Butter for Breakfast: a day at Bigu

A view of the gumba from where I sat each morning.

First, I started all of my days at 430 am, when a giant Narnia-style horn would be blown to wake up the nuns. The gong is sounded at 5 am for puja, and all of the nuns file into the gompa to chant and pray and play music until 7 am. I get up and go do prostrations and yoga in a little meditation room and shrine across from the gompa, but I go and join the puja where I meditate and just listen to the beautiful chanting and music (they have two different kinds of trumpets and three different size drums, one larger than I am!) which even includes harmonies. There is always a cup of Tibetan tea served during puja; this is Tibetan butter tea, which literally tastes like butter and salt melted in a teacup… I think there is a little bit of tea though, because there is a brown tint in the bottom of the cup once I’ve managed to down the majority of it… it didn’t work for me in the beginning (I had to pretend it was soup), but now I’m quite fond of it.

The room where I did yoga and prostrations. Pretty sweet.

Patty with the giant drum for scale.

From 8 to 10 am there are classes; I teach English to the younger children with an Englishman named Rob. We also have classes in the afternoon, when Sam and I teach geography or spend time with Dawa (the Tibetan doctor) to practice English. I try to read about Buddhism or yoga and ayurveda in my free time, but there is little between interacting with the girls and the women, and planning lessons.

Rob-sir teaching English to nunkies.

The food is delicious, at 7 am, 11 am, and 5pm, plus tea “three times a day” (which actually means about 29 times a day). Spicy thukpa (Tibetan noodles that are kind of like dumplings), thick roti (almost like a pancake), and an amazing dal that to me tastes like really chive-y potato soup. Yum! Usually in the evenings we’d sit around the kitchen fire and sing Christmas sons. Like I mentioned before, the water comes from a stream--a huge, gushing stream--and there are no settlements above us, so it’s good to drink. Even more yum! Bigu is the perfect placement, and I’m sad I was only there two weeks, but it’s great that I had this awesome experience (every day!) and I hope to go back the next time I’m in Nepal.

Patty, Sam, and Rob around the kitchen stove fires while we sang Christmas songs.

Hikin’ into Bigu

Our first view of Bigu monastery in its beautiful Himalayan setting

For the past two weeks I’ve been in a tiny village called Bigu. It’s based around (take that to mean, it is) a Tibetan Buddhist gumba (temple) and nunnery that runs here. If I had known about this placement when I first arrived I would have spent all four months of my time in Nepal at this monastery; I would have come here first, I would not have left. It is a beautiful setting, with a large ridge rising straight up behind the nunnery grounds from which you can see mountains and a little Tibet (see one of the next posts!); the nuns (the youngest of whom is age 9), doctor, and lama are the kindest people I’ve met; the water gushes from a mountain stream and you can drink it straight from the tap here; and there’s tea, literally, 24/7. There’s so much to write about! I’ll break it up into a few blogs…

Ever think I would trek anywhere? Neither did I.

First, our journey here was eventful--we took a jeep, but the driver was less than keen to take us the whole way in and he dropped us off before he was supposed to (we didn’t know the location of the monastery, precisely). So we ended up hiking two days in, instead of one. Luckily we found a house near where we were hiking when it fell dark (we had only seen one other all day) or we would have had to spend the night on the mountainside. A family of women (an old mother and two daughters) took us in (there were 6 of us!), fed us and gave us blankets and a floor to sleep on. It was terribly kind of them. We made it into Bigu the next day with all arms and legs attached.

The Bigu gumba and grounds

The main nun here looks like a friend of mine (Gail Fuhrman), especially when she smiles, so that always made my day. She greeted us and showed us to our big room, right above the classroom, and we were given a tour around the complex by the Tibetan medicine doctor (Dawa--who also treated my sinuses… I can breath now!). There’s a kitchen and garden, several classrooms, a gompa (temple), shop, meditation room, two giant prayer wheels, and several small stupas, plus facilities for nuns who go on silent retreats for 7 months to several years. All of the nuns (and monkettes or nunkies, as we called the wee little ones) are incredibly kind and always laughing. It’s a beautiful place to be.

