First Impressions of the College

I’ve just finished my fourth day at the college. The routine at the moment is for me to see my first student at 12:45, have lunch and then see another one or two after lunch. Given that this is a college that teaches the hospitality industry, lunch is no small affair. It is generally a three-course meal prepared by the students under the guidance of the school’s chef. We sit at tables draped in linen and are served by the students. It has the air of a school cafeteria combined with a 4-star restaurant, if you can imagine that. I typically eat with the CEO, Khem, who is a lovely man and very entertaining. He studied the hospitality industry in Switzerland and lived in Montreal for a few years before returning to Nepal to open the college. He frequently has other lunch guests who add to the experience. My biggest challenge is dragging myself away from the table to get back to work with the students before their classes start again at 2:20.

I have had my successes and failures with the students. I am doing my best to elicit as much information about them as I can, but this isn’t always easy. Some are very shy, a situation which I’m sure is exacerbated by the fact that I’m a Westerner and a stranger to them. When I ask them what skills or characteristics make them a good candidate for a job, I am greeted by a blank stare. I’m not sure how the logistics came about, but I came to realize that I saw the most “difficult” students right at the beginning. By difficult, I mean that they are somewhat more introverted and more prone to shyness. To their credit, these students recognize that they are better suited to work behind the scenes and most aspire to be chefs.

The first student who ran counter to this trend kind of surprised me, but I have since discovered that the shyer students are in the minority. In fact some of them are confident to the point that they’ll grab my computer as I’m typing and spin it around so they can see what I’m writing. They’ll then rattle off a list of their selling points so quickly and efficiently that I’m hard-pressed to keep up. It has become a real treat for me to meet each student and learn about their background and aspirations. Interestingly, most of them hope to do their internships abroad, and then bring their knowledge back to Nepal. They recognize how much this country is lacking in so many ways and they all seem genuinely driven to try to change that. It’s really quite moving.

I met with one young man today who was particularly impressive. Not only did his resume indicate that he is self-motivated and willing to work his tail off, but he spoke with an earnestness that I hadn’t yet encountered. After we were fairly certain that I had captured all the salient details of his experience, skill set and goals, he asked me to stop typing and listen to him without taking notes. (I took this opportunity to teach him the term “off the record”.) He looked straight into my eyes as he told me about the hunger he has in his belly to succeed in this industry. He told me how much he wants to raise the standards in Nepal and how and he’ll do anything to make his dreams come true. He left me with no doubt that he will succeed. (This same guy also told me a story about how he trained himself to be fit to serve in the British army. He passed all the necessary tests and was accepted by the British. This is no small feat and something that is enormously respected here. Unfortunately, the Nepali in charge of organising his departure for the UK demanded a bribe that he was unable to pay, so he couldn’t go. There is just no end to the corruption here.)

As I left the college a couple of days ago, I stopped to look at the view before heading to the bus stop. The college is situated in a large old house on the northern edge of town. I’m guessing that 20 years ago it was sitting in farm land, but the city is spreading like wildfire and it is now very much in suburbia and surrounded by apartment blocks. On the next hill to the north, a Buddhist monastery sits in relative isolation, immune to the urban sprawl. As I looked at the prayer flags flapping in the afternoon breeze, I was reminded of why I love this place. I think that visiting a place and living in it are two different things, and I had lost site of the Nepal that I lovde as a tourist. So when I got home, I changed into more comfortable clothes, and became a tourist in Kathmandu. I had a lovely time exploring spots that I pass by regularly but had stopped seeing. In keeping with my tourist status, I stayed out a bit later than I would normally on a “school night” but I had a great time and rekindled my love affair with Nepal.

More and more students are recognising me and as I walk through the campus I’m greet by choruses of “Good Afternoon Ma’am”. I am started to get used to the very frequent “ma’am”s (which are used at the end of every sentence uttered to me) but the students’ politeness and formality is a bit disarming. It should be noted that some of my greatest perceived assets to the students are my table manners. Given that they all likely grew up without utensils in their homes, this is a difficult lesson for them to learn. Apparently I’m setting a good example - thanks Mom and Dad.

