Nepal- Week Eight

Nepal- Week Eight

Kathmandu, Nepal

November 13, 2017 to January 9, 2018

I am in Nepal for 8 weeks, teaching for the World Academy for the Future of Women.  I will be teaching college women how to be global leaders with the focus on the UN Sustainable Goals.  I am going to travel a little bit during this time.  This should be an enjoyable 8 weeks.

Monday, Jan 1- Thamel- New Year's Day

I had every intention of going in to the streets at the stroke of midnight to welcome in the New Year.  But then I reconsidered.  I saw the volume of police on the streets and I heard all of the drunken behaviors.  So I decided against it.  I didn't want to be out on the streets and it was wild and there was no one looking out for me.  This morning, I regretted that decision; it was an opportunity missed.

So I treated myself to a Shirodhara treatment.  First I had a massage and then a women drizzled warm oils on my Third Eye (forehead) for one hour. And while doing that, she massed my head.  OMG, it felt great. I think she poured two gallons of oil over my head.

Tuesday, Jan 2- Thamel

My head is a greasy mess. I showered for 1/2 hour last night, trying to get the excess oil out of my hair.  And I showered again this morning. And I think I will have to take two showers a day until further notice as there in an oil field on my head.

I had a pedicure this afternoon.  I don't think I like this treatment. I don't like having someone touch my feet like that.

I wandered around the shops and looked at all the things I have looked at a hundred times now. But I still find it interesting to watch the salespeople.  Everyone sells the same things to the tourists.  And the merchants are anxious to make a sale. Sometimes I like to engage them in conversations.  Other times, their desperation saddens me.

Wednesday, Jan 3- Thamel

Today was a lazy ass kind of day.  I shopped a lot and I bought too much stuff and some of it I want to return but I don't think they do returns in Nepal so I am stuck with too many scarves and pants that fit fine two hours ago but now are a little too tight for comfort. How am I going to get all of this shit home?

Thursday, Jan 4- Thamel/Imadol 

I have mixed feelings about leaving Thamel today.  It has been such an escape from the unpleasant environment in Imadol.  I am finished with Nepal and worried about all of the weather reports back home.  Temperatures are in the negative numbers and I am obsessively worried about my water pipes freezing. I wish I could just go to the airport right now and go home.

Pam arrives from China today.  She will be replacing me in my teaching assignment.  And she will be here for a month.  I can tell by her immediate conversation that she is as bewildered as I was when I first arrived.  The housing conditions are sparse and the town is dirty, bleak and isolated.  It’s hard to be here as a visitor.  Hence, my need to escape to Thamel every weekend.

Friday, Jan 5-Imadol- 

We were invited to dinner at Julie’s house   I met her a month ago and visited her factory and shop.  She and her brother are on a mission to try to employ all types of workers, regardless of talent or ability.  She they hire jewelry makers and cardboard box makers and bone button makers. Their business is impressive.

So, tonight, we are at her home for dinner.  She and her husband are middle class.  They live in a gated community.    I haven't seen evidence for this class until this moment.  They have a house that is dust -free. The house is well lit.  There is upholstered furniture. Their sons not only go to college, they study abroad, in China and Berlin and the USA.  One son had several friends over tonight and all of them were highly educated, articulate, worldly and western in so many of their views.  They did not represent the Nepali people I have met over the last two months.  They were charming and well-read and looking for high power jobs. They talked of their privileges and recognized that they have advantages that others don’t have.

Saturday, Jan 6- Imadol- Farewell Ceremony for me and a Welcome ceremony for Pam.

It was a bittersweet moment.  I’ve grown fond of these young women and I will be sorry to say goodbye to them.  They sang me a song, gave me a memory book and a certificate.  But mostly, they lingered after the ceremony and hugged me and cling to me and just didn’t want to let go.  And I didn’t want to let go of them either.

Sunday, Jan 7-Imadol

I had planned on a very low-key day today.  I wanted just to pack and wander the streets and maybe get my last plate of buff momo.  But that didn’t happen.  Instead, at Pam’s request, I went back to Thamel with her.  She wanted me to show her around as she too was overwhelmed by our living conditions and needed a plan to make this situation work for her. So, Pam, Maureen and I called Danese, my taxi driver, one more time and he came and go us and I took them to the Ambassador Garden Hotel., where I took a lovely hot shower.  And we wandered the streets and peaked in to shops and had ginger, honey lemon tea and a nice meal.  And then I again said goodbye to Thamel and headed back to Imadol.

Monday, Jan 8- Imadol/ Qatar- Returning home.  

I had lunch with Laxima, Nirmala’s mother and she fought in vain to overfed me.  I am sorry to leave her.  She is sweet and kind and simple and I enjoyed her company even though we did not understand a world we said to each other.

I leave Kathmandu at 4:40PM and have a 6-hour layover in Qatar. I am looking forward to this layover as this airport has lots of things to do to keep me occupied. From there, I have a 12-hour flight to Philadelphia. I will cross the international date line at some point and I will be in a fog as to what day it actually is.

I will pass over the Himalayan Mountain Range one last time. I am hoping I can resist the temptation not to take any more photos as I have enough and they all look the same to me at this point.  And I have no idea which one is Everest.  They are all too tall to climb.

Tuesday, Jan 9- West Chester, PA- I finally, finally arrived home.  It's always great to come home and be surrounded by my world.  It's been a long two months.