October 24, 2009
Today was one of those days that leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside when you crawl into bed! It was just that good :). To start, some of us went on a walk this morning, and we walked about 20 minutes out to the river! It’s a beautiful view, and maybe next spring we’ll go swim in it! We’d have to hike down about 8000 steps to get to the river, though, so we just looked from the cliff :). Then we walked back, and I read while the kids did their duties.
After breakfast but before church, I pulled out the frisbee, and some of the boys and I played frisbee. It started as a nice slow game of catch, but then Laxuman and Shiva decided to make it a two person game, leaving the rest of us out. So, Anand and I decided to fix the problem by becoming the “monkeys in the middle” and it erupted into a game of keep away, with lots of shouting, a few full out tackles, and shaking laughter! The yard’s not that big at all, so it got pretty interesting... so worth the sweat and dirt after showering!
Then, we went to church. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love going to church here, and the people are really friendly, but I do miss worshiping in English. It’s not that I don’t like the Nepali music, because I really do, but I’m a music person, and not being able to sing with them because I don’t know the words is hard for me! But, to my joy, today, three of the ten songs were songs that we sing in church in America, just translated into Nepali! So, I was able to jump in and sing with them in English, which made the girls really happy :). I’m trying to learn Nepali, and I can fake Nepali sing pretty darn well, but it’s hard when you’re worshiping and you want the words to come from your heart and you have no idea what you’re saying! So, that was a very welcome surprise!
Last night Arun gave me my first taste of FRESH coconut. And to my slight surprise, I LOVED it! So, on our way home from church today, I bought one (for like 50 cents... the kids thought the guy over charged me because I’m white, but I told them I didn’t care!), and we all shared it. It was AMAZING. If you’ve never had fresh coconut, well, you’re really really missing out. It’s this milky sweet crisp crunchy delight that you suck on and then chew up. When I come back to the US, I might move to Hawaii. Surely they need math teachers?!
Then came math time, for about 2 hours, which is a very light day for me! Afterward, I had some time to clean my room (it’s amazing how messy it gets after a week of kids tredging in and out!) and just relax! After moving some of the furniture around (you’d appreciate the set up, Katie!), I grabbed the guitar and headed up to the third floor roof, which is my FAVORITE place to play. You can look over the city while you play and sing at the top of your lungs and the sound is just so crisp and nice! And you can watch the airplanes come and go, which I love to do, along with watching all the people in the street below. When I grow up, I want to have an orphanage with an amazing porch on the roof! Really, it’s that great!
But then, I figured it was time to drag the kids out of the TV room for some fresh air, which can be quite the task. So I bounded downstairs with frisbee in tow, anticipating a battle. To my surprise, Auntie had just told them all to get out of the TV room and had locked it, so I ran into a mob of moping children, pouting over the fact that they couldn’t watch their soaps. A few faces began to light up when they saw the frisbee, so I told them we could go to the field and play if they wanted. Most of us took off, only to find a soccer game already using the field. No problem, we just played in some vacant lot nearby! So, it started as another game of keep away, but then I decided it was time for them to learn Ultimate frisbee. Several of the girls wanted to play as well, which was a blast, as usually they don’t! After explaining and re-explaining and demonstrating the rules, we started the game, and they LOVED it! They caught on relatively quickly, and back and forth we went, bounding around broken bricks, holes, and trash. They were so excited when we finished, that they immediately said that next week we’ll play again (we don’t play on school nights).
Well, at this point we walked home in the setting sun, and as soon as we got home, the kids started begging me to play the “multiplication game.” You’d think it was the most amazing game in the world, the way they want to play it every day! Most of the kids are weak with basic math skills, so I’ve made a few sets of multiplication flash cards, and we’re practicing in pairs each day. A couple nights a week, I’ll mix the kids up and we’ll do it as a group competition, and they love playing! It gets rather intense at times, and we’ve had to agree that I’m the ultimate judge, and they are my minions, so they have no say in determining which team said the answer first!
After that came dinner with this amazing homemade flatbread which was kind of like puffy tortillas. It was so good. Sooo good. And then up to my room for a few hours until bed. Well, soon my room was brimming with children. We maxed out at 13 in here tonight, with a game of pick-up sticks going on in one corner, a game of spades in the middle, some kids looking at pictures on Chloe’s comp that she left for Krishna, and some kids playing with iTunes on my computer. Spades?! You read right. I’ve taught 3 of the boys to play, and it was really entertaining to play with them! There was much unintentional cheating, playing spades whenever, not realizing they weren’t following suit! However, after we worked those kinks out, they really were pretty good, and they enjoyed it! Which makes me SOOOO happy! It’s definitely one of those games that I could play all night long! And the icing on the top: listening to Christmas music the whole time!!! Don’t judge me; I figure here in Nepal we won’t hear any Christmas music in the shops or on the streets for Christmas, so I need to get my fix while here at home, so October’s a perfectly reasonable time to start! That and it makes me happy :). And, it’s a great end to an amazing day that leaves you feeling incredibly thankful to be alive!!!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A Policeman in Lalitupar
October 20, 2009
Often when I walk down the streets, people stare. Some smile at me, and return my greeting of “Namaste.” Some look at me with slight confusion, as though I am some sort of apparition. Others look at me with disdain, I’m guessing because of their assumption that I’m a Christian and am here on His behalf. While watching the kids play soccer today (I was tired and needed to breathe), a man sitting nearby said hello in English! Surprised at the chance for adult conversation in English (the first time since Chloe left almost 3 weeks ago), I moved over and said hello back. We went through the small talk of where I’m from, how long I’ve been here, how long I’m staying, and where I’m living. He was incredibly surprised that I’m a teacher, and said he figured I was a university student (go figure!). I asked him where what he did, and he told me that he’s a policeman.
To be a policeman is dangerous at times in the US, but nothing compared to here in Nepal. With the Maoist uprising from ’96 to ’06, the war was between the police and the Maoists for the most part. The Maoists bombed many police stations, and killed hundreds of police. Here in Kathmandu and the surrounding areas, there were many “shoot out’s” between the rebels and the Police. He saw more than his share of violence and death, and a weary look covered his face as he thought back over those years. With a breath of relief, he stated that today things are better, though, as the fighting has stopped for the most part. There are still pockets of dispute, but his risk is much lower now.
He also feels less risk because he works at a Hindu temple, and the Maoists would almost certainly not bomb one of their own temples. He told me that if I ever come visit it, I will have to let him know, and he will give Prokesh and I a full tour (Prokesh is the one who typically takes us around to visit places; he’s the one who took Chloe and I to Ghorka). I gave him my e-mail address, and he said that he’d love to keep talking over e-mail. Hopefully, he gets to see some light through our conversation and God opens a door for talk of Jesus between him and Prokesh if they get the chance to meet each other!
Often when I walk down the streets, people stare. Some smile at me, and return my greeting of “Namaste.” Some look at me with slight confusion, as though I am some sort of apparition. Others look at me with disdain, I’m guessing because of their assumption that I’m a Christian and am here on His behalf. While watching the kids play soccer today (I was tired and needed to breathe), a man sitting nearby said hello in English! Surprised at the chance for adult conversation in English (the first time since Chloe left almost 3 weeks ago), I moved over and said hello back. We went through the small talk of where I’m from, how long I’ve been here, how long I’m staying, and where I’m living. He was incredibly surprised that I’m a teacher, and said he figured I was a university student (go figure!). I asked him where what he did, and he told me that he’s a policeman.
To be a policeman is dangerous at times in the US, but nothing compared to here in Nepal. With the Maoist uprising from ’96 to ’06, the war was between the police and the Maoists for the most part. The Maoists bombed many police stations, and killed hundreds of police. Here in Kathmandu and the surrounding areas, there were many “shoot out’s” between the rebels and the Police. He saw more than his share of violence and death, and a weary look covered his face as he thought back over those years. With a breath of relief, he stated that today things are better, though, as the fighting has stopped for the most part. There are still pockets of dispute, but his risk is much lower now.
He also feels less risk because he works at a Hindu temple, and the Maoists would almost certainly not bomb one of their own temples. He told me that if I ever come visit it, I will have to let him know, and he will give Prokesh and I a full tour (Prokesh is the one who typically takes us around to visit places; he’s the one who took Chloe and I to Ghorka). I gave him my e-mail address, and he said that he’d love to keep talking over e-mail. Hopefully, he gets to see some light through our conversation and God opens a door for talk of Jesus between him and Prokesh if they get the chance to meet each other!
Punam... a girl beyond her years!
October 19, 2009
Punam is like a mother to all the other children. She’s 15 years old but she seems far beyond her years. She’s an amazing cook, a diligent student, and a faithful leader of the kids. She doesn’t always live here as she’s trying to complete her schooling (she’s in her final year of school) and she needed more time to study, but she stays here over holiday’s and breaks.
Punam has several brothers and sisters, and her mom lives nearby. However, when she was small, she felt a distance growing between her and her parents who she felt did not love her like they loved their other children. Looking back, she believes this was God’s work, as when she was young she voluntarily moved into Pastor Krishna’s hostel, even though her family is Hindu.
While living in Krishna’s home, she began to hear of the love of God and to partake in the love of a family and parents. Pastor Krishna and his wife showed her the love of parents for the first time, and she began to feel like she was wanted. Over time, Jesus grew the seed of faith in Punam’s heart, growing her into a daughter of faith! While the angels were rejoicing over her decision, on earth there is much anger and hatred over her decision. When she told her mother of her decision and tried to speak with her about the works of Jesus, her mother told her that she would be better off if Punam had not been born, or was dead. The wounds of her mother’s wounds have left scars that cut deep into her heart, but Punam continues to pray that one day her mother will change.
While talking with me, Punam described a dream she had a few months ago, explaining that she rarely dreams much less remembers her dreams. She told me that she was standing by a large lake, and there was a man dressed in white, calling her to come to Him. She explained to Him that she could not swim and could not make it. So, He came and took her hand and told her that He is with her and would walk with her on the water. Amazed, I asked her if she’d ever heard the story of Peter walking on the water. Confused, she said that she hadn’t. So, we pulled out our Bibles and read from Matthew about Peter walking on the water to Jesus. As I read aloud, her eyes grew larger and larger, wonder and amazement etched into her face. When I finished, she said, “Sister, I’ve never read this before! This was like my dream!” We talked about how in Jesus all things are possible, and that He walks with us through the storms and on the water!
This led us into another discussion, as she began to describe to me some of the teachers at school. I don’t know them well, and I imagine they’re different around me than they are around the students. But, before I arrived to teach in the school, Punam explained that many of the teachers were very vocal in their hatred of Christians. Their English teacher went so far as to state that all Christians should be grouped together and killed. Needless to say, Punam was angry beyond belief, and had to keep herself from jumping up and shouting at her teacher. We went back to Matthew 5, where Jesus talks about how Punam’s reward is great because her teacher is persecuting her because of Jesus. She took comfort in that, and looked at me and said, “He’s not like that so much anymore though.” I asked her what had caused the change, and she said that when I came to work in the school, all the teachers stopped saying things about Christians, and even began to treat her with some dignity. Extremely surprised, I told her that I’d never talked with any of them about Jesus. She laughed and said “But you wear a cross and live with us. That makes you a Christian here.” Then she told me that this English teacher had also asked for a Bible (Laxuman had asked me for one to give to a teacher, but I had no idea the background of this teacher) and was reading it. God moves in incredible ways, and as Mark 4 says, God will grow His kingdom whether we sleep or wake, and it’s in His hands! I never thought that God bringing me here would bring rest from persecution for the kids, but I am so thankful that He has! Pray that God would continue to work in the hearts of these teachers, as they look to the kids for answers about Jesus and Christianity!
