I didn’t want to leave
After my time in Chitwan I ventured off to Pokhara to figure out what my next adventure would be. I met Natalie on couchsurfing.com and we planed to do a trek together after she wwoofed on a organic coffee farm in the mountains near Begnas Lake. Well after she got there she wouldn’t come down to go trekking with me so I decided to go up the mountain to meet her and figure out what this paradise was all about.
I did some sketchy bank transactions in Pokhara and then left early one morning for Bignas Lake on September 5th. From Bignas I took another bus to Bhanjayang where I then climbed the mountain for about an hour asking for Surya’s house. Natalie met me about ¾ of the way to the home and I could tell by her persona it was going to be a great 10 days. I met Elise, a 19 year old aussie who was also staying there and ama and bua (mom and dad).
Nothing I can say will really sum up ama and bua but they have the most wonderful essence about them. Their philosophy is that they are your parents away from home and they love to laugh. All the factors combined made for a perfect experience. The first day was just a preview to how good it was going to get: ama took Natalie into the woods, showed her a broken TV and mosquito net and then without warning squatted down and peed. It caught Natalie by much surprise, but ama just said she was giving nitrogen to the tree. This was followed by hoots of laughter and ama telling us not to tell bua. “Ama urine” continues to be a joke. So after that we had an amazing meal crafted by ama followed by some after dinner “dessert” and a baby buffalo being born! It was a day full of surprises and I felt like I had already been there for weeks.
Now I’ve stayed in small villages before but I’ve always been alone. It’s always been okay, but it isn’t always easy leaving the conveniences (like toilets and showers) of more developed places. Plus on top of it you have to adapt to an entire different culture and way of life. So, what I’m trying to say is that this has been by far one of my best village stay experiences because I was able to share it with 3 other amazing girls.
Wait. Three? Yeah, Danielle trekked up the mountain on my third afternoon on the farm. She’s 24 and resides in Portland. She sold her car so she could travel for about eight months (cool girl). She became my roommate (which I was delighted about because the rats didn’t make for perfect company) and the four of us were like peas in a pod.
Ama left on my forth day at the farm to travel to Bangalore, India for a sustainable organic farming conference. It was her first time on a plane and we were all so excited for her. That left bua to the cooking. I think we began to realize on the third or forth day that bua only knows how to cook four things: rice, dal, zucchini, and bitters. So needless to say, we got a little tired of eating the same things and were very glad when ama came back after six long days. Also, there was a bit of a hang-up as ama normally milks the buffalo twice a day. Bua tried doing this in her absence but the buffalo refused to give milk. So, a lady neighbor (who we also called ama) came by twice a day, put on ama’s saree and shawl and went undercover as ama so the buffalo would give milk…only in Nepal.
During the day we read and played a lot of games. We did some work to with the two other amas who work for ama and bua. (Now if you think there are too many amas to keep straight, imagine how they called all of us girls “sister.”) These amas –that we dubbed “hardcore ama” and little ama” are two wonderful and hard working women. We helped them till one day, weed another, and pick out all the worms from the compost. (Yes we picked out worms from a huge pile of dirt. And throughout the monotony I thought about all my friends who would never do it.) The scenery for weeding and tilling were phenomenal and we got to take them in several times while the ama’s had their cig break.
Ama arrived from Banglore on my last night at the farm. She had many exciting things to tell and give to us. We got many sweets out of the deal! She wanted to save the best for last, so after dinner she broke out some organic sweets they were selling at the conference. They were about dark brown one inch by one inch blocks of pure sugar with a molasses flavor. When we were handed them Natalie made comment on how they looked like what she feed her horses, but nothing more was really said. Then we started sucking on them and it was pretty nasty and we were all sure if we were to eat the whole thing we would be up all night long, maybe even running up and down the mountainside because of all the sugar. Finally, it might have been ama or a combination of all of us who agreed what we were sucking on was pretty nasty. Ama apologized by saying she didn’t really know what she was buying when she bought them she just knew they were advertised as organic sweets and everyone was buying three or four bags. Then I think it was Elise who picked up the package and started reading. It never explicitly said, but we’re pretty sure we were eating animal treats. We all had a good laugh and dumped the rest of our sugar cubes into the buffalo’s scrap bucket. And still, some of us were up into the wee hours of the morning…either because of the sugar high or rats…
The last day I was there I stayed for the first meal of the day because ama was cooking and I was ready for variety. She blew us out of the water and it made me want to stay even more than I did before…but I had to descend the mountain to write the final report for the Reading and Reflection project that was due Sept. 14th.
The girls came down to visit, take showers, eat different food, shop, etc. two days after I left. They stayed for two days and we had a really great time together…I’ll be sad to see them leave but I’m happy that Natalie is coming to Kathmandu with me!
17.9.09
Gawai, Chitwan: A Faithful Leap
After my rafting experience I jumped on a bus (literally on top) to Chitwan where Ranjan, my former guide in Chitwan was waiting for me on his blue motorbike. It was nice to see a friendly face again and we headed to his village, Gawai (about 7 km from the touristy part of Chitwan) making small talk along the way. I was going to be living with the Basnet family who consisted of four daughters, mom, and dad. The daughters are 16, 19, 20, and 21 years old which was nice to be around girls my own age and who were all anxious to take care of me. The village and this family has had only had 3 other volunteers before and I was the first female volunteer so this made for a nice experience. The whole village was excited about my arrival and time working and living there (even if it was just for a week).
Well I made a very “Jackie-like” entrance: as I was going to get off the motorbike with my two fairly large backpacks, I fell straight over. Here was the entire family (minus the dad who was away on work in another village) eagerly awaiting me and BAM man down. Not knowing what to say to lighten the moment appropriately, before getting up I just gave them a big smile and NAMASTE! And a hearty chuckle, but I think they were more worried than entertained.
The first thing they did was give me a homemade and itchy necklace made out of clovers and tika. My first impressions were that the home was extremely clean. I didn’t know if this was typical, but as the week wore on and I visited other homes I realized it wasn’t easy to keep a home as clean as they did and I was grateful for their sanitation habits. After this we went to my room on the top of the house, put my things down and sat on the roof talking and not talking. The family spoke very little English so I broke out in my 20 word vocabulary Nepali and they seemed a little impressed. When it got dark Ranjan and I ate dalbaat together in the kitchen.
So my schedule for the week was basically: wake up at 6:30 or 7am eat cookies and chiya (chai tea) and then I would usually read. (*Side note: during this week I was reading a GREAT book I would recommend to anyone called The Primate’s Memoire, it’s hilarious, entertaining, and intellectually stimulating.) Then I would have dalbaat around 9am before leaving to go to the school at 9:30 with the neighbor who is a teacher at the school. We would walk about five minutes into the “center” or Gawai to get on the school bus teaming with loud, energetic and hot bodies of around a hundred kids under the age of 12. It became my daily ritual of taking a deep breath before getting in.
We’d arrive at school and wait for the bus to go pick up the 100 or so kids in the other direction. Then the first period of about six periods would start for the day. I went with the neighbor, Bipana, for the first two periods to the nursery class. We gave them work in their notebooks and played some games with them every day. They were pretty cute, I have to admit. Then I would usually go with Mekal to the first grade class. The first graders were the loudest and most rambunctious class and I loathed going there but Mekal was great. She is 21 years old, like most of the teachers, spoke the best English and just seemed all around like a great woman who loved to learn and work even though she has already started a family.
