August August...

August taught me much about Nepal...and reinforced my understanding of how much patience is required..

My experience of Nepal was enhanced greatly - mostly positive, but some personally challenging experiences that have stayed with me and am finding it difficult to kick out! Self confidence has been waning as a result and am not sure why, but will continue shoving to try to get them to disappear completely... 

Some of August was spent with special Nepali friends/family in the Terai..bloody hot after Ilam, but being able to share some special events, such as the amazing visit to Dharan for the Shrawan Monday celebration for Lord Shiva; being taken to visit 4 relatives' homes in 1 day and made a fuss of; trying out my limited Nepali and causing lots of laughter; introducing a friend's mum to a basic thing like a needle threader which she thought was amazing and just loved; taking notes of recipes for Nepali food I love while madly trying to look up the ingredient translation fm Nepali to English (more laughing); demonstrating how to cook veg stirfry with 4 helpers and including a last minute attempt at making sweet chilli sauce in the wok (it tasted quite good, but I don't think the preparation:eating time ratio was favourable for the helpers!!); tasting fresh, juicy, sweet pineapple from the street vendor; sitting at a small shop drinking Coke with my friend's mum and just taking time to watch life go by after a long day...

The experience of visiting Manakamana Temple at the top of a very high hill (thankfully by the cable car); finding a beautiful resort nearby after a long day and 'the longest 3 kilometre walk in history' along the Prithiviti Highway; the discovery of what we think is a 'bamboo school' being built nearby; enjoying the absolute refreshment of the first swim for about 5 years in the resort pool; travelling to Bandipur in a ute that smelled like goats; receiving a very warm welcome and a huge lunch at the Old Inn ; discovering the quiet charm of Bandipur; 'trekking' very slowly down a steep hill, on slippery, unstable rock steps through the forest to visit Siddha Cave (which I thought we'd never find!) and then seeing how much further to get to the town below..but managing to keep smiling with the help of a very special and patient friend who loved every minute of the adventure...(Note: Recommended 1 hour going downhill Nepali time = 3 hours inexperienced, unsteady, foreigner time)


Experiencing the rice planting festival in the city square (chowk) in Ilam Bazaar after an unexpected visit to my room from a young boy who gave me a blessing and tied some thread on my wrist (its still there!); seeing the energy of the dancers dwindling after a whole day of dancing around the streets of Ilam; making new friends (who are volunteers here for a year) and sharing our Ilam experiences over much tea and then beer...discovering that we're competing for the same products in the market -  and now understanding why the supplies have been disappearing so quickly!

These are the things to focus on, although the reality of Nepali culture and acceptance of 'the way things are'  becomes increasingly frustrating as the days go by...there's obviously still a significant 'adjustment' gap which might never be closed for me, but am hoping it dwindles somewhat over the next 7 months as other wonderful, unforgettable experiences occur.

I think the honeymoon period is rushing towards its end but there are moments that completely obliterate any negative feelings... such as having a Class 2 boy from a very poor family staring at my arm with a huge grin, while he stroked it  saying 'soooo sooooft'....

If I can pass my enthusiasm for learning on to him and others like him to give them some small advantage in this crazy, beautiful country that I seemed to love/hate/love with regularity during August, then the discomfort, perplexity, confusion and misunderstandings are grains of sand...  

So August was also a month of personal learning for me, mostly about patience...

"Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness.  But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - THAT is patience."

Settling in...and still in love..

Wow! What a month & half it's been...

Now sitting in my room in Ilam listening to the frogs and insects buzzing outside...a bit of murmuring from the room downstairs...fighting off a persistent mozzie ...wondering if the rain will stop for long enough for the clothes to dry - especially after someone told me today that during the monsoon (summer) season in Ilam, white clothing turns to black with mold...eeeeeek! Hoping I can avoid THAT!

Finally feeling as though I can relax here and become a part of the community, although I think it's happening anyway..the guy in the restaurant up in the market knew exactly what I wanted when I was last there..."You want beer?" OF COURSE!! and the supermarket man keeps the 'special,good quality' toilet paper put aside for me... the vege stall guy says "Namaste" with a HUGE smile every time I pass him, a woman in the market always calls me over & tells me her veges are 'ramro' when I can see that they're far from it...and the walk to school every morning is a stream of "namaste"s or "good morning miss"es. (Hint: make sure both hands are free to avoid hitting yourself in the nose and chin with a bag with every greeting..not a good look & results in lots of giggling..)

The non-tourist visa experience was a trying period, with usual (and expected) bureacratic nuances, but also some unexpected information that's not freely available for applicants. But have recovered now and starting to settle in and making plans for the months ahead. It will be worth the investment of sweat, tears and dollars - I'm sure of it! The value of friendship was certainly reinforced during the whole process - nothing was too much trouble for some special Nepali friends and they kept me strong and positive. Also had an opportunity to experience some fabulous restaurants in KTM which was also a positive! AND found a hairdresser who knew exactly what was required...another plus!!!

