Coming Home ....

Namaste Everyone!

I left Nepal on the 10th and curently I am in the Taipei airport for 2 hours until my flight leaves at 4pm. Last night I stayed in Bangkok with a 12 hour layover. I decided to get a hotel room with a couple of friends from Nepal that happen to also be flying back to the states too. They're layover in Bangkok is until the 12th. However, I left early at 5am today to catch my returning flights. So, I have been away from technological civilization for the past 9days or so. My last two weeks in Nepal were spent in the Annapurna region. I had a surprisingly terrible time readjusting to physical extertion. For the first two days I was weak and felt like I was purging so much toxins in my body...toxins from being so sick in Kathmandu, toxins from the filthy black smog of the city, and the toxins of just daily unsanitary issues. The trek Arie and I did was called the Tatopani Loop. It was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo unbelieveably amazing. Anyway, I think that I will have to later blog my trekking story by the day because it is too much to type right now and I don't have much time here in the airport. So, anyhow, I shall be home soon. I hope you all are doing well!
namaste and love,
Melinda
xo

bad few days..

Hello friends. So, I have had quite a low week. I had gotten news that my grandma has passed away in Costa Mesa. I am sad. Just around the same time, I had hit my head on a low iron gate and had gotten a mild concussion...and last night, I had again contracted some food poisoning ( I have no idea from where) I had cold sweats all night and major bad diahherrea mixed with stomach pains. I had strange hallucinations. Later in the morning, my friends Jesse and Arie came by my house to give me an IV. (Thank you!!!VSN medic volunteers!) I am better now. And I think that things can only get better from here.
Anyway, hope all is well with you all.
namaste and love,
melinda.

Political change stirring the air....

So, it's a really interesting time right now in Nepal. After the elections at the end of April, the Maoist party hold somewhere around 264 seats out of 600 in parliament. The majority of people residing in the city of Kathmandu for the most part are not maoist supporters. For years the maoist party have been trying to get into Kathmandu and influence the city, and after the recent elections, they're in. As I've realized however, not eneryone is for the maoists. A businessman from Kwortishor was kidnapped and killed 4 days ago by maoists and his body was dumped in the local river (at least that is the speculation) ...and this is a bad no-no....(as the Hindu religion says that Hindus must be burned and offered with full rites before dumping the ashes into the holy river that flows into and becomes the Ganges river in India. ) Anyway, the family of the dead man and locals are PISSED OFF and have been demanding the body to be handed over. The Maoists are denying the claims of killing this man. So, what had been going on for the past few days is the creation of a major roadblock into a part of Kathmandu by the family and locals of the dead businessman. Traffic is bad and lots of buses and taxis can't or just won't go near there. Today there is a major strike against the maoists and the killing. All schools, buses, businesses, and airports, and etc...are at a halt. It is going to be interesting to see what happenes. Today I'm not working at the school because it's closed. Anyway, I have also been informed that there is some rioting going on. So, Nepal's military is still runned by the prime minister. On the 28th the government is supposed to hand over office to the maoists. It will be interesting to see how things turn out. There is definitey a political change in the air.
That's all for now.
As for me, I am doing great. I love the Nepali kids that I am teaching. They are so bright. Yesterday was a nepali holiday which celebrated the birth of Buddah. I went with my friend Ari to Bouddahnath (a major Buddhist Stupa) and celebrated the day by making the many clockwise walkabouts around the stupa (with its many prayer flags) and turning many tibetan wheels and chanting. We lit candles with many other Nepalis and the millions of candles illuminated the whole temple and stupa. It is incredible to see and you could feel the spiritual love in the air. There were many monks chanting, some throat singing, and many Hindus as well singing and paying their respects. Millions of people were walking the clockwise round-a-bout all day. It was beautiful. I wish you could've all seen it.
Anyway, my plan have changed a bit and I decided to extend my flight departure date to June 10. My last two weeks here will be spent travelling north west towards Pokhara and then trekking for 10 days into the Annapurna range. I plan to visit a few Gurang villages (of Tibetan decent) and just check out the amazing, majestic, and infamous Himalayas. It should be fun and I am really excited about it.
I have to go now I'm afraid that a poweroutage is going to happen. It happen everyday from a few hours. Anyway, take care all!
Namaste and que te vaya bien!!
much love,
maumau
:)

thik chha! thik chha!

Namaste friends!

So Nepal has been going great! I have been learning so much...from politics to caste systems and the many Nepali ways. So, there are so many interesting facts about Nepal that I bet you all didn't know. I'm in the listing mood...so, list I'll list them.