The first graders were always up to something. One day before school started some boys were messing around and next thing you know a kid has blood gushing out of the back of his head. Two days later the same thing happens to another kid but the blood is coming from his forehead. Also, on my last day there was some rumor or news of cases of swine flu nearby so two first graders wore masks all day.
I quickly learned that kids are taught and punished very differently here. This is probably something I’ve seen in other countries but just never really took mental note of before. Basically teaching is all in the repetition since there are no materials other than a text books, notebooks, and blackboards to teach with. Also, all the text books were in English but there definitely wasn’t a single teacher in that school that spoke enough English to teach or understand what those books said. Hmmm. By the end I had a stab at all the classes (the older ones were the best ones) and taught many subjects, including evolution. The text I read basically said humans came from worms, I didn’t know what to do with this…but by the end of the class I was sure none of the students really understood what I was saying or what the book said, so maybe they don’t think we came from worms? Who knows.
Punishment was physical and included slapping kids with the teacher’s hand or by a stick. Now don’t get me wrong they weren’t beating these kids up (the kids could do that themselves) but sometimes I flinched a little. But that was the problem with the bigger classes was that I couldn’t get the kids to listen to me unless I threatened them in that way. (Which of course I didn’t do, but it made my job as teacher more difficult). I also learned that hitting was a sign of friendship (so let’s just mess with their little brains a little more…) as one morning walking to school I got a nice wack on the back from the neighbor riding her bike to a different school where she teaches.
So the first day of teaching was exhausting. I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into and Chitwan is a very hot place so this all takes it out of you. I got home around 4:30 pm and went straight to the neighbor’s house to be introduced to her twin sister and see every family photo ever printed and of course eat cookies and drink chiya. Then I realized there was a lot of noise coming from my house across the street. I looked out the window and there sat around 30 kids on my front porch.
I was told that I would be giving “English classes” to some kids in the morning and afternoon but I was in no way prepared to teach 30 kids ranging in ages from 4 to 12 English after just teaching for six hours myself. It was basically really embarrassing and I was quickly ushered into the kitchen to eat and drink something. Even after this I couldn’t think of what to do with 30 kids. I think at first I was more concerned that they actually learn something. But towards the end of the week, I realized it was more about having fun and laughing than learning English so we played a lot of “Jackie says” and did The Hokie Pokie a few times. I realized I wasn’t going to be able to really improve their English much in six days but just the cultural interaction was enough entertaining for them and me. And I without a doubt learned a lot more from them that week than they learned from me. There was more than one time that week I felt I knew what Peace Corps volunteers feel like.
One funny incident was at the school one day during break time. The principal started talking to me and asked me if I came from a village or city. I thought about this for a moment and choose village (which was my first mistake but limited Nepali and English skills made it necessary for me to pick one). He asked me then what was the main job source. I thought about this and chose agriculture since it is the main source of income in Gawai as well and somewhat true in Madison. He asked me what crops. I thought and responded: corn and ummm grapes for wine making. He got a kick out of this. He said, “Oh so you make bread from the corn and you drink wine?” I just said yes . Silence. The principal was thinking and then asked, “Do children drink wine too?” “No children don’t drink wine.” I responded “And we have other crops too and we get a lot of other food from the store.” I didn’t want to confuse the man too much. Everyone I met in Gawai was very interested in where I’m from, what I eat in the US, and the weather. I got use to answering these questions. But that short conversation with the principal was very entertaining for me and perhaps I got the slightly sarcastic edge from reading this book The Primate’s Memoire.
As the days went on I started getting to know my sisters a lot better. I really do love them all in different ways. The youngest, Nani, was so sweet, caring, beautiful, and spoke the best English. She even went to Ktm by herself in the middle of the week to take a test. The next youngest was Sarjana. She took the best care of me always making sure I was eating and comfortable. She was also my roommate. The next daughter I thought was the most beautiful. She didn’t say too much but she had a great sense of humor and I loved making her laugh by doing crazy “Jackie” things. The eldest was 21 years old, a mother, and widow. Her husband of two years died of throat cancer about six months ago when their daughter was around six months old. It’s a sad story but after he died she came back home to live, which her father is very happy about. The eldest was very quiet and, I thought, very skinny. She spoke the least English but was actually going to school in her own way: she got notes from classes and takes exams at exam times to finish up what I think to be high school. She told me she’s the oldest yet finishing the same level as her youngest sister.
The first night I was there I asked what her daughter’s name is. The sisters replied in Nepali: Her name is simple. Okay, I thought, so what is it? They replied, her name is simple. So what is it, I asked again…it went on like this for a while until I finally figured out her daughter’s name is Simple…or something that sounds a lot like “simple” in English.
I had another very memorable night with my sisters towards the end of my stay. We were all sitting on the roof late one night after dinner watching a storm off in the distance, it was beautiful and exciting. We talked about a lot of things including how I needed to come back when I was married and bring my husband for them to meet. The second oldest thought my husband’s name would be Buddha and my name should be Buddi. They all got the biggest crack out of that, we were all rolling around laughing. I also told them about the clans of Jon and Kate and 18 and Counting from TV. They were impressed. We laughed about a lot of things that night and really started to break the ice.
The father came home after me being there for about four days, so I was already use to the house full of women, and was thoroughly enjoying it. I quickly found out I had nothing to worry about with the father as he was just as gentle as the rest of them, very smart, and an all around very kind man. He told me about his job which really fascinated me and I wished I was staying a bit longer to possibly shadow his work. He has a government paying job as basically a sanitation educator to very very rural villages. He teaches villagers about sanitation and how to build latrines correctly and he supervises them as the community or family builds them. Very cool in my book.
As the week drew to an end and my departure from Gawai was approaching everyone became very solemn and dutifully asked me to stay longer. Also during my last two days there a lot of dancing was requested from me and I was the center of attention as the community gathered around to watch the white girl dance, (usually with one other brave soul who would join me) great. I did love the village very much and the family and all the people and children I met. I was really getting use to the schedule, the copious amounts of food, and feeling clean from just washing my hands, feet, and face. But it was time to move on so I did and it was very sad for everyone. Everyone at the school was sad as well. They gave me a little present and the principle asked me if I believe in God because he thought I was a gift from God (not my words, his). I got and continue to receive multiple text messages asking me how I am and where I am at in broken English from lots of different people at the school, in the community and in my family.
All in all, it was an excellent experience and I really believe in the community work Ranjan and my host dad are creating. They really want to see their community be healthy, educated, and strive to a greater future. It’s a beautiful dream and one I see a great possibility for as they continue to care and work hard. I offered to make a simple website for Ranjan so others could find out about volunteering and I think I’ll make flyers too that he can print out and hang up around Chitwan and other cities. It’s a little step in the process, but hopefully it will help for obtaining some of their aspirations in the future. I’ll post the address once it’s all created.
The next adventures are just as good, so stay tuned!
Jackie
Well I made a very “Jackie-like” entrance: as I was going to get off the motorbike with my two fairly large backpacks, I fell straight over. Here was the entire family (minus the dad who was away on work in another village) eagerly awaiting me and BAM man down. Not knowing what to say to lighten the moment appropriately, before getting up I just gave them a big smile and NAMASTE! And a hearty chuckle, but I think they were more worried than entertained.
