My Day........

I had an 8 a.m. wake up call. I woke up groggy, probably from the benedryl I have become addicted to at night here in Thamel. I was on a mission: drop my laundry off, find some breakfast my stomach could handle and checky my email (quickly) all before 9:30 a.m. when the Hotel car would be ready to take me for my follow-up appt at Norvic. It always excites me when I see an email from anyone back home and today I had a few! (Thanks!) I especially get excited when I see one from Max. They are usually long, descriptive, warm and they have a way of making me feel fuzzy inside. :)
Mission accomplished. I was back at the hotel by 9:20 a.m. and the car was pulling out at 9:30 a.m. SHARP. Off on our crazy journey to the hospital. Vishnu, my driver, spoke some English which is always nice. I have referenced before, but riding in any sort of moving vehicle in Kathmandu raises your blood pressure exponentially. It really is mayhem. Twice, no three times, Vishnu decided the Kia in front of us was not driving fast enough so he ventured outside his lane and into oncoming traffic (Um... heloooo?? Precious cargo, Vishnu!!) and then swiftly swerved back into the correct lane. I don't think an 'Oh Shit" handle big enough has been invented yet....
The other hurdle for me and Vishnu was the fact that Nepal's government is in wacky sorts right now and political demonstrations are common. Although intriguing, they are not conducive to any citizen trying to get somewhere on time because they (policical demonstrators)have not a care in the world except what they are 'demonstrating'. As a result, traffic stops, drivers get frustrated and turn off their cars, and passengers watch with meticulous eyes, somewhat helpless.
The sight was like one I have not ever seen in the U.S. Not as crazy as I imagine those hippie protestors against Vietnam, but most definitely worth writing about. Nepalese cops are everywhere, trying to maintain peace. Onlookers are watching cautiously and taking photographs to document the activity. Demonstrators are chanting and shouting and holding up flags, while some are getting arrested for performing an unjust or violent act. This goes on for about 20-30 minutes or so. And finally, the police take control, and traffic can resume. Like that- a flip of a switch. Weird!
Poor Vishnu. He was a stressful little driver. I could tell by his excessive (emphasis- EXCESSIVE) honking and grunting. He did kindly let me use his cell phone so I could call my doctor and update him on my lack of progress. Dr. Khadgi responded with a slight chuckle and "Welcome to Nepal, my dear. Take your time." because he knew he was not going anywhere either.
We made it! Nothing looked familiar to me about the area surrounding Norvic. I was scared Vishnu may have misunderstood me. We were right. But I realized I had no idea what to do. Do I have a formal appointment? How does this medical system work here? I went to the desk, they made me pay 2700 rupees to see the doctor. WHAT? Who am I seeing, the King? Only Gold and 19 bottles of top shelf tequilla cost 2700 rupees here. Just a joke. We get so used to spending such little money. I did not care. My doctor is worthy of my 30/40 USD. :)

I waited only 5 minutes to see the doctor (reason #2100 I love NEPAL!) and my visit went well. I felt good and so did he. I am on the way to 100% recovery!! yay :)

We had our monthly volunteer meeting today. It went well and now we are on the way to our volunteer dinner. I will write more about the meeting and my placement ASAP.
I am going to leave tomorrow and begin my life with the host family. I can't wait! Stay tuned for details!
Thanks so much for reading. I love it here and am so happy.

J with lots of smileys

Meeting the Children for the first time.

Today was the day we were all sent to our placements. There are about 6-7 Children's Homes that VSN works closely with to place volunteers in the Kathmandu Valley area. Since I wont be placed officially until I am well, I went along for the ride to meet the children and my host family. Purvi (England- we call her "P") and I are placed together in the Swayambu Temple area, 25 minutes walk to Thamel. There are 19 children living there and three of them are disabled needing 'physio' daily. I think this is why I was placed here because of my physio background.

The first thing I noticed about this home was it is anything but posh. Previously an abandoned building, it is old with only the bare essentials. The charpi (toilet) smells and the walls, once white, show rust and dirt stains all over. But, the first thing I noticed about my placement was the children. They were so bright and friendly when we showed up, waiting for us at the door. They immediately put their hands together and said with enthusiasm "namaste didi!' (Hello sister!). Every single one of them said this with a smile. What a warm initial meeting.

