Something beautiful

For Aaron -

Today I read another note from the time portal you gave me. I still have a few! It was cool learning from the note that I'm living in the future yet I could completely imagine you in the past in my mind sitting in the rectangle of sun slight that sometimes shines on the blue green carpet in the "play room." Oh how we used to play in that room! Remember your unforgettable micro machine sound effects? Well how could you not remember if they are unforgettable? you and josh would get so into it while I silently watched, wishing you wouldn't spit all over them. But looking back on it, I am glad you did because you were truly enjoying playing and you were wholly in that battle world. He fast those days became late night conversations sprawled out on the L couch or the floor, half conscious! one of my fondest memories is coming into the play room and seeing your art work spread all over the floor. It was like seeing your thought process and creations frozen in time. Maybe you'd gone downstairs for a treat concoction...
The sun was shining onto bright rectangles that day too. I managed to fit all my body into one rectangle and just look at your colorful cards, layers of paint swirled around each other, and scraps of images you found interesting.
I was reminded of this when I recently received the artistic poem/cardboard painting from you. Thanks by the way. I love it.

So, when I was reading your note today I wanted to just share part and answer your questions. Your past self has been waiting a looonnng time for the response.. Since July.
"I feel that I should mention what it's like without you. First of all, the bathroom mirror is getting cluttered with post-it notes addressed to you. Very annoying. Come retrieve them! Secondly, when someone comes home around 4pm, instead of saying "hello?"
I say "hi Beth!" Things are getting predictable. Your room is disorientingly tidy. I don't like it. And sometimes guests sleep in your bed, which I like even less. Finally, when I talk in the bathroom late at night, I feel crazy, cause you're not there to listen. In summary, I Miss you." I miss you too, Aaron.

You asked, "what is something beautiful that happened to you this week? something miraculous that you saw? what is something you did that you feel proud of? tell me about a person whom you helped feel loved."

It is a wonderful coincidence that I opened this note today because this week I really saw beautiful things happen and did some things I feel proud of. A couple weeks ago, I heard that Clara, (Ana's little sister) was coming to nepal with her NGA three person team to volunteer and see Nepal. Right away, I was so excited about seeing them and about the potential of joining their project. When I Skyped with her a few days before their arrival though, I learned that she didn't have any project in mind. Then I decided to take matters into my own hands and try and set up something for them to do in Sarlahi. My director, Saroj, introduced me to one social action guy in a tiny village 20 minutes from where I live. His name is Raghunath Dhai (pronounced Ragoonot) and he speaks a total of 5 English words- hello, mosquito, school, good, and morning, all of which came in handy during the week. He explained that the small school in their village was in need of some help and inspiration because they have no funding from the government to do repairs. The students who attend school there come from families who work cutting sugar cane all day to make just enough to keep them alive. When I walked into the school and said, "Namaste, mero nam Bipana ho," the way everyone silently glared at me told me that I was the first foreigner to come to their class before. After a few minutes, I got them to respond and start cracking hesitant grins.
I told Raghunath that I may have three volunteers coming to help out. I explained that they are on a small budget and have fundraiser themselves to come here. He offered exactly what I was hoping for, homestays. As we walked down the one dirt road that makes up the village of Nawalpur 4, someone from almost every house came out asking me to "sit here please!" In Nepali, the word for live, stay, and sit are all the same.
After that day, I confirmed that the three Americans could come and also learned that Saroj, my trusty translator and leader, would be leaving for Kathmandu the entire time they were here.

Something I did that I feel proud of...

Most of my colleagues happened to also be in Kathmandu this week, so the fact that this project was a success is something I am so proud of. This week tested my communication skills and Nepali speaking skills the most since I've been here. Everyday I went to visit the village, there was much to translate, since the number of Nepali words the volunteers knew was even less than Raghunath's English repertoire. Beyond the language barrier, there is all of the overwhelming smells, colors, spicy tastes, noises, and dirt of Nepal that made me worry a little for the newbs. But I was equally excited for them to experience real Nepal. Many travelers come to Kathmandu and head straight for the mountains, trek, and then fly home. They come to see the natural beauty that Nepal is famous for, but they miss out on the striking beauty of the people of Nepal that is only revealed through time. Their customs, their food, their tight bonds, their long list of festivals, their sincerity, their spontaneity, simplicity, and loving nature...these are the things that I was most proud to show the newcomers.

