so, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. explore. dream. discover.' (Mark Twain)
Appreciation. Appreciation in things, dreams, experiences, people, etc. To have the ability to do things and the ability to not do things.
Things: Just to find the appreciation in the things you are provided with and surrounded by. Not to be blinded by them, but use them wisely and not to be reliant on them.
People: This is a big one. Appreciation in the people that you meet and what they bring to your life, whether it be good, bad or ugly. You gain perspective from everyone you will ever meet. Appreciation for friends. Appreciation for parents and what they teach you, no matter how much you think it won't ever matter.
Dreams: Appreciation for the dreams you have and how high you are inspired to reach. Without these, you will turn into Mark Twain's quote, and always think back to what you never did.
Experiences: Appreciation for the things you get to see, hear, taste, touch, and fully experience. From the wind blowing through your hair, to witnessing a cremation to sweat pouring down your back to gather insight and knowledge from each experience.
Lastly, I would like to say that I gained so much from the experience I had in Asia. I gained dreams, experiences, friends, etc that I will never ever forget. I gained much appreciation for my parents, and the abilities they gave me. They gave me not only the ability to do the trip, but the ability to dream, and be inspired to do what I wanted to do. Through their teachings, I was inspired to travel and to help others, both at which helped me to chose to do the trip within Nepal.
I also gained appreciation of my past. I have had regrets and wished to erase things from my past, but I wish that no more. For everything little thing that I have ever done, or that was gone on around me, has created the world into what it is today and have allowed me to be where I am today. Erasing parts of my past would cause my current experiences to never occur, and I wouldn't trade any of the experiences that I have gained throughout my timeline for the world.
I am now in the Netherlands, meeting with family and gaining more experiences and appreciation. I will write soon, of the experiences I am now gathering from a different part of the world.
Love and miss you all.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
'the world is not respectable.
it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever; but it is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter; and in these, the spirit blooms...' (George Santayana)
... pictures aren't loading right so will try again tomorrow...
... pictures aren't loading right so will try again tomorrow...
'treasure every moment you have.' (Souza)
Weekend Itinerary
Friday
530 - wake up
600 to 630 - walk through thamel to get to the buses (with the group going to Chitwan)
630 - find buses along with tons of people trying to sell pop and treats
700 - bus begins trip to Chitwan
... stops along the way to pick up random people; guy controls the door to try and find people who need the bus to Chitwan...
sometime in the bus ride - driver takes a crazy steep hill down to a beach; drops people off, and has to go up the same insane slope; then since facing the wrong way when back on the highway, bus driver decides to turn the BUS around on the smallest road ever; it was done and a micracle for surprising that we didn't get stuck perpendicular to the road
200 - arrive at Chitwan; beautiful!!!
230 - eat lunch
300 - go on a walk around the village, see the elephants; walk through the jungle (our guide, Seoul, was like a Nepali - Scottish dude)
600? - supper
730 - cultural dance; amazing!; the did it with these sticks and it was crazy impressive; the people that live in Chitwan are known as the Thuaru people
sleep...
Saturday
530 - wake up
600 - breakfast
630 - canoe ride down the river; see three crocos, one at which attacked the canoe next to us (well not bad but did come out of the water and snapped a bit; and yes it was a man - eating one); see another veggie ally on the beach; our guide canoes our boat OVER a 3M long man-eating croco :S; reverses to try and find it again
... continue on through a walk through the jungle; before the walk, told to be quiet and if we come face to face with a rhino, run and climp a tree...hmmmmm....
- see three lemur monkeys
- tons of red bugs
- have the best walk through the jungle ever
... get back to the village; go change so can swim with the elephants...
- go into the river and clmb onto a elephant; get really, REALLY wet; it drops us back into the river; and repeat
- so crazyly awesome
100? - lunch
130 - go into the village and do some shopping; not feeling great so go back to sleep
300 - getting woken up by Sam saying, theres a rhino outside!!!; best wake up ever
330 - go for elephant safari; get on 4 to an elephant and since there 7 of us, we are split up
... have the most peaceful ride through the jungle; see more rhino's, lots of deer; tons of elephants carrying people getting split up a bit
- feeling absolutely content in life and at peace; hear an elephant scream and then some growling; our guide turns the elephant around; Sam asks if that was a tiger and he laughs nerviously then says yes; feeling of contentment in life to pure panic
(nothing happenings, in fact wasn't a tiger)
- continues through the jungle; more details upon discussion...