The first thing they did was give me a homemade and itchy necklace made out of clovers and tika. My first impressions were that the home was extremely clean. I didn’t know if this was typical, but as the week wore on and I visited other homes I realized it wasn’t easy to keep a home as clean as they did and I was grateful for their sanitation habits. After this we went to my room on the top of the house, put my things down and sat on the roof talking and not talking. The family spoke very little English so I broke out in my 20 word vocabulary Nepali and they seemed a little impressed. When it got dark Ranjan and I ate dalbaat together in the kitchen.
So my schedule for the week was basically: wake up at 6:30 or 7am eat cookies and chiya (chai tea) and then I would usually read. (*Side note: during this week I was reading a GREAT book I would recommend to anyone called The Primate’s Memoire, it’s hilarious, entertaining, and intellectually stimulating.) Then I would have dalbaat around 9am before leaving to go to the school at 9:30 with the neighbor who is a teacher at the school. We would walk about five minutes into the “center” or Gawai to get on the school bus teaming with loud, energetic and hot bodies of around a hundred kids under the age of 12. It became my daily ritual of taking a deep breath before getting in.
We’d arrive at school and wait for the bus to go pick up the 100 or so kids in the other direction. Then the first period of about six periods would start for the day. I went with the neighbor, Bipana, for the first two periods to the nursery class. We gave them work in their notebooks and played some games with them every day. They were pretty cute, I have to admit. Then I would usually go with Mekal to the first grade class. The first graders were the loudest and most rambunctious class and I loathed going there but Mekal was great. She is 21 years old, like most of the teachers, spoke the best English and just seemed all around like a great woman who loved to learn and work even though she has already started a family.
The first graders were always up to something. One day before school started some boys were messing around and next thing you know a kid has blood gushing out of the back of his head. Two days later the same thing happens to another kid but the blood is coming from his forehead. Also, on my last day there was some rumor or news of cases of swine flu nearby so two first graders wore masks all day.
I quickly learned that kids are taught and punished very differently here. This is probably something I’ve seen in other countries but just never really took mental note of before. Basically teaching is all in the repetition since there are no materials other than a text books, notebooks, and blackboards to teach with. Also, all the text books were in English but there definitely wasn’t a single teacher in that school that spoke enough English to teach or understand what those books said. Hmmm. By the end I had a stab at all the classes (the older ones were the best ones) and taught many subjects, including evolution. The text I read basically said humans came from worms, I didn’t know what to do with this…but by the end of the class I was sure none of the students really understood what I was saying or what the book said, so maybe they don’t think we came from worms? Who knows.
Punishment was physical and included slapping kids with the teacher’s hand or by a stick. Now don’t get me wrong they weren’t beating these kids up (the kids could do that themselves) but sometimes I flinched a little. But that was the problem with the bigger classes was that I couldn’t get the kids to listen to me unless I threatened them in that way. (Which of course I didn’t do, but it made my job as teacher more difficult). I also learned that hitting was a sign of friendship (so let’s just mess with their little brains a little more…) as one morning walking to school I got a nice wack on the back from the neighbor riding her bike to a different school where she teaches.
So the first day of teaching was exhausting. I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into and Chitwan is a very hot place so this all takes it out of you. I got home around 4:30 pm and went straight to the neighbor’s house to be introduced to her twin sister and see every family photo ever printed and of course eat cookies and drink chiya. Then I realized there was a lot of noise coming from my house across the street. I looked out the window and there sat around 30 kids on my front porch.
I was told that I would be giving “English classes” to some kids in the morning and afternoon but I was in no way prepared to teach 30 kids ranging in ages from 4 to 12 English after just teaching for six hours myself. It was basically really embarrassing and I was quickly ushered into the kitchen to eat and drink something. Even after this I couldn’t think of what to do with 30 kids. I think at first I was more concerned that they actually learn something. But towards the end of the week, I realized it was more about having fun and laughing than learning English so we played a lot of “Jackie says” and did The Hokie Pokie a few times. I realized I wasn’t going to be able to really improve their English much in six days but just the cultural interaction was enough entertaining for them and me. And I without a doubt learned a lot more from them that week than they learned from me. There was more than one time that week I felt I knew what Peace Corps volunteers feel like.
One funny incident was at the school one day during break time. The principal started talking to me and asked me if I came from a village or city. I thought about this for a moment and choose village (which was my first mistake but limited Nepali and English skills made it necessary for me to pick one). He asked me then what was the main job source. I thought about this and chose agriculture since it is the main source of income in Gawai as well and somewhat true in Madison. He asked me what crops. I thought and responded: corn and ummm grapes for wine making. He got a kick out of this. He said, “Oh so you make bread from the corn and you drink wine?” I just said yes . Silence. The principal was thinking and then asked, “Do children drink wine too?” “No children don’t drink wine.” I responded “And we have other crops too and we get a lot of other food from the store.” I didn’t want to confuse the man too much. Everyone I met in Gawai was very interested in where I’m from, what I eat in the US, and the weather. I got use to answering these questions. But that short conversation with the principal was very entertaining for me and perhaps I got the slightly sarcastic edge from reading this book The Primate’s Memoire.
As the days went on I started getting to know my sisters a lot better. I really do love them all in different ways. The youngest, Nani, was so sweet, caring, beautiful, and spoke the best English. She even went to Ktm by herself in the middle of the week to take a test. The next youngest was Sarjana. She took the best care of me always making sure I was eating and comfortable. She was also my roommate. The next daughter I thought was the most beautiful. She didn’t say too much but she had a great sense of humor and I loved making her laugh by doing crazy “Jackie” things. The eldest was 21 years old, a mother, and widow. Her husband of two years died of throat cancer about six months ago when their daughter was around six months old. It’s a sad story but after he died she came back home to live, which her father is very happy about. The eldest was very quiet and, I thought, very skinny. She spoke the least English but was actually going to school in her own way: she got notes from classes and takes exams at exam times to finish up what I think to be high school. She told me she’s the oldest yet finishing the same level as her youngest sister.
The first night I was there I asked what her daughter’s name is. The sisters replied in Nepali: Her name is simple. Okay, I thought, so what is it? They replied, her name is simple. So what is it, I asked again…it went on like this for a while until I finally figured out her daughter’s name is Simple…or something that sounds a lot like “simple” in English.
I had another very memorable night with my sisters towards the end of my stay. We were all sitting on the roof late one night after dinner watching a storm off in the distance, it was beautiful and exciting. We talked about a lot of things including how I needed to come back when I was married and bring my husband for them to meet. The second oldest thought my husband’s name would be Buddha and my name should be Buddi. They all got the biggest crack out of that, we were all rolling around laughing. I also told them about the clans of Jon and Kate and 18 and Counting from TV. They were impressed. We laughed about a lot of things that night and really started to break the ice.
The father came home after me being there for about four days, so I was already use to the house full of women, and was thoroughly enjoying it. I quickly found out I had nothing to worry about with the father as he was just as gentle as the rest of them, very smart, and an all around very kind man. He told me about his job which really fascinated me and I wished I was staying a bit longer to possibly shadow his work. He has a government paying job as basically a sanitation educator to very very rural villages. He teaches villagers about sanitation and how to build latrines correctly and he supervises them as the community or family builds them. Very cool in my book.
