Flurries

Stomach grumbles and I joke with my host sister, Rupa, about 'WWIII' between 'joano' (home remedy of oregano seeds) and whatever seems to be setting up shop in my gut these days. Ah, the joys of travel.

I'm downing several cups of black tea these days as I ward off the cold, nurse my digestive tract, and strive to stay focused on work for the Nepal Youth Social Forum. The event begins tomorrow and continues through New Year's Eve, and is bringing together now an estimated 1,000 youth. I have been in charge of organizing one of the 18 parallel workshops that will take place tomorrow afternoon. This workshop about the role of the international community in peacebuilding and strengthening democracy in Nepal has already proved quite an adventure. Our initial vision was to have two paper presenters (one Nepali, one international) and one commentator for each paper. After completely striking out in finding an international presenter due to holiday festivities, and after two Nepalis who were once confirmed and then fell through, it turns out I will be presenting and facing comments from three prominent Nepali men-- one lawyer and two active in International Non-Governmental Organizations.

The most recent paper presenter sent me an email yesterday morning informing me of a family emergency that took him away from Kathmandu, so I put my academic toolbox into action and began reading, analyzing, consolidating a few International Crisis Group reports. Of course, our office region had to face our turn with the rolling blackout last night for 2.5 hours, but despite this I sent off my work to the commentators this morning. Upon arriving at the office today, I took a moment before entering to take a photo of the plethora of shoes that decorated the entrance. The office is alive with the buzz of pre-event excitement and logistical finalizations.

Needless to say, this holiday time has been one of the most unique I've experienced. Christmas Day Rupa helped me decorate the office with a small plastic tree, a small string of lights, and a Merry Christmas sign. I handed out some socks stuffed with candy, peanuts, and oranges and received many 'Happy Christmas' in reply. Rupa also adorned me with a special red tika for the occasion. Otherwise, the day was full of work in coordinating for NYSF... Next post will attempt to capture some of its essence...

Mystery and Winter

Yesterday we awoke to the first rain I've seen since arriving in Nepal, which ushered in the four-layer-penetrating cold that I will learn to cope with through the next few months. There's no custom of central heating, so this experience of being nonstop with the cold element will be a new and challenging one for me. Last night while walking back from our 3-person yoga class, I slowed my steps as my colleague Tom and I came upon a small group of Nepali crowded around a road-side trash-burning fire. The women, dressed in the traditional colorful flowy sparkly wraps, invited us in with warm smiles.
But we kept on, needing to get home before my 'curfew' of 8:30pm when they lock the gate below. I'm always welcomed home by smiles and a plethora of questions from my brothers and sister. Since my sister Rupa is in exam time for her Rural Development course, the older brother is uncharacteristically doing the cooking. Here the tradition is to 'take rice' between 10 and 11 in the morning, and again around 9:30pm at night. The rice, bhat, is typically served with dahl (lentils) and either a vegetable curry or egg dish of some sort. These days there is bound to be lots of chya tea-drinking.
There are many small aspects of my life here I've come to treasure, such as the smell of incense my brother lights in the morning and evening as he does his prayers at the small shrine which holds pictures of several different Hindu gods and goddesses. At the end is always the ringing of a small bell. The calming smell of incense also greets me at the top of the staircase to the roof, where there is a small prayer room. Temples and special prayer spaces are around every corner, and the depth of their meaning is beyond my imagination...
The other weekend I was invited for a rafting and hiking adventure a 3-hour curvy drive north toward the Himalayas. An adventure indeed, as I was the only one to fall into the raging, chilly Bote Khosi river after my paddle got stuck between the boat and a boulder and took me over. But the team was a supportive and strong one, and I was rapidly back up into the front of the boat and ready to go. I felt more relaxed on the steep hike the following day, being on two feet-- we got to glimpse the peaks of Tibet in the distance and visit a rural school. On the way, I gained great insight from my fellow global social working friends who are involved in an array of peacebuilding activities in Nepal and elsewhere.
My favorite 'life classroom' was sitting on the top of the bus as we charged up to our campsite. I sat next to the manager of the adventure business, Don, who is just 28 but has quite a life history. He has been in and out of Nepal for over a decade, and so has seen this conflict over the span of time. Currently, he is involved in one important chunk of peacebuilding, which is the reintegration of the Maoist soldiers. He is working with Maoist leaders to push through the Constituent Assembly a policy which creates 1,000 jobs for these soldiers to work as anti-poachers. Tigers and rhinoceri are killed daily for the aphrodesiac qualities of their tusks, liver, etc. which are principally produced in China. What to do with the remaining soldiers, at least 10,000 more, is a plaguing question. I read the papers and sense an impatience that threatens more armed struggle in the rural regions... again, I am blessed to be here at such a pivotal time in Nepal's history.
Tom and I were also guests at a wedding last week, which lasted two days-- one day at the groom's house and the second at the bride's. We saw the latter, which was again so rich in tradition, thick with symbolism and meaning of which I could only skim the surface. The day's description could last another ten paragraphs, but work calls as we're an 18-day countdown from the Youth Social Forum...
I pray you are well. Thanks for reading:)