Homeward Bound

Hello! Arthur and I got back from Pokhara two days ago. It was a lovely place, very different from Kathmandu because there was no honking, no pollution and very little litter on the roads. It is a city snuggled up between a lake and the Annapurna Mountain Range. It’s a good place to go without a plan. We ended up meeting some people Arthur had met on his previous trip to Pokhara and we stayed in the same guest house as them. It had a kitchen, a view of the lake, and was only 350 NPRs (3.50$) a night! Not bad. A lot of the tourists we met in Pokhara we very mellow hippies, including the other people in our guest house. We ended up going with them to a waterfall not far from our house where they all took showers totally nude despite the fact there was a house not far from us. Very chill, open people. We pretty much just relaxed the whole time. We swam in lake and I rented a boat at dusk and went out to the middle of the lake where I could see a mountain peak above the clouds! It was so peaceful and beautiful…but the boat was meant for eight people so it was a bit of a struggle to get around.

The next day was really fun. Arthur and I wanted to go see the Tibetan refugee camp so we rented a scooter (which he had driven only once before) and we headed around the mountain. We ended up passing the refugee camp and having to stop for directions at a gas station, where we saw a gorgeous waterfall coming down the mountain about a mile away. We decided to try and reach it and a lovely man named Dharmendra at the gas station volunteered to lead us. So we walked through sunny rice paddies toward this waterfall for about 15 minutes until we reached a small gorge with a very rapid river running through it. We had to cross the river to get to the waterfall, and we decided to swim. There were a bunch of boys swimming in the river and it was going really fast, and they kept asking me if I could swim well. “We’ll find out,” I told them. About thirty feet away from the place we were crossing was a small waterfall with rocks at the bottom…definitely not something I wanted to go over. Arthur got across fine, but I was pretty nervous so Dharmendra sent some of the boys to stand in the water down the river to catch me in case I went too far. But I crossed okay and we headed up the mountain in soaking wet clothes. This was when Dharmendra revealed to us that he actually had no idea where the waterfall was, so after about 15 mintues of searching we gave up and went back across the river. This time I almost get sucked over the waterfall because I thought I had reached the other side when I hadn’t and I got pulled down pretty far. It was kind of a heart-stopping moment. But fun! We thanked Dharmendra and gave him our contact information and then dried off on the scooter on the way to the refugee camp, which was really not exciting at all. Then we headed to Begnas Lake where we ate lunch before returning to Pokhara, where Arthur made dinner for everyone and then we went out dancing at Busy Bee Café, where we table-hopped and met a lot of cool people.

The next day I went to the waterfall alone and was just sitting in the stream drawing on a rock when an Australian man named Rod walked by. We started talking and he invited me back to his house for tea with his Nepali wife, Sita. He was a really inspiring guy. He and Sita had gotten married only four months ago, both as a second marriage. He told me about his travels and how meditation changed his life, improved his health, and opened his mind. He was so accepting of fate and so able to take life as it is and make the best of it. Meeting him was one of the highlights of my trip.

That night Dharmendra came lakeside to see us. We had a big dinner that night, with two Swedes, two Nepali, two Irish, four Americans, and one French. I just sat and listened to everyone talk politics and philosophy. It was interesting. Dharmendra ended up spending the night and then coming to the bus station in the morning to see us off. As we were waiting for the bus, what should appear but the Annapurna Mountains! Literally at the last possible moment. They were so beautiful and so shockingly high…I just stared for a good twenty minutes before taking some lame pictures that don’t do the mountains justice. I am so happy I got to see them though! I feel like I can leave now.

Speaking of leaving…my flight leaves in five hours! I can’t believe this month is already over. It was such an amazing time. Last night we stayed in and drank and laughed for my last night and it was a blast. I’m going to miss the other volunteers a lot. The kids made me a card and Dhanraj gave me a painting! Very sweet. It’s going to be strange not seeing them everyday…but I can’t wait to see how they grow. Maybe one of them will head over to the US one day! They taught me a lot. We actually just got a new orphan girl a few days ago and all the kids absolutely dote on her. She is surprisingly happy even though she is in a strange place and already a part of the family. I love how ready they are to accept someone new into their lives. Everyone is like that here. I hope I can use what I’ve learned here in the US. But I am excited to see you all soon! I have a thirteen hour layover in Abu Dhabi tonight so please, PLEASE help keep me entertained. See you all soon!