As I left the school today, I stopped once again to look over at the monastery bathed in afternoon sunshine on the next hilltop. I realised how good I felt to be there, not just in Nepal, but at the college. I felt like I was doing something worthwhile for the first time in I don’t know how many years. I know it’s a small project, but I actually felt like I was making a positive contribution to someone’s life. These amazing young people all have so much hope that it’s impossible not to be swept up in their enthusiasm.

If anyone's interested, the college's website is www.gate.edu.np

Dipping My Toe in the Pool

I’m not sure if I have previously mentioned a woman named Deborah. She is American and I was introduced to her virtually via a contact at home. We have met several times and I enjoy her company enormously. She is working on building a business here, and in her spare time she teaches at a small college in the outskirts of the city. It specialises in hospitality services and the students are learning all aspects of the business in the hopes of finding work either in Nepal or abroad. Deborah has been really persuasive in getting me involved in the college. I had my first meeting there this week and am now working on a small project helping the students with their resumés. I have done my preliminary editing work on them and will begin one-on-one meetings with the students tomorrow, to elicit further information which can be used to help them sell themselves to potential employers.

I have asked not to be paid for this project as it is very short term and I’m not doing anything else anyway. Frankly, I wasn’t sure what I could contribute to the project and I felt guilty taking money for inferior work. I mean, what could a telecommunications consultant possibly offer students in the hospitality industry? After my initial meeting with the college administrator and having read the resumés as they exist today, my confidence is definitely building. I had heard horror stories from volunteers about how poorly run organisations in Nepal are, but it was an eye-opener to see it first hand. To their credit, they are just doing what they know and their culture is enormously different than what I’m accustomed to. I think that it will take a huge dose of patience to work within this environment, but my first contact with it has demonstrated how much I do have to offer. I am not someone who believes in forcing outside views, religion or culture on any society, but in this case, it really is a case of teaching skills and practices that will help them function more productively. In addition, these students are hoping to work abroad and if they’re going to be successful, they need to learn how to function in more productive environments. (Deborah taught a class in taking initiative the other day. I don’t think it was on the school’s curriculum but I’m sure it was one of the most valuable lessons they’ll learn all year.)

I have no idea if this project will lead to further work at the college, but Deborah would like to see me there full-time, and the college is in need of professional resources. There is also an affiliated program that uses the college’s facilities which is looking for an English teacher. The thought of teaching still scares the crap out of me, but at least these students are young adults and not children. Deborah has asked me to dress as formally as possible for my meetings with the students in an effort to introduce an intimidation factor and prepare them for interviews down the road. Little do they know that I’m far more intimidated by them than they are by me.

So tomorrow is my big day. I’ll be meeting with the students during their lunch breaks all week, and will see as many as I can fit into each day. Wish me luck!

Trek With Judy and Her Family

We started out on Sunday morning with a 20-minute flight to Pokhara, situated on a beautiful lake in the foothills of the Himalayas. My friend and our guide for the trek, Bhola, had travelled overnight by bus (about 6-8 hours depending on many factors) and met us at the airport with a van ready to take us to the trailhead. Judy, a very independent traveller, was a bit concerned about having a guide along, but within hours we were all wondering what we would have done without him. He is a fabulous guide and also happens to be wonderful company.

The weather was perfect as we set out, and we had great views of a few peaks hanging over the valley trails. Our hike was mostly uphill the first day and we stayed fairly close together as a group. We spent the night in a village called Tikenhungga. We were all surprised by the number of trekkers on the trails and in the guesthouses, especially this late in the season. It would appear that tourism is really making a comeback here after this spring’s election brought an end to the Maoist threat in the mountains. The second day was the toughest and started with a three-hour climb up a hillside on stone steps. You may remember me whining about this same portion of the trek when I went to Mustang last summer. We had beautiful weather again, and the views got better the higher we climbed. Campbell (15) showed his true colours and was well out ahead of us for most of this day and the ones that would follow. Kelly (14) maintained a sprint-and-rest style of trekking and ultimately chose to stay back with her father, Dean, who moved a bit slower than the rest of us. Judy, Campbell and I enjoyed a juice box and the views down the valley while we waited for Kelly and Dean to arrive at the top of the stairs in the safe care of Bhola. We had a fairly long lunch an hour up the trail and continued our uphill climb through forests to the hilltop town of Ghorepani. It was a long day of about eight hours on the trail and we were all happy to get our boots off at the end of the day. Judy and Dean splurged on rooms (about $5 each) with ensuite bathrooms and Western toilets, much to Kelly’s delight. I stayed with my $1.50 single room with shared toilet across the hall, but I have to admit I snuck into Judy and Dean’s bathroom for a quick rinse under their shower head. The views from our rooms were phenomenal with Annupurna South right outside our windows and much of the Annapurna and Dhulagiri ranges visible from our beds. It was a clear night and a near-full moon providing a beautiful backdrop for our night’s sleep.

