To sum up my village experience – I became a porch dweller. Long stretches of my days I was plopped on Aamaa’s wide porch peeling garlic, cutting veggies for talkuri, reading and writing, or just hanging out with friends. Countless cups of milk tea were made and spread to the masses. Before bedtime, after too many hot cups of buffalo milk, I would take spontaneous ice-cold bucket showers. Instead of being freezing and heart stopping, in village, those bucket showers were oddly refreshing. I am not sure if this makes sense, but everything in village requires so much effort and mindfulness that even the simple act of dumping water over one’s head became an act of gratitude. What I am trying to say, is said better by the Cherokee Prayer.
"O’Great Spirit help me always to speak the truth quietly, to listen with an open mind when others speak, and to remember the peace that may be found in silence." -Cherokee Prayer Love always, Hira
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It has been quite some time since my presence has graced this lovely page, and admittedly it’s lateness is due to my not wanting to disturb the contentment of village life with the pitter patter of keys on a net-book. However I do understand the importance of sharing our moments of time with our friends and family, recounting our plethora of experiences and to show Mom that yes, I am still alive. Also I had no idea what to write about, so I got creative and I hope, dear Reader, that you will enjoy. A lesson on the Three A’s: Before we hopped, skipped, and jumped to Ale Gau, we leap-frogged to an Ashram. It was a beautiful place with equally beautiful chyiaa. There, Yogatara, enlightened us wide-eyed students on a number of subjects within Yoga. You guessed it, one of them being the Three A’s. Dun-Dada-dun! The entire idea of the Three A’s is to be able to exercise them before you make any decisions. Most people skip them all together and proceed right to making a choice, which is ultimately rash. They are as follows. Awareness: Being attentive, your sight is clear and expanding continuously. Acceptance: Presence, allowing, encompassing. A place where judgment does not lie. Attitude: Very powerful. It directs the flow. Only if you are aware and accepting, then you are able to choose your attitude. Straightforward enough, wouldn’t you agree? So before sitting down to write this glorious Yak, I consulted my Three A’s. Addressing each one I came upon a clear decision on what to write about. There seemed to be no other choice. As a foreword, as Caitlin says, I cannot begin to explain the depths of my hunger. Recipes To Live By: Aamaa’s Dud Chiyaa 2/3 Water 1/3 Water Buffalo milk Handful of Chyiaa masala 5 tsp. Sugar (Aamaa really puts in 10 tsp.) *add ginger if desired *if you only have black tea add cinnamon, cardamon and cloves Daal Bhat (there are many layers to this – don’t be fooled) Daal - lentils, water, dried cloves, turmeric Bhat - rice, water Talkuri - any veggies, oil/ghee, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, salt Spinach - chopped spinach, oil/ghee, garlic Chicken - chopped chicken breast, oil/ghee, onion, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, curry powder, salt Signing off in search for a cup of chyiaa, Hira Shakti // noun // the female principle of divine energy, especially when personified as the supreme deity.