Punam is like a mother to all the other children. She’s 15 years old but she seems far beyond her years. She’s an amazing cook, a diligent student, and a faithful leader of the kids. She doesn’t always live here as she’s trying to complete her schooling (she’s in her final year of school) and she needed more time to study, but she stays here over holiday’s and breaks.
Punam has several brothers and sisters, and her mom lives nearby. However, when she was small, she felt a distance growing between her and her parents who she felt did not love her like they loved their other children. Looking back, she believes this was God’s work, as when she was young she voluntarily moved into Pastor Krishna’s hostel, even though her family is Hindu.
While living in Krishna’s home, she began to hear of the love of God and to partake in the love of a family and parents. Pastor Krishna and his wife showed her the love of parents for the first time, and she began to feel like she was wanted. Over time, Jesus grew the seed of faith in Punam’s heart, growing her into a daughter of faith! While the angels were rejoicing over her decision, on earth there is much anger and hatred over her decision. When she told her mother of her decision and tried to speak with her about the works of Jesus, her mother told her that she would be better off if Punam had not been born, or was dead. The wounds of her mother’s wounds have left scars that cut deep into her heart, but Punam continues to pray that one day her mother will change.
While talking with me, Punam described a dream she had a few months ago, explaining that she rarely dreams much less remembers her dreams. She told me that she was standing by a large lake, and there was a man dressed in white, calling her to come to Him. She explained to Him that she could not swim and could not make it. So, He came and took her hand and told her that He is with her and would walk with her on the water. Amazed, I asked her if she’d ever heard the story of Peter walking on the water. Confused, she said that she hadn’t. So, we pulled out our Bibles and read from Matthew about Peter walking on the water to Jesus. As I read aloud, her eyes grew larger and larger, wonder and amazement etched into her face. When I finished, she said, “Sister, I’ve never read this before! This was like my dream!” We talked about how in Jesus all things are possible, and that He walks with us through the storms and on the water!
This led us into another discussion, as she began to describe to me some of the teachers at school. I don’t know them well, and I imagine they’re different around me than they are around the students. But, before I arrived to teach in the school, Punam explained that many of the teachers were very vocal in their hatred of Christians. Their English teacher went so far as to state that all Christians should be grouped together and killed. Needless to say, Punam was angry beyond belief, and had to keep herself from jumping up and shouting at her teacher. We went back to Matthew 5, where Jesus talks about how Punam’s reward is great because her teacher is persecuting her because of Jesus. She took comfort in that, and looked at me and said, “He’s not like that so much anymore though.” I asked her what had caused the change, and she said that when I came to work in the school, all the teachers stopped saying things about Christians, and even began to treat her with some dignity. Extremely surprised, I told her that I’d never talked with any of them about Jesus. She laughed and said “But you wear a cross and live with us. That makes you a Christian here.” Then she told me that this English teacher had also asked for a Bible (Laxuman had asked me for one to give to a teacher, but I had no idea the background of this teacher) and was reading it. God moves in incredible ways, and as Mark 4 says, God will grow His kingdom whether we sleep or wake, and it’s in His hands! I never thought that God bringing me here would bring rest from persecution for the kids, but I am so thankful that He has! Pray that God would continue to work in the hearts of these teachers, as they look to the kids for answers about Jesus and Christianity!
Monday, October 19, 2009
October 18, 2009
We had a four day weekend this weekend because of the Hindu holiday Tihar. It’s the festival of lights I think, and there are “Christmas” lights up everywhere with these little lamps burning. It’s actually really pretty, though it’s sad that it’s to call on the Hindu god. But, I’m totally ok with having a 4 day weekend, as we won’t have another shortened week until December 4th (yeah, you better enjoy your Thanksgiving!). It’s back to 6 day school weeks for us :)
But, as we don’t have school these 4 days, the kids had the brilliant idea of going for a walk in the mornings. Wait, did they say walk? Oh, let me translate. That means, let’s go out at 5 am and run hard for 3-4 minutes and then walk for 3-4 and repeat 6 or 7 times. It’s actually really refreshing, though it was quite a surprise on the first day! We do that until about 5:45 when we go back home, and the kids do their duties and we have devotionals/prayer meeting. Then, Shiva looks at me like a little kid (he’s 15!) and says, “Sister, football?!” So, as the children have finished their duties, we round up the boys (the girls are widgems as Chloe would say, meaning pansies who are always “paining”) and we’re off to our little makeshift soccer field.
The mornings are quite cool, making for really enjoyable soccer weather. Most of the boys have on flip flops (several of which are broken), and they roll up their pants as high as they’ll go on their legs, making a very humorous picture! Shiva’s by far the best, but the other boys aren’t bad either. We pick teams, and start playing on the dew laden ground, dancing around earthworms and trash. It’s usually 3 on 3, and within seconds, everyone’s covered in a fine layer of dirt and mud! Today, though, I went out for awhile as I had a mixture of blood in with the dirt and mud and wanted to ensure it was “ok,”, so Prabin says, “Sister, I can use your shoes?” My feet are much bigger than his, but I happily agreed and he looked slightly like a clown as he put on the first one. Then, Rajkumar ran over and said “Sister, I get the other one!” So they split them. I’m so not kidding. It was amazing. They each had one tennis shoe and one flip flop.
I go back into the game about 10 minutes later, and tell them to keep the shoes, because they’re enjoying them so much. So now I’m playing barefoot soccer without any sort of leg protective gear beyond the layer of dirt guarding my legs, and let me tell you, it was quite the experience. I don’t think my legs have ever known that sort of pain. First off, we were playing on a mixture of dirt, rocks and weeds, leading to a general pain throughout my feet. Then, when kicking the ball without shoes on, it leads to a whole new level of pain, especially since the cold air is keeping the bones rigid. Finally, I played goalie most of the game, which was great, because all the kids except Shiva were afraid of me kicking them with the ball (I can kick the ball a lot harder than them, and once I knocked one of the little boys over with the ball!).
Well, as life would have it, Shiva charged down the field with the ball, and I figured it was in my best interest to charge him (for my Aggie soccer friends, this might sound familiar!), and he kicked the ball with his might, and it slammed into my shin bouncing away. I thought my legs had known pain before, but no, they’d never known pain! My shin and calf turned this lovely red color, visible even under the dirt! Grimacing underneath my grin, I assured them that I was fine. Arun came bounding back in his gangly way to invite me to play forward. I said absolutely not, as I wanted to do as little running as possible! We finished up our game (they won, but only by one goal!), and limped home like street dogs. As we gathered around the well to wash our legs off, we managed to scrub off all the dirt, after seeing all the fun we had obviously had (dirt tells all), the girls decided they needed in on the action. So in the evening, out we went again, me with 15 kiddos, to play soccer on a volleyball field. Oh the joys of soccer!
We had a four day weekend this weekend because of the Hindu holiday Tihar. It’s the festival of lights I think, and there are “Christmas” lights up everywhere with these little lamps burning. It’s actually really pretty, though it’s sad that it’s to call on the Hindu god. But, I’m totally ok with having a 4 day weekend, as we won’t have another shortened week until December 4th (yeah, you better enjoy your Thanksgiving!). It’s back to 6 day school weeks for us :)
But, as we don’t have school these 4 days, the kids had the brilliant idea of going for a walk in the mornings. Wait, did they say walk? Oh, let me translate. That means, let’s go out at 5 am and run hard for 3-4 minutes and then walk for 3-4 and repeat 6 or 7 times. It’s actually really refreshing, though it was quite a surprise on the first day! We do that until about 5:45 when we go back home, and the kids do their duties and we have devotionals/prayer meeting. Then, Shiva looks at me like a little kid (he’s 15!) and says, “Sister, football?!” So, as the children have finished their duties, we round up the boys (the girls are widgems as Chloe would say, meaning pansies who are always “paining”) and we’re off to our little makeshift soccer field.
The mornings are quite cool, making for really enjoyable soccer weather. Most of the boys have on flip flops (several of which are broken), and they roll up their pants as high as they’ll go on their legs, making a very humorous picture! Shiva’s by far the best, but the other boys aren’t bad either. We pick teams, and start playing on the dew laden ground, dancing around earthworms and trash. It’s usually 3 on 3, and within seconds, everyone’s covered in a fine layer of dirt and mud! Today, though, I went out for awhile as I had a mixture of blood in with the dirt and mud and wanted to ensure it was “ok,”, so Prabin says, “Sister, I can use your shoes?” My feet are much bigger than his, but I happily agreed and he looked slightly like a clown as he put on the first one. Then, Rajkumar ran over and said “Sister, I get the other one!” So they split them. I’m so not kidding. It was amazing. They each had one tennis shoe and one flip flop.
I go back into the game about 10 minutes later, and tell them to keep the shoes, because they’re enjoying them so much. So now I’m playing barefoot soccer without any sort of leg protective gear beyond the layer of dirt guarding my legs, and let me tell you, it was quite the experience. I don’t think my legs have ever known that sort of pain. First off, we were playing on a mixture of dirt, rocks and weeds, leading to a general pain throughout my feet. Then, when kicking the ball without shoes on, it leads to a whole new level of pain, especially since the cold air is keeping the bones rigid. Finally, I played goalie most of the game, which was great, because all the kids except Shiva were afraid of me kicking them with the ball (I can kick the ball a lot harder than them, and once I knocked one of the little boys over with the ball!).
Well, as life would have it, Shiva charged down the field with the ball, and I figured it was in my best interest to charge him (for my Aggie soccer friends, this might sound familiar!), and he kicked the ball with his might, and it slammed into my shin bouncing away. I thought my legs had known pain before, but no, they’d never known pain! My shin and calf turned this lovely red color, visible even under the dirt! Grimacing underneath my grin, I assured them that I was fine. Arun came bounding back in his gangly way to invite me to play forward. I said absolutely not, as I wanted to do as little running as possible! We finished up our game (they won, but only by one goal!), and limped home like street dogs. As we gathered around the well to wash our legs off, we managed to scrub off all the dirt, after seeing all the fun we had obviously had (dirt tells all), the girls decided they needed in on the action. So in the evening, out we went again, me with 15 kiddos, to play soccer on a volleyball field. Oh the joys of soccer!
Soccer and a Surprise!!!
October 16, 2009
It’s a beautiful day in Lalitpur, the district in Kathmandu where we live. There’s a hint of a breeze in the cool evening air, and the golden rays of sun are edging toward the other side of the world. A perfect night for soccer... errrr, football! There’s this “field” in the sense that there’s this large oval shaped dirt patch with weeds growing around it 2 minutes from our house. I think back in the day it was a volleyball court, but, obviously someone found a better use for it! The goals on one end are these large, cement tunnel things that look like the drain pipes they put under the roads in America. I think someone forgot them years ago from their aged looks! The other end just has two large rocks, and if you’re not watching where you run, you’ll probably break your foot, or your leg, or both.
