What's Going On?

In case you missed it, here's whats going on.

1. Mumbai

2. Thailand

3. Nigeria

4. Congo

5. Somalia

6. Nepal

Some of these stories are fresher than others, but they all need prayer. There is a lot going on in the world. The more we stay informed, the more we can lift up prayers to God. And the more we lift up prayers, the quicker things such as these will stop.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

I was sitting in my room this afternoon when I faintly heard what I thought to be live music. Like a child holding his breath listening for the patter or reindeer hoofs on the roof, I held my breath and listened to see if my ears were playing tricks on me. They weren't. I heard it. "Baby, here I am, I'm a man on the scene." A tune by Otis Redding, made popular by The Grateful Dead and The Black Crowes. I had to investigate. Here is the story of what followed. As I've said before, if you keep your eyes open, you'll see some very interesting things here in Kathmandu, even the down-right bizarre.

DISCLAIMER: SOME OF THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, SQUEAMISH, OR MEMBERS OF PETA.

I began my trek down the alley and out to the street. There was live music at the Jawlakhel Grounds by where I live. This is an open field where there are normally soccer matches. Today it was set up as a festival with live music. They placed tarps all around the fence so you could not see in. I decided to look around. I ended up taking over 150 pictures. Here are a few of them.


Wish I knew what kind of tree this is.


Krishna and one of his wives. He had over a thousand of 'em.


Bath, anyone?


As you can see, there were many people at the festival. There were vendors, games, and all the usual fixin's of a festival. And valet parking to boot.


I'm not sure what this came from, but I can assure you it was not from a cow. We have the Hindus to thank for the expression "Holy Cow!"


Hmmm...sounds like something from a Dr. Suess book:

They attended the banquet, all of the Yaks.
They ate so much, they emptied the sacks!
What shall we do? cried each and every one.
Lets dance! Lets dance! until the night is done.

(Can't you see the blue and yellow yaks dancing?)


The bumper sticker reads: This car is blessed.


Ganesh.


Krishna. This guy is everywhere.


Yes, this is a common sight around here. The use the head for soup and Pickled Goat Brains. Pickled Pigs Feet suddenly sounds delicious.


Saturday is a "holiday" for everyone. There are people everywhere every Saturday.


Perhaps they can't all read English like I thought. The owner of the store saw me take the picture. I shrugged and smiled at him and he laughed and shrugged back.


Newari architecture. They were the original tribe in the Kathmandu Valley. Some of their buildings are 300 years old or more.


A child's smile always makes for a great picture.


Can you see me? If you can't, click on the picture.


Buddhist prayer wheels. They spin them to send prayers up. Up where, I'm not sure.


They asked for me to take their photo. They really enjoy being able to see it after I take it.


The mullet is alive in Nepal!

My throat was getting dry (dust and diesel fumes), so I decided to treat myself to a Fanta and Peanut M&M's. They were delicious. I also bought a Snickers, but was saving it for later.



Finally after a few hours of walking I returned to the festival. The band announced they were going to play one more song. It was a Nepali band, but when they struck the first note of the song, I recognized it instantly. Pink Floyd. And then came the words, "If you don't eat your meat, how can you have any pudding?" I guess most of them won't get their pudding since most Hindus are vegetarians. I stayed to watch and listen. They were jammin' on Pink Floyd when they ever so slightly transitioned. I recognized (as any good American would) the next tune as well. Eye of the Tiger. A Pink Floyd purist in America would never allow this. Transitioning into Eye of the Tiger from Another Brick in the Wall Part 2? But a Pink Floyd purist in Nepal will make some allowances.
Ticket prices were 100 nepali rupees ($1.25). Too rich for my blood. I watched with the commoners, sneaking peaks from behind the fence where they had pulled the tarp down.



I moved to the back of the fence to get a better view where there weren't any people. As I watched and listened, I put my snickers bar in my pocket and threw the rest of my trash away. A little boy suddenly appeared speaking Nepali. He kept pointing to my pocket. At first I thought he wanted money. Then I realized he wanted my Snickers. I pulled it out of my pocket and gave it to him. He took it and ran. Then he stopped, turned and said "dhanyabad" (thank you). He smiled and was gone.

The Wonderful Tradition of Thanksgiving Celebrated on the Other Side of the World

