Celebrating One Month of Chaos and Dal Bhat

Last Wednesday was my 1-month anniversary of my arrival in Nepal. Can you tell I’m a bit behind these days?

I think one of the hardest things about doing a trip like this is that every day is a challenge.  Things I’ve always taken for granted in the U.S. – buying groceries, for example, or riding the bus – is so much harder in a foreign country. It’s a great learning experience, but seriously exhausting some days.

So, let’s reflect on some things that have changed in the past month. 

1. As chaotic as Kathmandu is, it no longer overwhelms me.  Yes, it’s dirty. And polluted.  And in desperate need of zoning.  But there’s also a rhythm to life here.  People work all the time, it seems, but they take their time doing the work and they usually enjoy doing it.  There’s no separation between work and life like there is the in United States.  Family is incredibly important, as is culture and heritage.  People truly enjoy being together.  The longer I’m here, the more I see beyond the chaos. I really like it here, more than I ever expected that I would. But no worries, I’m not staying. I’ve killed enough cockroaches here to make me seriously look forward to a happy return to the U.S.

2. Nepal is, by far, more respectful to foreigners than any other place I’ve visited.  Though people stare (and stop what they’re doing in order to stare), few make obvious comments or approach you.  The U.S. presence is limited here – Europe has a far bigger influence.   For the most part, the stares no longer bother me.  It’s really only irritating when you do something stupid (trip, get on the wrong bus, etc) and you realize that EVERYONE was watching.  There’s nothing to do but laugh at yourself at that point, since everyone else already is.

3. The food here, assuming you like rice and spicy things, is really good.  The only thing I outright refuse is the curd (aka, plain, chunky yogurt).  Though I occasionally have to detox on rice, I love the tea, the dhal curry (some type of vegetable and curry), the fruits (lychees, mangos), the cheese, and the lentils.  Newari food is equally good, though they place a heavier emphasis on meats.  The ice cream is also really good – I had it four times last week. They have this flavor called 21 Love that I was totally intrigued by until I realized that it was just chocolate chips and vanilla. Letdown, but still delicious.  The milk (from goats? Water buffalo? I have no idea), because it is unpasteurized, is serve hot. No thank you.

4. Strikes (bandh) have worsened in the last two weeks, which has been an interesting experience to observe.  Several Maoist parties left the government, and though there’s a new prime minister, a new coalition government still has not been formed. A few days ago several youth Maoist parties started fighting, and at least one youth was killed. During the strikes, no vehicles are allowed in the streets except for police and military vehicles and the U.N. (which is the only international agency I’ve seen here).  Anyone riding a bicycle or motorbike is able to ride down certain streets, but will, at some point, be forced off the bike by groups of men who patrol certain checkpoints along the streets.  There are also parades of people marching with Maoist signs, and plenty of others watching from the sidewalks.  It’s incredibly orderly, at least as far as I’ve seen. And yes, I’m always careful.  Little but might, I tell you.

5. I’ve spent about 90% of the last month barefoot.  In Nepali culture, you remove your shoes before entering work or homes or many restaurants.  Our office has a little shoe shelf where you can leave your shoes and pick up some house sandals.  I actually enjoy it.  I’m also a fan of sitting on the floor for meetings and gatherings.  Though many families own couches and dining room tables, it’s not the norm by any means, and sitting on little cushions on the floor is often more comfortable. That being said, if upon arrival back into the U.S. I kick off my shoes and make myself at home on the floor – don’t be alarmed.   

Random things you might find interesting, though maybe not:

•     I went to kill two cockroaches in my kitchen last night and realized they were hanging out with a lizard that had made his home by my sink.  Fantastic.
  
•     I participated in a nature club workshop last week where I presented a session every day on capacity building and motivation. In English. To 90 9-to-14 year olds Who knew I had a future as a motivational speaker? 
•     My Nepali is still terrible because everyone at ECCA speaks English. It’s embarrassing, really.
  
•     I am officially a Nepali television star.  I attended two different ECCA programs for World Environment Day two weeks, and ended up in the video for the event that was broadcast on Nepali tv twice.  Granted, it was for 2 seconds out of a 30-minute video, but I’ll take the fame.
  
•     Load shedding has increased because the valley is desperately in need of rain and there’s little electricity.  My backup power has stopped working, so I’ve taken to sitting by candlelight and watching the sun set through my kitchen window.  My return to the U.S. will be a rude awakening. 
  

Since photos are fun, here are a couple from my last few weeks.  I’m not in any of them, because all of those pictures have ended up on someone else’s cameras.  Maybe soon I’ll create a post dedicated to photos of me.  Because this blog where I talk about myself incessantly isn’t enough, right?  Look, I’m just trying to prove that I’m really here and not hiding out somewhere in DC (thanks Lisa and Dina for suggesting as such).

With some of the members of Prachet's family (my contact).  We may have made our own dance party one evening. 

Sushila testing the quality of water in one of the schools. There are only two full-time ECCA staff that are females: the cook and receptionist.  Sushila is a part-time staff member. 

Little girl playing with vegetables at this huge wholesale vegetable market I visited two weeks ago. 

Men resting by a temple in Patan.  I cannot for the life of me keep the gods straight in this city.  I'm lucky I know where I am half the time. 

One of my favorite photos of the trip.  Children at one of the schools in Patan.

Your average classroom for students. This could be for any grade.  There are no books or games, and very little on the walls. 

The Chariot-pull for the  Rato Machhendranath Festival for Hindus and Buddhists in Patan. The chariot is pulled through the street by men.  In this photo, it is crashing into yet another building. The energy is intense here.  

The view of the crowd at the festival.  Packed and so much fun. 

Students at the Namina Machhindra school on School Environment Day.  They're selling recycled cards. There were 7 competitions that students from different nature clubs competed on, including best nature mural and best school newsletter about the environment. 

A teacher and some of the murals at the event.