April happenings

The month of April has seemed to pass me by...

Before I knew it, I was stepping into May and looking at all the things I have to do by June.

April brought about change. The weather started to feel distinctly warmer. The evenings started to last a little longer and I packed away my sweaters.

My roommate Amanda left for the states. Her last week here was a busy one. It seemed that every friend she had ever made wanted to sit and have tea with her one last time. I’m sure I’ll see Amanda again soon but I must admit her leaving put me in a little bit of a funk...gone are the days of dancing to Beyonce and singing along to early 90's songs.


April also brought “hellos”. My team went from two to five. Some of these hellos were old friends and some were brand new. None the less, getting to know eachother and settling into life here were all apart of April.


The last week in April had me packing for the mountains. Not to mention working on a visa application, setting up a bank account, and working on financial reports.


Here are a few other things that happened in April…
Ran out of gas due to the gas shortage.
Gained a few more hours of power a week
Got sick and can now fit into my “skinny” jeans again
Purchased a new chair
Set up my guest room
Celebrated Easter
Ate pepperoni pizza (compliments to Ang for the pepperoni and to Andrea for the idea to take it to Fire and Ice)

To all the fans out there, sorry I neglected my blogg. Hopefully this month is better. I have already started writing about this most recent trip to the mountains. Talk to ya about it soon!

Thame in May

 

Leaving the mountains is bitter sweet. You are excited to go home to the amenities that Kathmandu can afford. Hot showers, clean sheets, and good food are just a few of the things one craves. Yet, as you get ready to board the twin prop odder plane you take one last breath of clean air and one last glance of the mountains knowing that these are two things Kathmandu is without.

They say that the Lukla airport is one of the highest and shortest in the world. If you look at the short strip you travel down you don’t debate the “shortest” claim. The plain starts to shimmy as it gears up to head down the runway and before you know it you are in the air. The flight home is amazing. If the weather is clear you can see the whole Himalayan range.
Unlike the trip to Lukla the return flight is filled with an intimate knowledge of the mountains. They are no longer things seen in the far far distance or on a post card but rather they were home to you. You have walked amongst their majesty and splendor. You have spent ours walking up, only to lose your breath, and realize how small man is. They are not intimate like a friend, but rather it is the sort of intimacy that comes from a relationship where you are fully aware that it could take your life and are due respect.

Once you arrive in Kathmandu there is no easing into the city life again. After haggling for a taxi you hit the crazy streets, swerving in and out of traffic littered with bicycles and cows. Once you reach your destination it is assumed that you are a tourist so you are surrounded by those trying to sell you tiger balm hindu statues, and other nick nacs…to me it is Kathmandu’s way of saying hello and welcome home.

This most recent time home as I approached my house the blowing of horns, beating of drums, and the hundreds of people surrounding my place tipped me off that something was up. It turned out that my Landlord’s father had died four days earlier. In Sherpa culture when a family member dies they have puja (a sort of worship to Buddha) for four days. On the fourth day they take the body to a Buddhist holy place to be burned.

As I approached my gate and swam through the crowd of grieving Sherpa my heart felt heavy. My friends were grieving over the loss of a loved one. They had just spent the past four days praying that that Grandpa would make it to a better place, unsure if their prayers would be heard. In that moment God soberly reminded me why I was here. He reminded me why I go to the mountains. He reminded me that I have a hope for a future and I am not to keep that a secret.

Happy Birthday Mom

Mother/Daughter relationships are probably the most complicated and complex relationship between humans. My Mom and I have certainly had our “moments” no thanks to my wacky teenage theories on life and sarcastic mouth. Adult hood however, has brought me an amazing gift, the gift of friendship with my Mom.


I truly noticed how much I appreciated Mom when I moved away to college. Every Sunday she would call and get an update on my week. She would in return give me an update on the family, how the grandparents were, and other misc. things that every daughter should know.

When I moved over seas my Mom would write me a long e-mail every Sunday, same as college, full of the goings on at home. God often used my Mom to be the voice of reason and encouragement She became someone who I could anchor me with wisdom in the midst of the storm that is life over seas.

Now that I am back in Katmandu technology has brought us skype, facebook, and e-mail. We are able to talk face to face (internet permitting).

Through the years I have had the opportunity to KNOW my Mom. She is not just a mom but I've found out that she is a wife, sister, co-worker, and friend. Here are just a few things that I love about my mom and that others should know about her…

She drives fast…no dilly-dallying for this lady

*She has a great laugh, especially when she is really tickled and can’t stop laughing

*She is beautiful. Hands down one of the cutest Moms around.

*She is an amazing Grandmother, and not only to her own flesh and blood but to other peoples children as well.

*She has a direct line to God. Her gift of discernment is creepy at times. Don’t even try to lie around my mother…you will be found out.

*She is an amazing prayer warrior. There are countless times when God has woken her up in the middle of the night to pray.

*She is not only a mom to my sister and I but to our friends as well. She is constantly asking about how friends are doing. She will gladly be your facebook friend.