Shiva yells, “Sister! Let’s go!” So I grab my tennis shoes (I need as much advantage as I can get playing with these barefooted opponents!) and we head off to the field along with Rajkumar and Prabin. We take over the field from a bunch of bikers (I think we were nice about it?! they can ride in the street anyway), and Shiva says, “Sister, you’re on my team.” I look at him and ensure that he realizes that this will mean he’ll be on the losing team. He just laughs. So we’re off. And in as much as I think I’m bad (and I’m in no way good!), I remember more than I thought from college and manage to steal the ball from Rajkumar a fair number of times. Now to be fair to him, he’s 12 years younger than me, but still! Once I steal the ball, Shiva knows to yell “Sister!” and I’ll do my best to kick it to him. I actually had some nice backward kicks and managed to stop and reverse the ball fast enough to leave Rajkumar behind and score one goal! We actually dominated that game!
But, where there are footballs, there will be Nepali boys (don’t ask where all the girls are. I’ve never seen a girl playing soccer out there!). Slowly but surely a crowd gathers and our game turns into a much much more competitive match with guys flaunting Shiva’s quickness and skill. I saw a boy on the sideline wistfully watching, and I was about to die, so I generously asked him if he wanted in for me. His eyes lit off and he dove in. I actually had as much fun watching as I did playing, which isn’t something I can often say. I know some pretty fantastic soccer players in the US, and I’m pretty sure that a match between them and this ragamuffin Nepali team might go in favor of the Nepalis!
We walk home as the last rays of sunlight walk towards tomorrow, tired but happy. When we get home, Asha comes flying out of the house, “Sister! SISTER!” “Yes?!” “The lady at the post office called! Your package is here! Your package is here! Hurry Hurry!!!” So we spend about 5 minutes debating whether to go tonight (It’s already 5 till 6 and I have no idea how long the post office is open), but after minimal convincing that we’d be fast enough (I was really excited to get a package, let me tell you! we’ve been wondering where this package has been for the last 2 weeks!!!), I grab my bag and passport and we’re off again, this time with Asha and Laxuman but no Rajkumar.
Imagine the fastest you’ve ever walked and multiply that times ten. Now imagine a busy highway with no stoplights and very loose guidelines of traffic and pitch black surroundings and you have one intense walk. We’re darting about in between cars (all dressed in dark colors; I clearly wasn’t thinking!), and to be honest I’m really glad there’re three boys and two girls. We make the 40 minute walk in around 30 minutes and to our excitement the post office is still open. So we pile through the door, dripping with sweat and brimming with eagerness. I ask the lady behind the desk if I can pick up my package and give her my passport, and she looks at it and goes and picks up this lonely piece of paper. She walks back and has me sign this book, and then tells us that we have to go to the general post office because I have to present my passport to claim it or something like that.
We wilt like morning-glories at 3 pm, and take the paper and turn to leave. Laxuman says what we’re all thinking, “We walked that fast for a piece of paper?!” I laughed and said, “I guess so. But I’ll be able to pick up my package next Wednesday, so it’s ok! Let’s go home now.” Unimpressed with my route (the only one I know, and the one Uncle showed me), the boys lead us through this maze of very very dark uninhabited roads through who knows where to get us home. True to their word it’s faster (but only by like 5 minutes), but they failed to mention the fact that it’s the most complicated (and slightly scary) route ever! But, we made it home, and now we wait till Wednesday, when I have to figure out how to get to the general post office...
It’s a beautiful day in Lalitpur, the district in Kathmandu where we live. There’s a hint of a breeze in the cool evening air, and the golden rays of sun are edging toward the other side of the world. A perfect night for soccer... errrr, football! There’s this “field” in the sense that there’s this large oval shaped dirt patch with weeds growing around it 2 minutes from our house. I think back in the day it was a volleyball court, but, obviously someone found a better use for it! The goals on one end are these large, cement tunnel things that look like the drain pipes they put under the roads in America. I think someone forgot them years ago from their aged looks! The other end just has two large rocks, and if you’re not watching where you run, you’ll probably break your foot, or your leg, or both.
Shiva yells, “Sister! Let’s go!” So I grab my tennis shoes (I need as much advantage as I can get playing with these barefooted opponents!) and we head off to the field along with Rajkumar and Prabin. We take over the field from a bunch of bikers (I think we were nice about it?! they can ride in the street anyway), and Shiva says, “Sister, you’re on my team.” I look at him and ensure that he realizes that this will mean he’ll be on the losing team. He just laughs. So we’re off. And in as much as I think I’m bad (and I’m in no way good!), I remember more than I thought from college and manage to steal the ball from Rajkumar a fair number of times. Now to be fair to him, he’s 12 years younger than me, but still! Once I steal the ball, Shiva knows to yell “Sister!” and I’ll do my best to kick it to him. I actually had some nice backward kicks and managed to stop and reverse the ball fast enough to leave Rajkumar behind and score one goal! We actually dominated that game!
But, where there are footballs, there will be Nepali boys (don’t ask where all the girls are. I’ve never seen a girl playing soccer out there!). Slowly but surely a crowd gathers and our game turns into a much much more competitive match with guys flaunting Shiva’s quickness and skill. I saw a boy on the sideline wistfully watching, and I was about to die, so I generously asked him if he wanted in for me. His eyes lit off and he dove in. I actually had as much fun watching as I did playing, which isn’t something I can often say. I know some pretty fantastic soccer players in the US, and I’m pretty sure that a match between them and this ragamuffin Nepali team might go in favor of the Nepalis!
We walk home as the last rays of sunlight walk towards tomorrow, tired but happy. When we get home, Asha comes flying out of the house, “Sister! SISTER!” “Yes?!” “The lady at the post office called! Your package is here! Your package is here! Hurry Hurry!!!” So we spend about 5 minutes debating whether to go tonight (It’s already 5 till 6 and I have no idea how long the post office is open), but after minimal convincing that we’d be fast enough (I was really excited to get a package, let me tell you! we’ve been wondering where this package has been for the last 2 weeks!!!), I grab my bag and passport and we’re off again, this time with Asha and Laxuman but no Rajkumar.
Imagine the fastest you’ve ever walked and multiply that times ten. Now imagine a busy highway with no stoplights and very loose guidelines of traffic and pitch black surroundings and you have one intense walk. We’re darting about in between cars (all dressed in dark colors; I clearly wasn’t thinking!), and to be honest I’m really glad there’re three boys and two girls. We make the 40 minute walk in around 30 minutes and to our excitement the post office is still open. So we pile through the door, dripping with sweat and brimming with eagerness. I ask the lady behind the desk if I can pick up my package and give her my passport, and she looks at it and goes and picks up this lonely piece of paper. She walks back and has me sign this book, and then tells us that we have to go to the general post office because I have to present my passport to claim it or something like that.
We wilt like morning-glories at 3 pm, and take the paper and turn to leave. Laxuman says what we’re all thinking, “We walked that fast for a piece of paper?!” I laughed and said, “I guess so. But I’ll be able to pick up my package next Wednesday, so it’s ok! Let’s go home now.” Unimpressed with my route (the only one I know, and the one Uncle showed me), the boys lead us through this maze of very very dark uninhabited roads through who knows where to get us home. True to their word it’s faster (but only by like 5 minutes), but they failed to mention the fact that it’s the most complicated (and slightly scary) route ever! But, we made it home, and now we wait till Wednesday, when I have to figure out how to get to the general post office...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sitting in on Quirky Conferences
October 14, 2009
When I was little, I hated Barbies. To this day, they’re pretty close to pond scum. But I used to love playing “house,” or pretending I was the teacher in a school and Liesl was my student (along with some of our neighbor kids... fitting, right?! it’s the bossiness in me!) or making my American doll go to school. Today, I felt as though I was playing dress up once again. Auntie’s officially made me the guardian as far as school goes, so I got to sit through 15 conferences today. Exciting, right?
So, to start off, 8 of the 15 kids are passing everything. Not a great percentage. Of the 7 who are failing, 7 are failing math. Yep, it’s the most commonly failed subject around here :\. Then, you add to that 12 other failed classes between my failing students, and you have a LOT of catching up to do. Well, this was enough for a lengthy conversation, but to my utter confusion, about halfway through the conference, the principal (aka my boss) looks at me and says, “What is your weight?” Through his thick accent and my assumption that his question had something to do with me helping the students pass, I looked at him and asked him to repeat the question. Still not comprehending, I finally asked him to spell it. “W-e-i-g-h-t.” So I told him, but I added that I only know my weight in pounds, so he’d have to convert it. He jotted it down on a piece of paper, and then went right back into the conference. Strange and slightly unnerving to say the least!
Then, when the older kids were in for their conference, he suddenly says, “Where is my Bible?” Well, we all looked confused, as we’re all pretty sure he’s Hindu. He knows the children are Christians, though, and he wanted them to swear on a Bible that they would do better next term. The kids jumped in and said, “No, we cannot swear on the Bible because God has told us not to take oaths.” Which led into a discussion of Catholicism vs. Protestants. Explain that difference to a Hindu in a nation where Catholics don’t exist! I don’t even know how he knew there were two branches! So finally, he tells the children to pray to their God that they will do better next term. Well, let me tell you that I’ll be praying, because then he looked at me and said “With you at home with them, they should all be passing next term!” Now, I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but I have one girl failing SIX classes, one boy failing four, and another failing three. The other four are just failing the one or two. That’s a LOT of catch-up work to do, and there’s only one of me and 15 of them! But I just smiled and said, “We’ll do our best!”
When I was little, I hated Barbies. To this day, they’re pretty close to pond scum. But I used to love playing “house,” or pretending I was the teacher in a school and Liesl was my student (along with some of our neighbor kids... fitting, right?! it’s the bossiness in me!) or making my American doll go to school. Today, I felt as though I was playing dress up once again. Auntie’s officially made me the guardian as far as school goes, so I got to sit through 15 conferences today. Exciting, right?
So, to start off, 8 of the 15 kids are passing everything. Not a great percentage. Of the 7 who are failing, 7 are failing math. Yep, it’s the most commonly failed subject around here :\. Then, you add to that 12 other failed classes between my failing students, and you have a LOT of catching up to do. Well, this was enough for a lengthy conversation, but to my utter confusion, about halfway through the conference, the principal (aka my boss) looks at me and says, “What is your weight?” Through his thick accent and my assumption that his question had something to do with me helping the students pass, I looked at him and asked him to repeat the question. Still not comprehending, I finally asked him to spell it. “W-e-i-g-h-t.” So I told him, but I added that I only know my weight in pounds, so he’d have to convert it. He jotted it down on a piece of paper, and then went right back into the conference. Strange and slightly unnerving to say the least!
Then, when the older kids were in for their conference, he suddenly says, “Where is my Bible?” Well, we all looked confused, as we’re all pretty sure he’s Hindu. He knows the children are Christians, though, and he wanted them to swear on a Bible that they would do better next term. The kids jumped in and said, “No, we cannot swear on the Bible because God has told us not to take oaths.” Which led into a discussion of Catholicism vs. Protestants. Explain that difference to a Hindu in a nation where Catholics don’t exist! I don’t even know how he knew there were two branches! So finally, he tells the children to pray to their God that they will do better next term. Well, let me tell you that I’ll be praying, because then he looked at me and said “With you at home with them, they should all be passing next term!” Now, I’m not saying it isn’t possible, but I have one girl failing SIX classes, one boy failing four, and another failing three. The other four are just failing the one or two. That’s a LOT of catch-up work to do, and there’s only one of me and 15 of them! But I just smiled and said, “We’ll do our best!”
