It's not the end, but only the beginning....

I apologize for totally flaking on keeping blog updates over the past few months. I was just very involved with the children, and could never count on electricity when I had the time to blog!

I returned to the States a few days ago, and I'm feeling extreme reverse culture shock. I'm missing my Ama Ghar family so very much, but cannot wait to return to them next summer!!! It's difficult to put my overall experience into words, other than simply saying life changing. My heart is in Nepal with my new brothers and sisters, and I look forward to having them in my life forever.

new pictures!

I have finally had time and electricity to download pictures! Since I am behind on my blog, several events have passed with these pictures- dancing competition, ground breaking ceremony, Pyuthan, and rice harvesting!

sweet comment

I just finished dinner (delicious as always!) with the boys. They secretly share food, or dump food on their neighbor's plate if they don't want it! One of the boys was sliding his plate around to everyone. I looked at him with question in my eyes and he said, "sister, sharing is caring." He gave me a big smile and then went back to eating. I could not stop laughing! It was just so sweet, but he is such a jokester that I never know if he's serious or not! Oh, and apparently I've picked up poor eating habits from our youngest boy, because I mix my dahl (lentils) and baht (rice) around on my plate, making a mess of my food. I keep forgetting that there are manners involved when I have my hand in my plate!

Bonjour!

Bonjour and namaste! I started French lessons last week, so I’m doing my best to go back and forth between languages! My tutor is wonderful, and very, very French, so she’s been incredibly helpful. Who knew I could find a French tutor in Nepal?!

Shrawan, the founder of AmaGhar, arrived last week! He is such an amazing man. The house has been full of visitors every day! I’m really grateful I have the opportunity to interview him. And, Bonnie Auntie is back home too!!! This Saturday is a huge event – the formal ground-breaking ceremony for the new AmaGhar. Once the construction begins, the children should have a bigger, newer home within the next year or so. About 500 people have been invited to this event! In true Nepali fashion, the planning has just started today, so I’m interested to see how everything comes together….

In a few weeks I will be leaving for an AMAZING journey…..I am going to visit the children’s villages during their holiday!! During the month of October is the Hindu holiday of Dussain. Every year for Dussain, the children go to their homes to visit any family they may have. Most of the children come from an area called Pyuthan, which is where I will be traveling. After an 18 HOUR bus ride, I will have the opportunity to experience the “real” Nepal – no running water or electricity, walking hours from village to village, homes made of mud, and further simplicities I can’t even imagine. I am so very honored that the children have asked me to come to their homes. This will be a great way to become even closer to my new brothers and sisters. I am already considered part of the AmaGhar family, but this will certainly set that in stone. The journey will be long, uncomfortable, and difficult, but I’m up for the challenge! The intrinsic rewards are so much greater than any risks I may face.

The daily questions

I have lost track of the number of times I have been asked,” what is this auntie?” “sister, why do you have so many things for your face?” On a daily basis the children will pick up every single thing in sight and comment or question. I am fully aware that I am a walking CVS, and have enough medicines and beauty products to supply an army. But what I’m realizing now as I explain myself to the children is that I never use these things! “Then why do you have it if you don’t use it?” Why has it taken a five year old to make me understand that I have way too much crap and it is all a waste of money?!!

The un-comical side to all this is when the children say, “oh auntie/sister you are so rich!” “No, I’m not” I insist. But then I realize that in comparison I really am. This is the hard part of being so close to the children. I am so grateful that they are comfortable enough to come into my room (always asking first, “may I come in?”), share stories, and ask about my day. But, I don’t like them having the perception that I am rich. I haven't been employed for over a year, but they have no conception of credit cards and the pointless debt I carry around. This totally negates my feeling as being their sister, as part of the family. I’m hoping this feeling remains when I return to the states and fall into the trap of Target….roaming for hours and putting pointless things in the shopping cart.

I also had this experience in Thailand with the children of the orphanage. Because Jennryn and I took taxis to the site, we were seen as “others” because we had the wealth to pay for this service. We started having the taxis drop us off away from the orphanage so we could create the perception that we were walking there.

