I Came Home to Surprises!

Hi all, I'm home and am just getting a bearing on the time change, but still don't have my head wrapped around my trip yet. Maddie (my dog) went missing while I was gone and I've been readjusting to the time change, so I haven't had time to think much. Over the next week or so I'll write a final reflection of my trip. But, in the mean time, I have good news.


Yesterday was my 28th Birthday, and the day I got engaged.

Yesterday I went to lunch with Mom and Kara for my birthday. I came home around 3 and Justin met me in the driveway and covered my eyes as we came into the house. When I opened them there was a Noble Christmas tree fully decorated with lights and all, included about 70 pictures from over the past four years we've been together. I just thought is was a very creative birthday present, since Justin knows I love Christmas and pictures. I said, "Wow, it is like Christmas in July! Thank you!" and wondered around the tree a few times looking at the pictures. Finally, Justin pulled me away from the tree and said something to the extent of "Ever since the Christmas we met my life has been amazing and I love you so much...(there was more, but it's a little hazy)" and I was saying things like, "Aw, I feel the same way" and "me too" never suspecting this was a proposal. We've been apart for a month while I was gone and have been disgustingly affectionate over the past two days because of it, so I didn't think anything of it. Justin also has a strict policy about mixing occasions, so I never suspected a proposal on my birthday. I looked up and he was crying and he said, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you" and was shoving a ring (gorgeous!) on my finger. At that point I just kept saying "Oh my God, Oh my God." We hugged for a minute and I yelled, "Ask me so I can say YES!" He did, I said yes.

On My Way

My taxi will be here in 5 minutes to whisk me away to the airport. I'll be back home before I know it. I'm sad to say good-bye to all of the kids, my new volunteer friends, Michael and of course Gita, but so excited to see everyone! Send good ju-ju my way, L

It's Dog Thirty

What time is it? It's dog-thirty. The 13,561 street dogs of Nepal are barking right now and three of the of the seven volunteers are scuttling around (at 11 pm) getting ready to leave at 6 am for their placements. Therefore, I can't sleep. I'm a little anxious about my last day tomorrow and making the long trip home, too.

I bought a selection of 5 different slices of cakes at the local "wal-mart" (it's not, but it is) to celebrate my last night tonight. They all had the faint taste of soap. I never got traveler's flu here, but the cake might do it. We all had Dalbat (the national dish that is eaten twice everyday), omelets (hello, protein!), and forks full of random cake to celebrate my last night. Afterward we went to restaurant I like nearby, the only one near by, to have beer, but all three tables were totally full. Emma, who is going to come back in a couple of months to work for Michael, went in to ask if we could get beer to go and the owner invited us to sit on the back patio- his back yard (they live above the restaurant. So, the 7 of us sat on the owners patio in the dark drinking beer and telling stories from our stay and hanging out with is dog. It was the perfect last night.

Today I spent my time at Swayambhu, a beautiful Buddhist temple in Kathmandu. The temple is known at the Monkey Temple because of all the monkeys who live in, on and around the temple. There are thousands of stairs leading up and around the temple and many different temples within. I specifically asked to go there since I heard it has great views of the city. I wasn't disappointed and even got to see a monkey chase two local boys who were sitting on a bench in the temple. It was super funny until a monkey approached me and I was trying to remember if I got a rabies shot. We hiked around the temple for a long time and then had lunch before heading back to the volunteer house.

Once we got back Kelsie, Makenzie, and I headed out to find a phone, somewhere local that would print my pictures in one day (mission accomplished), and a jump drive so I can take Jesse's pictures & video home with me. We hoofed it around Dhapasi and Basandara (the local neighborhoods) but finally decided to take a taxi to Batbutini, the wal-mart of Nepal (except, there is only one). I bought a jump drive and some color books and crayons for Gita. When I got back to use the jump drive, which cost roughly as much as it would have in the US, I realized it was used. There was permanent writing on the back of it and the part that gets inserted in the computer was dirty and gummy. Damn it. So, needless to say it doesn't work and I have to fight traffic and barter with a taxi to get me back there again tomorrow. Annoying.

Well, back to Nepali Wal-Mart tomorrow and to pick-up the pictures to leave for Gita, then to the airport. Pray for no bundhas and a correct, hand-written ticket (uh, yeah) and I'll be on my way!

One more thing, I just reviewed a few blog entries to remember what I've shared and reflect a little and I read all of my errors...the perfectionist in me wants to fix them, the Nepal in me says "who cares?" and the power is taunting, "I'm going to go out on you before you can get them fixed anyway!" : ) I knew you'd understand.

See you so very soon, L

PS. Tried to pack Gita, she wouldn't fit.

Narti Video & a Quick Good Night

Before I say good night, 

Jesse made a video of a few clips from Narti.  I think it really catches the spirit of the girls and our time there (minus the icky stuff).  Keep an eye out at the end...we almost died.  

