Helpful Tips For TBT/Nepal

Theses are some no-so-obvious things I think are helpful for TBT/Nepal. I didn’t list things like headlamp and hand sanitizer because those are really straightforward. I hope this is helpful!

Always bring toilet paper wherever you go (Eastern countries do not use toilet paper. They wash instead. Say it’s gross or weird or whatever you like but unless you are in a tourist area (Thamel) there will not be any. Always keep a spare roll or tissues in your bag).

Buy slippers immediately or bring them from home (you cannot wear shoes in the library or kitchen in the big house, the office, or the activity rooms and daycare in Kalimati. Your socks will be filthy and since you do your own laundry they will always look disgusting).

Be careful giving money to children (It is so extremely sad to see children who are dirty and hungry, especially when they ask for food. However a lot of kids use the money to fund their drug habits (glue mostly). If you want to help buy them some food, if they are truly in need they will take it (some just want the money and get mad or when you give them money demand more). I urge you to avoid the situation altogether).

Bring hiking sandals, or as I call them “ugly Israeli sandals” (You can wear them with anything and put socks on when the weather gets cold. I did not bring a pair and I have been regretting it from my first week. Wear them on a hike, to the market, even out to a bar. They match with everything and will never fail you).

Bring lots of movies (If you are bringing your laptop download or if you are not then put a bunch on a hard drive. There are a lot of long nights, especially when it gets deeper into winter the power cuts get very long. Having movies not only provide entertainment but will give you a nice taste of home).

Bring a laptop (It is not necessary but will make your life easier especially if you are blogging. It also helps to have a laptop for documenting your activities. It is also nice not to have to ask anyone to borrow his or hers).

Bring a jacket (You might think it’s pointless at first but the winter does get cold. There is no heat in the big house or in Kalimati and a lot of the time it is colder inside than outside. Bring a fleece; you can wear it outside, inside, or to bed. I am from the East coast and am used to winter and still need my fleece inside!).

Bring under armor (Yes you can buy it here, and yes it will be warm. However it will not be as good as what you can buy back home. I pretty much live in mine and I know for certain that the people in who live in the villages do as well. This is an excellent thing to bring from home).

Hot water bottle (Many of the girls had them and I couldn’t understand why until I was given one and used it. It makes the cold nights better and is amazing for that time of the month).

 Blow dryer (I am one of the two people to have one but personally, I hate having wet hair when it is freezing out. I absolutely love my little blow dryer. It makes me warm and when I want to “dress up” it’s nice to have). 

Sunny...With Clouds Moving In

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” (Maya Angelou)

The morning seminar ended and everyone was supposed to go back to their villages, more than half of us woke up with a horrible stomach virus (me included). I spent the next two nights in the Big House sleeping and being pretty miserable, however, I didn’t have it that bad compared to some. Two of the girls ended up having to go to the hospital. No one could figure out what it could be because not everyone got sick. Anyway I eventually made it back to Kalimati and started to feel better. Then it came back even worse. I eventually took medicine and finally began to really recover. So much for a good end to seminar! The only good part was that I got to spend extra time with O and Sm because they couldn’t go back to their villages. Even though we were sick we got to watch movies and even eat a little when we started to feel better.  Even though I wasn’t bad enough to go to the hospital and even though I have been sick in college, I was homesick. I missed my bed and being able to have all the things I am used to when I am sick at home. It made me feel a little silly but it also made me think how lucky I am that I am so well taken care of at home. It is hard when you are sick far away from home and I really experienced that. Fortunately I got to talk to my parents and friends, which always helped.

Finally I was all better and ready to work! That next week I had to catch up on lots of things I had missed (activities) especially because we were preparing for winter break. The kids at school have vacation in January because it’s really cold and the classrooms are really open. We hung posters at the schools for our photo club and computer club we are starting as well as the mask workshop for the Happy Child Club. It was fun making the posters and we all really hoped lots of kids would come (which they did)! Another thing over winter break is English class…and me being the only American in the group got asked to teach it. I was really happy because I have been thinking bout getting certified in teaching English so I could go overseas and teach after TBT. This was a good chance to see if I liked it at all. I love it! I have only had a couple classes but my kids are amazing. They are enthusiastic and want to learn and are just so sweet. They know a lot already because they have English class in school so I get to do fun stuff with them. I am really happy I like it so much and I really think they like me, which makes me feel amazing!