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Laxuman... a rising musician
October 13,2009
Laxuman might be my favorite kid to laugh with. His eyes twinkle like diamonds protruding out of mud while his grin rivals a banana! He’s the one who says “You know why, sister? Because of Gravity!” He also is an AMAZING guitarist, playing off of 12 lessons in which he learned fingerings. For a 14 year old kid, scratch that, for any age player, he’s really really gifted! And he has the patience and eagerness to teach me Nepali songs while I teach him English ones. This might be one of my most favorite activities!
Laxuman is the only boy in his family, and has 3 sisters- 2 older, 1 younger. I use the term family rather loosely... his sisters and mom are who he considers family. His father has at least one other wife, but Laxuman suspects that it’s more like many other wives. When I asked him about his dad, the glistening tears betrayed the strength he tried to hold onto. I could feel his pain in my own heart as he explained that his sisters and himself had never meant anything to his father; they didn’t even know where he was. He emphatically added that he will have ONE wife and care for his children!
When I asked more about his mom and sisters, his face lit back up. They’re all believers, and his two older sisters work here in Kathmandu. His younger sister is 5, so she still lives with his mom in Pokarah, a 7 hour bus ride away. In their village there’s a church of about 20 people from all around the area. When at home, Laxuman loves to teach guitar and drum lessons (did I mention he’s a phenomenal drummer?!) to people in the church. When I asked him if they paid for them, he looked at me in amazement and said, “Sister! They’re Christians! Why would I take money from them?!” And I just laughed and agreed. Here, the Christian family is more like what I would imagine it was like back in Acts. Most are poor, but their needs are all met. If you render a service to a brother/sister, then they’ll often pay you back with rice, guava, fruit, etc.
Laxuman wants to be a musician when he grows up, and he’ll get the guitar when I leave. He’s great about working with the other kids on guitar, but often he’ll go out on the roof and sit and play and sing for hours on end. He’s the only kid who’s allowed to keep the guitar overnight; he treasures it like a firstborn baby! Let me contrast it with his old guitar (which no longer is useable...): His old guitar has a hole in the back of it, it is electrical taped together in places, the bridge (I think that’s what it’s called?!) is made of paper he shaped to hold the strings in place, and some of the knobs for tuning the strings don’t work. Add to that the fact that since I’ve arrived the entire neck has pulled away from the body, leaving a 2 inch gap between the strings and the body of the guitar, and it definitely doesn’t work at all (sorry for those non-musicians reading this; those who know about guitar will appreciate the horrific state of this guitar!)! One day I expect to receive a CD in the mail of songs he’s recorded... In the meantime, I’ll just continue recording his songs with my camera!
Laxuman might be my favorite kid to laugh with. His eyes twinkle like diamonds protruding out of mud while his grin rivals a banana! He’s the one who says “You know why, sister? Because of Gravity!” He also is an AMAZING guitarist, playing off of 12 lessons in which he learned fingerings. For a 14 year old kid, scratch that, for any age player, he’s really really gifted! And he has the patience and eagerness to teach me Nepali songs while I teach him English ones. This might be one of my most favorite activities!
Laxuman is the only boy in his family, and has 3 sisters- 2 older, 1 younger. I use the term family rather loosely... his sisters and mom are who he considers family. His father has at least one other wife, but Laxuman suspects that it’s more like many other wives. When I asked him about his dad, the glistening tears betrayed the strength he tried to hold onto. I could feel his pain in my own heart as he explained that his sisters and himself had never meant anything to his father; they didn’t even know where he was. He emphatically added that he will have ONE wife and care for his children!
When I asked more about his mom and sisters, his face lit back up. They’re all believers, and his two older sisters work here in Kathmandu. His younger sister is 5, so she still lives with his mom in Pokarah, a 7 hour bus ride away. In their village there’s a church of about 20 people from all around the area. When at home, Laxuman loves to teach guitar and drum lessons (did I mention he’s a phenomenal drummer?!) to people in the church. When I asked him if they paid for them, he looked at me in amazement and said, “Sister! They’re Christians! Why would I take money from them?!” And I just laughed and agreed. Here, the Christian family is more like what I would imagine it was like back in Acts. Most are poor, but their needs are all met. If you render a service to a brother/sister, then they’ll often pay you back with rice, guava, fruit, etc.
Laxuman wants to be a musician when he grows up, and he’ll get the guitar when I leave. He’s great about working with the other kids on guitar, but often he’ll go out on the roof and sit and play and sing for hours on end. He’s the only kid who’s allowed to keep the guitar overnight; he treasures it like a firstborn baby! Let me contrast it with his old guitar (which no longer is useable...): His old guitar has a hole in the back of it, it is electrical taped together in places, the bridge (I think that’s what it’s called?!) is made of paper he shaped to hold the strings in place, and some of the knobs for tuning the strings don’t work. Add to that the fact that since I’ve arrived the entire neck has pulled away from the body, leaving a 2 inch gap between the strings and the body of the guitar, and it definitely doesn’t work at all (sorry for those non-musicians reading this; those who know about guitar will appreciate the horrific state of this guitar!)! One day I expect to receive a CD in the mail of songs he’s recorded... In the meantime, I’ll just continue recording his songs with my camera!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
My life as Maria in the Sound of Music...
October 10, 2009
A little background: The girls have this hair dye/bleach stuff that they use to “lighten” the color of their black hair. Essentially, it makes their hair have red highlights. Well, at school last week, the principal told the students that he didn’t want to see any red in their hair (understand, this red was incredibly faint. How he even noticed, I don’t know!) because BLACK hair is the national color of Nepal, and red hair is for countries like America (great, right?!).
Well, Manisha had the most red in her hair of the girls, and this weekend she decided to fix it. By using pen ink. And the boys decided to help her! While I was talking with some of the girls in my room, the boys were liberally applying black fountain pen ink to her hair straight from the jar, and laughing as the color ran down her skin. Their reasoning: “Oh Manisha, it will wash off! Just let us finish your hair!” So, afterwards she goes to wash her hands and face, only to find that it won’t come off. At all.
So a distraught Manisha flies into my room, with black hands and a black face, saying, “Sister! What can I do to get this off?! If Auntie sees me, I will be in so much trouble! And if it’s not gone by school tomorrow, I’ll really be in trouble!” In shock, I said, “What in the world were you doing?!” And a long tale of how the boys “helped” her tumbled from her mouth. I sent her into my bathroom, and had her try to use Purell and hand-soap to scrub the ink off her skin with an old tooth brush (I had no idea what to use to remove pen ink!). About 45 minutes later, she came out, skin back to a slightly darker shade of brown than usual, but not noticeable unless you were looking for it.
Problem being: there was still ink in her hair. So, off she scurried to the girls’ bathroom, and I gave her some shampoo, the Purell, and hand-soap, and told her to use all three to try to get the excess ink out. She spent probably another 30 minutes in there scrubbing her hair, and finally she emerged, black hair without a trace of red, and brown skin without a trace of black. Relieved, she tiptoed back into my room to return all 3 bottles, and we all agreed that she looked “normal” once more! It reminded me of the scene where Liesl climbs into Maria's window, soaking wet, and has to dry off in there before going back to bed :). Insert pen ink for rain and the stories are practically identical!
A little background: The girls have this hair dye/bleach stuff that they use to “lighten” the color of their black hair. Essentially, it makes their hair have red highlights. Well, at school last week, the principal told the students that he didn’t want to see any red in their hair (understand, this red was incredibly faint. How he even noticed, I don’t know!) because BLACK hair is the national color of Nepal, and red hair is for countries like America (great, right?!).
Well, Manisha had the most red in her hair of the girls, and this weekend she decided to fix it. By using pen ink. And the boys decided to help her! While I was talking with some of the girls in my room, the boys were liberally applying black fountain pen ink to her hair straight from the jar, and laughing as the color ran down her skin. Their reasoning: “Oh Manisha, it will wash off! Just let us finish your hair!” So, afterwards she goes to wash her hands and face, only to find that it won’t come off. At all.
So a distraught Manisha flies into my room, with black hands and a black face, saying, “Sister! What can I do to get this off?! If Auntie sees me, I will be in so much trouble! And if it’s not gone by school tomorrow, I’ll really be in trouble!” In shock, I said, “What in the world were you doing?!” And a long tale of how the boys “helped” her tumbled from her mouth. I sent her into my bathroom, and had her try to use Purell and hand-soap to scrub the ink off her skin with an old tooth brush (I had no idea what to use to remove pen ink!). About 45 minutes later, she came out, skin back to a slightly darker shade of brown than usual, but not noticeable unless you were looking for it.
Problem being: there was still ink in her hair. So, off she scurried to the girls’ bathroom, and I gave her some shampoo, the Purell, and hand-soap, and told her to use all three to try to get the excess ink out. She spent probably another 30 minutes in there scrubbing her hair, and finally she emerged, black hair without a trace of red, and brown skin without a trace of black. Relieved, she tiptoed back into my room to return all 3 bottles, and we all agreed that she looked “normal” once more! It reminded me of the scene where Liesl climbs into Maria's window, soaking wet, and has to dry off in there before going back to bed :). Insert pen ink for rain and the stories are practically identical!
Learning math... beyond college!
October 9, 2009
I think I maybe know why I was sent here this year. Not that there had to be a reason! I mean, working with orphans for 8 months would have totally been enough, but after seeing the kids results from their last exams, I have a much clearer picture!
Here in Nepal, kids take all the tests for their classes at once, every month or month and a half. So, for a week, it’s kind of like finals, and this happens maybe 6 times a year? Well, today they all got their results from the tests they took right before we had that long holiday, and most of them did pretty well in all their classes, except one... you got it, math. Out of 15 kids, about half of them failed math. And the cutoff to pass is at 40%. So, needless to say, we have our work cut out for us!
Basically, it goes like this: I wake up and arouse 15 sleeping beauties from their sweet wonderland for morning prayers. Then, I come back to my room and read/play guitar for about an hour while they do their morning chores. Then, it’s morning math tutoring time for the next hour, helping whoever I missed the night before. Now comes the much anticipated breakfast and getting everyone ready for school. And it’s off to school for us all, and for the next 3 hours I’m continuously breaking down the math for kids who are pseudo-fluent in English. With very very heavy accents. And very different ways of saying general math operations (in the US, the word “into” typically refers to division: how many times does 3 go into 9? however, here it means multiplication, and it took me a couple days to realize that 3 into 9 really is 27 here!).
Then I walk home and spend my afternoons here without the kids preparing for teaching the next day, doing laundry, reading, whatever. Then, I pick up the younger kids 2 hours later, and we jump into a few games, waiting about an hour before study time hits. Thankfully, all the young ones are pretty decent in math; it hasn’t gotten hard yet! But once that clock hits 4 pm, it’s over for me. I do math with different kids until devotionals at 6:30, then they have dinner, then I have dinner, and by 8:15 we’re back to math. Usually for another hour or two. At this point, I’m ready to collapse. That brings us to approximately 10 hours of math, including the prep time, most of which is tutoring 3-4 different math classes at the same time!
Oh, did I mention that we DON’T use calculators?! Yeah. We’re taking the fifth roots of 5 digit numbers by reducing them to their prime factors and then going from there. I don’t think I can explain how well I’m learning math at this point. I thought I knew it when I got here, and yes, I know all the processes and such, but the mental math is a new game for me! I realize now that not only am I (hopefully) helping the kids with math (we’re aiming for a 100% pass rate next round of tests in a month and a half), but my understanding is growing exponentially! Pretty awesome all around :).
