Wild, Wild West

Im in the far west of Nepal right now, only 30 minutes from the border of India...and it is seriously wild. I have never experienced anything like what I am experiencing now.

The landscape is so different from Charikot (mountains) or even Kathmandu (valley). Bastipur is a village in the terai, so everything is totally flat. There are rice patties everywhere and you can see for miles and miles and miles.
The climate is tropical, so much so that I keep forgetting I am in a landlocked country and not on some Caribbean island! There are papaya trees everywhere. And all the buildings have that 'weathered' look you only find in tropical places. And despite being winter, it is hot here!

The family I live with is amazing. So sweet and welcoming. But in reality I am living with about 4 families, because the whole extended family (grandmas, aunts, uncles, and cousins) all live together in one compound that opens up to a central (dung covered) patio.

Did I mention the home is made out of cow poo? Literally. And the best part is, when a baby makes a mess on the floor, they wash it off with water then put MORE poo on top of it.

Not only is there no shower here (I've gotten used to that, after all!) but there isn't even running water. Only a water pump outside used to fill up buckets and jugs. I have an outdoor squat toilet to use, but the family doesnt even use that! The field is good enough toilet for them...

My life here is awesome; unlike anything I've ever experienced. Teaching at the tiny run-down village school is great, but my favorite thing here is taking part in chores with the family. I've really been living village life here. In the morning and evenings I help make roti (chapati bread) for meal. We cook and eat on the floor! And during my free time I play with the three adorable kids.
I've even been cutting rice with all the women! It is wild: hours and hours of squatting in the field, cutting the rice patty by hand with a small sickle blade. I always attract an audience of villagers who come to see the foreigner working in the field. It is really fun, but it is also really, really tiring! But I am glad to be helping my family and experiencing their lifestyle, if only for a short while.

The village is wild. It has been so untouched by development. To give you a brief picture, these are some of the questions I have been asked since being here: 1.) Miss, what caste are you in? and 2.) How much milk does your buffalo in America give you?
Seriously. Wild.

Thats it for now, and I cant promise another entry soon. The nearest town (where I am right now) is over an hour-long walk from Bastipur!

Dont Worry, Be Happy

Just about every bar and restaurant in Kathmandu blasts “Three Little Birds” from their speakers. I used to think this was just to please the hippie-type tourists that pass by, but now I’m starting to believe it is simply because the “don’t worry, be happy” motto is true here in Nepal.


I arrived in Kathmandu intending to stay and volunteer at an orphanage in the city. I had a place to stay with internet access and real showers, and I had already met the orphanage’s coordinators as well as a few volunteers. I unexpectedly ended up on a bus Charikot, and as you all know, it was the greatest thing I have ever done!

When I returned to Kathmandu on Sunday, I was sad and worried. I didn’t want to leave my brothers, and I didn’t know where I would go next and I was worried that I might not find another volunteer placement to be excited about Still, I felt as though I need to push myself and see a bit more of Nepal before I leave; something inside was urging me to do it. These were my thoughts:
I wanted to go to Bastipur or Bhaititti. I didn’t want to go alone. I wanted to spend time with my in Kathmandu, and I wanted to see another friend when she returns from Bastipur in a week.

When I arrived at the Volunteer House in Kathmandu, I immediately learned that my friend was heading to Bastipur the next morning. It was too perfect! I could go to Bastipur. Not only was I not alone, but I was with the friend I wanted to spend time with. When I arrive, I will be able to spend one night with my other friend before she leaves. And the best part is, after Bastipur, I am going back to Charikot for a week to visit my brothers before I fly home.

Don’t worry. Be happy.

So many of you have told me that I look so happy in my pictures. I love hearing that because I am so happy here. I wish someday everyone of you can visit Nepal and experience what I am experiencing.

So now I’m sitting on the roof drinking tea and eating the pumpkin pudding that I made as my private Thanksgiving. The warm sun, the cool breeze, and the expansive view of Kathmandu’s flat topped houses are hard to leave, but I should go back inside to begin packing my things. I leave early tomorrow morning for my 12 hour bus ride.


