Home

When I was small, I had a poster hanging in my room that read "Home is Where the Heart Lies." (Although the picture accompanying that saying was a kitten sleeping in a potted plant, I think the words are what is useful here.) The one house in which I grew up, complete with loving parents, a fireplace, pets, and my own room, will forever be the home with which all other places of inhabitance will have to compete. We all have that one place that is not just where we reside, but is our real home. In that home we can always feel comfortable and find comfort. We know where the cozy blankets are kept, which cupboard the dishes go in, and which toilet handle needs an extra jiggle. But eventually we grow up and leave our homes, and if we are lucky, we may again find a place where we can lay down our hearts. You cannot choose this new home so when you realize you have found one, it may surprise you. For me, it happened in Nepal.

Nepal is quite literally on the opposite side of the Earth and about as different as you can find from my original home. This is a country of contradictions. The cities are polluted and heaving with traffic, but the villages are quiet and made by hand. The biggest mountains in the world are a snow capped definition of majestic, but the trek to see them is a bone-jarring test of will power. The holiest river in the Hindu world is a trash filled stream with a smell that can turn your stomach on a hot, muggy day.

In Nepal, people will stare at you, ask astonishingly personal questions within the first moments of meeting you, comment on the oh-so taboo subject of your apparently daily weight gain or loss, and absolutely crush our western ideal of physical boundaries. And at the same time, they are the most generous hosts to any guest and as affectionate as your own family.

Public transportation requires that you be a contortionist as you jam your too long legs under some bus seat that is made for only two but is shared by at least three adults along with the occasional child that you might very well be expected to hold. You eat rice twice a day, everyday, and in proportions that you didn't imagine yourself capable of. "Pugio" – or I'm full – actually means give me another plate full. A shopping trip can be a single stop at the local tiny store front shop that produces an endless spectrum of items from unseen back rooms, corners, and shelves. Or, you can end up on a day long quest depending on which deliveries are late, which vegetables are in season, which shop is closed for a family wedding, or which festival happens to be tomorrow. The language contains sounds that a foreign tongue can hardly hope to produce. With numerous indistinguishable words, getting on the correct bus or ending up in the right place can be as impossible as a hole-in-one.

You also learn that this is a country where a person will have no need for schedules and day planners. If you arrive on time to anything, you will most likely be the first one in the room. Guests will show up unannounced or two hours late. Work will be called off tomorrow for a national holiday that was just announced or an expected day off disappears when you are told to work through the weekend, which is only one day to start with. And let's not forget about the strikes, the threat of strikes, the cancelling of strikes, the postponement of strikes, or the extension of strikes. The perpetually squabbling government parties really love their strikes.

After living in this seemingly upside-down world, I have learned that this chaos only exists in the eyes of a foreigner. With some time and patience, the extraordinary becomes just plain ordinary. The polluted city gives way to the tree covered hills. The curious stares become the smiling eyes of friends. The eventful, crowded bus rides become unremarkable. You begin to recognize the cows in the middle of the street and are given credit at the local store.

Recently, I returned to Nepal after just a four day trip to India. I immediately found myself on the local Kathmandu bus. The previously undecipherable yelling of the bus runner (which could rival a good ol' fashioned country auctioneer) clearly reached my ears with my intended destination. I crammed onto a seat at the front of the bus with three other people. The music was blaring and the horn honking constant. At the next stop, a family piled into the already full bus. I was handed a small boy as the mother openly nursed a baby while sitting at my feet. A familiar song came on the radio, and we were all hanging onto our seats as the driver seemed to be in some kind of race with the bus in front of us. In that moment, I realized I was not caught in some snapshot image of 3rd world chaos that tourists love to share with their friends. This moment was so much more than that. It was an ordinary moment being shared amongst the very real lives of ordinary people. It was the moment when I knew I was happy to be HOME. The sights, smells, and sounds were all familiar. I felt content, relaxed, and hungry for a heaping plate of rice.

I love Nepal, and even more I love its people. I have laid my heart here, but I am not the worse for it. The pieces I will leave behind in Nepal have already been replaced with all the love that has been given to me. Home is where the heart lies, and I was lucky enough to find mine in this tiny, complex enchanting country buried at the feet of the giant Himalayas.

Can you REALLY play football???

The major sport here is some good old fashioned football (yes, its a ball you kick with your foot...how did American's come up with the word soccer). If you can play it, you rock. If you are a teacher and you can play it....you are a hero (not me). Being that I don't understand the concept of foot-eye coordination, even the small students had amazing skills in my eyes. They could create a game of football with everything from a rock to a tiny pencil sharpener. I rarely saw them get to play with an actual football. I have no idea how to control a tennis ball or cricket ball with my feet...but these kids sure do!

