We just got back from our trip to the Tarai, which is all along the Southern border of Nepal. We being the students, teachers, and kitchen staff! We visited Lumbini and Chitwan, and both those places are in South Central Nepal. Lumbini is the birthplace of the last Buddha and Chitwan is famous for its National Parks and animals.
In Lumbini we visited the birthplaces of 3 Buddhas. All together there are supposed to be 5 Buddha's, and the most famous one is the last Buddha, Siddaharta. We had the chance to see the area where he grew up and temples that got built in his honor. At the temple that marks his exact birthplace, there was a group of Vietnamese pilgrims. Seeing them got me present to a memory of my mother. She used to take me and my sister to the Buddhist temple near by our house. There would be all of these old ladies in gray robes running around, setting up the altars, cooking food for the people coming to worship at the temple. She would walk up to them, with each of us in her hands, smile and talk with them in Vietnamese. They would be so happy to see her and croon over me and Mary (we were small and cute). Seeing the Vietnamese pilgrims reminded me so much about the woman my mom is--her kindness, her love. She would leave each person smiling and happy, and made such a difference with people. At the Buddha's birthplace I was able to connect with my mommy, across thousands of miles and back several years. Each day I am touched by who my parents are, the love and devotion they have for each other. The birthplace of the Buddha is such an important place for so many people and has so much meaning for them. One of our program staff, Daphure, is Buddhist and he came with us to the temple. He is so grateful, so thankful, and it's inspiring to see him be at Lumbini. Lumbini has three sections: New Lumbini (where the hotels and shopping centers are), the Sacred Garden (where Buddha's birthplace actually is), and the Monastic Region (where there are international monasteries). We got to see the Sacred Garden and the Monastic Region--a wonderful place to visit.
In Chitwan we stayed in a nice hotel--and there was hot water! The first time in a month! But that wasn't the highlight of the trip. We did a whole bunch of tourist-y things like a jeep safari and riding on elephants! Elephants are called haati in Nepali and they were so beautiful to see and be with. There are set of twin baby elephants! So cute, and they looked exactly like me and Mary (just kidding!) They are a big part of tourism in Nepal, and at the Elephant Breeding Center we learned about how they are trained and bred. We also rode on a canoe that's made out of one big tree and took a walk in the jungle. We saw rhinos, deer, bears, crocodiles and birds. The word for bear in Nepali is baalu--just like in the Jungle Book! I was so excited to find that out.
I also celebrated my birthday in Chitwan, and it was wonderful! I woke up to my roommater, Isabella, wishing me happy birthday and giving me a big hug. Then when I arrived at breakfast, all my friends broke out in "Happy Birthday to you!" They gave me a wonderful card and some gifts! At lunch, our kitchen staff (who are incredibly wonderful and loving people, and I'm convinced that they are happy because their lives are all about giving to other people) made me a cake! It was so delicious and had apples on top with a glaze. Tendidaai, the head of the kitchen staff, wrote "Happy Birthday Elizabeth" on a piece of paper for me. It means a lot to me because he, under the guidance of Margie, wrote it carefully. It was a really touching day and I cried twice. I was just so moved by the generosity and love from everyone there. Later that evening we went to a traditional Tharu dinner. The Tharu people are indigenous to the Tarai and are such beautiful and fun people. We started with receiving tikas (the red dot on the forehead) and roti (bread). Then they passed a bottle of raksi around! Raksi is the rice wine that is made in Nepali. Anyways, I took a swig since it was my 21st birthday! For dinner we had sticky rice, snails, and potatoes. The snails were a new taste, but delicious nonetheless. We ended the night with more dancing! It was a wonderful day, a wonderful way to celebrate my life--learning about the lives of others and being with my new community, my new saathis (friends).
I love you all,
Thank you for your prayers and well wishes and love,
Elizabeth
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Nepal: Part 1
Namaste Everyone!
It's been about a month since I've last posted a blog, and I have so much to share! I'm greeting you with the way Nepalis greet each other, Namaste, which is translated into "I bow to and recognize the divinity within you." It's such a beautiful translation and encourages me to look for what is beautiful and special about each person when I meet them.
