09-NOV-2007 I am actually beginning to enjoy these daily heath checks at the children's home- the kids are so excited for them and I don't have to go hunting for them most of the time anymore. Makes everything so much easier and faster! So I met Uncle today. Okay he creeps me out bigtime. He kept taking pictures/videos of me as well as with him and his family with his camcorder. He kept telling me that I was sweet every two minutes, calling me sweetie, his girlfriend, and that he liked/loved me... all in front of his family. I made the mistake of having tea back at his house with his family where he continued with the camcorder antics, because after all, it is a major faux pas to turn down an offer of tea. But ... read more

01-NOV-2007 I got so much done at the office today! I felt truly productive and that I put every bit of time to good use. This is so difficult to do around here, since everyone works a little bit slower in Nepal. People tend to take their good ol' time in providing you with information you need to move forward. But hey, minor victories. After conducting the health checks in the morning, I wrote up our first monthly report and put together the mega health kit for the home. I spent the afternoon weeding through old meds, determining the medicinal purpose of random creams, and putting together a list of questions we need answered to move forward with the vaccination program. So I had to carry a conspicuous bright green 4' x 1' bag with 'Hospital ... read more

I finally enjoyed my first roadside coconut slice, as I've been eyeing up since I first got here. Malai nariwal manparcha! (I like coconut!) I can't imagine that it was the most sanitary food item I've had (admist roadside dirt, dust, exhaust and flies), but I concerned in the least provided the conditions my daily meals are prepared in (dirtay dirtay kitchen). I am developing quite the stomach of steel here. And I thought I had one before- oh how far I've come in just over a month! Steve's last day in town prior to trekking the Annapurna Circuit for two weeks was last Sunday, so we decided to send him off in the proper manner with some decent food and bevs. We discovered this cute wood-fired pizza place in Thamel where I devoured the biggest ... read more

For as many Nepalis that are vegetarian, walking down a major street would clearly convince you otherwise. Main roads are lined with shops, and every 5th one is a meat stand. Bloody pig, goat, and chicken bodies are on full display, as well as their heads prominently displayed for meat identification. And in front of each stand are crates, cages, and leashes keeping the next victims close at hand. I've been extremely lucky in that the only slaughter I've witnessed was that wooly mountain goat up in the remote village. Over the two-week long festival that (finally) ended yesterday, my day to day responsibility has been heading over to the home first thing and following up on the monthly health check. For children with identified health issues, I've been applying and distributing medications and vitamins with ... read more

For the past few days, the health team has been up by Pokhara (200 km NW) to take part in a health clinic in a remote village at the top of a mountain. If there is no more room IN the bus or van, people opt to ride on top of the vehicle with the luggage on the ridiculously bumpy roads. We were treated to our first Nepali music- extremely high pitched women singing similarly to yodeling. Not my style. It was on full blast the entire trip there and back (6-7 hours each way), in which I attempted to drown out with my Ipod pumped up to full blast. Once we exited the Kathmandu valley, we noticed something absolutely amazing. No honking. No smog. No dust. In other words, peaceful green moutainous land. It was ... read more