*[What to expect: Bastipur is a fairly traditional, small village in the Terai (western part of Nepal). My friend who is there right now describes it as being a hundred years back in time. I will be living with the family of a friend in Kathmandu. The family has three young children-maybe I can speak Nepali to them!-and they live 45 minutes away from the town. I will be busy teaching at one of three private schools, and possibly doing work at a local medical clinic. I have a feeling these next two weeks will go by very quickly. I cant wait for new experiences!]

My Home, My Family

MY SETTING

Gauri Shankar Boys Home is heaven on earth. It is a 30 minute walk from Charikot, which is a small bazaar containing everything you might need and nothing more: supermarket, cyber café, restaurants, tea shops, stationary stores, and schools. The gap between the bazaar and the home is a beautiful panorama of jungled hillsides floating below the giant, snow-covered Gauri Shankar Mountain which rests on the boarder of Tibet. The home sits close enough to easily access the bazaar, but far enough that it is so peaceful. The home sits on a huge plot of land which overlooks a valley and the beautiful hillsides. The home is bordered by a jungle where tigers live (yes, seriously, they have seen tigers there). While sitting at the home, it is easy to forget that anyone in the world exists besides you and your brothers.

MY DAILY SCHEDULE (this is the schedule during the month-long holiday)

The boys wake up at 5:30 and drink tea.
I always wake up by 6:00 because it is impossible to sleep though all the noise: boys running around playing football (yes, they play football at 6:00 in the morning), with the horrible hacking and coughing that Nepali people make to clear their lungs in the morning, and Auntie ringing bells to begin her morning puja.
Many days I go for a run in the morning. I love this time of day because I can watch the sun rise over the glorious Gauri Shankar Himal while running up the hill to the bazaar. I see the same folks everyday as I run, and we always greet each other the same way: I give them a smile and a head wobble to say, “Good morning. I know you think I’m crazy for running here,” and they respond with a smile and a head wobble to say, “Yes, you are crazy but we like you anyways, so good morning foreign sister!”
At 7:30 we do yoga with the boys. This is more fun than you could possibly imagine. Almost every posture has developed an accompanying sound effect, and it can get pretty wild. The boys wont let us skip a single day of yoga!
By 8:30 the boys take “lunch,” and I eat by 9:00. Always we eat dal (lentil soup), baht (rice), tarkari (vegetables), saag (green leaves), and achar (spicy pickle). It is the most delicious food ever, and they feed us so much. Always they are trying to refill our plates, as if the first giant mountain of rice wasn’t too much to begin with.
For part of the morning, the boys do chores and work in the garden. At 11:30 we usually play a trivia quiz game, which the boys absolutely love. They get so competitive, and they are all so smart that sometimes we have difficulties thinking of challenging questions! After quiz game we do some sort of art: drawing, painting, or pastels. The boys are such talented artists; I will upload some of their artwork on my photo account soon, so you should check it out. Sometimes we sing, too. [I swear, my brothers could form a boy band a sell a platinum record! I can hardly contain myself when they unexpectedly break out into “I Want It That Way” by the backstreet boys.]

Around 2:00 we all have tea and eat “tiffin,” which is the mid-day snack. Often this is beaten rice, sweet saffron rice, noodles, or dried corn.
Sometimes after tiffin we walk into the bazaar. We are careful walking along the one-lane, two-direction road. Buses frequently pass us, loaded with as many people (and goats) on TOP as there are inside. It is so entertaining to watch people’s faces as they see us go by: at first when we smile at them they stare blatantly, but as we walk past they follow us with their head and their stunned expression melts into a as well. When we walk up with the boys, they always laugh at how many double-takes we receive. We have friends in Charikot (and sometimes strangers) who are always inviting us in for tea and food.
Later in the afternoon we play football, which is always so, so, so fun! The boys are sweet to let me play with them even though I am terrible. They even pass me the ball although I wish they wouldn’t because I can never kick it to the right place! Still, my skills are improving a lot and if I’m no longer helping my team when I play, at least I am no longer hindering them!
The boys eat dinner around 5:00, and while they eat we often climb up on the roof to watch the sun go down behind the mountains. We usually eat around 6:00; more delicious dal baht, of course.
After dinner is TV time. Most of you know that I hate watching TV at home, but I LOVE watching it here with my brothers! Sometimes we watch Hindi music videos which are wild, or sometimes weird Bollywood movies which I have grown to love. My favorite things to watch are the English movies on Star Channel, especially the bad horror films. The boys also love ‘ghost movies’ and we all have so much fun pretending to be scared. The boys are so sweet while watching TV: always snuggled up with each other on the floor, lying on top of each other and sitting with their arms around each other. They are such brothers, and I love them so much!
8:00 is bedtime for the boys, but usually we sit up and talk for some time past 8. I love spending time in their hostel, sitting on their beds and discussing all sorts of things.
After the boys go to sleep we sit outside and look at the thousands of stars that are visible in the sky. Everything about this place is beautiful: the mountains, the sky, the culture, and especially the people.