Before I knew it, it wads Christmas! I don’t celebrate Christmas with my family (even though the Israelis think that all Americans do. S even said she forgets I’m Jewish sometimes) I love the lights and the decorations. I usually celebrate it with friends and I love being with all the people I care about. We all went out to dinner in Thamel, which was all lit up. Everyone was in a good mood…. except me. We had dinner with C’s parents (who were visiting him) and by the end of the meal I felt a bit overwhelmed and bored with the Hebrew. Then when I finally went to pick up my laundry (M had dropped it off for me when I was sick and I hadn’t been able to get it because she had my receipt and had been in the village) it closed early. I just felt depressed. I just wanted my clothes and to speak English! I acted pretty badly towards everyone and apologized the next day. I guess it was just a hard night and I took it out on the people I live with. I will try to be better about that because they didn’t deserve that.  Things improved when we had a seminar for the guides of the guides. We had fun and the kids really liked the information we gave them. I felt better and was glad I got to spend time with these amazing kids.

After the week I had had I decided I needed a little vacation. So I packed a bag and went to visit Mahadev-Beshi! WOW! It was incredible! Everyone is so relaxed and free. Every view is amazing and there is land as far as the eye can see. They really do everything themselves and work together. They all help cook every meal and make their own food (I made cheeses!) and it was such a sense of satisfaction and goodness. On my first full day there I went for a hike with GB to a waterfall! The walk was so beautiful and it was so incredible peaceful. I love Kalimati but the noise and pollution can be a bit much sometimes. Here the air is clean and the only noises are the kids yelling “Namaste” and the trucks for the stone quarries. We sat at the edge of the waterfall and took an awesome nap in the sun. We had a big dinner together that night and O and I ended up making our own deck of Taboo cards which was so much fun! It ended up that I could stay an extra night, which was great, but 3 people from Kalimati were coming. I was glad but at the same time my short vacation was over. The next day I went on a walk with O and GB . We lay in the grass and ate oranges and took lots of silly pictures. Eventually we left because we knew Kalimati had probably arrived. We had a big Shabbat dinner and after we made a bon fire. Their neighbors came and joined us and at one point I realized that the only languages being spoken were Hebrew and Nepali and somehow I understood it. It was a wonderful way to end my stay in Mahadev-Beshi.

The next day GB and I left to go back to Kalimati. I had my SAY activity and then we went to Thamel to use the internet and had dinner (Italian) and then met up with everyone else who had come back later. Then on Monday it was my birthday! It was one of the most amazing ones I had ever had! S lured me into the kitchen with the promise of oatmeal and everyone was sitting there with the room decorated with cake and candles! They bought chocolate cupcakes from the bakery and GB had baked me the best cake I have ever had! Then they gave me my present, a beautiful pair of earrings and a matching ring. Wow it was so sweet and the jewelry was so amazing. Then we watched a video Dad had sent me, which was one of the nicest gifts I have ever gotten. He had made a video of so many people saying happy birthday. It was funny and sweet and I almost cried (which, if you know me is saying quite a lot). After cake I went to daycare and had circle time with the kids which is always fun! Su got them to sing happy birthday in Nepali, which was absolutely adorable! Then I went to school to go teach English, which was fun and my kids, gave me a butterfly made out of paper for the New Year! When I came back we had a meeting with the Nepali staff. They got me a cake! It was so sweet! They really are wonderful and I am so happy I got to work with them! After I went to an internet place nearby and saw lots of wonderful messages from my amazing friends and family. I am a very lucky girl. I finally tore myself away and went home and got ready for dinner. We went to Or2k and had a really good time. There were 16 of us and we ordered lots of food and toasted to the New Year! I even got more presents! Al got me a hot water bottle and O knitted a beautiful cover for it! O and N got me candy and Si gave me a present from M because she couldn’t be there. It was all so kind. After dinner we ended up at some outside crazy trance dance party. I wasn’t really into it at first but then O got me up and dancing. It was a really special birthday. You don’t turn 24 in Kathmandu every day!

Some New Years Resolutions for 2013:

Be more positive

Trust more

Eat better/take better care of myself

Get certified to teach English

Learn to cook

Learn to sew (basic)

Travel South East Asia

Continue to love life

At last we come to this week in which I have been very busy! I had my youth activities (SAY and HCC) and meeting with the staff of the daycare, English classes, and planning for a special activity with the SAY club (basket money). I also went with the daycare to the fun park with all the kids! Something interesting that happened was on Wednesday. After my staff meeting I went to Koleshwore School and met up with S, El, and Ni to walk through the neighborhood of Koleshwore. I feel weird using the term “slum” but that is exactly what it was. It actually made me want to continue to volunteer. Despite the filth and poverty, it could actually be a beautiful place. There is so much land. If it could somehow be cleaned it would be a nice area. It made me sad to see so much pollution but on the other hand it makes me sad when there is a bit of land in the states and it is immediately torn down for yet another apartment complex or parking lot. I don’t know, the world is a really weird and backwards place sometimes.

Unfortunately Wednesday night and Thursday I began to loose my patience with my group which I think is understandable considering we live and work together and are pretty much around each other all the time. Everyone had very different and very strong personalities and I sometimes it’s really hard. In college I shared a room but it was only twice (once my freshman year and my semester in Italy) but even though we had to share space, we had different classes and if we wanted we didn’t have to see each other during the day if we didn’t want to. Here, you don’t get a break. I am a person that really needs their space so it’s not really a surprise that almost 3 months in I went a little nuts. After my activity on Friday I went to Thamel and got a room at a hostel. It was a very good idea. I had privacy, hot water, electricity, and internet! I skyped for a very long time with absolutely no interruptions and had a long hot shower! Then I went to dinner and ate a lot and read my book and came back and skyped and read more. It was a fantastic night and I woke up feeling more refreshed that I had in a long time. I think when things get a little crazy it’s important to take time and recharge a bit.

The next night I went out with Eand N. We had a nice big dinner with lots of wine! We ate and talked and went out after to a bar for a bit. It was nice to relax and drink a little and have a fun night out. Then I went back to Swayambhu and slept there and have a very peaceful night sleep. The next day I had the basket money workshop with the youth, which was good but boring. I had planned the whole workshop with S and C and we didn’t get to help at all or really be involved which was frustrating. I was glad it went well but glad when it was finally over.  Then things took a downward turn. Things had been a little claustrophobic for me in Kalimati with the group but after dinner at O and N’s the other night I had had it. I won’t get into specifics but I just feel like my group doesn’t care about me. They speak in Hebrew most of the time and don’t talk to me as much and I just don’t feel close to anyone anymore. I am just extremely thankful that I love Kalimati and the work I am doing.  It is also really great that I am so close to the people in the other areas. I just wish things were better with my own group. You can’t have everything though. Fortunately Nepali Seminar is on Wednesday so I will get some time away. Hopefully everything will be a bit better after some time apart.

Signed,

Tired and Troubled 

Mid Way

“Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” (Paul Theroux)

On Wednesday night I finally arrived in Swayambhu by a rush of people. It was so amazing to see everyone (especially from Sundrawatti because I have not seen them in 3 weeks)! We had a very cheerful dinner, all talking laughing, and eating at once. Again, it felt so good to be back! After dinner we had an activity: we had to draw two pictures, one of something we had and one of something we want to get. So one person went and then anyone who had something related to that person would go and so on creating a domino effect. No matter what village we are in we still have the same issues and da- to-day things. Afterwards we finally got to just hang out and talk about everything. It was a very good night.

