Saying Goodbye & Saying Hello

It’s really hard to believe that our two year assignment with MCC in Nepal is wrapping up. Heidi and I experienced a bit of a reality check last week when MCC booked our tickets home. As you can imagine, we’re full of mixed emotions…excited to hug our families and see how much our nieces and nephews have grown, happy to be able to reconnect with friends…but also quite sad to be leaving our friends in Nepal, anxious about jumping back in to the rat race life in the States, etc, etc. We are trying as much as possible to reflect on our time here- how have we changed? what do we value now that wasn’t so important before? We are also trying to enjoy every moment here, to breathe in all that makes life in Nepal wonderful.

Of course, we have also been forced to think about life after Nepal. With that in mind, we wanted to share our plans with you. Our two year assignment with MCC was scheduled to end in July. However, I will be starting a graduate program this fall. Since we wanted to have some time at home before packing up again, MCC is permitting us to end our term a bit early. We will arrive in PA on June 17 (just in time to hit the beach with Heidi’s family). We’ll spend about two months at home- eating amazing ice cream, hanging out with friends, taking long walks without hearing a million horns- you know, the usual stuff. Sometime in August, we’ll be moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I will begin graduates studies in the Community & Regional Planning Program at the University of New Mexico. Heidi will be looking for a job, and then after we settle in a bit, hopes to work on completing her Bachelor’s degree. This, of course, will mean another big change for us…and more time spent away from our friends and families in Lancaster. We’re comforted by the fact that we’ll only be a 30 hour drive from home, instead of a 20 hour flight. We both feel good about this decision. We have friends living in Albuquerque who have graciously answered our questions and will help us find housing, jobs, etc. And it’s hard to beat 310 days of sunshine a year!

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible over the summer.

Colors. Camels. Curries. Chai.

We have just returned from the vibrant, magical, chaotic, pulsing, delicious land of India. It's impossible to experience even a fraction of the country in only 2 short weeks, but we did our best. The trip started out in Delhi, where we spent a night with our gracious hosts, Amos and Rowena Stoltzfus. (Yes, there is more than one Amos Stoltzfus in South Asia. What are the chances?) We wandered through old tombs and saw the Mahatma Gandhi Museum, then jumped on a train for Agra, to see the epic Taj Mahal. The whole experience of being in Agra ended up being a bit more "epic" than we would have liked: we experienced Holi (the Festival of Colors) there. It is a Hindu festival (also celebrated in Nepal) that is celebrated with color--and lots of it. Colored powder, water, paints (or whatever medium is on hand) is thrown into the air, the streets, onto anyone who is fearless enough to brave the streets on this day. It's messy, a bit wild, and doesn't wash out easily. Since we had an overnight train to catch in the evening (without the chance of a shower), we decided not to embrace the festivities. We snuck to the Taj Mahal just after sunrise (exhausted after a night of trying, and failing, to sleep through blaring all-night-long festival music just outside our hotel), and rested in the stunning beauty of it in the quiet gardens, before dashing back to our hotel, successfully avoiding any Holi celebrants. Thankfully, things settled down a bit by the time we had to leave for Jodhpur.

Jodphur is known as the Blue City--most of the buildings are washed in this color, which is usually made from indigo stains. We explored the amazing fort that looms over the city, looking out, spellbound, over the indigo houses. And at sunset, sitting on our guest house rooftop, overlooking the city with the fort behind us and the call to prayer resonating all around from surrounding mosques was enchanting. Jodhpur is lovely, quaint, and has the best lassis we've ever had: a creamy yogurt-based drink with saffron and cardamom. Amazing!

the fort in Jaisalmer

On to Jaisalmer...another beautiful desert city full of history, camels, intricate architecture, and an ancient fort as its centerpiece. Unlike the other forts we saw, this one was inhabited by both locals and tourists. It is literally bursting at the seams with restaurants, guest houses, shops, and various animals. A colorful labryinth! The highlight of our stay here was venturing into the desert on camels. We stopped along the way and walked through traditional villages in the Thar Desert, before de-cameling for the night at the campsite in the dunes. So surreal! Our camel driver-turned-cook started a fire and made chai, followed by a delicious feast of rice, lentils, curried vegetables, and fresh chapatis...all while we watched the sun set and the stars come out. Stars like we have never seen before! We tried to sleep under them, with nothing but breeze and silence and the rising moon around us--but it was so beautiful that closing our eyes felt wrong! We woke up to a rising sun and our camel driver approaching our bed with fresh chai. It felt like a dream.

