Miscellany

Just some stuff that may interest you.

The Water Situation: While I have running water all the time, the majority my neighbours don’t. (When I describe my apartment to Nepalis as a “Nepali flat” their first question is always whether or not I have running water. From what I understand, running water is the sign of a high-end apartment.) One of my bedroom windows looks out on the communal fountain, so there is pretty much always someone there doing laundry or washing their dishes. It’s quite charming most of the time but...

The Sleeping Situation: The nights are quiet, which is great, but I have at least one neighbour who apparently needs water at 4:30 every morning. I’m just not sure how I’m going to handle this in the long run. At the moment I can nap later in the day if I have to, but that won’t be possible if I’m working. I can’t bring myself to go to sleep at 8:00 every night, nor do I think I’m ever going to be able to sleep through the bucket banging in the morning. It usually signals the beginning of the community wake-up, so once it starts, I also get dogs barking, cows mooing and kids yelling. There’s no going back at that point.

The Social Situation: I continue to meet new people. I know it will take a while to form any friendships but that is something I look forward to with great anticipation. In the meantime it’s nice to have some company. Last night I went to “Jazzmandu”, an annual Jazz festival in celebration of peace and unity. It changes venue every night and last night it was held at a former hunting lodge outside of town which is now a Marriott hotel and golf course. It was absolutely stunning (and home to the only indoor pool in Nepal - not that I got to see it). The stage was set up in a courtyard decorated with white Christmas lights. There were little fires burning in metal pots around the yard to provide warmth. I’m not a big jazz fan, but there were a few acts that were absolutely fabulous. The bands come from all over the world, and I could tell that even the ones that I didn’t like were of high calibre. It was a great evening. Tomorrow I’m having breakfast with a woman named Deborah that I was introduced to by someone at home. She doesn’t work within the aid/development community and has a different perspective on things here. I’m really looking forward to meeting her.

The Work Situation: I haven’t really done too much on this front as I’ve been busy getting settled in. The network here has been working under its own steam and I have received several spontaneous introductions via e-mail. As much as I appreciate all of the effort that these people are expending on my behalf, nothing of any interest has really developed. There are, naturally, a ton of opportunities for volunteer work here. I’m not opposed to starting out that way in the hopes that it will lead to a paid placement. However, virtually all of these offers are for work in orphanages and primary schools. It’s so hard to tell people that I am really uncomfortable around young children – it makes me feel like such a monster, not to mention ungrateful for the offer. There is so much need here on so many levels that it’s becoming a bit frustrating to me that I never seem to get offers to go help someone plant a rice paddy or build a school. I am hoping to spend some time next week revising my resume to make it look a little more relevant to what I’m looking for and then getting it out to some NGOs.

The School Situation: I only have two more modules to complete for my on-line TEFL course. I am sort of stalled at the moment as the next assignment is quite labour intensive. I’ll really try to get it finished in the next few days.

Photos: I just tried to post some photos of my apartment but was unsuccessful. I'll try again when I have internet at home - hopefully that will work.