namaste!
and thank you uncle dan for the great text - my phone seems to work at odd moments.
right now i'm in an internet spot ...hope the electricity stays on :-)
hope everyone is well. so sorry i can't respond individually - it's taken about an hour to get the hang of this computer. but thank you thank you for the comments and all boots have made it safely.
i met the kids yesterday - i'm at the house called sagamartha house which is in the soyambhu region near thamel. so far i remember the names mani, vim, durga, simi, buddha, susila, indirika, lela and norama.
there are 38 kids in my house and i want to know them all. mani already beat me at basket ball. the house manager and susila and i went on a walk into town and susila got her picture taken at a shop. i'm not sure if it was for school. she says she wants to be a social worker, a flight attendant or a model. the best part was on the walk back she held my arm. i ate dinner with all of them last night - daal bat - which is rice and lentils and curry vegetables. we eat it on the floor (yay!) in tin plates and the didis (aunties) cook it for breakfast and dinner.
after dinner we play a bit more and maybe watch bollywood videos. by 6:30 i was so tired i could barely talk.
so far, i think i go to the house in the morning (staying down the road with the other volunteers), help the kids with daal bat and walk them to school. then have 10-3 to explore. then i pick them up from school, we go back, have snack and play, do homework, daal bat again, maybe a little tv, and i'm home around 7.
met a few other volunteers but haven't met the leaders yet! also had to buy toilet paper because i'm not into the left hand thing. and i drank the unfilered water by mistake, so i'm trying to be really careful from now on. from here i'm going to thamel to try to find a cafe and maybe a scarf.
hope you are well and love to all!
(ps - they think that i am lying when i tell them i'm 34 and i think it may be a big big sin that jay is only 29)
xo,
a
devi, sima, shakti, bami
(names changed for safety)
suki
loves his new socks!
sima and lalli
on the doorstep of the orphanage
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7 comments:
Sounds wonderful, Abby!
Love, Aunt Laurel
Oh, I'm so happy for you. The kids there are so amazing. You don't know me but I spent three months at Sagamartha and there's not a day that goes by when I don't think about them. Enjoy every minute and if you feel inclined, tell them Bec and Dave miss them heaps. We've just made them a dvd of photos and movies of themselves so hopefully it will be with them soon. Enjoy the wonderful experience. ps- stay away from the outside toilet. That smell is just not right!
do you really only get to eat rice and lentils? do you have an address where we can send corn flakes or twizzlers?
Abb -
You're truly a lentil princess! I hope you return with a beautiful new name like your kids. So great to see your post from the other side of the world. We miss you....
xo Chubb.
namaste abby dear,
i am so glad you are able to share your experiences and adventures with all of us back home. i look forward to updates as you continue on this wonderful journey. jay and i will be thinking of you and missing you today as we devour latkes half a world away!!! xoxo madge
Dahlink! I'm not going to sleep until you don't describe the 'left handed' alternative...I'm dying of curiosity (and grossosity). You seem to be acclimating quickly, awesome. They're so lucky to have you.
xoxo Buffy
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