The gate and the chortens with prayer wheels.

Some of my students. The two in the front are what we would term nunkies, the rest monkettes.

A trip to Shanti-Didi’s

Me dressed up in sari, just like a Nepali bride

With the help of Anna, I have befriended one of the kitchen staff, a lovely lady named Shanti Thapa, who I call Shanti-didi, and who invited us over for supper and a stay overnight (or for the weekend, or for the rest of our lives); unfortunately, Anna was sick the day we were supposed to go and then went on a kayak trip, but I finally made arrangements to go on my own. We had been to Shanti-didi’s house just to visit for an evening, but going on my own to a completely Nepali home all on my own was more frightening to my cowardly heart than I care to admit.I’m glad I overcame that.

Shanti-didi and her lovely children were more kind than I ever expected, and although Shanti-didi doesn’t speak any English, her kids study it in school and her youngest daughter Rashmi was a huge help. Once the girls (three of them, Srijana, Ranjana, and Rashmi) got home from school, I was immediately transformed into a life size doll: I got my makeup done and a new kurta sorwal of my own, plus a new sweater, new earrings, and new bangles and necklaces. I then was taken to the local Shiva Mandev temple, then we had fresh guava from the tree in the backyard, followed by a big supper, including chicken which I didn’t have the heart to turn down even though I knew it would bring on a terrible tummy ache… they bought a whole half a chicken for the occasion that I was there. After supper we looked through all the photos they had and then put on a serious dance party--it was a blast. I got sleepy very quickly, as I’m wont to do here, and was given a nice cozy bed.

Getting made up by Srijana

Saksham and I at the Mandev temple site

The next morning, Shanti-didi woke us all up, I was given warm, sweetened milk and biscuits, and then we all went up on the roof to see the Himalayas (the Annapurnas, Mashupishare, and Ganesh Himal). Then it was “Raya doll” time again, and I was dressed in a traditional Indian linga and then a beautiful red sari, each one followed by a photo shoot. They made me a nice Nepali breakfast (including everything from supper the night before plus a fried egg and potato soup) and then we set out to meet my friend Ber, a girl from Holland who’s also working at the HRDC, and we trekked up to a temple called Changu Narayan, one of the oldest and (according to Lonely Planet) most beautiful temple complexes in Nepal. Much of it dates from the 500s CE, and it was cool looking, but after as many temple complexes as I’ve seen, they all start to look the same. There was a big elephant carved of stone and lots of Nepali families picnicking. Woot.

Shanti-didi, me, Rashmi, Ranjana, and Srijana at sunrise on the roof

The Changu Narayan temple, complete with guard to make sure non-Hindus do not enter!

After a little shopping in Bhaktapur, during which Shanti-didi got us the Nepali price (700 rupees less than the tourist price at times!), Ber and I headed back to Banepa (with a quick trip by the giant Shiva statue being built and eventually painted by a rich Indian man; on Sunday we also made a quick trip to Dhulikhel which boasts a big golden Buddha and some marvelous views of the Himalaya). I was loaded down with gifts and new clothes, and it only makes me want to be a great hostess whenever I have guests visiting. So, whenever I get back to the States and I figure out what my address is going to be, please, drop by. =)

My friend Ber at a shrine in Dhulikhel

The GIANT Shiva statue. Def gonna be the corniest thing in Kathmandu here in a couple of years...

Newari fest!

My friends Ber and Mayke with our Newari food

I have to start out by saying that I have no idea what was celebrated today.

However, it was very enjoyable, and held a couple of surprises.

