Nepali Lunch in the Country House!

When Misty was in Nepal, she had enjoyed our meal so I thought I would make some for her parents to taste. I decided to make two of Misty's favorite veggies- simi and cauli (green beans and cauliflower). I made some dal (lentils) and Sandy made some rice for me. I was getting nervous while I was cooking. I was afraid they wouldn't like it. I knew Sandy is a cook and she would be particular about  what she is eating. I kept asking Misty if there was something else that they could eat if they didn't like my food! But fortunately they liked their meal. It made me very happy! we went out for supper and Sandy had some green beans and told me that the green beans I made were so much better than what they served in the restaurant! I considered myself successful then!

A trip to Illinois state fair!

Craig and Sandy took us Shopping the rest of the day yesterday and showed me around the town. We went by the Mississippi River and drove parallel to it for a while. I thought it was a beautiful view!

In the evening we went to have supper with Zach's family. They are such wonderful people and so much fun to be around. Melinda showed me around their house and Zach took me on a tractor ride! I met their dog "April" and fell in love with her!! She reminds me of my Labrador at home. When she doesn't have anything to do she runs to the field, grabs a comb of corn, brings it to their yard and eats them!!

The day started early for us today as we left for the Illinois State Fair. We saw some huge cows and beautiful horses. One of the horses we saw was very very good looking and we stopped by and talked to her owner. She had won a second and a fourth prize in a horse show. He told us there were some horse shows going on at the moment so we went to see one. It was my first horse show ever and I enjoyed it so much! We also went to a horse race whose wining amount was $45,000!!!

The best part of the day was however getting on those crazy rides with Misty! We didnt go on a lot of them but the few that we rode were very thrilling!

Praying for rain or praying for no rain?

It hasn't rained in LaGrange for a long time now. Majority of the people here farm and they have not had a good year. Even with zero knowledge about farming I can tell that the crops are not the best. The corn plants are not the right size and right color because they are not getting enough water. Craig told me how much they have been praying for water.

As much as we wanted it to rain, Misty and I had been praying for it to not rain yesterday! We had our camp out planned and the weather forecast was a negative for our planning. Brian and Sarah arrived and it started to rain early afternoon. We stayed in and baked some cake. Misty taught us how to decorate them. I made a bugs bunny cake, Sarah made a dinosaur and Brian made a superman cake! Thankfully it stopped  raining as we got done with our cakes and we left home in the evening!

 

We had a big fire going by the creek where we cooked our burgers and toasted marshmallows. Zach taught me how to cast a fishing rod although I didn't catch any fish! Luckily it didst rain the whole night and we all slept well in the tent!

 

Experiencing the country!

After 42 hours of travel time, losing both my luggage, 3 hour of drive and being welcomed by a Llama on the drive way I reached Misty's home at 11pm yesterday. Yes, you read that right! A Llama was waiting for us on the drive way! Poor fellow got out and is roaming about in the neighborhood! Misty and her Dad gave me a very warm welcome and I met her Mom today. They are all so nice to me and I love being around them!

I went to the Farmers Co-op today and saw lots of farm equipment. Craig (Misty's dad) was telling me how expensive farming could get and about all the technologies that they use to farm. It made me think how much Nepal could benefit if the farmers there had access to all these technology. Just as an example we use ox and oxen to plow our fields and it takes forever to even finish up a small portion of the land. The picture below shows you how its done in Nepal. It is so much of manual labor. Only if we had tractors, life would be so much easier and we could harvest so much more than what we do now!

And the equipments here are are huge!!!! Just the tire of the sprayer is taller than me! And it opens up as wide as 80 feet!

I am excited for all the other things that Misty and her family has planned for me! Do come back for more updates!

I Traveled to the Future!