Lots of love,

Kate

After I nearly drowned...

View from our lodge

Phewa Lake

Taking the boat out on the lake

On our waterfall hunt with Dharmendra

The river we swam across

Mountains finally!!

The Countdown Begins

Hello everyone! The past week has gone so fast…it has been so much fun to spend time with the kids on their holiday! We took the girls swimming a while ago on the females-only day at the swimming pool. It was pouring rain and we were the only ones in the pool, but the girls LOVED it. They haven’t been swimming in three years. None of them can swim, so we stayed mostly in the shallow end with them squealing and clinging to us. It was a lot of fun. The next day was pretty rainy and we had nothing planned for the kids, so we decided to make a scavenger hunt. Without telling the kids we created teams and a list of clues and bought candy as prizes. We were a little worried we were more excited about it than the kids would be, but when we told them what we were doing they were thrilled. They looked like racers on the start line. Half an hour later, we awarded a sweaty and grinning winning team with chocolate bars. It was so great to watch them get so excited.

Our next big excursion was to White Kumba Temple. They had been asking to go for a while, so one day we decided to go. It was a two and a half hour walk, and very quickly we regretted taking the little ones, mostly because we had to carry them on our shoulders the whole time.  But they barely complained! I was impressed. The temple was very beautiful and we had a fantastic view of the valley, but it was really busy and we were all really stressed out about losing a kid in the bustle. On the way home we stopped at the kids’ karate guru’s house for tea. He is such a lovely man and smiles all the time. The kids adore him. On the walk home a truck swerve to avoid hitting Shiva and me and ended up sinking into the mud and almost tipping into a rice patty. It speaks for the laid-back nature of the Nepalese that all of the people in the truck emerged laughing. Then they just sat down and started chatting until help arrived. By the time we got home it was rice time—a six hour excursion in all! After rice, the volunteers hosted Ramro Sathi’s very own Nepal’s Got Talent! The kids had been practicing their acts for a few days and I had labored over burning CDs for them to use. The girls got all dressed up and the acts were very entertaining. In the end, we had winners in five categories: Overall Winner (Sarita), Funniest (Shiva), Best Dance Moves (Suraj), Best Effort (Bhabishya), and Most Skill (Menuka and Rajju). We even had some guests from outside Ramro Sathi come to watch! Not sure who they were….random people seem to float in and out of the house. Very much an open-door policy here.

The next day was Sunday, which meant we had the day off. Sam, Rosie, Hannah and I decided to visit Pashupati, which is a holy site on the river where they hold cremations. ON the bus I met a very nice man named Anil who told me I was his dream girl and compared me to Kristen Stewart. Hm. He also taught me some Nepali and gave me some insight into the political and economic situation here. I’ve come to realize that most of the men here are harmless—often they tell us we are beautiful, but it’s not creepy. They do seem to have a lot of respect for women here but they express it differently. A few of the volunteer’s I am with totally blow off any Nepali person that speaks to them because they are convinced they only want money or sex. While this is certainly true sometimes, I think as long as you are careful you can learn a lot from the people that reach out to you. Anil then told me he wanted to make our friendship true and asked me to memorize his phone number (which I did) and call him if I ever needed anything. I don’t think I will, but he was fun to talk to on the ride to Pashupati.

After we got off the bus, Hannah, Rosie and I decided to avoid the 1000 Rs entry fee and sneak in, which was really easy to do but gave us some minor trouble later. At first I felt weird about watching someone’s funeral, but after we reached the river I felt fine. On one side of the 20ft-wide river were the family and the body, and on the other side was about 100 people, Nepalese and foreigner, watching the funeral. It was beautiful. We saw one body burn while we were there. First they wash the body in the river (yes you can see it—they don’t have the same fear of death here as we have) and then they pray around it. Next they hoist the body up onto a wooden platform covered in marigolds and cloth (if they’re an important person) and “pass the fire”. For this important part, a family member is designated to hold a burning bundle of paper and walk three times clockwise around the body: once for Brahman for creating, once for Vishnu for sustaining, and once for Shiva for destroying. Then they put the burning bundle in the mouth of the body because this is where the first and last breath is drawn. The marigolds and most of the cloth are then thrown into the river and the fire is lit from underneath the pyre while the body is covered in logs. Then the family sits and waits for 3-4 hours for the body to burn completely. I saw barely any tears. It seemed like such a healthy way to handle death…but I suppose if you believe in reincarnation it really never is death. But it was beautiful and I am so glad I had an opportunity to see it.

The next day was Teacher’s Day. The kids hold celebrations for their teachers and cook food, so we went with them to the school. As I should have expected, it was not what I was expecting. Turns out the only teachers being honored were the Karate teachers (Guru was there!) and it basically turned out to be a huge dance party. Guru blessed us with the tikka and then grinned mischievously and smeared it all over our faces. The audience of kids then asked all the volunteers to dance to Gangham Style before they all joined in. After dancing we ate the meal the kids had prepared and danced some more and talked with Guru. It was a blast. Yesterday I spent the day trying to extend my visa (success!) and today we spent more time with Guru at another school he works at as the PE teacher. We just played with his classes in the courtyard of the school for three hours. The kids were all so lovely and so happy to get to know us. Foreigners really are treated like royalty here, which I think is a mixture of outstanding hospitality and also the belief that we come from a land full of riches. It’s sad sometimes to see how they consider Western life so great when they have so much to offer, although not in material wealth. I have learned a lot from them and I really wish I had more time here. I can’t believe I leave in one week! Tomorrow Arthur and I are going to Pokhara until Monday, then I leave on Wednesday! I’ll probably have one more post before I leave. See you all soon!

Love,

Kate

Teacher's Day! Guru is in the middle and flanked by a bunch of Nepali karate champions.

Hannah and I at the school Guru works at

Putting the fire into the deceased's mouth after passing around the body three times

From White Kumba

Dhanraj and Nischal hosting Nepal's Got Talent

Exploring and Learning

            Hey! So for the past few days I’ve done some more exploring of Kathmandu and learned more about the orphanage and the logistics of volunteering in Kathmandu. For a few days I was bored out of my mind while the kids were studying for exams because they had a tutor come to help them and rarely needed help from me. So, the English girls and I resorted to tourism to keep our minds occupied. Hannah’s friend from England happened to be in Kathmandu a few days ago so we met up with her at Boudhanath Stupa Square, about a 30 minute bus ride from our area. The Nepali government has really learned to capitalize on the tourist industry, so if there is anything even remotely interesting to see in the city tourists are often charged for entry whereas Nepali citizens get in for free. Anyways, after we paid our entry free into the square we walked through the gates and entered a totally different world.

The harsh sounds and smells of Kathmandu vanished and we found ourselves in a lovely, very European looking square with Nepal’s largest and oldest stupa in the middle. There were many restaurants and shops surrounding the stupa and we stopped at one for lunch after meeting up with Imogen and Jenny. We ended up waiting two hours for our sandwiches (Nepali time will do that to you).  Luckily we had cards and we ended up talking about our volunteer experiences. Jenny and Imogen had paid an international volunteer agency and had been placed in an orphanage with 60 children. They had a wonderful time there and were always busy, which I was jealous of because sometimes I feel useless at Ramro Sahti. However, they noted that it was clear their money was not going to the kids. They had no pencils or books and learned in a concrete room with only a few chairs. I chose to volunteer with Ramro Sahti specifically because it is not run by an estranged international organization, and I am happy with my decision. I know and trust Rajendra and I am confident that my money is going to the right place (for those of you that don’t know, a lot of volunteer positions abroad are pay-to-volunteer).  All of the kids here are well cared for and they have what they need to do well. Rajendra even asked us to keep updated profiles of the kids and any dreams and aspirations they reveal to us so that he can keep track of how their thoughts change as they get older. Between Rajendra, Auntie, Didi, and the volunteers, the kids have all the care they need.

Speaking of which, I am sure many of you may have wondered what it is like for the kids to be constantly building relationships with people who leave their lives after a few months. It doesn’t seem very healthy. I was curious about it too, so I asked Sarita if it was difficult. “Yes, it is hard,” she said, “but we’re used to it.” The more time I spend here, the more I can see that the kids kind of consider the volunteers as accessories. We are fun to play with and we add something special to their lives, but in terms of permanent, loving relationships as long as they have each other, Auntie, Didi, and Rajendra, they are fine. I would be surprised if any of them get upset when I leave. The volunteers definitely play a necessary role as entertainers, teachers, and mentors, but I think the kids see us as some kind of shape-shifting being: we may all look different and have unique things to teach them, but in the end we provide the same services and as long as someone is there to help it really doesn’t matter who that person is.