As the week drew to an end and my departure from Gawai was approaching everyone became very solemn and dutifully asked me to stay longer. Also during my last two days there a lot of dancing was requested from me and I was the center of attention as the community gathered around to watch the white girl dance, (usually with one other brave soul who would join me) great. I did love the village very much and the family and all the people and children I met. I was really getting use to the schedule, the copious amounts of food, and feeling clean from just washing my hands, feet, and face. But it was time to move on so I did and it was very sad for everyone. Everyone at the school was sad as well. They gave me a little present and the principle asked me if I believe in God because he thought I was a gift from God (not my words, his). I got and continue to receive multiple text messages asking me how I am and where I am at in broken English from lots of different people at the school, in the community and in my family.
All in all, it was an excellent experience and I really believe in the community work Ranjan and my host dad are creating. They really want to see their community be healthy, educated, and strive to a greater future. It’s a beautiful dream and one I see a great possibility for as they continue to care and work hard. I offered to make a simple website for Ranjan so others could find out about volunteering and I think I’ll make flyers too that he can print out and hang up around Chitwan and other cities. It’s a little step in the process, but hopefully it will help for obtaining some of their aspirations in the future. I’ll post the address once it’s all created.
The next adventures are just as good, so stay tuned!
Jackie
2.9.09
My solo adventures have officially begun!
My solo adventures have officially begun! They began over a week ago when I left KTM and went white water rafting for two days. I woke up early to catch the bus to Fishling, a little town on the road to Chitwan where rafters get dropped off to get wet ‘n wild for a few hours or days. I choose the longest trip being advertised during this time of year, two days. On the three hour bus ride to Fishling I sat next to another lone traveler, a Spaniard. (!!!) Seeing that a Spanish interview is approaching, I quickly jumped from English to Spanish and told her I needed to practice. I think it was too early for her as we only exchanged a few sentences during the first part of the ride. After our pit-stop we started a much better conversation where I learned her boyfriend (who she was visiting in Bangladesh) is from Granada, Nicaragua. So we talked about that for a while and about the project in Nepal and the job in Bolivia…and the normal things strangers talk about.
We had an excellent rafting group: our guide, Laxman, three Aussies, the Spaniard, and myself. There were two Aussie guys and a sheila (as they call them in Australia, right?) The girl and one guy were obviously dating and the other guy was their friend who recently flew to Nepal and met them mid-way in their travels. It was obvious the single guy was a little lonely and was very sociable among the young ladies in other rafts (and with me at first). That was kinda funny to watch. So we ate lunch with two other rafts and met Natalie from London who was super sweet and had been teaching English outside of KTM for six weeks. There were also lots of naked little boys playing unashamedly in the sand and water where we stopped for lunch. It was a great mixture of new people and places.
We continued rafting for two more hours until we reached our final destination for the day. Most people just do one day trips on their way to Pokhara or Chitwan so I said goodbye to them when we got out. My “agent” in KTM told me I would be staying in a “luxury” hotel for the night. The guides had no knowledge of this and actually laughed in my face so they told me I would have to stay in a cheep hotel for the night and pay myself. There was no cell phone service where we were to call the agent. So, I got in a bus and was told to follow Laxman, who was riding on the top of the bus in typical Nepali fashion. Inside the bus sat next to a really nice guy who spoke decent English and owns several private schools. So we exchanged the normal formalities and I told him about my hotel blunders. He started calling my agent whenever we had the slight glimmers of cell service. No luck. I had already been on the bus for over and hour and had no idea where to get off and I also thought at one point I had lost Laxman who was climbing all over the bus inside and out like a monkey while it was moving. I started getting nervous and didn’t know what was really going on. Finally right before we got off (and I found Laxman) we got through to the agent who confirmed with Laxman the hotel and food were supposed to be included. Whew. So Laxman and I went on a journey together to find a hotel just as it was getting dark. We basically took the first thing we came to and didn’t look at the room first, which is basically unheard of in Nepal. I didn’t really care by that point, I was tired, dirty, and in need of a computer…which didn’t work when the lights went out five minutes later. Perfect.
I came back to the hotel to find myself locked out of my room and my luggage locked inside. So via candle light and (thank god for) the little flashlight on my cell phone we eventually broke into my room leaving a hole in the door. The guys at the hotel decided it was best if I switched rooms, I agreed. When I walked into the room it looked much like the other room, meaning it could easily pass for a jail cell or scene for SAW 345. It smelled funny and I made a face. Then I asked for an extra sheet. No go. Toilet paper? Yup! I guess my “I’m an alone white girl” face worked well and I got my TP.
When the guy delivered the toilet paper he sprayed some soap stuff in the toilet that had obviously not been washed for a while. I’m not sure the soap stuff helped but to cover up whatever may have already been in the toilet, which I never dared to look to see. He also tried spraying air freshener but the can was empty, oh well. Shower (out of bathing suit finally!) food- dalbaat of course, I choose to eat it with my hands and no one said a thing. Went back to my room and read this absolutely hilarious and genius book about baboons in eastern Africa. It helped me forget where I was for a while. I also checked out the fan situation and discovered there were only two settings: helicopter landing in my room and dead off and stuffy. I chose the company of the helicopter.
I woke up to my alarm around 7 and met Laxman, who awkwardly shook my hand and gave me a hug (one of the few hugs I’ve received while being in Nepal). I’m thinking he was just glad to see I survived the night with a smile still on? He wanted to feed me so we what were called on the menu banana honey crepes at the hotel. When they came out it was basically crepes rolled up with scatterings of bug pieces that I pushed to the side.
We went back to the river and Laxman forced me to eat breakfast again saying I needed my strength for the river. Okay…. This time I had eggs and toast with no bugs. I was instructed to sit inside the mud house to eat because there were fewer flies. I complied. I sat in the kitchen made bedroom of visa versa. There were two beds that also served as benches for the table found in the middle of them. I sat on the unoccupied bed/bench and enjoyed my company across the table: a middle aged man sleeping while everyone ran about doing their daily chores. Oh you have it good, I thought.
Then my day’s playmates arrived – four Brits and a heavily cologned, chain smoking South African who studied law in England and now lives in Afghanistan building court houses for the UN. Much more about him later. We did the raft “training” before setting off and I was practically introduced as an experienced guide by Laxman. I’m not sure if it was because of the previous day’s rafting experience or sleeping in the hotel, but I enjoyed pretending like I was a river goddess. The Brits were fun, just out of university. There were two guys and two lady Brits, both in couples, all friends but not traveling together the entire time. Well I know one was a couple, but I’m pretty sure the other set were just friends. One girl wore her orange polk-dotted undies the whole day- which is a huge no-no in Nepal. We had a nice time rafting together and did pretty well although the South African was a bit fussy. The rapids were much bigger on this river.
We stopped for lunch and discussed our studies, jobs, and lack there of. We talked about Afghanistan a lot and the great work of the UN. (mainly because he like to talk about himself) He basically thought the UN was the shit and everyone should work for them so he tried to convince us of its benefits although he did agree it takes some luck to get in….hmmm….He’s a lawyer turned architect who is building court houses in Afghanistan because where is justice going to start if you don’t have a building to do it in?....hmmmm…..I got in a few sentences about our project in KTM and he asked why not Afghanistan- they need book and libraries there more….hmmmm….I tried to explain, but he just seemed it necessary for me to come to Afghanistan- which I wouldn’t mind doing, actually. I also tried to tell him about Three Cups of Tea and the work Greg Morrison is doing in that part of the world. He has never heard of the book and didn’t seem too interested….hmmm…. At the end of the day when he left he shook everyone’s hand on our raft except mine. Oh well.