From Jaisalmer, we took another overnight train to Jaipur, arriving before sunrise. Jaipur boasts gorgeous architecture and culture, but the chaos and intensity of the city was overwhelming. It is not as user- or tourist-friendly as the other cities we visited, so we probably didn't get to see as much as we could have. We walked the crowded streets, our senses flooded with the smells of frying samosas, fresh rosewater perfumes, urine, spices, exhaust... and finally escaped in the guilty pleasure of a shopping mall! We ate at the food court--which hasn't happened in a very long time. Trays, nice bathrooms, fountain soda, oh my! Some mild culture shock occurred, especially after eating premium quality ice cream. It must have been too much for Amos to handle, because he came down with a violent sickness: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. for 24 hours. Poor thing! Thankfully, he recovered in time for us to take in the gigantic Amber Fort of Jaisalmer, and to enjoy a few more bites of Indian cuisine. And the next day, back to Delhi!

view from Amber Fort in Jaipur

We spent our last afternoon in India at Dilli Haat, a lovely market in Delhi that is government regulated (i.e. much less harrassment, semi-fixed prices, good variety) and is said to represent each state of India in its many stalls. We basked in the relative quiet of the market, savored yet more scrumptious Indian food, and shopped, of course. We even met a Nepali at the market. Afterwards, we returned to the Stoltzfus Abode for a lovely, non-curried meal (which we were grateful for at this point) and a comfortable bed. And in the morning? Fresh bagels!! The one food we have been craving with embarrassing ferocity! It was the perfect ending to a wonderful, adventurous vacation. Here's to India!

PS. While we had a fabulous trip to India, we were thankful that it was just that: a trip. It was a beautiful experience. But Nepal feels more like home, at least for now. We're glad to be here, day to day...we know it was the right place for us for these 2 short years.

Faces of Nepal

Nepalis are beautiful people...the smiling eyes of a rural farmer, the story-carrying wrinkles of an older woman, the joyful smile of a young mother, the ruddy cheeks of a small child. I find these images hard to resist. I also tend to resist capturing these images with my camera. Taking pictures of people always makes me feel invasive and way too touristy. This past week, I visited a few villages with one of MCC's partner organizations. During our visit, we had the chance to talk with some of the people who have participated in the work our partner organization is doing. I took this opportunity to snap some people pictures without feeling too invasive or touristy.

These people are Nepali, and I love them.

I See You

I see you almost every day…when I'm walking to the bank or the post office or the coffee shop. You're always sitting in the same spot on the sidewalk, leaning against the rail. I try to look down as I walk past you so I don't have to see your outstretched hand, your hopeful eyes, your distorted foot. Sometimes I purposefully look you in the eyes so that I can honor your humanity while not meeting your needs. I have many reasons for not giving to you…

You are dependent on the charity of others.

If I give to you today, you will expect me to do the same tomorrow.

Who knows what you do with the money that is given to you…alcohol? drugs?

What would happen if I gave to everyone who begged? the children who approach the taxi as we wait at a traffic light, the mothers who ask for food for the infants in their arms, the young boys who hold out their right hands while sniffing bags of glue in their left.

These are my reasons.

Do they make sense to you?

Post-Christmas Cheer

Heidi and I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas day with friends. It included lots of good food, quality time with friends' parents and a stirring rendition of "12 Days of Christmas". After Christmas, we headed to Pokhara for some vacation time. On the bus ride back, we decided to pen a "Nepali 12 Days of Christmas". Here it is for your reading and singing pleasure:

On the 12th day of Christmas, Nepal gave to me...

12 monks a' chanting

11 loads a' shedding

10 sadhus smoking

9 women spitting

8 yaks a' yakking

7 days of striking

6 hairy hippies

5 M-A-N-G-Y D-O-G-S

4 crowded buses

3 dudh chiyas

2 bloody expats

And a yeti in a tree!

Happy Christmas from Kathmandu!

To Our Dear Friends and Family,

We hope this finds you all well and enjoying a joyful Christmas season. Amos and I think of you all especially this time of year, when homesickness rises to the surface a bit more readily than usual. But while we miss everyone at home, we are thankful for new friends to celebrate with here and for making creative twists on old traditions.

The past 12 months have been adventurous as ever (whether we were up for it or not)! We've ridden elephants in the jungle, went to Cambodia (Heidi) and Bangladesh (Amos), got swept into throngs of festival celebrants and political strikers, discovered new hikes and villages, done yoga on the roof, took a spontaneous trip to Thailand, gallivanted about with my parents for 2 weeks, started a vegetable garden, said some sad farewells to friends (including Ben, who was here for a year with MCC), met many fabulous new friends, got stuck in monsoon rains and rutted rural roads, got burgled (and discovered the strange world of Nepal's justice system), danced at a Nepali wedding, visited friends in Lebanon and Syria, trekked in the Himalayas (Amos), entertained friends from home, and are winding up the year with cookie baking, ornament making, and an upcoming Christmas feast with some of our fellow Kathmanduites.

