Sunday, February 7th

Hi Everyone,

After six days here in Kathmandu, my thoughts are collected enough to sit and write about the beginning of my journey. There is so much to say. To put Nepal into words is quite a challenge. It is crowded and colorful and loud and dirty and beautiful all at once. I am completely enchanted and frightened at the same time, but I suppose that for my first week, this is normal.

The people of Nepal are so rich in spirit. Always smiling and saying hello, they are more welcoming than any people I have known. And yet, I feel very isolated. It is a strange thing to feel completely alone in a city full of so many people. I know that it will take some getting used to. In the mean time, I am taking in as much as I can. I go to sleep every night feeling exhausted by all that I have witnessed, simply from walking the streets.

I cannot say enough about my host family. They are so warm and considerate. I feel that I have learned more about their culture in a week of sitting around the kitchen table with them, than I ever could have by reading books back at home. We talk a lot about Nepali culture, religion, and tradition. As far as the teachings of Buddhism and Hinduism are concerned, I feel as though the more I learn, the less I know. I am surrounded by so much beauty here. From my bedroom window I can see a Hindu temple, and many mountains in the distance. I can also hear the bustling of the busy streets below, filled with children playing, people walking, and sometimes even monkeys, running past. The streets are unlike anything I could have imagined... they are literally too small to hold all of the cars, motorcycles, people, cows, goats, dogs, etc. but everyone somehow always seems to manage.

I feel so blessed to be working with such wonderful children at the orphanage. Each one of them is so special, so different. They all have such personalities. For now I am mostly working with the three year olds. They are very energetic and aggressive. When I come through the entrance way to see them in the morning, they all shout, "Miss! Miss! Hello Miss!" and struggle to get to my lap first. By the time I sit down I usually have three children on my legs and two hanging from my neck. They love to be held and hugged and sang to. They also love to count on my fingers. When I am feeling homesick (which has been more often than not), they bring me such comfort. I hope that they learn as much from me as I have already learned from them.

Since being here I have been to several temples, both Buddhist and Hindu. The influence of the two religions in Kathmandu is astounding, and witnessing such faith all around me makes me feel very safe, in some strange way. I hope to learn as much as I can about both religions while I am here.

Next week I will begin yoga classes with a member of my family here, who is an instructor. I cannot wait. I will try to post at least once a week. My e-mail address is gethallie@gmail.com, incase anyone wants to send me a message, as well. There is very limited power in Kathmandu (the power is cut off for 11 hours each day), so staying in touch may be a challenge. I think about home all of the time, and miss it very much. But I know that right now, I am exactly where I am meant to be.

Namaste.