flat tyre

If you know my family very well then you would know of the Van Wyk curse. (stay with me if you are not superstitious)

You see, my family has a curse of the vehicle. By the time my sister and I were driving there was always at least one out of the four cars that was not working properly. When my sister married a mechanic we all breathed a sigh of relief thinking that the curse had been broken....that was until I moved to Nepal. For you see, the curse followed me half way around the world to Nepal.

It seems like a weekly event that there is something wrong with my scooter. Two weeks ago the battery would not charge. Last week I managed to tangle up the kick stand with the kick start...it was weird.

After that was fixed I managed to almost hit a pedestrian but rather then slam into him I laid my bike down nocking the right light out and causing some cosmetic damage.

The other day I needed to get to the bank by 3:30 before it closed due to my severe lack of funds. As I left my side of town I noticed something was wrong. I quickly realized that I had a flat tyre. The great thing about Nepal is that if you walk long enough you will indeed find a shop that will fix your tire....they are everywhere.

Thankfully there was a place not to far from where I had pulled over. As the tyre boy pulled out the tube inside my tire I quickly realized that I this was not going to be an easy fix. It was obviously old and had been patched up more than once. So the tyre boy started the process of patching up the newest hole. The whole time I am looking at my watch while agreeing with the owner of the fine tyre establishment that yes, indeed I need a new tire. At this time it was almost 2pm...leaving me 1/1/2 hours before the bank closed.

Finally the tyre was patched. All that was left to do was put some air in it and hold it under water just to make sure their were no other holes.

As the boy headed to the water the thoughts in my head were "please God, let this be done so that I can get to the bank"...but that was not Gods plan....there was another hole.

So the tyre boy went through the whole 30 min process of patching up the tyre for the second time. After he was finished he put air in it and headed for the water. This time my thoughts were "please please please God, let this be the last time. If it is finished now I can still make it to the bank...I even promise to blog about the miracle you performed by making my tyre as good as new"....but this was not Gods plan....another hole was found.

To sum up this story I sat there for a while longer watching the boy patch up two more holes. Needless to say I never made it to the bank. Ridiculous sequence of events? maybe...Surprising? not really.

So, why do I blog even though there was no "miracle"? Although there was not a "miracle" per say I can still see God's provision. The bike shop was literally just steps from where I had pulled over. I had just enough money to cover the "patch job" thus allowing me to go to the bank the following day. Although it took a lot of time to get it done is was for the most part an easy fix.

My parents have always taught my sister and I to be self sufficient. I learned how to change a tyre when I was 17. I have had to put snow chains on my tyre in the middle of a storm.

Although there are times when I would love to call my Dad, Brother in Law, or Husband (no, I don't have a husband but it sure would be nice to call out for one) that is not an option for me here in Nepal. God, however has always been faithful to take care of me...even in the midst of the Van Wyk vehicle curse.

muddy mess

last monsoon season I blogged about my road turning into a river. It has taken a year but the powers that be have decided to pave our road.

Before the road could be paved a new drainage system needed to be installed. So for the past two months "they" have been digging up the road and laying pipes. It is a long tedious process that is slowed down by the rain. (making one question why did the start during monsoon)

I just recently found out that the black top can not be laid until the dirt is packed and completely dry...in other words this road will not be paved until JANUARY!

So for the next five months my road will continue to be a muddy mess.

As I squeeze along the side of the road in order to avoid the mud pit I repeat to myself "this will be paved, this will be paved...good will come of this."

loosing a toe nail

I don't know what it is about the country that makes me loose my toe nails....

maybe it is because I am constantly in sandals or flip flops.

This most recent occurrence happened when I had to jump start my scooter while wearing flip flops. My foot slipped and I jammed my toe into the bike.

I knew thew there was something amiss with my toe when the toenail turned black surrounded by shades of yellow. I had painted over the ugliness only to have the nail fall off.

Now, I am left with nine painted toes and a nubbin of a toe nail. (sigh) It is not the first time I have lost a toe nail and I'm sure that it is not the last.

BTW ...
yes there is mud on my toe...I did not wash my feet before taking the picture

I did not realize how ugly my feet were until I took an up close photo of them

a mystery

there is a mystery that I have been dealing with since rainy season started...

I have frogs in my house.

They are of all sizes, big, tiny, and medium size. I will be sitting in my living room and one will hop across the floor. Once I spot said frog I go through the process of cornering the frog, catching it, and then releasing it back into the wild.
trying to catch the frog in my house
releasing the frog into the wild...aka my back yard

What I want to know is how are these frogs getting into my home!?!?!

I've checked all the windows and doors. I have yet to find a crack big enough for them to come through.
All of my drains are covered except one...the squatty.
My theory is that the little frogs are coming up and out of the squatty toilet.

So, what do I do now? Are there frog traps? Can I put some sort of powder in the squatty to keep them out? What are the chances that they will lay frog eggs in my toilet? What does one do with frogs in the house...or toilet as it may be? (sigh)

As they say in Nepal "ke garne" (what to do?)

Kathmandu and Food

One of my favorite things about living in Kathmandu are the restaurants. For years tourist have been coming to Kathmandu. thus having a large influence on some of the places to eat here.

Now, the food is not always guaranteed to be good. There are days when it is a hit or miss. One is however, guaranteed some great atmosphere. Most of the restaurants are indoor/outdoor. Some of them are housed inside refurbished stables and old buildings from the time when kings of old ruled Nepal. There are always candles on the table and fresh flowers in vases.