The day ended rather uneventfully except the bus to Chitwan was full so I got to experience “Nepali air conditioning” for the first time. Aka: sitting on the roof of the bus for over an hour! Matt Enriquez would have loved it.
We had an excellent rafting group: our guide, Laxman, three Aussies, the Spaniard, and myself. There were two Aussie guys and a sheila (as they call them in Australia, right?) The girl and one guy were obviously dating and the other guy was their friend who recently flew to Nepal and met them mid-way in their travels. It was obvious the single guy was a little lonely and was very sociable among the young ladies in other rafts (and with me at first). That was kinda funny to watch. So we ate lunch with two other rafts and met Natalie from London who was super sweet and had been teaching English outside of KTM for six weeks. There were also lots of naked little boys playing unashamedly in the sand and water where we stopped for lunch. It was a great mixture of new people and places.
We continued rafting for two more hours until we reached our final destination for the day. Most people just do one day trips on their way to Pokhara or Chitwan so I said goodbye to them when we got out. My “agent” in KTM told me I would be staying in a “luxury” hotel for the night. The guides had no knowledge of this and actually laughed in my face so they told me I would have to stay in a cheep hotel for the night and pay myself. There was no cell phone service where we were to call the agent. So, I got in a bus and was told to follow Laxman, who was riding on the top of the bus in typical Nepali fashion. Inside the bus sat next to a really nice guy who spoke decent English and owns several private schools. So we exchanged the normal formalities and I told him about my hotel blunders. He started calling my agent whenever we had the slight glimmers of cell service. No luck. I had already been on the bus for over and hour and had no idea where to get off and I also thought at one point I had lost Laxman who was climbing all over the bus inside and out like a monkey while it was moving. I started getting nervous and didn’t know what was really going on. Finally right before we got off (and I found Laxman) we got through to the agent who confirmed with Laxman the hotel and food were supposed to be included. Whew. So Laxman and I went on a journey together to find a hotel just as it was getting dark. We basically took the first thing we came to and didn’t look at the room first, which is basically unheard of in Nepal. I didn’t really care by that point, I was tired, dirty, and in need of a computer…which didn’t work when the lights went out five minutes later. Perfect.
I came back to the hotel to find myself locked out of my room and my luggage locked inside. So via candle light and (thank god for) the little flashlight on my cell phone we eventually broke into my room leaving a hole in the door. The guys at the hotel decided it was best if I switched rooms, I agreed. When I walked into the room it looked much like the other room, meaning it could easily pass for a jail cell or scene for SAW 345. It smelled funny and I made a face. Then I asked for an extra sheet. No go. Toilet paper? Yup! I guess my “I’m an alone white girl” face worked well and I got my TP.
When the guy delivered the toilet paper he sprayed some soap stuff in the toilet that had obviously not been washed for a while. I’m not sure the soap stuff helped but to cover up whatever may have already been in the toilet, which I never dared to look to see. He also tried spraying air freshener but the can was empty, oh well. Shower (out of bathing suit finally!) food- dalbaat of course, I choose to eat it with my hands and no one said a thing. Went back to my room and read this absolutely hilarious and genius book about baboons in eastern Africa. It helped me forget where I was for a while. I also checked out the fan situation and discovered there were only two settings: helicopter landing in my room and dead off and stuffy. I chose the company of the helicopter.
I woke up to my alarm around 7 and met Laxman, who awkwardly shook my hand and gave me a hug (one of the few hugs I’ve received while being in Nepal). I’m thinking he was just glad to see I survived the night with a smile still on? He wanted to feed me so we what were called on the menu banana honey crepes at the hotel. When they came out it was basically crepes rolled up with scatterings of bug pieces that I pushed to the side.
We went back to the river and Laxman forced me to eat breakfast again saying I needed my strength for the river. Okay…. This time I had eggs and toast with no bugs. I was instructed to sit inside the mud house to eat because there were fewer flies. I complied. I sat in the kitchen made bedroom of visa versa. There were two beds that also served as benches for the table found in the middle of them. I sat on the unoccupied bed/bench and enjoyed my company across the table: a middle aged man sleeping while everyone ran about doing their daily chores. Oh you have it good, I thought.
Then my day’s playmates arrived – four Brits and a heavily cologned, chain smoking South African who studied law in England and now lives in Afghanistan building court houses for the UN. Much more about him later. We did the raft “training” before setting off and I was practically introduced as an experienced guide by Laxman. I’m not sure if it was because of the previous day’s rafting experience or sleeping in the hotel, but I enjoyed pretending like I was a river goddess. The Brits were fun, just out of university. There were two guys and two lady Brits, both in couples, all friends but not traveling together the entire time. Well I know one was a couple, but I’m pretty sure the other set were just friends. One girl wore her orange polk-dotted undies the whole day- which is a huge no-no in Nepal. We had a nice time rafting together and did pretty well although the South African was a bit fussy. The rapids were much bigger on this river.
We stopped for lunch and discussed our studies, jobs, and lack there of. We talked about Afghanistan a lot and the great work of the UN. (mainly because he like to talk about himself) He basically thought the UN was the shit and everyone should work for them so he tried to convince us of its benefits although he did agree it takes some luck to get in….hmmm….He’s a lawyer turned architect who is building court houses in Afghanistan because where is justice going to start if you don’t have a building to do it in?....hmmmm…..I got in a few sentences about our project in KTM and he asked why not Afghanistan- they need book and libraries there more….hmmmm….I tried to explain, but he just seemed it necessary for me to come to Afghanistan- which I wouldn’t mind doing, actually. I also tried to tell him about Three Cups of Tea and the work Greg Morrison is doing in that part of the world. He has never heard of the book and didn’t seem too interested….hmmm…. At the end of the day when he left he shook everyone’s hand on our raft except mine. Oh well.
The day ended rather uneventfully except the bus to Chitwan was full so I got to experience “Nepali air conditioning” for the first time. Aka: sitting on the roof of the bus for over an hour! Matt Enriquez would have loved it.
24.8.09
more pictures!
some pictures from when mom and betsey were here. one is in a boat on a river in chitwan national park. another me paraglidng w/babu...crazy fun, and one of mom and betsey in a rickshaw, mom's last wish before leaving Nepal...
10.8.09
We have termites!
It’s been a while since the last update. Sneha and I (mainly her though) have been really busy trying to illustrate and publish two children’s books and get the book from the workshop to press. It’s been very very stressful, to say the least. We have felt the runaround a few times, but we kept on pushing through. My mom and aunt Betsey also arrived a week ago. So, for a week or so I juggled them and work but now (!) we all have decided to take a break. Before we left for our five day vacations, Sneha and I went to the school to attend a celebration for the 10th graders who passed their SLC exams. We paid a visit to the library as well since we haven’t really been there for a few weeks. And guess what? The beautiful wood furniture is being eaten by termites! I’m thinking it’s likely the termites came with the furniture because the other wooden furniture in the school is in tact, but we’ll need to do some investigation and get to the bottom of this. Two of the three books go to press this Sunday and the inauguration for the library is set (and not changing) for Friday, August 21st. I’ve gotten some great job offers, but I’m still waiting to hear from others. So, I think I’m going to try to stick around Nepal/India at least for a few weeks until I hear! Hopefully I can load more pictures soon!