I was invited out by Damu (our host here in Banepa) for a day at the temple--Chandeswori temple, that is. According to Lonely Planet, this temple marks the spot where Parvati (in the form of Durga in the form of Chandeswori--Hindu gods are confusing) defeated the evil Chand. According to Damu’s wife, it marks the spot where a man chopped into a tree in the jungle which bled, so they knew it was a god. Either way, big temple. A family had a light festival today, which involved lighting lots of butter lamps and little pyramids of butter and cotton and five giant bowls filled with (not kidding) 26000 hand woven oiled wicks. You even got to stir the 26000 wicks with a big stick. Talk about pyros.

Me being a pyro.

I also *drum roll, please* got to go into the temple. I was very hesitant about this, since non-Hindus aren’t allowed within the temple proper, like, ever. But they let us go in today, and if anyone wants to know about it, email me/message me and I’ll talk your head off; my inner anthropologist was going nuts. It was so cool. Crowded, smoky, and confusing, but cool.

After the ceremonies we went off to have a Newari style breakfast (fried chapati--called puri-- and curried chickpeas). Then we bummed around a while, looking at gardens and touring the local hospital (it has a nursing school, Mum!); until it was time for a Newari style lunch (beaten rice, curried potatoes, buff meat, pickled ginger, roasted soybeans and peanuts, and a weird lentil donut). I thought after all of this, dinner would be optional, so I went home to while away the afternoon reading, but Damu had other plans. When I didn’t show up for dinner at the temple, he personally came to get me on his motorbike and I was jetted back to join in the (I’m not kidding) fifth round of dinner; the building near the temple where people literally feast isn’t your typical community hall that seats hundreds, so people have to take turns. This time there was tomato soya ball yumminess, coca cola with raksi, tarkari, soup, pickles, three kinds of meat, syrupy donut balls called gum-jum-something-or-another, and the famous local curd that’s close to yogurt. Since I had not anticipated another feast and had snacked on granola and tinned tuna (separately of course), I came back one stuffed goose. But as always, it was a great experience, and I’m grateful for the awesome people that make it happen stuff like this happen every other day here.

That Sunday I took a trip to Panauti, where I got to see the cool Durbar square, and a second square with temples built where two rivers (and a third invisible river) converge, and where there was a funeral taking place. The rituals, which included everyone walking down the stairs to rinse their feet in the river, were interesting to see, and I felt a little awkward just sitting and watching, but everyone else on my side of the river was just staring at the event; plus, I really wanted to take part in some little way since my Grandpa Coley had died just a few days before and I didn’t get to go to his funeral in the States. After getting a little emotional (and doing my best to explain why--in Nepali--to the people staring at me), I went to several jewelry shops and consoled myself by buying chura (bangles) and a pair of silver earrings. It was a nice trip, and I even got some nice new views of the Himalaya.

One of the squares in Panauti with lots o temples

Maoists

So, I'm gonna try to update my blog, but I probably won't be able to get all the photos up and stuff til like, well, mid december. I'm heading to a remote Himalayan village (while that description of travel sounds cool, it's actually nothing new anymore. That definitely makes me sound more cool though) soon and won't be back til December, and for now, there are lots of bundhs going on--that's when they shut things down hoping to make a political statement. While the Maoists know how to throw a party (their protests today, complete with live music and food, were described as festivals in the local papers), they get a little annoying when they want everything in the Kathmandu Valley shut down for the TWO DAYS I'm here with internet trying to update you fine folks. Know that I'm trying. xxx

Bhaktapur Trip

The Himalaya!!

My second week in Banepa Sam, new volunteer Maggie, and I met up with a couple of other Papa’s House volunteers Tomomi (from Japan) and Patti (from Canada) in a town called Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is about halfway between Banepa and Kathmandu, and was one of the three kingdoms (Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan) united back in the day to form the kingdom of Nepal. Bhaktapur is especially famous for its Durbar Square. The squares in the city were quite amazing with some really old temples--including the tallest one I’ve seen (five stories high!)--some really cool sculpture (a little erotic art thrown in there), and lots of pools for ritual washing. The art was beautiful and the city is seriously stuck in the middle ages--the ticket price helps fund conservation for the entire old part of the city, so most homes are very old looking. We also did a lot of shopping, which is probably lucky for you if you’re reading this blog.A view up the tallest temple in Bhaktapur