Or what I simply like to call female energy. I always catch myself studying the Nepali women every day. The way they compose themselves, the strength in which they exude, and the playfulness they find in every situation. Twice a day I am squeezed in tight spaces in my favorite magic bus, that happens to resemble a giant, rolling pickle. I come more in contact with complete strangers than my closest friends (s/o to Moki!). If I am lucky I am jammed right in the middle of a gaggle of didi’s (older sisters). No matter the age they all find humor in the uncomfortable bus and always keep an eye out for fellow didi’s and bahini’s (younger sister’s) because here, everyone is truly pariwaar (family). In other foreign countries I would keep a tight grasp on my backpack, but here they swoop up your load and hold on tight to allow you to better yourself from flying across the long aisle. At home, my aamaa considers everything. She wipes down each dish with a fresh napkin to further my chances of contracting some horrible illness. She walks me down the four flights of stairs to ensure I depart with well wishes and luck for the day. She installs new batteries for the lamp in my room so I can read my many books during the nightly power outages. Shopkeepers that sell me fruit in the morning ensure I get the ripest bananas and never overprice anything. The more I observe the more I come to realize that everyone here is looking out for everyone else. Above all, I have come to admire the bountiful energy each Nepali woman has. As my close friends and family know, I often have a paucity of energy and have trouble sustaining it . In Nepal, I strive to imitate my fellow Nepali sisters and with the rhythm of the day, it surprisingly isn’t hard. From rising to collapsing back in bed, each day is a whirlwind of experiences. I am honored to learn and shape myself after the Nepali women and happily, I find myself starting to change for the better. -Hira नमस्ते,
As October is swiftly approaching, a daily routine in Kathmandu is starting to take shape for the next two weeks. I wake up bright and early due to living on a central road in Bansbari and my Hajuraamaa (grandmother) makes me a piping hot cup of chyiaa before I make my way to the program house. As a group we cycle through our daily language class and cultural lesson, this week focusing on development. After gobbling up a delicious meal for lunch the Patan group makes our way across town. More often than not transporting there and back can be my most exciting time of the day. Due to the recent strikes along the Nepal-India border there has been a lack of fuel. The politics behind this can be seen almost everywhere you look. From the fewer cars and motorbikes, more dogs in the street and less pollution in the air, everything has been affected by the shortage. For me, it stands out the most on public transit. Since there are fewer buses on the streets at a time, the Nepali people crowd the streets hoping to get on one. If you are one of the lucky few, you find yourself jammed between people and along for the ride. It is quite the experience! Once I arrive to Pulchowk it is a short walk to my ISP mentor. I enjoy the atmosphere of Patan and as the days begin to cool off the walk is much appreciated. My ISP mentor, Shyam, is an expert jewelry maker. The skill astounds me in all aspects. You never would have thought all the different things that go into making a simple pendant! Two hours fly by concentrating hard at the work at hand. I have already completed two beautiful necklaces and can’t wait to see what Shyam has next for me to conquer. As the days wind down I find myself exhausted but always extremely satisfied. -Hira Namaste all!
As our first day in Kathmandu reaches an end, I look back on the three days that brought me to this bustling city. It was quite the journey walking here (or should I say climbing due to the immense stairs?) and I could not be happier in completing the challenge. There were many sights to see along the way, whether they were baby goats jumping along side us, or houses left in shambles by the recent earthquake. There were several obstacles, but also great discoveries. Instead of seeing heartbreak in the eyes of the Nepali people I saw bravery and excitement towards their futures. On the second night we stayed with a family whose hotel had been completely demolished this past April. The aamaa (mother) of the family showed such love and compassion towards us that I felt renewed in hopefulness that anyone could get through anything. Also her Dal Bhat was amazing. Nepal’s hospitality continues to warm my heart and I look forward to the next three weeks in Kathmandu. -Helen Hello everyone!
I am Helen Seddelmeyer from Dallas, Texas. I graduated from The Hotchkiss School this past May where I spent my high school years in Lakeville, Connecticut. I love hiking, playing soccer, reading and visual art. I am from a large family, but am fiercely independent. Leading up to this exciting adventure, I spent the summer working in the Colorado mountains and enjoying the outdoors. Initially, I chose to take a Gap Year to try and figure out what I wanted to study in college and devote my life to. Later on, I realized I am embarking on this journey to dig deeper and discover who I am as a person and who I want to be. I am extremely eager to meet all of you and explore Nepal together! “Why We Travel” Reflection: “I find that I always take Michael Jordan posters to Kyoto, and bring woven ikebana baskets back to California; I invariably travel to Cuba with a suitcase piled high with bottles of Tylenol and bars of soap, and come back with one piled high with salsa tapes, and hopes, and letters to long-lost brothers.” This quote from Iyer’s essay drew me in due to its’ articulate detail and descriptions that don’t correlate. You would never think to translate Tylenol to hopes and letters. Iyer goes on to explain how a traveler can become like an idea board to people across the world. This concept stuck with me, and how I could be the closest representation of Texas that someone in Kathmandu will ever see. The idea that how I portray myself could reflect my country, beliefs, etc., to someone who might never be a traveler like me. The challenge of being tender while importing and exporting is what stuck with me from Iyer’s “Why We Travel”. -Helen |
NepalHi, I'm Helen. Welcome to Lifted ~ I write to lift myself up. Archives
December 2015
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