So now, back in that yucky feeling of being viewed as overprivileged, I think I’m going to have to keep all my “stuff” tucked away. It’s funny how in America I am accepted to be a poor, unemployed graduate student. But, here in Nepal, simply because I lug around what I feel are necessitites, I’m viewed as rich. Here at AmaGhar (and most of Nepal) shampoo is considered a luxury item which is too expensive to be used. A simple bar of soap does the trick for the entire body. I tried this for about a week, but never seemed to feel clean enough! So, a few times a week, I indulge myself with a bit of shampoo and conditioner!

Reading with the boys

My favorite activity with the children is our reading groups. Because they are full of questions, we usually get distracted for a bit with stories about each other, and always a fit of giggles! I realized today though the difference between reading with my sisters and reading with my brothers…..spending time with teenage boys….In the midst of reading we went from the pronunciation of “garage” to seeing who could flare their nostrils. From endless contortions of our noses we then moved to making fish lips. A few times we would try to get back to reading, but I had already lost them :)!!! Once the boys moved from fish lips, they moved to making noises, and I don’t need to mention which bodily function they were imitating! Oddly though, it is much more relaxing to eat dinner with the boys than it is with the girls. I think it's because the boys are better at letting only 3 people talk at once, rather than the 6 simultaneous questions I get from the girls!

Home Sweet Home!!!

I'm back home at AmaGhar and couldn't be happier!!! From the minute I stepped in the doorway last week, I have been smothered with hugs and kisses from my brothers and sisters - I just can't get enough!!! I'm alternating nights of eating dinner with the boys and girls, and yep, always eating with my hands!

Already I have been a part of holiday celebrations. Last weekend was Father's Day, and all the AmaGhar children gave fruits, cards, and tikas (form of a blessing with red powder/liquid on the forehead) to their house fathers. It was so very sweet. I even made an attempt at giving my first tikas, and they of course ended up dripping into the poor men's eyes! I'll have to get a lesson on that later.

A few days later I was part of celebrating Teej (pronounced Tease), which is a holiday for all girls and women. The first step was getting fitted for the perfect bangle bracelets, my first ever! It was amazing to watch the girls choose their bracelets with such interest. After cutting my hand to pieces in the attempt to take the bangles on and off, I decided this will not be a normal occurance to wear them! I found out the hard way that the bangles are made of glass, not plastic!

The main celebration of Teej is around the temples of Durbar Square. I went into town with a few older girls, and two of the younger children. The beauty of all the red saris and glittering jewelry was stunning. I was fortunate to be dressed in Nepalese attire, so did my best to fit in. The women would gather in groups throughout the square to dance and sing, while drums pounded in the background. I was finally able to squeeze into a circle to get some pictures. One of the women grabbed my hand and pulled me into the dancing circle!!! Someone offered to hold my purse, the other took my camera and went crazy with taking pictures. I had no other option but to dance with the women, and pretend I knew what I was doing! The cheering got louder, and the crowd around us grew larger. Soon the woman who seemed to be of greatest importance wanted her turn with me! I didn't have a second to feel any embarrassment, but simply go with it! After every song I was pulled back up to dance :) It was such an indescribable feeling to be a part of such a special time with these women and their families.

I have pictures to post from this past week, and also from Thailand. But, with even more power limitations, my internet access is rare. Keep checking though!

Updates

Sawadee Khaa (spelled wrong, but means hello!)!!! I can't believe how quickly these several weeks have passed, and how much I have learned and experienced. Most importantly, I've realized how much the children of AmaGhar mean to me, and that I am not ready to leave the joy and fulfillment of working with them. After much thinking and planning, I have been able to register for part-time student status (working on my thesis), and return to AmaGhar this Saturday! I don't need to say how excited I am!!!

