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