Last Day of School

A final memory with my homeroom class....Class 4B.

And a little extra time for being silly!

Science Exhibition

At the end of the school year, our school puts on a big exhibition including math, science, art and computers. Which for me meant....let the chaos begin. I taught all three sections of Class 4 science along with one section of Class 2 science (my roommate taught the rest of Class 2).

Coming up with projects, selecting and organizing the kids into teams, keeping track of their progress, and being done on time....well, it was a challenge, but the final product worked out just fine. My roommate came up with the idea of doing a whole theme for Class 2...so we learned about 6 organs of the human body. The choices for Class 4 were: plants, the 3 states of water, soil erosion, the rotation of the earth, nutrition, and air is matter.

Class 2 group for the human eye....exciting!

The full body picture AND science lab mannequin...even more exciting!

And....Class 2: The Human Skin

Class 4....showing how water washes away soil when there are no plants.

And the winners of Class 4: Food and Nutrition! (I may have gotten some extra help from my own nutrition teacher back in junior high...thanks Karen!) The kids explained to all the parents what a balanced diet means and what it should contain using foods available in our village here in Nepal.
And...this creative contraption was used to show how the sun (or a kerosene lamp) shines unevenly on the earth (cricket balls) which causes the 4 seasons as the earth rotates.

Darjeeling....#2

A little more sightseeing around Darjeeling....

This is the Japanese Peace Pagoda built just outside of Darjeeling. The Japanese have built a number of these in different places around the world to promote peace, and in person they are really stunning.

The Ghoom Monastery is one of the oldest and most holy monasteries in the region. Although I'm not a Buddhists, the insides of the monasteries I have visited are something to appreciate. The artistic ability and detail in the paintings, carvings, and wall hangings are incredible.
Both of these pictures are from the main Hindu temple that sits on tip of the main hill in the center of Darjeeling. I think the pictures speak for themselves in showing the atmosphere and color.

I had to throw in one picture of myself so that you at least believed I went in person and didn't just take all these pictures off the internet (and no, I have no idea how to use photoshop). You can see in the background how big the city is and in the top left you can also see some of the mountains. And in January....it was FREEZING.
The people of Darjeeling and the surrounding area have been fighting to be an autonomous state for many, many years. I don't know much about the history, but from asking different people there has been a demand for Gorkhaland since the time of Indian independence. The region is currently part of the very large state of West Bengal and people are unhappy because they have no real voice in the government, plus things like the roads are falling apart.

My visit was great...even if I was alone. I couldn't believe how much of an influence still existed from the British. The area was nothing like the rest of India, but the people were friendly and the mountains were awesome so I was happy!

Darjeeling! (That's India)

Yes, I know I'm a little behind on the timeline of things, but a least I'm still working on keeping you updated!

Way back when....we had our winter break, I took a solo trip. We had a month long break because it's too cold to be in the school. So, my destinations: Jhapa and Darjeeling. I had to choose somewhere that I could get there and back in a few weeks and wouldn't cost too much money.

First, I headed on an all night bus to the southeast corner of Nepal to a region known as Jhapa. It was amazing to see how completely different the southern part of the country is from the hills where I live. It is flat and hot without a big town in sight there. I had heard amazing things about the two schools that the Jesuits run in Jhapa so I thought it would be a good place to visit. I got to see the schools, a totally new part of Nepal, and could stay with the Jesuits. One of the schools is a St. Xavier's school with classes 1 through 10 where the students are taught in English. The second school is in a village surrounded by tea gardens and was built to serve the children of the tea workers as well as the small local farming village. The experience showed me so many new things....from bicycle rides through tea plantations to students running around with no shoes!

After Jhapa, I hopped on a bus to the Indian border so that I could head on to Darjeeling. Darjeeling is a famous hill station that was built up and visited during the British colonial days as a place to escape the summer heat of south India. I had heard a lot about this place since arriving in Nepal, and being that they even speak Nepali there, I thought it would be a perfect adventure.

Once the bus reaches the Indian border, you have to walk to take a rickshaw across this bridge, which is literally the border. The river bed below is a huge expanse of emptiness where you cross between two very chaotic border cities.
I was the only foreigner in site that day and therefore, the only person stopping to get my passport stamped at the two check posts. This one is on the Indian side of the border.
After another bus and a three hour ride in a jeep up a winding, bumping road hanging onto the sides of the hills, I was amazed to see this huge town built into the hillsides. But, the best part was the backdrop, Kanchenjunga, the world's third tallest mountain peak.