School is interesting at the moment..preparation for exams is underway and the kids don't seem to be phased by the looming deadline at all..so will see what the results bring in a couple of weeks from now.

Each morning during assembly one of the students gives a short 'speech' about Ilam...last week one of them was talking about the 'black' people in the market who drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and generally behave badly.."so you need to be careful when you're in the market"..I felt reallly 'black' but luckily the feeling only lasted for a few seconds.. That night I had a few cigs and a beer!! (not sure about the bad behaviour).

Chalk dust is still a minor problem & sliding down the slippery road every morning is a challenge, but it was amazing on the way home this afternoon. Walking through the tall trees dripping with water, hearing the birds singing and stopping to look at the different shades of green overhead and all around .. so serene...and the valley with gleaming white rooftops was so vivid that I felt as if I could just reach out and touch it...how insignificant I felt..and rejuvenated...and fell in love all over again

A big week...

Now sitting in a hotel room in Kathmandu have a much better understanding of why things move slowly in Nepal, and gaining more patience by the hour. Am here to extend my tourist visa - which was quite easy and quick with an additional 'contribution' payment. In fact I think it only took 20 minutes instead of 1 or 2 days! Yep - so I'm guilty of contributing to the corruption cycle, but happy with the personal result!

Trying to gain a Non-Tourist visa as well which is a long and involved process with no less than 6 Govt Departments involved in the decision making...so am not holding my breath. Having said that, its amazing what the right contact can achieve for you, so am hopeful of a positive outcome now. Which means I'll be able to stay in Nepal and work - at the school and do voluntary work with Jun-Tara in Ilam and Habitat for Humanity Nepal. Let's see...

What an amazing week its been though.

1. School principal arrived at my door with 2 beautiful cane chairs and a huge cupboard fm down on the Terai. It took 6 strong young men to carry it up the 3 flights of stairs to my room - and very quickly too!
2. Met most of the neighbours the next day - all wondering what was happening
3. Found 2 young women using my bathroom - and just 'lost' it! I'm sure they have no concept of privacy & were even using the toilet paper to adjust their makeup! So they got the rounds of the kitchen. I have a sneaking suspicion that they still use the handbasin (that's not lockable) when they know I'm not at home... Privacy in Nepal is hard to maintain at times.
4. First week of full-time teaching which takes some getting used to - for both me and the students (Classes 1 to 5) The younger students are having a problem with my accent I think, so am hoping to overcome that quite quickly & have them speaking with an Aust accent by the end of the year.
5. Chalk dust isn't the best thing for the complexion or black clothing!!
6. Another wonderful surprise - personal delivery of a fridge without prior notice by a gorgeous man!! The first purchase? Beer of course!!! and chocolate... It'll make an amazing difference to day to day activities & save about 2 hours a day for shopping and cooking! Sooo grateful to him and of course ...the surprise was overwhelming.
7. Unexpected trip to Kathmandu and back to the dusty, noisy, smelly, hot, chaotic, crazy atmosphere here, but a fabulous warm welcome by Bijesh and the hotel staff.
8. Experiencing Nepal Govt bureaucracy first hand requires MUCH patience.
Personal appearance at 3 or 4 Govt Depts is required to gain approval for my Non-tourist visa. At today's 1:1 meeting, eleven other people came and went and met with the same person at the same time..so am wondering what tomorrow's experience will be.
9. Surprisingly small amount of shopping happening while I've been here... THAT's a worry...!!
10. Walking home in the dark and rain last night and felt quite happy and relaxed. Walking in the rain is one of the best things in life I reckon.
11. Hotel room has the best (and most powerful) hot shower I've experienced in Nepal - and am loving it! There are water restrictions here in Kathmandu and the whole of Nepal so am trying not to waste the precious liquid. Difficult concept knowing the amount of snow and number of rivers here, but most of the rivers are dry right now and crying out for a good inflow.

Sensory overload again...

and missing Ilam like crazy.
Hopefully it won't be too many days before I'm back there and appreciating the clean air, tranquility and beautiful landscape even more.

A few of my favourite things..........

56 days here already..I can't believe how quickly the time has passed and that I'm only just updating this blog... Am slowly immersing myself in the Nepali culture and adjusting to the pace here while enjoying the company of old and new friends every day.

I've realised today how much I really love this beautiful country and its strong, gentle, friendly people.

These are a few of my favourite things:(apologies to the original songwriters)

"People on rooftops with toothbrush in hand
walking the path to the top of the land
gas stoves with burners that light up the room
insects that hit you with barely a boom
power cuts, patience, and bright glowing smiles
hilltops with views that go on for just miles
in the market, in the classroom, and all through the day
this is how things happen the Nep-ali way..."


