Lots of words and no pictures.

(The internet is currently not cooperating and will not let me upload my pictures or videos.  So enjoy a nice long read.)

So I landed here on Thursday morning at 8:55 am.  On the flight into Kathmandu, I managed to snag a seat by the window on the left side of the plane.  (I played it off so that I looked completely unselfish, but that’s a different story.)  But even after that, it was too cloudy to see the Himalayas.  Sad day.  But I will say that a sunrise above the clouds is like a rainbow - pretty sweet.

I thought I was going to explode with excitement when we landed - I still can’t believe I’m here.  After getting my visa and shamelessly refusing to tip a man who took my luggage from me, I found my aunt who took me from Kathmandu to Banepa.  It’s only about 18 km away, but it takes nearly an hour with no traffic to get there.  I really don’t remember a whole lot of what I did that day, but I did manage to stay awake until it was night time whereupon I crashed, and haven’t had a problem with jet lag since.  I typically sleep from about 8:30pm to 4:30am here, and it seems perfectly normal.  Although last night I stayed up with some friends until about 11:30....woo! what a rebel!

On Friday I started my first day in PT.  I started out going on rounds with Bijuli and Menoj...both of whom speak English, but I can’t understand a word of it.  I barely understood anything that went on in inpatient PT that day.  Then I went back to the actual PT clinic and worked with Yvonne, who I can understand, and I had a lot of fun.  I’ve already done so much more in PT than I would ever get to in the states, obviously.  After that I helped Yvonne with her Pathfinder unit (which has now become my pathfinder unit) with their drama for vespers.  I’m fairly certain I met at least a hundred people in a 5 minute time span who all remember my name, and I now know maybe 10 of theirs.....after practicing for 3 days.  Their names make no sense to me, and I rarely remember them unless they spell it out for me or write it down.

On Sabbath, church lasted nearly 6 hours.  Oh my, what an experience.  Fortunately I sat next to these two boys, Dennis and Dixon Sherpa, and we thoroughly entertained ourselves writing all over the bulletins and watching the pastor fall asleep in front of the entire church.  (The pastor wasn’t the one preaching, but he was sitting up front on a bench and his whole torso would nod, not just his head.)  The boys also thought it was hilarious to mimic everything I did.  I told Dennis he should climb Everest since he is a sherpa, and he just smirked.  He now calls me Jenny Didi, which means Jenny Sister, and Dixon just calls me Sloooop (emphasis on the O’s), so I feel right at home.  But I do hope church next week does not last 6 hours; I heard that was unusual - and I certainly hope so.

After a potluck at 4 in the afternoon, I went back to help out with Pathfinders.  After singing the Pathfinder song and pledging to keep the morning watch, etc., we went back into the church to listen to the same guy who had preached in the morning give a very biologically detailed speech on the war between Satan and God.  Indirect quote: If there is a war between Satan and God, it is right here!  In the synapse!  (And on the screen is a presentation, in Spanish no less, and the current slide was a very detailed picture of a “synapse,”  even showing the calcium ions and everything.  Things here in Nepal definitely keep you on your toes!  After Pathfinders was really fun though and I goofed off with the kids for quite some time.  The problem is that I don’t understand any of their jokes, and the ones I do understand really aren’t that funny.  Nepali humor is strange.  After this I went up to Yvonne’s and her husband, Songram’s house.  We played uno, ate pizza, and talked about trekking (and a million other things).  Fun.

Today was an interesting day for sure.  I started out on rounds, this time with Yvonne so I understood what was going on, and then went to OT.  OT here stands for Operating Theatre which is the same as the Operating Room in the U.S.  I think the name is really more appropriate, as the people who work there are always quite hilarious.  Anyhow, I was so excited to watch my first surgery, a femur fracture.  It was so interesting, and I was so proud of myself because I didn’t feel sick at all.  They really aren’t gentle at all.  Then I thought, well, my stomach doesn’t really feel great, but I really feel just fine.  Yeah.....Bam! It wasn’t long before I passed out.  I felt so defeated!!!  Bah!  But I’ve been telling myself all day that lots of people pass out when they see their first surgery, so it’s ok.  At least the people in OT have something else to laugh about now.  Ugh.

Later in the day I also went into Banepa to do a little food shopping, ate ice cream with Yvonne and all the PT staff in celebration of the 4th of July, went to a Shiva temple, and went on a hike up the hill outside of Banepa to where I should have been able to see the Himalayas, if it wasn’t cloudy.  Besides being monsoon season, it is also wedding season, and I’ve seen numerous weddings.  A number of people have offered to find me a husband, and I’ve politely declined.  Sheesh!  They all think I’m so old not to be married.

Now I’m headed off to get internet so I can post this.  I don’t currently have internet at my house, which is more annoying than I thought it would be.  There are a number of things PT related that I would like to read up on, but cannot.  I’ll try not to make subsequent posts this long.  Happy 4th of July!!!