Daal, Death threats and Dancing!!

Hello everyone!

Apologies for the delay, and that this is now likely to be one long waffle! Here goes...

I have spent the past week staying in Chetana Kendra Training centre, just outside the town of Banepa. It has been good to have a change of scenery. The centre is in the middle of a little village, where lots of children want to practise their English on you, ranging from the usual 'hellos/goodbyes/ where are you going?' to....'give us money/ give us a biscuit!'. We seem to be the only foreigners in town, which explains why kids shout to us from across fields, or just gawp at us from doorways. As well as lots of little children, there are lots of different animals roaming around. The smell of car fumes has now been replaced with cow dung - a little healthier at least!

I have had 6 hours a day of language lessons, and am beginning to make progress. We have been sent on tasks including shopping, and talking with local villagers. We thought that chatting with two elderly ladies would be the safest bet to begin with, but after a few questions we were left feeling very awkward. We asked questions based on the topics we had just learnt, so...their families? they didn't have any. Their house? they didn't have one. When they found out where we were staying they started saying how we have so much food, whereas they have none. With no other questions up our sleeves, we moved on, but with a sense of unease and sadness. Further down the road, we spotted 3 other ladies, took a deep breath and gave it another go. This time...success! they had houses, families, and very warm smiles. They asked us to sit with them, and didn't want us to leave, saying that if we come again the next day they will teach us more Nepali. By the end of the conversation 12 others had come to sit with us, and friends had been made!

Aside from language lessons, we were given talks on Nepali culture, including what to expect from our village stay in mid December, when will be living with a Nepali family for a week. Although it will be hard as they won't speak any English, I am so excited to have the chance to live in their home and experience something completely different. An opportunity I wouldn't get anywhere else. Other volunteers however, are already complaining at not having warm water/showers, not having enough food or disliking the food that will be cooked for them. I wish they could hear themselves and how ungrateful they sound, after all, it is only one week of their year away, whereas it is life for people here.

On Saturday, a small group of us decided to go for a walk up the hill opposite us to see what we could see, hoping to spend a few hours relaxing with a book and enjoying the sunshine! The walk took us through people's back yards, past goats/cows/hens/gawping children. Across rice fields, where people (mainly women) were busy working in the scorching sun, digging the soil and preparing it for harvest. At the base of the hill we bumped into a small boy called Sanjit, who said that as he lived at the top of the hill he would show us the best route for getting there.By the time we reached the top 8 other kids had joined the group. They enjoyed sitting with us, and let us practise our Nepali, though when it came to us continuing on our walk they would not leave us alone. Three of them continued with us, further into the forest, and though we kept telling them to go back home, they weren't having any of it. Though they started off very friendly, the mood quickly changed and they began asking us for money and food - we refused. A few hours later, they finally gave in, and we breathed a sigh of relief at being able to have some peace and quiet. Oh how mistaken we were, the little brats had not left us at all, but had decided to hide in the trees and pelt rocks at our heads, shouting 'you won't give us money, so we are going to kill you'. Our kind hearted guide and his chums had moprhed into a very angry and bitter bunch who continued to chase us to the bottom of the hill, where we found ourselves scrambling down muddy paths and onto a huge paddy field - now the workers starting shouting at us. We did our best to scurry around the outskirts, clasping our hands together, bowing our heads and 'namaste-ing' as much as possible to show them our respect and apologies. A relaxed day, had turned into a bit of a bonkers one, and it did not end there......

The night time was equally as eventful, and turned out to be a very fun (yet unexpected) evening. A conference had been taking place at the centre over the weekend, and the dancers who had been performing there kindly said they would dance again just for our group in the evening. While we were waiting, someone suggested we get up on stage and sing our national anthems - enjoyable to hear others, embarrassing to sing my own! Despite there only been 15 people in the audience this time, the dancers still put on all their traditional costumes and make up, and treated us to an hour of traditional Nepali entertainment. In between songs, the children would tell jokes in English, better than I could ever tell them, and would explain the meanings behind the dances. After they finished they invited us up on stage to learn a few dance moves, such good fun until the tables turned and it all got a little strange (!)..... they asked if I, as the only English person, would show the group some 'english' dance moves. They said they had some English music to help me. so...I got up on stage all alone, and waited for the song to begin. I thought that it couldn't get any worse, but i was wrong....the music began....it was heavy metal (what they think we all listen to) and I was requested to head bang - i'm still laughing just thinking about it. My moves have been caught on camera, but alas...there is no way of uploading them at the min, so that is a treat you will have to wait for!! A very surreal night, but one that I will chuckle about for a long time to come!

So in summary - my week has involved rice and Daal for breakfast/lunch/dinner, language lessons, death threats, and head banging!

Thinking of you all,
Love,

H x

Back to school!

This week I have been back at school and although i'm picking things up 'bistaarai, bistaarai' (slowly, slowly) I have been enjoying having something to sink my teeth into! The school is a fifteen minute walk through the back streets, passing through courtyards, tiny shops and places of worship. Midway through the walk is an miniature square where people can go to worship the Goddess of Education and Knowledge..... im hoping that her powers transfer onto me as I walk by! In order to get to the school we have to cross a busy main road, where 3 roads join and about 6 'lanes' (muddles) of traffic all compete for space - bikes, bikes carrying baskets/chickens/2 men and a mattress, motorbikes,cars, rickshaws, cows and people! Upon successfully reaching the other side we are met with rows and rows of fruit and vegetable sellers, who must sit at the same roadside spots day in day out, all competing for custom. I can't wait to have my own accomodation so that i can start experimenting with dishes using the yummy and rather interesting looking veg!

At the School of Cultural Learning, we are greeted by Udaya, a man who has been teaching english for the past 26 years, and the 4 others teachers who will be helping us. The welcome session is held in a very stark and small room, where we are asked to take our shoes off as a sign of respect, and sit on mats covering the floor. Here we learn a bit more about Do's and Don't in Nepali society.

Here's a taster for you all:

Don'ts....Do not step over people and be careful not to bump into others or their things, if you do you must touch your head with your right hand and then touch their arm, or the object you have trodden on. Never touch someome's head, to touch someones head is one of the greatest signs of disrespect for that is the most sacred part of someone's body. Do not point your toes at people when sitting down, always pass things to people using your right hand whilst holding the underside of your arm with your left hand. Move clockwise around temples, never shout, if you invite people to dinner or organise an outing it is you who must pay, never offer your money if you are the guest.

Do's.... Do ask personal questions, the more personal the better. Do expect to be asked them, and answer as many as possible especially if it your boss who is asking. Burping after dinner is a very good sign, as is licking your fingers! Do laugh with friends, but only in private. Show affection with people of the same sex, but never the opposite.

phew, breathe!

So much to remember, but as Udaya says...try not to worry too much, people will understand if you make a mistake, just don't make the same mistake again!

The group is divided into 4 groups and we are all assigned a teacher. My teacher is called Krisna, she is very good humoured and patient - 2 qualities essential to teach and to learn Nepali. The first few days of lessons go well, covering basic greetings, numbers, and talking about family, but as soon as we get onto the really useful things (like how not to get ripped off!) things start to get complicated, all question words start to sound the same - ke? kahaa? kasko? kati? katiwataa? katijanaa? and the words 'yo/ko/ho' seem to be added left right and centre. I think i could do with a few days just to recap!

We have most of this weekend free, and now i'm feeling better i intend to be a star pupil and nip my confusion in the bud! Wish me luck!

I will be off to Banepa tomorrow to continue language classes, and make the most of what I hope is a quieter and cleaner area.

I hope that everyone is happy and well back home,

Thinking of you, Helen x

Sunday 16th Nov - Monkeys!!

Today was our day to do with as with wished, so....the group decided to hop in taxis and go together to Swayambounath, the home of the famous Monkey Temple! The Temple is found at the top of a big hill just 20 mins drive from the city centre, and hundreds of steps up! ( The first bit of exercise since I've been here, and boy could I feel it!) The hill houses tens of stupas, temples, statues of Bhudda and Goddesses, along with hundreds upon hundreds of flags and ribbons joining the tops of the temples to the trees - if only i'd brought my guidebook with me so I could know the history behind the buildings, and the meaning of the rituals which take place there. I'll have to go back another day! The group went for a yummy lunch at the bottom of the hill in a very friendly restaurant, though little did i know that my meal there would give me my first case of sickness - stomach aches and cramps which still have not disappeared, not pleasant to say the least!