It's a very silent night here in Kathmandu, ending day #2 (of 3) of nationwide strikes. Shops are closed, roads are filled only with pedestrians, children playing cricket or football, and the occasional skateboarding expat. The Maoist party has been enforcing this strike or "bandh" in their attempt to overthrow the current government (at least according to some). This marks the end of another year of political instability in Nepal. Although the country has been working through a peace process since 2006, frequent strikes, political disputes and corruption continue to make life difficult for many of Nepal's people. Yet, despite all of the challenges, the people of Nepal continue to display a resilience and generosity of spirit that humbles us. We pray that 2010 will be a year of peace and security for the people of Nepal.

Our work is going well. I am continuing to do some editing work for our MCC partners, and assisting them as needed with English writing skills. I am also working with a brilliant women's craft group, doing some designing--mostly cards, but am hoping to help with jewelry design as well. Amos has settled into his role as program administrator for MCC's work in Nepal. He works closely with eight Nepali partner NGOs- developing new projects, monitoring current projects, assisting these organizations in building their capacity, etc. In addition, Amos volunteers two days a week as a peace program advisor with one of MCC's partners. We are grateful to MCC for this incredible opportunity they have given us.

We look forward to 2010. Our tentative plans include hosting good friends in March, venturing to India in April, and otherwise savoring our final months in Nepal, seeing and experiencing as much as we can before the end of our term comes around.

It's hard to believe that we have only 8 months left here. While we are making a conscious effort to be present in each moment, we are beginning to think and dream about our post-Nepal future. There are many unknowns, which is both exciting and unsettling, but we're grateful for this upcoming chapter of our lives. Amos is currently looking at possible graduate programs in the US; he hopes to get his master's in Urban Planning/Community Development, possibly starting in the spring of 2011. I also hope to finish out my bachelor's in the future, but am first of all looking forward to finding a place to call home and settling into a community for a bit. We plan to return to Lancaster next summer, enjoying time with friends and family, before we move on to our as-yet undetermined destination.

An immense thanks to you all for being supportive and loving us in such creative ways: sending pretzels and books, notes and e-mails, skyping, praying, and loving from afar. We are truly grateful.

May you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

With love,
Heidi and Amos

Mountains Beyond Mountains

"...let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven." -Rabbi Harold Kushner

A few weeks ago, I, along with four friends, spent 8 days hiking in the Langtang, a part of the Himalayas that lies north of Kathmandu. For the fist day and a half of our trek, we walked through a lush forest, which at times felt more like a jungle filled with moss-covered trees and many varieties of birds. The forest is also home to the red panda and 3-5 snow leopards (or at least that what the signs claimed). Unfortunately, these endangered animals stayed out of sight, although I'm sure they were close by. A glistening blue river, on the other hand, was a constant companion, guiding us toward the mountains in the distance. Eventually, as we climbed, the forest thinned, and the valley widened taking us through open, almost barren, land. We passed yak pastures and stacks of prayers stones. Beautiful snow-covered peaks reminded us of our destination. The hiking was difficult at times, but, in true Nepali fashion, we stopped for many tea breaks along the way. We spent our evenings in lodges that are scattered along the trail. After long days of hiking, our evenings consisted of  huddling around wood stoves, eating lots of fried food and crawling into our sleeping bags way earlier than what we would normally consider respectable.

On our third day, we reached the small town of Kyangin Gompa, named for a monastery that sits just above the village. I'm not sure if I've ever been in a more picturesque place. The views of the mountains were stunning, and I couldn't stop taking pictures of them. We spent the next three days, taking day hikes from Kyangin Gompa. We climbed to the top of Kyangin Ri, a 15,000 ft. peak that looms above the town. Again, absolutely spectacular views of the glistening mountains. We spent Thanksgiving Day, exploring a valley beyond Kyangin Gompa, and I was reminded of the many things I have to be thankful for...good friends, the opportunity to live in a beautiful country like Nepal, health that allows me to hike in the mountains, sunshine, good food, etc. Since there were no turkeys in sight, I celebrated the day by eating other comfort food- tomato soup and chapati with cheese (almost as good as a grilled cheese).

After three days at Kyangin Gompa, we headed back to Syafrubrensi, where we had started. We took an alternate route back, following a high ridge that provided a bird's eye view of the trail we followed the fist two days. We stopped for lunch in small, Tibetan town where a boisterous wedding was under way (apparently two Germans were getting married...weird, I know). After a torturous downhill descent, we finally arrived back in "civilization". I had a week's worth of dirt and dried sweat on my body but a smile on my face. It was a fabulous trek!

Click here for pictures-

Langtang Trek