Do your horns hang low,do they wobble to the floor? Can you tie them in a knot, can you tie them in a bow? 

Roti and tarkari for lunch :)

Rama Didi looking lovely. 

Maybe the cutest baby boy in the world. 

Something miraculous that I saw...

Watching the villagers of Nawalpur eagerly help us transform this school was truly miraculous.

 Clara (Sunita), Crystal (Suni), and Luke (Sunil) stayed with host families for 6 days in Nawalpur, Sarlahi, a southern district in Nepal. When they arrived by Sumo jeep to Sarlahi from Kathmandu (6 hr. ride), they were exhausted but enjoyed playing at the Children Center for the evening. On their first day, I took them to milk tea, showed them Hariwon to buy some essentials, like toilet paper, hand sanitizer (which apparently doesn't exist in Sarlahi), bottled water, and some snacks! After being hosted for the past 7 months, I really enjoyed playing host and showing them around. I was also amused by their reactions to all of the sights and noises of the market! And it wasn't even market day :) I remember feeling that way when I came, worried that every bus was going to run me over. It's amazing how quickly we can adjust to a different situation. I am glad that I am able to adapt to "uncomfortable" conditions. This experience would be stressful if I couldn't get over not having western toilets, western food, running water, hot water, heat, anything not covered in dust, etc.
I am so proud of these three for toughing it for the week. They each stayed in separate houses and managed to build special relationships with their host families, despite the language barrier.

 Something beautiful that happened to me this week...

Holy smokes! After working in this village for the week, friendships were made, foreigners were welcomed into families, and tears were shed during our farewell. It is difficult to put into words just how it felt when they said thank you and goodbye for now to us.. but I will try. You can tell in the pictures how smiley these people are. Each Didi was over the top hospitable this week. I was so impressed by how they opened their homes and shared their cultures with us. It was super refreshing for me to spend some time in the village because at the center, it is so noisy! I enjoyed the quiet peacefulness of the sugar cane fields in the morning. I'd be woken up by some birds, step outside to greet Didi milking the buffalo. As soon as Didi saw that I was awake, she'd hop to the wood outdoor stove to start brewing some delicious dhud chia (buffalo milk tea... Starbuck's Chai has nothing on dhud chia). Then, we'd squat down in a circle for chia and roti (thin bread also made on the fire stove) before a day of painting. These didis and dhais and children just smiled so so much! I wish you could teleport here just to see their bright faces. Beautiful people.
The affection they showed me was welcomed too. I've missed hugs and sharing cozy time with people. I think I'll be visiting this village often. Since the day we left, they've called me every day asking when I will return :)

So, on our last evening, the entire village (maybe 40 people) came out onto the street and onto the front yard of Rama Didi's house where we shared a farewell dhud chia. Hazurama (grandma who is smoking some sort of grass all the time, bless her heart) dumped a ton of sugar into the pot because she said it was extra special as our last cup together. I bit the bullet and sipped it down, but before I could finish, one didi came up to me, smiled into my eyes, and put a bright red tika on my forehead. I put my hands together and thanked her. Then... like a swarm, EVERYONE started putting their hands on my face with red tika powder, muttering blessings with tears in their eyes.

The love pouring toward us was so strong, you could see it on everyone's face and feel everyone's hearts just growing! It was overwhelming, actually. It all happened so fast. Maybe 20 people had rubbed their hands on my face. Now, I was completely red. The mob of tika givers and receivers headed toward our vehicle, pronounced exactly like "bagel" in nepali-english, to see us off. They placed marigold mala necklaces on us and reached their hands out at the holes in our bagel where windows should be. Eyes twinkling, hearts full, we rode away back to the center to take it all in.

Feeling the love of the universe right now and have been so strongly the past week. I hope I can use this power to pass it on to people around me. I am so deeply loved and I realize that the most joy I feel is when I can make others feel deeply loved too. These things are beautiful.

Love, Izzy :)