Volunteering in Thailand has been amazing as well. The children at the orphanage are so much fun, and so eager to learn! Their art is amazing - they will draw and paint for hours. I have great pictures, and hope to post them soon. They are all rescued street children, flourishing in their amazing home. They have all worked so hard to construct the buildings, literally built with their own hands, with pieces of plywood and tin. Clearly everything is very basic. All the kids contribute with chores and responsibilities. Their amazing personalities make the sweltering heat a bit more bearable! And, I love the fact that they have puppies!!!

I've also been teaching English with Jennryn at the resort, which we are so lucky to call home (beach, pool, a bunny farm, palm trees everywhere!). It's been so hard to get out of living in "survival mode" of Nepal, and relax with so many luxuries! We teach English to the restaurant staff and have had such a blast! Jennryn and I work amazing as a team, but also laugh endlessly, so there is never a dull moment. Yesterday we filmed our soap operas that we had our teams create - HILARIOUS!!! We had them write brief scripts in English, and then act them out, so they could see and hear themselves speak English. When Jennryn and I decided not only to direct, but also star in the dramas, it just added a whole new dimension!

Today we had a charade/scavenger hunt with English words. One of the descriptions was to "find red food." It wasn't until after the game was over that Jennryn and I realized one of my team members ate every piece of red food in the room, so the other team couldn't win!!! Such a smarty!!! He had apple cores and watermelon rinds all over the table!!

We ended class with an amazing round of "English Aerobics"! On the board we wrote hand, foot, up, down, left, right, turn around. Jennryn and I took turns leading the group in crazy actions using these words. We were lucky enough to have music and a camera!!! Hmmmm....maybe my calling isn't working with children....maybe it's acting as a soap opera actress and teaching aerobics!

Arrival in Thailand!!!

I've sadly left my family in AmaGhar and am now in Thailand. It is amazing to be at a beach resort, yet I can't help but miss Nepal :) I am staying with my friend Jennryn, so wonderful to see her! We are teaching english to the resort staff, and also working at a child development center for street children. I had such a great time yesterday getting to know the kids, playing Red Rover, running around in the dirt! And, to and from the development center, we took motorbike taxis!!!! A little frightening at first, but sooooo fun! The traffic is nowhere near comparable to Kathmandu, so it wasn't as scary as riding motorbikes in Nepal! I wish I had more time here! These two weeks are going to fly by....

back to the living!

I have literally been sick in bed for the past seven days. I caught a bacterial infection from poorly prepared food, not from AmaGhar, but from eating out in Kathmandu. I'll spare you the details of disgusting symptoms, but needless to say, it's been an awful week. Mid-week, after a continuous high fever, Bonnie took me to the doctor. We thought that from my loss of fluids I would need an IV, but I was glad to find out I was only partially dehydrated, so the IV wasn't needed. I was given rehydration salts (nasty taste!!!) to drink, and antibiotics.

I was just so relieved to find out it wasn't my appendix or something major. I have never felt such incredible pain in my stomach like that before. The entire house has been so sweet in taking such good care of me. Adelaide has been waiting on me night and day, always making sure I'm ok. There's even a drawing on my door from all the kids, saying they miss having fun with me, and hope I get better soon. The poor house mothers have been so upset, trying all their traditional medicines. The past few days I've been trying to go outside, do some laundry, or be active in some way. But, each time a house mother would walk me back inside, and insist I need more rest. After feeling like death for a week, I woke up this morning like a new person! The kids said it was like I was on a video game that suddenly added power to my body :) It felt so wonderful today to hang out with the kids, get back to my reading groups, and eat dinner with my hands again - I'm back!!! One of the girls just came in my room to say good night, and said she is so happy to see me smiling again. I love my AmaGhar family!!!!

Don't make me pull over!!!!