After Tihar the boys had to return to school, and our schedule changed a bit. Instead of playing in the morning, the boys study from 6:00 until 8:00, and I tutor them or help with their homework. I walk them to school around 9:00, then I spend the morning teaching classes. In the afternoon, Meaghan and I visit with our Nepali friends in town, drink tea, and run errands. They boys finish school at 4:00 and we play until dinner at 5:00. From 6:00 until 8:00, the boys do more studying! The days are busy, but we still have fun.

MY BROTHERS

Ashok Tamang

Ashok smiles with his mouth wide open, and he laughs with his whole body but no noise. He is always reading the dictionary and asking me about new vocabulary words. He is an emotional boy, but usually that emotion is extreme happiness. He loves loves loves to sing.


Biraj Sunwar

Biraj has a smile that could win over even the coldest heart. He knows he is cute and I think someday he is going to use that smile to get his way. But he is so sweet and always loves to snuggle with me under my scarf in the TV room.

Birbal Bohara

He has such a cute personality. He is always looking for love and approval. And he always wants his picture taken! I love how much he loves to dance.

Birjung Roka

Birjung wins the prize for being Mr.Man. He is good at everything! He is a football star. He is a beautiful artist. He can do backflips, layouts, and all other sorts of gymnastics. His singing voice is enchanting. He is so smart and knows just about trivia fact and general knowledge question that exists. Not only that, but he takes care of all of his younger brothers. He is always helping them study or complete there chores. He is such a solid foundation. And he is always smiling with his beautiful teeth.

Dhirendra Sing Mohara

Dhire is such a sweet, sweet boy. He is calm and reliable, and also funny at times. He is great at football and drawing, too. It is hard to describe, but there is something so great about him.

Dilbar Buda

Dilbar is a comedian but not an attention-grabber like some boys his age. He loves to have fun and his expressions are so wonderful! He is an entertaining dancer and his moves are quite smooth. He is very responsible for himself in a way one would not expect from such a young boy.

Dilip KC

Dilip is a little different from the other boys. Sometimes he likes to keep to himself, but other times he has such a big personality, always talking and laughing. He works hard and strives to do so much. This is the boy who always runs special errands for Uncle.

Gokul Saduala

This boy is such a clown and I love him! After everything I say, he always asks “Joking? Joking? Are you lying? Are you joking? Joking?” over and over until I move on and say something else. When he plays football, he pulls his pants legs up all the way to his upper thigh, and his scrawny legs seem to flail and go on for miles. He told me a million times that I have to come back, and I don’t want to disappoint him.

Govinda Raj Thapa

My Govinda is a little hustler but I absolutely love him. He has the most charming, snaggle-tooth smile that you cant say ‘no’ to, and his bright hazel eyes are always shinning. He always has a look on his face as though he is planning something naughty, but in reality he is the sweetest most loving boy! He has a slightly scratchy voice which I adore, and he is always singing to himself as he walks along. He gave me tika during Tihar so he will always be special to me.

Jagat Bahadur Bhujel

Jagat is so charming and has the sweetest smile. When he smiles and greets me, my heart becomes so happy. He is always inviting us to sit on his bed and look at pictures or his school work. He is shy, a little bit naughty, and has such a good heart.

Kal Bahadur Khadka

This 13 year old boy has the oldest soul. Kal is so wise and is always taking care of me! He reminds me not to walk in the middle of the road and he is always guiding me so I wont get lost going to new places. We have had so many meaningful talks together, and I love him so much!

