What is important?

Nov 16, Friday

One week in, not necessarily any easier.

Dreaming of heat. Like snakes, we leave the cold dark house during the day to find a quiet warm spot to sit and read in. My emotions are mixed. Being here bring so many questions. (“What the F*** are we doing?” specifically comes to mind). Self questioning. Inner reflection. We are fed, housed, and are a 20 walk from cheap wifi, but the western mind keeps wanting more. Our shared bedroom is small and cramped- we sleep on 2 single beds – but this keeps us warmer at night. The bed is against 2 walls, and there isn't enough room on the other sides to lay down a yoga mat. There is barely enough room for the mat in the hallway, pilates isn't very inviting this way!

The weather isn't that cold, but the dark house isn't in the sun until afternoon, so we feel colder than it is. (It might dip down to frost in the night, and once when it rained the higher hills had snow.) My lungs are fully buttered from the cooking smoke. I cough up enough for a seasoned smoker. I am having trouble with the inconsistencies of information. Everything that is said to us has to be taken with a grain of salt. I know this, so ask a questions few times hoping to get a constant answer, then am still surprised when it turns out not the way I was told. For instance, I was excited to start school today, I thought it was weird that school would open on the Friday, then be off for 3 more days....I came down this morning for tea (chia)- ready to START (doing something, feeling productive, having a routine). No one was around – the kitchen hearth was cold. How odd.

The family celebrated the last day Tihar yesterday, relatives arrived, marigolds were wreathed, tikkas were dotted on foreheads and delicious food was eaten (not for/by us, but I think sometimes we are treated as paying lodgers, not guests. That is part of my frustrations in this home stay). That explained the unusual sleeping in – then I was told there was no school. Aah. Language barrier strikes again.

What I love about this place is that it is smaller and quieter than Pepsi Cola. No barking dogs all the night long. And as soon as we step out our front door we have a lovely view of snowy Himalayas. I'm not ready yet to turn tail yet. We decided to give it 2 weeks before we decide on an return date. I want to experience the school here, and get a routine. This is especially true for Raven. She has been friendless in Salleri here (having another volunteer 19 yr old Vincent from Holland helps). At least she has been getting more schoolwork done!

Nov 17

Market day- we are actually living in Newa Bazar (new bazar) not Dorphu as we originally thought. Isn't learning a second language fun! I met a vendor from Tibet this morning- she invited us to her school tomorrow. She teaches there. Vincent was going to help give immunizations with the health outpost, so we will have a guide to get there. She invited us, so she could greet us 'properly\' to her home. We bought some large prayer flags from her. She said her passion was not teaching, she really wanted to be an airline hostess, but the Tibetian people can not get good jobs in Nepal- they are not citizens.