And now I am back in the past. According to the Nepali calendar, it is year 2068. But now I'm back home and it's 2011. I was selfish my last couple of days in Nepal and didn't write a blog. I wanted to soak in every last drop of the culture, food, friends, and my new family I knew I was going to miss so much when I left. On Friday, we did our last Making Lives Better project in Nepal (but Sneha, Pradipti, and KC will head off with a whole crew in July to install water purification systems for Projects for Peace!). We delivered bookbags filled with notebooks, pencils, and pens to students in the Kamdhenu School and what a site it was! We were able to provide over 250 students with bookbags and supplies! We filled the bookbags the day before and rented a bus to take us to the location...only it couldn't! We still had to walk about half a mile carrying all the school supplies down a very narrow raised path and across the scariest bridge of my life! It was made of cable and it shook and it had broke in the past (or so they teased me) and I could see the water below, and KC started jumping to scare me and it worked and.....well you get the picture!! Actually, I'll see if I can get the picture uploaded. Students from Maatri Shishu School assisted us in every way. They carried bookbags and notebooks, helped us organize once we got there and were wonderful translators for me once we arrived!!! The fact that I don't speak Nepali wasn't helpful during this donation. There was once English teacher in the school, but many of the children really struggled to grasp the language. The students of Maatri Shishu kept me in the know, and had a blast trying to teach me words on the bus ride home! The students of Kamdhenu were so thankful for the supplies we provided them with! They showered us with garlands of marigolds and small bouquets they had made and some even performed a patriotic song. On Saturday, Sneha, her brother and father took me to a Nepali engagement ceremony. It was colorful, fancy, musical, and traditional! The family was dressed to impress and the bride and groom were covered in garlands of all sorts. Sneha and I wore kurtas, traditional Nepali long shirts with legging like pants. Guess what color mine was?! Of course, orange! We spent the afternoon at home. Amu, Sneha, and I packed my luggage. I came with two bags half empty and left with four full!! In my defense, I did bring back goods for Making Lives Better and some things for Sneha. I baked with Rohit, took a nap and listened to it rain. Sneha's parents took us out for dinner at a very tasty restaurant! Amu, Sneha, and I walked down the street to visit a sacred chariot that is pulled around by hand. It was dark outside and people came from all around to light candles around it...it was a sight that made the hair stand up on my arms. Once back at home we all indulged in brownies and cake. Sunday morning my flight left at 9:30am and we left the house by 6:30am. Saying goodbye is not one of my strong points. Saying goodbye to the people who had taken care of me for the last month was difficult to say the least. I'm not going to tell you that there were tears in my eyes or a big lump in my throat that prevented me from talking.... But before I knew it, I was through customs and all alone on my trip back to the past. 5 airports and almost two days later I arrived back at home safely! But without my baggage. :-( Thanks to Amu's advice, we taped my name all over my bags along with my address and yesterday I got notification that they had found my bags and they should arrive at my house tomorrow! So, my turn of the Take a Friend Home experience is over, but not my love for Nepal. I would like let everyone know how much I sincerely appreciate their kindness and generosity in making my stay the absolute best experience of my life. I miss you all already and I promise I will take good care of Sneha when she arrives in August! Be ready for a different life Sneha! The Show-Me State is ready to Show-You what we're all about!

Attack of the B's!!!!!

Bhuwan, Bella, Bebo, Buwa, Bhailu, bhuja, Business, Baking, Basa, Buses, and Boy! Bhuwan=The boy who lives with Sneha and sleeps outside my door (I feel so protected!)He speaks English, but I have to work hard to get him to talk to me. Bella= Sneha's Yellow Labrador who is so sweet. Bebo= Sneha's German Shepard dog who hates and absolutely terrifies me! I swear her eyes can see the fear in my own and she smiles... Buwa=Nepali word for Father. Rajan and I worked out at the gym (with NO airconditioning!!!) We also spend a lot of time with Sangita's Buwa. We ate dinner with him last night and saw a musa (mouse). I wasn't a fan to say the least, so now the joke is to yell "MUSA" and see my reaction. Sadly it works everytime. Bhuja=Rice; I eat a lot of bhuja and love it most with simi (greenbeans). Business=No fun, but necessary. Sneha, Pradipti, Raghabendra and I have been doing a lot of work for Making Lives Better and preparing for their Projects for Peace trip in July. We have met with many people about different things: Blessings in a Backpack (MLB's project that will take place tomorrow!!!), water purification systems, transportation etc... I am not engaged (and fight to stay awake in most) in these meetings because they conduct business in Nepali and I get soooo lost and confused! But, everything is going well and we (well, Sneha and Pradipti did the purchasing, because as a foreigner I would get charged much more) even bought more handicrafts to sell for MLB. Watch out Westminster, there are some awesome things coming your way! Baking=I brought my love of baking cakes to Nepal, and wish I would have brought the tools to do so as well!! I've made 4 cakes now without measuring cups, a cake pan, oven or mixer! To say the least I've been very creative..... :-) Basa=Nepali word for sit. Bus=A bus just like you would think. We took a bus to visit the school where we will donate Blessings in a Backpack. If you don't let my parents know, I'll tell you that the bus was soooo full we rode on the top!!!! (which I also found out today is illegal)..... Boy=Male Chilren. Specifically one on the street who came at Sneha and I with a khukari (Nepali knife) while we were walking on the street! I honestly think my heart leaped into my throat! Then he turned around an laughed. But here is the deal, boys on the street try to scare people (not just foreigners) in attempt to make them drop their bags so that they can run off with their money and wares. So even though I was terrified and screamed (although I know Sangita screamed louder!) I feel sad for the boy and what he has turned to. So, now that we've been through all of these it seems like nothing, but let me tell you, it has taken me until now to keep all the Nepali B words straight!

