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