February 15, 2010... or 2066 in Nepali.

Namaste,
I really have to get better at keeping everyone updated. My days are very long, and yet time always seems to escape me. That and the fact that the power cuts are soon to reach 15 hours a day make it challenging to stay connected. I am well here. Homestick, still, but well. My host family couldn't be more wonderful. One of my host brothers has a 6 month old baby girl, and she is completely perfect. I spend a lot of my time at home just watching her, and asking to hold her every chance I get. It's hard to see a baby receive so much attention at my home, and then come to the orphanage, where the children have to fight for it. I spend all of my time with the three year olds, who will do anything to sit in my lap, or have me hold them. They can be very rough, so I am trying to counter their aggressiveness with a lot of love and tenderness. To be truthful, it's exhausting. I worry often that I will not make the impact that I set out to, but I keep telling myself that if I can provide even some temporary comfort, or stay in the memory of one child, then my journey here will have been a success. The kids and I spend about 4 hours together on the roof of the orphanage, playing in the sun, while each of them gets an oil massage. Oil massages are a part of the Nepali culture, and are given to infants daily, until they are 4 or 5 years old, I am told. Today, after the oil massages were finished, I took out my camera to snap some pictures of the kids. I wish everyone could witness their reaction to the camera. It is hysterical. None of them actually want to have their picture taken, they just want to view the screen that displays the images. Trying to explain to them that they must first be photographed in order to see themselves is impossible. But it is very funny all the same. When they do see their image on the screen, they are overjoyed. Their happiness is so genuine, and it makes me feel so good that here and there, I can create those moments for them.

The local women who work at the orphanage have really taken me under their wing. Today one of them made me a necklace to match the rest of them. They all speak very little to no english, so we spend most of our time together smiling and laughing at eachother. They never fail to giggle hysterically when I thank them for serving me lunch. They will often mimic me, saying, "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" when they receive their own lunches. They are very sweet, and I feel happy to know them. I know that when I leave here, they will continue to work so hard to raise these children. And although a lot of their practices are different from my own, I truly feel that the kids are lucky to have them.

I started yoga the other morning. For the rest of the time I am here I will be doing yoga every weekday morning, at 6am. Waking up this early has been a big accomplishment. Hearing the sound of my alarm at 5:30 is painful, but I feel so amazing when the class is over. So peaceful and content.

I also attended a Hindu festival in celebration of Shiva the other night. It was held at the biggest Hindu temple in the world (which also happens to be about a 5 minute walk from my house). I have been there during the day, but the scenery at night and the energy of all of the people celebrating made it feel like a different place altogether. It was lovely.

Next weekend I am planning to get out of the city for a few days. I can't wait. Kathmandu is charming in its own right, but at times it can be entirely too overwhelming. Between the pollution, the trash, and the constant traffic, I think a change of scenery would do me good.

I feel like I have learned so much in the past two weeks. It has not been without a lot of struggle. Knowing how lucky I am to have so much love and support in my life is one thing, but really feeling it is another. I have never felt so unbelievably fortunate. I wake up every morning with the overwhelming sense that I am so blessed, and that there is so much good in my life, waiting for me at home. This thought makes my days much more bareable. I don't think I have ever truly been so aware of this.