Weeks 2 and 3

We’ve been in training for two weeks now (three by the time I actually get this posted).  It feels like much longer.  I’m at the point with the language where I still get supper excited when I understand what people are saying to me (it doesn’t happen all that often), but I’m understanding things more and more frequently.  I understand enough at least to know when my family is laughing at me for my eating habits, digestion problems, and all the other things I don’t do quite right.  Luckily I can still laugh at myself too.

Teej Festival.  Some of the volunteers got dressed up by their families and a picture of three of them ended up in the national newspaper with the caption “two Americans and a Nepali” (or something like that).  Some of us blend in better than others.

My bathroom.  I’m fortunate to have an indoor shower (aka a spicket higher up on the wall).  I can’t actually stand up straight in there, but overall it really is a nice set up.  I unfortunately spend a little too much time there...

It’s not often you get to meet dinner only hours before eating it (with my dad, uncles, and a mill worker—my dad owns a local rice mill).  Speaking of meat, I’ve very nearly decided to become vegetarian while here—the way the meat is prepared is delicious, but they have a tendency to eat parts that I’m not used to thinking of as food.  On the other hand, as morbid as it may sound, it was fascinating to watch the preparation process from start to finish.

I had another great food adventure this week: my brother asked me the other evening if I like bees.  I wasn’t sure how to answer, so said something vague like “I think they are good, but I don’t like them to be around me.”  His response: “No, no—to eat.”  I had no idea bees were edible.  The next day during the morning meal (we eat only two meals each day here) I was offered a serving of fried bees and bee larvae.  They weren’t the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten, but they weren’t the worst either (I still wasn’t brave enough to eat more than a few bites).

Theses are two of the older temples in Chautera that we pass by every time we come into town.  Most temples are much smaller and located by rivers or on the top of hills.

First aid training.  It was like girls camp all over again without any fake blood.  You’ll be happy to know we all survived.

Every once in a while (usually for just a few minutes in the morning) we can see the mountains.  Only with that perspective can you understand why they call this region the mid-“hills” region.

Oops...  The Peace Corps vehicle, the Defender, decided to take itself on a drive down the hill.  No one was hurt and the Defender is still working just fine.  It added a little excitement to the day though.

 

Our classroom.  We've started getting burned out on language training and were particularly tired on this day.  We mutinied and decided to play a game of Snakes and Ladders instead of have practice conversations for another hour.  We didn't have a spinner, so our LCF (language and cultural facilitator), Bimsen, drew one on the floor.  We were a little shocked at first, but it turns our white board marker will wipe off the linoleum-esque floor
.

Last Saturday (our one day off each week) one of our host brothers (everyone seems related here, so I'm not sure really who's brother it was) took some of us on "a little bit long" hike down to the river.  We didn't realize "a little bit long" meant 6 or 7 hours of steep grades.  We took the road down and were able to see men welding piping together as part of a hydroelectric project.  That was pretty cool, but the best part was when we got to the bottom and got cold Sprite.  Cold drinks are a rare treat at any time here, but after three hours of hiking in really hot weather with not enough water, it was heavenly.  We took the "short cut" back up, which meant a narrow nearly vertical path, but we all survived.  It was actually a really pleasant path if you ignored the physical discomfort.