Brown Eyed Girls Video; Narti, Nepal, July 2009

Just two more nights and I'm heading home. I'm feeling a little sad to leave because I've made some good friends here and I'd like to be here when Gita, my favorite little girl, makes it to Kathmandu, but I'm eager to get home to my man ; ), my puppies, my family and my bed.  

Got a special souvenir for myself today, can't wait to get home and show you.

Nighty-Night

As I Promised... Pictures from Narti

Here are a few pictures, but the internet is slow so I couldn't include many.  Enjoy and I'll see you soon! 

: )  Laura

Receiving Tika, a farewell blessing, from Karmu and the rest of the girls before leaving.

Jesse and I right before boarding the bus and waving good-bye.

Gita and Sumjhana, the littlest girls, after enjoying a rare treat of Pepsi, cheese balls & caramel.

Irmela's gift of henna (my arm's not broken, I'm just too lazy to rotate the picture).

This is Gita, my favorite little girl.  

The girls getting ready to leave the picnic...half rode in the bus, half rode on the bus. 

The girls cooking at the picnic we threw them on the 4th of July.  It is unbelievable how well they can cook at their ages with only an open fire and pan.  Maybe it's because they lack McDonalds.

 

The Lawajuni Girl's Hostel in Narti where I stayed and worked.

And...I'm back!

Hi there!

I made it back to Kathmandu yesterday morning at 6 am after a hellacious bus ride. I took my malaria medication when I got on the bus but didn't drink lots of water like I'm supposed to (with 12 hours on a bus in the middle of Nepal, I didn't want to have to pee) and it made me super ill. I spent the first two hours nauseous and leaning over Jesse to vomit out the window. Special. My seat was pre-purchased and in the drivers compartment with about ten other Nepalese men. Um, no. I squished in with Jesse for the first two hours until a seat opened up near him. There was no way I was going to ride in a closed compartment by myself with strange men throughout the night. My Tylenol PM finally kicked in and I was pretty much out until I woke up to watch the sun rise over the valley on the other side of Kathmandu. The bus was more comfortble than the bus I rode on the way, but in worse shape with lots of sqweeky noises, bumps and grinds. Jesse says I'm good bus luck because we made it both ways without any major delays (strikes, break downs, searches, etc.).

I spent yesterday doing a whole lot of nothing. My time in Narti was rewarding by physically and mentally difficult and I was drained when I got back to the volunteer house. I showered (yey!), emailed, had a huge lunch (the man at the little restraunt looked at me like, "You're going to eat all that?" Jesse and I ate until we couldn't.), napped and talked to Justin @ 4am his time (sorry!). The day flew by and I think each will until I get to the airport in a few days.

Today Michael (Papa) is making Tifin (lunch) for all of the kids at the Kathmandu houses. I'm excited to go have lunch with the kids on their day off from school (Saturday is Holy Day in Nepal) and to see the basketball court that the donations I brought paid for. Apparently, the kids have been have a great time on it and I can't wait to get in on the action. Before that though, I'm going to drop some of my clothes off at a laundry mat, buy a few new items to wear, and go to a restaurant called OR2K and have a pancake or two. I like the food here, but it is so different from home that the occasional American food fix is nice.

Now Narti...

I'm not really sure how to explain Narti without going through it picture by picture, but I'll try. It is a rural village, a few hours north of India. The land used to be all jungle, but has since been turned into rice patties. Most of the land was taken from the Tharu people by anyone who was more educated (starting with the British), mostly the higher castes. The Tharu people are one of the lowest castes in Nepal. The landoweners still own the land, but the Tharu people work it and live on it for a portion of the profit. Some patches of Jungle still exhist and are amazing, tropical and beautiful.

The Kamlari caste consists of girls who are sold by their parents or family into slavery to people of a higher caste. This is a common practice still, even though there are many people who are working against this system. The girls are often sold because their parents can't afford to care for them or because both of their parents die and they are given to an uncle or other family member who doesn't want the burden of caring for them. The family make relatively little money usually from the sale, but they are so poor that anything helps. Traditionally, in the Tharu culture, if the husband dies for any reason the wife commits suicide, leaving the children without anyone to care for them. From what I understand this is happening less and less, but is still a cultural norm.

During my stay in Narti I lived with the girls at the Lawajuni Girls Hostel, which is located on the grounds of the school. All schools in Nepal are "private" and are paid for by the families of the children who attend them. The hostel is supported by Papa's House (Michael's Hostel/Orphanage in Kathmandu) and the girls are rescued by an organization called SWAN. Once the girls have had some time to adjust socially, physically and mentally, they are then given the options to move to Kathmandu where they'll receive a much better education and better structural support in the home. Many of the girls choose not to go the Kathmandu because they are overwhelmed and uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the hostel where for the first time in a long time they're safe, well fed, and have friends their own age. The older girls rarely leave because the school system is so poor in Narti that they'll leave Narti in grade 8 and be put in grade 1 or 2 in Kathmandu.

