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… 

Things I have absolutely had enough of

Not having enough free time

My very hard and loud bed

Group time

Debating every little thing

Overcooked pasta for dinner

People coughing and sneezing

Hebrew

Dust and pollution

Honking cars, trucks, and motorcycles

Orientation 

Orientation Week 4

“When you look at the world perched on heights of arrogant, blind power, separated and disconnected from those who have lost their livelihoods, lifestyles, and lives-farmers and workers everywhere-it is easy to be both blind to the valleys, of poverty and the mountains of affluence.” (Vandana Shiva)

This week was extremely special. From Sunday to Tuesday we went to a Village called Ranimala (about a half an hour from Mahadev-Besi). We left Tuesday afternoon by bus and arrived in Mahadev-Besi where we got onto a truck, which took up precariously up a mountain. We arrived in Ranimala just before evening. The sun was setting and we watched it from the most amazing view. We had a Tika ceremony and took lots of pictures. It felt even more special than usual because so many kids and women came to see us and welcome us. Then we split up by village (Kalimati, Mahadev-Besi, and Sundrawatti) for sleeping arrangement. The Kalimati group (my group) was spending the next 2 nights in a community called Chakmake. We would be staying in the homes of people from the village! Ne and El stayed in one house, C and L, in another, Ni and M (one of our wonderful Israeli guides) in a third, and finally S and I. A little girl came and took S and I by the hands and led us to her home where we would be staying.

We met the father and mother of the house and they showed us where we would be staying…up a latter in a tiny room with corn under the beds and goats in the nest room! All we could do was laugh! Then we went downstairs for food. We got served this really go bread and potatoes. We were so happy the meal was light because we were still a little nauseous from the bumpy truck ride up. Then S looked at me and said, “I think there is more food.” I looked but didn’t see anything else in the small hut. So we finished our plates (as we had been instructed to do) and headed back upstairs. We were in the process of taking out stuff from our bags when the little girl was back. “Dal bhaat” she said happily and waved for us to follow her. S and I looked at each other with dread. We were already full and very worried about not eating and offending our hosts! Reluctantly we headed back downstairs and did our best. We learned that there were two other children in the house, a younger girl and boy. They all watched us and laughed at our attempts to talk in Nepali. However we knew we sounded funny so we laughed along with them. We went back up to our room and was visited by B (one of the Nepali staff) who had wanted to make sure we had settled in ok. “And don’t be worried,” he smiled “if you hear some noises on the roof. It’s just the mice.” MICE?! “But they can’t get in so don’t worry!” We were worried! As we lay in bed (we decided to share a bed in case we got scared) freaking out, all of a sudden one of the goats let out a loud MEHHHH! We started cracking up and then we were silent but the sound of one of the goats taking the loudest pee I have ever heard. Needless to say it was not the best night sleep I ever had.

The next day (Monday), after S and I brushed our teeth very awkwardly outside with a bottle of water next to cows and roosters, we had lessons all afternoon. We had a lecture, GG lead theater games, D taught us some basic fighting steps from the army, and Eli talked about nature and trees. It was really nice being outside and learning from each other instead of a lecture. Afterwards we had khaajaa (snack) and then had free time! We got to relax and hang out and enjoy the outdoors. I played cards with M, Al, and GB, sat in a big tree, and went on a swing. I went back to the room and read and relaxed with S. It was a great afternoon.

That night the youth of Ranimala put on an amazing dance show for us! They were FANTASTIC! Kids from different age groups had learned and made up dances and performed for us! They were all so happy and free and I loved watching them and seeing hoe much fun they had. At the end we got up and danced all together. We were outside in the cold under the most beautiful and clear night sky. When I looked up I could see more stars than I had ever seen before. It was magical.

On Tuesday morning we had our first village meeting. M took the Kalimati group to this classroom in Chakmake and her and O read us a story called “Crazy Glue” and then we had to lay down and close our eyes while they traced our group outline. Then we had to find where we had lain and write two things: something the group didn’t know about us, and something we can contribute to the group. It was really emotional for some reason. Three people cried (not me) and it was heavy and unexpected. As nice as it was that those people felt comfortable enough to share those things I felt really uncomfortable because in no way did I want to share like that. I know I wasn’t expected to, but I also didn’t want anyone to think I was holding out. Overall I think our group got closer and it was the start of a good foundation for Kalimati. After our village meeting we packed up, said goodbye to our families (Tika ceremony and lots of pictures) and headed back to Swayambhu (which ended up taking a VERY long time because of traffic). That was the end of our Ranimala trip!

On Wednesday night (after a day full of classes and lessons) most of us went to a jazz festival called Jazzmandu. It was at a really nice hotel, which kind of freaked us out at first. It started off really slow and boring but after the first act we were dancing non-stop! The third act was the best one and the group was funny and super talented and made us all laugh! We had so much fun together and I was really glad that people convinced me to go!

