November 26-December 2: Final Thoughts

I ask you the next time you look East of where you are, know the possibilities beyond the horizon.  Be not afraid of placing one foot in front of the other, get out there, and, fearlessly, be ready for life in real-time.

There are many who journey to the country of Nepal to disappear and dissolve into another existence and rightfully so for this land offers multiple outlets and avenues for one to evolve into an alternative presence. This is a country landlocked from the world and still full of surprises both spiritually and socially. Here lies the seduction of the largest mountains man has ever seen as well as multiple religous and social beliefs, some ardent and strict, others left to interpretation and, frankly, need of change. When you venture here from the western world you, as much as you try not, have little choice but to make comparison of this land to your home. During my stay in Nepal, these past seven weeks, there was no choice but to throw in my participation at head-over-heel uninhibitiveness and, in lieu of disappearing, make my presence known, stay involved, and, most importantly, be not afraid to make mistakes. How else was I to learn the meaning of this journey.
There is a kindness of the Nepalese people, regardless of their personal challenges, that never faltered; whether my students, my host family, or a stranger working in a shop down within a Kathmandu alley, who helped me with finding a hardware store in the city, they all had an openess to join with outside stimuli. There were strangers on micro buses who knew I might have jumped on the incorrect route and did not hesitate to jump off the bus with me at the next stop to assure my sails were into the wind insead of against it.  There is so much not organized in this country and you are not given much choice but to become one with the confusion and find your personal sanity within.
This is a great land. There were many parts of Nepal I did not see and I am sure a return trip lies somewhere down the road. But what I did experience was unique and full of color, it was, at times, brutal and raw, and gave me opportunitity to think on my feet, repeatedly.  From that, how can you not be changed at jouney's end?
I will always be grateful to the Dahal family for the generosity and patience and an un-ending need to make sure of my comfort. To the young people of the Jitpur Secondary School there is a large amount of gratitude and respect I have for their energy to keep looking for the answers and doing the work as well as keeping in tune with the world.  And to the gentleman who asked me to just call him brother and who I worked beside in the field, thank you for your ethic and guidance and allowing me to till the soil along with you. In a small part I hope my hand lent nourishment to a dinner table somewhere in your land.
As I bring this Blog to a close I am clean-shaven and in front of cable tv.  I have exchanged many stories with Janelle, my wife, whose 2008 trip was my inspiration. It is terrific how, through the differences in our two journeys she and I gain perspective of our own.
I look at my watch here and picture my schedule and routine 12 timezones away and very real it will always be because you can ever leave a place like Nepal, or mark it off the proverbial bucket list.  Nepal is an experience that has been bringing explorers to the land's open arms for centuries. And similar to those before me, never will I be immune to the inability to release and let go of the deep impressions of this country and its people.

November 26-December 2: Saying Good Bye to The Dahal Family



Bijaya Dahal: Bijaya and I would sit down regularly for some great chess matches. He swindled me into playing the game under Nepalese rules which entailed being able to move the pawns two sqaures at a time, anytime, not just the frist moves. He also showed me much of the Jitpur mountains, the trails and the footpaths. Great Guy. Never hesitant to help around the house and always had a quick jab or joke about something.

Megh B. Dahal: This guy never stopped moving. Up and Out the door by 4:30 a.m. every morning to open the family shop. He would return to the house by 9:00 to take a quick bath, eat, change clothes and then would be off to school to teach and be a head master until 4:00 p.m. At 4:00 he would return home, change clothes again and then return to the shop where he worked until 7:00/7:30.  He would then return home again, wash, eat, and be in bed with lights our by 8:00 p.m.  He did this every single day I was a guest in his home......he just kept going. On my last morning with the family Megh asked me to take a walk with him to the shop for some milk tea. During the walk he asked me again the route I was to take for my flights and he answered me with a look of disbelief. It was all a million miles away to him........little did he know......Megh had a quiet presence about him, stoic at times, but never daunting as he himself was never daunted.......he just kept going.



Daviki Dahal This was my host mother, wife to Megh.  Daviki had the best sense of humor and played second support hardly nuthin'. Large presence she carried and worked in the shop while Megh was teaching. There was a moment I watched her among other village folk gather around a vegetable salesman selling produce from his bike.  There had to  be 12-15 people around his bike all were making deals on price of the vegatables while questionng the salesman of their quality. From that group Devaki was the only one I heard and she knew she had the ear of everyone. You can believe that whatever that salesman was dealing on our dinner table later that night we had his best. Daviki was never over-bearing but never a softy, she had a knack for modulation; knowing when to customize herself to the social situation.

Subha Kamari Dahal: This was the paternal grandmother. Continues to do her own laundry, at times cook, and do some long distance walking as there a couple of times I saw her up by Jitpur School during the day which is a 40 minute walk from the house.  She did not speak any English and when I conversed with her I always needed my Nepalese/English dictionary close.  She was very kind and took this ole American in stride. She always made me feel very welcomed.  As the days grew cold she would build a small fire just outside the back door of the kitchen on the roof of the house (where she is sitting in this photo) and several times I would kneel beside her and together, in silence, we would sit close to the flame for warmth.

Ranju and Sirju Dahal: These two sisters had a deep love and care for each other. Ranju (on the left) was really good to give up her room for me during my stay. Both of these ladies have big dreams and aspirations and yet are grounded enough to know the ethic it takes to have or achieve a large life. They both have street smarts and are excellent with the English language.  In fact, it was these two who bridged many language barrier gaps between me and their mother, or other friends/guests who would vist the home.

November 26-December 2: Final Week and Saying Goodbye to The Students

As the final week was upon me I had the arduous task of figuring out how to say good bye to the students of Jitpur Secondary School. They were all a joy to work with and ever-pressing in enthusiasm.  Some of them realized the distance I had traveled in geography to be their teacher for 7 weeks but the journey I made psychologically and internally they may never realize as it was them who created that trip for me and, exposed me to tactics and creativity of which I needed to survive and to keep them  learning.  Below you will see images of those good, strong, young people.

November 26-December 2: Additional Images of Nepalese Young People

November 26-December 2: Winter is Around the Corner



This is next door neighbor Sudendra showing his little one-year old daughter what heat from a fire feels like. The temperatures after sundown are now in the mid to upper 40's.