today I hate Nepal

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You know it’s cold when you can see your breath inside, or you don’t want to change your clothes because you fear the cold air hitting your skin, or you sleep with a bottle of hot water to help warm the bed. My space heater is pretty much worthless since there is no insulation, and the floors are concrete underneath the thin green carpet. Today it’s not so bad—I’m only wearing 3 layers.

I’m in diarrhea territory again. Popping pepto bismal like their candies, hoping it will pass in a day or so. I don’t know if it’s a slip up with water or Sita’s spicy veggies, and I don’t care. All I know is it’s part of living in Nepal, and I’m tired of it. I just read the other day that dehydration due to dysentery is the leading cause of death among children here. Hard to stay hydrated when it’s the water that kills you.

Still no internet. Every day I wake up hopeful that I’ll be back online, and every day the guys from the internet company fail to show up.

Days like this I hate Nepal.

Tried to have a phone interview last night. After 3 attempts to actually hear each other on the line, we spoke for a few minutes before the line cut out. We’re resorting to email until I can figure out where to find a better connection. Luckily the woman trying to interview me has been to India and understands what it’s like to make an international call from this part of the world.

BBC World News, Ally McBeal, and Korean comedy movies help me get through my day. That and trying to keep busy with my work.

Everyone keeps asking me what I am doing for Christmas. Apparently white skin not only translates into money but Christianity as well. I’ve explained to a few people that I don’t celebrate Christmas, which is usually followed by puzzled looks. All of the young people here use it as a chance to party—there are lots of clubs having Christmas parties in the tourist area. I’m just enjoying not being bombarded by it wherever I go, except for the dancing Santa at Bhat Bhateni that sings the same song over and over again.

I’m feeling bipolar. Yesterday I was on cloud 9 about the interview and the possibility of my dream job getting closer and closer. Today I just want to hop on a plane and leave this place. Being disconnected from my life on the other side of the world except for the hour a day I’ve been spending in the cyber shop doesn’t help. Ken is visiting my parents today to drop off gifts. I’m so incredibly jealous—that they get to see him, that he gets to see them. I’m jealous that the biggest worry for my friends the past few weeks has been the piles of snow and how they were going to finish their grading before the end of the semester.

I want to go back to a life where I can take things for granted again, like heat and clean water. I want to walk down the street without using a facemask. I don’t want to have to plan around a 3 hour blackout 2 days per week. I want a cell phone that works!

I think the hardest thing is the time difference. All I want to do right now is call my mom and cry to her, but it’s 2am and she’s probably fast asleep.

Today I hate Nepal.

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Comments

[a nepali]

fair enough
ya, i agree