Wednesday night was great but Thursday and Friday I didn’t feel well. My stomach hurt and I missed a major group activity of games with the Nepali staff and getting our TBT shirts. I was really bummed out. My bad mood (and stomach) continued to Friday when we met with our thematic groups to work on our next project. I got really pissy and frustrated about not being able to understand Hebrew. O made me feel better so by the end I was in a better mood. I spent the afternoon sleeping until Shabbat and then after dinner stayed in and recovered.

Saturday I felt much better and was able to function during lessons. We had a good group time in which we did a spin off of speed dating. Half of us made a circle and the other half made a circle around us. Then the inner circle faced the outside so everyone was across from someone. We got asked a general question and then had five minutes to discuss with the person across from us. Every five minutes we would rotate so we got to talk to different people. It was a chance to talk to people that you may not talk to besides the usual chit chat. I really enjoyed it.

That night E and I went out to dinner with the Aussies to say goodbye. They are done their program and head back to Australia. We had a good dinner at a place called Funky Buddha and then after they left E and I had coffee and dessert at Roadhouse Café. We got to have girl talk and hang and relax for a bit. It was a  good end to the weekend and to a long week.

Signed,

Steady As She Goes 

Orientation Week 3

“The work of domesticating the corporation can’t be accomplished with a single piece of legislation…it will involve the evolution of a clearer vision that rights are a human privilege, not an institutional one.” (Ted Nace)

This week our work really began. Starting on Sunday we had our thematic presentations. Each group (youth, women, education, and agriculture) presented material to the rest of the groups as well as the TBT and Nepali staff. The women’s group did a play which corresponded to a power point, the education group did a power point and played a video, the agriculture group did a power point and had build a full scale model of a green house on the roof, and the youth group (my group) played games, did a power point, and sang a song we wrote. It was really great to hear all sorts of interesting information but by the end of the day my brain hurt!

On Monday we went on a tour to see how the water system in Kathmandu works and why it is so polluted. We took a bus to Sundarijal (the same place I went canyoning with S and A!) and hiked up some of the way so we could see the clean water and huge waterfalls! After, we visited other places where we could see the water getting more and more dirty because people put all their garbage in the water. There is a lack of space for garbage in Kathmandu so people either burn their trash or it goes in the water. It was really hard to think about and really hard to see. However we did go to a beautiful village with an amazing view where we stopped at a temple (last day of Dassain) and stayed until it was time to go back to the house.

Tuesday and Wednesday we had tours of Kalimati (one of the places we work in and could be assigned to). On Tuesday we had a Nepali lesson in the vegetable market (we had to find out the names of different vegetables) and then we went to the house we would live at if we were placed there. We met the Nepali staff of Kalimati and explored the house (which is awesome), which is also a community center. This means that it is not just a house for the volunteers but it also acts as a place were education, youth, and women’s meetings take place. There will also be a day care at the house as well! After we had an amazing lunch of samosas ad momos and then headed off to the actual day care center. We learned a lot about what they do there and their schedule and what they teach the kids and got to meet some of the children as well (so adorable)! We also met one of the head women from the women’s group who told us a lot about herself and what she did in the group and how it helped her.

We got back around dinnertime and were really tired from the long day. However most of us dragged ourselves out to Thamel because it was E’s birthday. It ended up being the best night I have had here! We went to a bar and sat together in a big circle. We drank and talked and then danced! We pretty much started the party and got the whole bar dancing! When we got home we continued the party with dancing in the hallway upstairs and music and silliness. It was a night I will always smile at when I think about.

On Wednesday the tour continued and we went to one of the schools in Kalimati. We got to hear from the principal, some of the teachers, and some of the students who are in our youth group! They are amazing. They work hard and are so motivated to get through school and help make their country a better place for more kids. They had us play games and we laughed and enjoyed ourselves even though we were tired!  When we got back we had a lecture on Eritrea and the problems they are facing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritrea). I’m not even going to lie, I had never even heard of a country called Eritrea, nevertheless all of the hardships they have faced. I sometimes think I am pretty well informed about the world, but this just goes to show that learning is something that will NEVER stop and I am glad for that.

Thursday was not my best day. We had Nepali class, two lessons, a lecture on indigenous groups in Nepal, and a community building session. It was too much information and I felt like I couldn’t focus or remember anything.  The lecture about indigenous people was not as interesting as I had hoped and the community session got me very frustrated. I feel like ever since I have been here I have been answering the same questions over and over (why did I come to Nepal/why did I want to be a part of TBT, what do I expect to get out of this experience, etc.). I am sick of having to answer the same things every few days. I am also not a fan of not having time to think. We do something or go somewhere, and then the activity right after is talking about it. I have no time to process. Plus, in the evening we watched a depressing documentary called “Life and Debt” about Jamaica’s financial troubles. It was tough enough to watch at all but to make it worse it made me feel bad personally. The movie showed tourists enjoying a vacation in Jamaica and then would switch to all the difficulties really going on that tourists were too oblivious to see. It was clearly made in the 90s, which made me think about the trip I took to Jamaica with my dad. I know he didn’t know and I was way too young to realize what was really happening, but it made me feel so bad knowing all of the horrible things the country was going through politically, economically, and socially, and we were there, acting like the stupid American tourists like the video. It was not a good night.