Jackie
Jackie
7.8.09
No reading necessary...PICTURES
Mom and Betsey have arrived! Here is what we are up to: Mountain Flight to see ye great mountain of the world, Monkey Temple to see monkeys, views, and such, and Bhaktapur Dubar Square to see lots of temples, potters square, etc... (thats in the opposite order it should be)
24.7.09
Keepin' Busy...
Namaste all! Things were crazy hectic the last few weeks. We have officially completed the book writing workshop with the 41 sixth graders! Whew. One weekend we had a workshop on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday back-to-back while library trainings were occurring. The library trainings were multipurpose and taught teachers and a handful of students how to catalogue the books in the library as well as discussed uses of the library and fun activities they can do. The trainings were Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of that same week. In the middle of all of this I got sick again, but this time with the worst sore throat I can remember having in a long time. One night I woke up and thought I couldn’t breath. Because we were so busy I knew it was important to get well quickly so I went to a local clinic, got lots of medicines and within two days I was back to normal! Oh in the midst of all of this we were running around the city taking pictures of different professions for the children’s book about profession in Nepal. Thankfully when I was sick Sneha’s friend, Nistha, accompanied Sneha to take the pictures. I am very grateful that she did that!
Now we are working on getting the three books published. We are mainly concentrating on the kid’s workshop book because we need copies of it for the inauguration of the library. We are also trying to finish taking pictures of all the professions for the professions book because it will be easy to put together. Then Sneha can concentrate on the illustrations for the cow book. I’m working on budget and preface and acknowledgements for the books as well as getting excited about job interviews and filling out lots of job applications. Hopefully I’ll get a bite somewhere! I’m also very very excited to see my mom and aunt who are arriving August 2nd. It’ll be nice to have some downtime after lots of work!
Now we are working on getting the three books published. We are mainly concentrating on the kid’s workshop book because we need copies of it for the inauguration of the library. We are also trying to finish taking pictures of all the professions for the professions book because it will be easy to put together. Then Sneha can concentrate on the illustrations for the cow book. I’m working on budget and preface and acknowledgements for the books as well as getting excited about job interviews and filling out lots of job applications. Hopefully I’ll get a bite somewhere! I’m also very very excited to see my mom and aunt who are arriving August 2nd. It’ll be nice to have some downtime after lots of work!
13.7.09
Reading and Reflection Nepal: Libraries, Reading, Writing
Much has happened since our last post! The library is now fully carpeted and painted a beautifully sky blue. The library furniture has also been made and delivered by a local carpenter and a few boxes of books have also arrived. The library is finally starting to take shape and just in time for the book writing workshop!
We selected the sixth grade class (all forty students) to participate in a book writing workshop. Altogether there are six workshops held Fridays and Saturdays for the children to explore different art mediums and writing as means of self expression. The first workshop was just an hour of games to break the ice. The next week we started intensive workshops where the kids got to create five different pieces of artwork using crayons, pastels, colored pencils, paint, and cutting paper. The next day was a mixture of reflection, writing, and drawing. This day, the kids discussed which mediums they enjoyed using the most, the winners were: colored pencils and paint! Then we shared what makes us sad and afterwards the children got the opportunity to write more in depth about this topic. Next, the kids drew what makes them happy. The drawings had a lot of detail and were very diverse in topics. After a lunch break, the kids finished their drawings and wrote about what they drew and what makes them happy. We will use these writing samples next week to help them decide what their final topic and picture will be for the book.
Another aspect of our project is writing, illustrating, and publishing two of our own children’s books so that a percentage of the royalties can go back to the library over a period of five years to help it grow. We have decided on the themes and topics of both books and now are in the process of illustrations. One will be an environmentally based book with animals looking for a new home because of dirt, pollution, deforestation, etc. The other one will be a picture book with different professions. Sneha, the photographer, will be taking real-life pictures to illustrate this book! We have lots of work to do and not that much time, but if Gettysburg has taught us anything it would be how to work under pressure.
We selected the sixth grade class (all forty students) to participate in a book writing workshop. Altogether there are six workshops held Fridays and Saturdays for the children to explore different art mediums and writing as means of self expression. The first workshop was just an hour of games to break the ice. The next week we started intensive workshops where the kids got to create five different pieces of artwork using crayons, pastels, colored pencils, paint, and cutting paper. The next day was a mixture of reflection, writing, and drawing. This day, the kids discussed which mediums they enjoyed using the most, the winners were: colored pencils and paint! Then we shared what makes us sad and afterwards the children got the opportunity to write more in depth about this topic. Next, the kids drew what makes them happy. The drawings had a lot of detail and were very diverse in topics. After a lunch break, the kids finished their drawings and wrote about what they drew and what makes them happy. We will use these writing samples next week to help them decide what their final topic and picture will be for the book.
Another aspect of our project is writing, illustrating, and publishing two of our own children’s books so that a percentage of the royalties can go back to the library over a period of five years to help it grow. We have decided on the themes and topics of both books and now are in the process of illustrations. One will be an environmentally based book with animals looking for a new home because of dirt, pollution, deforestation, etc. The other one will be a picture book with different professions. Sneha, the photographer, will be taking real-life pictures to illustrate this book! We have lots of work to do and not that much time, but if Gettysburg has taught us anything it would be how to work under pressure.
1.7.09
Wedding Season Has Begun!
Not only are there billions of weddings happening state side, but it’s also wedding season in Nepal! Weddings are very very different here and take place over a week’s time with a different party, gathering, or task almost everyday. This week there have been two weddings in Sneha’s family. One wedding we were on the groom’s (a distant cousin) side and attended the two main parties, both held in beautiful five star hotels. Events vary depending on family and caste traditions. An interesting part of this cousin’s wedding is that the groom is from the Nawar caste and the bride is Tibetan so there were some differences in traditions which made for a slightly different wedding in terms of traditions. The first party was the engagement and when the groom came to get the bride. The timing of this event is very important and a priest is consulted so that the right date and time of engagement is used. The next party we went to for this wedding was three days later and is a huge celebration for both the bride and groom. The highlight of this party was GREAT food. We turned it into a four course meal that included falafel and hummus…need I say more?
Now onto the more exciting wedding: Shailee Di! Shailee is Sneha’s first cousin on her mom’s side. Her mom’s side is super close so it makes for some exciting (and sometimes dramatic) events. The really great thing about these events is that I’ve really been accepted as part of the family, given little tasks to do to help out, and just be a part of everything. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how well I can explain all the events, but I’ll tell you more or less what I saw and who was there. Where to begin? Before the wedding there are lots of parties and preparation on both the groom’s and bride’s side. So on Shailee’s side we started off with receiving gifts from the groom’s side. These gifts are received but returned to the groom’s house later in the week (except for the perishables) with even more gifts. Next, was a very informal mehndi or henna party with all the ladies on the bride’s side. We all got beautiful designs all over our hands that will last about a week or more. That night we went to one of Shailee’s uncle’s house and had a very small dinner party with some of the closest cousin’s and friends. The food was absolutely delicious especially with fresh sushi! A few days later the engagement took place between 2 and 5AM, which I definitely slept through. The next morning the groom came to get the bride at the Army Club. There were lots of traditions and pujas for the bride, groom, and family to complete so it lasted all morning and afternoon. One of the traditions is for the bride’s family (especially the girls) to hide the groom’s shoes and then bargain a price with the groom to get them back. That happened on this day too while Shailee was accepting gifts from family and friends. The day ended with the bride and groom getting into a horse drawn carriage. The guests are supposed to start crying for the bride as she leaves and follow the carriage out onto the road. It was such a long, warm day, however, that there weren’t too many tears. Then that night we (some of the closest girl cousins and friends) went to visit Shailee at her new home, which is at her in-laws. It was a long and exhausting day. Other events of the wedding week is a party hosted by the groom’s family when all the gifts are returned and the final party where everyone attends, eats great food, drinks great drinks, and dances all night long. That’s this upcoming Saturday and I’m really excited to wear my second saree!
