Moments of Connection

I’m no longer the rookie folks! Yup, we’ve had about 4 new volunteers arrive at the house in the past 2 days and they are asking me for help navigating the public transportation system. Beware of the cows! That’s honestly the best advice I can offer. I told the sisters of the house about my near death cow experience and they laughed and said “the cows know how important they are.” I had forgotten that in this culture the cows are in fact sacred. A woman has actually been in jail for 12 years for accidentally hitting a cow with her car and killing it. So the cows really do own the sidewalks and the streets for that matter! The traffic moves for the cows. Pedestrians will be hit if necessary to avoid hitting a cow. So other than the vicious, territorial nature of the cows themselves, being next to a cow is by far the safest, most protected spot in the city!

While I’m learning to love the city, being in the Kathmandu Valley, it’s easy to forget that we are tucked in the midst of the highest mountain range! I still have yet to see the magnificent hills but today we did get out of the city for a bit. I forgot how nice open skies and trees were! We climbed the 365 stairs of the Swoyambu Temple, also known as the Buddhist Monkey Temple, appropriately named for the infestation of fearless, greedy, monkeys, and were offered a breathtaking birds eye view of the valley, framed by thousands of prayer flags strung from every corner of the sky! 

As is the case in many third world countries, it’s hard to walk the streets without being approached by children begging for money, driven by severe starvation. Sisters warned us that often they are under command and report back to a trafficker of some kind each day, and the kids don’t actually get any compensation for their collections. So I’ve learned to carry small pieces of chocolate and crackers instead, ensuring that the child is reaping the benefits. It’s all about connecting with people. It’s easy to want to shy away from these begging children, disturbed their physical conditions which invoke a sense of guilt for how spoiled we are. But these kids are ignored all day long. So I’ve discovered it’s best to just talk to them. Rather than shake your head “no, I’m sorry, no money for you,” I engage in conversation, shifting the focus from their severely depressing conditions to their passions and interests. Often they speak more English than just “hungry, food?” One boy ended up walking with me for a few blocks, sharing his love of soccer, chocolate and his baby brother. After giving him a few cookies that I had in my bag, we both left the conversation smiling, forgetting for just a split second about the severe conditions in which he was living. These are the moments I truly value, the connections we can make as humans come in and out of our stories for just quick minutes, but change our perspectives forever. Corny I know, but this boy opened my eyes to the importance of not shying away from those different from us. We don’t need to be afraid or feel guilty, but rather do what we can to change a life for just a few small minutes.

I have another day of tourist activities and then it’s back to the Koseli School for the week. I hope you all are having a great week!

Much love,

Al


And I thought my climb to the top of the temple  was rough: 

After climbing the stairs, we were offered an incredible view of the Kathmandu Valley:

Prayer Wheels, each one has an omen, and you are to circle the temple 106 times spinning each wheel:

The Eyes of Buddha:

Village beneath the Monkey Temple:

Dinner in Thamel: