Orientation Week 5

“Here’s to the misfits, rebels, trouble-makers. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. Quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. You can’t ignore them. They change things, push the human race forward. Some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” (Jack Kerouac)

Sunday was all about youth. The seven of us who are focusing on youth had a meeting in the morning all about the youth organization TBT started called Hami Yuva (history, goals, future planning, projects, etc.). After lunch we went to Kalimati for their board meeting. Twice a year HY has a board meeting in which leaders of the youth groups from each village come together. These are some of the most amazing kids I have ever met. First they did a presentation of migration (kids who migrate from their villages to the city to find work or get a better education) which was really interesting and then we split up into our areas. I went with S and C to sit with the kids who lead groups in Kalimati. We played a game with a big die that had a question on each side, whatever side you rolled on you had to answer that question. It was so great getting to even begin to get to know them. They are smart and funny and so good natured in spite of everything they have been through. When we all came back together again we played a game called The Namaste Game! The seven of us were divided into 4 teams (called Kalimati, Ranimala, Mahadev-Besi, and Sundrawatti) and it was basically a board game in which you got Namaste points when you answered a question. The number of Namaste’s awarded was determined by the kids. It was SO much fun!  We got really competitive and everyone was laughing. It really got me excited to move to Kalimati and start working.

Monday was not a great day. Neplai class, lecture about Nepal’s political history, and then code of conduct meeting. We had to get into our village groups and create a code of conduct describing our approach to certain things, we had to come up with our approach to our work, the Nepali staff, and motivation/ideology while the other groups had other things. I got really frustrated with everyone because they were all speaking in Hebrew. I felt like an afterthought. They would talk for a while and then finally ask if I wanted to add anything. I was annoyed at them and annoyed at myself for not understanding. Clearly I was NOT in the mood for community building afterwards (we were split into 4 groups and each had a topic: advantages/disadvantages of being an outsider or insider in a community). However, at the end B (one the head Nepali staff) talked about his appreciation to TBT volunteers. It was hard to feel moody and sad after that. My group also made me laugh so by the end I felt better. After dinner we watched a documentary on the many Neplai women who are exploited and abused in Kuwait and focused on a women named Dolma Sherpa who was accused of murder while working in Kuwait to earn money for her family back in Nepal. It was really interesting but super depressing. To cheer ourselves up I sat on my bed with Sh and O and we showed each other pictures of our family and friends back home which was really great. Then GB and Al came and made us all laugh so by the time I went to bed I felt happy.

Tuesday was a great day! We had lessons in the morning and then after lunch a bunch of kids from Kalimati HY came for Tihar (see Wikipedia)! They put on this huge performance of different dances (traditional and even break dancing!) and sang songs and got us to dance as well! Two different groups came so we were watching and dancing and hanging out all afternoon! Some of the girls wore traditional Nepali outfits and the boys were all decked out in very fashionable skinny jeans and glasses. They are so talented! I absolutely loved them and was so excited at seeing some of the kids I am going to get to work with! We had a free evening so a bunch of us walked to Thamel which was awesome because of all the lights up for Tihar. Then I had dinner with S, Ne, and Ni at OR2K and after we looked around the shops before heading home. I spent the rest of the night with Sm, O, GB, Al, and two of Al’s friends that were visiting. I had a very good time.

Wednesday morning was good because I slept in and then got breakfast with Sm, GB, and E. The rest of the day was all lessons. D did a lecture on population growth, we finished our thematic presentation for Friday, we got a welcome letter and booklet of information for each area, we had a brain storming session with our thematic groups for activities, and then we ended the night with a meeting for the facilitators. In each area 4 people act as facilitators for a once a week meeting with the group (2 people do it for the first 5 weeks and 2 for the second 5 weeks) in which we talk about problems, concerns, thoughts about the work or program, etc. By the time the meeting ended it had been going on for 2 hours. I was beat.

