold up a balance to estimate. I am still tired but they don’t eat here until 9:00 PM. I think I might try and shower in the morning. Before I give my first actual lesson on the atmosphere.
They always ask my age, my family, and if I am married. When I tell them my sister is they get excited. Then they ask if I “have a partner.” One girl asked for David’s name and what qualities he had.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Jan 4th
Jan 4 (Mon) AM
I am going through security to get to Kathmandu. It certainly is a lot more relaxed than the US. I needlessly threw out my water bottle. Oh well…my traveling is almost done. The other unique thing this time was they had men and women go through the lines separately.
Jan 4 (Mon) 9:30 PM
We just got back from dinner and are going to bed. I need rest! I ate as much as I possibly could and still only finished about 2/3 of what was given to me. It was a nice dinner place in an old palace. 5 traditional Nepali dances were performed while we ate. The chairs had no legs so my hips were cramping b the end of dinner. Today was a fun introduction for me and Andrew (the other volunteer here) with a coordinator lady. It is cool because the place that works with UP [United Planet] is also a well known eco-tourist place. Examples -> the restaurant we went to tonight serves mineral water in clean cups rather than giving us each a plastic bottle. I had an “Everest” beer which I really enjoyed. Nepal is fun, but the streets are as bad if not worse than those in Kenya. More late, I’m tired and am excited for a horizontal bed rather than a chair to sleep in!
I am going through security to get to Kathmandu. It certainly is a lot more relaxed than the US. I needlessly threw out my water bottle. Oh well…my traveling is almost done. The other unique thing this time was they had men and women go through the lines separately.
Jan 4 (Mon) 9:30 PM
We just got back from dinner and are going to bed. I need rest! I ate as much as I possibly could and still only finished about 2/3 of what was given to me. It was a nice dinner place in an old palace. 5 traditional Nepali dances were performed while we ate. The chairs had no legs so my hips were cramping b the end of dinner. Today was a fun introduction for me and Andrew (the other volunteer here) with a coordinator lady. It is cool because the place that works with UP [United Planet] is also a well known eco-tourist place. Examples -> the restaurant we went to tonight serves mineral water in clean cups rather than giving us each a plastic bottle. I had an “Everest” beer which I really enjoyed. Nepal is fun, but the streets are as bad if not worse than those in Kenya. More late, I’m tired and am excited for a horizontal bed rather than a chair to sleep in!
Monday, June 14, 2010
And We're Back!
From the beginning, here are all of my actual journal entries. The first few might be a little boring so I will give you two to start with:
Jan 2 (Sat)
I left Seattle for my flight to Chicago. It was difficult t leave but I know it will be worth it. I am doing something I always dreamed of doing. It is finally real. From Chicago I got on my 13+ hour plane ride to Abu Dhabi.
Jan 3 (Sun)
The plan ride wasn’t bad because I slept for most of the time. Right now (in Abu Dhabi) I am 12 hours ahead of time back home. Ever since I left Seattle I have been eating dinner. It just happens that when I get hungry is always dinner in my time zone. This last meal I had at the airport (chicken kabobs, rice and chocolate ice cream) didn’t settle well because I ate it at 10:00 AM back home. I feel good now and am sitting and reading Twilight. It is dark out so I can’t see anything right now. The airport is very American, although it does have separate “prayer rooms” near each of the bathrooms. Back to reading….
Jan 2 (Sat)
I left Seattle for my flight to Chicago. It was difficult t leave but I know it will be worth it. I am doing something I always dreamed of doing. It is finally real. From Chicago I got on my 13+ hour plane ride to Abu Dhabi.
Jan 3 (Sun)
The plan ride wasn’t bad because I slept for most of the time. Right now (in Abu Dhabi) I am 12 hours ahead of time back home. Ever since I left Seattle I have been eating dinner. It just happens that when I get hungry is always dinner in my time zone. This last meal I had at the airport (chicken kabobs, rice and chocolate ice cream) didn’t settle well because I ate it at 10:00 AM back home. I feel good now and am sitting and reading Twilight. It is dark out so I can’t see anything right now. The airport is very American, although it does have separate “prayer rooms” near each of the bathrooms. Back to reading….
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Jan 31
This is my last blog post until I get back from the village. I am really excited for the trek. It will just be a United Planet worker and I going on the trip. We leave in the morning (on Monday) and will reach Sermathang on Friday. I hear we have around 4 hours to trek each day and stop at villages along the way. There is one village that is higher than the rest along the way what I possibly might get altitude sickness at. However, my guide is trained in what to do and they don't suspect it will be a problem.