A few of the local favorites play jazz on certain nights of the week. That is where this whole blog was inspired.

A guy named Sean Michael came to KTM just a few weeks ago. He is "internet famous" for auditioning in season 6 of american Idol. It is with this "fame" that he is able to get into just about any bar, cafe, or restaurant to play his music. He is a strait forward Christian and his music clearly shares his love for Jesus. A bunch of friends and I went down to a restaurant called New Orleans cafe to hear him sing.

To my happy surprise my friend "Kav" opened for him. While Kav lived in KTM she lead worship for our house church. Let me just tell you this girl can sing.


You would think that living in a third world country a girl might get skinny from lack of food. Suffice it to say that this girl has no problems finding good places to eat. If you are ever in KTM here are a few of my faves....

* Fire and Ice-the pizza, lasagna, and ice cream are some of the best in town. It is the only place that serve soft serve ice-cream
* Road House-it's a pizza place as well but I love them for the hummus and ranch chicken wrap
* Downtown-the best Indian food...and mashed potatoes
* The Red Dingo-Australians run this place and they have a great chicken pot pie...and it is rumored that Orlando Bloom eats here when he is visiting Nepal
* Mikes Breakfast-waffles
* She' Caroline-Amazing Italian food and great atmosphere
* The Lazy Gringo- the ONLY mexican food place in town...and it's family owned (wink wink)
* Tsherigns Resteraunt-the best Nepali food around and her kids are likely to entertain you while you wait.

WARNING
***many of my favorite foods are dependent upon electricity
***restaurants are not liable for food poisoning
***hair found in food is not grounds for making a restaurant bad
***there is ALWAYS a charge for refills.

bungy jump

I will try just about anything at least once....maybe even twice if you are a smooth talker.
I would not consider myself an "extreme sports" kind of girl but should the opportunity present itself then count me in.

A few months ago in the spur of the moment I decide to go with a group of friends to a place called "The Last Resort". Our soul purpose in going was to bungy jump.


The resorts web site describes it like this...(http://www.bungynepal.com/index.htm)
"Bungy Nepal at The Last Resort may be the most spectacular jump on the planet. AT 160 meters high in a tropical gorge, Bungy Nepal is Nepal's ultimate rush and one of the longest free-falls in the world. The stunning natural surroundings so close to Tibet make the jump an almost magical experience. "

When you check in you are put into groups according to weight. My group was the third group to go. I was not nervous until I got on the bridge. That was when I started questioning my sanity and reasoning behind jumping. I however, was on the bridge and there was no turning back.

When they called my number (weight) they strapped the bungy to my ankles made and made me walk out onto the platform. After walking to the edge I heard a one, two , three, and then I jumped.
Now, I can not even begin to explain exactly what it feels like to jump off a bridge that high up. The first few seconds where sheer terror. The later few seconds felt like flying. It was a rush beyond any rush I had ever felt.
Would I do it again?....maybe. At this point and time I'm not sure
Would I recommend any one else to bungy jump? hands down YES!
I truly believe that everyone should at one time in their life experience what it feels like to fly.

what happened to June and July

I'm not exactly sure what happened to June and July. I don't know about you but they were super busy months for me.

I started off June by having a birthday. My friends were great in helping me celebrate. My friend Tammy made me a funfeti cake (one of my faves) and then a few days later some friends and I spent all day at the spa. A day full of massages, manicures, pedicures, swimming, and good food...I can not think of a better way to celebrate a birthday.

In the midst of all the celebrating I was also preparing for a medical team to come. The Medical camp was a huge success as was reported in a previous blog. What I did not share however was how pretty much EVERYTHING came together at the very last minute. I had plenty of days when my prayers where "God, only you can work this one out".


As I was working on organizing the medical camp I was also working on obtaining my Nepal visa.
Getting a long term visa in Nepal is not easy and when your computer crashes and the offices go on strike it is even more difficult. Again, this became a situation when my prayer was "God, only you can do this". Sure enough, on the day my tourist visa expired Nepal gave me a 10 month visa.

After my medical team left and I got my brand new visa I boarded a plane for Thailand. Now, there is something that you should know about my trips to Thailand. I don't truly interact with the Thai culture when I visit Thailand. I might have one plate of pad tai and say thank you in Thai but that is about it. You see, for those of us Americans that live on this side of the world Thailand is the closest thing to our culture that we have seen in months. So my time in Thailand is spent going to the theaters, eating, and shopping.

Some of my favorite parts of this most recent trip to Thailand where...
*First class theater. Imagine, reclining chairs, blankets for the AC, and all you can eat popcorn and Coke. You just push a button and they come to your seat with a refill.
*Eating. Outback Steakhouse, Burger King, Mc Donald's, Subway, Pizza Hut...I got my fill of beef, pork, pepperoni, and greasy food.

*The Flight of the Gibbon. One day a group of friends and I went on this adventure located in the Rainforest of Chaing Mai. We spent two hours zip linening through the forest. It was so much fun.
*The 4th of July. The American consulate hosted a 4th of July party in Chaing Mai. I ate a hot dogs, line danced, and watched fireworks. It truly felt like an American celebration...I loved it.

Now, I'm back in Kathmandu. I had a week off and it was a great time of rest and adjusting back to life here. This week my schedule has picked up again. I am teaching english 3x a week. Tutoring English students 4x a week and still taking Nepali classes 2x a week. I will have this schedule for the next 2 months. It is going to be busy but I know that it will be a good busy.