We were then walked to our family's home. P and I will share a room, totally do-able. The walls are sky blue! That made me smile. Our aamaa and baa welcomed us with smiles. They speak no English, so our Nepalese we know will definitely get better! We were instructed to sit in our room as the other family members brought us chiyaa and snacks. (cut up apples and bananas). Our family was very hospitable. I can tell the language barrier is going to definitely be a challenge. Thank goodness for our training book. P and I will definitely be referencing this pretty much anytime we want to communicate with them. I laugh at myself thinking of those initial moments. No one really knew what to say because we all knew we could not understand each other. Lots of awkward silences. The charpi is outside and its definitely a whole in the ground. P and I have schemed a way to utilize toilet paper and a brown paper bag. We just have to figure out where to hide it. :)
There are 6 others livin in the house: Mom, Dad, Sister, sister and 2 babies. One is 3 (Dibya) and one is 4 months. I promise not to steal them ;)

Our Dai (brother), who is the house manager, speaks fluent English. He wants to teach us Nepalese, so that comforted me and P. He seems so nice and helpful. I could not have asked for a better initial meeting. I can't wait to feel better and be able to spend my time with the children there. They impressed me with their glow.

I took a taxi back to Thamel. We have our monthly volunteer meeting tomorrow at the VSN office. I am so looking forward to the next weeks!

PS- Around the children's home, we have access to internet and phone. Not quite the 'village' experience I was hoping for, but a blessing in disguise. I really feel I can utilize my skills here and have comfort that I am not too far away from society.

much love
J

Norvic Hospital- not exactly the Nepal experience I was hoping for....

Well my friends, who ever said that international traveling did not come with a few bumps in the road? I will make this blog short and sweet because I am feeling I need to go in my hotel and take a nap.
For those of you who do not already know, I was admitted into the hospital here in Kathmandu on Saturday night. It started with a bad stomach ache whose intensity I can equate to birthing the 15lb baby I hope to never have. (naturally) My good friend Christine (Australia) and I got into a cab during the pouring rain at about 1:30 a.m. The cab driver knew we were going to Norvic Hospital so he kept his flashers on the whole time and did not 'take any prisoners' (Jack Prahl reference :) on his way to our destination. I was the only patient in the ER. It took all of the energy I had left after vomitting my life away earlier in the evening to explain my situation to the Resident on call, so thank god for Christine. My clinical evaluation was appendicitis, but after US and CT scan that diagnosis changed. I had an impacted kidney stone that left my right kidney infected and it (the stone) had to be removed laproscopically. The surgery was kind of cool. They numbed me from the waist down, so I could be awake during the surgery. The urologist (Dr. Sanjay Khagdi) expained every detail of the procedure to me while he was performing. I had a front row view from the Sony TV right next to me. I was appreciative of that gesture, but apparently I endured a lot of trauma and had a lot of infection. I then was taken to recovery, where I had to lay flat for 24 hours. I am leaving out some pertinent/graphic details of this story, so that I do not offend people that may be reading this blog in which I do not know very well.... :)
I then was taken to the deluxe room, most likely because they knew my insurance would pay for it. (Thanks Chubb Travelers Insurance!) And boy was that a dream! The room was big, had a TV with HBO I might add, a mini-fridge and a western toilet. This girl was more than impressed. Better than my room at Hotel Tradition! I couldn't really enjoy it for the first couple days, because all I did was sleep to overcome the fevers. But it was nice.

I have to add, that I could not have gone through this without the help of my fellow volunteer Jessica, who is a nurse in D.C. She was with me as much as she possible could and basically waited on me hand and foot. She phoned my Mom with every update. She was my angel.

I am out of the hospital and feeling better. Norvic hospital in Kathmandu is the only private, international hospital here. I felt I received the best possible care! The Sisters were all very nice and attentive. I have nothing but positive remarks about this place.

Sorry to drag the story out, but its really the only thing that has happened to me this week. I wish I could be talking about the village and various other fun Nepali things...
More to come later.
Thanks for all the well wishes!
Hugs!
Jessi

Orientation has begun!

