Village visit
on Adventures in Nepal (Nepal), 23/Feb/2010 05:31, 34 days ago
_uacct = "UA-3483228-1";urchinTracker();Last week I traveled to a small village north of here with my coworker, Raju, who is a physical therapist and disability rights trainer and advocate.We took a bus four hours to the north. Luckily, someone had mentioned to me ahead of time that north of Hetauda means up. It went from 1500 feet in Hetauda to over 7,000 feet and got colder and colder accordingly. I had felt really self conscious about bringing two small bags with me– my backpack and and some things to keep me comfortable, including my sleeping bag. My Nepali friends here travel extremely light- and I am jealous of them. It’s not in my nature to travel light, however, I’ve decided. Boy, was I glad. My sleeping bag was going my saving grace during this trip as the place where we stayed was full, and out of blankets for the beds.It is still a bit nerve-wracking for me to take trips to villages, as I think of myself at this point in my life as a city girl. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around village living. And I feel even more like I’m “new” in Nepal outside of the cities. It ended up being a really good (if at times challenging) experience.The hardest part for me in the village was seeing the poverty and lack of resources. The small guesthouse we stayed in was run by a really kind man and his son, who was maybe 12. He should have been in school during the day, but instead was cleaning the kitchen, helping with the cooking, and taking care of the guest house. It was clear to me that of course, this father wants the absolute best for his son– like anyone else. And of course, if they’d had the money, he would have been in school. But what do you do when you have to choose between school and eating – literally? A feeling of what is right is easy, but figuring out how to get there can be challenging and is an all-together different problem.The view of the mountains in the village was like nothing I’ve ever seen before here. I felt completely encompassed by their magic – close enough to feel like, if I closed my eyes and flew I could transport myself - and far enough that I didn’t sense the danger, remoteness or cold that mountains can also hold. I remember thinking that I felt absolute happiness in this moment and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Time just stops in moments like this… I’m learning to live with deep sadness and happiness coexisting here in Nepal.We were in the village to facilitate a day long leadership training on advocating for disability rights with the central spokespersons of the village. At one point I was panicked about having to actually facilitate a portion of the day– in my broken Nepali (so very basic still) and my English, and my American-city worldview and experience. Luckily, the training started 3 hours late, I was off the hook, and was able to just watch and listen. Raju did a fabulous job facilitating – he is well loved in the village, and for goodreason. Next time, I’ll be a bit more prepared for what to expect and ready to go.The second (and last evening), Raju, Amar and I were eating dinner and debriefing how the day had gone, and how Amar’s organization would respond to the information they’d received. Well, Raju and Amar were debriefing and I was listening. I feel that I officially have not been here long enough to have grounded opinions on things – though people still ask me all the time what I think.We were joined by a math teacher, Sam, from the local school who had heard that an American was around for the day. After dinner Sam took me to the side and asked me all sorts of questions about America, Nepal, and what I thought that Nepal should do– as it evolves with all it’s beauty, promise, complexity….and challenges. He told me how difficult it was to be a teacher – without books, paper, materials.I wanted so badly in the moment to have some kind of answer, even though I know it can never be my answer, but his answer. But of course, it’s not so easy, and I am certainly not the one to be asking. I knew that he wasn’t really looking for my answer, however. He was looking for someone to connect with who was also wanting some kind of answer, even though there isn’t one.And so this is my starting point in Nepal. Finding kindred souls who are working to support and create positive change. Asking questions, finding sustenance wherever they can. And spending time being held by the mountains when things seem challenging and remembering how small I am in the grand scheme of things.