Happy Christmas!

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to leave a short note to say Merry Christmas....or Happy Christmas as it is more often said here. Although this was my first Christmas spent away from home, it was not as difficult as I had anticipated. Due to the lack of snow and small Christian population here in Nepal, there just wasn't that same Christmas atmosphere that makes it such a unique time of year. Even though my mind was telling me that I was missing Christmas at home, it just didn't quite feel the same here. But, I think that actually made it a little easier on me so it's all good.

No worries though. I did sing carols with my students at school, and we even had Secret Santa exchanges both in class and for the teachers! My classroom filled up with Christmas trees, snowmen, and candy canes made in art class. And, because our school is Catholic school, we now even have a 3 week winter break, more due to the fact that our classrooms are too cold to sit in right now than for the religious beliefs though. My roommate and I were invited out to dinner every night this week so we have had good company, good food, (good drinks), and lots of singing.

And, now I am quickly trying to put together my travel plans for the coming days. You can look forward to exciting pictures down the road (but don't hold your breathe).

I hope you re all having a wonderful time with family and friends! Remember to count your blessings and realize how special your life is during this time! Thank you all for your thoughts, notes, and your precious time spent reading my blog!

Happy Holiday from Nepal!

Bhai Tika

During the early Fall, Nepal is known for having a string of holidays and festivals. During a holiday called Tihar there are a number of different celebrations, one of which is called Bhai Tika. Bhai means "little brother" in English, and Tika is the power you put on another persons forehead to give them a blessing. I was able to visit my homestay family again to celebrate Bhai Tika. The comination basically means that brothers and sisters come togehter every year...and this means all the brothers and sisters in the family...to give each other blessings and gifts. First the sisters give blessings and put tika on the brothers, and finish by giving each brother a large plate of good food and treats. Next, the brothers put tika on the sisters and give them money or gifts.
The preparations of colorful tika, oil, and candles.

There is only one brother in my homestay family, which means including me there were five sisters giving tika.

Each sister adds a different color to the line of tika.

Now, the brother has to give the same colors of tika to each sisters. The leave helps keep the tika in a straight line.

My finished tika!

The whole group of kids after the offcials blessings and tika. Next we get to eat large amounts of rice, vegetables, meat, and other treats prepared for the day. Later the mother in the family had her sister and brothers over and they performed the same ceremony.

Everyone in the family participates. These are the three little cousin brothers from next door after they got their tika and treats. They were pretty darn excited about it all!

I am very thankful to have such a great family in Nepal that has included me in their lives. I continue to visit them on a regular visit, and they will be one of the most hart warming memories from my entire stay here. I look forward to learning more about their family and customs during the rest of my stay here!

Part Two.....

Day three....after leaving Poon Hill, I still had views of the mountains and then dropped back down into the trees for a walk along some water again. Really beautiful and relaxing.

Morning tea stop with monkeys for entertainment:)

We even had some larger wildlife on the trail....well, maybe not so wild. These cows actually stopped to like the salt off of my arm.

Figured I should have at least a few pictures of me or you would think I stole all the pictures from the internet and just said I went trekking!Just before evening and some rain, I made it to my stop for the thrid night. I also walked the second half of the day with some very friendly Germans so I had some company along the way. We had a great view from the guest house both in the evening and the next morning. Below is the Machhapuchhre Himal that is so famous in Nepal.

And again Annapurna South....

On the last day, I had to leave the mountain views behind, but still saw some really beautiful countryside. I loved this house surrounded by the really green rice fields.

I was able to go trekking because of the holiday from school. It is the biggest festival time of year in Nepal so we had to stop for some blessings and tika on the side of the trail. I was again walking the same trail as the group of friendly Germans so I was included in the tika!
And last....these swings made out of bamboo...yes, that is giant bamboo....were all over Nepal during the festivals. I don't know exactly what the tradition means, but I think every Nepali (or maybe Hindu) is supposed to swing at least once in their life. Plus, you can imagine the excitement this brings on for all the kids! Unfortunately I wasn't bold enough to jump in with the Nepalis and try it, but they sure were cool looking.

So, after four days of walking, I got to return to Pokhara and relax for a night. The next day I was back on a micro headed for Kathmandu and had a sleep in my own bed.

Holiday? Let's Trek!

So when you think of Nepal...you probably think Everst right? Which leads you to surmise that a major part of the country involves that Himalayn mountains. Well, this is all very true, but for such huge mountains, they sure have been elusive. They can be seen from where I live and from Kathmandu, and I've even seen them myself on a few rare and fleeting occasions. But, with a two week break from school, I decided to go take a closer look!