This morning on the micro, as I was making mental notes of amusing stories, I was transported back to thoughts of my childhood. There was an argument on the micro between the conductor and a passenger with a child on his lap. I couldn't understand what was going on (bit of a language barrier!), but I assumed the two were arguing about not paying for a child who doesn't use an actual seat. Suddenly, I felt as if I were on a family trip from my childhood. I smiled as I compared my arguing siblings, to the two men arguing with each other. At first I ignored the incident, but as the voices raised, so did the eyes of everyone on the micro. Then, the driver, chimed in. I could not understand how the driver heard anything, as the argument was on the back of the bus. It was as if my own parents had been transported to the front, having those "invisible eyes and ears" that always knew what was going on. I remembered how my parents would take turns saying, "Stop arguing! Don't make me stop this car and pull over!" And at that exact moment, the driver of the micro pulled over! I was waiting for the conductor to push the man out the door, but instead the rest of the bus chimed in to the argument. The passengers went from silent onlookers, to a competition as to whom could shout louder! I couldn't do anything but laugh at this moment. One man offered his own money for the arguing pair, but his hand was shoved aside. The driver shouted something that seemed very impressive, because after that point, the bus started moving again and nobody spoke a word. I was dying to ask someone what the argument was actually about, but I was afraid of making noise in the instantly silent bus :)

Fun facts continued!

9) There is no need for seatbelts on the micro because everyone is smashed into the bus like sardines.
10) When washing clothes, the best replacement for the spin cycle is stomping on your clothes in the soapy water.
11) Do not be startled by loud booming sounds, as they could be explosions of any kind - a tire blowng out, or a bomb!
12) Do not leave home without your surgical mask - it helps lessen the sting of the aromas of sewage and piles of garbage.
13) When in doubt, smile and laugh!
14) Toilet references are not #1 or #2, but instead short toilet and long toilet. No matter the age, a child and/or teenager will openly explain which will be happening, when asking to be excused from the room.
15) Cows, goats, dogs, chickens, and ducks have the right of way, not pedestrians.
16) Umbrellas are useless in a monsoon downpour.
17) Horns do not really mean get out of the way, but rather, ready or not here I come!
18) We are fortunate at AmaGhar to have a "neighborhood choir." Every night, promptly at 9, the frogs begin croaking, then the birds, ducks, chickens, and crickets chime in. The dogs start barking one by one, but then erupt into what sounds like hundreds. Our neighbor is friendly enough to chime in with about a half hour of hocking mucous outside the window. Not to be forgotten are the cows and goats, trying their best to be heard above the rest of the choir. Just in case we missed the nights' festivities and sweet melodies, the choir always provides an encore every morning, promptly at 5am. On special occassions, our neighbor not only hocks, but vomits as well.

P.S.

I just added new pictures from today. There are some of my kindergarten class, and then, two shots that Adelaide got of me on the micro! It's at the point when I was able to hang on the inside, so the pictures aren't at the point of insanity :)

getting braver, or just plain stupid?!

We are once again experiencing an extreme petrol shortage. Vehicles are parked in double lines, for what seems like miles. People wait 12-24 hours just to get the small amount of gas they are allowed. People are definitely sleeping overnight in these lines, or simply not driving at all. Needless to say, transportation has been getting difficult. On our way home today, Adelaide and I realized we could be waiting a long time for our last micro back to AmaGhar. As a micro was pulling away, we heard the conductor shout for our stop. We started running alongside and realized there were NO seats. We jumped on the edge, holding on to the rail, hanging OUTSIDE OF THE MICRO. We both looked at each other with fear in our eyes, saying, "should we do this?!" Before we had a chance to think, the micro started driving, and we were hanging on the outside! Other people jumped on behind us, so we actually had a row of people hanging behind us- absolute insanity!!! We were laughing out of fear and amusement. Once a few people jumped off, not wanting to ride outside the bus, and it was just us on the railing with the conductor, we had a blast! The wind blowing in our faces, hanging on for our lives as the bus swerved around cows and potholes, hoping our sweaty palms would hold tight.....so many feelings at once. As if there weren't enough going on, then it started to rain! I was shouting out bus stops with the conductor and he was laughing, and eventually the whole bus. The passengers were looking at me and Adelaide as if we had lost our minds, but when they saw our continuous laughter, the giggles became contagious. Once seats were actually available, I didn't want to sit down - I was having too much fun!!!! We are now contemplating if hanging on for dear life, like monkeys, on a moving bus, is more thrilling than bathing with elephants.

getting braver!