For my own personal gratification, I would like to think that I am having a profound permanent impact on their lives and they will all miss me after I leave. But while I know I am helping in some small way by sharing my experiences with them and boosting their confidence, I know that down the road I will probably just be a blurry memory for most of them. However, I realize that this is probably the healthiest relationship I can have with the kids. When you are exposed to over 100 volunteers a year, you can’t afford to become emotionally attached to every one. One month especially is definitely not long enough for that. They are happy I am here, but they also know that I will leave soon. It is best that way. So in the end, I guess what I am saying is that trying to do the right thing, especially with children, is a huge gray area in which you have to tread carefully and be happy with what they can give you. And I will certainly never forget what these kids have taught me about love.

So that is what our talk with Jenny and Imogen made me realize. But getting back on track…yesterday was the kids first day of vacation! After much deliberation over what to do, we rented a van and took all 14 of them to the world’s largest statue of the God Shiva. After that we went to Bhaktapur, which is a medieval city known as the Cultural Capital of Nepal, located 45 minutes outside of Kathmandu. It was beautiful and so interesting, and I think I will need to go back there without the kids and look around because they were literally sprinting around the city (again, feeling thankful that there are eight of us to keep track of them…). But it was fun because I got to spend time alone with a few of them I hadn’t gotten an opportunity to really talk to yet. By the time we got home everyone was exhausted and I immediately fell asleep. We also bought some henna (mhendi) and decorated the girl’s hands. Turns out I’m pretty good with henna, so I spent about three hours bent at an unnatural angle drawing designs on six different pairs of hands. When I thought I was finally done, they brought the neighbors over. I’ll probably come home a much more patient person. Today’s activities are still up in the air…it’s a scorcher so we might just do a papier mache project here. Tomorrow is the females only day at the pool so we will go swimming! Not sure if I trust the swimming pools here though…we’ll see. I’ll keep you posted!

Love,

Kate

Before leaving! Ramesh is in the back, then from left to right:
Rajju, Menuka, Bhabysha, Ashmita
Subash, Shockti, Shiva, Dip

Big Shiva and sleepy Shiva!

Elephant.

Bhaktapur

Dip, Shiva, Aakriti, me, Subash, Shockti

Breaking for momos (dumplings) in Bhaktapur

Halfway!

Hey hey!

       As of today I have been in Nepal for two weeks, meaning my trip is almost halfway over! That went so fast....I wish I could stay longer. All the other volunteers are staying at least two months. It's a lot easier to get closer with the kids if you're around for a while. But speaking of the kids, things are going pretty well with them. For the past week they've been studying for their exams, which end on Monday. Honestly, I'm glad we have so many volunteers here right now because we've been able to give the kids one on one help with their studying. They're learning pretty impressive things. I'm doubly impressed that all of their subjects, other than Nepali, are taught in English! Rajju was reading a really advanced story for her class and Nischal tried to get my help with vocabulary words I had never even heard before. Their school seems pretty good. The only good schools here are private schools, though, so Rajendra is paying a lot to send all of them there. These kids study nonstop. So it's a good thing that after Monday they have a week-long holiday! We are going to be super busy next week. We've been trying to brainstorm things to do to entertain them, but it turns out that finding an activity to satisfy all the ages in a city we barely know is nearly impossible. But I think we are planning a picnic and a trip to the worlds largest statue of Shiva! Maybe a water park? Exciting stuff.
         Things are going well socially too. The English girls have pretty much adopted me and I do most things with them. We went to yoga the other day (I have finally accepted the fact I don't like yoga) and have been going out to lunch and exploring Kathmandu outside of Thamel. We started wandering the other day and ended up in a backstreet in front of a beauty salon. Sam and Hannah wanted henna done on their hands and feet, and since we were there I decided to get a haircut.  It was an interesting experience. Apparently when women get their haircut here they specify a style they want. My haircutter was very confused when I told her I didn't want it styled, just trimmed. It didn't help that she barely spoke English. No worries, I didn't come out bald. She actually did a really good job and it was fun! That night the English girls, Arthur, and I went out for the first time. All bars and clubs close at midnight here due to a problem the city used to have with an excessive amount of intoxicated foreigners, but we managed to go to three different places before closing time. We met a bunch of medical students interning at the hospital here and talked to them for a while, and I met two guys from Georgia! It was nice to speak to people without any language barrier.
           Unrelated, but I forgot to introduce two very important members of the house! Didi and Auntie are the house mothers here, responsible for cleaning, cooking, and disciplining the children on minor matters. They don't speak much English but find a way to bond with us without language. They're both absolutely hilarious. I helped them do the laundry the other day and we ended up having a dance party/ photo shoot on the roof with Danuraj. It was a good time. They add a lot to the house. Auntie actually lives here with her daughter, Aakriti. Didi lives a few minutes away with her son Shakti but they spend all their time at the orphanage. Both Shakti and Aakriti are just part of the Ramro Sahti family. They have a really good family dynamic here. I'll post more about it later. But now it's bed time for the little ones!

Love,

Kate

Auntie! The cloth on her head isn't there for any reason other than she wanted to put a shirt on her head

Didi!

Didi, Arthur, and Danuraj

"Trekking"

     

         Hello! So we’ve just returned from our trek from the Kathmandu foothills to Nagarkot. I wish I could tell you how many miles we walked but I have no idea. On the first day we got on the trail at about 8:45 and walked straight up for two hours in the pouring rain. I was quickly soaked through and would remain so for the next three days. The beginning of the trail wound through neighborhood on the side of the mountain, so we were basically walking through people’s backyards. I’m sure we looked absolutely pathetic; panting in our trekking gear while walking up a trail the people around us used everyday to get to their homes. Occasionally a resident of the hillside neighborhood would sprint past us in flip-flops, and one man even took out his phone and videotaped us struggling. It was rather discouraging.

            I was relieved when we cleared the residential area and entered the jungle. It was very wet and slippery, but we were walking in a cloud so everything had a very mysterious, misty beauty about it. We were in the cloud the entire way. Around 4:00 we reached Chisapani, where we were to spend the night in a tea house.  After we had finished pulling the leeches off our legs, the sun broke through the clouds for a few minutes. IT was enough to warm us a little, but we were still staring at a wall of clouds all around us. No view yet. Everything was damp, even the blankets. When I woke up, I found that all my clothes were moist. Oh well. It was pouring anyway. We started walking around 9 am. It was a seven-hour walk, but most of it was pretty mellow trekking. I was a little bummed about the trail. It was basically a dirt road, which was a little too unnatural for me. It was designed so that we would have a view of the Himalayas almost the whole way, so I would have been happy with it had we actually been able to see the mountains. But we were still in the clouds. I see now why monsoon season is the off-season for trekking.

Still, it was fun because I got to know the other girls pretty well. The English girls (Hannah, Rosie, and Sam) are very high-energy but hilarious. Celine’s English is not very good so I have to communicate with her through Maika but I like her a lot. We were all trying to play Would You Rather, which Celine and Maika thought was absolutely ridiculous. I had a lot of fun listening to the English girls speak and the differences between their English and ours. They’re going to help me perfect a British accent! Apparently mine is horrendous. We did a good job amusing ourselves until we finally reached Nagarkot around 5 or 6.  Our hotel (yeah, not very hardcore trekking) was beautiful and apparently had a fantastic view of the Langtang range. It even cleared up enough for us to see a sliver of a mountain! Highlight of the trek, but also a tease. Then the clouds rolled in and it rained again. But I was thrilled to sleep on an actual mattress! Today we left at 10:30 and walked for four hours to the end of the trail. The sun came out as soon as we got off the mountain. Of course. I refuse to leave this country until I see the Himalayas so I think in a few weeks the French girls and I will go to Pokhara, a city 6 hours away, because it rests right against the Annapurna mountain range so no trekking necessary to see the mountains!  

Now I’m back at the orphanage and it is officially a full house! Twenty Nepali, four French, three English, and one American. Represent. Arthur and I are the only ones who don’t have friends from home with us. I’m glad I came alone though. I think I’m more observant and participatory because I’m alone.  And it’s fun to make friends! I miss you all though. I’ll check in soon!

Love,

Kate

What I was supposed to see from my hotel

What I actually saw...

A tiny fraction of the Himalayas above the clouds

Jungle!

Our little walking companion