The volunteers and Kevin (our health team leader) met in the lobby of our hotel and walked the 12 minutes it takes to get to the VSN office. (Volunteer Service Nepal Office in Thamel). There are 9 of us, 5 from the US, 2 from the UK, 1 France and 1 Australia. We then sat on pillows in the volunteer room anxiously awaiting our training to start.
We received our training materials, including a language guide, that was ample but not overwhelming. The morning consisted of policies/procedures, conduct code, and general information and introductions. At 10:30 a.m. sharp, we broke for tea (chiyaa). More brief discussions and before we knew it, we were gathering our things to walk across the street for lunch. Emma (the volunteer coordinator here in Nepal) wanted us to experience firsthand the type of meal we will be eating at our host families house: Dhal Bhaad. We sat on pillows and enjoyed our food from a low table.
The best (okay, you will see... second best) part of the meal was being able to eat with our hand. (Right hand of course, left is considered dirty because we utilize the toilet with our left). Dhal Bhaad is a meal consisting of rice, curry, tofu, spinach, egg plant or really whatever the cook prepares. Mainly rice and the Dhal is this sauce to put on the rice. The lunch basically consisted of breaking every single cotillon rule I know to be true. Eating with out hands, cleaning our plates with our fingers and then licking them, and the best part BURPING is actually acceptable. My brother would fit in so well here.

The afternoon consisted of our first Nepalese language lesson taught by Gaurdi. We learned phrases like "What is your name?" "What is your mother's name" "My name is" "Please", "Thank you", etc. We all performed "Raamba"= good and are anxious to learn more! :)

It was sort of information overload today and this will continue tomorrow. Our plan now is to soak this up over some adult cocktails.

Lessons from Nepal:
1) Mocktails are cocktails without alcohol- do not be fooled by this menu choice.
2) You mix every single item on your plate together when you eat- have fun with this!
3) On the streets in Thamel, it is common for someone to whisper to you "smoke hash?" (especialy if you are a man) referring to this illegal drug. Kindly deny as this drug is very illegal here!

One thing I have noticed...

Please do not plan a trip to Kathmandu if you are the type of person that can't live without: heels, gold chains, fresh brownies, starbucks, quiet strolls at night, hot showers, shaving, washing clothes on a regular basis or high speed internet. These luxuries just don't exist here!

I have come to the conclusion that I am pretty much always going to smell a little bit here and I am okay with that. And you know what? Everyone else smells and wears the same clothes for 5 days straight, so its all good. You definitely come in better contact with your 'hippie' side, which I love. :)

I have taken a cold shower every day since I have been here. Its sort of refreshing after sweating all day long, even in my sleep. You kind of always have that 'Nepali glow': a thin layer of sweat, dust, dirt that makes your skin 'glisten'. :) Some may be reading this and go 'ewww', but it helps you fit in for sure.

This morning I had a mega shower. I washed with nepalese soap, which kind of smells a bit so then I layered my own body wash, and then topped it off with a wet wipe. I feel like a new woman! ( I hope that wasn't tmi)

I also went for a jog this morning. I could not sleep and have been up since 4 a.m., so I decided I would venture off for some exercise. I kind of felt like that Nike commercial when the little boy is running through the city... you know that one? I was decked out in Nike, only because that is all I have. (Thanks US soccer!) I ran through the muddy streets, dodging trash piles, people, rocks, holes, and oh yeah a COW. There was definitely a cow walking along the street. It was priceless and a bit scary all at the same time. People stared at me a bit, but most just kept walking, ignoring my presence. One of the most interesting runs I have had in a while.

Off to orientation. Everyone is so excited to begin our training and venture off to the training village on Sunday. That is when these posts may begin to get less frequent.

Lessons from Nepal:
1) Only come here if you are okay with a little mudd in between your toes- this is inevitable.
2) Fresh breads and baked goods are pretty much impossible to find.
3) Pashmina is a very popular item to buy here.... anyone need any?

Hugs from across the World,
J

Mike's Restaurant- American Style

This morning we all woke up a little 'sleepy' due to last night's shenanigans. We first went to Durbar Square to have dinner. Unfortunately, it was raining (duh, its monsoon season!) and dark (black out) so I don't think we got a true sense of what Durbar Square is all about. We all said we would definitely go back, but most likely during the day. (This is kathmandu durbar square, one of three durbar square's in the area). We hear the shopping is great :)
I ordered a traditional Nepali dish as my meal and split it with Latissa (fun, French girl) along with veg momo's. Dipen met us out as well and showed us around.
The best part was that we could not finish our beer in time before closing so they allowed us to leave with the bottles in a paper bag! I do love Nepal!

