change

This past weekend I delightfully ventured out of the city for a night to Dhulikhel (that may be spelled wrong...). It was such a pleasure to get out of the pollution and see some snow-capped mountains in the distance. It reminded me how beautiful this country is and how diverse the environments are! From the jungle to the mountains- it's so rich! We hiked all around the area up and down what I'd call mountains but are apparently hills. We passed through many villages, but stopped in one to join in a game of volleyball. It was a blast, but I decided to be a champ and tae yself out of the game for the sake of my team's honor. Turned out to be a good decision (not just for my team) because I was immediately surrounded by the village kids with two 1month old puppies in my arms. I tried to comunicate in my broken Nepali, and now I am realizing how much these little interactions form the substance of my experience here. One (beautiful!) 10 year old girl kept asking me if I would take these tw little girls back with me. Though funny at the time it is really sad- they assume that I would be able to take care of these girls because of my status given the color of my skin. I declined the offer, but continued to hang out with the kids and even walked to one of their homes. It was an amazing day- both aesthetically and culturally eye-opening.

Now that I'm back in Kathmandu I have begun to realize how time is super tricky- it is always either zooming by or inching forward. So all at once I can't believe it's March and I'm shocked it's not April. Whatever the date, I have tons of work to do! This week I have been getting my act together and visiting different organizations that work with family planning. I went to the Women's development Training Center which is funded by the government and promotes women's empowerment through educaton and program training (literacy, skills, etc.). I just sort of walked in and was greeted warmly and with tea! The hopitality and friendliness of the country is a real treat (though at times they can be too friendly...). I talked with three people who work there, in English, about their projects and what they think of development. I left feeling hopeful and excited to have made some new contacts! Today I went to the Family Planning Association of Nepal which is an NGO that provides 5 main areas of spreading information awareness: Abortion, HIV/AIDS, Adolescents, advocacy and access. I was able to meet with the Department Director for 45 minutes which was amazing! This organization focuses on spreading awareness through education and information to remote areas of Nepal. They also provide contraceptiveservices- both temporary and permanent- to any woman who wants. This organization totally inspired me and I may want to spend some time during my Independent study volunteering with the at one of their clinics in rural Nepal. Their aim is to provide services to marginalized communities with little access to or information about family planning. However, they have not been able to start more clinics in more districts because of the Bush-era aid cut of any family planning organizations abroad. Thank goodness for Obama's reversing that policy! They are hopeful that with more funding they will be able to start a sex-ed project with the government for public high schools.

The definition of development is no clearer still, but I am aware that a community can create change when there is access to resources and information. I cannot wait to start learning more about these organizations that are really working and developing theselves and their country. What a cool thing to witness and hopefully be a part of!

Tomorrow will be a bit different because I will be meetnig with USAID Nepal. It will be the first foreign organization that I meet with, and I am looking forward to hearing about their plans and views. It is so great to be able to have the freedom to exlpore my passions and hopefully volunteer my time and energy to something I believe in- it is my own little way of giving something back to Nepal :)

Monkeys, Dogs and good ol' Rabies!

I have officially been with with my host family for one week! My Baa has opened up to me since he's learned that I'm Jewish. He has become fascinated with us as a people and has taken to the age-old stereotype that we are all smart, beautiful, business people, and super rich. Oh boy... I happily dispel the generalizations and explain that we, like all other people, are a diverse set of individuals. He means so well and is just really curious and uneducated about Judaism. But he sure is adorable in his little beanie which he wears all of the time. My Aamaa will hopefully be coming home this week, but who knows for sure.

Yesterday I was sent on a cultural excursion to the Swayambunath Temple which is commonly called the 'Monkey Templs' for obvious reasons. It is this huge Buddhist holy site with many shrines and architectual wonders. I wish I could describe it (or figure out how to post pictures) in appropriate words. It is beautiful and filthy and crowded and super holy- which is basically the same description I would give to Nepal as a country!

I am going to write my Independent Study Proposal in a bit, and I have gotten some really great direction towards hospitals and people knowledgeable about childbirth and pregnancy. I will hopefully spend half of my time observing a maternity hospital (or 2 or fertility clinics, etc.) in Kathmandu and then spend the other half of my time in rural Nepal (probably Western Nepal due to my contact person's connections) hopefully following a midwife. I am really interested in looking at the religious influences on the entire process of pregnancy and then childbirth, and finally to draw some sort of conclusion relating auspiciousness and purity. But we shall see where that actually goes!