I think I maybe know why I was sent here this year. Not that there had to be a reason! I mean, working with orphans for 8 months would have totally been enough, but after seeing the kids results from their last exams, I have a much clearer picture!
Here in Nepal, kids take all the tests for their classes at once, every month or month and a half. So, for a week, it’s kind of like finals, and this happens maybe 6 times a year? Well, today they all got their results from the tests they took right before we had that long holiday, and most of them did pretty well in all their classes, except one... you got it, math. Out of 15 kids, about half of them failed math. And the cutoff to pass is at 40%. So, needless to say, we have our work cut out for us!
Basically, it goes like this: I wake up and arouse 15 sleeping beauties from their sweet wonderland for morning prayers. Then, I come back to my room and read/play guitar for about an hour while they do their morning chores. Then, it’s morning math tutoring time for the next hour, helping whoever I missed the night before. Now comes the much anticipated breakfast and getting everyone ready for school. And it’s off to school for us all, and for the next 3 hours I’m continuously breaking down the math for kids who are pseudo-fluent in English. With very very heavy accents. And very different ways of saying general math operations (in the US, the word “into” typically refers to division: how many times does 3 go into 9? however, here it means multiplication, and it took me a couple days to realize that 3 into 9 really is 27 here!).
Then I walk home and spend my afternoons here without the kids preparing for teaching the next day, doing laundry, reading, whatever. Then, I pick up the younger kids 2 hours later, and we jump into a few games, waiting about an hour before study time hits. Thankfully, all the young ones are pretty decent in math; it hasn’t gotten hard yet! But once that clock hits 4 pm, it’s over for me. I do math with different kids until devotionals at 6:30, then they have dinner, then I have dinner, and by 8:15 we’re back to math. Usually for another hour or two. At this point, I’m ready to collapse. That brings us to approximately 10 hours of math, including the prep time, most of which is tutoring 3-4 different math classes at the same time!
Oh, did I mention that we DON’T use calculators?! Yeah. We’re taking the fifth roots of 5 digit numbers by reducing them to their prime factors and then going from there. I don’t think I can explain how well I’m learning math at this point. I thought I knew it when I got here, and yes, I know all the processes and such, but the mental math is a new game for me! I realize now that not only am I (hopefully) helping the kids with math (we’re aiming for a 100% pass rate next round of tests in a month and a half), but my understanding is growing exponentially! Pretty awesome all around :).
Rupa, the golden fairy...
October 7, 2009
Rupa is my fellow blond haired girl. And by blond hair, I mean that her hair is as white as white gets. She makes me look Nepali. All because she’s an albino Nepali. She has all the same features of Nepali girls, same face shape, long hair, same voice, but she looks completely different. I think she looks beautiful! But she hates being different than her peers, and when people talk about how beautiful Nepali people are, she often ducks her head and glances away.
Rupa has a mother and father who have 5 other children. She is the youngest, so there were probably financial reasons for sending her here. Depending on the beliefs of her family, though, she could be considered a lower caste due to the way she looks. I do know that she loves her family and misses them!
Around the house, you’ll find Rupa furiously sweeping out the girls room with a broom made of sticks or cleaning the floors with an old holey t-shirt! Her long blond hair swishes as she works, and she often graces the air with sweet singing, usually some song we’ve sung in church. She tends to wear a golden Kotessera around the house, which gives further rise to the other children’s nickname for her, “Golden fairy,” which she hates because it exemplifies her differences. The other children mean it purely in love, though, as she really is beautiful! Pray that she’d learn to see that in herself!
She is a diligent student, though she struggles some with English reading and writing. She loves to study at the foot of her bunk bed, curled around her books, pencil scratching the paper with a drowsy rhythm. When the power goes out in the evenings, she’ll move to the doorway of the girls bunkroom, studying by the one solar powered light on our floor. Fortunately, her white hair makes her easy to see, so no one steps on her!
My biggest hope for Rupa in these next 7 months is that she would see herself as fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of our Creator! He has created her for a purpose, and making her an albino is not a curse but a blessing! Pray that she would feel loved and cherished not just by God, but also by her family here :).
Rupa is my fellow blond haired girl. And by blond hair, I mean that her hair is as white as white gets. She makes me look Nepali. All because she’s an albino Nepali. She has all the same features of Nepali girls, same face shape, long hair, same voice, but she looks completely different. I think she looks beautiful! But she hates being different than her peers, and when people talk about how beautiful Nepali people are, she often ducks her head and glances away.
Rupa has a mother and father who have 5 other children. She is the youngest, so there were probably financial reasons for sending her here. Depending on the beliefs of her family, though, she could be considered a lower caste due to the way she looks. I do know that she loves her family and misses them!
Around the house, you’ll find Rupa furiously sweeping out the girls room with a broom made of sticks or cleaning the floors with an old holey t-shirt! Her long blond hair swishes as she works, and she often graces the air with sweet singing, usually some song we’ve sung in church. She tends to wear a golden Kotessera around the house, which gives further rise to the other children’s nickname for her, “Golden fairy,” which she hates because it exemplifies her differences. The other children mean it purely in love, though, as she really is beautiful! Pray that she’d learn to see that in herself!
She is a diligent student, though she struggles some with English reading and writing. She loves to study at the foot of her bunk bed, curled around her books, pencil scratching the paper with a drowsy rhythm. When the power goes out in the evenings, she’ll move to the doorway of the girls bunkroom, studying by the one solar powered light on our floor. Fortunately, her white hair makes her easy to see, so no one steps on her!
My biggest hope for Rupa in these next 7 months is that she would see herself as fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of our Creator! He has created her for a purpose, and making her an albino is not a curse but a blessing! Pray that she would feel loved and cherished not just by God, but also by her family here :).
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Now You Know...
October 7, 2009
Advice from the Himalayas... some obvious, some interesting, some funny, all real!
1) Advice from Kyle Berlin: You don’t have to eat the food if it will make you sick, even if it offends someone. Really. It’s true.
2) Advice from Hannah Grafe: BRING PEANUT BUTTER! In a society that lives strictly off of carbs, the protein is much appreciated! Just a spoonful a day makes you strong and happy... especially if it’s the Crunchy Honey kind!
3) If you give a kid a camera, they will take 1,000 pictures, or however many your memory card holds, in less than two hours. Upon looking at them, you will find that there are about 30 of the floor, 30 of the sky, and every other picture is blurry beyond recognition. But it’s a GREAT rainy day activity! Just make sure they wear the wristband!!!
4) If your boss invites you to a party, the invitation is really just for show. You will go. And when he says “There will be a little food there,” he means there will be an 8 course meal! But they will serve Orange Crush, or the Nepali version of it!
5) If you see bugs crawling in your food, it’s ok to pick them out. They’re not meant to be eaten. And try not to think about them!
6) When you hear squeaks in the night, just say, “The Lord is my Shepherd” over and over again! And hopefully no mouse or rat crawls over you while you sleep.
7) Sleep with your mouth closed. Always. Otherwise, lizzards/mice/rats might crawl in during the night. If you have a cold, well, I’d choose suffocation over the chance of a reptile making itself at home in my oral cavity!
8) Get used to being dirty. When the water you bathe with is browner than the dirt on your body, showing doesn’t seem like that big of a deal! Oh, and washing with a bucket is much harder than it sounds ;).
9) Yes, goats do ride on the top of busses. Or cars. Or wherever. And people walk their sacred cows with red paint in between their horns. Kinda sad...
10) If the power goes out, and you have a laptop, play “kid-bop” praise music, and the kids will flock in. We had a rockin’ party going for an hour tonight with 15 kids in my room singing and dancing to “Every Move I Make,” “Mercy if Falling,” and so many more!
11) Speaking of power going out, keep your flashlight in the same place at all times. And always keep everything charged, so if the power does go out, you can still take pictures (or hand the camera to Raju) and listen to music!
12) It’s totally OK to throw trash on the side of the street. Or off the roof. Or burn stuff in the street. Really. It’s expected.
13) If you think people look at you a lot walking down the street in jeans and a t-shirt, they look at you a whole whole whole lot more if you dress like they do in a Kotessera. Then, add a tiny 7 year old Raju’s hand engulfed in your white hand, and heads will spin!
14) Wear your clothes for a very very long time before washing them; it’s too much work to wash very often!
15) If you get ink on your hands/arms from refilling pens, just rub it in the nearest kid’s hair; their hair is black enough to hide it! Or so they tell me...
16) Admire the beauty of God’s creation! The mountains tell of His Glory...
Advice from the Himalayas... some obvious, some interesting, some funny, all real!
1) Advice from Kyle Berlin: You don’t have to eat the food if it will make you sick, even if it offends someone. Really. It’s true.
2) Advice from Hannah Grafe: BRING PEANUT BUTTER! In a society that lives strictly off of carbs, the protein is much appreciated! Just a spoonful a day makes you strong and happy... especially if it’s the Crunchy Honey kind!
3) If you give a kid a camera, they will take 1,000 pictures, or however many your memory card holds, in less than two hours. Upon looking at them, you will find that there are about 30 of the floor, 30 of the sky, and every other picture is blurry beyond recognition. But it’s a GREAT rainy day activity! Just make sure they wear the wristband!!!
4) If your boss invites you to a party, the invitation is really just for show. You will go. And when he says “There will be a little food there,” he means there will be an 8 course meal! But they will serve Orange Crush, or the Nepali version of it!
5) If you see bugs crawling in your food, it’s ok to pick them out. They’re not meant to be eaten. And try not to think about them!
6) When you hear squeaks in the night, just say, “The Lord is my Shepherd” over and over again! And hopefully no mouse or rat crawls over you while you sleep.
7) Sleep with your mouth closed. Always. Otherwise, lizzards/mice/rats might crawl in during the night. If you have a cold, well, I’d choose suffocation over the chance of a reptile making itself at home in my oral cavity!
8) Get used to being dirty. When the water you bathe with is browner than the dirt on your body, showing doesn’t seem like that big of a deal! Oh, and washing with a bucket is much harder than it sounds ;).
9) Yes, goats do ride on the top of busses. Or cars. Or wherever. And people walk their sacred cows with red paint in between their horns. Kinda sad...
10) If the power goes out, and you have a laptop, play “kid-bop” praise music, and the kids will flock in. We had a rockin’ party going for an hour tonight with 15 kids in my room singing and dancing to “Every Move I Make,” “Mercy if Falling,” and so many more!
11) Speaking of power going out, keep your flashlight in the same place at all times. And always keep everything charged, so if the power does go out, you can still take pictures (or hand the camera to Raju) and listen to music!
12) It’s totally OK to throw trash on the side of the street. Or off the roof. Or burn stuff in the street. Really. It’s expected.
13) If you think people look at you a lot walking down the street in jeans and a t-shirt, they look at you a whole whole whole lot more if you dress like they do in a Kotessera. Then, add a tiny 7 year old Raju’s hand engulfed in your white hand, and heads will spin!
14) Wear your clothes for a very very long time before washing them; it’s too much work to wash very often!
15) If you get ink on your hands/arms from refilling pens, just rub it in the nearest kid’s hair; their hair is black enough to hide it! Or so they tell me...
16) Admire the beauty of God’s creation! The mountains tell of His Glory...
Monday, October 5, 2009
Teacher, Sister, Guardian... You name it, I do it!