Now onto the more exciting wedding: Shailee Di! Shailee is Sneha’s first cousin on her mom’s side. Her mom’s side is super close so it makes for some exciting (and sometimes dramatic) events. The really great thing about these events is that I’ve really been accepted as part of the family, given little tasks to do to help out, and just be a part of everything. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how well I can explain all the events, but I’ll tell you more or less what I saw and who was there. Where to begin? Before the wedding there are lots of parties and preparation on both the groom’s and bride’s side. So on Shailee’s side we started off with receiving gifts from the groom’s side. These gifts are received but returned to the groom’s house later in the week (except for the perishables) with even more gifts. Next, was a very informal mehndi or henna party with all the ladies on the bride’s side. We all got beautiful designs all over our hands that will last about a week or more. That night we went to one of Shailee’s uncle’s house and had a very small dinner party with some of the closest cousin’s and friends. The food was absolutely delicious especially with fresh sushi! A few days later the engagement took place between 2 and 5AM, which I definitely slept through. The next morning the groom came to get the bride at the Army Club. There were lots of traditions and pujas for the bride, groom, and family to complete so it lasted all morning and afternoon. One of the traditions is for the bride’s family (especially the girls) to hide the groom’s shoes and then bargain a price with the groom to get them back. That happened on this day too while Shailee was accepting gifts from family and friends. The day ended with the bride and groom getting into a horse drawn carriage. The guests are supposed to start crying for the bride as she leaves and follow the carriage out onto the road. It was such a long, warm day, however, that there weren’t too many tears. Then that night we (some of the closest girl cousins and friends) went to visit Shailee at her new home, which is at her in-laws. It was a long and exhausting day. Other events of the wedding week is a party hosted by the groom’s family when all the gifts are returned and the final party where everyone attends, eats great food, drinks great drinks, and dances all night long. That’s this upcoming Saturday and I’m really excited to wear my second saree!
23.6.09
Reading and Reflection Project: off to a great start
Our first meeting with our community partner (SPA) took place on June 10th. The meeting lasted from 6:30pm to 8pm. Everyone was friendly and most importantly, eager to contribute to our project. We started off by explaining to the SPA people what our project is about. SPA explained what and how they work. Jackie and I got introduced to all the members who will be directly involved with helping us with the project. Each of them have expertise in their special areas and it was helpful to sketch out their responsibilities. The most helpful and satisfying part of the meeting personally for me, was probably realizing our link with our partner organization, SPA.
SPA is a budding organization working to help students who are having difficulties in class. The director of SPA, Praveena said that they have about 20 children at the moment that they counsel, meet with their teachers and family and try to make everyone work towards helping the student. Working with SPA, we are not only involving the local community partner in this project, but we are also providing SPA with a stepping stone to further their goals in reaching out to an additional school and establish themselves even more in the community. Although in the beginning the members of SPA weren’t sure what exactly their role would be in the project, we explained to them the importance of this Reading and Reflecting project in a broader context in the future. Once this project is complete, Jackie and I hope to create a bridge between SPA in Kathmandu and CPS in Gettysburg College so that Gettysburg students can volunteer or work further with SPA and projects in Nepal. SPA would be an integral partner in directing volunteers and helping them in their projects. SPA would be the direct link from Gettysburg to Kathmandu and so it is important for them to be directly involved in every step of the project to understand the objectives of the project.
At the end, Jackie and I both left the meeting very satisfied. This is going to be a learning process for all the partners involved. Yay!
-Sneha
On June 18, we had an all exclusive meeting where the community partners (SPA, a local and newly formed NGO) and we put forward our conditions for the library project to the school’s management committee and other teachers and staff. We explained the project in detail and were pleased to receive their support, time, and dedication. Many times meetings start late and there is little turnout but much to our surprise we were very impressed by the 19 teachers and staff that attended the meeting on time at eight o’clock in the morning. The hour and a half meeting was very energetic and dynamic. There were lots of questions and concerns about future sustainability from the teachers and staff. Specifically, they wanted to know how SPA would be supporting them in five years and where future funds would come from for the library. Other concerns of the teachers and staff were the size of the room, the time table of the set-up, and the type of books that will be included in the library. We answered these questions explaining in greater detail about our sustainability plan that includes extensive trainings and ten percent of the royalties from the books we will publish. After these lively discussions, the school agreed to do the first part of carpeting and painting the future library within two weeks time. A Library Management Committee (LMC) was also formed during the meeting and consists of five teachers/staff members and two students. Challenges we foresee for the school are working on a tight timeline, ensuring teacher’s attendance at the trainings, registering books, and making sure the library is used to its full capacity by the teachers and students.
Other than that, I’ve been heavily immersed into Nepali culture and by the end of this week even more so…because it’s the wedding! Sneha’s cousin is getting married and it’s a big deal. Five days of parties and lots of different outfits for each. Also, I finally began Nepali classes because I just can’t be in a country without being able to speak (or try) to people. So I found an institute within walking distance of Sneha’s home and I’ll take 24 hours of classes to hopefully become “conversational.” My professor is Muna and it’s just her and me one-on-one which is a really nice way to learn quickly, but it’s a little overwhelming at times because you always have to be on your toes, no day dreaming there! More to come!
-Jackie
SPA is a budding organization working to help students who are having difficulties in class. The director of SPA, Praveena said that they have about 20 children at the moment that they counsel, meet with their teachers and family and try to make everyone work towards helping the student. Working with SPA, we are not only involving the local community partner in this project, but we are also providing SPA with a stepping stone to further their goals in reaching out to an additional school and establish themselves even more in the community. Although in the beginning the members of SPA weren’t sure what exactly their role would be in the project, we explained to them the importance of this Reading and Reflecting project in a broader context in the future. Once this project is complete, Jackie and I hope to create a bridge between SPA in Kathmandu and CPS in Gettysburg College so that Gettysburg students can volunteer or work further with SPA and projects in Nepal. SPA would be an integral partner in directing volunteers and helping them in their projects. SPA would be the direct link from Gettysburg to Kathmandu and so it is important for them to be directly involved in every step of the project to understand the objectives of the project.
At the end, Jackie and I both left the meeting very satisfied. This is going to be a learning process for all the partners involved. Yay!