Keshab Karki

Keshab is my dear, dear, goofy little brother. He walks around with a permanently confused look on his face and his head tilted to the side. He always forgets and speaks to me in Nepali instead of English, then he gives me a confused look when I don’t respond. He always tells jokes but they never translate well from Nepali to English, so they don’t make any sense to me and he usually doesn’t understand them either! Still, we always get a laugh from them. He raises his voice impossibly high at the end of each sentence. And after everything he says to me (usually in Nepali), he says, “Hoina?” which means “No?” He also has begun addressing me as “D-Dear Dearest Dear Sister Ellen Sahthi (“friend”)” so now I call him my “Dear Dearest Brother.”

Krishna Bohara

Odaspi loves this boy so much and he is so sweet, always looking after her. He is the oldest in his class (Class 7), and also the smartest and most outgoing! When we did pantomiming in his class, he performed a near-comedy act and made us all die laughing.

Lalit Jung Hamal

Lalit such a pretty boy. He is quiet, a little shy, but also confident. He has this sweet, almost sly smile that spreads across his face, although he always innocent. His personality is a magnet that draws everyone to him.

Love Pariyar

Love is a suitable name for my brother. He has more love in him than anyone I have ever met. He is so considerate and lovely and sweet. He always calls me “Ellen Sister.” He always invites me to sit on his bed and talk. And he is fun; he was the only boy who swam with Meaghan and I when we took class 10 to Tamakoshi River.

Nil Prasad Roka

His grin takes up his whole face and sometimes he laughs like a goblin. He is such a joker and he is always making me laugh. I love playing soccer with Nil because we both like to get distracted and end up spinning around the field instead of kicking the ball. Sometimes when he is playing soccer he lies down in the tall grass so that he is totally hidden. After rolling around a bit he pops back up and it looks like he reappeared from thin air. It always makes me laugh. He reminds me of Annie Holmes in 11-year-old-boy form, which is totally a compliment to them both.

Prajaya Gole

This child is ADORABLE if you cant already tell from his picture. He arrived at the home only 5 days before I did, so he is very new. He doesn’t speak English but he always has the biggest smile and the most adorable giggle. The older boys are always snuggling with him or teaching him new things, and it is so sweet.

Prakash Jaishi

Prakash’s smile lights up the whole world! He is quiet but so, so, so, so sweet. He is calm and beautiful. Every time I see him, I cannot help but become happy.

Prakash Thami

He arrived from holiday only a week before I left, and he is quite quiet. He is a great artist and he designed the murals at the home.

Rajesh Hamal

For the first two weeks I was at GSBH, Rajesh hardly spoke at all. Then all of a sudden, he EXPLODED! He is absolutely hysterical. He is a crazy dancer and he tells the most outrageous jokes and stories. He is also an amazing artist and I promise someday his art will make him famous. He is not always a ‘good boy’, but when we caught him doing something bad it took him longer to forgive himself than for us to forgive him! One day, for some unclear reason, he shaved off his eyebrows! Despite being wild and sometimes naughty, Rajesh is so sweet and he loves us so much. He held my hand the whole way as we walked into town before I left on the bus, and it nearly broke my heart to see him tear up.

Ram Bahadur Thami

This little boy is so cute and so happy. Ram Bahadur is the perfect balance of energy and calm, of funny and sweetness. He arrived back from holiday only a week before I left, but I feel like I have known him for much longer.

Sabin Khadka

He is so friendly and fun. He also arrived back only a week before I left, but we had much fun at the home and at school when I visited his class.

Sambu Buda

This boy is so sweet and loving. After only a few days, he acted as though I had been his sister for so long. He is fun and full of energy like a 13 year old should be.

Simon Raut

He is so tiny and he is always wearing cropped pink shirts that make him look even tinier. But he is so sweet and his eyes show such a curiosity and excitement. When he dances, his skinny limbs go all over the place and he moves his hips like a mini-Michael Jackson.

Sitaram Gurung

He is quiet at first but open funny once you crack the service. He is also an amazing artist and very good at football. He is so sweet and nice to talk with.

Shyamu

Shyamu doesn’t live at the home; he stays at a boarding school in Bhaktapur, but he came back for the holidays. He is the friendliest, warmest, most outgoing boy. He always, always has the biggest smile on his face and always wants to hold your hand. He loves Odaspi and carries her around everywhere.