Last night and today were some firsts that used to scare and gross me out. But, when actually confronted with the experiences, I calmly responded and went with the flow....

Not wanting to give me a heart attack, in the middle of the night Adelaide whispered firmly, "McKenzie, wake up, come over here." As I was barely conscience from my sleeping pill, Adelaide continued to coax me over to her bed. I crawled on her bed next her and she whispered, "there was a rat crawling on your head!!!!" I faintly remember screaming silently (so as not to wake the entire house), and then curled up in the fetal position. Meanwhile, Adelaide and Anna Marie, no longer screaming quietly, were trying to find the rat who had crawled into our room. I lay there motionless as the other two jumped from bed to bed, flashing lights and moving everything off the floor to get the creature out! Not finding the rat, they decided we couldn't sleep in our room. So, the three of us grabbed our bedding and ran to another other room. This morning the kids were in awe as to why all of us weren't sleeping in our proper beds :) We are sleeping safely tonight with rat traps under each of our beds!!! Thank goodness I wasn't fully aware as to what was going on last night! The gross part is that I can still feel claw marks on my head -ewwwww!

Today after walking thru the grass during the rain, I finally got my first leech. Another ewwwww!!!! But, instead of screaming, I nonchalantly said to Adelaide, "oh look, I have a leech." I watched it wriggle on my foot and then grabbed a tissue to get it off. Adelaide said she was shocked by how calm I was. I agreed and laughed, realizing that the "icky" things arene't bothering me anymore!

Another first today was riding in a tuk-tuk. I previously referred to these vehicles as death traps that I would never get in, but now I would describe them as three wheeled go-carts. Granted, they are the slowest moving part of the transportation insanity (people included!), but maybe that's what prevented me from freaking out. We were never going fast enough to make the ride feel like the usual roller coaster feeling. No butterflies in my stomach today! Going over potholes and swerving thru traffic was pretty painful, as there is no cushioning, just metal. I'm proud to say I finally took the opportunity to ride in a tuk-tuk, but it's not something I'm looking forward to doing again. The bruises I'll have tomorrow will be a reminder!

A whole new world!

As I'm writing this blog I'm feeling pieces of rice still coming from under my nails......I ate with my hands for the first time!!!!! What an exhilirating experience! At first I couldn't even touch my food, just the feeling that it was not allowed (American mentality), and I wasn't being my proper self. Adelaide giggled with me until I could get to the point of just touching my food :) The first try was hysterical - food all over my face and falling back on my plate. But, then I was taught the skill of using your thumb as a "spoon" and to use your hand as a scoop. Once I got that down, Bonnie taught me a few "table" manners (we don't sit at a table, but on straw stools). And yes, there are manners and proper ways to use your hands to eat! You cannot get food past your second knuckle. Slurping is ok. It is not polite to fling food on others, even if it is accidental! The cooks were laughing and applauding my skills, and had a great time just watching me :) When I was about finished I was comfortable with the whole eating-with-your-hands, so I didn't refuse more food like I usually do. I wasn't even that hungry, I just wanted to keep "playing"!!! I mixed my dahl (lentils) and baht (rice) to the perfect consistency and went in for seconds! I slurped extra loud for the giggles and smiles I got from the cooks. And, then, as if I couldn't create any more amusement, I complemented the cooks in true Nepalese fashion -with a loud burp! I felt so childlike, such fun! I'm so excited to eat dinner tomorrow!!!

a sad realization

I was chatting with Bonnie today about how much I want a goat, and how cute it is to see everyone around Nepal taking their goats for walks. I thought how funny it would be for me to get a goat in the states, and attempt taking my goat for a walk thru DC! Then Bonnie patted my leg and said, "oh my dear, they aren't taking their goats for walks, they aren't pets......" I looked at her for a moment and realized that the goats weren't being taken for leisurely walks, but for a trip to the butcher :(

Fun Nepal facts you won't find in the Lonely Planet Guidebook

I have taken it upon myself to share the daily fun facts I experience, just so you all are prepared if you ever take an amazing trip to Nepal!
1) Crossing the street is like playing the old videogame, Frog. You simply move strategically, side to side, front to back. Once you get to the middle of the road, stop on the "median" and hope not to be hit by oncoming traffic. Then, repeat the process to make your full cross to the other side of the street. If anyone watches Seinfeld, think of the episode when George was moving his Frog videogame across a New York street - but multiply the scariness by 50!

