Hello, my name is ___________. What is your name?
Namaste, mero naam _______ ho. Tapaiiko naam ke ho?
It's nice to meet you. How are you?
Tapaai lai bhetera khusi lagyo. Tapaai lai kasto chha?
I'm fine, thank you. See you later!
Malai tick chha, dhanya baad. Pheri bhetula!
Even small phrases like this may seem basic but they are REALLY difficult to learn at first. We've just started to learn verbs and longer phrases, but for now I'm just focusing on the basics. It's fun to be learning a new language with other people because we can practice together. When we're all crammed into a tiny taxi in 90 degree heat on a bumpy dirt road to Thamel, we practice with each other. At breakfast, lunch, and dinner we also practice. We'll be pros by the time we arrive home.
Yesterday was a very busy day but it was really rewarding. We visited Kathmandu's Durbar Square, which is a very famous site to visit in Nepal. The Kimura house, which is in Durbar Square, is home to Nepal's living goddess of Hinduism. The windows and pillars were intricately carved out of wood and painted black. We saw Hindu sadhus wandering around the temples, as well. I've always just seen them in pictures but they are amazing to look at in person! My friend Aaron wanted to try to get a picture with them, but they charged money, money we didn't have.
For the past few days, I've been trying to change my future plans around a bit. I was planning on WWOOFing in a town south of Chitwan with a host family for the month of October, then go to an orphanage in Pokhara and finish off with an 11-day trek in the Annapurna mountain range with RCDP guides and porters. Now, though, I'm planning on WWOOFing near Chitwan for only three weeks, meeting up with friends from the RCDP hostel to hike the Annapurna range with them, and then work in the orphanage or possibly a monastery in Pokhara. I'm glad I have found others to hike with in the Himalayas because it makes the journey much more enjoyable when you have friends by your side, especially in such a beautiful environment.
I have great plans for my future in Nepal, but I'm trying not to focus on that but, instead, focus on the present moment. Everything is so interesting, I never know what will happen in a day. I am excited for the rest of this week, however. Tomorrow we will go sightseeing as a group and visit three temples in Kathmandu, two of which are Buddhist and one of which is Hindu (Monkey Temple, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site!). I believe it is Saturday that we are planning on visiting Bhaktapur for the day and then moving on to Nagarkot, where we will stay the night in a guesthouse and wake up early on Saturday morning to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas. I have heard that Nagarkot is a must-see for tourists and others alike because of the magnificent views of the mountains before the fog and haze rolls in. Sunday morning will be our Nepali exam and then we will prepare for our next adventures! I've made it a point to have everyone right their emails and contacts in my journal so I can always keep in touch with them, even after I have returned home to the states.
I didn't take the picture below, unfortunately. However, I DID SEE THE SADHU ON THE RIGHT IN PERSON. He's a cool dude, especially with those glasses. Rock on man.
The picture below is from when Kajal, Ramon, and I visited Samaan's home for dinner on Saturday night. It was when I barely knew anyone, yet I still had an unbelievably good time. The family was really welcoming and it was great to spend time with the children for the oldest daughter's 6th birthday. The guy on the left is Ramon. I got to spend time with him for just about two days, and in that time we formed a great relationship. He volunteered in a monastery in Pokhara for around 9 weeks and said he absolutely changed his life. I forget the names of the two girls next to me, but they are both from the Netherlands and were staying with Saman for the length of their projects in Kathmandu.
The picture below is of Kajal (left) and Ramon (right). Kajal is from the UK and is currently volunteering at Monkey Temple in Kathmandu for four months. She was a great friend to have when I first moved to Nepal, but we were only able to spend just about a day together so it's sad to see her go.
I'm grateful I have internet access a few times a week, but it won't last for long because there will be less access when I move to Chitwan. I'll keep you updated as my trip unfolds!
Miss you all! Shuva din!
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