3

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!