About Nepal:
1. Families will eat daal bhat every morning and night. It is basically white rice and a bowl of yellow lentil soup.
2. Nepalis eat using their right hand.
3. Using the left hand to eat or touch someone is considered very filthy and rude.
4. Everyone is in the caste system. You can only marry at your own caste or above. (The goal is to basically climb the social ladder.)
5. Marriages are arranged.
6. A groom's family has to pay a dowry for the bride.
7. It's super improper for women to not have their shoulders covered or to wear skimpy outfits.
8. Most women wear saris...or tibetan dresses.
9. Nepal is a conglomerate of diversity. People look like they're from India, China, Mongolia,Tibet, or the Middle East but they're not....they're Nepalis.
10. Sharing food is not widely done. This is due to their belief of "Jutho". If you are eating a plate of food...the second that your hand and lips have touched your food it is all yours. It is considered contaminated or "Jutho". If you were to try to share with someone after touching your food,...you would really be offending that person.
11. Nepali men hold hands and touch each other in affectionate friendly ways. It is normal in society and shows that friendship is great and unbreakable.
12. However, gay relationships would be greatly unacceptable and are not discussed.
13. Women and men cannot hold hands or display affection in public (even the married). This is considered very rude.
14. Women cannot talk or joke about sexual topics with men.
15. In Pepsi-Cola, where I live, I have to be back at my host family's home by 8pm every night for daal bhat...or else they will be very mad at me. This rule of being back home, for the day, by daal bhat is observed by all Nepalis. The streets get pretty desolate by 9:30 or so.
16. People bob their heads to the right and left to agrees with you. They look like bobble heads.


Anyway, that's it for now. I can't think of anything more.
I hope all id well with you!
I have to go teach a 7th grade class.
much love,
maumau
xo
Namaste

Pepsi-Cola is where I live.

I know it sounds weird but Pepsi-Cola is the district that I live in here at Kathmandu. There is literally a Pepsi-Cola factory in our neighborhood...hence, the naming of our area. I have been informed that this area is somewhat new and in developement. However, if you are in Kathmandu, it seems that every area is in development. Lots of houses or buildings are incomplete construction projects. That's just how it is everywhere. Most roads are dirt roads and the traffic is HORRIBLE at rush hour times. I'm talking about 6 lane roads turning into 2 lane roads and thousands of vehicles trying to get through. Just geting from one block to another could take 40mins! The other day, Sujan (our Nepali friend and guide) had us volunteers just get off the bus (that we were riding on) and start walking down the highway with all of the other Nepalis from other buses, which start doing the same thing. It was nuts. There was nothing but a sea of Nepalis and buses and vehicles and serious smog and holy cows strolling down the lanes of the major highway trying to get home for daal baht (a very traditional meal of rice and lentils). It is quite a sight to see and it happens every night.So, there is a lot that has happened and I hate this part where I have to find the correct words to describe to you all what something was like. Its hard to have you understand thefeelings, moods, ambiance of the different environments that I have been to but I will just try my best. So, in all of my travels, Nepal is by far the poorest country I have seen. Majorityy of people live in shanty makeshifts and dont have access to proper healthcare. The other day while I was standing around at a plaza waiting for friends, a little Nepali boy came up to me in complete curiousness to play and smile at me and to be shy also. Just looking at him I immediately could tell that this boy had some form of Hepatitis. The white of his eyes were turned to pure yellow. This sort of thing is a common sight here in Nepal. Also, I see young children (like 5-8years) walking barefoot, covered in complete filth, and rummaging through trash on the streets for food. This sight totally breaks the heart. The sadder thing is that Sujan, my Neplai friend and VSN worker, says that most of these kids are hooked on drugs already. These are 5 year old I'm talking about. So, I'm currently working at one of theVSN schools. A lot of the kids that attend are from our orphanages. The school is fairly new and was donated by a German couple. The school is a bit choatic. The kids are from K-7 and run rampant. The lack of teachers and such is the main issue. So, a lot of the volunteers are needed here. I am teaching all of the English comunications classes from 3-7 grade. I usually feel pretty wiped out by the end of the day. It is a lot of work and the school needs a lot of work too. Anyway, the kids are great...so awesome. I have a few kids that I would love to adopt. They Nepali kids are so bright. What is amazing is that their English is very decent by 3 grade! Anyway, besides the school and work I have visited some orphanages ( some better equipt than others). The kids are so sweet and need a lot of loving. If any of you are interested in donating please email me and we could figure something out. 1 U.S. dollar is eqivalent to 63 Nepali rupees. That is more than enough to get a Nepali adult through one day...foodwise. So, even $5 is super meaningful, especially for a child.
Well, Buddah's birthday is coming soon on the 20th of May. All schools will be closed that day. I have a tibetan dress that I plan to rock. Also, my friend Arie plans to rock the Tibetan dress for a man. We are going to head to Bouddanath or another major Buddahist stupa. Tons of Buddahists will gather and walk clockwise and chant mantras....can't wait.
Until then...namaste and much love.
maumau

