March 16, 2010

Sunday was a wonderful last day in Kathmandu. I woke up very early in the morning to take a small plane ride over the Himalayas. It was by far the most incredible thing I have done here in Nepal. I mean, knowing of Everest is one thing, but being so close to it that you feel as though you could reach out and touch it is another thing entirely. It was an experience I will never forget. I spent the rest of the day walking around the busy streets of Thamel, and treating myself to some pizza and ice cream from a delicious and very well known restaurant called "Fire and Ice". It was lovely. In the evening, my host mother made me my absolute favorite, milk MoMo (sort of like a sweet dumpling) for my last meal. I spent the rest of the night alternating between watching an American film and the extraordinary lightning storm that seemed to be directly over our house, illuminating the sky with fantastic shades of purple.

Yesterday was quite the experience. I left Kathmandu for Pokhara at 7am. I was accompanied by four German trekkers, three Chinese trekkers, and a couple from France. They were excellent company. Our drive from the busy capital to the small city of Pokhara lasted about seven hours. And now I am here. And my happiness is too great to put into words. I am told that this city has a way of making that impact on most foreigners. It is so beautiful here. The air is so fresh, there is very little pollution or traffic, and mountains can be seen at every turn.

The counseling center in which I am working and living is located on a small side street, away from the center of the city. It is very modest, but very clean. It has a nice little front yard, and a beautiful garden filled with exotic flowers and fresh vegetables. Inside, there is a living room, an office, a study room, a kitchen, a bathroom, a prayer room, and bedrooms. I sleep in the guest bedroom.

Two women live at the center and care for the girls. They are called DeDes (sisters). They provide all of the cooking and cleaning as well. There is also a psychologist and a teacher who are here during the day. Currently, seven girls live at the center. They are between the ages of 7 and 17. The oldest girl has a 5 month old baby, who also lives here. Specifically, these girls have either been victims of rape within their home environment, or were found living and prostituting themselves on the streets. Some girls who are brought to the center are also victims of sex trafficking.

I cannot say enough about these children. They are so welcoming and affectionate. When I arrived, they all ran outside and greeted me with bouquets of hand picked flowers and red powder to stamp on my forehead with their little fingers. They speak very little English, and I obviously don't speak much Nepali, but we seem to understand each other very well. We spent my first evening here dancing together to Nepali music in the kitchen while the DeDes cooked dinner. We all ate our meal together on the kitchen floor, and then curled up in front of the television when the power came on, watching Nepali soap operas until it was time to put the little ones (and myself) to bed.

I was awakened this morning to the sound of the cows mooing and the roosters crowing in our neighbor's yard. The girls and I had tea and biscuits, and then we spent the rest of the morning drawing and playing in the driveway. Later, we had breakfast, which included the most amazing fresh cucumbers, carrots, and radishes from the garden.

The girls are all at school now, except for the oldest, who stays at the center with her baby and practices her sewing. I will spend the day with her, until the rest of the children come home. They are teaching me Nepali songs. I am teaching them English songs. So far, they love "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider".

I know that I am going to be seeing and feeling and experiencing so much here, both happy and heartbreaking. For now I am so content with where I am, and so ready to learn from these girls. I cannot say how lucky I already feel to know them.