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Namaste y’all :)

I just got home from a day of training, and at my mama’s request, am gonna try to give y’all another update! And thankfully after today I have the energy and material to do so! This week has been a long one. I woke up Wednesday morning with a low fever, but went to the USEF office anyways hoping it would break. Unfortunately it only worsened, and after seeing me sleeping on the couch at lunch, our training leader and everyone insisted upon sending me home. They even called me a ride, which I was thankful for, as I was too out of it and tired to fare well on a bus. My fever was low, never passing 101, but annoyingly persisted until that night. Apparently this time of the year is bad for everyone. Many people at the office have been out sick this week, including my language teacher. I have been told the rainy and variable weather, eating cold foods at night (as I had), pollution, and other things are all potentially sources of an illness such as mine. I found it strange to at first to only be running a fever, as only on the second day did I have other cold-like symptoms. But worry not, as always my host family and friends have been taking extraordinarily good care of me. They have been feeding me only foods considered suitable in Nepal for illness, including hot water to break the fever, special rice, ginger, etc. And cold foods and fruit are largely prohibited. They also haven’t let me back out in the rain before today, out of fear that my fever would return. And perhaps with good reason, as after the long day and the bus ride home, I believe ‘malaai pheri jwaaro aayo,’ a little fever has again come. But I’m resting, and honestly feeling pretty great considering everything! Poor Grace at home is apparently faring far worse. Maybe if someone reads this, they can take her some ice cream for her sore throat for me. I think in America that’s not taboo ;)

Despite being a bit ill, all is well! I was thrilled today to meet the English teacher I will be working with for the next 7 and a half months and the vice principal from the school! I’ll tell you what I have learned so far. I will be moving in with a family in the town of Bhaisepati, outside the main city of Kathmandu, but not too far by foot, bus, or tuk tuk (a three wheeled battery-run vehicle that frequents smaller streets in the valley). I haven’t yet visited this town, but I hear this is beautiful little spot, and that apparently a couple of diplomats and a lot of army families live there. Their children likely attend private schools, as I was told few, if any, of them attend our government school. The school is home to 17 teachers and approximately 400 students, if I understood correctly. Not sure as of yet the class sizes, though I’ve heard in general they can be as large as 60/70 and will likely be no less than 30/40. The children who attend this school are from nursery age-8 grade. My counterpart teacher is a lot like me, 22, just out of undergraduate school, and she teaches English to 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders, approximately age 7-14. I may be assisting in as many as all of her classes! Most Nepali teachers teach 6-8 40 minute periods a day. The children are generally of low-socioeconomic statuses, and about 30% are living outside their own homes. To better explain this, this 30% are children who live away from their parents and siblings with another Nepali family and work in their homes. They are often from outside the Kathmandu Valley, and have come seeking a decent education or to make some money for their families. They wash dishes, clean cook, and do various work around the homes of the more fortunate families they stay with. Which fits into the picture of Bhaisepati as being the home to a fair number of affluent Nepalis. As you can imagine, this often means they have little time left outside school for homework, and I have already heard that teachers know classwork is more essential for their  students’ educational success. Nevertheless, their academic success rate was described as “low,” so this will certainly be a challenge. But with such enthusiastic co-workers and the love they show for the children, I’m excited for our months ahead. Every coming obstacle will just have to be crossed as it comes, and I will do my best to keep y’all informed about this journey.

As one last side note, I was hoping to do some sort of extracurricular activities at the school, perhaps involving basketball for girls and boys as a form of exercise, fun, and stress release. I hear that there is no goal at our school, but there is one at the higher secondary school, so perhaps that will also come into play in the future. Another ETA is also working there, so we may be joining forces.

For now I think I’ll leave my update at that and get a little rest. Language class tomorrow bright and early. All the best to y’all, and hope everyone is well. Feel free to drop me an email, k80may@gmail.com, telling me what’s new with you, or again if you have any questions.

Kati dherai maya (so much love) <3

My photo for today, the dog that likes to guard his home from the roof. My view from my bedroom window...

