Nepal- Week Six

Nepal- Week Six

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, Dec 18-Thamel

I read in the newspaper that the new ruling party is committed to appointing a cabinet with at least 33% women.  I wish the USA would make the same commitment.

I went at noon to meet my taxi driver who was to take me back to Imadol.  Traffic was heavy so I didn’t worry too much when he wasn’t at our meeting spot right at noon.  But when a half hour passed, I became worried.  It was particularly worrisome because I didn’t have a cell phone or his number or a clear understanding of where I actually live.  I was able to use someone’s phone (but I had to pay her $1) and call Nirmala who called Danese, the driver, who forgot that today was Monday.

Tuesday, Dec 19- Imadol

I walk outside to go to lunch and I see Laxima, my 76-year-old neighbor in the courtyard.  She is bare chested and getting ready to wash her hair by the hose. As I wander up the street, I see several people in front of their homes, taking bucket baths.  Today must be bathing day.

In class, we talked about menstruation and taboos.  They are not allowed in temples or the kitchen when they have their periods.  They are not allowed to touch men at this time and it is an expectation that they are honest and open about when they are menstruating. They don’t like it but they do not think they have any other alternative but to comply with years of shame.

Wednesday, Dec 20- Imadol

I asked my students to tell me what are their hopes and dreams for the new year.  They want to be happy and make their parents proud. One student wants to be more courageous.  She wants to go out of her house alone after 8PM but she is afraid.  So, she is planning to travel solo on a three-day bus trip to a city in the western part of the country.  I don’t know. This sounds like an ambitious trip.

Thursday, Dec 21- Imadol

Today is my last day of teaching. I am going to miss these young women.  They are filled with great ideas, passion, a commitment to better the world and a strong sense of what Nepal needs to do to help women.  At these moments, I wish I could stay longer so that I can see their continued growth.

Friday, Dec 22-  Imadol

One of the students posted a video about menstruation, a continuous conversation we have had last month.  They know that the rest of the world does not shame women and they don’t want to be treated this way anymore.

I asked, “Do you mothers insist you follow this rule of purity? “

She responded, “Yes, they do. ”

‪ I told her, “it's hard to break away from traditions. what will you tell your daughters?”

“I will not ask and even allow them to follow such traditions,” she adamantly told me.

“if more women follow your lead, this tradition will be gone in less than a generation,” I fired back.  And to me that seems like a very short time to bring about such a big change.  But I am sure this must seem like a life time for her.

Saturday, Dec 23- IMADOL

Nirmala, Jebin and I went to the    temple. I was here almost 20 years ago and remember that I could not enter the temple because I am not Hindu.  But this time, I was able to get closer to the cremation site.  That is what interested me the most.  On this day, someone was being cremated and I got to get as close as standing on top of the roof of their shelter.  I wanted to take a look at the body.  I wanted to know if this was a young person or someone who lived a long life.  I couldn’t tell as the body was so fully covered in hay that is was hard to distinguish a form.  The family sat quietly.  They didn’t seem to be in sorrow.  They appeared to be there solely to make sure the body was completely burned.  I didn’t stay to the end as Nirmala and Jebin were waiting and couldn’t understand my fascination with the moment.

“What were you thinking when you were watching,” Nirmala wanted to know.

Sunday, Dec 24-IMADOL

It’s Christmas Eve here but there is very little sign of any Christmas celebration. Nirmala hosted a Christmas dinner for me.  There were 7 of us. Jebin gave me a blue cashmere scarf.  Aardant brought some of the rice whiskey that is made at home.  I offered to pour the first round as I wanted to make sure I only had a taste and not a full glass.  AArdant poured himself a hefty drink and another and another and then had to go home after 2 hours. It was a kind celebration and I was grateful.

Nepal- Week Five

Nepal- Week Five

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, Dec 11-  This week we will work on how to develop SMART goals and effective daily habits.

I ask my students to respond to this writing prompt: what are you going to do, starting today, to make your life more meaningful?

One student wrote: “I can make my life meaningful from today by giving more time to studies. By controlling my anger. By stop overthinking. By hardworking. Being hopeful. By listening my mom advice. Being polite. By increasing capacity to ignore criticism. To believe myself. Less use of internet. By creative. By less talkative. Being patience, honest and punctual.”

Another student wrote: “Doing daily exercise and meditation and being claim (sic), Be passionate. Find some job and make group of friends and travel to different places with them. Being loving and equal to all. Don’t hold then thinks and wishes on heart and let it die instead explore it cause until you are silent nobody can hear you. Being grateful to what I have. Doing the creative task like writing poems and etc. not using mobile phone for long. Sleeping on time and waking up early. Not letting my thinking change hearing some bad view from others and to choose what I want and do as I wish not what other make me do.”

Tuesday, Dec 12- we are working on the United Nations Millennium Goals. I asked my students to take one goal and identify one thing they could do to aggress one of these goals.

For Gender Equality: “standing up for women who are victim of domestic violence and trying to make their family that’s illegal and if they don’t agree then call the people of women organization who help women.”

For Decent Work and Economic Growth: “in roads we see even healthy peoples ware begging and sometimes we hear goon’s kill person for money and to stop this instead of punishing and blaming them, I can ask them why they did this and give some ideas of job they can do”.

For No Poverty: “I can teach somebody sewing and stitching and handicraft for earning.”

Wednesday, Dec 13- I asked my students to compile a list of 10 daily habits that could improve their leadership skills.  One student wrote that she will brush her teeth and comb her hair every day.  I think the lesson was lost on her.

