Kathmandu – fantastic!
Hello from Kathmandu! It’s Tuesday, June 19. I apologize for the delay in posting. While internet service is “available” everywhere in Kathmandu, the connection is very slow and a bit unpredictable. I arrived Kathmandu late Friday night, slept well, and awoke to the sounds some sort of farm animal outside my window. I thought I was getting up at 7 am, but it was closer to 5:45 local time (I don’t know where the 15 minute increment comes from ….) Anxious to explore the city, I got up to wander about the streets, seeking water and breakfast, before my first day of orientation and training began at 9.
Kathmandu has no underground sewer system, no adequate water supply, only a few properly paved streets – but above all, it has no money. I have never seen or experienced such extreme poverty. The first day was very shocking, but I’ve adjusted to it after a few days and actually find it beautiful and fascinating. Saturday and Sunday were busy with Nepali language classes and sightseeing. On Monday we traveled to our training village in Dhukiel, where we had dinner and stayed overnight with our host family. On Tuesday, my entire household (including me) was up at 5 am to do morning chores (collecting water, laundry, feeding livestock)and then I was able to go with the women to the rice field. We returned to the home for morning dhal bhat, followed by 3 hours of Nepali language training. I returned to Kathmandu yesterday evening. Today is my day off to do laundry and prepare for my placement in Chitwan. I will either be teaching in a Children’s resource center or working at the construction site of a new childrens home. I plan to stay in Chitwan until the 28th or 29th, return to Kathmandu, and then leave for Lhasa a few days later.
Thanks for checking in! I’m happy and healthy – all is well. Take care! N
Tags: Travel
Nancy
What is dhal bhat? What work did you do with the women in the rice fields? You can think about poverty in the abstract but I can bet it could be worse than you could imagine.Do you have any choice in where you will be teaching? How many people are in the program with you again? It’s good to know that you’re doing well.
Hi Nancy ~ As I read your messages, I find it hard to picture you out in the rice field after being awoken by an animal other than a cat?? Also, knowing that you only brought a backpack with clothes, I’m trying to imagine what does one wear to farm/garden rice?
What’s dhal bhat? Is it food or something kinky? After reading your third blog about visiting the shrine to the male phallus, I’m just not sure. Could be anything —
I’m looking forward to seeing pictures of all this. I need to google some of these places so I can get an idea of what you’re seeing.
So glad to know all is going well for you. It’s amazing to think that you can get Internet in a place that has no sewer system? What a world!
Looking forward to your next installment.
Claire
Up at 5 in the morning doing chores? Hope it develops into a habit. Just don’t wake me!
I “googled” Chitwan. It should be quite an experience. Rhinos and tigers. Be careful.
Bill
So, what did you end up doing? Was your assignment the construction site or the resource center? How is it going?
Bill