My new home is supposed to have solar energy so that warm showers are available! I am looking forward to that. And it is a no-kill zone so very little meat is being eaten. Both of those things are going to be good for me I think. I have been getting sick a lot recently just because I am stressed with the new change coming up I think. I am going to be out of pollution and in a very natural area shortly and expect to feel better with the more fresh food and fresh air. The exercise should be great as well!
I am planning on being back on March 17th. However, all plans are fluid in Nepal so it is difficult to say exactly. I am getting back early to do some vacationing before I leave so that is why I am coming back so much earlier than March 22 when my plane leaves.
So, I will miss blogging and am sorry that I am unable to keep it up. I will miss the contact with everyone but am looking forward to the adventure. Thank you all for your comments and I will talk with you all in a month and a half!
Happy Birthday Lisa! I love you and miss you!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Jan 29 part 2
I leave for Sermathang on Monday! That is about three days sooner than I was expecting so I hope I am ready. The kids love "quiz day" which is just the teacher coming up with random questions and giving points to the team who can answer first. Therefore, I got the school a 'trivial pursuit for kids' game (thanks Max!!) so the students can play and learn when they have leisure time (which they do several periods each day). It is cool because it is questions about the Asian culture rather than American culture like ours are. We will play with that on Sunday, my last day in the school :(
I haven't written in a while because I have been so busy having fun! Last Friday I hung out with the female teachers during lunch and they did my eyebrows. They use string that basically rolls the hairs up in the string and then rips them out. I am aparently a huge wimp because my eyes wouldn't stop watering and I bled a little. They got a good laugh and I love the new shape of my eyebrows! They are so sweet and I am sad I am just gettting to know them now that I am leaving.
Saturday I went to a picnic with the family and loved it. I met a lot of people who will be up in Sermathang since my family is originally from there. It was a fun day and I got to walk around the National Botanical Gardens. Most of the plants were common plants that we have in our gardens at home. Lots of christmas cactus and spider plants! It was fun to see what they eat at picnics (sandwiches, potatoes and beaten rice) rather than hamburgers and hotdogs.
Monday I went to Baktapur (sp?) at another Samata school and met some people from California and Australia who were giving scholarships for some of the girls to go to college. That is a huge deal because these kids who are in Samata schools (like the one I am in) are from famillies that can't afford education and pay Rs 100 per month (around $1.50). It was great to see the girls smile when they found out they had been chosen for the scholarships. It was also Uttams birthday so we had rice pudding. Well, that meant that I was sick all the next day and just slept and drank water. I woke up find the following day and have been trying to post since. I will post at least once more before I leave if the internet lets me. I doubt I have internet contact in Sermathang but I return to Kathmandu on March 17. Then I am doing some tourist travel before I leave for home on March 22.
I haven't written in a while because I have been so busy having fun! Last Friday I hung out with the female teachers during lunch and they did my eyebrows. They use string that basically rolls the hairs up in the string and then rips them out. I am aparently a huge wimp because my eyes wouldn't stop watering and I bled a little. They got a good laugh and I love the new shape of my eyebrows! They are so sweet and I am sad I am just gettting to know them now that I am leaving.
Saturday I went to a picnic with the family and loved it. I met a lot of people who will be up in Sermathang since my family is originally from there. It was a fun day and I got to walk around the National Botanical Gardens. Most of the plants were common plants that we have in our gardens at home. Lots of christmas cactus and spider plants! It was fun to see what they eat at picnics (sandwiches, potatoes and beaten rice) rather than hamburgers and hotdogs.
Monday I went to Baktapur (sp?) at another Samata school and met some people from California and Australia who were giving scholarships for some of the girls to go to college. That is a huge deal because these kids who are in Samata schools (like the one I am in) are from famillies that can't afford education and pay Rs 100 per month (around $1.50). It was great to see the girls smile when they found out they had been chosen for the scholarships. It was also Uttams birthday so we had rice pudding. Well, that meant that I was sick all the next day and just slept and drank water. I woke up find the following day and have been trying to post since. I will post at least once more before I leave if the internet lets me. I doubt I have internet contact in Sermathang but I return to Kathmandu on March 17. Then I am doing some tourist travel before I leave for home on March 22.
Jan 29
This is the third time I am trying to post. The electricity goes out just when I am about done every time and I lose everything. So I am going to do this in sections so I can at least get something posted. First, to answer some questions:
1) We did make all that Kaphse in the little fryer. It took literally all day and we were all tired by the end of the day. My host mom and Nowang, her daughter, took turns cooking it while the others made the mix and pressed it and cut it.
2) I have been food shopping because it is just along the road. There are meat markets, fruit markets and vegetable markets along the main road that you just have to walk up to and choose your food. The meat markets are hard to get used to becaust the cut meat just sits there with flies on it util someone decides to buy it. I haven't eaten very much meat here....