Thursday was incredibly long. We woke up early and drove to a brick factory. I felt really awkward being there, like we were looking at these people as if they were animals in a zoo. We saw how bricks were made and the child labor involved. I was worried that it was going to be in a big building that was dark and crowded but it wasn’t. It was outside which made it better in some ways but it is still child labor. I am obviously very much against child labor but at the same time they, (their families) need the money. It’s a horrible situation. It looked like a Dicken’s novel; outside it was chilly and gray and there were mounds of black clay everywhere and shallow pools of muddy water. There was a huge chimney erected in the middle of it all which felt like a combination of the Holocaust and A Series of Unfortunate Events. I know this was something we needed to see to really get a grasp of what goes on in this country and that these things that we see as obscure phrases in the West such as “child labor” really do exist. However I was very glad to leave. After we returned to Swayambhu and had lunch we had a discussion about the brick factory (which turned into a debate about free trade), a lecture on globalization (a topic I was pretty sure we had exhausted during the orientation), and finally each area met with the TBT staff to talk about ideas for community projects (ours included a playground made out of recycled materials, a wall mosaic, and a public wall magazine). That night Sundrawatti had come up with a Hanukkah activity which ended up being a ton of fun! Then I hung out in my bed with Sh, O, M, and Sm and talked about our travel plans for after the program. It was a great way to end a very long day.

We had 3 lesson on Friday morning before lunch: a very impressive lecture on microfinance from Abigail, a group session on any ideas for projects, and a lecture on participation with B. After lunch S and I went back to Kalimati for our HCC activity. Unfortunately not a lot of kids came again and they were late. We want to give them what they want (the opportunity to do a public theater performance) but it is going to be difficult when they come late or don’t come at all. When we were finished we came back to Swayambhu and lit candles for Hanukkah and Shabbat. Although I am not religious, I like having a big meal with everyone on Friday night. There was good food and everyone seemed happy. After dinner I went out for a bit with Sm, GB, Al, and Ei, (S and N were there for a bit but left early because N did not feel well). We went to a bar and hung out and talked. Eventually everyone went home except for GB and me. We went and had dessert at Cookie Wallah! We came back after that and called it a night.

On Saturdays we don’t start until lunch at 1:00 so I got to sleep in, have breakfast, read, and relax. We did a fun activity in which we were all at a restaurant and had to order off a menu (with dishes such as family affairs and love and disappointment). We were brought food (awesome fruits and desserts) and questions we had to talk about with the people we were sitting with (kind of like the speed dating activity during orientation). I was with M and L and we had a good time. The food was good and we talked but it wasn’t too serious. After Z gave a lesson on Hanukkah and then we all got ready for the ambassador’s Hanukkah party. TBT is very friendly with the Israeli ambassador in Nepal so he invited all of us to his Hanukkah party. The food was amazing and there were free drinks! We had a great time being in such a fancy place. We took lots of pictures and ate very well. After I went to Thamel with Sm, O, M, and GB. We went to our favorite bar (Lhasa bar), which was empty at first but as M predicted got full very soon. We got O to sing with the band (we helped) and got the entire bar on it’s feet (we sang a popular Nepali song that one of the staff taught us)! It was a wonderful night.

On Sunday we had a thematic meeting with N to discuss how we were all doing in our areas (the activities, Nepali staff, projects, etc.) and then had a very long activity about democracy in the spirit of the upcoming Israeli elections. After lunch we had a second thematic meeting with the Nepali staff where we talked about our schedule for the goals we want to accomplish this machzor (basket money, migration workshop, and local guide seminar). Then the facilitators from each village had a meeting with Mi and finally we had a conclusion meeting. After I went with O, GG, and Z to the mall. O and I got food and took pictures at an old 90’s booth where you pick out really corny backgrounds! Then we met up with pretty much everyone else to see The Hobbit! It was fun seeing Life of Pi with everyone from Kalimati so it was even more fun with almost everyone on the whole program! We got back and spent the rest of the night hanging out together. I loved seeing everyone and I am sad it will be another 3 weeks before we are all together again.