October 5, 2009
I like hats. Baseball caps, those cool French ones, winter beanies, my trademark “Anneliese” hats, etc. Colorful, simple, whatever. Well, today I started teaching. Which meant that overnight I went from one hat- being the kids sister and friend- to 3 hats-still their sister and friend, but also their guardian in terms of school (until Krishna returns), and their teacher! My days are suddenly very full!
Today was my first day teaching. As I went through my devotional this morning, I just had to give it to God! Which was definitely where I needed to be. You see, 2 of the 3 books the principal had given me weren’t the right ones, and I still have a hoarse voice and the remnants of a cold. But, I arrived at school, all dressed up in my Kotessera, feeling calm. I was definitely sure that Jesus was holding me up :). And the principal gave me a roll book and told me to copy the names, and then took it and had me sign in. He gave me a dry erase marker and sent me to my first classroom. Nothing like a good leap off a cliff to start the day!
In Nepal, we start the day every day with a short assembly, basically, their anthem, stretches, etc. And all the kids are lined up, with their homeroom teacher in front of them. Imagine a time when everyone stopped and stared at you. Maybe you dropped your tray in the cafeteria, maybe you tripped and feel in front of the boss, whatever. Now in your imagination, make EVERYONE else Nepali, dark haired, brown skinned, shorter. Now, everyone’s staring intently because you have blond hair, light brown skin (we’re really all different shades of brown, but try explaining that to a Nepali kid!), and you’re pretty tall for a woman. Yep, that was the assembly. Pretty great, right?! And I had no clue what was going on... which I think was rather obvious to everyone :).
But then I went up to my first class, and my kids here at the home had told me that all of their classes were horrible, so I had no idea what to expect! But, to my ecstatic surprise, the kids were incredibly well behaved (probably because I’m white. and new. but maybe it will last?!). So I asked one to show me what page they were on before the break, and off we went! I think they’re not used to my “Why is this true? What do we do next? Why?” method of teaching, but I think they enjoyed the fact that they could answer as many questions as they could! I guess I’m not one for a silent classroom :).
In Nepal, the teacher’s move classrooms, and not the students, so after 45 minutes, this rapid fire banging happens and the teachers are supposed to move. I had no idea where to go, and thankfully the principal came up to show me my next class. My next 2 classes were very similar to my first, except they were much smaller. The students all take notes in one notebook, and do all their homework in another. I collect the homework notebooks at the start of each class, take them with me and grade them after 3rd period. Then, before I leave, I go back to each classroom and return them. I guess it’s nice that I’ll never have to take home papers to grade! Oh, and I don’t record any of the grades. I just check if it’s right or wrong. Pretty great, right?! And my kids from home were so funny. They’d accidentally call me “sister” and then turn as red as a Nepali can, and quickly say “I mean Miss!” I really wasn’t too concerned; their classmates found it rather humorous!
So, then we go home, and it’s back to the sister hat, which is fun. We hang out, play guitar, play cards, throw shoes at each other from the roof balconies (it might not be safe or nice, but it really is fun! I promise!), etc. Raju runs off with my camera, taking hundreds of photos, knowing if he takes the wristband off I’ll cut off his hand. The girls and many of the boys flock to watch some “fantastic” Nepali tv show. It’s our relaxed time :).
But now, I have to put on the “mother” hat. Around 4:30, I run around saying over and over, “Ok, homework and studies! You’ve got till I get back here to have out your books! Do I need to move you to another room?! Quit taking his pens!” Quite a task when you’re talking about 15 kids (some of the older girls have moved back home to finish school). But I get them settled, and threaten to move some more of them, but most are working diligently. Well, I think they are. I actually can’t read a lot of what they have to write, but the characters look pretty! And they’re quietly working, for the most part :). Then comes the frantic running around as kids need help with math. “sister. Sister. SISTER!” “Ajure?! Ajure?!” Which means, “What?! What?!” At one point Rupa asked me if she was allowed to use the toilet. And I burst out laughing, realized that my threats had worked, and told her that of course she could use the toilet! And as we finish homework, one by one, I slowly go back to being sister, chasing after Darson and Rajkumar, talking with Rami and Manisha, trudging through very very very broken conversation with Didi. A good way to end the day .
I like hats. Baseball caps, those cool French ones, winter beanies, my trademark “Anneliese” hats, etc. Colorful, simple, whatever. Well, today I started teaching. Which meant that overnight I went from one hat- being the kids sister and friend- to 3 hats-still their sister and friend, but also their guardian in terms of school (until Krishna returns), and their teacher! My days are suddenly very full!
Today was my first day teaching. As I went through my devotional this morning, I just had to give it to God! Which was definitely where I needed to be. You see, 2 of the 3 books the principal had given me weren’t the right ones, and I still have a hoarse voice and the remnants of a cold. But, I arrived at school, all dressed up in my Kotessera, feeling calm. I was definitely sure that Jesus was holding me up :). And the principal gave me a roll book and told me to copy the names, and then took it and had me sign in. He gave me a dry erase marker and sent me to my first classroom. Nothing like a good leap off a cliff to start the day!
In Nepal, we start the day every day with a short assembly, basically, their anthem, stretches, etc. And all the kids are lined up, with their homeroom teacher in front of them. Imagine a time when everyone stopped and stared at you. Maybe you dropped your tray in the cafeteria, maybe you tripped and feel in front of the boss, whatever. Now in your imagination, make EVERYONE else Nepali, dark haired, brown skinned, shorter. Now, everyone’s staring intently because you have blond hair, light brown skin (we’re really all different shades of brown, but try explaining that to a Nepali kid!), and you’re pretty tall for a woman. Yep, that was the assembly. Pretty great, right?! And I had no clue what was going on... which I think was rather obvious to everyone :).
But then I went up to my first class, and my kids here at the home had told me that all of their classes were horrible, so I had no idea what to expect! But, to my ecstatic surprise, the kids were incredibly well behaved (probably because I’m white. and new. but maybe it will last?!). So I asked one to show me what page they were on before the break, and off we went! I think they’re not used to my “Why is this true? What do we do next? Why?” method of teaching, but I think they enjoyed the fact that they could answer as many questions as they could! I guess I’m not one for a silent classroom :).
In Nepal, the teacher’s move classrooms, and not the students, so after 45 minutes, this rapid fire banging happens and the teachers are supposed to move. I had no idea where to go, and thankfully the principal came up to show me my next class. My next 2 classes were very similar to my first, except they were much smaller. The students all take notes in one notebook, and do all their homework in another. I collect the homework notebooks at the start of each class, take them with me and grade them after 3rd period. Then, before I leave, I go back to each classroom and return them. I guess it’s nice that I’ll never have to take home papers to grade! Oh, and I don’t record any of the grades. I just check if it’s right or wrong. Pretty great, right?! And my kids from home were so funny. They’d accidentally call me “sister” and then turn as red as a Nepali can, and quickly say “I mean Miss!” I really wasn’t too concerned; their classmates found it rather humorous!
So, then we go home, and it’s back to the sister hat, which is fun. We hang out, play guitar, play cards, throw shoes at each other from the roof balconies (it might not be safe or nice, but it really is fun! I promise!), etc. Raju runs off with my camera, taking hundreds of photos, knowing if he takes the wristband off I’ll cut off his hand. The girls and many of the boys flock to watch some “fantastic” Nepali tv show. It’s our relaxed time :).
But now, I have to put on the “mother” hat. Around 4:30, I run around saying over and over, “Ok, homework and studies! You’ve got till I get back here to have out your books! Do I need to move you to another room?! Quit taking his pens!” Quite a task when you’re talking about 15 kids (some of the older girls have moved back home to finish school). But I get them settled, and threaten to move some more of them, but most are working diligently. Well, I think they are. I actually can’t read a lot of what they have to write, but the characters look pretty! And they’re quietly working, for the most part :). Then comes the frantic running around as kids need help with math. “sister. Sister. SISTER!” “Ajure?! Ajure?!” Which means, “What?! What?!” At one point Rupa asked me if she was allowed to use the toilet. And I burst out laughing, realized that my threats had worked, and told her that of course she could use the toilet! And as we finish homework, one by one, I slowly go back to being sister, chasing after Darson and Rajkumar, talking with Rami and Manisha, trudging through very very very broken conversation with Didi. A good way to end the day .
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A Rough Day in Nepal...
October 4, 2009
Today’s been my first “down” day. Last night I couldn’t sleep, and I woke up this morning feeling pretty under the weather. I think I may have caught the cold the kids were so kindly sharing with one another. My throat’s a little achy and my body aches like I got beat up. But Chloe said if anyone was prepared for a medical situation, it would be me (I probably have Nepal’s largest pharmacy right here in my room). So, I’m a little drugged up, and I’ll definitely be taking some stuff to knock me out tonight! This whole not getting a full nights sleep just won’t do! So, that would be my first prayer request... the kids are all worried I caught swine flu from my brother- never mind the fact that he’s in the US and caught it over 2 weeks after I left! I’m just saying... ;) They’re threatening to wear face masks to make sure they don’t get it; actually, I think that’d be awesomely funny! Probably healthier too.
And Chloe left today, which is hugely sad. My rooms just not the same without her :(. From spoons to Speed to Uno, we had a great time with the kiddos. Not to mention the fact that she’s great on the guitar, speaks ENGLISH as her native language, and we enjoyed bouncing theological questions off each other! AND I have an awesome new repertoire of words to use on a daily basis: “Quit your whenging” (Quit your complaining), “We have stacks of crayons” (We have tons of crayons), and more that may have crept into my vocab :). She’s spending another 6 weeks at another orphanage here in Nepal, run by a non-Christian group. Should be really interesting for her!
AND I finally heard from the principal of the kids’ school. Great, because we start back tomorrow. And I will indeed be teaching math; Grades 5, 6, and 7, though those don’t line up with the American system at all! To put it into perspective, the stuff I was teaching freshmen in the US I’ll be teaching to the grade 5 kiddos. Most of them will be 12-14 years old. So, I think it’s kind of comparable. The catch: Nepal isn’t on the Aribic numeral system that the West uses. Yeah, they’re on the Devanagari system. To make things even more complicated, my 9 is like their 1, my 6 is their 7, and 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are totally different. Thankfully, 2, 3, and 0 are close to the same. So, I would so appreciate prayers over this as well! It might take me a few days (weeks?!) to get my feet underneath me! But I do have the books, so guess what I’ll be doing the rest of the day?! Math, here I come!
Today’s been my first “down” day. Last night I couldn’t sleep, and I woke up this morning feeling pretty under the weather. I think I may have caught the cold the kids were so kindly sharing with one another. My throat’s a little achy and my body aches like I got beat up. But Chloe said if anyone was prepared for a medical situation, it would be me (I probably have Nepal’s largest pharmacy right here in my room). So, I’m a little drugged up, and I’ll definitely be taking some stuff to knock me out tonight! This whole not getting a full nights sleep just won’t do! So, that would be my first prayer request... the kids are all worried I caught swine flu from my brother- never mind the fact that he’s in the US and caught it over 2 weeks after I left! I’m just saying... ;) They’re threatening to wear face masks to make sure they don’t get it; actually, I think that’d be awesomely funny! Probably healthier too.
And Chloe left today, which is hugely sad. My rooms just not the same without her :(. From spoons to Speed to Uno, we had a great time with the kiddos. Not to mention the fact that she’s great on the guitar, speaks ENGLISH as her native language, and we enjoyed bouncing theological questions off each other! AND I have an awesome new repertoire of words to use on a daily basis: “Quit your whenging” (Quit your complaining), “We have stacks of crayons” (We have tons of crayons), and more that may have crept into my vocab :). She’s spending another 6 weeks at another orphanage here in Nepal, run by a non-Christian group. Should be really interesting for her!