Judy, Campbell, Bhola and I set out at about 5:00 AM the next morning to climb Poon Hill to watch the sunrise. As with my first visit there in 2002, I was awestruck by the sun’s rays hitting the peaks before the sun itself appeared above the horizon. The light moved across the mountain range like the sparks on a fuse, until all the peaks were ablaze. It’s still one of my favourite views in the world and it was hard to pull myself away. We returned to Ghorepani for breakfast and to pick up the others. We climbed out of town and enjoyed similar views of the mountains from the ridge above Ghorepani. The rest of the day was spent hiking through the rhododendron forests on our way to Tadapani. We had several discussions regarding our final destination for the day and finally agreed that we’d see how we felt in Tadapani and decide there if we could push on to Ghandruk for the night.

Unfortunately, while Judy, Campbell, Kelly and I were enjoying the views from a picnic table in Tadapani and waiting for Dean and Bhola to catch up, they passed through the village without seeing us. Assuming that we had gone on to Ghandruk, they forged ahead. Worried when they didn’t show up, we went back down the trail looking for them behind us and came up empty. When we finally realised what had happened, it was too late for us to get to Ghandruk before dark so we bedded down in Tadapani. Meanwhile, Bhola and Dean arrived in Ghandruk and knocked on every door in town looking for us. Having no idea where we were, they spent a sleepless night worrying that we had taken a wrong turn and were sleeping huddled together somewhere on the mountainside. We woke up early in the morning in order to get moving as soon as it was light, and met Bhola about 10 minutes down the trail. He had left Ghandruk well before sunrise to come looking for us, as I had suspected he would. Despite our guilt over this added work load for him, we were all relieved that Dean had talked him out of coming to look for us the night before, especially as a thick fog had rolled in. After our reunion on the path, we continued as quickly as we could to Ghandruk, and based on the difficulty of the trail, were glad that we hadn’t made the attempt in the dark during the previous evening. We joined a very relieved Dean for a hot chocolate in Ghandruk and discussed our plans.

That day’s trek was a difficult one and we already had a couple of hours behind us. Judy and I both remember this stretch of trail more than any other in our trekking histories. She did it 25 years ago with her brother and I did it six years ago with Bhola. Ghandruk and Landruk sit across a gorge from each other, so close that you can practically reach out and touch the buildings in one from a patio chair in the other. However, to get from one to the other, you have to climb down to floor of the gorge, cross the river on a footbridge and then climb back up the other side. Dean firmly refused to do this, and ultimately the kids decided to forgo the experience with him. They walked the direct route out to civilisation directly from Ghandruk that day. Judy and I set out with Bhola and navigated the gorge on our own. We had lunch in Landruk and then settled into Tolka an hour or so down the trail. Without the others in tow, we made good time and arrived mid-afternoon. We were delighted to find a hot shower facility at our guest house. Clean and cozy in our down booties we sat in the sunshine, drank a couple of beers and engaged in hours of girl talk as the afternoon turned to evening. It was a wonderful day.

I was convinced that the final day would be downhill all the way, since we were closing the circle and the first two days had been entirely uphill. I was therefore rather dismayed to find we had a 400 meter climb an hour or so into the trek, but we managed it without killing ourselves (and likely without displaying any dignity whatsoever). We finished our trek in the early afternoon and Bhola found us a cab back to Pokhara where we joined the others. We spent the next 48 hours or so in Pokhara, just taking things easy and wandering around town. It’s much more quiet and scenic than Kathmandu and is a place that I could see myself living. I visited the Peace Pagoda on the hill overlooking the lake, which is something I’ve wanted to do for years. The views of the lake and mountains from up there were spectacular and the pagoda itself is a beautiful Buddhist monument.