This coming Sunday we leave for a week in Chitwan National Park which is in the Terai in Southern Nepal. I am so excited to get out of the city and into some nature!

The Big City: Kathmandu

Wow is this a crazy city! There are so many modes of transportation on the street at all times- cars, bicycles, pedestrians, minibuses, full buses, and so many animals! Every morning while walking to school I pass two (at least) very foreign things. The first is at the butcher's I witness, daily, the skinning and chopping of the daily dead goat. Nice. Second is the constant worship at the two shrines on my path to school. This is such a religiously rich city. So religious in fact that Jewish stars are the symbols of an educational institution. At first I was amazed at how many synagogues and yeshivas there were, then I realized it must stand for something else, we're not that big of a people!

The colors here are just as bright in Pharping, but covered in the thick layer of dust that constantly looms over everything. I had to buy a scarf to use for walking- I need to protect from the dust! My Nepali is coming along, but not fast enough. I try to speak as much as possible with my homestay family, but I am still not able to understand the rapid conversations. So far I have seen Pashupatinath which is the holiest Hindu place in Nepal. What a place! There were pyres right where we entered, and apparently they are always burning because most people in Nepal want to be cremated there. Then there are Sadhus (holy men, ascetics) everywhere smoking weed and chilling out. And also hundreds of monkeys- we were told they have the rabies! It was such an amazing complex- it is huge. I definitely want to go back and explore some more. There is so much to do and see in this city, but I am unfortunately limited by a curfew due to the fact I am a woman and instituted by my host father. I am for sure not used to this limited independence, but I am well aware that it is cultural and not personal.

Will post more later!

Pharping

I am currently in the village of Pharping which is just south of the city of Kathmandu but still part of the Kathmandu valley. We started classes of Nepali language and have also had two lectures- one on culture shock and the other orienting us with the map of the country. Nepal is amazing. Everything here is so new and so different from my reality at home. I have never felt so different from people- which is probably due to the blonde hair and language barrier. But I have already started to wear a bindi daily and am working on my conversation skills.

This morning I awake at 6:15am to go to a puja ceremony (puja is a religious offering) at the Hindu shrine down the street. I watched as people came in and out offering sacrifices to the god, Kali, of anything from flowers to fruit to live roosters. It was my first time ever seeing a) a sacrifice and b) an animal being killed (besides fish). It was an incredible experience! The colors here are so vibrant. There are reds, pinks, yellows and greens everywhere- especially on the women. Being surrounded by such holy places and such awe- inspiring natural beauty has been such a spiritual experience for me. I talked to another girl on my program and she put it so perfectly- being here and being around all of this makes me want to pray and express gratitude to SOMETHING. It is an awesome country- it is so small and so diverse, both in ethnicity, species, habitats, and people. Speaking of which, the people are beautiful! I just am overcome with gratitude and curiosity here. Everything is so different, and I yearn to know everything's meaning and purpose.

We leave for our Kathmandu homestays on Sunday, and I am getting a bit nervous about separating from my new friends and being with people who I can't really communicate with. I know it will be a wonderful experience- I will inevitably learn so much about myself and the culture through such experiential living.

I haven't cried yet, which may not sound like a big deal, but for me, Miss Emotions, it is. I have only felt utter awe and happiness- I am so glad to be here!

As a wise friend told me- pack little

Lizzie passed along the best advice that had been given to her before she left for India: Pack little, physically and emotionally. I don't know how the emotional packing will go, but physically, I am for sure packing light. I hope to evaluate my attachment to the material- I will pack what I can carry, and even that may be going overboard!

Emotionally it is much harder to pick and choose the necessary items. Saying goodbye has never been my strong suit, however, it is an important and necessary step in preparing for overseas. Though it is certainly not forever, 4 months feels like a very long time. I will carry little physically, but emotionally I carry so many wonderful people, their lessons and wishes. I carry them with me because they are a part of me. I am so blessed and so grateful!