Hey Mom, Dad, Marie, Everybody,
Sorry it has taken me so long to send out word of my safety/existence! All is going well in Nepal, but I've been either very busy, or not very busy at all, just without internet access. I am currently at a cyber in Balkot, the village near my program house, and I am paying approximately 26 cents per hour for the internet. I love Nepali prices :D
Ayaa, so much has happened in just 11 days or so; I don't know where to begin. The seven other girls on my program and I live in several rooms rented out near the program house, which is the huge, old building that used to house several large extended families. The walls are made of hand-made bricks, I hit my head on all the doors if I am not careful, and the roof on the building is pretty much some corregated metal. Our cultural learning sessions in the dining room are constantly interrupted by the multitude of pigeons that crash into that corregated roof. Haha, it makes me laugh every time...For four hours everyday, we sit in tiny, dark classrooms, learning Nepali from our wonderfully hilarious and quirky Nepali language teachers. I am so amazed by how much Nepali I have learned in less than two weeks, and how quickly Japanese has completely disappeared from my memory!! At the moment I can have the most basic conversations with the locals: "Hello. How are you doing? What is your name? How many people do you have in your family? What? Say that again? I don't understand.....(awkward silence)." I love my language class. It feels so good to be able to focus all of my time and energy into learning one subject, and I really think that it is paying off. Somehow, I've become good at languages! For a non-language prodigy, that is.
My favorite part of being here, even on top of the beautiful, degrading temples, the plethora of delicious food, and vibrant markets in Kathmandu, is talking to the people here. During our Nepali-only tea breaks (we have two delicious tea breaks a day), our language teachers are constantly challenging our language abilities, but simultaneous joking around, and sharing the differences between our cultures. The kitchen staff is hilarious, and composed of a sweet, wrinkly grandfather, his teddy-bear man-son, a lively but stern dude, and a quiet guy with cool shoes and a liking for hard liquor (the grandfather and quiet guy are my favorite). They always correct our Nepali, as if correcting annoying little sisters (jk marie ;P), and randomly say things like "OH MY GOD" in really funny Nepali accents. Most of them live in the neighborhood, and gather around a fire in the courtyard at night. Though we haven't joined them for several days, some other students and I would sit with them and their families, playing a strange game of animal-themed charades or singing ridiculous American songs at the top of our lungs. Ahhhh, so fun. Everybody's family seems to live nearby, and they always come by the program house. Most of the older guys, about my age, don't have anything better to do, and thus get to put up with my constant pestering and slow Nepali speech. Despite my terrible language abilities, however, I've made a few friends. Today, when we hiked to a nearby mountain/hill, I met a tiny old many with only one tooth in his mouth, as well as a girl my age, and her four year old son. She invited me to her house, wanted me to eat her daalbhat! Haha, I wish I could have, but alas, I could not.
Tomorrow, we are meeting our Nepali families, and will be moving into their houses later that evening. I am trying to dispel any expectations I have for my family...I just hope that I will be grateful for every moment that I have with them. Hopefully, with some gratitude, humility, and patience, my family stay will be a great experience. But we are not holding any expectations!!! BAH!!!! We'll see how it goes...
Just some info on the living conditions, because I'm sure, mom, you are worried :D. Wellll, I will probably be showering at a local tap (yes, a tap, like a spigot coming out of the ground in the village somewhere), 2-3 times a week. There is a particular outfit, and method used to keep oneself presentable, and simultaneously clean-able. Each family will have its own outhouse (asian style), and - I'll just say it - no toilet paper. We haven't had any TP for the past two weeks, and frankly it doesn't bother me that much. The only thing that bothers me is how much I have to wash my hands here! Twice after the bathroom, once before each meal, and once after. My hands have never looked so old, but raw in my entire life. Ahhggggggggg, the one safety/sanitation rule here that truly bothers me, besides not being allowed to eat yogurt.
Gosh, I know there is so much more to say. I frequently wake up in the middle of the night, thinking of eloquent phrases I should use to communicate my experience here, but of course I've woken up, and now they are GONE. Come to think of it, they probably wouldn't make much sense anyway, seeing as I thought of them at 3 in the morning, with only half of a working brain.
In summary, I am so glad that I'm here. It's not perfect, but it sure beats doing physical chemistry in a stale corner of the library in Claremont. I love getting to know the local people here, including the random little boy watching me type this email over my shoulder, and I think I will develop strong friendships with the other girls on my program. They all have admirable qualities, and I hope that they can help me grow during my stay here. They program staff finalized our schedule and WE ARE DOING SO MANY FANTASTIC THINGS IN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS. I CAN'T WAIT! But like I said, I've got to take it one day at a time, expect nothing, and cherish each moment as it comes.