3) Clothes to bring: most people wear jeans and a zip-up jacket. I am happy with what I brought - two zip-up jackets, a hoodie sweatshirt and a coat to go over a variety of sweaters and T-shirts. Two pairs of jeans have worked out nicely. Don't bring anything with any white on it, especially socks (you have to wash by hand and it isn't worth it). I wear tennis shoes although the girls wear little heels with socks and the guys wear dress shoes. I am happy in tennis shoes. However, March is the rainy season and I hear that means a lot of rain. So I guess be thoughtful about that.
4) I did get my dress and I love it! It is fancy and practical. I haven't worn it to school yet because i wasn't feeling well recently and I just lounged around in my sweats for a day and a half. Anyway, I am excited to show you all!
1) We did make all that Kaphse in the little fryer. It took literally all day and we were all tired by the end of the day. My host mom and Nowang, her daughter, took turns cooking it while the others made the mix and pressed it and cut it.
2) I have been food shopping because it is just along the road. There are meat markets, fruit markets and vegetable markets along the main road that you just have to walk up to and choose your food. The meat markets are hard to get used to becaust the cut meat just sits there with flies on it util someone decides to buy it. I haven't eaten very much meat here....
3) Clothes to bring: most people wear jeans and a zip-up jacket. I am happy with what I brought - two zip-up jackets, a hoodie sweatshirt and a coat to go over a variety of sweaters and T-shirts. Two pairs of jeans have worked out nicely. Don't bring anything with any white on it, especially socks (you have to wash by hand and it isn't worth it). I wear tennis shoes although the girls wear little heels with socks and the guys wear dress shoes. I am happy in tennis shoes. However, March is the rainy season and I hear that means a lot of rain. So I guess be thoughtful about that.
4) I did get my dress and I love it! It is fancy and practical. I haven't worn it to school yet because i wasn't feeling well recently and I just lounged around in my sweats for a day and a half. Anyway, I am excited to show you all!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Finally Some Pictures
Here I am after being blessed for the new year in the family's prayer room. This happens before we eat food and drink beer for the rest of the day. I was sick this day so just I was mostly in charge of taking pictures and enjoying the experience.
Here is the making of Kaphse (I am not sure on the spelling) which is the special treat during the New Year. We are still eating it and I am still very much enjoying it!
Here are the finalists for a talent show that I went to early on. All the children involved are from orphanages, some of them were from the orphanage that United Planet volunteers often work at. They were so cute and amazing at dancing, singing and giving speeches.
This is at the temple of Shiva that is the other location we went to while on the city tour.
This is one of the more well known Buddhist temples that the locals call "monkey temple" because there are a lot of monkeys that hang around it. This was during the city tour that United Planet sent us on during the first full day in Kathmandu.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Jan 20
Today was another festival day but not for the family that I am staying with. So there was no school again and I stayed home to read and wash clothes again and shop for a new dress. I decided that I needed something to wear for festivals even though I don't really stand out with jeans and a sweater. Anyway, the dress that my family wears is a little different...I would compare it to the geisha dress without the huge sash around the waste and a little more free flowing. It has beautiful fabric and wraps around the body and is very conservative. I got one so that I will have something to wear in the village if there is a time to wear it. I am so tall here that I had to have it specially made which was alright because then I got to choose the fabric I wanted for the dress and the blouse that goes underneath. It is beautiful deep blue dress with a cream colored blouse.
I have a quick recipe for you all to try if you want. It isn't anything special and I don't know how well it will turn out from me just watching and guessing. They don'tmeasure anything so I just had to kind of guess what the quantities were. Anyway, it is something to play with. I had it for lunch yesterday along with seasoned spicy potatoes.
1 Tbs cumin
2 cloves sliced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 sliced carrot
2-3 c sliced cabbage (theirs is different so would try either spinach or bok choy...)
3+ c day-old rice
cook the veggies with the seasonings in oil until slightly tender and then add the rice until warm. It is one of my favorites. Cumin (if they told me the right spice) is something we use a lot here!
Have a great day and I will try to post again soon!
I have a quick recipe for you all to try if you want. It isn't anything special and I don't know how well it will turn out from me just watching and guessing. They don'tmeasure anything so I just had to kind of guess what the quantities were. Anyway, it is something to play with. I had it for lunch yesterday along with seasoned spicy potatoes.
1 Tbs cumin
2 cloves sliced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 sliced carrot
2-3 c sliced cabbage (theirs is different so would try either spinach or bok choy...)
3+ c day-old rice
cook the veggies with the seasonings in oil until slightly tender and then add the rice until warm. It is one of my favorites. Cumin (if they told me the right spice) is something we use a lot here!