Rajendra Dai

Rajendra graduated from the home and now he works there and sleeps in the computer room. This man is a diet’s worst enemy. He is ALWAYS trying to make me take more food for dinner. He acts like a 60 year old man an awkward 13 year old boy at the same time. He has the funniest voice which makes me laugh everytime he speaks. He is such a sweet big brother to all of the boys and he has such a warm heart.

Harke Dai

Harke Dai never speaks English to us but I think he understands more than he lets on. He works so hard on maintaining the facilities at the home! Lately he has been cementing a new wall in the garden; he begins work before the sun rises, and he works by torchlight long after the sun has set! The boys love him and there is always at least one of them snuggling in his bed with him at night.

Lahl Dai

Lahl Dai is the sweetest man ever. Truly I would marry a man like him! He works so hard: waking up so early to make tea, water the gardens, and take care of chores around the home. At night he plays instruments in his bed and the beautiful sound fills up the whole home! He makes amazing homemade raksi which he shared with us during Tihar, and sometimes he is brings us delicious oranges from his home. He doesn’t speak any English, but he speaks to me in simple Nepali to check if I am feeling well and it makes us both happy. You can see his deep soul through his eyes.

Sapkuda Dai

Sapkuda Dai cooks the MOST amazing dal baht in Nepal. Although he doesn’t speak English, we have this way of understanding each other and we always make each other laugh! This poor man had to be rushed to the hospital one night after getting scalding oil in his eye, yet the next day he was back working hard as ever to feed us and the boys. I was so honored to be invited to his home to take part in puja; I will never forget that kind gesture.

Odaspi Kafle

Odaspi is Uncle and Auntie’s small daughter. She always wears a ridiculous Nepali bonnet. She never walks, she only struts and dances around. Her favorite trick is pleasing everyone by saying phrases in English; mostly she likes to say, “Good! Good! Very Good! Winner!” accompanied by a double thumbs-up. She calls me “Mero Ellen Sahthi” which means “My Ellen Friend.” When you ask her “Whose is Ellen?” she always yells “Mero! (mine!)” I speak with her in baby-Nepali and we have bonded a lot in that way. She is the luckiest girl in the world to have two amazing parents and 25 big brothers that love her so much.

Samip Kafle

Uncle’s son, Samip, is an absolute cartoon. When he uses the toilet, he leaves the door open and talks to himself in the most animated way.He thinks he is a ninja, and he is always beating things with sticks or swinging metal files around on a string. He has the highest pitched voice which slides up and down like a musical scale when he talks. He often tells me, “Ellen! I will blast you!” And he often demands, “Ellen, give me one bomb.” When he tries to karate-chop me, I fight back because I am a ninja too, and he LOVES it. Samip is a terror but we get along great and I love him.

Auntie and Uncle Kafle

Auntie is the most amazing woman. She is a devout Hindu, doing puja for one hour every morning and evening. I have never seen God so clearly in anyone else; He shows Himself through her each day. She is so good: always caring for those in need, giving clothes to the poor, worrying aand weeping for others. Many times she has begged Uncle to admit a boy into the home even though he doesn’t fit the requirements. She wants to open up a free English boarding school in Charikot for poor village girls.
Auntie makes me laugh more than anyone I’ve ever known. She is so funny in a sarcastic way that I have not seen in any other Nepali person. She doesn’t hesitate to tell me when I need to fix my clothes, my hair, or my eyebrows. She has helped me buy and wear a saree, cook momos and tomato achar, pierce my nose, and properly clean the Nepali way. She is also like my Nepali mother: when I am sick she worries so much, and when I am not smiling she wants to know what is wrong. She has truly, truly left a mark on my heart.

Uncle is an amazing man. He loves the boys and they love and respect him SO much. He has paid from his own pocket to support the boys when the org gave him no money. Because of him, the boys are so good! He is also so funny and I love sitting down and talking with him. He loves his wife so much it is almost unbearable. He is so proud of her and he love to show her off; when he talks about her, his face glows. He told me once, “If I could have the most beautiful piece of art in the world, I would rather have my wife.” Honestly if you ever doubt marriage, Auntie and Uncle will give you hope.

