The Angregi

Oh, the perils of teaching!  I really do not understand how people can fly to another country and do this for a year +.  I barely lasted a month.  My first assignment was at a government-funded public school near my village, Padam Pokhari in Chitwan.  It held about 600 students from many surrounding villages, and you could tell it was a public school versus the more well-funded private schools.  Of course, being a product of public school myself, I would be biased enough to say that these kids are so much tighter than the rest.

Shree Laxmi Higher Secondary School

Each class had between 60-100 students, and I taught from 3-5 periods/day, longest days of my life btw.  Basically, from the time my bike rode up on school grounds until the moment I left, I was barraged with an overwhelming number of kids tugging at my clothes, asking for pictures, and shoving pens and paper in my face for autographs.  At first, it was adorable, but after about 5 min, I couldn't deal anymore.  I could barely teach in the classroom because the kids would shout my name the whole 45min period (not exaggerating).  I understand it was exciting for them to see a foreigner, but their constant rowdiness and energy just made my job so indescribably frustrating.  

After getting over the initial culture shock, I pulled myself together and learned how to handle my new challenge.  I feel like I was able to channel all their energy into a bunch of English games I invented/innovated to their tastes.  Now, they know how to make fortune tellers with English phrases, numbers, and colors, play hangman, and sing the Hokey Pokey!  YEAH!    

Gym

They love posing for pictures!

School Assembly - gathered in the hall for a Speech Contest

The teachers in the background

Grade 7/8/10 kids and me!

Pokhara: Mero Ghar, Chora, Chori

I realized I have pages and pages of posts about sight-seeing, but none about my actual work in Nepal.  Well, this will be my first post about my kids!  I worked in the Innocent Children Orphanage, run under The Love Company, for the month of October (horrible names, I know - let's just say a lot of the Nepalese don't have a firm grasp of the English Language).  I absolutely fell in love with each of the eight kids in my orphanage, but didn't realize how much I cared about them until I had to leave.  I still think about them all the time.  I guess one month may not seem long, but when you're attached, you're attached.  This was definitely one of the most exhausting jobs in the world.  Now, I have a new found respect for mothers.   

Names and how we remembered them:
Silas (love notes to secret girlfriend)
Santosh (tough)
Narayan (dancer)
Manmaya (studious) - older sister of Ek
Ek Badhadur (crier) - literally, the "Brave One"
Susmita (acrobat) - Older sister of Biraj
Biraj (sneaky)
Akriti (mama's girl)

Picnic at Phewa Tal ~ The Girls

Akriti, Manmaya, Susmita

 

Kitchen

Susmita (yellow pants), Santosh (red shirt), Manmaya

Narayan (glasses), Silas, Ek Badhadur

  

Watercolors!

 

Santosh

 

Manmaya, Susmita, Ek

Biraj and his trademark sneaky look.  He was always up to something.

Bed time!

Girls love to play with hair!

Susmita hiding under the bed

Oh, Biraj.

  

Play time!

Phewa Tal Picnic

These two - had to keep a close eye on these lil monsters.

Sister and Brother

Tired out from a long day of play.

The ever-runny nose.

Bro and sis

 

The orphanage

Surrounding area - great view of Macchapuchaare Mountains when the clouds disappear.

View from the roof.

Puppy on the street!  Aw!

 One big family!

 

High in the Himalayas

(Well, not high, but high up in the Himalayas.)  Toward the end of my journey throughout Nepal, I decided to make one last 1-week trip to the daunting Langtang mountain range.  It was supposedly one of the easier treks, but that shiz was tough!  Even my Italian trekker buddy, who went to the highest of the Alps said they were nothing compared to Langtang.  It also could have been because we were unwise in packing and ended up lugging  20lbs. backpacks up those treacherous hills and rocks.  Whatever the case, I had the most amazing times up there, away from all the pollution and motorbikes of the city.  Even though I barely showered for a week, I think I smelled fairly fresh because of the wonderful scent of the trees, rivers, and shrubs.  Yeah!

About 1 hour in: 

Our guide in the white hat:

I love the way the trees curve inwards:

 

We spotted monkeys!

Tibetan Prayer Flags

Questionable

Dusk

Yak, Yak, Yak

Such a cutie kid

We passed this baby in basket, but no one else was in sight.  Where was Mommy?

Here, we are above the tree line - nothing but dry shrubs.

A Tibetan wall with scripture engraved in the stones

Baby Yak!

Almost at Destination: Kyanjin Ri!

One last meal before we get to the top!

Mm, momas!

Our lodge at Kyanjin Gompa

Climbing Kyanjin Ri!

Avalanche on the mountain next to us

Nearly There!

Yay, we made it to the top!

Highest point of the trek:

Kyanjin Ri, 4773 meters

We all saved up a special treat for when we reached the top.  I took sour gummi worms that I brought from home - yup, saved 'em for three months in Nepal for this special moment.  Here's what the others brought:

KitKat

Mixed nuts/fruit - so healthy.

Cigarette - that's my guide.

Me!  Cold, but happy!

Look at that view!

Ok, sitting there was probably not the best idea.  You can't tell from the picture, but right behind me was a very long fall straight to the bottom, and those were not stable rocks, which I realized once I sat down and almost fell off, but it's all about getting the picture, right? - run-on sentence.

Did not realize going down would be so treacherous compared to going up.

Donkeys bringing up food for the lodges.

I wonder who built this?  Significance?

The layers of mountains makes for such a majestic landscape:

The last day of the trek:

Last looooong climb uphill before reaching the end.  Why do you torture us so?

Made it back to base camp!  All in 7 days!  Woohoo.

Now, for some pool and good ol' Nepali Tea!  (beer's too expensive up in the mountains)