Have a great day and I will try to post again soon!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Jan 19th
I did get my clothes all washed and dried the other day. It took forever and a half so I think I am going to use a local laundry service before I leave for the village. I had washed all my nice sweaters and jeans and it took two days for it all to dry hanging in the sun. Therefore, I was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt on the new year festival day. Oh well, I stand out enough here that I doubt anyone really noticed. Plus, nobody every says anything about what you wear because people simply wear what they have available to them. The female teachers at school wear the type of clothes you would probably traditionally think of when you think of Nepal or Inida. It is the bright, baggy pants and the shirts that are more like knee-length dresses with slits from the bottom to the hips. The key is all the colors are bright...I am not sure how to explain it so when I post pictures I will try to show one of those. A lot of people do wear jeans, though. I look out of place simply because my clothes are a little cleaner and I am fairly tall here...and I look quit different in general. As I said before, though, people look at me because I stand out not because they have anything against me or are being mean. The children on the streets often run up to me to say "hello" and are very proud that they just spoke English.
Yesterday the Nepali Prime Minister came to the school. It, of coarse, was a big deal including armed guards and snipers on rooftops. I got to play reporter as I happened to have my camera that day. I was taking pictures of the students' engineering projects and so was happy that my camera came in such good use today. The event was in the newspaper. I was dissapointed I was not in the background of the picture they used, but one of the reporters did notice me and wanted to talk to me before I left the school about my experiences. I dont know if that would go anywhere, but it would be cool. The students were very excited that the Prime Minister came to see them! A few of them even got interviewed by reporters and they looked happy beyond words and very proud of their school. There was a little show for the Prime Minister that the young children put on and then he, along with two other imortant people who had come, each gave a small inspirational speech. They had come to this school because it has been in the paper so often over the last week or two. He wanted to come and get good publicity while showing his support for the school.
Anyway, needless to say the project was delayed again today so the students are going to start that today rather than yesterday. I am learning some new Nepali words and also learned to make tea yesterday. I like it a lot and hope I can replicate it when I get back to The States. The tea is almost half milk (which they buy in plastic bags!).
Yesterday the Nepali Prime Minister came to the school. It, of coarse, was a big deal including armed guards and snipers on rooftops. I got to play reporter as I happened to have my camera that day. I was taking pictures of the students' engineering projects and so was happy that my camera came in such good use today. The event was in the newspaper. I was dissapointed I was not in the background of the picture they used, but one of the reporters did notice me and wanted to talk to me before I left the school about my experiences. I dont know if that would go anywhere, but it would be cool. The students were very excited that the Prime Minister came to see them! A few of them even got interviewed by reporters and they looked happy beyond words and very proud of their school. There was a little show for the Prime Minister that the young children put on and then he, along with two other imortant people who had come, each gave a small inspirational speech. They had come to this school because it has been in the paper so often over the last week or two. He wanted to come and get good publicity while showing his support for the school.
Anyway, needless to say the project was delayed again today so the students are going to start that today rather than yesterday. I am learning some new Nepali words and also learned to make tea yesterday. I like it a lot and hope I can replicate it when I get back to The States. The tea is almost half milk (which they buy in plastic bags!).
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Jan 17th
I called Steven today to wish him HAPPY BIRTHDAY because it is still Jan 16th back home. Yesterday (Nepal's Jan 16th) was the first day of the new year. I think it is year 2157 or something like that. I wrote it down in my journal but can't remember now that I am sitting at a computer in an internet cafe. It is much later than 2010, that is for sure. The celebration traditionally goes 15 days but my family will celebrate for about the first five. Each day they have dinner at a different house. Yesterday they went around and said prayers at each house and drank beer or tea and today the dinner at each family member's house starts. We went to four houses yesterday so by the end of the day there was a lot more celebrating as a lot more beer had been consumed. I took lots of pictures but didn't drink any beer.
Another celebration was on Jan 15th for a different culture. They were celebrating the new year as the year of the tiger. It is difficult to keep track of this new culture because there are so many different cutures here in Nepal that I am not learning about just one, but about many.
I took the day off of school today because I am not feeling well. I have just a normal cold but it has made me more tired than any cold back home. I have been doing a lot of sleeping the last two days. The food is still fantastic. When I am sick I get more noodles rather than more potatoes and rice. The quick noodles that I get are very similar to ramin back home but they put vegetables in it, which is nice.
I realized I haven't said much about how we eat here. There is not a dining room table like there are in most homes back in The States. In my house here there are three couches along each wall in the room. The fourth "wall" to the dining room is a curtain that separates the kitchen area from the dining area. Two of the couches are just a few inches off the floor while the third (the one I sit at most often) is probably just an inch shorter than most chairs back home. The tables are a foot wide and go the length of the couches and are at the level of my knees when sitting on the high couch. You have to really lean over to eat at the table! So the family pretty much sits in a circle at their own spot on the table. The food is dished for everyone so we don't get much of a say in how much we consume. My favorite food so far are the oranges (like tangerines back home) and the cabbage (that is put in almost every meal). The soups are fantastic and do a good job of keeping me warm. It will be colder in the village so I need to get used to being a little cold. I have been told they drink a lot more roksi (rice wine) to "keep the bones warm."