730 - supper
800 - random convo with Seoul
900 - bedtime
Sunday
530 - wakeup
600 - walk through jungle again
... bird watching; see retired elephant bathe in river; saw another rhine in the river...
730 - breakfast
930 - depart to go back to Kathmandu
... more beautiful landscape ever!!!; stop for a break at a town, I get locked in the bus, but my friends bring me ice cream
- leave town; about 15 minutes of driving, run into a huge, HUGE line up a cars; hear rumor that the Maoists have put on another strike and don't be able to get to Kathmandu until the next day; sit at the side of the road for at least an hour and then the line starts moving again...
630 - get to Kathmandu; go for awesome pizza and pop
900 - get back to the house; find out it wasn't a strike, but a bad car accident
----
Overall, most amazing, unforgettable weekend.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
'the life of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.' (E.R.)
OK I sent this as an amail to someone but figure it might be a cool way to demonstrate what's up...
- Only get power 12 hrs a day
- Traffic is f-ing mad (Wedsnesday we got in a fender bender)
- I went to Bollywood movie tonight
- I am doing painting including artwork in a hospital
- The toilets at the hospital are just as nice as the outhouses back home
- If people from Canada are poliete then people from Nepal are from heaven
- There are 22 volunteers here doing different things and staying for varying amounts of time
- We flew to see Everest sunday
- The U.S. has a huge club along with there embassy
- The architecture is amazing
- The religions are crazy cool
- You greet everyone as if they are a god
- No toilets have toilet paper
- I have discovered my amazing bargaining skills
- Rom our driver to our placement is the man
- I did yoga on the roof at 6 in the morning
- I watched the sunrise at the monkey temple
- Saw monks chant which was amazing
- Garbage and poverty is everywhere
- Here if you eat cow you don't tell anyone because cows are sacred
- I miss u all madly
- I know this won't be my last time here because Nepal is amazing
- The architecture is amazing
- Only get power 12 hrs a day
- Traffic is f-ing mad (Wedsnesday we got in a fender bender)
- I went to Bollywood movie tonight
- I am doing painting including artwork in a hospital
- The toilets at the hospital are just as nice as the outhouses back home
- If people from Canada are poliete then people from Nepal are from heaven
- There are 22 volunteers here doing different things and staying for varying amounts of time
- We flew to see Everest sunday
- The U.S. has a huge club along with there embassy
- The architecture is amazing
- The religions are crazy cool
- You greet everyone as if they are a god
- No toilets have toilet paper
- I have discovered my amazing bargaining skills
- Rom our driver to our placement is the man
- I did yoga on the roof at 6 in the morning
- I watched the sunrise at the monkey temple
- Saw monks chant which was amazing
- Garbage and poverty is everywhere
- Here if you eat cow you don't tell anyone because cows are sacred
- I miss u all madly
- I know this won't be my last time here because Nepal is amazing
- The architecture is amazing
Sunday, May 16, 2010
'the purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.' (E.R.)
Different snapshots of the city...
Sorry about my lousy up keep of this blog. The power here is only on 12 hrs a day so it's hard to coordinate when to add stuff. Love you all and I will try to add more soon!
Sorry about my lousy up keep of this blog. The power here is only on 12 hrs a day so it's hard to coordinate when to add stuff. Love you all and I will try to add more soon!
'believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.' (Kettering)
Monday --
First of all Happy Mother's Day!!!!
Taapali kasto cha?
Today was the first day of our placement. We ate another awesome breakfast and had a bit of language class with Puran (the one coordinator at the house. The people in my group (Cara, Beth, Sam, and Melanie), Ricardo and myself headed to the placement at 11. It took about an hour to arrive there, once again driving through the crazy traffic of Kathmandu. While driving (the hospital sent a van for us), we passed the American club at the outskirts of Thamel. Yes, I said club not embassy (and only for Americans). And the thing is huge! I think the part that bothered me the most about it that you could tell that it was green and lucious and big inside, equipped with tennis courts, etc. But half a block down the street was a dirt field that the local children are to play soccer on.