- people on rooftops and balconies between 8-9am every morning brushing their teeth while walking around observing the neighbours and local goings on
- people walking the path up the hill, through the tea gardens and back down to the main street/market greeting each other with a smile and a few words between 5 and 6pm every day
- using a 2 burner gas stove & large gas bottle to cook amazing meals & keeping the kitchen absolutely spotless and tidy with dust, flies, mosquitoes, moths, beetles and other unidentified insects crashlanding all around
- 18-20 hours without power every day, and managing to complete work and run a small business, and preparing, cooking and eating meals by candlelight
- hot, hot, hot days but continuing normal day to day activities with hardly a drop of sweat....NOT me though, I thought I was melting away
- heading up to the shop in the market at 5am every morning or 5pm every night with the bottle in hand to buy fresh full cream cow's milk
- hearing the moving vehicles beeping at you but not moving out of the way ...well, not much anyway
- laughter, yelling across rooftops to have a conversation
- kids keeping themselves occupied for hours with just a stick and a rock
- beautiful sunrises and moonlit nights
- colour, colour, colour

- the tenants radios blaring at 6am on 4 different Nepali stations
- hearing soft, beautiful singing wafting up from downstairs every morning while preparing my breakfast
- stopping in the street to chat with people whom you recognise but just can't remember their names
- laughing when things don't go as expected
- patience....it will happen approach to difficult situations
- beds like rock and pillows the same
- cold showers every day, washing dishes and clothes by hand
- grinding spices using one large rock and one small rock - the aromas are mouthwatering
- squatting while toileting, cooking, sweeping, talking, eating
- buying meat from the guy on the side of the road who has the meat hanging up in the heat for hours....ewwww! no thanks!
- watching the shopkeepers wipe the dust from the articles you've just bought
- 5am on Thursday mornings hearing the piglets squealing while they're being carried in 2 or 3 bamboo baskets on someone's back to the weekly market
- people buying tiny chickens from a guy squatting in the middle of the street
-finding ANZAC biscuits in the little supermarket with the cute young guy behind the counter, who gave me the shop's bottle opener as a special gift because he had none that he could sell to me ....
and more...


We take so much for granted in our lives! Can you imagine the uproar if the whole of Australia was without power for 18 hours a day for months on end? I won't even try to imagine it...



The scenery is breathtaking and surprising at every turn - and even on the Mahendra Highway which is flat and straight there is so much activity and the scenery changes constantly....

Now that bloody dog up the road is barking again...but the owners just let him bark - after all, he has the right to have his say long into the early hours of the morning.. they've probably been sound asleep for hours now and can't hear him anyway

I would never have thought that I'd be happy living in 2 rooms with just a bed and 2 tables, washing by hand in a bucket, bathing using a bucket & jug, preparing and cooking meals by lamplight, not having a fridge or cold white wine on hand...and much more....but I'm completely relaxed with the simple life and so happy that destiny has directed me to Nepal where I can strip away the 'things' and get back to basics...

Getting there....

It's the day before I officially start with Shree Charkhola Higher Secondary School & am feeling a tiny bit nervous, but definitely know that I'll be in good, caring hands there. School students here are doing end of academic year exams until the end of the month, so it will be an easy adjustment to the school. Am looking forward to actually having something definite to DO each day after 3 weeks of not having to apply myself to anything much.

KATHMANDU
Tears appeared from nowhere as I flew into Kathmandu valley! It felt as though I was coming back to an old friend. Met at the airport by Sandip & Bijesh which was great, then immediately to the hotel.

Kathmandu of course is still crazy! Noise, dust, smells, smoke, noisy birds at sunset, funny signs, crazy Thamel! The 3 days there were quite busy but we managed to accomplish quite a few things, despite strikes...dinner at the Kaiser restaurant, Garden of Dreams, visit to the Palace (which is a sad, tatty place), visiting New Road for the 'for the office bright future' purchases - then to Biratnagar by plane very carefully nursing the new data projector. From Biratnagar we travelled a short distance (with 60 kgs of luggage!!!!) to Itahari, where I stayed with Sandip's family in his beautiful brand new house.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

This time next week I'll probably be having a nervous breakdown with only 12 hours before my objective really starts to become reality. Planning has taken awhile but with great support from Aussie & Nepali friends, its actually happening.

I keep thinking of what my Mum would be saying & can see her smile quite clearly. She'd be soooo envious and happy and proud! God, I miss her at times like this!

Now to the packing and decisions that accompany that task - especially when the trip isn't only for the usual few weeks. Questions, questions.... What can I NOT do without for 12 months? Will I be able to get....?(an endless list) Now, where did I put...? (another endless list) How many more lists can I write before I become totally confused? What will my first days alone in Ilam be like? etc etc etc

Strange how it's all about me now but in about 8 days time it will be all about others - which is what this adventure is all about. Away from the safe harbor of home, family & Aussie friends to the unknown waters & Nepali friends...


Now...back to the decision making ....