Sorry if I haven't been answering everyones questions. I read the comments and then post again and sometimes forget all that was asked. It takes a long time to go from page to page here so usually don't want to spend the time to look things back up. Feel free to ask the questions again if you want to know!!!!! Well I am going to go home and rest some more. It is not fun being sick! Have a great weekend everyone!
Another celebration was on Jan 15th for a different culture. They were celebrating the new year as the year of the tiger. It is difficult to keep track of this new culture because there are so many different cutures here in Nepal that I am not learning about just one, but about many.
I took the day off of school today because I am not feeling well. I have just a normal cold but it has made me more tired than any cold back home. I have been doing a lot of sleeping the last two days. The food is still fantastic. When I am sick I get more noodles rather than more potatoes and rice. The quick noodles that I get are very similar to ramin back home but they put vegetables in it, which is nice.
I realized I haven't said much about how we eat here. There is not a dining room table like there are in most homes back in The States. In my house here there are three couches along each wall in the room. The fourth "wall" to the dining room is a curtain that separates the kitchen area from the dining area. Two of the couches are just a few inches off the floor while the third (the one I sit at most often) is probably just an inch shorter than most chairs back home. The tables are a foot wide and go the length of the couches and are at the level of my knees when sitting on the high couch. You have to really lean over to eat at the table! So the family pretty much sits in a circle at their own spot on the table. The food is dished for everyone so we don't get much of a say in how much we consume. My favorite food so far are the oranges (like tangerines back home) and the cabbage (that is put in almost every meal). The soups are fantastic and do a good job of keeping me warm. It will be colder in the village so I need to get used to being a little cold. I have been told they drink a lot more roksi (rice wine) to "keep the bones warm."
Sorry if I haven't been answering everyones questions. I read the comments and then post again and sometimes forget all that was asked. It takes a long time to go from page to page here so usually don't want to spend the time to look things back up. Feel free to ask the questions again if you want to know!!!!! Well I am going to go home and rest some more. It is not fun being sick! Have a great weekend everyone!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Jan 13
I actually can only see the very tip of one of the mountains in the Himalayas. When I go to the village I will be able to see more (less pollution and more views). Kathmandu is in a valley and you have to see past the smaller mountains around it to see the Himalayas. Everest is not near Kathmandu and even when flying into and out of Kathmandu I will not see it. They have a lot of "everest" things here, though. My first dinner here I had Everest beer and it was good.
Thank you for the great experiment ideas! Those are things that would be easy to buy materials for, which is the challenge. I think we might also try to construct bridges and see how much they can hold. This friday is another holiday. Saturday is new year. It will be a fun weekend. Then I will be half way done with my time in Kathmandu. Then there is a week of trekking to the village where I will spend the rest of my time. Today I shared pictures from home. They all think Anna is "beautiful," David is "handsome," Steven is "very tall" and that my family all look the same. They also thought Mom and Dad looked very young and some students thought Mom was my sister :) They always laugh at the name Don because I guess he is a villain in either their religion or stories they all know. Anyway, they enjoy that. They thought the catfish picture was very cool and were happy to hear that we eat such things.
The electricity is turned off simpy to save electricity. They also discourage the use of plastics, which is a lot because many people drink bottled water. The people who run United Planet here also work for Social Tours which is a Nepal tour agency known for being environmentally sound and socially aware. As an example, they tell me about restaurants that filter their own water rather than sell bottles and they support the local orphanages financially and with volunteers. Since they are a tour agency I might look into doing some other adventures while here through them. Anyway, aside from there being no garbage cans other than the sidewalk, Nepal is working towards being an environmentally friendly country.
I need to go home now and learn how to wash my clothes. I wear pretty much the same thing every day and it has been over a week now. The family I stay with has a lady that comes to clean the clothes but I guess she has been unavailable this past week.
Thank you for the great experiment ideas! Those are things that would be easy to buy materials for, which is the challenge. I think we might also try to construct bridges and see how much they can hold. This friday is another holiday. Saturday is new year. It will be a fun weekend. Then I will be half way done with my time in Kathmandu. Then there is a week of trekking to the village where I will spend the rest of my time. Today I shared pictures from home. They all think Anna is "beautiful," David is "handsome," Steven is "very tall" and that my family all look the same. They also thought Mom and Dad looked very young and some students thought Mom was my sister :) They always laugh at the name Don because I guess he is a villain in either their religion or stories they all know. Anyway, they enjoy that. They thought the catfish picture was very cool and were happy to hear that we eat such things.