While driving, it was easy to notice once you entered Bhaktapur and left Kathmandu. Bhaktapur is the city next to Kathmandu. The crazy city began to fade away, as the fields merged into the urban landscape. The pollution and garbage was still noticable everywhere however, especially being located within the rivers in the area. It is also interesting to watch the farmers, which seem to be from the past. 
When we arrived at the hospital, you were able to first notice the beautiful courtyards that came out from the red brick building. It consists of a few separate sections, instead of being a solid massing of structure. We first went up to the administration building and met the president of the hospital, Shymar. We all introduced ourselves, and then he proceeded to discuss the Nepali ways and reasoning for his development of the hospital.
In 1993, Shymar's son Siddhi (age 4), was killed in a car accident. The hospital available to help Siddhi was located in Katmandu, and with the insane traffic that exists here, he died on route to the hospital. Shymar explained to us the importance of having a son. He said how the family usually invests their money for education, etc into the son, as he will be the one continuing on the family name, and roots. Shymar and his wife only had two daughters and the one son, causing the tragic accident to take away that importance of the family. Shymar mentoined how without a son, you can have everything but still be an imcomplete family. His son provided his family that completeness, which was then stripped away from them in an instance.
Often, the westernized world may judge cultures that separate the girls and boys and don't see them as equals. However, listening to Shymar helped to provide insight into such an important part of the Nepali culture and made complete sense in the ways at which their culture works.
After our talk with Shymar, another really nice man, took us on a tour of the hospital. He was a jolly guy, and said how he used to be a lawyer before he began his work with the hospital. He first showed us the rest of the administration building, and then continued towards showing us the rest of the hospital. The area at which people wait to see a doctor, was concrete walls and a bench. He told us the ideas they had for the room and the different development plans at which they had. We then went to the out patient department, which had the childrens rooms, obgyn, and dental in the same area. They took us to the lab and some of the girls noticed that gloves were not being used when taking blood from the patients. We also went down to the x-ray room, which one of the other girls mentoined had equipment in it that was older then her initial training (and she has been an x-ray technologist for 25 years). Now just because the resources may be lacking or their equipment isn't as updated as it could be, these people had done the best they can with what they have, and have the passion, drive and technique that people in Canada lack. 
After our tour we discussed the possibilities for what to do at the hospital and planned to start with the conference room. When then headed back to Kathmandu, again through the crazy traffic.
Today is the first day I started to feel a bit annoyed and homesick. Hopefully it will pass soon and miss you all at home.
First of all Happy Mother's Day!!!!
Taapali kasto cha?
Today was the first day of our placement. We ate another awesome breakfast and had a bit of language class with Puran (the one coordinator at the house. The people in my group (Cara, Beth, Sam, and Melanie), Ricardo and myself headed to the placement at 11. It took about an hour to arrive there, once again driving through the crazy traffic of Kathmandu. While driving (the hospital sent a van for us), we passed the American club at the outskirts of Thamel. Yes, I said club not embassy (and only for Americans). And the thing is huge! I think the part that bothered me the most about it that you could tell that it was green and lucious and big inside, equipped with tennis courts, etc. But half a block down the street was a dirt field that the local children are to play soccer on.
While driving, it was easy to notice once you entered Bhaktapur and left Kathmandu. Bhaktapur is the city next to Kathmandu. The crazy city began to fade away, as the fields merged into the urban landscape. The pollution and garbage was still noticable everywhere however, especially being located within the rivers in the area. It is also interesting to watch the farmers, which seem to be from the past.
When we arrived at the hospital, you were able to first notice the beautiful courtyards that came out from the red brick building. It consists of a few separate sections, instead of being a solid massing of structure. We first went up to the administration building and met the president of the hospital, Shymar. We all introduced ourselves, and then he proceeded to discuss the Nepali ways and reasoning for his development of the hospital.
In 1993, Shymar's son Siddhi (age 4), was killed in a car accident. The hospital available to help Siddhi was located in Katmandu, and with the insane traffic that exists here, he died on route to the hospital. Shymar explained to us the importance of having a son. He said how the family usually invests their money for education, etc into the son, as he will be the one continuing on the family name, and roots. Shymar and his wife only had two daughters and the one son, causing the tragic accident to take away that importance of the family. Shymar mentoined how without a son, you can have everything but still be an imcomplete family. His son provided his family that completeness, which was then stripped away from them in an instance.
Often, the westernized world may judge cultures that separate the girls and boys and don't see them as equals. However, listening to Shymar helped to provide insight into such an important part of the Nepali culture and made complete sense in the ways at which their culture works.