I was flying solo on this trek so I felt more comfortable keeping it short. Four days and three nights on the trail. But, once you get a little closer to the mountains...long trek or short, you do get to see those big white caps and man is it a sight to wake up to. Also, a good view is important when you are nursing sore muscles and a tired body....if I had woken up to clouds after all those uphill stairs, I might have had some nice not things to say to those mountains.

How to go for a trek? Well, living in Kathmandu, you start by waking up at about 5 a.m. Then, catch a ride to the micro bus that will then take you to Pokhara (starting point for pretty much all the trekkers in the Annapurna region). Leave on the micro at 7 a.m. and arrive just over 6 hours later, including one rode side stop where you may have to somewhat forcibly tell the driver to stop for a bathroom break or he will be cleaning some seats.

On day two, take another bus (or an expensive taxi) for 2 hours up to the village that sits at the entrace of the park and the trekking trail. Share your 2 person bus seat with a brother and sister, who although small, don't entirely fit in their seat. Plus, a two hour delay on the road for an accident.

Around mid-day I finally got to start walking, made it through the check points, and was immediately rewarded by walking along a beautiful river and up through the trees. During a late lunch break I met a German kid about my age and his trusty Nepali guide who told me where to stay for the night. The last few hours were a little rough. I was tired and it was up some seriously steep stairs, but worth the extra climb. I even got a hot shower, delicious tea, rice and a room all to myself.

The next morning I was more than happy to gaze at this view while eating breakfast. Sidenote: if you are into hiking, or the Himals, or just geography and decide to google a map, I was trekking in the Annapurna area, which is a little to the west of central Nepal whereas the Everest region is farther toward the east. I have yet to glimpse Everest and don't know if that will even happen. But, the Annapurna mountains are nothing to scoff at and you also get to see Machhapuchhre which is the famous fishtail shaped Himal that is sacred in Nepal. It is often the symbolic mountain of the country, and it is protected so no one is allowed to climb it.


This was my guest house on night one of the trek in a village named Ulleri.


These ponies or donkeys or a mix of the two (I couldn't quite decide what our equivalent was) carry goods up and down the trail to the different villages. Ever wonder how trekkers always have a nice bottle of water in their hands at the top of a mountain? I think these little guys pack it all up the hill.

Even though my chosen trek was short and easy to access, it is really popular. It is only the start of "the season" and I had lots of company on the trail. The destinantion for even the light hearted hiker is Poon Hill which is the highest point on the trek and has an amazing panoramic view. My second night I made it to the village of Gorepani which sits right below Poon Hill. Then, at about 4 a.m. you are awoken and told to move it up the hill to see the sun rise. Crazy as it sounds, all the trekkers take off in the dark and make it up the hill just in time for the sun rise, which is the best time for views before the clouds move in.
Views from Poon Hill.......

After taking in the views at Poon Hill, you head back to your guest house for breakfast and tea. Then, I packed up my bag to start off my third day of walking which was a little more up and down somewhat following a ridgeline parallel to the mountains for my next nights stay.

Now...the Teachers Perform

Many of you have seen the pictures and heard about all of the students at my school performing in programs for Parent's Day. Well, after all the students are done with their dances, skits, jokes, and songs for the parents...the teachers have to take a turn. Some of you may know that I NEVER participated in any performance related events at school past about the 6th grade when it was mandatory. I don't know what happened along the way in high school but I do have quite the case of nervous anxiety now whenever I'm forced to get on a stage or up in front of a lot of people...and this event combined both the stage and about 1000 people watching!

As the planning and different performances were taking shape at school, I tried to lay low. But, the other lady teachers were determined I not be forgotten. I was signed right up for the traditional Nepali dance with the other teachers, told to find a fancy sari, and when to be at practice! Regardless of my initial hesitation the whole day turned about to be a lot of fun. I enjoyed practicing and spending time with the other female teachers. And, even though I was nervous, I didn't make any major mistakes during our dance, and my students were thrilled at the end of the day because I had kept my participation in the dance a secret.

And yes, of course there is picture evidence. I'm in the red sari on the far right.

Amazing Faces

My homeroom class...on my birthday. They were very, very excited. They are Class 4 and I teach them science. And, the kids that live downstair from us....plus, I'm in my school dress.

And.....lots of pictures from school. Some of the cutest and best students I have in Classes 1, 2, 3, and 4!!

This is from one of the Parent programs that have been going on at the school. Some of the Class 1 and 2 kids dressed in cultural clothes for a traditional dance.

We saw where Buddha was born!

Life here has pretty much been school, school, school....but, we did get a few days off inbetween terms. We decided to go on a retreat for a few days down to Lumbini, which is better known as the birthplace of Buddha. The trip was fun but our mistake was going during one of the hottest times of year! An entire day on a local bus packed with people (don't even think of air conditioning) left us all a little hot, sweaty, and grumpy.

