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

Only in Nepal on TBT

1.     Getting attacked by monkeys

2.     Being terrified of dogs

3.     Trash being burned all day

4.     Dal Baat (EVERY DAY)

5.     Always waiting for the bathroom

6.     Waiting at least a half an hour for food at a restaurant

7.     Being rich

8.     Power cuts being normal

9.     Cold showers

1. Amazing people all the time 

Orientation Week 1

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” (Gandhi)

This first week of orientation has been extremely informative, fun, intense, frustrating, and compelling.  We moved into our beautiful house in Swayambhu on Kimdole Street. I share a room with S and Sh, with M, O, and Sm in the room next door and E and C across. 8 people, 6 girls 2 boys, 1 floor, 1 bathroom! There are other bathrooms in the house but only 1 on our floor…its funny most of the time and frustrating at others. But I don’t really mind it. We do the best we can and make it work.

Our days are made up of lectures and study. We have had 3 Nepali lessons where we have been getting a foundation so we can communicate the basics when we go out/work in the villages. We have also had lectures from an Israeli professor on human rights and social justice. We have had 6 so far and have 3 more. The only thing is, they are in Hebrew. It’s amazing that someone is always there to translate, but it’s exhausting and it’s hard to piece the information together no matter how good our translator is.  It’s also hard because the lecturer is very smart and funny and I cannot understand. I have come to dread going to the lectures.

Lectures on the work that TBT does and the different villages have been discussed at length as well. The main point is that we are doing more behind the scenes work than in the actual field. I was upset at first but it makes sense. We will not have anywhere close to the language base necessary to communicate well with the locals. This is also an organization which stresses sustainability and independence. TBT’s goal is to help the villages in a way in which they can eventually phase out so the village can be independent. I really like that message and agree with that goal.

However, I am getting a little tired of our group meetings. They consist of talking about why we are here and what we want to accomplish. It was ok at first but after the fourth one it started to feel very redundant. I have been answering the question of why I want to be here since I filled out the application, I am a little sick of it at this point. I just try to keep in mind that this is the 12^th machzor and that they know what they are doing at this point.

There were two very cool things that we did last week though. The first was to help paint a children’s house. There are places that are children’s protection homes, for kids who have parents but they are ill equipped to take care of them (drugs, jail, etc.). We were there to help paint and decorate the home with the kids! It was amazing! Not only was it the first time out of the house in 3 days, but we actually got to play and interact with the kids. They were so happy and funny. It’s amazing that people can be so poor, have so little, and seem so content. It was a very special morning.

The other awesome thing we did was visit one of the villages that TBT works with (it’s an hour and a half away from Kathmandu Valley) called Mahader-Besi. We had to wake up at 6 which for anyone who knows me knows how I felt about that (absolutely terrible). However, once we got there I was wide awake. It was absolutely beautiful. We spent the morning walking through the different communities and meeting the locals. We went to a place called the leaning center where all sorts of women and children gathered to welcome us. They sang a song and did a play for us and we had a tika ceremony (when they put the red dust on your forehead). It was so intimate and just lovely. I was mad we weren’t allowed to bring our cameras with us, but now I feel like it was a day that was not meant to be captured with technology.  We hiked through fields and quarries and climbed over rocks and a precariously high bridge. Even if I do not get put in the Mahader-Besi village, even if I never go there again, I will remember that day for the rest of my life.

On Friday we ended lessons early to start preparing for Shabbat. It was actually really fun to be in the kitchen with a bunch of people cooking. We made all sorts of food and then had a big dinner later. Each Friday everyone picks an angel card (mine was pleasure) and it is supposed to stay with us all week. C and I went out for a bit after just to get out of the house which was nice and the next night all of us went out to dinner and then to a regge bar where we danced and hung out.

Although part of the orientation this week have been frustrating and annoying, the bonds I am starting to form already are amazing. S and Sh are people I feel that I could go to if I am feeling sad and lonely. C and E could always cheer me up. It usually takes me a really long time to feel comfortable with people. I’m not sure whether it’s the people themselves or the fact that we are in Nepal, on this program, and pushed together (probably a combination) but I really like it. We have a long couple weeks ahead but I know that I will be ok with all of the wonderful people who surround me.

Signed,

Inner Peace 

Week in Thamel

“Not all who wander are lost”

The past few days have been filled with adventure! On Tuesday night we met a traveler in our hostel (A) who told us about an air flight tour of Mt. Everest. The girls didn’t want to go but I did. Usually I wouldn’t have because I had to be up at 5am and I would have been too worried about sleep. But I wanted to do it without thinking and complaining. So the next day A and I took a cab at 5:15 to the airport.  Since I had booked my ticket later we had different airlines so I went by myself. It ended up being amazing. It was a small plane (about 15-20 people) with all window seats. We took off at 6:30 so the sun was still rising so it was foggy when we first got up in the air. Ten minutes later everything cleared and the Himalayas came into view. It was absolutely amazing. The guide told us about what the different mountains were called and where they were and we were allowed to go up front with the pilots when we reached Mt. Everest so we could get a proper view. The only words I can use to describe the whole thing are: breathtaking, vast, and amazing. Getting up early was totally worth it!

The next day, A came with S and I on a canyoning (aka snappling) adventure. A car picked us up and we drove about 45 minutes to a village called Sundarijal. The view was amazing! We walked for about 10 minutes to these little huts where we met our guide and put our wet suits on! We thought we would start right away…we were wrong! First we had to actually hike up the mountain to repeal down it! WEAR HIKING BOOTS! S wore hiking sandals, which were great for the waterfall but bad for the mountain. It took us a while but we FINALLY made it! Once there we repelled down 3 waterfalls, the first one 20 meters, the second 35 meters, and the last one was 40 meters! It was so awesome! I was so proud of myself that I made it up even though I was SO tired. Words of advice: if you are not prepared to climb through a jungle this is not for you! The three of us had a really special bond encouraging each other. By the time we got back to the huts and changed we were in greats spirits. We had an amazing meal and they took us back to Thamel. A wonderful day!

Today we went to Durbar Square (about 20 minutes away fro Thamel). There are all these temples and statues everywhere.  I went with E and S as well as the other American girl (Sh) so the four of us spent the afternoon exploring. There was also a concert going on! Obviously we didn’t know any of the songs and couldn’t understand but it was so much fun! We also ran into a few people from our program and made plans to go out later in the night. After Durbar Square we picked up some things in Thamel, had dinner and met up with people from the program.

Everyone is really, really nice and it was awesome to finally meet the people I’m going to be spending so much time with! However, it was really frustrating not knowing Hebrew.  Everyone was talking and laughing and not only could I not contribute, but I couldn’t even understand what was going on. They weren’t trying to exclude me or anything like that, it’s just everyone was so excited that of course they wanted to talk in their first language (including me).  I know it will get better but I had a couple lonely moments. Fortunately the night ended on a good note and I laughed a lot.

Tomorrow is the official start to TBT. I am excited and a little nervous but just glad it’s finally starting. We move into the house we will be living in for the next 5 weeks. I’m not entirely sure what I have gotten myself into but I guess I’m about to find out!

Singed,

Ready as I’ll ever get