People, Places and Things

Sometimes, when there is so much to say, it's difficult to say anything. How do we put all our experiences into words? Well, this morning I woke up to the sound of gentle rain, with words spilling out of my head--although most of them were Nepali--and I couldn't sleep, so I suppose it's a good time to write...

On Thursday we went up the hill and visited a daycare for mentally handicapped children, where our fellow MCC friend, Ben, will be working. We walked quietly into a room full of joyful noise! We sat and listened to the children (about 30 of them) sing and clap and dance, and we clapped and tried to dance along. It was chaotic and beautiful and heartbreaking. I admire the wonderful volunteers who are putting their time into these children...they are needed greatly. Many children suffering from disabilities will not have the opportunity to be taken care of like this, or even on a basic level.

On Saturday, we drove half an hour up into the hills (what we'd probably call mountains at home) to visit our new Nepali friend in his home. His village sits impossibly on the top of the hill, with breathtaking views of the city, factories, gardens, rice paddies, and the surrounding mountains. We made our way up to his rooftop (which isn't all that easy when you are an American going up stairways built for Nepalis--lots of crouching), where the view was even more vast and indescribable. I'm pretty sure my mouth stayed open in awe the entire time. I am already running out of adjectives! Unfortunately, I blacked out while taking in all this beauty--it literally took my breath away! Who knows, maybe I just can't handle a little altitude...I sure hope not. Our friend quickly whisked me inside and laid me down on cushions and fanned me and gave me sprite to drink. And then we all shared a delicious meal together. In a strange way, I felt like a little queen for those moments. The Nepali people are truly the most kind and gracious people I have ever met. After lunch, I went back home to rest, and Amos continued on a tour of the village, its people, gardens, and ancient holy places...the beauty never ceases. We put our camera to good use that day...
































Other highlights from the week included: buying plants for our apartment using lots of hand gestures, meeting our language teacher, figuring out where to buy milk and how to properly boil it, discovering a "Barnes and Noble" bookstore and playing Scrabble by candlelight.