VSN in Kathmandu, Nepal

Hi Everyone!
I am currently in amazing, very friendly, very different, and very impoverished Nepal. I am in Kathmandu to be exact. We arrived here two days ago and were greeted (more like swarmed) by a ton of Nepali men trying to take us away in their taxi or to their guesthouse...etc. The one thing you learn fast here is that shaking your head left to right actually means "Yes" in Nepal. Anyway, Gen and I arrived at the airport first at 1:30pm and had to wait for Jamie (who was coming in at 3:50pm on a different airline). Gen and I had a bit of a dilema as we had to pay for a visa at the airport entry but didn't have any cash that was acceptable to them. So we were advised to go outside of the airport to use the ATM just outside. Well, when we did that, we just nonchalantly walked passed security checkpoints..police...things like that. After we got outside and then swamped with Nepalis, we walk back in again past the security checkpoints, police, etc.
I will tell you this...there is no security at the Kathmandu, Nepal airport...zero. If was kinda hilarious really. Then after we got our visas, we walk outside again to find a place to sit and wait for the next few hours for Jamie to arrive. We also happened to get majorly swamped again for the second time by Nepalis to go to their guesthomes, hotels, or taxis. Gen and I literally were a bit wide-eyed and confused-overwhelmed. It is sooooo different here. In Nepali culture people do not take "no' for an answer. The directness of the word is not really understood. Instead, you give them a rational answer as to why something might not work out. For example, when someone asks if we need a taxi or hotel, saying "No" does not mean they will go away. However, if you say instead: "I am waiting for a friend to pick me up. I am staying at my friend's house." Only then will the Nepali guy leave you alone...he gets it. Anyway, it had truly been an amazing 72 hours in Nepal! Mr. Shreshtha picked us up (he is the coordinator for VSN) and gave us the tour of VSN headquarters, and one of the orphanages, and the Nepali host family that we are staying with this month. First thing is first, I have to tell you all that as poor as this country is, I cannot believe how AMAZINGLY FRIENDLY AND WARM AND LOVING the Nepali people are! For example, whilewaiting at the airport for Jamie, a Nepali Rai woman with her husband and children strikes a conversation up with us. Within 10 minutes of conversing, she has already invited us into her home to stay with complete warmth and mom-like. It was such a sweet gesture! We soon after started talking and smiling with other Nepalis and realized that this country is super friendly!

Down the ol' Khao San Road...

So, here we are back in Bangkok. We are staying near the infamous Khao San Road where nobody sleeps and the busy bustling goes on long into the night. I recently picked up the book "The Beach" by Alex Garland (you know, the one they made into a movie starring Leonardo Di Caprio). Anyway, Ican't believe I've never read it before and I'm sure as hell glad that I never saw the movie because it makes the reading so much more enjoyable. My point is, it is really really really good so far. I love the book and it is so relateable right now. So, for all of you out there...I highly recommend reading this book especially if you happen to be travelling through wonderful Thailand!
Today we have a busy agenda of going to the immigration office located in south Bangkok. Our visas expire today and we need to extend thembefore leaving the country in 2 days to go to Nepal. By the way.....I am ESTATICALLY EXCITED to be going to Nepal!!! It is a country that has never been colonized so the culture remains true in itself. "Namaste" is the greeting and the closing....it means more than your average hello... it's a blessing to your existence, literally. I think that is so wonderful and I am meeting more and more travellers that have expressed very things to say about Nepali culture and people. I just can't wait to get there! Jaime, Gen, and I are all volunteering for the next month with an association. We are splitting up to work in different areas of our choice and in turn we will be spliting up to leave to different locale regions in Nepal. Jaime is working with disabled children, Gen is working with an orphanage, and I am going to teach young monks in a monastery. We will be living with host families in villages and trek to our work sites daily. It will be quite an experience as there will be no electricity, beds, and meals are always eaten and cooked with the Nepali host family. In a sense though, this will feel just like living on the Trafcura farm in Chile. So, I feel prepared and comfortable with it. Anyway friends,I need to look for a place to stay tonight. I hope all is well with everyone!
Much love!
Melinda
xo