AND I finally heard from the principal of the kids’ school. Great, because we start back tomorrow. And I will indeed be teaching math; Grades 5, 6, and 7, though those don’t line up with the American system at all! To put it into perspective, the stuff I was teaching freshmen in the US I’ll be teaching to the grade 5 kiddos. Most of them will be 12-14 years old. So, I think it’s kind of comparable. The catch: Nepal isn’t on the Aribic numeral system that the West uses. Yeah, they’re on the Devanagari system. To make things even more complicated, my 9 is like their 1, my 6 is their 7, and 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are totally different. Thankfully, 2, 3, and 0 are close to the same. So, I would so appreciate prayers over this as well! It might take me a few days (weeks?!) to get my feet underneath me! But I do have the books, so guess what I’ll be doing the rest of the day?! Math, here I come!
Raju, my long lost Nepali brother
October 2, 2009
Raju. It kind of sounds like Roger, but instead of “er” on the end, there’s an “oo” sound. He’s seven with the stature of a five year old (on a good day!) and speaks minimal English. And by minimal, I mean, he can say, “My name is Raju” and “I am fine, how are you?” Our levels of communication are limited at best! BUT, we still find ways to enjoy each other...
Raju came back today after being gone for Dashain the last 2 weeks. As he worked his way up the stairs, gripping the railing that’s almost above his head, he stopped and peeked in my door. My surprise and excitement could not be contained as I exclaimed, “Raju!” and flashed him a big grin! A big, dimpled grin lit up his little face, stretching his cheeks as far as was physically possible. Then he turned and continued his hike upstairs to the boys room.
As my excitement of the kids returning got the best of me, I came clambering after him. He had already deposited his backpack in his cubby, and was out on the roof, having pulled himself up on the thick cement railing and was resting on his stomache, his feet dangling off the ground, mesmerized at the view he had so missed the past 2 weeks! His huge grin never left his face, and he clutched a 5 rupee note in his hand as if it were the most precious jewel! He turned to look at me, and I scooped him up and turned him upside down, and a quite giggle escaped his throat!
Upon returning him to his correct state of being, he turned and walked toward the black spiral staircase up to the chicken coop. He slowly climbed the stairs, turning to look at me every few steps, contemplating the existence of chicken poop on the stairs (a few have escaped the past 2 weeks) and then proceeded to climb over the gate (I guess he didn’t realize you can just push it open)! If it’s possible, his grin got even wider as he gazed on the chickens. He looked at me and simply said, “Hen.” I laughed and replied, “Cuckara.” He grinned and with the twinkle in his eye that little boys get when they’re about to do something they probably shouldn’t do, he turned and ran towards one, hands out, laughter spilling from his mouth and eyes. The hen squawked and dove under the hen house for cover (I’m still not sure that they don’t realize that the day they get caught, they’ll never come back!). Mesmerized, he ran towards another, causing a whole cluster of them to entangle feathers as they scurried for safety, out of the reach of this grubby handed 7 year old!
I think this might paint the best picture I could possibly paint for Raju. He reminded me today of coming home after a long time away; everything’s so familiar and missed and yet seems so foreign and new! A boy of few words until he gets warmed up, but a joy and light shine forth from his oversized grin and his twinkling eyes! He loves to play dominoes with Chloe and I, and bears the brunt of being the smallest of all the children. He’s also the newest, having arrived just months ago. When his big eyes look up at you, you just want to pick him up, squeeze him, and take him home! Oh, and Prokesh says that we look like brother and sister, says we have the same face! Go figure...
Raju. It kind of sounds like Roger, but instead of “er” on the end, there’s an “oo” sound. He’s seven with the stature of a five year old (on a good day!) and speaks minimal English. And by minimal, I mean, he can say, “My name is Raju” and “I am fine, how are you?” Our levels of communication are limited at best! BUT, we still find ways to enjoy each other...
Raju came back today after being gone for Dashain the last 2 weeks. As he worked his way up the stairs, gripping the railing that’s almost above his head, he stopped and peeked in my door. My surprise and excitement could not be contained as I exclaimed, “Raju!” and flashed him a big grin! A big, dimpled grin lit up his little face, stretching his cheeks as far as was physically possible. Then he turned and continued his hike upstairs to the boys room.
As my excitement of the kids returning got the best of me, I came clambering after him. He had already deposited his backpack in his cubby, and was out on the roof, having pulled himself up on the thick cement railing and was resting on his stomache, his feet dangling off the ground, mesmerized at the view he had so missed the past 2 weeks! His huge grin never left his face, and he clutched a 5 rupee note in his hand as if it were the most precious jewel! He turned to look at me, and I scooped him up and turned him upside down, and a quite giggle escaped his throat!
Upon returning him to his correct state of being, he turned and walked toward the black spiral staircase up to the chicken coop. He slowly climbed the stairs, turning to look at me every few steps, contemplating the existence of chicken poop on the stairs (a few have escaped the past 2 weeks) and then proceeded to climb over the gate (I guess he didn’t realize you can just push it open)! If it’s possible, his grin got even wider as he gazed on the chickens. He looked at me and simply said, “Hen.” I laughed and replied, “Cuckara.” He grinned and with the twinkle in his eye that little boys get when they’re about to do something they probably shouldn’t do, he turned and ran towards one, hands out, laughter spilling from his mouth and eyes. The hen squawked and dove under the hen house for cover (I’m still not sure that they don’t realize that the day they get caught, they’ll never come back!). Mesmerized, he ran towards another, causing a whole cluster of them to entangle feathers as they scurried for safety, out of the reach of this grubby handed 7 year old!
I think this might paint the best picture I could possibly paint for Raju. He reminded me today of coming home after a long time away; everything’s so familiar and missed and yet seems so foreign and new! A boy of few words until he gets warmed up, but a joy and light shine forth from his oversized grin and his twinkling eyes! He loves to play dominoes with Chloe and I, and bears the brunt of being the smallest of all the children. He’s also the newest, having arrived just months ago. When his big eyes look up at you, you just want to pick him up, squeeze him, and take him home! Oh, and Prokesh says that we look like brother and sister, says we have the same face! Go figure...
Wash that clothes...
October 2, 2009
Let it never again be said that I am an unproductive person before breakfast. In the past this may have been true; no more! Of course, the fact that we get up before 6 and don’t eat breakfast until after 9 might have something to do with that, but it’s negligible. Really.
So, I went for my first run today as the sun rose! At an altitude of over 4000 feet, I think I did pretty good! First off, I managed to go out, turn randomly, running down unknown streets because while I may not understand all those cool little hieroglyphics things they call letters, I can understand the maps posted on most “corners,” and I have certain landmarks that I’ve memorized: the internet shop (how else would you read this?!), the Christian market shop (a little far to walk, but so worth it!), and the butchery (use your imagination. really.). So as long as I can make it back to one of these locations, I’m great! And I totally did. Honestly, as long as I don’t cross a major road, I know I’m fine getting back to the house!
Later, I decided to do some laundry. Well, you probably have quite the wrong picture in your head when you hear laundry. To your imagination, a large, probably white, beautiful machine comes into view, with this cylinder in which the clothes magically enter dirty and come out clean, at just the touch of a button! Or maybe you’re a little old school, and you begin to see a washboard and bucket. But you’re still not there. We wash using our bare hands. Ok, well, we use soap (it comes in bars) and a scrub brush. Not even kidding. I’m getting good at it too; the girls told me so!
So, you wet your clothes (with water you pulled up from the well) and squat (flat-footed; I still use the softball catcher’s position on the balls of my feet, but I’m trying to change!) and one at a time you lather them good with that soap. It smells like lemons. Mmmmmm.... Anyway, after lathering, you scrub the durable ones (jeans, shorts, t-shirts, whatever can handle it) with a brush. Then they’re all wringed out, and over and over and over you rinse in bucket after bucket after bucket of water. You think working out at the Y is hard?! Try washing just half a “load” of clothes; your biceps will swell, your back will ache, and your calves will burn as they’ve never burned before! If you noticed that I seem to be wearing the same clothes in many pictures, they really weren’t all taken on the same day; I can wear my clothes for... well, I’d tell you but then my parents would think they’d failed me as a child, so I’ll leave that to your imagination!
But today wasn’t just clothes. Ok, imagine big old area rugs. Yeah, those maroon ones, the tan ones, the green ones, whatever comes to mind, with their pretty floral prints. Now, it’s bad enough to clean them by hand, but today we washed two of them- by hand. Not even kidding. It took six of us girls to get them done. We wet, soap, lather, scrub, rinse, soap, lather, scrub, rinse, scrape, rinse, hold vertically, rinse, rinse, rinse. It was actually a lot of fun, because with a job that big, water gets tossed on each other, soap suds are flying off brushes into hair, and feet are slipping on those beautiful white bubbles! We’re pretty much awesome, I know. You WISH you could wash area rugs by hand. Ok, probably not even a little bit. But if your steam cleaner goes out, you know who to call. On second thought ;)....
So, that went on for two and a half hours (breakfast was about an hour late!), and then we dragged them up 3 floors of stairs to the roof! And there they lay now, basking in the sunlight/clouds, laughing at the intense work they caused us. Thankfully, I think it will be another 3 months before that happens again. Unfortunately, if you do the calendar math, that puts us in January. When it’s really really really cold. Actually, I’m not going to think about that now. It makes my fingers hurt. And I may never purchase an area rug for my home. Unless it comes with a steam cleaner. Then, maybe...
Let it never again be said that I am an unproductive person before breakfast. In the past this may have been true; no more! Of course, the fact that we get up before 6 and don’t eat breakfast until after 9 might have something to do with that, but it’s negligible. Really.
So, I went for my first run today as the sun rose! At an altitude of over 4000 feet, I think I did pretty good! First off, I managed to go out, turn randomly, running down unknown streets because while I may not understand all those cool little hieroglyphics things they call letters, I can understand the maps posted on most “corners,” and I have certain landmarks that I’ve memorized: the internet shop (how else would you read this?!), the Christian market shop (a little far to walk, but so worth it!), and the butchery (use your imagination. really.). So as long as I can make it back to one of these locations, I’m great! And I totally did. Honestly, as long as I don’t cross a major road, I know I’m fine getting back to the house!
Later, I decided to do some laundry. Well, you probably have quite the wrong picture in your head when you hear laundry. To your imagination, a large, probably white, beautiful machine comes into view, with this cylinder in which the clothes magically enter dirty and come out clean, at just the touch of a button! Or maybe you’re a little old school, and you begin to see a washboard and bucket. But you’re still not there. We wash using our bare hands. Ok, well, we use soap (it comes in bars) and a scrub brush. Not even kidding. I’m getting good at it too; the girls told me so!
So, you wet your clothes (with water you pulled up from the well) and squat (flat-footed; I still use the softball catcher’s position on the balls of my feet, but I’m trying to change!) and one at a time you lather them good with that soap. It smells like lemons. Mmmmmm.... Anyway, after lathering, you scrub the durable ones (jeans, shorts, t-shirts, whatever can handle it) with a brush. Then they’re all wringed out, and over and over and over you rinse in bucket after bucket after bucket of water. You think working out at the Y is hard?! Try washing just half a “load” of clothes; your biceps will swell, your back will ache, and your calves will burn as they’ve never burned before! If you noticed that I seem to be wearing the same clothes in many pictures, they really weren’t all taken on the same day; I can wear my clothes for... well, I’d tell you but then my parents would think they’d failed me as a child, so I’ll leave that to your imagination!
