Surprise rain and a transportation strike


Advertisement
Nepal's flag
Asia » Nepal » Kathmandu
January 27th 2008
Published: February 1st 2008
Edit Blog Post

19-26-JAN-2008

It rained all night on the evening of the 19th for the first time in two months. So I woke up in the middle of the night completely confused with the noise I was hearing on the roof and windows. Amazing the things you forget when you lose regular exposure to them. But this resulted in the most amazingly fresh, crisp, clean air. I couldn't fill my lungs with enough of it. And I did not realize how much I missed that fresh scent. If only there was some way to store it...

And about a week later, I notice strange clouds out around the mountains- it looks and feels like rain but I still never expect it to actually happen in mid-dry season. But lo and behold I hear startlingly loud and drawn out rumbles of thunder and it is soon raining again. I have not heard thunder since October.

There is finally snow on my mountain peaks! There is a jagged range of tall peaks laying behind the northern foothills of the valley. But up until now, they haven't been too terribly exciting- brown, dry and snowless. However, it seems as though the recent rains had finally capped them with snow, making the morning commute much more spectacular. Can't wait to see the big guys up close next month...

While it has been about 40 F at night, I have been successfully able to keep the temperature in my room in the low 50s simply by keeping the windows closed, the curtains drawn, and my body heat radiating. It is always so toasty in my sleeping bag, it's nearly impossible to pry myself out in the mornings. Sometimes I lay there for an hour with my thoughts wildy flying about in my head but it is a nice opportunity to organize them.

Due to my successful track record at diagnosis and treatment, I am now confident in my ability to prescribe antibiotics for bacterial infections! Occasonally I cannot help but imagine what it would be like to have one of the children at home in America with me. I would seriously like to adopt some day, but not for 5 years probably.

On the way to BFCH and Little Princes monthly health checks, Paul and I decide to ride on top of the jeep on the luggage rack. Him because he desperately needs to get rid of his hangover, and me because it is something I've vowed to do before leaving Nepal. With the intial acceleration of the vehicle, I break into an uncontrollable giddy laughter that continues intermittently for the entire journey. It is rediculously fun mostly because it is completely unnecessary (there is plenty of room IN the jeep) and there is drool streaming down the side of my face when I turn my head to talk to Paul. But this is invitable due to the wind, though I wonder why he is not burdened with the same issue. And due to the poor condition of the roads, it quickly becomes very painful up there. Every bump must be anticipated and braced for, becoming even more important when the pavement turns to dirt. But luck is on my side- I unknowingly chose the side without the impending branches that Paul consequently fights with. But he wins and makes it through the ordeal okay. It was so completely worth the struggle.

We have a health fun day and health check at Paradise- things go so much smoother during the Fun days with Divendra talking to the children in Nepali about
Helping HandsHelping HandsHelping Hands

Looks like Bijit is drunk and the others are helping him walk
the importance of keeping clean and healthy (he is able to retain their attention for longer). We are impressed by the extent with which the children know their stuff- seems as though the challenge is in implementation.

With the unreliable power supply and malfunctioning printer I wonder why we even drag all the electronic equipment out to the checks with us. I now usually end up writing everything up by hand (which isn't trivial with the 54 at Charity).

Health check days usually involve my incessant battle with the uncooperative printer or power supply. The Nepali doctor who conducts the checks seems to be convinced that women are generally inept, feeling the need to intervene and not let me handle the most trivial of issues on my own. This was blatantly demonstrated during the 2-day health camp at his rural village when he provided a thorough introduction of the men in our group (with credentials), and simply neglected Esther, Elloise and I although we were standing right next to him. He remembers the men's names instantly though it took him three months to remember mine. He never learned Esther or Elloise's. Knowing this makes working with him extremely
Daily commuteDaily commuteDaily commute

There is snow on my mountains!
challenging and a feat of patience, though at the end of the day we all have the same professional goal so it's best not to complicate things. Though it may be a good idea to confront the issue when I'm finished at the end of the month in order to make working together easier for everyone down the road...

My favorite daal bhaat is now the fried potatoes (alu). I can't get enough. Once during evening DB I was especially ravenous but Nojal (one of the twin girls) wouldn't stop talking to me, making me stop after every bite to listen and decipher. All I wanted to do was eat! Never thought I would be so fond of DB as I am now. And ever since hajuramma came to town, they have been serving me the honey glazed greasy rotis with morning tea- my favorite!

Do we have Nescafe in America? (Powdered coffee- just add to hot water) It is ingenous! If not, I am bringing home heaps.

There is a two-day transportation strike in the valley as a result of recent repeated increases in the price of fuel. This forces me to walk the hour to Thamel both days (and I thought the bus driver was being rude by driving on past). During those two days, and perfectly coinciding with the tension in the air, the weather was cold and cloudy, the sun failed to make an appearance for an instant. The first day, there were no vehicles on the road except the occasional motorbike. With my laundry in hand, I joined a massive amount of people walking down the street. Due to the vast numbers of people milling about, it almost felt as though we were some sort of refugees fleeing from something. Every so often, there were blockades of burning tires to prevent any motorized vehicles from passing through. It smelled horrible and the soot clings to your clothing. Motorbikes were permitted to walk their bikes through at some blockades. It was so cold in the office that the staff built a fire on the balcony to keep warm using spare wood and newspaper. Unfortunately, the first day of the strike perfectly coincided with vaccination day so I handed off the plans and Kammal and the nurse took care of business via motorbike.

The second day, motorbikes were turned away and bicyclists even had to walk through (the reasoning is beyond me). Any motorist caught trying to pass through was subject to a crowd instantly forming around their vehicle in accompaniment with a loud raucous of shouting. I admit that it was a bit scary, but nothing to worry about as long as your means of transpo is your pair of legs. All the shops in Thamel are closed and have their doors pulled down to the groud. It is very eerie. But by the evening, word travels that the strike is finally over and cars begin to pass through the narrow streets, and vendors raise their shop doors.

I give in and buy more books because I have motored through 5 in 5 weeks. I never used to understand what my sister saw in it, but I love reading- there is so much to learn! Call me what you will, I have heard it all before...

I have been continuing my knitting on a bi-weekly basis and have joined the women knitting on the second-floor storerooms. I've learned a new type and am getting much better! And I am now able to endure it for longer due to my increased proficiency and the company of the other women. It usually takes a while to communicate a thought over, but it makes things fun. And they enjoy talking about me- I have no idea what they are saying, but it is fairly obvious when they keep looking at me. I am convinced it's all positive. I have to be.

I make preliminary plans on my flight from here to Delhi late March. Since I have 8 hours there, I'm going to look into getting a visa this time around to prevent camping out in the airport again (we all know that was miserable).

Advertisement



Tot: 0.08s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 5; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0585s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb