Camaron

I made it! It was so sad leaving Nepal. I thought I was tired of Kathmandu, but when the time came to move on I felt my heart sink a little. At the airport, the computer system went down (not so conducive to e-tickets) so I had a chance to soak up some last minute Nepali culture: securtiy guards playing peek-a-boo, passengers walking behind the ticket counter to try and make friends with the ticket agents, kids weighing themselvs on the baggage scales... oh I'm going to miss this place. After spending the night in transit, I finally made it to Shanghai. Walking out of the baggage claim, it wasn't too hard to spot Jills: this blonde puff bobbbing about one foot above a sea of black hair. Can't tell you how happy I was ... read more

Purely Pictures Asia » Nepal By Camaron July 3rd 2007 Camaron Marvel OchsHappy 4th of July!!!! I'm wearing red, white and blue. Hopefully I can find some sparklers and a 24 pack of Budweiser to really make things authentic... Right-hand salute! Good night.... read more

Thanks for the messages/comments. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life! One minor note: I'm in Nepal. Not India. They are two separate countries. Jills made it safe to Shanghai, and I'm so excited to visit her. I can't believe how fast time has been going! Tomorrow marks my 3 month anniversary... Barbara (my new Czech buddy) and I went to one of the swimming pools to try and beat the heat a few days ago (no beaches in this land-locked little country). It was an indoor pool and it felt like we were in the 1940's or something because there were separate entrances for boys and girls, and all girls had to wear swimming caps. The Nepalese swim like they drive: like drunk bats. Everyone goes in the direction of his ... read more

I'm glad you found the blog grandma! So... The monsoon season hasn't really started... it's just hot. But the wind has made for some clear days with beautiful clouds. I've been in Kathmandu a few weeks now and it's kinda fun to bump into people you know on the street. Thamel (tourist area) is a pretty noisy place to stay, even though I'm at a Meditation Center. At night I fall asleep to cover bands playing 'The Wall' or 'Cocaine' over and over at the nearby pubs. Kathmandu is also getting pretty developed. I've been bowling a couple times at the newest shopping center (there's escalators and everything) and been to the climbing wall at the fitness center as well- Lisa would be proud. But don't worry, Nepal shines through despite the advances. While bowling, the ... read more

Dana and Fraser leave for India early tomorrow morning! We said goodbye and I watched my fellow Volunteers Village-rs drive off in a taxi. My surrogate family is off to see more of the world. We had a great brainstorm before they left about the contents of the website and they handed over the remaining contacts I need to hit in Nepal. I'm so excited for the sustainable-volunteering philosophy behind this endeavor and how all of this has the potential to help this world grow well together (in one small way). We've planned our next meeting in Montana (midpoint between California and Toronto). I've met a new Czech lady who loves coffee and Italy so I think she will be my next 'friendship' victim. I've been teaching English to the women staff at an NGO everyday ... read more

Here's a few for ya....... read more

I made it to Kathmandu! We are staying in Thamel area (where the tourists are- which is NOTHING like my previous experience here) at the Himalayan Meditation Center. The hotel is attached to a monastery and we do free meditation and yoga in the mornings. Yesterday we met with Mahabir (the director of the Nangi voluteer program) for dinner. It sounds as if things would have been much more organized if he had been in the village, he apologized. He is working on a new internet project that will connect some villages in the mountains surrounding the Kathmandu Valley. I'm reminded of our friend Prem in Pohkara saying,"If you have internet and phone, then people don't HAVE to live in the city." Most Nepalis I've spoken to would rather move back to their villages. The project ... read more

I know the last one was a lot to swallow but here's two cause I forgot to publish one... Sunday: More Volunteers Village interviews. Hit a hospital and after trying desperately to explain myself to the front desk, I scored a meeting with a name-tagged somebody. We sat down in the ER- white floors, 2 cots and apparently lax rules about the comings and goings of anybody (no patients thankfully). The guy shoved some boxes and operating tools out of the way and went over the website. I hung out at the Tibetan Refugee camp again. It's so freaking hot everyone sticks to the shade so I sat my blond-self down at the shop/cafe with the same guys from yesterday. Everyone is gathered around the shuffleboard/checker-slide table (obviously the name of the game escapes me) but ... read more