Signed,

Group Love 

Flying from the Nest

“The traveler sees what she sees. The tourist sees what she has come to see.”

(G.K. Chesterson)  

The past 2 weeks have been a lot better for me. The house, the group, and Kalimati itself is finally starting to feel like home. I was really concerned at first because everyone else seemed to adjust after the first week, but I really should not be surprised that it took me longer (I usually do things at my own pace). My room is decorated with pictures, quotes (that I wrote on paper and hung up), scarves and jackets (the only place to put them is on the poles the curtains hang on!). It is colorful and looks like me. The house looked lived in and comfortable and it is amazing to be able to go down stairs and visit the day care. I have also really come to love Kalimati. Yes, it’s dirty and noisy but as anyone who loves the city knows that despite these things there is always a special magic to any city if you know where to look.

My work is finally starting to get serious! I have 2 youth groups (HCC (Happy Child Club) and SAY (Struggle Active Youth)) and then guide meetings (2 different kinds). I also have day care meetings (staff meetings, parents meetings, and home visits). I also help watch kids during the women’s groups (so the Mothers get a break). For HCC and SAY I help plan their activities with S, At, and the guides. We make sure each meeting has a specific purpose and help them stay on track of the action plan (what they are supposed to accomplish during the machzor). Then I go to the activities to help and observe. The kids are AMAZING! The first HCC activity did not go well but we worked hard on the second meeting and it was so much better! The SAY kids are my favorite. I also see them more because I see the guides during the week. There are about 12 kids who come regularly to SAY activities, 6 of them are guides (2 for each youth group: HCC, SCC, and Indreni), and 3 of them are guide of the guides (more experienced) one for each group. Therefore, we have meetings with just the guides of the guides, and others with all of them, A bit confusing but a very good concept.

Daycare is a lot of fun! The kids know me now and want to play and jump all over me! They are super cute but it’s hard to tell who is a boy and who is a girl (boys where girls clothes and vise versa). N and I have staff meetings every week, which are a great way to spend time with the staff and very educational for me (i.e. last week we went over the 9 different intelligences: linguistic, logical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, nature, visual, kinesthetic, and spiritual. We discussed each one and the importance of finding out how each child learns best). We also had a meeting when the mothers of the children from the daycare came. We played a game to get to know each other and my partner ended up being the women from the vegetable market! She was so happy! We walked (her English is very good) and laughed and she invited me to her home for dinner…it made my day! At the meeting we talked about the psychology behind thumb sucking and nail biting and how to get kids to stop. Finally, N and I also do home visits for the kids in the day care to see what their home life is like. Let’s just say it was a big eye opener to see how people live in Kalimati. Finally, I have to talk about circle time! Every morning in day care there is circle time where the kids sing songs, dance, and do other activities. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen! They meditate and take attendance and in all honesty I have seen an improvement in just 2 weeks. It is a wonderful place to be.

A short story for anyone who is coming to Nepal and wants a sim card: t is a pain in the ass. I ended up having to go to the phone store 4 times. Time 1: S and I went and made sure to bring our passports (or copy). They don’t want the actual passport; they want a copy of the picture and visa. Ok can they copy it? Yes…but not now the power is put until 1:00. Time 2: I come back at 2:30. The power doesn’t come back on until 3:00. Time 3: S and I go back around 6. We get copies of all necessary things and are given sim cards! We go home, put them in and they don’t work. Time 4: back to the store…apparently they take about a half hour to activate. We go home. Finally they work. Moral: if you want a sim card in Nepal, bring a copy of your passport photo and visa, then wait anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for sim to activate.

For our first weekend Mahadev-Besi came and visited! I was SO happy! We met them in Thamel and had a great meal at a restaurant came NFC. After we went to the Irish bar and I ened up sleeping in the Big House. We pushed 3 beds together and I slept with O, GB, and Al! We talked and laughed and had an amazing night! We hung out the next day and that night everyone met up at the Himalaya Café for dinner. Then we went back to Swayambhu and hung out and I slept there again. It was a very good weekend!