On Saturday we flew back to Kathmandu and spent the afternoon at my place. Judy wanted to see my apartment and they all made use of my internet connection and laptop to get caught up with banking and emails and to burn some photos to DVDs.

I put them into a cab to the airport yesterday afternoon and suspect that they’re on their way from Bahrain to Jordan as I write this. I have to admit that I’m suffering a bit from the post-visit blues today, and haven’t helped the cause by staying home and accomplishing very little of anything. I’ll be sure to turn over a new leaf tomorrow and try to implement a new routine to keep me busy. I have some connections to make and of course I need to forge ahead with the job hunt. It’s getting cooler now and the days are noticeably shorter, although it’s still a lot more comfortable than home at this time of year. As long as the sun is shining, skirts and short sleeves are okay during the day but a jacket is a must in the evenings.

I should get photos posted shortly at www.flickr.com/photos/feelitturn.

Out of Touch

A very quick post to let you all know that Judy and her family arrived last night and have been keeping me busy ever since. We leave early tomorrow morning for our trek in the Annapurna region. I should be back in touch either Sunday or Monday (16th or 17th November) once they've gone and I have time to write. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying great company in the beautiful Himalayas.

November 4/5 2008

Yesterday I fell in love. His name is Obama and he is carrying the hope of the world on his shoulders. I spent yesterday morning glued to the TV watching the numbers tick away at the bottom of CNN’s screen. I’m still not sure how they made the leap from 207 electoral college votes to “Obama elected president” in several seconds, but it wasn’t an error and the decision stuck. No recounts, no hanging chads. I let out a cheer, no doubt startling whoever was doing dishes or laundry at the communal fountain outside my bedroom window. The speeches came shortly afterwards, and I was touched by McCain’s concession. It seems to me that he has more integrity in his little finger than the current president has in his entire administration.

Then Barack Obama took the stage. His face is defined by a gentleness and an almost child-like quality. He spoke beautifully and eloquently about an America that everyone wants to see. He instilled a fresh hope in the people of his country and around the world. Listening to him I could believe that we have seen the last of a government motivated by greed, and are welcoming a new one motivated by love, compassion and a sense of duty towards humanity and our environment. I heard the speech several times yesterday, and was repeatedly struck not only by the content but by the delivery. This man is a true orator.

I understand that Obama’s race is of huge significance. But for me, the fact that he is African-American is of no consequence. He is a good man and I believe he will be a good president. I look forward to a day when attributes such as gender and colour do not factor into a campaign.

My greatest surprise was the shift in my attitude towards America and its citizens. I have many friends and extended family members in the US and I love them all. Virtually all of the Americans I have met travelling have been Democrats and we shared a common disgust with their government. (The sole exception was a young Korean-American man I shared an airport shuttle with in Bangkok. The son of immigrant parents, he startled me by introducing himself with a thick Texan drawl.) As much as I love the Americans I know individually, I had developed a lack of respect for the American population as a whole. This isn’t something I’m proud of – I try my best to eschew prejudices of all kinds. But I just couldn’t understand or support an entire society that would re-elect George W. Bush. Yesterday America chose a government they can be proud of, and in so doing showed the world that its population is worthy of our respect.

Last night I attended an Obama victory party hosted by the Nepal chapter of Democrats Abroad. I received the invitation several days prior to the election, so I assumed that there was considerable optimism within that camp. In speaking with party-goers, I found that this wasn’t necessarily the case – many of them had been sitting on pins and needles that morning. While I’m not one to plaster my luggage with Canadian flags, I have typically tried to ensure that my fellow travellers are aware of my nationality. I didn’t want to be perceived to be associated with the government of the US in any way. But last night at the party I gladly stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the American community in Nepal as some high school students sang the “Star-Spangled Banner” in beautiful harmony. I was proud of them and for them. I only confessed to being a Canadian because I felt it unfair to accept congratulations for a victory to which I did not contribute.