The Hostel is "bare bones" and lacks running water and electricity much of the time. The girls all bathe and drink from a pump that is located about 300 feet from the hostel. They eat twice a day with snack inbetween if they need them and every meal consists of rice and cooked curry vegetables. In the afternoon they'll have toasted rice flakes (yum!) or boiled milk with rice in it as a snack. The girls will often climb the mango trees in the area to hunt for fruit.

All of the girls have some time type of scarring from their time in servitude. Many of them have large burns on their arms, legs or hands or pock-marks that look like they're from a cigarette. Some of the girls have larger scars on their face and on their heads from being hit with objects. To get those types of marks I can't imagine the abuse they must have suffered. Some of them suffer from PTSD and have ticks or other small quirks that are easily recognized as stress induced. Jesse doesn't stay at the hostel (he stays with Krishna, the founder of SWAN) because some of them have been sexually abused. While the volunteers help in many ways, from what I can tell their primary impact is just building trust and confidence in the girls. I went to Narti to teach but I was also a counselor, hair dresser, playmate, and friend.

The girls at the hostel have very little in the way of things. They each have a school uniform (which fit poorly for most of them since they're hand-me-downs on their third or forth rotation) and a few outfits. Most of their clothes look very worn and are missing buttons and/or have broken zippers. The little girls who arrive have it the worst because their clothes have been passed down the longest and they literally come with nothing but the clothes on their back. Michael sent the girls metal boxes with latches on them while I was there and the girls use them as a dresser/storage. They were thrilled to move their things out of bags and cardboard boxes into their new metal ones.

Despite the conditions and the girls' pasts, they are all very sweet and kind and have unique personalities that shine through the language barrier. Like any mix of girls, some of them are quiet and reserved, while others are outgoing and obnoxious at times. The live together like sisters and sisterly arguments are normal. I was surprised how catty and "mean-girlish" the older girls could be at times, watching them at times was like being back at home with my junior high kids.

On my second day in Narti one of the girls took my clothes off the line where they were drying and hid them in her stuff. She was one of three girls about my size, so I had an idea who took them. A few other girls found them and brought them back to me which caused some drama. She was embarrassed and had a hard time feeling normal around me since. I explained to her that I wanted to leave my clothes for her and the other girls, but I had to wear them while I was there. During the picnic I let her wear my shorts and t-shirt and that seemed to mend the awkwardness. At first I was annoyed, but they have so little that it was hard for me to be mad.

Most days I spent my mornings reading and talking to the girls as they came in and out of school. I didn't dare leave the hostel (even to pee...painful!) until after school was let out or I'd be stormed by tons of children. After that I would clean, get ready for the day and Jesse and I would decide on the day's lessons. At 10:30 the girls eat breakfast and our English lessons started at 11:00. They usually lasted for 1-2 hours and about 15-20 girls would usually attend (the numbers got lower and lower the longer we were there and the harder the lessons got). The Jesse and I would walk to a little shop in Narti and have water, soda, and the occasional omlette or biscuits. Then we'd go back and teach art if it wasn't so hot that everyone was sleeping and hang out and play for the rest of the day. At 6 or 7 we'd walk back to the shop and have another break and buy water for the night and Jesse would head back to Krishna's house. I would head back to the hostel, enjoy the sunset (often from the top of the school), eat with the kids about 8 and then head for my bed and mosquito net.

The girls have no structure and set bed times, so I often didn't fall asleep until late into the night. Most nights I would wake up to one of them babbling or crying in their sleep. The girls go to bed so late and get up so early in the morning that they seem to struggle during the day. I know Michael is concerned about the lack of structure there, but Krishna is the one who is really in charge of that hostel since he lives close and manages the rescues. I wanted so badly to see the girls there have the structure that the children in Kathmandu have. In the hostels here there is a set bed, meal and study time and play happens in between. The kids know the routine and everything is very orderly and lacks the chaos of the daily routines in Narti. The hostel functions better than the school, but only because Sabita Didi works her butt off to make sure the girls are at the very least clean, fed and they chores are done. In all fairness, the girls do a good job of caring for each other and have a bond that was clear the minute I stepped foot on the property.

I went into Lamahi twice, once with the oldest girl in the Hostel, Irmela, so she could show me off (not really sure what we were doing besides visiting the SWAN and Plan Nepal office) and then again with Jesse later in the trip to use the internet and buy gifts for Sabita Didi before we left. That trip was fun because Krishna let us take his motorcycle so we didn't have to bother with the crowded busses. It was nice to have a break from the hostel and even nicer to feel wind on my skin. It was still hot wind, but wind none the less.