The next week started out with our work seminar. In the morning we talked about Kalimati in general and giving constructive feedback. In the afternoon each group (women, education, and youth) met with M and B to talk about our action plans for each group. Youth was last so I had a very enjoyable afternoon playing outside with the daycare kids! It was late when we finished but it felt good to talk about all of our plans and ideas for the machzor. The next night we went to the movies! We saw “Life of Pi” which was interesting for me personally because I had just finished the book. We took a microbus to the mall, got popcorn, and had a regular western night. The movie was pretty good but it surprised me when there was an intermission. Apparently they do that in Israel too. It was also nice that all of us went together.

Only two other things of note took place last week. The first was a frustrating event at the Kuleshwore School (where the Nature club and Indreni club meet). S and I decided to clean out one of the classrooms to use for those groups. It was a mess and we worked really hard. It felt awesome to do something and see immediate results (even though its not sustainable). We had plans to come back the nest day and finish cleaning and then to start decorating. We came back the next day very excited but then saw that there was trash on the floor and more desks in the room. We were really frustrated. If they didn’t want to use the room, they should have just told us. Plus, I felt that it was really rude to make a mess when they saw how hard we worked. Oh well, it’s their room and they can do with it whatever they like. The second event is much better. We got to go to a wedding! One of the Nepali staff (B) got married and invited us to the party (Mahadev-Besi came as well)! It wasn’t the best thing I ever went to but it was really awesome to experience a wedding of a totally and completely different culture. We ate, talked, and danced and had a good time! The next night I went to Shabbat in Swayambhu with Mahadev-besi and a group of Australians! Apparently one year there was an Aussie volunteer for TBT’s short program so she organized an Aussie trip. They were so nice and fun to be around. We all got along and cooked in the afternoon. We had a really fun dinner, they had us play games that I didn’t find annoying or stupid and I really loved that night!

Hanukkah has started! I made it my mission to buy everyone a present! I spent a day in Thamel buying things (which put me in a most excellent mood)! And then continued the next day as well. I bought headbands, cups, jewelry, candy, and a few other little things. I succeeded in buying 20 gifts and gave to everyone I live with already! I am excited to give everyone else their presents! I don’t know what it is and I know it sounds incredibly cheesy but I really and truly love giving things to people. It makes me happy to see others smile, especially when I see something I know they will like.

Finally, S and I had an adventure the other day. We took microbus number one and went to the mall (which we left after 30 minutes, it was so western and weird we felt dizzy) and then microbus number 2 to Bouddhanath (a big stuppa). It was so beautiful!  We got lunch and dessert and tea. We sat and ate and read and talked. Then we walked around, looked in completely overpriced stores and enjoyed ourselves very much. Then we headed back. After we got off the first microbus we made a wrong turn trying to find the second. We ended up in a little bazaar/market place. We decided to wander for a bit and ended up finding an amazing store full of beautiful cups/mugs. I bought a few for Hanukkah gifts and S bought some for herself. We were just so delighted with how pretty everything was! After I dragged S away we found a store with dresses! I bought a really pretty one and we stayed and talked with the owners for a while. This proves my best travellers knowledge: the less you try, the more magic you find. We had a good day that ended with a great night!

Today we are going to the Big House in Swaymbhu for the seminar! Everyone will be there are I am SO excited to see everyone from Sundrawatti (I am excited to see Mahadev-Besi as well but I just saw them 3 days ago)! We will be there from tonight (Wednesday) until Monday morning. I hope it will be fun and not overly intense. I can’t believe it’s half over. Time went so slowly in the beginning and now it has decided to speed up. I am glad I have realized this so I can be sure to make the most of every day (even the bad ones). As for now, I am happy with where I am mentally and am ready to continue this journey.

Signed,

No More Training Wheels