The electricity is turned off simpy to save electricity. They also discourage the use of plastics, which is a lot because many people drink bottled water. The people who run United Planet here also work for Social Tours which is a Nepal tour agency known for being environmentally sound and socially aware. As an example, they tell me about restaurants that filter their own water rather than sell bottles and they support the local orphanages financially and with volunteers. Since they are a tour agency I might look into doing some other adventures while here through them. Anyway, aside from there being no garbage cans other than the sidewalk, Nepal is working towards being an environmentally friendly country.
I need to go home now and learn how to wash my clothes. I wear pretty much the same thing every day and it has been over a week now. The family I stay with has a lady that comes to clean the clothes but I guess she has been unavailable this past week.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Jan 12
I live on the 3rd floor and spend a lot of my time in the living room there (across from my room) or on the roof (the 6th floor) where I can see the top of some of the mountains on clear days.
The students all ask for science experiments so I am thinking of small things that I can buy for the school that allows them to do science experiements. Even a beaker or graduated cylinder would be great. Any ideas? So far I have measuring water flow, playing with magnets...and some math games with flashcards and dice. I need help :)
So two important things I forgot to mention because I am already getting used to them. The first is electricity. A comic was in the paper the other day that depicted two travelers getting shown to their room. The caption below read "this is your room. don't worry about turning off the lights, the government does that for us." The government turns out the electricity for 8 hours a day (2 - 4-hr segments). It usually is in the morning while I am at school and then when it gets dark from around 6 to 10. Most nights we eat, cook, talk, and read by candlelight. I actually like the simplicity. When the lights turn on there is a quick cheer and then everyone continues with whatever they were doing (or turns on the TV). It is a fun little surprise and makes a person appreciate the little things in life :)
The other is the traffic. I have to cross the road to get to school and every day I feel like I should be so elated that I made it. Nima told me to "just walk, they won't hit you." So far that has worked! There are no traffic lanes and there are no traffic rules. when going around a corner they honk to see if someone is coming on the other side and they honk if they are coming. That way they know to try and stay on their own side. Very very few people drive something other than a motorcycle. They are the best because they can sneak thru stalled traffic. Lots of fun :) I don't almost scream when in a taxi anymore because with this kind of traffic they never really get above 25 mph. It is just a little scary at times.
Well, best get home and take a shower...I mean a "bucket bath." There is no hot water so we heat up water in buckets and use a cup to rinse off. It is difficult to wash long hair in a bucket...but nothing that different from camping. It is better than a cold shower!
The students all ask for science experiments so I am thinking of small things that I can buy for the school that allows them to do science experiements. Even a beaker or graduated cylinder would be great. Any ideas? So far I have measuring water flow, playing with magnets...and some math games with flashcards and dice. I need help :)
So two important things I forgot to mention because I am already getting used to them. The first is electricity. A comic was in the paper the other day that depicted two travelers getting shown to their room. The caption below read "this is your room. don't worry about turning off the lights, the government does that for us." The government turns out the electricity for 8 hours a day (2 - 4-hr segments). It usually is in the morning while I am at school and then when it gets dark from around 6 to 10. Most nights we eat, cook, talk, and read by candlelight. I actually like the simplicity. When the lights turn on there is a quick cheer and then everyone continues with whatever they were doing (or turns on the TV). It is a fun little surprise and makes a person appreciate the little things in life :)
The other is the traffic. I have to cross the road to get to school and every day I feel like I should be so elated that I made it. Nima told me to "just walk, they won't hit you." So far that has worked! There are no traffic lanes and there are no traffic rules. when going around a corner they honk to see if someone is coming on the other side and they honk if they are coming. That way they know to try and stay on their own side. Very very few people drive something other than a motorcycle. They are the best because they can sneak thru stalled traffic. Lots of fun :) I don't almost scream when in a taxi anymore because with this kind of traffic they never really get above 25 mph. It is just a little scary at times.
Well, best get home and take a shower...I mean a "bucket bath." There is no hot water so we heat up water in buckets and use a cup to rinse off. It is difficult to wash long hair in a bucket...but nothing that different from camping. It is better than a cold shower!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Life in Kathmandu
Nameste!
Sorry that I haven't written more lately. I have had easy access to phones and not so easy access to e-mail. Steven posts for me when I get a chance to talk to them without getting to a computer. I know where to go now. I was going to come to the internet cafe yesterday but there was a strike so none of the businesses were open. I guess they happen every once and awhile so there was no school so Pemba took me on a walk to a buddhist monestary. It was a great day for that because on strike days the vehicles are not allowed and so there is MUCH MUCH less pollution in the air. Anyway, I could actually see the mountains which was a big treat. The pollution here is bad and many people wear face masks to breathe better. I think I will get one here shortly as I have already noticed coughing more often.