2) Practice pronunciation of Nepalese words BEFORE speaking in public. A wrong sound can mean an entirely wrong word. As I was tutoring the children I was trying to say the name of a river, but instead said, "I like to milk goats"!!!! We were all laughing so hard we were crying!

3) Never let an appendage hang outside the window of a moving vehicle, unless you want to risk losing it!

4) The countless number of men and boys holding hands does not infer openness of homosexuality, it's just a sweet way of showing affection towards friends.

5) If you see a cow on the street, touch the cow and then your forehead, and you will be blessed for the day.

6) Upon hearing the hocking of mucus, move quickly because it will catch air.

7) If you get hit by a car, make sure it has blue plates, because those are the only cars with insurance.

8) The subtle head bobble means yes, not no or maybe.

More to come, my internet is out of service in a few minutes. Check out the new pictures!!!

disappearing trash...

I have experienced the reality of the saying, "one man's garbage is another man's treasure," or however that goes. I put my empty cardboard boxes in a trash bin, with the rest of the garbage. Yesterday I saw my cereal box turned into a dollhouse!!! My cracker box was turned into a purse! I realized that the children go through the house trash for things that can be reused! Today one of the girls had my empty travel-size lotion bottle, to play with her dolls. Too sweet! So now, I put my cardboard boxes, and other reusable items, on a shelf near the trash basket, so the children don't have to go thru trash to find new toys :)

Home from the jungle!

A safari has always been on my wish-list of things to do, and I can now cross that off!!! The past few days were some of the most incredible moments of my life. As you can see by the countless elephant pictures, that was my favorite aspect :) Also a favorite was the cultural program we saw, but the pictures don't do any justice. We saw a performance of traditional dances of the Tharu tribe (from the Chitwan area). The boys were amazing! They used long sticks which were swung around like batons, hit each others' sticks from front and behind, all to this incredible music that came from two instruments - mini tambourines and a drum. I kept thinking of all the head injuries I would cause by attempting the dances. But, my chance came at the end when the audience was asked to dance onstage. Both Adelaide and I danced and had an absolute blast (without the sticks!!!)! I can't describe the feeling of dancing around with these incredibly talented boys, trying to immitate their every move, and actually succeeding!

So back to the elephants....we went on an elephant ride thru the jungle (and the river) and saw all kinds of wildlife - rhinos, deer, peacocks, crocodiles, and of course lots of spiders and bugs! When we passed another group, I couldn't stop laughing when a guy asked if I had any grey poupon!

As much fun as the elephant ride was, it paled in comparison to our experience earlier that day....bathing with the elephants! Most of my pictures are from that time, and I'm so glad our guide was our photographer. It was really scary at first, to be riding bareback on an elephant, and then to have the elephant wade into the river. The elephant trainer (called a mahout) stood on the back end and started shouting commands. All of a sudden the elephant filled his trunk with water and aimed over his head, right in our faces!!!! After a few sprays we were loving it and felt more comfortable. But then the elephant rolled over in the water and we fell off laughing. Other people were on elephants as well, so we all took turns laughing at each other trying to stay on. I must say that despite being on the largest of the elephants, Adelaide and I did the best job of staying on! When the elephant was laying in the water we would help with scrubbing and massaging. It was amazing to look in their eyes, such thick eyelashes!!! Back on we would go, and get sprayed over and over again - so much fun!!! After looking at pictures, we realized that at one point, we were riding the elephant without the mahout, bareback by ourselves!!! Either he was amazed by our talent, or simply trusted the elephant :) Elephant bathing was by far the most terrifying and exhilarating experience of my trip so far!