A Remarkable Experience: Nepali Hospitals

Sneha's Aunt Chanda is one of Nepal's finest doctors who specializes in women's health as an OB/GYN. I first met Chanda when she visited Westminster this spring. She happily agreed to take me to her hospital while I was in Nepal, and today was the big day! Traffic made us almost on hour late, but it was well worth the wait. I'm going to try to keep this g-rated for those of you with weak stomachs and weak hearts. I was in the operating room for a c-section and two abortions. The way operation rooms function is soooo very different than in the US. Flip flops are worn, cell phones are used, and the level of sanitation is much different as well as the level of technology. Those things may be different, but the people are not. Despite the language barrier I was able to detect happiness, fear, and absolute terror in the patients I saw. I toured the entire hospital and was fascinated by the way things work. Most charting is done by paper, not computer. Most communication within the hospital is done by personal cell phone. The hospital is not airconditioned, yet some of the operating room were. There was only one elevator in the entire 5 story hospital to move patients. If it breaks they carry them up stairs. Closed toed shoes aren't worn anywhere. Families aren't allowed to be with women while they give birth. Wheelchairs aren't really wheelchairs, but lawnchairs on wheels. Syringes are thrown in trash cans that sit in the hallways. Medications are not locked in cabinets. My list could go on and on but I do realize for those of you not interested in medicine, this isn't too entertaining! But despite all these things, in what I have learned is true Nepali spirit, the doctors and nurses care so much for their patients and make them laugh and feel safe and secure; something I admire and respect. So to say the least, I had an eye-opening, remarkable, and absolutely perspective changing experience! An enormous thank you to Dr. Chanda Karki and Shreyashi for your time, energy, and knowledge today!

Nepal: Where nursing homes don't exist.

The family tree is built differently in Nepal than in the US. It is a patriarchal system that took me a while to grasp. I guess it goes to show the true feminist within me! The daughters are transferred from their own family tree and added to their husband's. After marriage the daughters become a bigger part of their husband's family than their own. Cousins do not exist because their is not a Nepali word for cousins. All the children of brothers and sisters are not cousins, but bothers and sisters as well! Sneha has only one true brother, but she has very many other "brothers" and one little "sister!" On Saturday, the only resting day in Nepal, Sneha's family and I went and visited many of her relatives. This was not much different that any other day, because Nepali families are very loyal and visit each other most everyday! Almost every day I have visited with Sangita's parents, and now Rajan's parents are living with us so I hope to get to know them better as well! Here, the children are responsible for taking care of their parents when they are not able to do so themselves. Although I have seen firsthand the stress it can create on a family, I like this approach much more than what occurs so often in the US; sending elderly people to a nursing home. Sometimes the language causes a barrier, but with smiles and laughter I communicate pretty efficiently with her grandparents! Her grandfather, Hikmat, is especially intriguing and is fascinated with the fact that I live on a farm. He too, runs a farm in Nepal and we swap stories of how things are done and what typically goes into being successful!

"Misty? Why not Sunny?"

