Sunya (Dai= elder brother) and Kabita (Didi= elder sister) are such charming host parents. Didi stays at home during the day with Ama (grandmother) and Dai works at a shop in Thamel. He gets there by a motorbike and it just seems so dangerous to me to use that means of transportation, especially during monsoon season. If I was Didi, I would be so worried he would not make it home.
As darkness moved in, it was dal bhat time and as kind as my Didi put out a spoon for me, I ate my dinner with my right hand for the first time. It wasn't as difficult or messy as I anticipated. You cannot use your left hand because that is the hand that you "take care of bathroom business" with, so it is considered unclean. I couldn't imagine if I was a lefty!
I met Heather last night, who is from Virginia. She volunteer teaches at a private school and works at a children's home. She is very sweet and has such positive energy and we seem to have a lot in common. There are two little girls from the community that spends a lot of time here and they are embraced as if these children are their own. It takes me back to the quote, "it takes a village" and it makes me feel really good that communities still embrace this concept!
Last night, when Dai returned home from work in Thamel, he and Didi joined us in Heather's room, sitting on the floor talking about anything and everything, family, Heather and my families back home, herbal remedies that serve as powerful and effective medicines locally. Just observing the compassion and kindness that Didi and Dai exhibit towards each other makes me feel so fortunate to be witness to this congenial relationship. I was thinking last night how calm I am here. How I don't feel anxiety, anger, frustration. It is so calming, it is almost therapeutic. It's the complete antithesis of the United States, or anywhere I've traveled, for the most part.
After we sat around and talked for a bit, Dai wanted to watch the World Cup, Argentina vs. Iran, so we all gathered in their bedroom, on the floor, on the bed, and watched the game on TV. What a game- it was very intense and Argentina's star player, Messi, finally scored a goal at the very end! At halftime, Dai asked Didi to make some black tea with ginger (yum!) and then he brought up a mango, Didi quartering it and we ate mango as a refreshing snack.
After the game, we went to bed. They have a rather large, all-black German Shepherd with beady yellow eyes, and all I've heard him do is bark. I've heard he snarls, can bite from time to time, but while walking downstairs to bed, he just watched me and, disinterested, went back to sleep.
I pulled my mosquito net down, sprayed the net and the outline of my bed with OFF; you could see the mosquitoes in the room, flying over my bed and all. After I pulled the net down, I heard the mosquitoes and their high-pitched buzzing and kept thinking that they were inside the net with me. Dai said you can even hear them bounce off of the net- maybe tonight I can see such a show!
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
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
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!
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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
What a gorgeous expression of art! Thank you so much!
Map of Nepal
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