-Sneha
On June 18, we had an all exclusive meeting where the community partners (SPA, a local and newly formed NGO) and we put forward our conditions for the library project to the school’s management committee and other teachers and staff. We explained the project in detail and were pleased to receive their support, time, and dedication. Many times meetings start late and there is little turnout but much to our surprise we were very impressed by the 19 teachers and staff that attended the meeting on time at eight o’clock in the morning. The hour and a half meeting was very energetic and dynamic. There were lots of questions and concerns about future sustainability from the teachers and staff. Specifically, they wanted to know how SPA would be supporting them in five years and where future funds would come from for the library. Other concerns of the teachers and staff were the size of the room, the time table of the set-up, and the type of books that will be included in the library. We answered these questions explaining in greater detail about our sustainability plan that includes extensive trainings and ten percent of the royalties from the books we will publish. After these lively discussions, the school agreed to do the first part of carpeting and painting the future library within two weeks time. A Library Management Committee (LMC) was also formed during the meeting and consists of five teachers/staff members and two students. Challenges we foresee for the school are working on a tight timeline, ensuring teacher’s attendance at the trainings, registering books, and making sure the library is used to its full capacity by the teachers and students.
Other than that, I’ve been heavily immersed into Nepali culture and by the end of this week even more so…because it’s the wedding! Sneha’s cousin is getting married and it’s a big deal. Five days of parties and lots of different outfits for each. Also, I finally began Nepali classes because I just can’t be in a country without being able to speak (or try) to people. So I found an institute within walking distance of Sneha’s home and I’ll take 24 hours of classes to hopefully become “conversational.” My professor is Muna and it’s just her and me one-on-one which is a really nice way to learn quickly, but it’s a little overwhelming at times because you always have to be on your toes, no day dreaming there! More to come!
-Jackie
16.6.09
An Intoduction to Life in Ktm
Namaste all!
Thanks for your patience…I didn’t want to write until I had good stories of Ktm and Nepal. Well by now I have quite a few! After the first week of being very very sick we have had many adventures, wonderful meals, good conversations, and our project has started! Highlights include:
- Me biking in the city and the outskirts, trying to keep up w/mountain bike pro Sneha, I was exhausted
- Holding hands because crossing the road is just that scary
- Saree shopping!
- Relaxing in the Garden of Dreams
- Bowling and Java
- Meeting our community partners and visiting the school
where we’ll be working
- Bandhs and Spa Days
- Reggae happy hours
- The gym, breath of fire, and long hot showers
- Grasshopper’s burrito and Ktm Dubar Square
- Snowman’s cake and milkshakes….
Tomorrow we have our official meeting with the school, teachers, and community partners. Let’s get this thing rollin’!
Thanks for your patience…I didn’t want to write until I had good stories of Ktm and Nepal. Well by now I have quite a few! After the first week of being very very sick we have had many adventures, wonderful meals, good conversations, and our project has started! Highlights include:
- Me biking in the city and the outskirts, trying to keep up w/mountain bike pro Sneha, I was exhausted
- Holding hands because crossing the road is just that scary
- Saree shopping!
- Relaxing in the Garden of Dreams
- Bowling and Java
- Meeting our community partners and visiting the school
where we’ll be working
- Bandhs and Spa Days
- Reggae happy hours
- The gym, breath of fire, and long hot showers
- Grasshopper’s burrito and Ktm Dubar Square
- Snowman’s cake and milkshakes….
Tomorrow we have our official meeting with the school, teachers, and community partners. Let’s get this thing rollin’!
20.5.09
The Adventure Continues: Nepal for the summer
Namaste! Hi!
Thanks for keeping up with Sneha and my summer adventures and project. If you are interested in what our project is about here is a description:
Our “Reading and Reflection Project” will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal in conjunction with a Nepali based non-governmental organization, Socio-Perspective Alliance (SPA), to create a sustainable library for the students of Bidhyoda School, facilitate a six-week book workshop entitled “My Dream” “Mero Sapana,” and publish two culturally relevant bi-lingual children’s books through Kathaalaya Publications. This multidimensional project, which encourages literacy and provides children with an educational outlet to express and reflect on their dreams during instability in the country, is especially essential in Nepal. The children are currently the ones in the middle of the chaos and confusion remaining after ten years of civil war in the country; numerous schools have been shutdown, many students are forced to work to support their family’s financial situation and with everyday school disturbances caused by unpredictable violent riots, being motivated to be students is ever more difficult. In a country where more than 80% of the population live under less than a dollar and over 45% is illiterate, the country cannot afford to lose its educated youths, who will be the future of the country. There is a need to encourage the youth of Nepal to read and get educated for a brighter Nepal.
This project will address these issues on several levels by working in a collaborative endeavor with the community of Jhonchhen where Bidhyoda School is located. First, we will work with SPA to create a first-time library in Bidhyoda School. Second, we will hold six-weekend book workshops for fourteen at-risk students from Bidhyoda School. These innovative workshops are not only essential in allowing children to express themselves creatively during bleak times, but will also develop a template for a future SPA projects as it works with young troubled individuals. Finally, the two of us will work together to write and illustrate two culturally relevant bi-lingual children’s picture books, one being about pertinent environmental issues regarding pollution in Kathmandu. These books will be published by Kathaalaya Publications with ten percent of the royalties returning to Bidhyoda School. The funds granted will mainly go towards buying books and furniture for the library, craft materials and snacks for the book workshop, and publishing two bi-lingual books.
Keep coming back for more details! Sneha arrives today, May 20th and I leave next Tuesday, May 26th! The project must be completed by the end of August. Currently, I don’t have a set return ticket. If I don’t get a job for the fall I will probably be traveling around Asia for awhile…
Shanti
Peace
Thanks for keeping up with Sneha and my summer adventures and project. If you are interested in what our project is about here is a description:
Our “Reading and Reflection Project” will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal in conjunction with a Nepali based non-governmental organization, Socio-Perspective Alliance (SPA), to create a sustainable library for the students of Bidhyoda School, facilitate a six-week book workshop entitled “My Dream” “Mero Sapana,” and publish two culturally relevant bi-lingual children’s books through Kathaalaya Publications. This multidimensional project, which encourages literacy and provides children with an educational outlet to express and reflect on their dreams during instability in the country, is especially essential in Nepal. The children are currently the ones in the middle of the chaos and confusion remaining after ten years of civil war in the country; numerous schools have been shutdown, many students are forced to work to support their family’s financial situation and with everyday school disturbances caused by unpredictable violent riots, being motivated to be students is ever more difficult. In a country where more than 80% of the population live under less than a dollar and over 45% is illiterate, the country cannot afford to lose its educated youths, who will be the future of the country. There is a need to encourage the youth of Nepal to read and get educated for a brighter Nepal.
This project will address these issues on several levels by working in a collaborative endeavor with the community of Jhonchhen where Bidhyoda School is located. First, we will work with SPA to create a first-time library in Bidhyoda School. Second, we will hold six-weekend book workshops for fourteen at-risk students from Bidhyoda School. These innovative workshops are not only essential in allowing children to express themselves creatively during bleak times, but will also develop a template for a future SPA projects as it works with young troubled individuals. Finally, the two of us will work together to write and illustrate two culturally relevant bi-lingual children’s picture books, one being about pertinent environmental issues regarding pollution in Kathmandu. These books will be published by Kathaalaya Publications with ten percent of the royalties returning to Bidhyoda School. The funds granted will mainly go towards buying books and furniture for the library, craft materials and snacks for the book workshop, and publishing two bi-lingual books.
Keep coming back for more details! Sneha arrives today, May 20th and I leave next Tuesday, May 26th! The project must be completed by the end of August. Currently, I don’t have a set return ticket. If I don’t get a job for the fall I will probably be traveling around Asia for awhile…
Shanti
Peace
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