From afar:

 zoom:

oh and my new roomate ;) :

p.s. kommentaire or whatever it is is comment in german if you're interested ;)

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Hi y’all! The sun just went down here, and for most of y’all the day is starting. Our power also just went out, as it does these days every now and then. Though I hear  it will be out daily for up to 16 hours come winter. For now, luckily for me, some unknown neighbor has functioning wi-fi which I can steal. So I’ll take this opportunity to tell y’all about my weekend :)

Saturday Laxmi and her two friends who are hosting other ETA’s decided to take us all to Boudhanath. We walked up to the hill from our homes to the stupa, which is probably one of my favorite monuments in Kathmandu. It’s a gorgeous place, and though the shops are a bit touristy around the area, the people you find there are  from all walks of life. As we wandered around and took pictures, I saw Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist people all worshiping at the monument and taking the beauty in. To me this peaceful mix of religions in people is both endearing and inspiring.

Laxmi and I at Boudha

We next headed back into the city to catch a movie. As Saturday is most people’s only day off, many Nepali families had also come to this modern city mall to catch a showing. We had reserved tickets in the morning, as most shows sell out quickly. Then we had to come claim them an hour before the film. The movie theater operated more like an actual theater. We had assigned seats and surprisingly an intermission. The film we saw was a Hindi film, and as it was starting, I had my fingers crossed for English subtitles, but I quickly found that I really didn’t need them. With English phrases intertwined with the Hindi narrative , vivid facial expressions, and universal themes of love, heartbreak, friendship, etc., for the most part I could follow along, laugh, and enjoy with everyone else. I rather liked that the “hero” (lead actor), who was filling his role with an intentionally muscular effusion of manliness and attractiveness, shed a tear after experiencing something beautiful, and was openly emotional throughout the movie. In Nepal, it is often common to see men holding hands on the street or in close capacity in a purely plutonic manner. This is just one societal concept that differs from the U.S., but to me was refreshing.

After the film we headed home, and on the way I picked out fabric and got measured for a couple of  kurtas, or Nepali outfits with long tunic like tops, flowing pants, and a shawl. We joked about my height as I was measured, and everyone laughed at how the measuring tape barely made it to the floor from my shoulder. Then we ended the day around the kitchen table with mango tang and an adhi adhi (half half) Nepali English heart to heart.

Sunday, the USEF (US Educational Foundation) office, where Fulbright business is conducted, is closed, paralleling the U.S. schedule. Nepali businesses, however, are open, so most Nepalis work Sundays and are only off Saturdays and sometimes half of Fridays. Consequently, I spent late Sunday morning and early afternoon at home alone, as my didi had class and my aamaa and bhaai went to work at their restaurant. I took this time to wash my clothes, read a novel, study Nepali, and generally just relax. I had forgotten how much work hand-washing my clothes was, as well as how inefficient at it I am. Thankfully, unlike last time when I washed my clothes in the nearby river, this time I had the privacy of an indoor bathroom with sufficient water. This arrangement allowed me to struggle through my first laundry endeavor privately and spared me some embarrassment. No doubt I would have been an entertaining sight, squatting, sweating, and kneading my clothes in the large bowl trying not to fall over. While wringing out my heavy denim jeans I found myself contemplating only wearing my cotton skirts and Nepali kurtas in the future. And bless the mothers that wash their sons’ jeans every week along with the rest of the family laundry! But all said and done I successfully cleaned my clothes and dried them in the sun on the roof. Upon arrival in Nepal, I actually had little intention of wearing my jeans more than every once in a while. But my host family currently lives in the main part of the city, and my host sister is quite stylish. She wears Western clothing most of the time and rarely wears Nepali clothing, but in the conservative and practical clothing I brought from home I feel a bit plain. So the jeans have definitely been put to good use after all!

me being artsy: dirty curly hair and nice light in the afternoon... don't worry, not unhappy, was just thinking ;) also you can kind of see part of one of my kurtas

