Tri-Chandra-June 18

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Writing fast---enjoy!

We spent the first part of the day on the Tri-Chandra campus where our Nepali colleagues attend school. Approaching it, it doesn't look like much except the rebuilt clock tower (the original was destroyed in the 1934 earthquake)-when you go inside, again nothing fancy. There are rows of wooden benches and a projector at the front on the class. When we broke for tea, we were lead into a sort of storage hallway- display case after dusty display cases was filled with Himalayan rocks and mineral samples, the walls were covered in old classroom posters, Nepal topo maps, and cabinets simply labeled "rocks." I had the opportunity to learn from an amazing geologist Dr. Upreti (who will meet us in the field later in July), on subjects of sedimentary and metamorphic petrology. This man knows EVERYTHING about the geology and interacting earth surfaces of the Himalayas. A guest speaker from National Society of Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) also presented his work. I forget his name now, but He has been working his whole career on bringing earthquake risk/hazards to the Nepali people. He has trend Mason workers to build earthquake safe buildings and change the way Nepali people view the imminent danger of earthquakes. Even though they have a long way to go-they have already made improvements on the safety of schools and raising awareness that the poor building codes on Nepal is the communities biggest threat. I think about Seattle and the threat earthquakes pose. Seattle homes don’t have earthquake go bags or community meet up points, and yet the danger of a major earthquake lingers. There is still so much to be done in bringing public awareness of tsunamis and earthquakes to the PNW. So family and friends-when I get back you will be hearing from me about this!!

-C

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