Picture upload worked! A sampling of sights for you to the right. If you click on the photo box, you can see and click through the whole album on Picasa.
See you soon :)
Friday, October 15, 2010
The looong trip home begins...
Hi Everyone!
I am sitting at the Kathmandu airport at the start of my 30-some odd hour trip home. First time I have been alone in a long time :) The trip has been amazing, lots to process and reflect on...
I did want to tell you about the post from the last day of the build. The picture with me and our family was taken just after the house dedication ceremony. Let me introduce you: Ram Bahadur Thapa (45), Dad, retired military and now does social work in the village; Ram Maya (30), Mom; Roshani, Daughter (13); and Raji (10) our mischievous boy! Ram's mother, Guri (75), also lives with them but she traveled to her sister's house in a nearby village after she greeted us on day #1... it was pretty hectic at the house! They were amazing people and an absolutely beautiful family as you can tell. Getting to know them was hands down the highlight of the trip. My friend Sangeeta (who you already met) speaks fluent Hindi, which is quite similar to Nepali, so she was able to translate. Being able to understand and really talk to the family was amazing. Sangeeta really enhanced how the special the trip was for me and many others!
Ram, Ram Maya, and Bisnu (Ram's sister) were super funny and fun-loving. We had a bit of a running joke about the regular habitat loud speaker announcements which all started with "attention please"... The three of them would say "attention please, attention please" in english regularly as if to poke fun at the announcements which we all appreciated so much! One more reminder to drink lots of water could have put any one of us over the edge!
To be there with them and help build their new house, where they will be a family for years to come was a real gift. They were so gracious and thankful and hospitable. At the house dedication they expressed their appreciation and let us know that on our return to Nepal our first stop should be their house - no hotels, no restaurants... we would stay with them, in their home as part of their family. They said they would never forget us.
To see a family, just like others I know and love, but in a totally different culture and setting was so eye opening. I was surprised at how many more similarities there were than differences... Raji getting the stink eye from his Dad on the first day for not saying "Namaste" back to us (and him saying with attitude, "I already did, jeeze!"), Maya telling us that even though she got married when she was 15, that she has worked too hard raising her daughter to let her go anytime soon, the quiet respect and love between Ram and Ram Maya and their respective roles in the household... the list goes on.
One afternoon, Ram asked me if I was married and when I said yes, he asked me why my husband wasn't with me. I (with Sangeeta's help) explained that Rich is not a big traveler although I would have loved for him to have been able to meet Ram and his family. Ram's response was that he also wished he got to meet Rich and said that whenever he is ready to make the trip, he and his family will be ready to welcome us to Nepal and their home. It was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip. I thought his sentiment and understanding was really special and something I will always remember.
Unfortunately, we didn't finish the house. We made huge progress, but it was really hard to leave knowing that it wasn't done. I am not 100% sure what the next steps are to get it finished, aside from the family plugging away - which I know they will. I am planning to send a care package to them when I get back to the states. We all got a copy of their village address and they thought the post would get to them ok. Looking forward to checking in from time to time.
I have about another hour and a half until my flight so I am going to try to upload some more pictures... we'll see if it works! If not, I will get all my pics posted over the weekend for your viewing pleasure.
My love to you all,
sar.
I am sitting at the Kathmandu airport at the start of my 30-some odd hour trip home. First time I have been alone in a long time :) The trip has been amazing, lots to process and reflect on...
I did want to tell you about the post from the last day of the build. The picture with me and our family was taken just after the house dedication ceremony. Let me introduce you: Ram Bahadur Thapa (45), Dad, retired military and now does social work in the village; Ram Maya (30), Mom; Roshani, Daughter (13); and Raji (10) our mischievous boy! Ram's mother, Guri (75), also lives with them but she traveled to her sister's house in a nearby village after she greeted us on day #1... it was pretty hectic at the house! They were amazing people and an absolutely beautiful family as you can tell. Getting to know them was hands down the highlight of the trip. My friend Sangeeta (who you already met) speaks fluent Hindi, which is quite similar to Nepali, so she was able to translate. Being able to understand and really talk to the family was amazing. Sangeeta really enhanced how the special the trip was for me and many others!
Ram, Ram Maya, and Bisnu (Ram's sister) were super funny and fun-loving. We had a bit of a running joke about the regular habitat loud speaker announcements which all started with "attention please"... The three of them would say "attention please, attention please" in english regularly as if to poke fun at the announcements which we all appreciated so much! One more reminder to drink lots of water could have put any one of us over the edge!
To be there with them and help build their new house, where they will be a family for years to come was a real gift. They were so gracious and thankful and hospitable. At the house dedication they expressed their appreciation and let us know that on our return to Nepal our first stop should be their house - no hotels, no restaurants... we would stay with them, in their home as part of their family. They said they would never forget us.
To see a family, just like others I know and love, but in a totally different culture and setting was so eye opening. I was surprised at how many more similarities there were than differences... Raji getting the stink eye from his Dad on the first day for not saying "Namaste" back to us (and him saying with attitude, "I already did, jeeze!"), Maya telling us that even though she got married when she was 15, that she has worked too hard raising her daughter to let her go anytime soon, the quiet respect and love between Ram and Ram Maya and their respective roles in the household... the list goes on.
One afternoon, Ram asked me if I was married and when I said yes, he asked me why my husband wasn't with me. I (with Sangeeta's help) explained that Rich is not a big traveler although I would have loved for him to have been able to meet Ram and his family. Ram's response was that he also wished he got to meet Rich and said that whenever he is ready to make the trip, he and his family will be ready to welcome us to Nepal and their home. It was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip. I thought his sentiment and understanding was really special and something I will always remember.
Unfortunately, we didn't finish the house. We made huge progress, but it was really hard to leave knowing that it wasn't done. I am not 100% sure what the next steps are to get it finished, aside from the family plugging away - which I know they will. I am planning to send a care package to them when I get back to the states. We all got a copy of their village address and they thought the post would get to them ok. Looking forward to checking in from time to time.
I have about another hour and a half until my flight so I am going to try to upload some more pictures... we'll see if it works! If not, I will get all my pics posted over the weekend for your viewing pleasure.
My love to you all,
sar.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
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