Aside from that my day was also spent reading a good book, which I’m happy to recommend if anyone needs a new read: Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi. I read a great novel by this author in college and was interested in trying another, so I downloaded one (thanks mama) on my kindle (thanks Aunt Val and Uncle Billy). It’s a nice mix of philosophy and intriguing story-telling so far. A taste of the philosophical side…

“ ‘Intellect and love are made of different materials,’ he said. ‘Intellect ties people in knots and risks nothing. But love dissolves all tangles and risks everything. Intellect is always cautious and advises, “Beware too much ecstasy,” whereas love says, “Oh, never mind! Take the plunge!” Intellect does not easily break down, whereas love can effortlessly reduce itself to rubble. But treasures are hidden among ruins. A broken heart hides treasures.’ “

The lights just came back, so I’ll return to the Hindi movie we were watching on TV. Next week training continues, and I am still looking forward to meeting our co-teachers and starting work at a school, though that will still won’t be for another couple weeks. Hope all is well with y’all and that this wasn’t too boring of an account of my days here ;) much love!

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Hi yall :) so first off I think the german titles are here to stay, if they’re german for you that is. they still are for me. I made the blog in germany, and can’t for the life of me figure out how to change it. But google might let you translate the page ;)


Now for an update. Ill try to write often for now, but will probably slack off in the near future as I get lazier and perhaps have less internet.. im sitting on my bed listening to the rain. It’s monsoon season now, and will be into august, which means rain at least once a day. And today the rain came at around 5 pm, which, like the u.s., meant everyone was headed home from work and business in Kathmandu. Which meant that the already crowded buses were jam packed with people who did not want to walk in the rain. And by packed I don’t mean a few people standing in the aisles. I mean two to three people in every small seat and two rows of people in the aisle and at least 6 people on the steps of the bus holding onto the door and whatever they could. the boy who calls out the stops and takes the money had is toes on the last steps and his whole body outside the bus, somehow keeping everyone from spilling out when we turn corners. Scary as that may sound, it was more of an adventure piling in and out at the stops and getting very close and personal with everyone, who just laugh about it and hold each other up. for me the hardest part is being able to see from the crowd the buildings and landmarks passing by. As there are no U.S. style street signs  I’ve just been trying to memorize the route by unique landmarks, a gumba (Buddhist monastery), a red wall that says kingfisher beer, a long bridge, and a tree that means I need to start making my way up front. It’s a little nerve-racking at first, as I have always been terrified of being lost, ever since I was little. But now it’s actually kind of a game, and I know even if I mess up it will end up fine, because this time around I can ask for directions! People as always are very friendly, and often curious, especially after they discover you speak Nepali. I made a friend on the bus and we may be meeting up soon to teach each other more about our native languages.


These days we’re still in training. After the first day of nepali classes, we split into two classes, which basically means I have a private tutor, as I am the only one on the program that has had language training previously. I am very thankful for this opportunity to improve my nepali and move a little ahead rather than review for the next month. Late this week we should meet our new co-teachers and start teacher training. I’m excited to begin this work as well!


Basically everything here is great right now, for those of you who may have been worried. Chinta nagarnus! Don't worry! I am very well taken care of. I’m enjoying my time, settling in, and already have some truly great new friends. I just hope I can continue to learn and better myself, as no doubt teaching English will be challenging, yet is so important. For those I haven’t previously told, every student in Nepal must pass a test called the SLC exam for their “School Leaving Certificate” I believe. English is one required subject, and is a challenge for many students, particularly those in government schools, like those we will work in. Students must pass every subject for the SLC, and more than half fail to do so each year. This means that even though I have not had much teaching experience, my presence in a classroom may be a help to students and teachers and their eager endeavors to learn English and pass the test. I mention all this just to put my work in a little context.


For now I’m going to try to attach a couple photos from this time so far and end my post. And I may add friends photos and my old one’s in the future, as I am not the best photographer. If anyone has any questions whatsoever about what I’m up to just let me know! As I have lived here before and am less new to things, I'm not sure what you might like to hear, and the blog is for y'all at home. you may contact me Here or perhaps email, as the page is in German… my email is k80may@gmail.com. Love y’all! And keep in touch!

