Dasain '71

Dasain is the celebration of the goddess Durga's victory over evil and is Nepal's biggest holiday. My family began our celebrations with a massive spring cleaning and repainting the house.

In typical Nepali fashion, while the women were busy at home working, the boys were off playing in a volleyball tournament.

Un castrated goats (and clocks and male buffalo), representing vices such as lust and anger, were sacrificed at home and at the temple.

That puddle is still there by the way and gets walked through barefoot all the time with no one caring

Sacrifices mean lots of meat for days and days after, which is fed to all the family that stops by.

The climax of the 10 day celebration is the receiving of tika (rice on the forehead representing a blessing) from the matriarch and patriarch of the family, along with a small bundle of barely shoots and a bit of cash.

My uncle preparing the barley shoots

Everyone being so busy left me with very little to do. My sister in law finally took pity on me and took me with her to visit her home village.

School

For a Peace Corps volunteer, coming up with productive and appropriate ways to use your time and benefit your community can sometimes be a challenge. You can never go wrong working at a school though. Everyone loves you and you have an audience that has no choice but to listen to you. It also makes you appreciate weekends and holidays so much more.

Drawing pictures of foods from the different food groups

Practicing teeth brushing

Playing games

UNO is very educational, right? 

My kindergarten-2nd graders thought it would be great fun to lock me in the classroom with them. It was cute and funny for the first 5 seconds or so, but got old fast. It was much less appreciated the second time it happened. For all you parents who taught your children discipline and obedience from a young age, thank you. 

Monsoon

Monsoon is hanging laundry out to dry in the rain 

in the hope that the sun will come out soon

Monsoon is cucumbers and roasted corn and gorging on the sweet red figs ripening amongst shaded roots on terrace walls

Monsoon is the persistent serenading of mosquitoes and leaches grown fat on the blood of unwary travelers

Monsoon is roads turned to rivers and mud pits and ruts deep enough to drown tail lights

Monsoon is fields vibrant with young rice nourished by the sweat of women

Monsoon is heat and mold and endless labour

Monsoon is the lifeblood of Nepal