I have so much more to tell you, but it is best told through pictures and video. Jesse is working on posting a video with clips of our time in Narti today so I will link that as soon as I can. I'll also post some pictures later today or tomorrow.

I'm headed in home in just under four days and can't wait to see everyone when I get back! Have a great weekend! : ) L

Tan Ankles, Boiled Milk & It Smells Like Poop

Hi All! Thanks for the comments and happy thoughts...

I'm in Narti living and working at the Lamajuni Girl's Hostel which houses about 30 Kamlari (ex-slave) girls. My friend Jesse and I have been teaching English and Art to the girls in the afternoon once they're out of school. They attend school on the property from 7-10 am, and when I say attend I use that word loosely. The school is really a shame and to some extent a waste of time, which is why I chose to teach them outside of school hours instead of becoming involved in the school.

Jesse is awesome (he told me to say that- he's sitting right next to me emailing his own family) because he came into Lamahi (a very small version of Kathmandu) with me and surprised me by guiding me to the internet shop. I think he was sick of hearing me talk about home...whatever works.

The girls at the home are great for the most part, but I'll be honest, they're driving me nuts at this point. Living with 30 girls for this long is rough. I live in their room, don't get any privacy and god forbid I should go to the toilet alone (when I say toilet, I mean an outhouse with a hole in the ground). I'm ready to head back to Nepal where I at least share a room with female ADULTS. I'm leaving Narti on Thursday night and will arrive in Kathmand on Friday morning some time (Thursday night your time).

I'm so dirty that my ankles constantly look tan. There is a pump, but bathing with my clothes on isn't that effective. The girls are very modest and I struggle to find a private place to change everyday. They eat rice and curry vegetable for breakfast and dinner everyday (I'm craving a blizzard and mom's pizza and a salad daily) and drink BOILED milk from the hostel cows. I drank it the first day and I almost vommited (I hate cold milk) and have had to refuse it ever since. Oh, and it always smells like poop. My room is above the old septic tank and when it heats up to 100+ degrees everyday I can't help but notice it. The cows smell like poop, the water from the pump smells like sewer and the squat toilet smells like poop. If it's not poop, it's BO. Nobody wears deodorant and are lucky to bathe once a week.

Everywhere Jesse and I go people chase us (kids), follow us (adults) and ask to take our picture with their cells or practice their english with us. So annoying. Jesse is like a celebrity around here and everyone remembers him from last year. I can truly say I know what it feels like to be a minority and treated like a side show in the circus. People don't mean to be rude, but damn it's annoying. I'll be happy to get back to the US where I can be a wallflower.

I live with lots of creatures in Narti. Goats, cows, chickens and dogs roam freely onto the hostel land and a toad, lizards, mosquitos (thank god for malaria meds and mosquito nets), a mouse (who ate my tank top and pooped on my bed) and a rats who live in the attic space who are frequently visited by a large python live in my room. I know you're all dying to come with me next year!

On the positive side, I've met a little girl that I've fallen in love with. All of the girls are very sweet, but Gita is a shining star. She is 5ish (Kamlari don't have birthdays) and couldn't hold a pencil when we got there. She has only been out of slavery for 3 weeks and has already come so far. She is a spunky little thing and loves to learn anything I'll teach her. She's learned to draw (she refused to even color during the first lesson), write her name (a huge feat!), the alphabet and a huge array of English words. If I could take her home with me without being caught I wouldn't think twice about it.

Jesse and i threw the girls a picnic on the July 4th. It was extravegant for them, costing us about 4,000 rupees ($100 = 7,700 rupees). The girls requested the food they wanted to cook, we bought it and rented a bus to take them to the park for a day of fun. They cooked an amazing meal (including bread, yey!) over three campfires (amazing) the fed about 60 people with food left over. We had a great time and I enjoyed taking the girls for a hike through the jungle around the lake (muddy pond) to get to the temple in the middle. That was right up my ally.

Today the girls dressed me up in full Tharu dress and took pictures of me. My bone structure is bigger than theirs and they snapped two bangles trying to get them on and off of me (fatty! Huh?). They even put soap on my hands and wrists to get them on and off. It was a little painful and embarrassing, but they got a good laugh at my expense.

This has been a great treat to write you while I'm in the "boonies" and I'll be back at you later this week. I'm doing well and am quite happy here, but ready to hoof it back to Kathmandu to wrap up my trip. I'll be back at you late this week and home the next!

Until then, Laura

PS. Thanks for the celebrity gossip, Yen and Chris! I learned about Michael Jackson on the Nepali news. I couldn't understand a word except for "Michael Jackson" and a picture of him covered in white cloth on a stretcher being put in an ambulance. I'll never forget I was in Nepal when Michael Jackson died. Which reminds me, everyone here always asks if I know George Clooney, Jean Claude Van Damm and various WWF wrestlers. I always say yes and that we have dinner often. ; )