Thursday, Dec 14- we are finishing up our bucket lists and one of my students tells me she would love to cut her hair one day.  “Why don’t you cut it now if you want shorter hair”, I ask her?

“Because I am not allowed.  My mother will not let me”, she responds sadly.  

Another student responds, “Me too.  I want to cut my hair but I cannot”.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful to your mother, but will you cut your hair when you are an adult and no longer living with your mother”.

“I don’t know”, she tells me.

“For instance, if you are 35 and you want to cut your hair, do you still have to obey your mother’s wishes”?

“OK, maybe I can cut my hair when I am 35”, she responds and she writes this down on her bucket list.

Friday, Dec 15- I finally, finally found a clean restaurant in Imadol that also serves a variety of foods.  The only problem is the very slow service.  There were six people working when I was there and I was the only customer.  I had to wait one hour for my food to be prepared.  The nan was “damaged.” When I asked the waiter how “damaged?”, he told me, “it is black Madame.”

Maybe I will give them one more chance.

Saturday, Dec 16- I am back in Thamel and in search of a felt shop I have seen several times.  But I can mot find it anywhere. I circle around the maze several times but it is to no avail.  Just when I am about to give up, I look up and there it is. I buy two felt scarves that I love.

Sunday, Dec 17- it was a pleasant day.  After a nice breakfast, I make my way to the Garden of Dreams, a small oasis in the middle of the filth and noise of the city. Mostly young couples come here and sit in this calm, clean environment for the afternoon.  It’s a garden of grass and greener and a pleasant alternative to the pollution and dust on the other side of the wall.

I have a nice lunch with a warn mint tea.  And then I wander off to a fantastic facial.  The woman massaged my head and my feet and I wished she could do these two areas all damn day.

I wandered off to my favorite bar for a beer but I had to hurry up and get to the local bakery by 8PM as all of the breads go on sale for 50% off.  I stocked up on enough baked goods to last me for the week.

Nepal- Week Four

Nepal- Week Four

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, Dec 4- We start our bucket list today and it is off to a slow start.  I ask my students,” Who inspires you?’ and their responses are deafening.  They give the obligatory, “My mother.” But no one else comes to mind.  “Any teachers, a neighbor, an author, a politician, a humanitarian, any book you ever read, a movie, an actor, a musical?”  Nothing.  Just their moms and maybe their dads.  They don’t read.  Most of them have never read a book. Some of them pay attention to the news but most are unaware of life outside their bubble.

I ask them where they want to travel, “everywhere”, they tell me.  Name some places”, I tell them.  “Nepal.”  “outside of Nepal”, I encourage.  “I want to see all of Nepal.  It is a beautiful country.”  Finally, they reflect a little more and announce they want to go to Spain and Paris and Dubai.  A few want to go to the USA but mostly they want to go to Dubai. One student wants to go to London so she can go to a Starbucks.

Tuesday, Dec 5- Normally, Nirmala’s 76-year-old mother makes me lunch.  But it is the same meal she backs me for dinner and it is the only meal she makes: rice, collard greens, beans and dahl. I can’t eat it anymore so I offer to find my own lunch.  I wander up to the hazardous main road and find a small, dirty restaurant.  I walk in and stop everyone’s conversation. They are stunned to see an old, white woman.  Two of the other guests speak enough English to help me order noodles and a glass of tea.  But they leave by the time I need to pay the bill.  I take out my small bills and anticipate giving the clerk maybe $3.  Lunch costed me eighty cents.

Wednesday, Dec 6 -  Only three students showed up for class today.  I am told it is because of the election tomorrow.  A new political party is emerging and is threatening the voters.  “They are afraid of the bombs”, one student told me, “my mom told me not to come today but I said I would be alright.”

Thursday, Dec 7- I have cancelled class due to the election. On this day, all of my students are expected to return home to vote. 

I tried pickled grapefruit.  I can’t describe the taste and I cant decide if I like it or not.

I joined Nirmala and her parents as they went to vote.  It seemed as if we were going to a community party.  No one was allowed to use a car or motorcycle today as a way to force people to stay in their neighborhoods to vote. And the people came out all day long and turned this responsibility in to an opportunity to socialize with everyone in the neighborhood.

Friday, Dec 8- I walked up the street to a neighborhood café.  I was looking for chicken mo-mo but only vegetable mo-mo was served here.  I had a big helping of lo mien, a cup a tea and a dreadful glass of hot lemon water.  I calculated the bill to be a meager $1.05.  But the man only charged me 70 cents.  He said he didn’t give me a full plate of lo mien. It was way too much food.

Saturday, Dec 9- After my weekly meeting with the student leaders, I headed back to Thamel for two nights.  It feels like going home when I am there.  After a lovely afternoon nap, I wandered over to a spa and had a facial.  She rubbed my head and my hair looked like Medusa.  But I didn’t care. I found a place that served buff mo-mo and ginger/honey/lemon tea.  I later went to a local café for a beer.  It was a pleasant day.

Sunday, Dec 10-  After breakfast, I roamed the streets to see if there was anything new in the markets.  I hailed a cab and headed to Burdna Stupa.  I had been here before and this is the most familiar site to me. There were hundreds of police officers around today.  The results of the election have been published and there are thoughts of some possible riots.  There is a crown outside the stupa and there is an energy that could turn bad so I didn’t spend too much time here. I am finding that all stupas look the same and I think I am finished in looking at Hindu temples.  When I got back to Thamel, I had a body massage, a body scrub and a steam bath.  I don’t know what I thought the body scrub would entail but I was surprised to find that I was covered in mud when she was finished.  Now I have specks of mud in every nook and cranny of my body.  This was another pleasant day.