*My Mom is one of the STRONGEST women I know. She has been to a place of complete brokenness and in her weakest moment she turned to Christ and waited for Him to deliver her and her family. Her relationship with Christ is something to emulate. Her faith is grand and God has rewarded her.

 

Proverbs 31:28 was right on when it says, “ her children will arise and call her blessed.”
I love you Mom. Happy Birthday!

Thailand...again

I've been in Nepal for 8 months working and learning language. I've been wanting to take a little vacation for some time now but did not know exactly where to go nor did I want to go alone.

A few days before I left for the mountains my friend Jenn called me up and said "do you want to go to Thailand?" My immediate reply was "yes!" The only catch was that to get these super cheep tickets we had to leave before March 31st. I've only been home from the mountains for a few days but my bag is packed and I'm heading to Thailand.

Last time I was there it was just a few months before the big monsoon and it was truly one of the best vacations of my life. How blessed am I that I get to go back.

Last week in the Himalayas and this week on the beach in Thailand...this gig aint too shabby.

Mountain Journal Entry

 

Journal entry March 10, 2009

Today I remembered why I never had the desire to come back here (Himalayas). I hate walking uphill. I’ve truly never understood those who chase after huphill adventures.

From a young age I’ve avoided walking uphill. In college I mastered new ways of getting around going uphill, thanks to New Holland Library and it’s elevator. Now, I sit here in this nice cozy lodge with tomorrow looming over me. For tomorrow brings three hours of walking UP.

When you are on the trail one has a lot of time to think. My converstations with God are many and it is hard to peg just one lessons He is teaching me.

TRUST is one of many lessons. Trust Him to lead me on this journey. Trust Him to Provide peace as I follow. Trust that his plan is better than mine.

Could my walk with Christ be like this trail…uphill? It’s not easy, it takes work, and can cause pain. There is only ONE trail that will lead you to the place you need to go and it is up. All the way up there are AMAZING views and at times one can become overwhelmed with the magnituted of the mountains and reminded just how small we are.

When you finally reach the top it's AMAZING…and there is a bakery with yummy chocolate crossants

A trekkers guide

 

I recently returned home from a trip up into the mountains. For those of you planning to venture up into the Himalays here are a few tips.

1)The trail is deceptively easy the first day.

2) Namche Bazzar can take anyone from one to four hours to walk up. If you are the “one” hour person you are most likely Sherpa. It is all up hill

3) Try the Sherpa tea but stay away from the Sherpa porridge.


4) Every where you look there is an amazing view. You are litteraly surrounded by the Himalayas. Careful not to stain your neck when checking out an amazing view.

5) Walking downhill is not as easy as you think. It is made even more difficult when having to wait for trains of Yaks and Porters to pass you by on the narrow trail.

6) The food is super expensive, about 3x more than what you would pay in the city. If you manage to become friends with a lodge owner your tea my just be free. Warning this “friend” making thing may include Sherpa dancing thus making a fool out of yourself.

7) There are very few Americans on the trail these days. This may be a good time to brush up on your British accent or find out how to say “hello” in Russian, German, French, and Swedish.

8) Zip away pants are all the rage these days. If you want to blend in with all the other trekkers these are essential. If you want blend in with porters or guides then jeans and your every day kicks will do.

9) When walking on the trail stop every once in a while and take it all in. Have your camera either around your neck or easily accessible. You are in the Himalayas for goodness sake…take a as many pictures as you can.

10) Take a journal. You will want to record this journey.

By the way…I plan on posting a few of my journal pages from the trip.

Dolma's Losar Party

 

Dolma invited us over to her house to celebrate Losar the Sherpa new year.

The invite called for us to come over to her house at 11am. This made me think “we will go at 11, have some snacks, eat lunch, and then be done.” Oh what a fool I was to have such thoughts. I knew something was amiss when I asked another friend if she would be coming over and her response was “yes, I will come over later for dinner.” This response immidiatly tipped me off to the fact that I would not be there for just a few hours but rather ALL day.

There is not much to tell you about the day spent at Dolmas house. Basically it consisted of sitting in her living room and having a constant succession of foods and drink being brought to me. Even as I write this I feel a little sick from all of the food consumed in the nine hours spent at Dolma’s.

What I learned from this day is that in Nepal friendship is often measured by time spent and food eaten.

* If the weather is nice try to eat outside in the garden where it is less noticible if you “accidently” drop your food or spill your tea. If your lucky they will have a dog…

* There will be dancing no matter how much you protest

* Resistance is futile. You may end up with rice in the lap if you try to move your plate away when a Nepali is trying to give you a second helping.

* Even though the day seemed so long and my stomach is on the verge of exploding from all the food and tea I felt loved.

Here is a list of the food consumed during our time at Dolma's
Juice
Salt tea
Capse (fried bread)
Nuts and fruit
Fish
French fries
Sausage
More tea
Rice/bread
Prawn chips
More tea
Juice
Pork chilli
Prawn chips
French-fries
Juice
Biriani
Mutton curry
Green veg.
Potatoes
Beans
Yogurt w/fruit
Salt tea