The school is a short 5 or 7 minute walk from my home. People look at me because I stand out a bit, but they usually smile and say "hello" or "nameste." The children especially get excited about saying hello in english. The school (Samata School) is made of bamboo and has probably almost 15 classrooms. There are only chalkboards in the classroom and the chalkboards are concrete covered in a black material that works only reasonably well. Some classrooms don't have erasers so the students give me a crumpled piece of paper to basically scratch off the chalk. Today I tried to do more lessons with the 8th grade students (there are two 8th grade classes with 30 students each) and they also seriously lack algebra and geometry skills. They have a hard time focusing and I think it will take awhile before they think of time with me as a class rather than free time with the American.
The food is fantastic. Momo (dumplings or potstickers) are great. I think my favorite so far is cheese momo that had cabbage and yak cheese. I also had buffalo momo but that is very tough and strong-flavored meat...I wasn't too sure about it. I will come back looking a little different because the customs require you to finish every meal and they always serve up my plates for me. I eat until I physically can't eat anymore without getting sick almost every meal. This family actually eats 3 times a day, once when I wake up (which is about 7:00) once during my school lunch break (12:15) and then again when the dad gets home (around 8:00 or 9:00). Then I go to sleep around 10:00 and wake up to do it again. Anyway, women are supposed to carry a little "extra" because it shows that you eat well and are healthy. So I am supposed to be waiting for the day when I am called "fat" because it is a wonderful compliment to my lifestyle.
This will sound bad, but I don't really know all the names of the family yet. Pemba is my age and he and his younger brother speak english well. His older sister lives with her family in the lowest level of the house (which is 6 stories high) and also speaks english. The parents do not. I mostly sit and listen to their conversations even though I have no idea what is going on or watch the TV and make up whatever story I want. I like it because it allows me to be an observer without being antisocial. My words to the mom are mostly "shimbudu" which means delicious and "dangsi" which means enough. We mostly just smile at each other as I sit in the sun. Yes, it is winter in Nepal and sometimes I wish I coiuld be in a T-shirt and shorts. People here are wearing coats and pants and it is nearly 70 degrees outside. I have not bought any Nepali clothes yet, but that is on my list for the week.
New years starts this Saturday and is a 15 day celebration. We started this past weekend by spending an entire day (8:00-3:00) making a type of pastry that is special to new years. It is basically a deep fried flour dough. Shimbudu :) Also, there are three different "new years" because there are three different calendars. Traditionally, it is 2066 here I think right now. They do recognize the western calendar, though.
Thank you, everyone, for posting to me! It is a very nice treat to hear from you all. I will try to post more often now. It only costs 25 rupees (not even 50 cents) for an hour on the computer - which is good because the internet is painfully slow.
Have a great day everyone. I miss you all!
Carrie
Sorry that I haven't written more lately. I have had easy access to phones and not so easy access to e-mail. Steven posts for me when I get a chance to talk to them without getting to a computer. I know where to go now. I was going to come to the internet cafe yesterday but there was a strike so none of the businesses were open. I guess they happen every once and awhile so there was no school so Pemba took me on a walk to a buddhist monestary. It was a great day for that because on strike days the vehicles are not allowed and so there is MUCH MUCH less pollution in the air. Anyway, I could actually see the mountains which was a big treat. The pollution here is bad and many people wear face masks to breathe better. I think I will get one here shortly as I have already noticed coughing more often.
The school is a short 5 or 7 minute walk from my home. People look at me because I stand out a bit, but they usually smile and say "hello" or "nameste." The children especially get excited about saying hello in english. The school (Samata School) is made of bamboo and has probably almost 15 classrooms. There are only chalkboards in the classroom and the chalkboards are concrete covered in a black material that works only reasonably well. Some classrooms don't have erasers so the students give me a crumpled piece of paper to basically scratch off the chalk. Today I tried to do more lessons with the 8th grade students (there are two 8th grade classes with 30 students each) and they also seriously lack algebra and geometry skills. They have a hard time focusing and I think it will take awhile before they think of time with me as a class rather than free time with the American.
The food is fantastic. Momo (dumplings or potstickers) are great. I think my favorite so far is cheese momo that had cabbage and yak cheese. I also had buffalo momo but that is very tough and strong-flavored meat...I wasn't too sure about it. I will come back looking a little different because the customs require you to finish every meal and they always serve up my plates for me. I eat until I physically can't eat anymore without getting sick almost every meal. This family actually eats 3 times a day, once when I wake up (which is about 7:00) once during my school lunch break (12:15) and then again when the dad gets home (around 8:00 or 9:00). Then I go to sleep around 10:00 and wake up to do it again. Anyway, women are supposed to carry a little "extra" because it shows that you eat well and are healthy. So I am supposed to be waiting for the day when I am called "fat" because it is a wonderful compliment to my lifestyle.
This will sound bad, but I don't really know all the names of the family yet. Pemba is my age and he and his younger brother speak english well. His older sister lives with her family in the lowest level of the house (which is 6 stories high) and also speaks english. The parents do not. I mostly sit and listen to their conversations even though I have no idea what is going on or watch the TV and make up whatever story I want. I like it because it allows me to be an observer without being antisocial. My words to the mom are mostly "shimbudu" which means delicious and "dangsi" which means enough. We mostly just smile at each other as I sit in the sun. Yes, it is winter in Nepal and sometimes I wish I coiuld be in a T-shirt and shorts. People here are wearing coats and pants and it is nearly 70 degrees outside. I have not bought any Nepali clothes yet, but that is on my list for the week.
New years starts this Saturday and is a 15 day celebration. We started this past weekend by spending an entire day (8:00-3:00) making a type of pastry that is special to new years. It is basically a deep fried flour dough. Shimbudu :) Also, there are three different "new years" because there are three different calendars. Traditionally, it is 2066 here I think right now. They do recognize the western calendar, though.
Thank you, everyone, for posting to me! It is a very nice treat to hear from you all. I will try to post more often now. It only costs 25 rupees (not even 50 cents) for an hour on the computer - which is good because the internet is painfully slow.
Have a great day everyone. I miss you all!
Carrie
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Class
The students are very well behaved. They ask to leave the room, ask to come in the room and always stand when a teacher enters or leaves the room. Before class they stand up and say "Good Morning Teacher!" and some classes say "Thank you for teaching us teacher" as I leave.
I did a geometry lesson today to see what their level was. 7th grade struggles with geometry a lot (expected) and 9th grade did just fine. I had them find the volume of a sphere using only a string and ruler. They had to find the perimeter to find the radius to find the volume. 9th grade had no problem but 7th couldnt figure out how to find the radius when given the perimeter in the equation P=2(PI)(radius). Now I know where to start from.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
I'm here!
I made it here and have a cell phone the entire time so I can always been in contact (but not often). I tried to text steven but I don't know if it made it. I will try again soon. I am going to my host family today and get to go to the school tomorrow. I am loving Kathmandu - it is very very similar to Mombasa. I will live with one of the coordinators moms which is a 10 minute walk to the school. I get to use the internet here at the main office when I need to so I will try to get back as often as I can. I am doing very well, am eating well and am looking forward to this. I guess they only eat twice a day so i have jet lag and eating patterns to get used to.
I'll be in contact soon. We are getting read to go on a city tour. Oh, and I get to go on a five day treking adventure to get to my village in Feb. We will leave from Kathmandu and hike around 5 days to get there. Binita is doing it for the first time with me. I will be the first United Planet volunteer in this village. Lots more to say, but it will have to wait :)
I'll be in contact soon. We are getting read to go on a city tour. Oh, and I get to go on a five day treking adventure to get to my village in Feb. We will leave from Kathmandu and hike around 5 days to get there. Binita is doing it for the first time with me. I will be the first United Planet volunteer in this village. Lots more to say, but it will have to wait :)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
In Abu Dhabi
I thought I had posted before, but I don`t see it now. So, anyway, I am sitting and waiting in the Abu Dhabi airport. The airport is very American so nothing too exciting or exotic yet. They do have special prayer rooms near almost all of the bathrooms here. I have 9 more hours before my flight. I ate dinner but felt kinda strange after. I think it a combination of nerves and bad timing (I had chicken kabobs, rice and ice cream for dinner when it was breakfast time at home so my body wasn`t ready). Anyway, the people in the airport are amazingly friendly and helpful. I haven't had to exchange money yet but did get my change from dinner in United Arab Emerites currency. I will probably just keep that. I have no idea how much it is worth but it is pretty cool.
I am now going to go find a nice spot (they have really nice lounge chairs here to rest in) and read the first Twilight book. I have 9 hours to finish it!
I am now going to go find a nice spot (they have really nice lounge chairs here to rest in) and read the first Twilight book. I have 9 hours to finish it!
In Abu Dhabi
So far the trips are going well. There is free internet in the airport so I will blog once more before I leave. I have only been sleeping and eating since I left Seattle. Nothing exciting or exotic yet. This airport is as American as Chicagos was. More soon!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
I'm Off!
Thank you for all of your supportive thoughts and words. I am heading out this morning for my trip. I hope the airlines aren't as bad as they are predicting! I will write soon (if I can find a computer)!
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