When we got off the plane in Kathmandu, gathered our baggage, and applied for a visa, we were greeted by some of the program staff--Margie, Prakash, Lalit, Soorja, and Daphure! They put marigold garlands around our necks and we each got a hug from Margie! She is the program director and has been on the Pitzer in Nepal program before! She is so wonderful and sweet, like a mother and a best friend to all of us here. I met some of the other girls in Singapore, Terry and Sammy, and we all flew in to Kathmandu together, which was so nice! Miriam was already in the bus when we landed. All together we have 8 girls--Mandi, Ana, Isabella, Terry, Sammy, Miriam, and Kori. I am finding great friends in each of them, and together we have so much fun together :)
The first 12 days were orientation and were a whirlwind! Our first language lesson was in how to use the bathroom (chaarpi) in Nepal. It's a squatting toliet and in the stall with you is a bucket of water. Instead of toliet paper, Nepalis use water! It's actually quite easy to do and didn't take long to get used to at all. Bathroom etiquette aside, I love the way we are learning the Nepalese language--they've designed it so that it's a recreation of learning our first language.. It's a visual process, with very little translation and a lot of repeating. Our language teachers are Lalitji, Bishuji, and BBji and each day we have a different teacher, and each week we switch classmates! Each of the teachers are animated, extremely clear and focused, and make learning Nepali lots of fun. Actually, the language program is structured extremely well--in the morning we have 4hrs of class and in the evening we go home to our families to use the language! Each day I'm able to understand more and more and my family understands me more and more.
In the afternoon we have Nepali Culture class and it's usually a lecture or a culture session put together by our teachers. The first couple sessions were on "How to Say No in Nepali Culture" "Nepali and American Stereotypes" and "Public Bathing." Each of our lectures have been phenomenal. They are all movers and shakers in Nepal, and are working towards creating a country of their dreams. Our lecture topics have included Natural Resources and Urban Planning in Nepal, Foreign and Development, History and Modern History of Nepal, Hinduism, and a Personal Perspective from a Nepalese woman. I've enjoyed them all, and one that sparks my interest is Foreign Aid and Development. Nepal is in such a crucial stage right now--they are creating a republic and in the process of writing a constitution, and have just elected a new Prime Minister! Nepal's been a recipent of foreign aid for the past 50 years or so, and if they are people like our lecturer out there, they are looking for autonomy and working ways to run their country--not quick fixes and short cuts. Anyways, it's wonderful hearing about Nepal from our lecturers and all of the Nepalese people around me.
During our first 12 days we also had a quick tour of Kathmandu, a family dinner with one of our host families, and bought our first Nepali outfits! Many outfits in Nepal are tailored and the cloth is really beautiful. All eight of us bought our first fabrics from the same store--it was like a zoo! The store was about 20 by 20ft, with rows and rows of fabric. We were all pulling out different bundles and putting them up to each other's faces, checking to see which one looked best! It was all lots of fun and each of us were happy with our choices. I choose a flower print (big surprise!) that has beautiful deep reds and purples, and some lighter blues and greens. That's the top (kurta) and the pants (surawal) are brown. It's a perfect outfit for everyday! The family dinner was also really wonderful--we got our first glimpse of how Nepalis socialize and party! They socialize before and after the meal, so we spent the first hour or so dancing and singing and laughing! Then we joined together for daalbhaat, the traditional meal in Nepal. It consists of rice, lentil soup, and vegetables. Very delicious! And for dessert, which is not an everyday occurance, we had rice pudding (kir)! Also very delicious.
Oh my goodness there is so much to tell!
One thing I want to mention is load shedding. It is a part of Nepali life and what happens is that all around Nepal, the electricity is shut off for 14hours a day. As a result, there is not a lot of time to spend on the computer--especially with my school schedule. This is part of the reason why I haven't posted a blog yet! This is frustrating for the Nepalis I've talked with (the load shedding...not me not writing a blog) and I'm sure they would like this to not happen. However, there are no bad feelings about it! They say, "Ke garne?" Which means "Well, what to do" and go on with their day.