"Misty? Why not Sunny?" was the response from Sneha's Uncle when I was introduced to him. Tonight we had dinner at his house and then went and watched salsa dancing! We watched him dance, and then Sneha, Rohit, and I sat in wonder at the others dancing. I want to tell you about public transportation in Nepal. The population is so great and traffic is so congested that the more people that can fit in a vehicle the better! There are two modes of public transportation, microbus and tempu. A microbus is just a little bit bigger than a minivan and has a driver and a conductor. The conductor pounds on the outside of the microbus, yelling and signaling to the driver when to stop. It's quite fascinating, but even more intimidating because they yell in Nepali and I don't understand! Thank God for Sneha my personal translator! Then there are the tempu. Imagine a full size bed on wheels....3 wheels! Tempus are giant tricycles with two benches inside a cab. The wheels are soo narrow and the vehicle itself seems so tipsy that I haven't yet rode in one! Tempus are filled so full that sometimes people just hold onto the roof and stand on the bumper....needless to say, seatbelts aren't a priority in Nepal. Children here aren't required to sit in carseats, but rather are usually carried or stand between their parents legs on a scooter! Scooters and motorbikes are very popular modes of transportation. They even have parking lots for them! Drivers of scooters and motorbikes are required to wear a helmet, but not passengers. I prefer to get around on a motorbike above all. From there I can see in every direction to take pictures, zip in and out of traffic, but a mask must be worn because there is so much dust and pollutants in the air. However, we are fortunate and Sneha's grandfather and father have SUVs and drivers who take us around, so we don't have to wear masks that often!

Generosity of the Nepali People

Yesterday, Sneha and I picked up a collection of donated items for Making Lives Better from Rupy's International School where her brother Rohit attends school. All the items were donated by the school children and they did a fantastic job! We completely filled an SUV with all the items. Just as when I was in Belize, I thoroughly enjoyed talking with the children. They are so intelligent, most of them being trilingual! We took pictures with them and I even played a little basketball...well....tried to! I met Sneha's grandfather who lived in the US while he served in the Nepali Army. I like him very much and he likes to talk to me about farming in the US because he oversees a farm here in Nepal. He introduced me to my favorite treat since being in Nepal; geri and swari. Its similar to a funnel cake, but smaller and brittle and oh soo SWEET!! (Everyone comments on my name here, because Misty means sweet in Bengali, a language spoken in India). This morning we visited Sangita's school again. I absolutely love the children there! I sat in on music class again. I just can't capture enough of their spirit! I also watched my first 3-D movie in a theatre that puts most of the theatres I've been to in the US to shame! It was Kung Fu Panda 2. I guess I should go watch Kung Fu Panda 1 now...haha. We then rode motorbikes, I rode on Prateek's orange one, to the Monkey Temple. It was a very interesting place with the most spectacular view of an on-coming storm and a rainbow! We went grocery shopping and then Sneha and I had dinner with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. I was literally showered with gifts from a handmade necklace and bracelet, to a favorite jam of the little cousin. When preparing the meal, they made it especially bland for me, knowing that I cannot tolerate any spice! Sneha's little cousin took a liking to teaching me Nepali words, something I cannot say I excel at pronouncing! lol Her aunt also painted my fingernails and toenails with the cutest little flowers! We rode scooters home and I starred at the full moon the whole way, trying to imagine what it would look like from Missouri.

Pictures from Pokhara

Misty finally got to see the mountains! 

Up in the air!!

Meeting with new friends 

At the peace pagoda...

Finally, I get to see the Mountains!

