NamoBuddha Pilgrimage

NamoBuddha Pilgrimage
Have you ever heard of the story about the King Bayan Deer? It tells a story of sacrifice, compassion, generosity, and even suffering as the King discovered empathy through the actions of others. There are so many symbolic icons and representations in the Buddhist and Hindu faiths, it is extraordinary and inevitable to examine our own thoughts and actions.

Buddhist Prayer Flags

Buddhist Prayer Flags
Traditionally, Buddhist prayer flags can be found in the Himalayas Mountains, along rooftops, even embedded in the flora of a country. They are hung to bless the countryside, those that are living nearby, and serve many other purposes. They traditionally come in five colors, which represent the Five Elements: sky (blue), air/wind (white), fire (red), water (green), Earth (yellow). Tibetan Buddhists believe that once all of the elements have reached a balance, good health and harmony will follow. Although many believe that the flags carry prayers, that is a common misunderstanding. In fact, there are mantras written across the prayer flags and in addition to saying the mantras, prayers are offered up for those that hang the flags for lifelong blessings. The best time to hang the flags is in the morning, preferably when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing; therefore the wind can carry compassion and good will to all within its reach. After traveling through Buddhist communities, I noticed that some prayer flags looked brand new while others were old, tattered, and faded. Just as Buddhists have accepted the journey of life through aging, so the flags are treated the same. Alongside of old, faded flags will hang new ones. The old ones are not taken down, burned, or thrown away because of the sanctity of the mantras and symbols. Each colored flag has an image or a name of the four powerful animals, better known as "Four Dignities". Perhaps you can see them on various Buddhist flags, but they are the dragon, garuda, tiger, and snowlion. How colorful and beautiful!

One-horned Nepali Rhino Mother and Calf

One-horned Nepali Rhino Mother and Calf
Truly an opportunity! Rare, but this is why you ride an elephant through the jungle because the elephant can navigate through dense jungle pathways and conceal the human scent in order to capture this wonderful occasion of observing one of Nepal’s species that are on the rebound in re-populating numbers, previously close to extinction!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Good morning everyone!

So I've arrived safely in Kathmandu and although it was a long flight to Qatar, I made some friends along the way and it was a tolerable 13.5 hour flight to Doha.  I nearly missed my transit flight running desperately through Hamad International to find that my boarding gate was at the tail end on the other side of the airport and I made it just in time to be transported to Qatar Airways and off I went for another 4.5-hour flight to Kathmandu, Nepal, except this one wasn't nearly as cozy.  In actuality, it was a bit unnerving and many passengers had angst from a belligerent and hostile passenger who was met by police at the Kathmandu Airport upon our landing.

Speaking of landing, the Himalayas were so amazing, as we flew between them to land at the airport. I was able to see the terraced tea and rice fields, with small communities embedded within the linings of the mountains.  No matter how hard I tried to see the tops of the mountains, I simply couldn't.  That's how majestic and worthy they were of piercing the clouds, shooting endlessly into the sky!  What a sight to see!

I was able to sleep a total of :30 on my entire flight and I went to bed around 9 pm that evening, craving sleep, and woke up at 3:45 am ready to start my day.  Although the streets were quiet at 3:45, they soon awakened by 4:30 am and many Nepalese started to rise to start their morning chores.

If I had to describe the transportation on the streets in Kathmandu, I have two words: controlled chaos.  Except, it's only controlled chaos for those who have grow up here, conditioned to make up the rules as they go.  A single lane can, all of a sudden, turn into three lanes of cars, micro-buses, motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic, letting everyone know where they are by an agitating beep of the horn.  Not once, but continuously until one clears their path and they continue.  I haven't
seen any traffic lights, but the military stands guard, police will direct traffic from time to time, and the rest is yours to problem-solve.  The rule of the road?  There is none.  It makes me wonder how traffic back home would thrive in such conditions- I don't think very well!

Today we had an intense language session and took copious notes, Q & A-ing each other, including our instructors, with our newly taught language.  It really makes your brain process differently as the order of the sentence is Subject-Object-Verb.  For example, here was our first question: "Tapaiko nam ke ho?"  It asks 'what is your name?', but it reads "your name what is?"  My response?  "Mero nam Holly ho", reading as 'my name Holly is".  So it definitely takes a fresh mind to process, translate, and speak in return- something that wore out most of us before lunchtime.

We've had a lot of Nepalese food thus far, including their staple meal, which I will have twice a day when placed with my Nepali family, called dhal bhat (black lentil soup with rice).  I've had plenty of
tea, Masala tea that is flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and sugar; I've had Nepali tea with cow and buffalo's milk, which really gives it a distinct, fattier taste as they do not shave the fat off the top.  I've even tried lemon soda, which is carbonated water, with lemon, and black salt.  When the salt is added,
it's as if someone put an Alkaseltzer tablet in and it fizzes like crazy.  It's supposed to be soothing to the stomach and it's an acquired taste.  My first sip was as if I dipped my glass into the Atlantic Ocean and took a swig- yum, yum, right?  However, it will get better and my stomach does feel a lot better!

Before I sign off for today, I wanted to thank everyone who has supported me in numerous ways to make this journey possible! A special shout out to my students, who have been an encouraging factor as I was about to embark to the land on the other side of the world!  Some of you wrote very touching letters to me, which I read en route to Kathmandu and they just completely validate why I teach.  Many of your gifts have touched my heart immensely and the thought of them brings a smile to my face as I share your stories with my fellow volunteers, leaders, and future students and teachers. Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtfulness, kind acts of charity, and your prayers- you will remain in mine!

I'll post the next time I am able and I hope everyone has a great start to their summer!  In about three weeks, the monsoon is predicted to arrive, as they gauge these forecasts by the winds of the Bay of Bengal.  Nepal is currently at the end of their dry season and electricity is alternated across Nepal's districts because the country cannot afford to provide electricity for every demand of the country and some of that electricity is supplied to India.  However, with the monsoon, and Nepal's usage of hydroelectric power, they predict power will be more available in time.

I hope all is well and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!
Take care~

3 comments:

  1. So good to hear from you Holly, that you've arrived safely and all is well amidst all the craziness! Nepal sure sounds beautiful... I loved the language excerpts...my mind goes right to master Yoda, simple mind that it is and movie lover that I am ;-) I know you'll make every second count but please get your much needed r&r. "sleep you must so burn out you do not" my best Yoda.

    Alexis and Jaxon helped say a special prayer for you tonight. I look forward to your next posting, until then, all the best, take care, love ya.

    BIL

    P.S. Thx for the daddy's day card, it meant a lot

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  2. So glad this venue is possible for us to be able to follow you on this grand adventure, Holly. Your descriptions are vivid and help us to "see" this land that you'll call your home for the summer. We look forward to your next posting and wish you well. Stay healthy and learn bunches.

    Love, Lynne & Karl

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  3. Hi Lynne and Karl!

    Thank you for your kind words! I feel like I need a bigger brain capacity to keep everything in lest I forget it! Nepal is such a beautiful country in so many respects and the dynamics of its peoples are just humbling and fascinating all the same! I hope you enjoy my journey through my blog and see its beauty through my eyes! So good to hear from you! Take care and enjoy your summer! Stay in touch!

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My Parting Gifts

My Parting Gifts
A parting gift from two of my students that worked so hard to create this beautiful piece of art that I can't wait to hang in my room next year!! Thank you so much for a wonderful year! You have touched my heart immensely!

Ganesha Chair

Ganesha Chair
What a gorgeous expression of art! Thank you so much!

Map of Nepal