Now, a little bit about my family! They are so wonderful, and so sweet. I have an aamaa, baa, daai (older brother), and bahini (little sister). My older brother is 21 and my little sister is 18 (today is her birthday!). I have enjoyed living with them and each day we become more and more like a family. Our house is in Balkot, which is also the same town as the program house, and only have a 5 minute walk to school. I live in a new type of house, made out of concrete and with running water. Traditionally, Nepali houses are made of brick and mud, and quite beautiful. My house is also beautiful, and the view from my window over looks mustard fields and I can see the mountains in the distance. I have my own room and have the opportunity to spend time by myself, but have been spending evenings with my family, either talking and watching tv, doing homework, or just sitting in relaxed silence. My aamaa always asks what I like to eat, and my family makes new Nepali dishes often. My goal is to be able to make a few when I leave Nepal! Each Saturday is family day, and we all spend the entire day with our families This is the day off in Nepal, and people usually spend this day washing clothes and bathing. Public bathing. I did that for the first time last week! My aamaa, in the process of showing me how to hand wash my clothes, washed all of them for me and sent me upstairs to change into my petticoat. It's a long wrap thing. I put it on and cannot believe that they want me to go out in just this petticoat. I open my window and call out, "Petticoat maatre??" Which means, "just my petticoat?" My mom and sister laugh and say yes and tell me to come down. Then my aamaa pours water over my head and the washing begins. It ended up being a great bounding experience and left me and my aamaa and my little sister laughing!
I want to leave you with a couple of things. First is my mailing address if you'd like to send me something!
Elizabeth Bartolini
GPO Box 1846
Kathmandu, Nepal
Second is a song that we all learned our first week in Nepal, and the first verse is:
phulko akaamaa, phulko sansaaraa
kaadaako akaamaa, kadaa sansaaraa
Translated literally it means, in the eyes of the flower, all the world is a flower/in the eyes of the thorn, all the world is a thorn. It's such a perfect way to start this journey, and something to keep in mind throughout. I've taken it to mean that who I see myself to be and my life, has shaped my outlook on the world and on life in general--so I'm only limited to my experience. The song asks us to keep our minds clear and open and to take in all there is, just as it is and to experience the beauty of the world as it is.
Lastly, I leave you with a promise to write soon! I have so much more to tell you and to share, and will make a promise to post at least every 2 weeks. Tomorrow we are leaving for a trip to southern Nepal--Lumbini and Chitwan! Lumbini is the birthplace of the Buddha! Will let you know how that goes.
Until then, I love you all so much and think about you often,
Elizabeth
It's been about a month since I've last posted a blog, and I have so much to share! I'm greeting you with the way Nepalis greet each other, Namaste, which is translated into "I bow to and recognize the divinity within you." It's such a beautiful translation and encourages me to look for what is beautiful and special about each person when I meet them.
When we got off the plane in Kathmandu, gathered our baggage, and applied for a visa, we were greeted by some of the program staff--Margie, Prakash, Lalit, Soorja, and Daphure! They put marigold garlands around our necks and we each got a hug from Margie! She is the program director and has been on the Pitzer in Nepal program before! She is so wonderful and sweet, like a mother and a best friend to all of us here. I met some of the other girls in Singapore, Terry and Sammy, and we all flew in to Kathmandu together, which was so nice! Miriam was already in the bus when we landed. All together we have 8 girls--Mandi, Ana, Isabella, Terry, Sammy, Miriam, and Kori. I am finding great friends in each of them, and together we have so much fun together :)
The first 12 days were orientation and were a whirlwind! Our first language lesson was in how to use the bathroom (chaarpi) in Nepal. It's a squatting toliet and in the stall with you is a bucket of water. Instead of toliet paper, Nepalis use water! It's actually quite easy to do and didn't take long to get used to at all. Bathroom etiquette aside, I love the way we are learning the Nepalese language--they've designed it so that it's a recreation of learning our first language.. It's a visual process, with very little translation and a lot of repeating. Our language teachers are Lalitji, Bishuji, and BBji and each day we have a different teacher, and each week we switch classmates! Each of the teachers are animated, extremely clear and focused, and make learning Nepali lots of fun. Actually, the language program is structured extremely well--in the morning we have 4hrs of class and in the evening we go home to our families to use the language! Each day I'm able to understand more and more and my family understands me more and more.
In the afternoon we have Nepali Culture class and it's usually a lecture or a culture session put together by our teachers. The first couple sessions were on "How to Say No in Nepali Culture" "Nepali and American Stereotypes" and "Public Bathing." Each of our lectures have been phenomenal. They are all movers and shakers in Nepal, and are working towards creating a country of their dreams. Our lecture topics have included Natural Resources and Urban Planning in Nepal, Foreign and Development, History and Modern History of Nepal, Hinduism, and a Personal Perspective from a Nepalese woman. I've enjoyed them all, and one that sparks my interest is Foreign Aid and Development. Nepal is in such a crucial stage right now--they are creating a republic and in the process of writing a constitution, and have just elected a new Prime Minister! Nepal's been a recipent of foreign aid for the past 50 years or so, and if they are people like our lecturer out there, they are looking for autonomy and working ways to run their country--not quick fixes and short cuts. Anyways, it's wonderful hearing about Nepal from our lecturers and all of the Nepalese people around me.