Darjeeling was built up during the British rule and although the city is old now, the British influence is still very clear. The road and even the tiny railroad were all originally built during that time. I could not believe how far we had traveled and how big the place was so far away from any other city.
And yes, I was kind of scared of the monkeys.
One of the main tourists sites is the zoo and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. It was the most exciting place I've ever been, but it was interesting. I most excited to see the snow leopards and even though they were in captivity, I can see why people in this part of the world are so enamored with the beautiful animals.

Below is another picture of the mountains from a walking path around the city.

An Extra Taste of Life

Just thought I would put up a few more pictures from the daily side of life.

My class taking the class photo for the school yearbook. We are class 4'B'.
View of the Himals....from school! This picture is not doing it justice. If you have time you should open it up big on your computer. Some of our students get this view from their classroom. It's crazy!
Table tennis is big here! And out of my class 4 boys....I hear that Sandeep is pretty awesome.
They are also extremely excited if I ever attempt to play with them!
Mmmmmm.....one of the tastiest things in Nepal....hot chiya (milk tea) from our very own chiya didi at the bus park stand by our house.
Nothing like grading papers by candle light. We are currently up to 12 hours a day with no power, which conveniently always happens to be all during the day....and then they give us electricity from something like 1am - 7am. Thanks guys....just in time for me to wake up!

What's Your Biggest Luxury?

Are you a fan of simple living? Maybe you car pool to work or use energy efficient light bulbs? But, we all still indulge in luxuries right? So what is yours? An SUV instead of a fuel efficient mini car? Maybe you love your grande latte from Starbucks in the morning?

Well, this morning I rewrote my definition of luxury. And here's how it goes: WATER. That's it. One simple word....water. Yes, it is a luxury. Not hot and cold running water at all times of day and night. Nope, just plain water. Like, enough to wash your hands and brush your teeth with in the morning (and notice I didn't even ask for the flushing of the toilet that comes before the hand washing).

There is a percentage of the world that has no clue what it is like to be without a reliable, clean source of water. But here's the news flash that most of the people in that group miss, your the minority. Yes, I know that you have seen the images of women on television lined up to fill their mismatched buckets and bowls of water at the community tap to carry it along the dusty road back home. But, don't scoff at me yet, have you really thought about it? Well, I had to this morning...only for a few hours...and let me tell you something. It wasn't fun.

I had a great morning planned starting with a little sleeping in. Decided to roll my way out from under the covers at about 8:00. Thought I would maybe make some coffee and then wash those sheets that have been sitting in the corner waiting to be freshened up for when I no longer need the warmth of my sleeping bag. Sleepy-eyed, I make my way out to the charpi (toilet...but you throw the water down with a bucket rather than flushing), and discover...no water. Nothing to panic about, there is an extra bucket of soapy water left over from the other day when I washed some clothes. I throw that down the toilet and don't think twice. Surprise number two, I can't wash my hands. Well, I guess I will use the tiny bit of water left from just rinsing my clothes because it only had clean clothes in it. Problem solved.

Wrong. Problem still coming.

The thing is, we live in a village up in the hills and are known for having a plentiful supply of water. While most of the village houses do not have running water, they can fill up tanks at their house for use during the day. Otherwise, they make the short trek with buckets to the village tap and carry water back home, which gives them more than enough for drinking and cooking. Really, my house is lucky, we DO have running water all the way to the house. But, it's the dry season now, so we run out. Lately, we've been running short each day, but not so bad that I've registered what this means. Only yesterday, I was feeling a bit lazy and didn't fill up a single bucket with water. Not the kitchen buckets, not the toilet buckets, nothing. Which brings us back to my morning of consternation.

After the make shift hand washing, I wander to the kitchen for my morning cup of coffee. We do not have a tap in the kitchen so usually a few buckets of water sit on the floor to use for cooking. This morning they were sitting with only the smallest puddle in the bottom. And now the morning wake up call really kicks in...THERE IS NO WATER. I have one last trick up my sleeve, we have a water pump, but it only works when there is electricity. And guess what, yep, this morning no electricity...and the loadshedding schedule says I'm out of luck until noon. Crap....that's 4 hours! Alright, that's life in Nepal right? I figure, I'll combine those puddles of water from the bottom of the buckets for at least one little cup of coffee, I'll just have an apple for breakfast (no water required), and then I'll head to the city to catch up on emails and when I come back...there will be some water.

I get my cup and half of water boiling and save the last half of cup to rinse out our coffee press....stylishly held together at the moment with numerous applications of duct tape. I get to the sink (a cement hole on the floor) and find ants. Damn. In my laziness yesterday, not only did I forget to fill up the water buckets but I didn't finish washing the dishes. One bowl is infested. What to do? No water....remember? If I just had one....one little bucket of water all my problems would be solved. I could wash my hands, wash the ants out of the sink, and be on my way (let's not even talk about how much water it would take to wash those sheets). Ok, I can handle this. I hold the ant infested bowl out the window, knock the ants out, flick the remaining ants off my arms and inspect the sink. The rest of the ant family is looking for a new spot....I have to squish them with my fingers. I lean back out the window to see the ants climbing on the walls. I attack with a broom and then spread turmeric on the window ledge...ok, did I really hear that turmeric can deter ants or am I just losing my mind at this point? Ant problem postponed for the moment...now if only I could wash my hands. Oh well, I wipe them off on my pants.