When you think about it, Thanksgiving is a pretty amazing holiday. Its a pretty safe bet that 99.99% or America sits down to Thanksgiving dinner with their family. My family got together. My Mom and Dad, brother and sister and their families, and my Mom's parents. I was not there of course as I am literally on the other side of the world. I cannot describe how much I want to be there. But at the same time, I cannot describe the satisfaction I feel from being here in Nepal. Everyday is getting better as I adjust to the culture and build relationships.
My Thanksgiving dinner was shared with two other American families who are working in Kathmandu. It was for all of us our first Thanksgiving in Nepal. We ate the traditional foods: mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie with whip cream. We even had spiced cider. Now I don't care much for spiced cider, but today it tasted amazing.
We did not, however, have cranberry sauce. Which is really fine with me, I don't like it. But we also did not have TURKEY. There was no turkey to be had in Kathmandu. We had chicken instead. There wasn't a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. No Cowboys football (and thank God there wasn't a Bengals game). There was no tryptophan-induced nap after lunch and cold turkey sandwiches for dinner (or for the week after for that matter). I can let that all pass though, because I am extremely grateful for what we did have.
Its an interesting thing to share something as sacred and family-oriented as Thanksgiving with people I only met two weeks ago. But it is because of the spirit of Thanksgiving that this can be accomplished, because we are thankful for each other. Thankful that we can support each other as we all adjust to Nepal. So this Thanksgiving I am thankful for new friends and new relationships being formed in the hands of God.
On the side note, I did do something today that I have never done on Thanksgiving, or ever to be honest. I attended a Badminton match. I had to keep my chuckles to myself. To us, badminton is a game children play on summer days in the back yard. And that is if they get bored of croquet. Here, however, its an entirely different game. They take it seriously. In Latin America, everywhere you turn there are people playing soccer. In Nepal, everywhere you turn there are people playing badminton. Everyday I walk past a sports club with grown men playing badminton. We laughed at the sport being in the Olympics. But Nepalis don't laugh. They cheer.

A Day in the Life, or Traffic (And not of the Dear Mr. Fantasy variety. Or the Beatles variety for that matter).

Not entirely a day in the life, but at least a trip in the day. If you have never taken pictures while riding on the back of a motorcycle, you should try it. Its fun. You would probably get pulled over doing this in the States, but I doubt they even have a term for "pulled over" here in Nepal.
I had to visit the school where I will be taking my language classes. Vishwa Bhasha Campus of Tribhuvan University. (Just a hint, the 'h' is not pronounced. Like in Buddha, no 'h' just 'd'.) I will be taking a six month course in Nepali starting February 1st. So here are some pics of the journey today. Enjoy!



Traffic is insane here. Simply put, if you can go, you go.



Intersections are always a treat.



And there are always a few obstacles.




But if you keep your eyes open, you can see some pretty interesting stuff.



This just makes you scratch your head.




The Bagmati River. It separates Kathmandu from Patan (or Lalitpur) where I am living.



A Buddhist Stupa.



And finally on the way home we bought some oranges. The man was very nice and he gave me a couple of bananas for free. I'll be doing my fruit shopping there from now on.



And where do you keep oranges while riding a motorcycle? Right there, of course!

Finally!

I finally have internet where I am staying. It was a process and a pain, but I finally have it. The problem is that the electricity is out (it goes out twice a day for about three hours each time) so I cannot set up the wireless router yet, but at least I can still connect to the cable with the power out! I can finally use Skype and connect back home. Oh happy day.

Irony

I promise you I did not set this picture up. I looked down and there it was:



Both of these symbols are everywhere here. But this is the first time I have seen them right next to each other. It certainly caught me off guard.
The swastika is a Hindu symbol of peace and has been for centuries. Hitler took it and made it a symbol of the Nazi party and hate. The Star of David (as we call it) is a symbol for Nepal. Here in Nepal, the two images are good images. They are images representing their religion, beliefs, and culture. For the Western world, however, they are symbols of one hating another. They are symbols of murder and such atrocities we cannot imagine. When one puts these two images together one has quite the irony, to say the least.
It is truly amazing how symbols can change. What once stood for peace now stands for hate. Hitler did not intend it to mean hate. He used it to mean peace. But in his deranged mind, what he thought was peace was carried out through hate.
I'm sure if we all take a step back we can think of a time where we took something good and pure and turned it into something hateful. Certainly not to the extent of Hitler (at least I hope not!), but I'm sure at some point we've taken good and made it bad. And I think not using the good we have is almost as wrong as using it for bad. See where I'm going with this?
We have God's love. Let's use it.

