This week at the orphanage all of the children have been super excited about celebrating the festival of Dasain! It is the biggest Hindu festival of the year, pretty much the equivalent of Christmas. This time of year is crazy at the orphanage because the children are home ALL of the time! It's great because I get to spend more time with them, but also super exhausting! Next week they will be headed back to school during the day.
My orphanage is in the area of Budhanilkantha, which is not far from the main part of Kathmandu. It's beautiful here! The air is much cleaner than in the city and there are mountain views all around. There are a few other orphanages in the area with other volunteers around, which is great.
On Wednesday, a few of the other volunteers and I went to Shivapuri National Park nearby. It took us about 7 hours to trek the mountain and it was ALL steep stairs! My legs still hurt, but it was definitely a good warm-up for Everest! On Thursday, it was the main day of the festival, so we had a traditional Tikka ceremony at the orphanage. "Grandfather" gave me Tikka on my forehead (sort of like red sticky rice) and rice leaves in my hair. It was an unreal experience!
I am definitely starting to get attached to the kids. Leaving is going to be tough!
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Welcome to Kathmandu!
My first week in Nepal has been absolutely amazing! I can't believe how many great people I have already met in such a short time. All of the people here are so friendly and happy! The children at the orphanage are wonderful! They are full of energy all the time, but they're so loving and adorable. I have also met many other volunteers from all over the world!
Arriving in Nepal was an adventure in itself. It took 3 different flights to get here, layovers in Brussels, Belgium and Delhi, India. Surprisingly, I really didn't experience much jet lag at all when I arrived. A man from the volunteer organization picked me up in a tiny van! The traffic here is INSANE! There are zero road rules and the only signal used is honking... constant honking! I think I have almost gotten run over 4 times already!
I really didn't experience much culture shock at all. I think it's because it reminds me a lot of the Philippines here. I stayed in a volunteer hostel the first few days and explored the Kathmandu area, including Thamel (the tourist region), Durbar Square, many temples, and a monkey sanctuary! I have also taken a course in the language and culture! Recently, I have arrived to the orphanage. As soon as the orphanage gate opened, the children came running at me, jumping on me, and yelling "sister, sister" as they call me!
As far as food, I got a nice variety while living at the hostel, but since I have been in the orphanage the only meal we eat is Daal Bhaat (a dish of rice and lentils) served twice a day at 10am and 7pm. It's very bland, but definitely edible. It is currently a big Hindu festival here, called Dasain. During the festival people eat a lot more meat and do ritual sacrifices of many animals. I heard a goat being sacrificed just outside this morning!
I am looking forward to my time at the orphanage in the coming weeks! It is tiring, but completely worth it! I have planned weekend trips with the other volunteers to different areas in Nepal and national parks! I leave for my 2 week Everest base camp trek on October 24! SO excited!!
Arriving in Nepal was an adventure in itself. It took 3 different flights to get here, layovers in Brussels, Belgium and Delhi, India. Surprisingly, I really didn't experience much jet lag at all when I arrived. A man from the volunteer organization picked me up in a tiny van! The traffic here is INSANE! There are zero road rules and the only signal used is honking... constant honking! I think I have almost gotten run over 4 times already!
I really didn't experience much culture shock at all. I think it's because it reminds me a lot of the Philippines here. I stayed in a volunteer hostel the first few days and explored the Kathmandu area, including Thamel (the tourist region), Durbar Square, many temples, and a monkey sanctuary! I have also taken a course in the language and culture! Recently, I have arrived to the orphanage. As soon as the orphanage gate opened, the children came running at me, jumping on me, and yelling "sister, sister" as they call me!
As far as food, I got a nice variety while living at the hostel, but since I have been in the orphanage the only meal we eat is Daal Bhaat (a dish of rice and lentils) served twice a day at 10am and 7pm. It's very bland, but definitely edible. It is currently a big Hindu festival here, called Dasain. During the festival people eat a lot more meat and do ritual sacrifices of many animals. I heard a goat being sacrificed just outside this morning!
I am looking forward to my time at the orphanage in the coming weeks! It is tiring, but completely worth it! I have planned weekend trips with the other volunteers to different areas in Nepal and national parks! I leave for my 2 week Everest base camp trek on October 24! SO excited!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)