The bus ride back was heaps of fun, making us all fall about over each other in giggles. Though we have now learnt that the young ladies in our group broke a social taboo in that we should not be seen laughing in public, especially when there are men around - i have a feeling this could be a taboo i break quite often, without even meaning to! By the end of the the journey 25 people had crammed onto a 12 seater bus, but we were told that if we weren't so large (how charming!) more people could have got on, and hence we would be charged extra - The Nepali speakers in our group agued however, that if we had been large Nepalis we would not have been asked the same thing - an argument that won the day!

Friday 14th:

Today we had our security training at the VSO centre, it is a quiet haven in what is a very hectic city!! the briefing filled me in on all the strikes, shut downs, cerfews, power cuts (10 hours a day from this sunday), traffic hazards, and crime that I may encounter whilst im here. It also talked briefly on how hard it will be to work in Nepal due to the Caste system they have here and underlying political tensions. Im getting more nervous now about my actual job, though the staff at VSO all seem very friendly and supportive.

The not so light hearted training was followed by an uplifting welcome party hosted by the staff at VSO and current volunteers living in Nepal.There was traditional Nepali music, dancing, and home cooked food - a fantastic evening! The current volunteers are all very welcoming and excited to share their experiences of Nepal with the new arrivals, a very useful resource to have!

SAT 15TH:

After a quick walk around the market on the hunt for some fresh fruit (not hard to find, but hard to get a good deal as a tourist!) we were joined by some of the current volunteers and divided into teams to take part in a treasure hunt around the city, a fun way to begin to get our bearings and feel a little more confident about making our way around. We were shown a quieter district where there are small shops and good haunts to eat at, places where we can have traditional clothes tailor made for only 300 rupees - 2 pounds 30, and also the Garden of Dreams, which is about the only place you will find grass in the city and some quiet - i'm set to be a regular visitor! Sadly it is only a place that tourists can afford, as with alot of things in the city. The hunt took us around Thamel, the busy shopping district and tourist trap, through one of the famous Durbar squares which houses just one of many thousands of temples across Kathmandu, along with the home of the Living Goddess. Here we climbed to the top of a building, and sat on the roof terrace over looking the square below and the snow covered mountains in the background. Breathtaking! Apparently it is the only time of the year the mountains can be seen, as for the rest of the year the smog fills the skies, i feel lucky to have arrived at this time. The day ended in a very relaxed bar, lit only with candles due to it being loadshedding time, a perfect end to a great day.

Rathbone's arrival!

HELLO EVERYONE!

As you may have guessed I have arrived safe and well with no hitches! My flight arrived yesterday afternoon, and I was greeted by VSO staff with a Marigold garland and a Nepalese purse, a very warm welcome. Once all volunteers had joined up at the airport, we were driven straight to our Guesthouse which is in the centre of Kathmandu. Driving through the streets at night was quite an experience, the traffic is so busy and the candle lit stalls spill out onto the roads - selling nicknacks, clothes, and ...lots of meat (heads of various animals and carcusses, the vegetarian in me is truly alive and well!)

I am staying in this Guesthouse for the next 8days, along with 12 other VSO volunteers from around the world - inc. VSO India, Canada, Philipines, and Netherlands. We will then move to a more rural village for 2 months to have our in country training and language lessons, but also to take time away from the intensity of the city and see more of the 'real Nepal'. Which is probably a good thing as I don't think I will get much sleep in this place, it looks out over a square which seems to be all hussle and bussle by 6am, with cars beeping, people shouting, dogs barking - it's a very lively place, put it that way!

This morning i've explored the streets nearby, a mixture of lovely quiet back streets looking down over the roof tops below, with amazing fruit hanging from the trees, and streets filled with hundreds of people, cars, dogs and buses. I managed to find myself sandwiched between a bus and a motorbike, but just went for it and that seemed to do the trick. I think being assertive is the only way to be whilst making my way around town, it will make london seem like a doddle when I'm back!

I will leave my Rathbone waffle at that, as I have no idea how much this place is charging me, but will be sure to pop back online soon and fill you in with the next installment.

Wishing you all well,

Love Helen x