After a day in Bhaktapur, we grabbed a bus up to Nagarkot, well known for it’s views of the Himalayas. The hotel where we stayed, Hotel At The End of the Universe, was unfortunately true to its name, or at least the kitchen was a universe away from the restaurant; both supper and breakfast the next morning took two hours. Eek. Our sleeping quarters, however, were awesome--the five of us shared a cabin (with THE biggest bed I’ve ever seen) for about $5 each. We got up early to watch a sunrise over the mountains obscured by clouds, but by the time we left Nagarkot for a lunch in Bhaktapur on our way home to Banepa, the skies had cleared and I got some great views of some giant mountains. Ah, to be so close to the Himalaya--they are truly beautiful, especially when I can see them, as I discovered just the other day, on my way home from the hospital.Our little cabin, complete with garden.

Tihar

A group of patients play music at the X-ray department during Tihar

The entire weekend and then some was been part of the Tihar festival, which includes Dipwali, the light festival; I’m not sure about the boundaries between the two, but it’s celebrated throughout five days, dedicated in this order to crows, dogs, the goddess Laxmi (fortune), cows, and brothers. On Sunday we explored the town (seeing a few temples and buying persimmons! They have persimmons here!!!), but in the evening we were invited in by the family downstairs for part of the Tihar festival. There were lots of candles, some circles on the floor made of colored powder and rice, and plates of fruit and malas (the plates were much fuller for the men than for the women, I must say, but there ya have it). Tika was applied, butter candles were lit, oiled string was strung across the rice circles and burned, and the fruit was presented to each of the men before we started supper, which was a feast: it included rice and tarkari, fried fish, chicken, greens, eggs, kippers, pickle chutney, curd, wine, and some kind of flaky sweets that I’m assuming were mostly sugar but were delicious. It was a nice time, and although we didn’t have enough Nepali and English to go around between us to understand what everything symbolized, I am very glad I got to see all of the ritual enacted.

Sam with some sweets for Tihar!

Grandpa and grandson during the Tihar festival.

We also got to see a little Diwali happnin’ at the HRDC on both Friday and Monday. Friday the kids took the afternoon to go department to department singing and playing instruments, a little like caroling, except I believe they made some of the listeners the subject of the song and got money in return. This ended with a gathering on the lawn of the hospital, with all the kids playing and singing and the didis dancing. It was pretty cool. Plus we got invited back to a woman from the kitchen (Shanti)’s house and spent the afternoon with her, it was pretty sweet. On Monday it was the day for bai-tika (tika for little brothers) and all the little boys at the hospital got tika from the two girls, and all the children got a big plate of fruit and sel roti (made from rice and extra oily). Sam and I even got plates, which was really nice of the hospital staff. I’m glad I’m in Nepal with such lovely people for a nice holiday!

A cow with tika and mala on "gai-tika" day.

Sandeep, a boy in long-traction, getting his treats for bai-tika.

Namobuddha

One of the giant Buddha statues--like 10 feet high!

My first weekend in Banepa was a good one. On the 17th Sam, Anna (our German friend from the HRDC), and I took a trip to a nearby monastery called Namobuddha (meaning Prostrated Buddha). We were up early in the morning and took a bus (after waiting an hour in the bus without departing the station, but meeting a nice German man named Raphael) along an extremely bumpy road--like throw you out of your bus seat bumpy; it was fun! (in a way…) I also got my first glimpse of the Himalayas, much higher (above the clouds) and bigger than I thought they would look from here. We arrived nearly three hours after we first got on the bus, and after a short hike we were greeted by a gorgeous, new, red and gold painted monastery. The feel of the place was absolutely peaceful; Anna and I mused that it would be difficult not to have a Buddhist outlook in a place as lovely as Namobuddha. We were invited in to have lunch with the monks, yummy daal bhaat and my first taste of (disgusting) Tibetan butter tea, in a hall lined with literally thousands of eight-inch gold Buddhas in glass cases. It was crazy to see. At 1 p.m. we were invited to puja (I would translate this as “worship”), where the monks chanted, banged drums, and blew Narnia-style trumpets for an hour while we meditated. We also visited a smaller temple with a bigger Buddha--ten feet tall on a fifteen foot pedestal, surrounded by elaborate wood carvings and bright paintings. Last we visited the stupas--one on top of the hill marks the place where Buddha (in his second-to-last life) fed himself to a starving tigress so that she could feed her cubs; the second is said to hold some of Buddha’s bones. The bus ride back was empty by Nepali standards (about half full) and so the ride was even bumpier without people squeezed next to you like sardines in a can to hold you in place--I’m not kidding when I say it’s fun, it really does make one laugh quite a bit if you have the right attitude!