Living abroad for much of the last two years has made me understand how far-reaching the consequences of this election are. This wasn’t just about America, but will affect lives around the world. I feel a renewed hope for America and for the world in general. Based on the reactions I witnessed in the media yesterday, I can only assume that I’m not alone in this. I know that I join people all over the world in placing far too heavy a load on the shoulders of one man. I am worried that the rigors and reality of life in Washington will erode the ideology and spirit of the US president-elect. I fear that some rogue racist will succeed in cutting short the life of this pioneer as they have done for so many pioneers before him. But for now, I’m in love and I’m going to enjoy the honeymoon.

Photos

Study



Kitchen






Bedroom / Living Room

Connected

I never received a repeat invitation to celebrate Tihar with Bhola’s family, so I didn’t get the inside experience. I did go into Thamel (the touristy part of town and home to much of the city’s commerce) during the evening to see what was going on. I didn’t expect much but was surprised to find Tihar celebrations in full swing. Most of the shops were closed, but there were decorations everywhere, huge “murals” in the street that are like temporary shrines, roving bands of singers of all ages, and lights everywhere. The firecrackers were out of hand and unfortunately almost ruined the whole experience for me. They were being thrown everywhere and they were louder than any that the average kid has access to at home. They were being lobbed off rooftops so that they blew up in mid air in front of you, or tossed at your feet out of doorways. I don’t suppose they could have caused too much damage, but it was really unnerving.

On Friday I attended a lecture delivered to the Cultural Studies Group of Nepal. This a group of expats who convene once a month for lectures and once a month for studio tours of the local artisans. I am looking forward to other events with this group, although I won’t join until the new year. The speaker in this case was a Canadian woman who has been living here for 30 years. We had been introduced via the internet when I was still at home and have been trying to connect here to no avail. She lived with the Sherpas in the Khumbu (Everest) region for years and was speaking about their culture. She is an amazing photographer and her slideshow had me aching to get back into the mountains. We are both going away next week, but I hope to spend some time with her when we’re back in the city. I didn’t have time to connect with her after the lecture as I was making another attempt at getting internet at my apartment.

For the more technical among you, here’s the story. My landlord, Kiran, arranged to have DSL added to my phone line and I chose the higher speed option (256 Kbps). He relayed a message to me from the Telecom Nepal guys that I had to buy a router, which I did. (I splurged and got a wireless one – good choice.) While doing the router setup, I got a wizard that required about 12 settings, all of which needed to be provided by the ISP. I tried to explain to Kiran that I needed more info from the telco which he just wasn’t understanding. He thought the guy who sold me the router should be doing the work. I finally convinced him that I needed to talk to the telco so off we went to visit them, armed with a list of the required information from the setup wizard. Their office is only a couple of blocks away, and much to my delight, we immediately returned home with a tech in tow who sat down and completed the wizard and got things going. He was great although had very limited English. He left me with his name and number in case of any problems down the road. I was very impressed – things like this don’t usually happen here.

The bottom line is that I’m now connected at home and can move around the apartment with my computer. Because the router requires power, I can’t use the internet during the load shedding, but that’s okay, I can live with that. I certainly enjoy the freedom of being able to check e-mails more regularly, and being able to do so in my jammies. I have become so dependent on the internet – it’s amazing how often I refer to it for all kinds of information. I hate to admit this, but this added connectivity has made me feel much more comfortable and at home here.

I am now just working on getting a new cable supplier. The one I have sucks – they don’t have many channels and regularly go down 15 minutes before the end of a movie. Kiran, the little trooper, has started the arrangements to get a new supplier in. We’ll get that wrapped up today.

The most exciting news of all is that Judy and her family arrive on Friday. I can’t wait to see them, and of course get out into the mountains for our little trek. Five more sleeps!

I have uploaded a bunch of photos of Tihar and my apartment to flicker. I’m going to try to paste the link here. If that doesn’t work, you can go to www.flickr.com/photos/feelitturn. I’ll try to add a few into the body of my blog as well.