Thursday was our last official day of orientation. I had to get up early to make breakfast with Am (we made awesome oatmeal). Then we had a ceremony for signing the code of conduct we had created. Each area had a copy and everyone signed. We also signed another TBT contract which was very similar to the one we signed before the program (no drugs, no relationships with the Nepali staff, being conscious and respectful to the people around you, etc.). Then we had a closing ceremony. N had a stack of paper with a memory from orientation written on it. He would hold them up one at a time and tape it to the wall and then we talked about them. Some where funny (no water), some were from lesson (human rights), and some were general (USA presidential elections). When we were finished we had a free afternoon! I went out for an afternoon with GB and Al. We went on this ride that had been up since the beginning of the week for Tihar. It wasn’t made well and looked like it was about to fall apart (so naturally we had to go). I can’t speak for them but I was scared silly! We laughed and I tried not to pee my pants. Then we went shopping in Thamel for things we would need for the village. We had dinner at Food Bazar and headed back to the house feeling very refreshed. That night we had a party for the end of orientation. We played a game (that is apparently very popular in Israel but that I had never heard of) in which you passed a package wrapped in many layers of newspaper around. When the music stopped the person who was holding it had to take off a layer of paper and then answer the question or do the action that was written on a card. It was fun and everyone had a good time. The rest of the night was spent eating, drinking, and dancing. I finally crashed, too tired to even turn off the light!

Friday morning each thematic group presented the project we had worked on. The women’s group had made dolls, education had started coming up with ways to have ECD (early childhood development) meetings with teachers, agriculture had started a booklet which was very detailed and descriptive for helping more people learn about farming, and Youth (my group) planned 3 lessons to help teach areas about raising money (getting grants) for their youth groups. Everything went well but unfortunately we were all pretty exhausted from the party the night before! Our final meeting was about scheduling for the next 3 months. We got the dates of the seminars (we have 4), the first is local in each area, the second is at our main house in Swayambhu, the third is with the Nepali staff and the location will be decided, and the last one is the last week of the program in the big house. We also got dates for holidays and winter break for the youth. Then we were DONE! I relaxed that afternoon and then around 6 headed over to Thamel with people who were eating at Chabad. I met Sm and GB there and we got Japanese for dinner! Then we went to a couple bars where AL joined us. The four of us listened to music and had a great night! Then we got back to the house Sm and I had major girl talk! We have gotten really close this past week, which is awesome but sad because we are going to different areas. But it was a great end to a great night.

I got to sleep in on Saturday! Then got an amazing breakfast with Sm, M, and Ei. Sometime around mid afternoon I took a walk with Sh and El to the tailors to pick up a shirt they were fixing for me. After that we just walked for a while, savoring the beautiful day. When we got back to the house it was time to pack. I took the majority of my clothing, medicine, and books in my big backpack (along with way too much dirty laundry that I hadn’t had time to do) and the rest I put in plastic bags and out them in the storage room. For the last dinner I went to OR2K with Sh, S, O, Sm, M, Al, and GB. We got a ton of food and ate our way through, sharing everything and talking. We took lots of pictures and made sure to get a couple of the eight of us. These are the people I have become closest with and I am really sad that only one of them (S) will be with me in Kalimati (O, Al, and GB will be in Mahadev-Besi and Sh, Sm, and M will be in Sundrawatti).

It’s weird that orientation is over. Some days felt like they would never end while others flew by. I am still not entirely sure what these next couple months will look like but I am ready to find out. I am still worried that I am not that close with the majority of the people coming with me to Kalimati. It’s hard for me to depend on people in general and even harder when I don’t feel a strong connection. Hopefully things will change and by the end I will be closer with at least a few of the members of my group. I guess it’s appropriate that I finished my book yesterday (Shantaram, it might be the best book I have ever read and I beg everyone to at least look into it!) because the ending of the book closes on a scene in which things are wrapped up for a very brief moment but the reader knows that there is much more to come. Which is exactly how I feel right now.

Signed,

Ellipses…