It’s currently 6pm in Kathmandu and I don’t even know where to begin this blog! It seems like I’ve done so much in the last three days that it will take a novel to tell everything, but I’ll do my best to catch up and not go on for too long. Saturday we went out as an entire family; Sneha, her brother Rohit, her mother Sangita, and her father Rajan. We traveled for about an hour to a second Dubar Square. There are three total, one for each of the kings who used to rule the Kathmandu Valley. The ruins are amazing! They are made primarily of brick and wood, with exquisite detail. We watched pottery being made, as well as made some purchases. There is an art to buying things here. I tell Sneha (or anyone who I happen to be with who speaks Nepali) what I want and they bargin for it. If I were to do the same, the price would increase significantly, so I just stand by and act ignorant as they talk the price down for me! I wish I could speak Nepali fluently. It would be great to see the look on the shopkeepers face if I could, instead of speaking in English! I also had my first mishap with dog poop…stepped right smack on a big pile of it! Sangita got water and washed my foot with it. In Nepali culture a mother washes a daughter’s foot during their wedding ceremony, so even though I’m not getting married soon, Sangita says she is my mother. The next day, Sneha and I packed up and headed to Pokhara. We met up with three of her friends and took a 7 hour bus ride through the hills of Nepal. It was gorgeous country, but not such a pleasant ride. I could never drive here, I would die of a panic attack! There were times when our bus was only inches from dropping off the side of the “hill” and if it were to do so, I’d hate to try to estimate how far we would drop, but there would be absolutely no chance at survival. We drove next to a river most of the way. I was fascinated by the cable/rope bridges that were constructed across it. Even though I am adventurous, I don’t know if my good judgement would let me walk across one. We met up with three more of Sneha’s friends once we reached Pokhara. One of them also had an American friend with him, so I wasn’t the only pale person traveling! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with all of her friends and their kindness toward me. We ate out a lot and they were sympathetic to my inability to tolerate spicy foods and would first test things before I was allowed to take a bite! We got up at 5:30am one morning and trekked up a “hill” to see the mountains. It was probably taller than the mountains I climbed in Belize, although there were stone steps most of the way, but we climbed it in flip flops! Flip flops are the all-terrain shoe here. If I were in the US, I wouldn’t consider wearing flip-flops in half the places I go here, but it’s the culture, so I go with it! I finally saw MOUNTAINS!!! And so I now understand why they make a distinction between what I thought were mountains and the actual mountains. We rented a paddle boat on the lake, visited many temples, climbed to the Peace Pagoda, looked at Davis Falls, and went into a cave. I do have to say, I wasn’t a fan of the cave we went to. It was dimly lit and very wet, with water constantly dripping. It also isn’t like any caves in the US. Here it’s a free for all: pay the admission and you can do whatever you want inside the cave, and of course, tennis shoes aren’t worn… flip-flops. For the great time I had in Pokhara, I’d like to give a shout out to my new friends KC, Prateek, Manish, Pramish, Brian, Sne, Ayush! Thanks for taking such good care of me! I sincerely appreciate everything! And a warm thank you to Sangita and Rajan for treating me as if I were their own.

Misty in Patan Durbar Square

"That is not a mountain, that is a HILL!"

Thanks to Pradipti, I made it safely to Nepal on Tuesday night! It was dark when we left the airport and I was then introduced to something I have not had to deal with much in my life: TRAFFIC! I've been to New York, I've been to Chicago, and they don't hold a candle to the traffic here. Scooters + Bikes + Cars + Narrow Roads + Uneven lanes + Pedestrians + Cows in the road + No Traffic Signs= Absolute Chaos! I'm so glad that we have a driver! Wednesday morning I awoke to realize what a beautiful place I am in. I have a breathtaking view of what I call mountains, but I was told were only hills. I am told I will get to see mountains before I leave though! Sneha's mother has beautiful flowers, many to my surprise, similar to what we have in the US. Sneha has taken me around the city, to the airport to pick up her grandmother, to meet many of her family members, and to Durbar Square where one of the three kings once ruled. It is all so mesmerizing to me. I will admit, although it was a bit scary I loved riding with Sneha on her scooter! I could see in every direction and was able to take pictures as we rode down the street. Yesterday we visited Maatri Shishu School and delivered books that Westminster College's Making Lives Better had collected during the school year. They students stole my heart. I sat in on their music class and my grandma would be pleased to know, that indeed music knows no bounds as I sang with them "We Shall Overcome."

Misty gets here tomorrow and we are very excited about her visit. By "we" I mean my family. My mother has been planning Misty's stay since the time she found out that we were selected for the take a friend home program. My father almost sent me to the airport today thinking it was the 7th and my brother has asked me the date of Misty's arrival 10 times everyday for the last three weeks.

We will go around Kathmandu and we will also be travelling to some remote villages to conduct a project designed by "Westminster Chapter of Making Lives Better". Besides this, Misty will also be helping Pradipti and me to plan our service trip to Okhaldhunga, Nepal.

I am very very excited to see Misty tomorrow and travel around the city with her. I hope she will enjoy her stay with me and my family and take back loads and loads of good memories!

Sneha and I were very fortunate in receiving the Take A Friend Home Scholarship, allowing me to visit her in Nepal, and for her to visit me in Missouri. International travel is a very new experience for me. I took my first trip outside of the USA to Belize in May. Now, I'm preparing for my second trip out of the country, and my first across the ocean. I couldn't be more excited to have the opportunity to experience Nepal through the life of Sneha! Pradipti was generous and has stayed in the US waiting to fly to Nepal with me, and for that I am very grateful. We have quite a trip ahead of us; St. Louis, Chicago, London, Bahrain, then finally Kathmandu! The one downside is living out of an airport for two days....but we'll survive!! Packing is another story, I might not survive...if only suitcases packed themselves and didn't take too much or forget anything!