A little buzzed, we left the "Alina's Bakery" (funny name, it was not a bakery) and traveled north to Thamel. We passed some interesting spots- I guess they are technically Nepali strip clubs (entitled "Red Lips Dance Bar"). We joked about taking our naive friend Dipen in there, but decided against that idea, thankfully. We started to hear American music being played by a live band! Summer of 69! Brown Eyed girl! Needing to feel a sense of home, we ventured to this spot. And what a sight to be seen.... A very mixed crowd, some eating, most drinking, and all smoking the houka. Sold! We found pillows to sit (after taking our shoes off, of course) and immediately continued our party. We ordered Sam Miguel and mango houka for 'dessert'. Needless to say, our 12:30 a.m. arrival back to Hotel Tradition definitely put a damper on our chipper morning. All very well worth it.

Hungry and tired, we decided to eat breakfast at a very nearby cafe called Via Via. It sits in a 100 year old building up a few narrow wooden stairways. Very eclectic. We sat at a table near an open window where we could see the into the apartments across from us and down to the busy street. We hung out, discussed our vague memories of the night before, laughed out loud about them, and discovered some fabulous authentic sweet Nepali tea. (Not as good as Uzie's, though)

Latissa and Trent decided they needed to nap. Christie and I said we could sleep when we are dead. (Makes me think of Lisa). We had plenty of exploring to do! Kristie finally met my saathi (friend) Bigyan at his bank. He was so generous and took about 4 hours off of work to take us to the famous American restaurant Mike's. He even paid for our cab ride (because he knew a cab driver would inflate his prices for us Americans. Bigyan was so patient, answered all our questions, and offered some very useful advice over his first order of Bruschetta. He would not even let us pay for our meal, and we promised to have another to let us repay the favor. Of course, it started to rain. Typical! We moved inside and watched the sidewalk fill with water. While we waited for it to die down, we ordered tea (a typical nepali move at 3pm) Apparently, the rain water is dangerous because of all the pollution here. What would we do without Bigyan? Mike's was started by an ex-Peace Corp volunteer. All the veggies and fruits are washed in iodized water. So I actually ordered a tofu, bean salad! Light and fresh. I am glad we made it to this known tourist stop.

We walked back to his work and on the way I bought my first Kutra. I hope I spell that right. Its a traditional Nepali shirt that woman wear over jeans or pants. Very pretty. Bigyan took me to an ATM and showed Kristie where she can find chocolate! It was a very nice afternoon.

Tonight, we have our volunteer reunion dinner where the old and new volunteers meet. Our first day of orientation starts tomorrow and we will have the afternoon to perhaps go to Durbar Square of Patan- south of the city.

Lessons from Nepal:
1) When crossing the street, walk with a good purpose- the drivers respond better to persistence from pedestrians. They don't get as confused!
2) The rain is polluted! Stay out of it as much as possible.
3) Don't take cabs! They will rip you off if you are not with a Nepali.

Shuva Din! (have a good day!)
Jessi

Swayambhunath = Spirit

The 40 minute trek to this special Buddist Temple (Gumbha) was more than worth it. Uzie was generous enough to walk us up the mountain to the top where this spiritual place sits. Uzie and her family take this walk twice a week, which is quite amazing due to its intensity. The view was magnificent and words cannot describe it. We walked through a small town much quieter and quaint than what we are used to in Thamel. It was a nice breath of fresh air to visualize a different aspect of Kathmandu. At the beginning of our climb, for a split second I thought I was walking up the Great Wall of China because of the steepness and amount of steps. We were very sweaty when we reached the top, but no one cared. From the viewing area, we could see well into the Kathmandu Valley and the pictures will prove its beauty. We walked through the gumbha, clockwise of course, and saw the Tibetan original writings and even a group of monks completing their prayers. Breathtaking. I have a deep respect for the Buddhists and what they believe. I will leave you with this, one of the most beautiful statements I have ever read.

"The way to happiness is to keep you heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, give much. Fill your life with love. Do as you would be done by."
Buddha speaks brillantly.

PS- we are beginning to learn more Nepali! I can say Thank you, good morning, please, and little phrases here and there. I can't wait to practice and learn more!
More to come. Today we are a little sleepy after a long, fun night. We began to explore KTM night life, including the houka!

Lessons from Nepal:
1) The roads are muddy! Be prepared to have dirty feet and shoes 24/7.
2) Nepali people love teaching you- so be interested when you are here! You will be suprised on how much you can learn from the natives.
3) When you speak the language (even if you know only a little) the chances of you getting 'scammed' are far less- so use your cheat sheet!

We learn more and more each day so I will keep you posted!
Much Love,
Jessi