The weekend was much better though and put me in a good state of mind. We finally got divided into our village groups! I am in Kalimati with S, El, L, Ne, Ni, and C. It’s a strong group and everyone is close with at least two people. I am very happy about being in Kalimati and the people I will be with! After we got sorted Sh and I left for our first open weekend. We took a bus to Bhaktaour and from there to Nagarkot. We got a nice room and a quiet and relaxing night away from the house! The nest morning (Saturday) we woke up to see the sun rise! It was BEAUTIFUL! It was freezing and we were exhausted but it was worth it. We went back to sleep for a few hours after and then got lunch. Then we walked around until we had to leave. There is not much to do in Nagarkot but it is so incredibly beautiful and for a day just to get away it was perfect. We got back to Kathmandu late Saturday night, which concludes my third week of orientation!

Signed,

Better mood, better mind 

Orientation Week 2

“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.” (Isabelle Eberhardt)

This week was all about presentations and lack of water. We got assigned our thematic groups (there are 4 in TBT: Youth, Women, Education, and Agriculture and all of us were put into one of those to focus on. Then we will get mixed up and put into the villages). I am in the youth group with Sh, O, Sm, M, Al, and C, which was awesome because I am pretty close with all of them. Each group met with the Nepali staff to learn about our subject and then we had 3 times to meet during the week to make a presentation about our subject to present it to everyone else so we could all learn about each topic. Our group divided our presentation into 3 parts: past, present, and future. We had games and a power point and wrote a song. It was fun and very youth-oriented. I had a good time working with my group and getting close to them.

We also had a free day this week, which was awesome! It was Puja (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puja_(Hinduism)) so I went with S, Sh, D, C, and Ab to Kathmandu Dubar Square where we could watch the ceremonies. Then we went and had breakfast at Or2K and everyone left but S and I. We stayed and used my computer for a while and read. Then we went to Patan Durbar Square, which ended up being really awesome. It was quiet and relaxing. I bought a beautiful scarf and we wandered around all afternoon. We ended up walking out of the square and into Patan city, which was pretty intense. We were the only foreigners around and it was packed, dirty, and crowded (kind of how I envision Kalimati to be). We were out most of the afternoon and then took a cab back to Thamel where we looked around and then walked back home.

Another fun thing that happened this week: we ran out of water…twice! It was semi funny and mostly annoying. I was fine having to wait to shower, I could use my water bottle to brush my teeth, but living with 20 other people and every one having to go to the bathroom was definitely an issue. However, this will be good practice for the village. Fortunately I was pretty cool with it.

On Thursday we had a very interesting morning. We had to go somewhere in Kathmandu (a non-tourist area) alone. I wasn’t comfortable enough to go on my own so Sh and I hopped on a bus not knowing where. We ended up in some neighborhood and walked for a while up this mountain and then made friends with a family on the way down. They didn’t really speak English and we obviously don’t know too much Nepali but somehow we managed to communicate and laugh and have a good time. We decided to head back to our neighborhood and regroup afterwards and took a different way home from the bus. We ended up finding a Buddhist temple (about 2 minutes from our house) so we went in to check it out.

The room was completely packed and humming with prayer. Women sat on pillows with shawls draped around their shoulders. They shared prayer books and held prayer beads. Some of the women held mini prayer wheels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_wheel), which they kept in constant motion.  We crept in at the back and were kind of sitting right outside the door but the women made us come in. They gave us pillows and smiled at us. There was no judgment, no confusing looks, just peace and acceptance. They gave us rice to through at the end of the service (not sure what that means yet) and seemed to enjoy our delight in everything.

After the service we felt really happy and relaxed. We decided we had tried a bit to hard to find adventure earlier in the day and the best way to find it was to just wander into it. We ended up going to the Assan Market (fabrics) and picking up amazing fabrics to be made into shirts and dresses. Sh bought a street kite and we spend the rest of the morning walking around and avoiding getting run over by motorcycles.  All in all, an awesome morning!

On Friday and Saturday I ended up in Thamel both nights. On Friday night after Shabbat I went with E, GB, and Al to the Irish Pub. We ended up meeting 2 really cool Australian guys (Ri and Ro). But the best part was that the 4 of us (E, GB, Al, and I) really got to bond, which was awesome. The next night it was only Sh and I who went to Thamel just to have some time away from everyone. We ate at Food Bazar and then hung out with the Aussies. A good weekend, but not long enough! Next week we have an open weekend which means we can leave Friday afternoon and not come back till Saturday night. Looking forward to it!

This week has really made the house and the people around me feel a lot more like home. Although orientation is really intense, and will only get more so before it gets better, I am learning so much and trying to appreciate things around me a different way. Even though I don’t love every thing we learn and I find some of the lectures exhausting, I know that I am getting an opportunity to experience things at a very interesting and awesome level. So I will continue to push through small annoyances and focus on the smiles.

Signed,

Satisfied and Smiling