After our talk with Shymar, another really nice man, took us on a tour of the hospital. He was a jolly guy, and said how he used to be a lawyer before he began his work with the hospital. He first showed us the rest of the administration building, and then continued towards showing us the rest of the hospital. The area at which people wait to see a doctor, was concrete walls and a bench. He told us the ideas they had for the room and the different development plans at which they had. We then went to the out patient department, which had the childrens rooms, obgyn, and dental in the same area. They took us to the lab and some of the girls noticed that gloves were not being used when taking blood from the patients. We also went down to the x-ray room, which one of the other girls mentoined had equipment in it that was older then her initial training (and she has been an x-ray technologist for 25 years). Now just because the resources may be lacking or their equipment isn't as updated as it could be, these people had done the best they can with what they have, and have the passion, drive and technique that people in Canada lack.
After our tour we discussed the possibilities for what to do at the hospital and planned to start with the conference room. When then headed back to Kathmandu, again through the crazy traffic.
Today is the first day I started to feel a bit annoyed and homesick. Hopefully it will pass soon and miss you all at home.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
'happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions' (Dalai Lama)
So today was absolutely amazing. We had great pancakes and spicy spaghetti for breakfast and lunch and just chilled during the morning. During the afternoon, I meet the coordinator for the placement I will be working at with the rest of my group. We will be painting the conference room at Siddhi Hospital in Bhaktapur. After meeting with the coordinator, the program coordinator name Ricardo took myself and the group I am with into the Thamel district and more into the local markets. There we stopped at many different temples but the most memorable would have to be one where there was a little boy and his mom playing. They loved to talk to us and for me to take their picture and then show them. We also went to a buddhist stupa and right beside it was a Tibetan monastery. We were allowed to enter the monastery and watch the monks do some prayers. The chanting and the actions at which they followed to pray was surreal, and extremely moving. After leaving the monastery, we all headed deeper into the local market to a sacree shop. On the way there, it was like you were going to be hit from every single direction... the traffic here is insane. We entered this one square, and it was completely jammed packed with people, tuktuks, cars, buses, etc, etc, etc. We had to push are way through the crowd (although I must was that it wasn't quite as packed as Granville and Robson on the last day of the Olympics). One we got the sacree shop, we were brought into the second level of the building and got to choose the fabric of the sacree which tehy would make for us. The array of fabrics available was unreal, with all of them being absolutely amazing, making it very hard which one to pick. I ended up with a baby blue/ turquoise fabric, with the help of the two ladies which work here at the placement. After the shop, we needed to wait around a bit and it was cool just to watch the street and the people go buy. There is such a range of activites occurring, and people dressed in many different ways. When they walked to a bangles store, and bought some bangles to go with the sacrees we had got. Again, the two ladies from the house were absolutely amazing and helped us all get what we needed. The one lady is sooo very nice and it was her reaction to the sacree and bangles which helped me to finally reach a decision. We then made are way through the hectic streets of Kathmandu, scraping but death viz motorbike a few times. Only 5 minutes back home, a motorbike caused about 5 of the girls to scream loudly, making everyone wonder what the heck had occurred. Once back at the house, we all just relaxed and ate yet another amazing meal prepared by Badri.
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Some things for people back home....
Mark: We were walking near the Tibetan monastery and I noticed this beautiful painting of Potala Palace. At the monastery, there was also a shop? located near which was demonstrating that palace. That made me think of what you had said about it and what it occurring there now.
Jasmeen and DJ Minn: While at the sacree shop, the guy there was playing a song on his phone. When the one girl (Cara) listened to this song, she discovered that it was Justin Bieber. Yes Justin Bieber has made it to Nepal. This made me think of you guys and your talks about how amazing he is haha.
---------
Some things for people back home....
Mark: We were walking near the Tibetan monastery and I noticed this beautiful painting of Potala Palace. At the monastery, there was also a shop? located near which was demonstrating that palace. That made me think of what you had said about it and what it occurring there now.
Jasmeen and DJ Minn: While at the sacree shop, the guy there was playing a song on his phone. When the one girl (Cara) listened to this song, she discovered that it was Justin Bieber. Yes Justin Bieber has made it to Nepal. This made me think of you guys and your talks about how amazing he is haha.
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