On a side note, I am plastered in filth and I havent even thought about shower. Since being in Charikot, I have forgotten that shower were ever even apart of my life! Give me a bucket and an outside faucet and I am clean for at least a week. Other things I havent thought about during my time in Charikot: toilet paper, washing my hands with soap, toilets that flush with a lever, food other than rice, wearing a new outft each day.
Gross? Maybe.
Nepali? Definitely.

Saying Goodbye

I am back in Kathmandu now and I am heartbroken. I love my brothers so much that it honestly physically hurts and now I am apart from them.
I had been in Charikot for TWICE as long a I had planned on staying. As much as I didn't want to leave Charikot, it was time for me to go. Gauri Shankar has become my home. I have become so comfortable there, too comfortable. I need to see new parts of Nepal and continue to push myself towards new experiences. Leaving was the right thing for me to do, but it was not the easy thing.
Saturday morning we walked into town to pick up a few things. Seeing that we had come before breakfast, our wonderful friend at Hob Nob restaurant demanded that we stay and let her cook us food. She fixed a beautiful meal (which of course she would not let us pay for), and we enjoyed being together one last time.

On Saturday night, my last night with the boys, we had a party: cake, coke, and balloons. Uncle also held a meeting where all of the boys expressed their feelings to Meaghan and I. I didn't cry but it was hard not to tear up when the boys' eyes got watery during their speeches. It was so sad but also joyful.
That night, so many of the boys sat outside with Meaghan and I much past their bedtime. It was nice just to talk and joke; no one wanted to go to bed and waste our last night together. When we would start to get sad, the boys were so sweet to comfort us. I have honestly never met such sweet, beautiful people.
Eventually Uncle made the boys go to bed, but sometime later, as we were packing, a few of the boys snuck out to knock on our window and tell us goodnight once again.

Sunday morning, Meaghan and I woke up early at 5:00 so we could tell the boys goodmorning as soon as they got up. The first boy up was Birjung, and we asked him what time he was going to school (usual class 10 starts at 6am). "I'm not going early today because I am staying to say goodbye to you," he said. It took everything inside of me to hold back my tears. I held them off for another hour, until Auntie started weeping and then I couldn't help myself. We just hugged and she gave me a beautiful journal. I never expected such a gift!
Uncle also told us that he was sad. He said, "I feel the way a father feels when his daughter gets married and leaves the home." I think that is one of the sweetest things ever.
Meaghan and I walked to the bus park in Charikot with all the boys who were walking to school. I walked the whole way holding hands with my brother. I never imagined that 15 year old boys were capable of such sweetness and love. I was talking and joking but also I was sad. All my brothers kept telling me, "Dont cry Ellen! If you cry then we will cry!" So I tried to stay strong.
Before getting on the bus, I gave them all such tight hugs and so many kisses. To add a bit of humor, a white foreign trekking couple had just gotten off of a bus an were watching us as though we were crazy for hugging and kissing so many Nepali boys.
When the bus started moving, I thought I was safe from the boys and I couldn't stop the tears. But I WASNT safe! The boys had followed the moving bus and the all caught me crying. They were all late for school but they refused to go until we were gone. They told me not to cry and they smiled and I laughed. We blew kisses. Then Auntie came up and told me not to be sad because this is the way life is. I love that woman. And I love my brothers.

It was SO hard to leave, but I knew that it was time for me to go. When I left this morning I had no idea what my plan would be for the rest of my time in Nepal, and not having a plan scared me. I wondered if I really should leave if I had no better thing waiting for me, but I have learned in Nepal that things happen the way they are supposed to happen. Indeed, already my plan is coming together.
In Kathmandu I learned that a friend of mine is headed to Bastipur tomorrow, a small Terai village that I was interested in visiting. I think I will be leaving to travel there in a few days, where I will be living with a village family and teaching at a private school. Until then, I will be working hard to upload my MANY photos and blog a bit more on my life-changing experience in Charikot.

Puja

Yesterday Sapkuda Dai (Nepali kitchen staff at the home) invited me to attend a puja at his home. The puja was for his father, who was breaking a four-month-long religious fast! As a Hindu, this fast is one of the most well respected things a man can do. I was so, so honored to be invited because this puja is a BIG deal!

