Second Impressions: Traffic, Hashing, and Julia Roberts

My first week here in Katmandu has been an adjustment process. I have already visited the hospital....apparently I am more allergic to cockroaches than I thought and my room is crawling with them.  So I had a huge reaction one day and I was absolutely covered with hives and went to the hospital. I was surprised I was in and out in less than 5 minutes. They didn't take my patient history. They asked me what was wrong I told them I thought I had an allergic reaction. Then without gloves they gave me a shot swabbed the wound with alcohol (they had no receptacle for the bloody swab so I through it in a card board box) and sent me on my way. I then got some medication from the pharmacy next door. The whole thing pills and all cost around $.75....not so bad.

I can't find a way to describe the traffic situation so I am adding this video aid (hopefully it works). One of the many things I am trying to adjust to here. I walk to get everywhere but its difficult to see the world around you when you are constantly dodging cars, cows and people on motor bikes. The pollution is horrible horrible and when you see photos of people wearing a mask....now I understand why. This will be my next purchase.

Classes started last week and so far are going well. Only about half the kids did their homework so I am trying to figure out an incentive system. I really like teaching though. As long as I have enough games to play and I did enough preparing for the class it goes well. I am not sure how many of the students can understand me since only 3/4 of the class completed their in-class quiz. Its a slow process but its coming along.

During the times I am not teaching it is quite lonely. I just spend my time walking around. I visited the Boudatha stupa about 45 minutes from where I am staying. Its amazing. You cross the gates and the bustling polluted streets fade away as this temple surrounded by an old tibetan village fills you with a sense of calm. Monks circling the stupa spinning the prayer wheels and singing in the monasteries. The videos again do it more justice than the photos.

I told Sagun (the head of the household of the family I am staying with) that I was interested in running which is when he told me about Hashing. Ray you would be so proud of me. This is one of the most dynamic trail running tracks I have ever done in my life. Around 2 o'clock I was picked up by a man driving a 69' beetle and headed into the mountains just about 45 minutes outside of the city to find about 30 people (a mix of brits and Nepalis) waiting in this tiny village. So the purpose of this hashing is someone has laid out this trail marked by tiny pieces of paper but you have to try and find the trail. At every junction the person puts in false trails so you could be going the wrong direction for a while until you come to a piece of paper marked in an x. So its this crazy 3 hour long scavenger hunt of a trail with people yelling "on on" every few minutes as it winds its way through rice patties and over mountains and through temples. I absolutely collapsed with exhaustion afterward, but it was so good to get out of the polluted Katmandu valley.

All in all its been an interesting week. I am really liking the family I am staying with. Maluna the wife of Sagun took me to the beauty parlor across the street where I got a facial, my eyebrows done, and dyed my hair with henna all for a mere $6. I returned and she said wow has anyone ever told you that you look like Julia Roberts (which people tell me all of the time). So here we have it no matter what country I am in I will forever look like Julia Roberts. I hope you enjoy the photos and video and more to come soon.