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Published: January 22nd 2009
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Hanging out with the Monks in Boudha
Watching a monk meditate on the Boudha stupa prior to class. Last Week in Kathmandu:
Prior to this journey the longest vacation I’ve ever taken was 3 weeks. Normally I’m conducting a whirlwind tour of Europe; dashing from city to city while barely taking the time to snap the obligatory pictures of all the “must-see” tourist traps. At the end of the vacation I’m left feeling exhilarated yet exhausted, able to check off an impressive array of places from my list and yet feeling as though I didn’t really see any of them.
One of my goals for this trip was to break this trend and to take the time to truly get the feel for a place prior to moving on. Little did I realize at the time of this resolution what an impossible task it was. Though this is the longest that I’ve ever spent in a foreign city, I still feel as though I’ve barely scratched the surface. Perhaps it’s because Kathmandu is such a vibrant and energetic city. Perhaps it’s because everything here is so completely different from home. Or perhaps it’s simply because you can never truly get a feel for a place until you’ve lived there for an extended period of time.
However,
Prayer flags flapping in the wind
Each flag represents a seperate prayer I will say one thing about my time in Kathmandu - while I may not feel like a local, I certainly do not feel like a tourist either.
Launching immediately into my volunteer placement, and therefore quickly developing a daily routine and commute, has prevented me from falling into the role of the wandering and wide-eyed tourist. In fact, I tend to feel a sort of smug superiority when I see befuddled tourists clutching their cameras and looking lost in the middle of Thamel. Of course, this is a completely unjust attitude, as I have also been lost in the jumbled streets of Thamel many a time before.
However, despite the fact that I’m still obliged to ask for directions every now and again, I have managed to throw off the yoke of “tourist” in many other ways. For example:
•I go grocery shopping versus eating out at restaurants all the time.
•I run a gamut of errands prior to work every day, and the owners of these shops are beginning to recognize me and anticipate my needs.
•I do not feel the urge to carry a camera with me everywhere. In the 2 weeks that I’ve spent
Typical Nepali Bus....
....only imagine it crammed full with about 15 passengers.... here, I’ve taken perhaps 150 pictures and the majority of them were from my weekend trekking trip. This might still seem like a lot, however keep in mind that I’ve been known to take 150 pictures A DAY when in Europe.
•I catch the local bus versus taking taxi’s or tuk tuks everywhere. And I know the “real” price of the trip rather then getting suckered into paying the tourist tax.
•The majority of beggars and con artists in Thamel leave me alone now versus pestering me for money every time I walk down the street.
•I’m beginning to get acclimatized to the sight and smell of garbage everywhere, and to the sound of the constant hawking and spitting.
While I know that I would never be allowed to feel like a local here (I don’t exactly blend into the crowd), I am surprised at how well the city seemed to fit me when I tried it on for size. And while there is still so much here to see and do, I do feel as though I’ve made a valiant effort at cramming a wide and varied amount of experiences into my 2 week stay.
Here are Teaching the monklets
I was trying to teach them the difference between left and right....imagine my dismay when i look back at the pictures and see that they've got it all wrong!!! some of the highlights from my last week in Kathmandu:
Deepak taught us how to make vegetable and chicken momo’s using the antiquated kitchen tools at the guesthouse. And I even ate the momo’s afterwards (a food group that I didn’t even know existed when I was back home, and wouldn’t have tried even if I had)
I finally got my Indian visa sorted out, after 5 visits and a total of 9 hours at the Indian Embassy. By the fourth visit, I had even become smart enough to bring extra blankets, a picnic lunch, my ipod, and a book to make the wait more comfortable. I was the envy of all the other poor unsuspecting victims in line.
I experienced my first Nepali car crash. Twice. In the same bus. Within a 10 minute period of time. The locals seemed to think it was hilarious. The taxi driver that we hit did not.
I found and frequented a little jewel of a pub called Sam’s where they serve hot rum punch and popcorn over a rooftop fire pit, while playing all the popular hits from back home.
I engaged in a philosophical discussion with a
Monks being children...
The monklets goofing off for the camera on my last day... Tibetan monk and Russian Buddhist while lounging on the Bouhda stupa prior to class.
I discovered a haven of calm amidst the frenzy of the city in the form of the Garden of Dreams, and spent a peaceful afternoon there napping on a bench.
I spent a very enjoyable week in the classroom with my little monklets, covering everything from geography, to shapes & colours. By the end of the week, I felt as though I’d gained the respect and affection of my students and they seemed genuinely sad to see me go. From my end, I found the experience to be extremely rewarding and only wish that I had been able to stay there longer.
Perhaps the most interesting experience of the week was when Katharine, Elizabeth, and myself were invited to Dhilip’s house for dinner. We had arranged to meet at the Hippie temple in Durbar Square, so that he could lead us through the bowels of the city to his home. His apartment was a 1-room shack tucked into an alleyway about 15 minutes from Freak Street. Upon sitting down on the only available couch, Katharine and I were both startled to see a
Children being monks...
Putting on a serious face... mouse climbing up the wall. We passed a somewhat uncomfortable and eye-opening 2 hours with Dhilip, his 4-year old daughter, and his shy and traditional wife (both of whom did not speak any English). His wife cooked us some homemade daal bhat and tea, and even made up some chocolate treats for dessert in celebration of some festival that was occurring that day. We huddled in a circle within the cramped room with our plates perched on our knees while we ate. Nothing could have highlighted the poverty and local standard of living more clearly.
I allowed myself to don my tourist hat on the weekend and spent the day with Amy on Saturday exploring the cramped and jumbled streets of Kathmandu with our camera’s. On Monday I ventured out to a historic little town called Bhaktapur where I spent the day with a young boy named Suman and his older brother Michael (a nickname I’m assuming). They were enjoying a 4-week school holiday and were eager to practice their English on a Westerner, and so ended up playing the role of tour guide for me that day.
Well, this concludes my time in Kathmandu. And while I
The Garden of Dreams
Enjoyed a 3 hour nap here one afternoon in this little haven of calm... have immensely enjoyed my time in this lively and energetic city, I have to confess that I am somewhat excited to escape the smog and dust for a little while.
Signing out,
Jen
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