I did really enjoy seeing the sights though. The area was only recently confirmed as the place where Buddha was born, so it is still under development. They were really smart in setting aside a fairly big piece of land to develop for the site, but a lot of things are still being built. There is a small temple still with the bathing pool where they say the event took place. Now, a number of different countries are in the process of building their own pagodas.

On our second day in Lumbini, we rented bicycles from our guest house and road around the area. The area is big enough that I wouldn't have wanted to walk, but small enough that a bike was fun.

The sign as the entrance to the main area where the temple is.

Some of the old ruins from the temples around where Buddha was born. The signs read from around he 3rd or 4th century.

The temple with a spot inside marked as the official birth place.

Lots of prayer flags!!

This peace pagoda was out side of the development area for the Buddhist temples, but it was really cool to see. This was probably my favorite building we saw on the trip.

Below.....Pat waiting for some bullocks to cross the road when we were riding our bikes around.

A Few Extras

Just a few extra pictures from days at home and school. I've been promising pictures of myself in a sari, so I'm finally coming through with that!

The monsoon season should be here by now, but it is still coming and going week to week. We did have some days with really, really hard rain....it could put a Montana thunderstorm to shame. You can't entirely tell it is raining in the pictures, but this was taken out my bedroom window facing our front gate.

This picture is a little blurry, but I have been watching these two women for several morning from our window. They walk up the road around 7AM. Both of the baskets are full of stuff...and notice the lady in the back has a child on her shoulders.

Our neighbor, Oasis (or affectionately called Babu), up for a visit.

Picture day at school! We are in our fancy saris and Pat is rockin' a traditional Nepali topi! We also have green saris and two kurtas that we wear on regular school days.

Trekking!!!!

Alright, I know these pictures have been a long time coming....but hopefully they are worth the wait! Before school started, I was able to get in my first trekking experience in Nepal. My roommate Pat and I went trekking on the Helambu circuit which is just north of Kathmandu. I was very, very happy to be trekking with someone who had already been out on the trails. Figuring out the transportation and lodging was a little intimidating, but Pat handled it like a pro, which made everything work out great. The trek took us 6 days and to be honest, it kick my butt pretty good. But, no matter, the sweat was worth it, the views and experience were great, and I can't wait to do another! So, let's get right to the pictures....


After taking three micros and a bus we arrived at the start of our trek and were met with a decent set of stairs (which I later realized was nothing compared to he next day). The start of the trek cut through the Shivapuri National Forest.

After trekking for most of the day, we made friends on the trail with a family walking up to their village. Let me preface this picture by saying that women in Nepal are awesome. They do most of the work in the fields and work incredibly hard. A teenage girl was carrying this bag of rice on her head up the hill to the village....we were told it weighed 30 kilos! Carrying heavy loads with a strap over the head is how almost everything is transported here....vegetables, wheat, bricks, dirt, and rice, and notice the huge pipe being carried by the Nepali man in the background whose load wheighed something close to 50 kilos. Pat wanted to try it out and carried the load for the last few hours of our hike...up a very steep climb! I barely made it up with my backpack and after a full day of walking was very happy for a rest.

We stayed with the family with who we were walking. Most of the village was related somehow. Chipling was just a small group of houses up on top of the hill surrounded by terraced fields. Villages on trekking routes usually have "lodges" like the picture here. The family usually has a few extra room in the house for trekkers. They provide tea, dinner, and breakfast...and you can usually negotiate a price around 200 or 300 rupees per person.

These are the kids of the family we stayed with. The oldest girl with the blue headscarf was the one carrying the bag of rice up the hill! The whole family was really nice, and we sat with them to share our rice and some very tasty meat with spinach!

The view out our window on the first morning. We had climed up through these fields the day before!

The next morning we set out for another long day of walking. After having a little confusion finding the trail, we reached the top of one of many hills and found this small temple, which I think is called a gumba surrounded by prayer flags. The prayer flags are Buddhist, but some places of prayer seem to have a mix of Hindu and Buddist symbols here.

After hiking out of the Shivapuri Forest, we were inbetween two different park areas. We reached the Langtang National Park during our second day, and our trek took us through the southern most part of the park. We did get some good views, but further north in the Langtang Park the Himals are really impressive.

We hiked on into the late afternoon on the second day, and I was beat! This small lodge we finally reached had never looked so good! I even fell asleep before dinner, but the lodge was nice and we had a good sleep.

Waking up to a view of the Himals the next morning was well worth the extra hours on the trail the day before!