This picture was taken a couple nights ago on the balcony of another ETA's family's house during a beautiful sunset behind the rain clouds. We celebrated my friend's aamaa (host mother)'s birthday, and the lovely Rozina drew the henna design on my hand which I was letting dry. 

Tired eyes, but i wanted y'all to meet my darling didi (host sister) Laxmi. We were having dinner with our friends at a restaurant in Kathmandu. <3 <3 <3 her :) 


for now i think this is it! send me your questions :) and ill try to post more soon!
much love 

First Days

Hi y'all! So I tried to start this from Germany, but no such luck. Here goes nothing for attempt #2 from Kathmandu Nepal:)

First off to fill everyone in, I'm writing this blog because a lot of people asked me about how to keep track with where I am and what I'm doing while I'm in Nepal for the next 8 months. I am here on a Fulbright Grant as an English Teaching Assistant. To read more about Fulbright, I recommend the wikipedia page, as Fulbright's site is a little harder to navigate. I'll also go ahead and say, as required, that this blog is "not an official Department of State website or blog, and that the views and information presented are [my] own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State." That said, here's a little more about what I'm up to...

After flying Memphis-> Chicago -> Frankfurt -> Delhi -> Kathmandu (KTM), I made it to Nepal on Friday morning, or Thursday night for most of y'all. So you know, from Central time, Nepal is 10 hours 45 minutes ahead, and therefore 9 and 45 min for easter, and 12 and 45 min for west coast. This time I knew what I was getting into, so I was a little less overwhelmed by all the new sites, smells, and crowds of people in Kathmandu. Nevertheless, being very jet lagged, it has been an exhausting few days. I'm here with 5 other ETA's (English Teaching Assistants). A couple have experience in Nepal, and for everyone else this is their first time. After a few hours in the Fulbright Office and a quick lunch and crash course in do's and don'ts with our Nepali Host Families, they immediately sent us home to our respective host families. We will stay with these families for the first month here in Nepal. During this time we will learn (more) Nepali language and culture, see the city, and meet our co-teachers for our coming months in schools. I feel rather spoiled actually. Having been once before, an experience I will probably speak more on in the future, I was expecting little English at home, a basic living situation, and other lifestyle adjustments. However, for at least this first month, Fulbright has set us up with families that have at least one family member who speaks fluent English, and we are staying in relatively affluent homes. Surprisingly, rather than having no choice but to speak Nepali all day, I’m finding it a little difficult to get a Nepali sentence in as my didi (host sister)’s English is so excellent! I also have a cell phone and internet, for now! I’ll list contact information for y’all at the end of this post.

 Despite being constantly tired, so far I’m having a lovely time. Yesterday we went to a program my didi helped organize to raise money for lunches for school children who live in slum areas in Nepal and need meals for survival and to help them succeed in school. The event was a great success and a groundbreaking event in Nepal. Tomorrow we start our month of training, and I’m excited for what’s ahead. For now I’ll wrap up, but I’ll try to post again soon. I just wanted to get everything started!

If you’d like to stay more in touch, here’s some contact info..

Address to mail letters only to, through the diplomatic pouch…

American Embassy Kathmandu 
Attn: Fulbright – Katie Wise
Department of State 
6190 Kathmandu Place
Washington, D.C. 20521-6190

To call, which may be expensive, so I suggest using google, skype, or a calling car, dial 011 (u.s. outgoing) + 977 (nepal’s country code) + 9813488209 (my new cell) I’m looking into how much texting costs…again that number is 011 977 98 1348 8209

I’ll try skype with this internet connection sometime soon and see how it works J

If anyone wants to send a package, Fulbright recommends sending them via FedEx, to this address, including the number..

USEF-Nepal

G.P.O. Box 380

Gyaneshwor

Kathmandu, Nepal

Tel: 4444780

Alright y’all, I think that’s it for my first post. Hopefully more to come soon. Love y’all, hope everything at home is going splendidly <3