My Daily Routine

Wowee sorry it's been so long. You can just assume that no blog entry means I am having an absolute blast and haven't scrounged up a spare minute to write! I am really starting to get into a schedule and loving it. Ishwor and I have worked out a system that is quite entertaining for us both:  everything he says and describes to me in English, I then attempt to translate to Nepali, by rifling through the English-Nepali dictionary and asking him many questions. Not only is this boosting his confidence in English it is also forcing him to really understand what exactly he is saying in order to translate back to Nepali for me. Gosh he is such a cool kid! I love learning so much about his story and background, one that is incredibly humbling. I have posted a few photos of him below. One I caught him in action and then as soon as he saw the flash he had to play Mr. Cool Kid for the camera.

A few days ago we visited Bhaktapur, a city about an hour away by bus. It is known as the Cultural Capital of Nepal, and is the home of temples from the early 7^th century! The whole site is cobblestone and brick, making it easy to forget that you are still in the bustling city of Kathmandu. I have included some photos below.

Tonight, a few of us set out on an adventure to see the largest Buddhist stupa outside of Tibet, Bodhnath Stupa. We encountered a monk who blessed us with holy water and prayer beads and then of course requested rupees for compensation. The stupa was to be lined with candles for the full moon, but first the thousands of candles had to be lit. So he then led us to the room where all the unlit candles were waiting. He offered us the flame, and I thought we were helping to prepare for the ceremony. After lighting 10 candles I handed the flame over to a friend. To our surprise, he was actually counting every candle we lit and then charged us 10 rupees per!!!! So….after paying 100 rupees, ok it’s still only about $1.20, I was blessed with good luck for the next 15 years.

We then circled the temple with this monk as our guide. As we said our farewells, we strolled off into an alley way trying to find a ride home. However, we passed an open courtyard of a pick up soccer game, and naturally hopped the fence to join the game. Soccer, like laughter, is a universal language and form of enjoyment! It’s so neat to find these cross-cultural ways to communicate and enjoy each others company. After a very intense game, we boarded a bus and attempted to head home. But with 23 people jammed into a van the size of a mini van it’s hard to keep track of our whereabouts. 15 minutes into the ride we asked how close we were to our destination, and were told we had passed it about 5 minutes back. But, don’t worry folks, we spotted the 4 block long KFC and found our way! Yes, after being ripped off by a monk, blessed for 15 years, almost attacked by rabid dogs, dominated by 13 years olds on the soccer field, and initiating a singing party on the congested bus, we finally made it home!


Photos from the Bodhnath Stupa:

A few shout outs: welcome home to Dan and Julie, who just arrived in Kenmore, WA for good!!! Can’t wait to Petty out with you all under the same roof when I return. AND congratulations to my little bro, Brian, who completed his senior project at Overlake and will be graduating high school in less than a week.

Love to all of you,

Al