Whew, everything is ok now. At least until I have to use the bathroom again. I drink my coffee and head into my room to change into some jeans so I can head to the city. Problem still not solved. I cannot even brush my teeth or wash my face. I am losing my will to keep trying. EVERYTHING requires water. When did that happen?

I commence on a silent rant in my head. I can't even wash my hands! How ridiculous is that? Is it too much to ask to just brush my teeth? Seriously! Just my teeth! Let's not even talk about trying to shower or wash clothes. My sink is filled with dirty dishes. Your welcome stupid ants. Hope you come back in an hour. I can't do anything! I'm stuck. Frozen, trying to start the day.

It's now 10:15, and just as I've lost all of my previously positive attitude. The power comes back on. A moment of grace of the electricity Gods. I burst into action! Run downstairs and turn on the water pump. Take all the buckets out to the tap. Brush my teeth with the first trickles of water. Take the first two buckets back to the kitchen and boil drinking water. Start in on the dish washing and pouring the ants down the drain. I fill up extra buckets for the toilet and take the kitchen buckets back for round two. I my face and my hands! It's incredible!

I admit, maybe I sound a bit dramatic about being without water for just over 2 hours. But, it really did put a damper on my morning, and it got me thinking about the lives people face when they do not have access to water. It really must control a person's life. I still think I'm inconvenienced when I miss a shower here or there. Even after living here for over a year, I still take water for granted. How can you not when you grow up with an endless, beautiful supply that can be hot or cold at your demand? So, if you've read this far, do me a favor. Try to go a day without using any water besides the small amount you drink or cook with. Or, at least count or think about it every single time you turn on some water. It will make you think.

Now answer this question again.....what luxuries do you have? Is your list a little longer?

Sports Day (Part 2)

Yes....even the teachers have to get dirty and participate in Sports Day. The male and female teachers have to take turns in tug of war and a relay race with the parents. The male teachers dominated winning both of their events. The females...well, we got torn up by the moms in the tug of war but had a stronger showing in the relay. Being that I was the youngest female teacher...and have yet to have any children of my own, the running was more my event.
The male teachers taking down the dads in tug of war.
The senior boys relay....I think they are getting ready for the 4 x 100 relay.
I helped "coach" the girls relay teams, which just means about a week of after school practicing with the baton. But, the girls were awesome! Our teams took the first and second places at our own school and the next day we competed at another school and this team took second, with a baton drop!..which means they would have had first no problem.
All of the Panthers watching the events.
I was given the five extra girls that were not involved in the pyramids yet. We came up with this set and the girls had fun. The little one on top had no fear and just climbed right up every time!
The PT display for the parents. Starting in class 1 the kids have to do PT during the games period. It is kind of an old school style jumping jack-type routine. The older kids are really thrilled about it on sports day.
The final score! My team had a strong finish in 2nd place.

Sports Day!!!!! (Part 1)

What is sports day??? Well, basically the equivalent of a track and field day at one of our elementary schools....only this involves all 1000 students up through class 10! After a few weeks of practice...yes, practice for the sports day....we had two full days of events. Why do we need to practice? Because this isn't just your ordinary track with running and jumping. Students show their best stuff on everything from team marching and human pyramids to leap frog and skin the snake! The colors in the photos represent the school teams. In any school competition whether it is sports or the spelling competition the students compete with their teams. At the end of the year, there is a school champ....which is kind of fun to have the older kids in class 10 cheering on their little teammates in classes 1 and 2.

There are six teams including Panthers (yellow), Jaguars (purple), Lions (green), Tigers (red), Bears (gray), and Leopards (dark blue). The teachers also get assigned a team, and my roommate Pat and I were both Panthers this year.
The team captains presenting the flags in the opening ceremony of the sports day.
Class 1 and 2 boys going all out in the sack race!
Some of the cuties girls from the little classes showing off their winnings in the sack race. Pramitra is the winner in the purple and Rebika with the missing tooth in the red. Both girls are super cute in class as well!
Only class one boys learning how to line up for the 100 meter dash.
Me giving a pep talk to the girls before musical chairs. Some of the best smiles in classes 3 and 4!
Intense musical chairs....you have to earn this one!

The class 4 girls awaiting their teammates in the relay race....lots of nervous anticipation!