A Few Thoughts

Haven't had the internet the past few days, so here are some updates and notes.
The past couple of days have been ok. The mornings have been a bit rough as usual, but they are getting better. I still do not have internet at the house, but it should come shortly and that will help with the mornings.
Yesterday I met the American family that lives two doors down. He is a doctor and they both are extremely nice and helpful. She asked me where I was from and I said Cincinnati. She was from the Canton/Akron area. And then she said it; the eight most beautiful words I have heard since coming to Kathmandu. "I'll have to make you come Cincinnati chili." I promise you I heard a chorus of angels suddenly cry out in joy. There were even a firework or two. And I'm not certain, but I think I heard the Hallelujah Chorus somewhere off in the distance.
I also have an invitation for Thanksgiving. An invitation for Thanksgiving is a wonderful thing. Take advantage of this Thanksgiving, and give thanks for your family. Family is a wonderful thing. Use this Thanksgiving to get better connected, rebuild burnt bridges, and just enjoy their company. Family is an amazing gift from God. Use it wisely, graciously, and generously.
I attended two church services this weekend. One was a Nepali speaking service on Saturday and another was an English speaking service on Sunday. I wore headphones for the first one so I could hear a translator. She had a great accent, but didn't translate much. The minister would speak for five minutes, and then the translator would say a sentence. It's a bit uncomfortable when everyone else is laughing after the minister says a joke and you are not. They look at you because you are not laughing. You can see it in their eyes; they are questioning you, "Why are you not laughing?" But how can I laugh when the translator never translated the joke? All I heard was the hum of the electricity flowing through the cable to my brain while the translator sat laughing at the joke, never translating it for my Nepal-deaf ears. I got the idea of the message though. It was on the importance of prayer. I was glad to hear it.
The English service was another great experience. The minster was from Scotland. I've never heard a sermon given with a Scottish accent before, but I must say I enjoyed it. And for the record, no, he was not wearing a kilt. He did have a fanny pack though, but no knife. I guess you can't get rid of all your traditions. Attending the service were people from all over the world. Americans, Germans, Aussies, British, and others. I sat next to an older Aussie who sang with a mighty, bass voice. I thouroughly enjoyed it. The sermon was once again on the importance of prayer, but given in a different manner. And once again, I was glad to hear it. And then to end the service we sang "Be Thou My Vision". This is my most favoritest hymn ever. The melody brings a lightness upon my sould, and the words are words we should hold dearly to our hearts as we go about our days. I have posted the lyrics for the first verse at the bottom of this entry. I encourage you to find the rest of the lyrics.
And oh yes, I had a hot shower yesterday. Hot, not lukewarm, but hot. It's my first hot shower since leaving home nearly two weeks ago.
A hot shower, Cincinnati chili, and an invitation for Thanksgiving. Things are starting to look up.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
Be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art;
Be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
Both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Close.

Yesterday there was a bhand. It literally translates to close. Like you close the door. It shut down the city. It was essentially a strike. There was no traffic, no stores, restaurants, or businesses open. They were protesting the killing of two young Nepali men whose bodies were found a few days ago. They were killed a month ago. They shut down the streets in hopes that someone will listen to them and investigate the murders. They are thought to be political murders. I watched them march through the streets from an upstairs restaurant. One that did stay open. When they saw the white faces looking through the windows, they didn't bother us. Its a weird feeling. I don't feel unsafe because I am a tourist. They respect us and depend on us. They like us. But its still a weird feeling.

First Impressions

So here are some of my first impressions. Not in any particular order. Its the good, the bad, and the ugly. And there's a lot of both.

1. Its dirty here. Its the first thing you notice. Trash and dirt. And its hard to overcome, but I will.
2. On the flip-side, the people are very nice and extremely helpful. It took forever to buy a SIM card for my phone (which calls the states cheap!) but everyone was very helpful in pointing out where to get one. Even though 99% of them were wrong.
3. The mountains are amazing. The Rockies look like Indiana compared to these. At least when you can see them through the smog.
4. Riding on the back of a motorcycle is fun. Riding on the back of a motorcycle on the wrong side of the road, not so much fun. (It was a rare occurence, Mom, I promise)
5. Traffic is crazy. If there is space, one honks his horn and moves in. Who cares if its on the other side of the road?
6. Their culture does not understand privacy. No, really, they don't. 7 a.m. they walk in your room. No knock, don't care if you're sleeping. This will change, though. I gave them a lesson in my culture. American Culture 101.
7. Its not uncommon to see a man urinating on the side of the road.
8. There are a lot of Europeans here.
9. The food is good here. Sometimes scary, but good.
10. The chai here is very good. And it flows like water. And thankfully it is safer to drink than the water.
11. Did I mention the traffic is CRAZY?
12. The idea of a comfortable bed is lost on the people here. A four inch (if you're lucky) mattress on plywood is good livin' here.
13. We rented a hotel room for $3 a night. We stayed two nights. I slept in my clothes, didn't even use the blanket, froze so I put my coat over me and I didn't shower the whole time I was there. But it was only $3. This was in Nepalganj, a city in Mid-West Nepal. The food, on the other hand, was great. Amazing spring rolls! For three of us to eat (and it was a lot of food) it only cost around $5.
14. There are thousands of smells here. Mostly good, some not so good.
15. I shook the hand of a Sherpa!!!
16. I will buy a mask. For the pollution. Crazy, no?
17. I can buy PSP games (illegal, maybe, I don't know. Ok, I do know, but I doubt you can get them here legally anyways) for a little over a dollar each. Ha!
18. I miss my friends and family greatly.
१९. थिस इसं'टी नेपाली, बुत यू दोन'टी क्नोव थे डिफरेंस. एंड नेइठेर दो इ!
20. I would post some photos, but it takes forever here. I will later when I have more time.

Mumbai

Don't have much time, but wanted to say I'm in Mumbai! And tomorrow Kathmandu! And I flew first class. Wow. But more on that later...
My emotions are a mixed bag. I miss home already since I know I won't be going back for awhile, but I'm also excited to get to Kathmandu and get settled. And on top of that I'm in a strange hotel and exhausted. I just need to sleep. With sleep comes better times.

Home Sweet Home

I received some pictures of where I'll be living in Kathmandu. I'll post some more when I get there and take them for myself. But for now, here is a preview. Can't wait to watch the sunrise over the Himalayas on one of the balconies.

Things I Will Miss, Episode 2

Who wouldn't miss these guys???