A pretty view of the monastery and the sky.

The shrine showing where Buddha fed himself to the tigress.

The second stupa with lotsa prayer flags.

Yoga

I have to include this blog about an experience I had in Banepa. I met some cool people the first day and I was told about a yoga class in town. Sam and I got up at 0430 in the morning to get dressed and head to the yoga class, which started bright and early at five. It was a large room, with at least a hundred people there to join in the yoga-ing. It was all in Nepali, and there was a lot of “om”s going around, but we did our best to just follow the movements of the people on the stage and those around us; the men around me were very helpful actually, politely correcting me when I was doing something wrong.
The class, however, was a bit different. It started similar to the scene in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure where Joan of Arc takes over the aerobics class in the mall. I have to say, this is not what I was expecting from “yoga class”. There was even a portion devoted solely to putting on music and dancing. Just dancing. (I didn’t dance. I wasn’t brave enough. But I was encouraged.) There was also some laughing involved--deep breath in, and laugh at the top of your voice, repeat x 4. Granted, once you start laughing like that, it’s hard not to actually laugh at the absurdity of it. There were some sun salutations involved, and the last half hour was breath work, but other than that, I was hard pressed to find yoga, and I think it did more damage to my stretching routine than good. But it was a fun experience, laughing and dancing, and I can see how people enjoy starting their day off with it. I think I’m going to try and find a little radio here so I can put on some Nepali music each morning and dance--but dance alone in the privacy of my room where no one can see what a fool I am. You should try it too. Same effects… maybe after a few weeks of that I‘ll be brave enough to go to the course again.

Banepa Business

A photo of me to prove I'm still alive!

I’m spending the days until mid-November in a little town called Banepa, about 20 kilometers outside of Kathmandu. Banepa is beautiful; it’s still in the Kathmandu valley, but away from a large part of the noise and air pollution and close to lots of neat places to see, as is illustrated in posts to come. I’m volunteering at the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children, or HRDC for short. The hospital is well funded and treats many cases from osteomylitis (infection of the bone) to spinal TB (TB isn’t just for the lungs! Who knew?) to clubfoot and other deformities from birth. Surgery days are on Tuesday and Wednesday; outpatients are received on Monday, Thursday and Friday, and appointments are made to treat them in the near future. It’s a learning hospital and since it’s funded by charities, cases are seen from every caste, even if the family can’t necessarily pay. Some of the kids are there long term, especially the children who come in to be treated for clubfoot later in their lives when the bone has already completely developed. I spend my days helping cast kids’ legs and feet to correct clubfoot and AMC, playing with the kids in the ward, teaching English, spending some time in the Pathology Lab testing swabs and blood and hemoglobin levels, and learning not only Nepali, but about everything there is to learn about the medicine practiced at the hospital. It’s a great place to be. The day also includes two breaks for tea, plus lunch, which is pretty sweet; I sometimes feel a little guilty because it seems like I‘m on vacation, but I try to remember that I‘m making life easier for the kids here, because for most of them the day would be ever so boring without someone to interact with. Plus, I’m learning more than I’d ever get to back in the US about this kind of medicine without studying it at uni. More on my adventures to follow.