The First Day...

My host, Shreeram had to pick his motorcycle up from somewhere so I arrived alone in the taxi. Two women and a lot of children were waiting for me at door step.

Sarita, Shreeram's wife, Rekha the caretaker of the children for the "My World" project, Ayush, Ayusha, Asa, Santi, Anjeli, Bipin, Bipika (the children of the house and neighbours) jumped all over me. They met me with love and hope. Some could speak a little English, older children more. They showed me my room, I settled. A wooden bed with a thin mattress, two old chairs, a broken table and a crooked book self was waiting for me in my room. I put my belongings in my room, washed my hands at the water pump. Toilet was outside, eastern style. When Shreeram arrived it was already time for dinner. Kids put an old mat on the floor of the courtyard, put 4 metal glasses in a perfect row full of water. The kitchen too is outside near the stable, they took their meals in turns and sat on the mat in front of the glasses. Plates are also metal, they are served rice (bhat), a kind of bean soup (dal) and stir fried potatoes with some vegetable in it. They mixed the bhat with the dal with their right hands and started eating. Then the grown ups were served with the same food. Only my plate was different, still metal with various compartments in each of them one of the food. Shreeram and I sat on the sofa on the porch, Rekha sat on the floor facing the fantastic view and Sarita sat on the floor near us with her plate. They all eat with their right hands but I was given a spoon. So I started eating after a few bites Sarita asked me "Bhat kani?" and then in English "more rice?" I said "No thank you." Shreeram told me that pugio is the word for saying I don't want anymore. This was the second Nepali word that I have learned. First was "Namaste" which is the greeting, meaning "I bless the god in you!" What a beautiful way to greet someone!...

When we were finished with our dinner first the children then the grown up poured some water into their plates and dumped it into a bucket near the water pump. So did I. That bucket later feeds the goats. Rekha washed the dishes at the water pump, we sat a little, then the children came running and jumping around yelling "line go!" so electricity was cut. They sat nearby and asked me questions when the line came back they gave me a book to read and as I read they fall asleep one by one. So I went to my room and set up my mosquito net. They showed me the fan switch and I lay on my hard bed, inside my mosquito net with a light smell of wet wood. All the world went through my mind. I had mailed everybody from Kathmandu telling everything was ok. For a brief clear moment I realized that I was in Nepal, hundreds of miles away from my home, family, friends, habits...

I doubted the fact that I was actually in Nepal and suspected that I was just dreaming or maybe even day dreaming. I fall asleep... Among the sounds of crickets, night birds, wind blowing and the sounds from roof on top of me...

14th may 2008