But today wasn’t just clothes. Ok, imagine big old area rugs. Yeah, those maroon ones, the tan ones, the green ones, whatever comes to mind, with their pretty floral prints. Now, it’s bad enough to clean them by hand, but today we washed two of them- by hand. Not even kidding. It took six of us girls to get them done. We wet, soap, lather, scrub, rinse, soap, lather, scrub, rinse, scrape, rinse, hold vertically, rinse, rinse, rinse. It was actually a lot of fun, because with a job that big, water gets tossed on each other, soap suds are flying off brushes into hair, and feet are slipping on those beautiful white bubbles! We’re pretty much awesome, I know. You WISH you could wash area rugs by hand. Ok, probably not even a little bit. But if your steam cleaner goes out, you know who to call. On second thought ;)....
So, that went on for two and a half hours (breakfast was about an hour late!), and then we dragged them up 3 floors of stairs to the roof! And there they lay now, basking in the sunlight/clouds, laughing at the intense work they caused us. Thankfully, I think it will be another 3 months before that happens again. Unfortunately, if you do the calendar math, that puts us in January. When it’s really really really cold. Actually, I’m not going to think about that now. It makes my fingers hurt. And I may never purchase an area rug for my home. Unless it comes with a steam cleaner. Then, maybe...
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Spoons: A game of cards, laughter, and blood.
October 1, 2009
Where to start, where to start! Today we woke up early to see Uncle Krishna off. He’s leaving for England and will stay there for a month. In addition, Chloe is leaving on Sunday, so, life could get exciting here. And by that, I mean, no one over the age of 16 to talk to. Not that that’s bad, just, ummm different!
But after he left, we ate breakfast and then Chloe and I walked to the Post Office with Asha in tow. She’s the only one left who will go walking with us :). Although, the other girls have now figured out that every time Asha goes with us somewhere, we get some sort of treat on the way home! I imagine my walking partners might increase in number soon! But, after the 90 minute round trip walk (yeah, it’s a little far!), we came home to find most of the children zonked out in front of the TV. If you thought American channel surfing was bad, imagine surfing through Nepali, Indian, Chinese, Korean, and English channels. All in a matter of seconds. It’s enough to drive Chloe and I away after a matter of minutes!
But Laxuman was outside washing the car, so I opted to join him. He was washing it well, but the windows remained spotty. Excited, I realized that I finally had a piece of practical knowledge to share! I bounded upstairs and grabbed one of the old newspapers off the pile from our room, and ran back downstairs. I said, “Laxuman, use this on the windows. Then there will be no streaks or mess!” With a doubtful look at me, he took a piece and started rubbing. Slowly, his doubt faded into the wide eyed trademark grin that I’ve come to know so well, and he said, “Very nice, sister! Very nice!” So we finished up, and decided that we were long overdue for a game of spoons.
So, we gathered around the table, Chloe, Laxuman, Ranjita, Asha, Joshua and I. Out came the spoon-forks (far more dangerous than spoons, let me tell you!) and the fun and shouting began. For those of you who haven’t experienced the amazingness that is Spoons, basically, you’re trying to be the first to get 4 of a kind by starting with 4 cards and passing one around the table as fast as you can. Once someone gets 4, they grab a spoon, and everyone else attempts to as well. Problem being there’s one less spoon than people. When we played the other day, we were all so nice, but today, everyone was out for blood, and blood they got! Ranjita has a scratch down her arm from the fork part of the spoon fork, and I’ve got a gash in my pinkie that’s slightly swollen! Oh, and the cheating NEVER ends! Laxuman proceeds to look at EVERYONE’S cards to see what they have and what he should collect; Asha just turns over like 30 cards and finds 4 that match if the game goes for more than about 20 seconds; Chloe discreetly trades cards with whoever’s next to her; Ranjita and Joshua tell each other in Nepali to get ready to grab a spoon because one of them’s going out; I say at the start of every game, “NO CHEATING this time!” To which everyone laughs at the thought of playing without cheating. It might be the best game EVER! I have to keep cards on hand, though, because at this rate we might destroy a deck every week!
Where to start, where to start! Today we woke up early to see Uncle Krishna off. He’s leaving for England and will stay there for a month. In addition, Chloe is leaving on Sunday, so, life could get exciting here. And by that, I mean, no one over the age of 16 to talk to. Not that that’s bad, just, ummm different!
But after he left, we ate breakfast and then Chloe and I walked to the Post Office with Asha in tow. She’s the only one left who will go walking with us :). Although, the other girls have now figured out that every time Asha goes with us somewhere, we get some sort of treat on the way home! I imagine my walking partners might increase in number soon! But, after the 90 minute round trip walk (yeah, it’s a little far!), we came home to find most of the children zonked out in front of the TV. If you thought American channel surfing was bad, imagine surfing through Nepali, Indian, Chinese, Korean, and English channels. All in a matter of seconds. It’s enough to drive Chloe and I away after a matter of minutes!
But Laxuman was outside washing the car, so I opted to join him. He was washing it well, but the windows remained spotty. Excited, I realized that I finally had a piece of practical knowledge to share! I bounded upstairs and grabbed one of the old newspapers off the pile from our room, and ran back downstairs. I said, “Laxuman, use this on the windows. Then there will be no streaks or mess!” With a doubtful look at me, he took a piece and started rubbing. Slowly, his doubt faded into the wide eyed trademark grin that I’ve come to know so well, and he said, “Very nice, sister! Very nice!” So we finished up, and decided that we were long overdue for a game of spoons.
So, we gathered around the table, Chloe, Laxuman, Ranjita, Asha, Joshua and I. Out came the spoon-forks (far more dangerous than spoons, let me tell you!) and the fun and shouting began. For those of you who haven’t experienced the amazingness that is Spoons, basically, you’re trying to be the first to get 4 of a kind by starting with 4 cards and passing one around the table as fast as you can. Once someone gets 4, they grab a spoon, and everyone else attempts to as well. Problem being there’s one less spoon than people. When we played the other day, we were all so nice, but today, everyone was out for blood, and blood they got! Ranjita has a scratch down her arm from the fork part of the spoon fork, and I’ve got a gash in my pinkie that’s slightly swollen! Oh, and the cheating NEVER ends! Laxuman proceeds to look at EVERYONE’S cards to see what they have and what he should collect; Asha just turns over like 30 cards and finds 4 that match if the game goes for more than about 20 seconds; Chloe discreetly trades cards with whoever’s next to her; Ranjita and Joshua tell each other in Nepali to get ready to grab a spoon because one of them’s going out; I say at the start of every game, “NO CHEATING this time!” To which everyone laughs at the thought of playing without cheating. It might be the best game EVER! I have to keep cards on hand, though, because at this rate we might destroy a deck every week!
Asha, the girl who can't get enough love...
September 30, 2009
In a house full of kids, it’s easy to overlook one here and there, and miss out on knowing them each deeply. So, I’m trying to get to know each of them over the next few weeks. As many of you have prayer cards with names on them, hopefully this will be a glimpse into your children who you get to pray for each week! If you don’t have a prayer card, feel free to grab a few children as your own to pray for! No pressure :)
So, I rather enjoy cards, but did not bring any for fear that they might be frowned upon here. However, the kids know cards and enjoy them, so I quickly picked up a few decks at a local shop. And my cards partner is Asha. She is 13 years old, with long black hair and dark eyes, and is always wearing this beautiful teal blue Kotessera (it’s like a long dress shirt over flowing pants; it’s the cultural dress for women). She smiles often, and enjoys any attention she can get (who really doesn’t?!).
She’s the child that I would most quickly define as an orphan. She came to the orphanage right after it opened and has lived here for the last 8 years. From talking over cards, I’ve discovered that she has one older sister, her father, and her grandmother still living. She is from Gorkha (where I visited two weeks ago) and comes from the same village as Uncle Krishna. She has not seen her family since arriving here 8 years ago, except for one time when her father visited, around 4 years ago.
She’s the second youngest girl here, and as such, she bears the brunt of having around 18 older siblings telling her what to do :). She takes it in stride, though, and is quite the servant. She is eager to please and quick to apologize, often for things that were not her fault at all! She takes the longest getting ready for wherever we may be going; Chloe and I tell her repeatedly that she’s beautiful and needs nothing else, but I think she’s aspiring to be like her older “sisters!” She’s been the most helpful with me learning to do wash (outside, using water from a well... don’t ask me what we’ll do when it’s below freezing out! I might not want to know!), and she loves making the Nepali equivalent of Ramen noodles.
She struggles with math and Nepali in school (which I find humorous!) and excels in English and Karate (why can’t we learn cool things like Karate in school?!). She loves swinging, and when we went to the zoo, it was pouring rain at one point, which cleared out the swing, allowing her the chance to swing in the rain with Punan! While I think she’s had a painful past, my biggest goal for her this year is to shower her with God’s love and His purpose for her! And I’m beginning to think that for her, one of the biggest showers of love is a game of cards when no one else is around to play with her :). And I’m totally down with that!
In a house full of kids, it’s easy to overlook one here and there, and miss out on knowing them each deeply. So, I’m trying to get to know each of them over the next few weeks. As many of you have prayer cards with names on them, hopefully this will be a glimpse into your children who you get to pray for each week! If you don’t have a prayer card, feel free to grab a few children as your own to pray for! No pressure :)
So, I rather enjoy cards, but did not bring any for fear that they might be frowned upon here. However, the kids know cards and enjoy them, so I quickly picked up a few decks at a local shop. And my cards partner is Asha. She is 13 years old, with long black hair and dark eyes, and is always wearing this beautiful teal blue Kotessera (it’s like a long dress shirt over flowing pants; it’s the cultural dress for women). She smiles often, and enjoys any attention she can get (who really doesn’t?!).
She’s the child that I would most quickly define as an orphan. She came to the orphanage right after it opened and has lived here for the last 8 years. From talking over cards, I’ve discovered that she has one older sister, her father, and her grandmother still living. She is from Gorkha (where I visited two weeks ago) and comes from the same village as Uncle Krishna. She has not seen her family since arriving here 8 years ago, except for one time when her father visited, around 4 years ago.
She’s the second youngest girl here, and as such, she bears the brunt of having around 18 older siblings telling her what to do :). She takes it in stride, though, and is quite the servant. She is eager to please and quick to apologize, often for things that were not her fault at all! She takes the longest getting ready for wherever we may be going; Chloe and I tell her repeatedly that she’s beautiful and needs nothing else, but I think she’s aspiring to be like her older “sisters!” She’s been the most helpful with me learning to do wash (outside, using water from a well... don’t ask me what we’ll do when it’s below freezing out! I might not want to know!), and she loves making the Nepali equivalent of Ramen noodles.
She struggles with math and Nepali in school (which I find humorous!) and excels in English and Karate (why can’t we learn cool things like Karate in school?!). She loves swinging, and when we went to the zoo, it was pouring rain at one point, which cleared out the swing, allowing her the chance to swing in the rain with Punan! While I think she’s had a painful past, my biggest goal for her this year is to shower her with God’s love and His purpose for her! And I’m beginning to think that for her, one of the biggest showers of love is a game of cards when no one else is around to play with her :). And I’m totally down with that!
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