30.05.07

Another very interesting day – and it’s not even done yet! Started off this morning when was awoken in the night. Not sure I’m sleeping too well these days. Last night just passed out. Awoke with upset stomach, but too tired to move and kind of cold from the draft. But most disturbing of all was random itches that I’d believe to be ants crawling up my pants, arms, etc. I think these are psychological cause I something get the weird sensation during the day. Anyway, to add on top of that I felt like I was getting attacked by a crazy mosquito. They fly really loudly during the middle of the night – especially when they buzz right by your ear over and over and over again. It can be quite annoying and just downright depressing.

Perhaps this was brought on by stuff yesterday. My host has planning out fun excursions for me, but I seriously can’t go out that often, I feel as if I’m to be productive with the skills that God has given me. I had the chance to go to the Koteshwor Traffic Police office to do spirometry on traffic police there. Then the Inspector there referred me to the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division. Contacts really do make a huge difference. I’ll share about this later…

So went hiking again yesterday but was most uneventful cause I was tired and not really in a photo mood as the rest of the gang was. Regardless, you do what you have to do… At night got to visit my bookstore buddy again. I went with Sujan so had to be quick, but the guy gave me a 10% discount without even asking. Then he even offered me tea. I did spirometry on him too. It was good to speak again with him. I just read in the religions book that there is no evangelism allowed in Nepal. But no restriction on sharing hope I have in JC! It’s a bit out of the way, but I hope to visit Zahed at least once every 2 weeks. Trying to get him to quit smoking too! Come to think of it, I think I’m being quite demanding but seriously, it’s like we’re known each other for a years now. Very open and encouraging talking with him, but yesterday’s conversation felt rushed so perhaps that discouraged me in a way words can’t express.

As well, no matter how much I write or how many pictures I take, it still doesn’t do being here justice. There’s simply no way to share the experience of tasting diesel exhaust, while smelling the rotting sewage of half burned bodies in the holy river, feeling your nostrils expand as your nose collects more particulate matter throughout the day, etc.

But this morning I woke up refreshed by Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness. The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” Enough said.

Perhaps when you see such stark differences, you wonder sometimes where God is. And this came as a reminder that God is who He is regardless of the perceived parameters of the situation.

More encouragement came as I received a call from Bishop Joshi of Kanti Children’s Hospital. I will meet him Sunday, June 3, 2007. I hope to be traveling with Ernest the first week of June then move to volunteering at KCH in June and a bit of July. Hopefully do a 1 week course on Bhuddism at Kopan Monastary and visit an orphanage before my time in Nepal expires. I think the worst is to come as I now realize the poor conditions of the roads due to the monsoon. You think winter roads are bad, monsoon roads are treacherous especially with vehicles with brakes that normally don’t function optimally. Oh. I think I was involved in my first motorbike accident last week. We slammed into a car cause the brakes gave out – then proceeded to pass the car with the driver giving us a dirty look. Interesting how things work here…

There’s a strike on Friday. Apparently its in the paper – things you miss when you’re illiterate. What to do now… I was hoping to compile my final presentation Friday cause I’m out of valley tomorrow. Going to Maleku with host kid and some friends.

Jumping all over the place. So visits to the police station are the weirdest things ever. It’s like they need to psycho-analyze you before you’re allowed to see the big chiefs. Yesterday, I asked to see my contact G.B. Shah. I then sat around the lobby for about 15 minutes before a kid with a squeegee came in and motioned for me to follow him. I walked up one flight of stairs and my man G.B. Shah was there to greet me with the biggest smile on his face. I met him on the street yesterday turns out he’s the big boss. Today, I ask for P. Malla. I again go to a place where a bunch of other people are just hanging out, I sit for 2 minutes then we walk to meet the man. There’s gotta be something else going on that I’m not aware of. Anyways, I felt kind of bad after all these ppl were saluting him and I still had my backwards cap on. So I took it off to notice that I also had my shirt untucked – it was hot… oh well, he was a really nice man. And everyone here gives you their home and mobile number. Very personal ppl, perhaps that explains the physical affirmation. Ok heading out now..