See ya!
Kori
Sorry it has taken me so long to send out word of my safety/existence! All is going well in Nepal, but I've been either very busy, or not very busy at all, just without internet access. I am currently at a cyber in Balkot, the village near my program house, and I am paying approximately 26 cents per hour for the internet. I love Nepali prices :D
Ayaa, so much has happened in just 11 days or so; I don't know where to begin. The seven other girls on my program and I live in several rooms rented out near the program house, which is the huge, old building that used to house several large extended families. The walls are made of hand-made bricks, I hit my head on all the doors if I am not careful, and the roof on the building is pretty much some corregated metal. Our cultural learning sessions in the dining room are constantly interrupted by the multitude of pigeons that crash into that corregated roof. Haha, it makes me laugh every time...For four hours everyday, we sit in tiny, dark classrooms, learning Nepali from our wonderfully hilarious and quirky Nepali language teachers. I am so amazed by how much Nepali I have learned in less than two weeks, and how quickly Japanese has completely disappeared from my memory!! At the moment I can have the most basic conversations with the locals: "Hello. How are you doing? What is your name? How many people do you have in your family? What? Say that again? I don't understand.....(awkward silence)." I love my language class. It feels so good to be able to focus all of my time and energy into learning one subject, and I really think that it is paying off. Somehow, I've become good at languages! For a non-language prodigy, that is.
My favorite part of being here, even on top of the beautiful, degrading temples, the plethora of delicious food, and vibrant markets in Kathmandu, is talking to the people here. During our Nepali-only tea breaks (we have two delicious tea breaks a day), our language teachers are constantly challenging our language abilities, but simultaneous joking around, and sharing the differences between our cultures. The kitchen staff is hilarious, and composed of a sweet, wrinkly grandfather, his teddy-bear man-son, a lively but stern dude, and a quiet guy with cool shoes and a liking for hard liquor (the grandfather and quiet guy are my favorite). They always correct our Nepali, as if correcting annoying little sisters (jk marie ;P), and randomly say things like "OH MY GOD" in really funny Nepali accents. Most of them live in the neighborhood, and gather around a fire in the courtyard at night. Though we haven't joined them for several days, some other students and I would sit with them and their families, playing a strange game of animal-themed charades or singing ridiculous American songs at the top of our lungs. Ahhhh, so fun. Everybody's family seems to live nearby, and they always come by the program house. Most of the older guys, about my age, don't have anything better to do, and thus get to put up with my constant pestering and slow Nepali speech. Despite my terrible language abilities, however, I've made a few friends. Today, when we hiked to a nearby mountain/hill, I met a tiny old many with only one tooth in his mouth, as well as a girl my age, and her four year old son. She invited me to her house, wanted me to eat her daalbhat! Haha, I wish I could have, but alas, I could not.
Tomorrow, we are meeting our Nepali families, and will be moving into their houses later that evening. I am trying to dispel any expectations I have for my family...I just hope that I will be grateful for every moment that I have with them. Hopefully, with some gratitude, humility, and patience, my family stay will be a great experience. But we are not holding any expectations!!! BAH!!!! We'll see how it goes...
Just some info on the living conditions, because I'm sure, mom, you are worried :D. Wellll, I will probably be showering at a local tap (yes, a tap, like a spigot coming out of the ground in the village somewhere), 2-3 times a week. There is a particular outfit, and method used to keep oneself presentable, and simultaneously clean-able. Each family will have its own outhouse (asian style), and - I'll just say it - no toilet paper. We haven't had any TP for the past two weeks, and frankly it doesn't bother me that much. The only thing that bothers me is how much I have to wash my hands here! Twice after the bathroom, once before each meal, and once after. My hands have never looked so old, but raw in my entire life. Ahhggggggggg, the one safety/sanitation rule here that truly bothers me, besides not being allowed to eat yogurt.
Gosh, I know there is so much more to say. I frequently wake up in the middle of the night, thinking of eloquent phrases I should use to communicate my experience here, but of course I've woken up, and now they are GONE. Come to think of it, they probably wouldn't make much sense anyway, seeing as I thought of them at 3 in the morning, with only half of a working brain.
In summary, I am so glad that I'm here. It's not perfect, but it sure beats doing physical chemistry in a stale corner of the library in Claremont. I love getting to know the local people here, including the random little boy watching me type this email over my shoulder, and I think I will develop strong friendships with the other girls on my program. They all have admirable qualities, and I hope that they can help me grow during my stay here. They program staff finalized our schedule and WE ARE DOING SO MANY FANTASTIC THINGS IN THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS. I CAN'T WAIT! But like I said, I've got to take it one day at a time, expect nothing, and cherish each moment as it comes.
See ya!
Kori
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