The ceremony was beautiful. I was told that it is very similar to a Hindu marriage ceremony. There were flower garlands everywhere; multiple priests; offerings of water, rice, colored powder, and cil roti; so much fire, smoke, and incense; and so many guests dressed in their finest clothes and gold. And of course, there was tons of food.
I was treated like royalty at the puja because I was a guest. I received tika before the children, I was given mala (garland), I was given nice seats when others were standing, and I was invited into the kitchen to be served SO much special food (rice pudding, aloowa, achar, curry, cil roti). They kept giving me more and more! I never expected such treatment, and I was so grateful for being allowed to participate.
So many of the guests were so thrilled to see a white face at the puja; none of them were expecting it. Everyone was taking photos of me, and one man even took a video of me eating (which I find really weird, but what can you do?). Everyone wanted to speak to me but few of them spoke English so it ended up being a lot of staring. At times, I felt like I was getting more attention than the ceremony!
The puja lasts for days but we could only stay a few hours. Of course before our departure, Meaghan and I were asked to sing Deushi Bhailo for the guests. Why do the Nepali people love to watch foreigners sing Tihar games so much? We agreed and they were thrilled. Deushi Rae!

In the end, the puja was such an amazing experience. I felt so special to have been invited, and it was so interesting to witness. I am learning so much about Hindu and Nepali culture here and I love it.

Teaching

The past few days I have been teaching at two of the local schools.
At first I was nervous to teach, but it turns out that teaching is just as fun as playing with the boys!
When you walk into the room, they all stand and sing (yes, sing to a learned rhythm) "Good-Mor-ning-Miss!" and they wont sit until you ask them to. In class we play vocabulary games like Categories and Hangman, and practice speaking with debates and drama skits. We also do art, which is something they never get to do in school. Most of the children are perfect angels in class. Some of them are shy but many of them are curious and love to talk to us and ask questions about the West.
Most of the time teaching has been easy, but class 10 was difficult. There are 46 students in class 10, and they are all my age or a year or two younger! Ordinarily I would have been terrified to stand infront of a huge class of my peers, but teaching in Nepali has stretched my comfort zone by a mile! When class 10 requested that I sing the national anthem, I did so without hesitation. It may have been horrible, croaking, and out-of-key, but I wasnt shy and I wasnt embarassed. I even danced for the class and played Deushi Bhailo! The class was roudy and didn't want to listen, but I handled it and in the end, the class was enjoyable.
Class 10 was a challenge, but class 9, the second-oldest class, was possibly my favorite! We played "2 Truths and a Lie" to practice spoken English and to get to know the students. The kids LOVED it and shocked me with their humor, which many Nepali people dont have. Something else shocked me about class 9, too: two of the girls (14 or 15 in age) are married. This fact didn't come from our game, but rather from observing the line of red powder down their scalp which shows a married woman. I can't image being 15 and married!

Oh Baby...

Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty proud of my Nepali language skills!
At this point, I only know baby words: animals, colors, foods, numbers, feelings, and a few adjectives. In fact my vocabulary is just about on-par with Auntie and Uncle's one-year-old daughter, Odaspi.

Odaspi and I have been having great conversations: What are you eating? The balloon is not tasty. What a beautiful orange flower? Where are you going? What is this? Are you happy? Are you hungry? Whose friend is this small, black goat? This small, black goat is my friend! etc.

You may think I'm joking, but I am quite proud of my baby-talk Nepali. I never knew I could enjoy conversing with a one-year-old so much!

Its That Time Again

Its that time again...my weekly visit to the cyber cafe and time for another short, inadequate update.

Im becoming so at home here. I know so many people in town now, and they are always offering me tea or a bed to stay the night in. A few days ago I attended my friend Sabina's birthday party! It was fun: balloons, cake, and everything. I didnt have much time to stay, but in Nepali style she forced me to sit down and eat a plate of food. I promise, you will never go hungry in Nepal!

We have started a new landscaping project at the home, so for the past few days we have been carrying stones from the jungle up to the garden to make a new wall! The boys love to see us girls carrying stones, and they are always exclaiming "wow ellen! such a biggggg stone," which makes things fun.

My Auntie pierced Meaghan's nose the other day, and she did it the old-school Nepali way. When one of the boys, Rajesh Hamal, brought us a cactus, we thought he was kidding! But Auntie took the thorn, and stuck it right into Meaghan's nose! It was crazy, but so cool. By the time it was over, more than six of the boys also had thorns in their ears!

