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."
Hey Anne, thanks for sharing your struggles and joys here. I am thinking that your comment on my blog was right, eventually the treacle we have to wade through turns to honey, especially if you mix the treacle with a pint or three of Everest lager, which we will do very soon! xx
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