During our first 12 days we also had a quick tour of Kathmandu, a family dinner with one of our host families, and bought our first Nepali outfits! Many outfits in Nepal are tailored and the cloth is really beautiful. All eight of us bought our first fabrics from the same store--it was like a zoo! The store was about 20 by 20ft, with rows and rows of fabric. We were all pulling out different bundles and putting them up to each other's faces, checking to see which one looked best! It was all lots of fun and each of us were happy with our choices. I choose a flower print (big surprise!) that has beautiful deep reds and purples, and some lighter blues and greens. That's the top (kurta) and the pants (surawal) are brown. It's a perfect outfit for everyday! The family dinner was also really wonderful--we got our first glimpse of how Nepalis socialize and party! They socialize before and after the meal, so we spent the first hour or so dancing and singing and laughing! Then we joined together for daalbhaat, the traditional meal in Nepal. It consists of rice, lentil soup, and vegetables. Very delicious! And for dessert, which is not an everyday occurance, we had rice pudding (kir)! Also very delicious.
Oh my goodness there is so much to tell!
One thing I want to mention is load shedding. It is a part of Nepali life and what happens is that all around Nepal, the electricity is shut off for 14hours a day. As a result, there is not a lot of time to spend on the computer--especially with my school schedule. This is part of the reason why I haven't posted a blog yet! This is frustrating for the Nepalis I've talked with (the load shedding...not me not writing a blog) and I'm sure they would like this to not happen. However, there are no bad feelings about it! They say, "Ke garne?" Which means "Well, what to do" and go on with their day.
Now, a little bit about my family! They are so wonderful, and so sweet. I have an aamaa, baa, daai (older brother), and bahini (little sister). My older brother is 21 and my little sister is 18 (today is her birthday!). I have enjoyed living with them and each day we become more and more like a family. Our house is in Balkot, which is also the same town as the program house, and only have a 5 minute walk to school. I live in a new type of house, made out of concrete and with running water. Traditionally, Nepali houses are made of brick and mud, and quite beautiful. My house is also beautiful, and the view from my window over looks mustard fields and I can see the mountains in the distance. I have my own room and have the opportunity to spend time by myself, but have been spending evenings with my family, either talking and watching tv, doing homework, or just sitting in relaxed silence. My aamaa always asks what I like to eat, and my family makes new Nepali dishes often. My goal is to be able to make a few when I leave Nepal! Each Saturday is family day, and we all spend the entire day with our families This is the day off in Nepal, and people usually spend this day washing clothes and bathing. Public bathing. I did that for the first time last week! My aamaa, in the process of showing me how to hand wash my clothes, washed all of them for me and sent me upstairs to change into my petticoat. It's a long wrap thing. I put it on and cannot believe that they want me to go out in just this petticoat. I open my window and call out, "Petticoat maatre??" Which means, "just my petticoat?" My mom and sister laugh and say yes and tell me to come down. Then my aamaa pours water over my head and the washing begins. It ended up being a great bounding experience and left me and my aamaa and my little sister laughing!
I want to leave you with a couple of things. First is my mailing address if you'd like to send me something!
Elizabeth Bartolini
GPO Box 1846
Kathmandu, Nepal
Second is a song that we all learned our first week in Nepal, and the first verse is:
phulko akaamaa, phulko sansaaraa
kaadaako akaamaa, kadaa sansaaraa
Translated literally it means, in the eyes of the flower, all the world is a flower/in the eyes of the thorn, all the world is a thorn. It's such a perfect way to start this journey, and something to keep in mind throughout. I've taken it to mean that who I see myself to be and my life, has shaped my outlook on the world and on life in general--so I'm only limited to my experience. The song asks us to keep our minds clear and open and to take in all there is, just as it is and to experience the beauty of the world as it is.
Lastly, I leave you with a promise to write soon! I have so much more to tell you and to share, and will make a promise to post at least every 2 weeks. Tomorrow we are leaving for a trip to southern Nepal--Lumbini and Chitwan! Lumbini is the birthplace of the Buddha! Will let you know how that goes.
Until then, I love you all so much and think about you often,
Elizabeth
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