Today was my first day teaching at Gauri Shankar school. I taught class two, three, and four. I was so much fun! And my brothers were so happy to see me teaching their class.

I dont have much time, but just a reminder: I LOVE MY BROTHERS!

Happy Tihar

Yesterday was the last day of Tihar, the four day long Hindu festival of lights.
The festival is absolutely magical. It is like the loveliest fusion of Halloween and Christmas. All of the town in covered in twinkle lights and each night we light hundreds of candles at the home which makes everything look so beautiful.
Every night there is so much singing and dancing. We bought a new drum for the festival and the boys are amazing musicians! When everyone is together, singing, dancing, and playing instruments, I feel like I am back at home at some wild drum circle! It is so much fun.
There are also lost of fire crackers, sparklers, and bottle rockets during this festival. And the boys, being boys, are ALWAYS exploding something. I love it.

Another important tradition of Tihar is playing Deushi, which is a game a bit like trick-or-treating: boys travel in groups to sing and dance at houses for money. It was so much fun! I spent over 4 hours dancing in my saree at various houses while the boys sang, played instruments, and clapped. The villagers absolutely loved seeing a white person in a saree; we collected an audience which followed us around watching all afternoon. In the end, we made over 5,000 rupees!

The second most important day of the festival is Laxmi Puja, the day of cow worship. Perhaps because I am the guest, or because I am the Didi (older sister) I had the honor of putting tikka on the cow! It was so cool. I stomped around the cow's stall wearing my saree, throwing blessed oil, flowers, and colored tikka powder all of the cow and her calf.

The MOST important day of the festival is Bai Tikka, which is the day when sisters worship their brothers. For me, this was the most special day of all. The boys at the home dont have any sisters. At least, they didnt before I came here! But because they have taken me in as their sister, we were able to celebrate a real Tihar.
The Bai Tikka ceremony was amazing and elaborate: sprinkling the boys with oil; throwing thousands of flower petals on everything and everyone (which was absolutely beautiful); adorning the boys with flower mala (garlands); giving them plates full of sweets, bananas, apples, oranges, spices, nuts, dates, raisens, and cil roti; most importantly, I put 7 colors of tikka on each boy's forehead.
At the end of the ceremony, the boys also put tikka on me!
The whole puja was so loving and so beautiful. I dont think I have ever felt the happiness that I felt at the end of the ceremony. I was glowing and floating on a cloud! It is hard to describe, but it is a bit like the best, best, best, most genuine, most beautiful Christmas morning ever.

*The local FM radio station reported a story about Tihar at the boys orphanage this year. A reported asked one of the boys what they usually do for Tihar, since they dont have any sisters. He replied "usually the staff gives of tikka and presents, but this year we have three sisters who we love and who are going to give us tikka!" All the boys were so excited for Tihar. It has been the most amazing, most heartwarming thing!

A Busy Time of Year

The past few weeks have been so busy here in Charikot!

JIRI
My trip to Jiri was amazing. To give you an idea of the geography, Jiri is a popular town to trek out of if you are heading to the Everest region. It is beautiful and as any Nepali local will proudly tell you, it is called "the Switzerland of Nepal." We rode over 3 hours on the top of the bus, singing with the Nepali locals the whole way there. In Jiri we explored the town, watched a football match, drank a lot of tea, and relaxed. When Sam dropped her camera into a river we were crossing, more than a dozen Nepali boys stripped down into their undies and splashed around in the freezing mountain water to help look for it!

HALLOWEEN
I thought I might miss out on Halloween this year, which made me a little sad. As it turns out, this was the BEST Halloween I have EVER had! We had so much fun with the boys: we made masks, bobbed for apples, played 'pin the nose on the witch', and did face painting while we watched Halloween II on the English channel after dinner. After the boys went to sleep, the other volunteers and I had our own Halloween fun.

TAMAKOSHE, Part II
We returned to the river again last week, this time with a dozen of the oldest boys in tow. We had fun all day, and we missed all the buses back to Charikot except for the night bus, so we were quite late returning. The boys all said it was one of the funnest days of their lives, and I absolutely believe it.