Some Small Things

The past few months have gone by so fast for me! I’m finally feeling like a part of the community, which is incredibly rewarding. Please enjoy some short stories from my recent weeks.

Running with Goats

I try to go for a run every day just to have some time to myself to unwind and enjoy the countryside. A neighbor’s goat just gave birth to three babies. They’re really cute, and I love petting them. One day, one of the babies saw me running and decided to join me, breaking into a sprint right as I passed by. It was the end of my run, so we only ran together for a few hundred meters. Since then, every time that baby goat sees me running it starts running as well.

Brown Water

Brown water coming out of the tap

My village has been in a major drought for the last thirty years. Every morning, my host sister stands in line at the tap for two hours to fill up our buckets of water. I can bathe using only a half-gallon of water (the average American shower takes 17 gallons) and I can wash my clothes using only two. All of that changes during monsoon season, from June to August. During that time, it rains almost every day, far more heavily than I’ve ever seen in the US. Within five minutes of it starting the rain, the path I climb up and down every day becomes a waterfall. I trudge up and down it with water coming past my ankles. It’s actually really fun to be wading uphill through water; it’s like nature’s massage for my feet. It’s something I look forward to every day.

The issue with monsoon season is that now all the water at the tap is bright brown. Although there is finally enough water that I can shower once every four days without guilt, I feel very uncomfortable watching people drink this brilliantly brown colored water. I wish everyone had even simple filters to get the dirt out of it before they drank it Since monsoon season, at least half my friends and family have been very sick. It’s common for people to be sick during this time, and now I have a better understanding as to why.

My Pet

I live with a rat that visits every so often. The other night, I heard my furry friend scurrying around my room late at night. I mentally wished it a productive night and went back to sleep. When I woke up again, I was really cold. At some point in the night, my friend had pulled the sheet off my bed and very kindly piled it on top of my suitcase on the other side of the room. I wonder if it was making a nest out of it or something. I also learned how important it is to make sure mosquito nets are properly tucked in.

Extra English

In addition to my regular teaching duties and programming for girls, I teach extra English classes to any kids who want to learn. I’ve learned that I can get 50-60 kids to come every day if I bring my photos from home. I brought 40 of my favorite pictures to Nepal, and even though by now everyone’s seen them at least twice, the kids will never get tired of examining each one. Almost every morning, some kids will ask me if I have the pictures, and when I say yes, they get excited to come to extra English classes where they can look at them. My students never get tired of rubbing their hands on the pictures, exclaiming to each other about the snow on my house or my sister’s red hair.

I usually do a lot of physical activities with the kids, because they’ve been sitting inside all day, and also because there still is a strong stigma against girls exercising, but with the academic setting it becomes more okay. We play Simon Says every day, and sometimes Simon says to run around the school five times while Ms. Katie prepares for the next session. I’ve also introduced them to my favorite childhood game, Capture the Flag, with some minor tweaks to make it English-focused. Extra English is really fun for me, and it’s low-pressure for the kids, so they enjoy it as well. I still wonder when the excitement of getting to see my photos will wear off, but maybe by then I’ll have someone mail me some more.

What’s in a Name?

My name means “girl” in the local language. This is a big issue, because a lot of conversations go like this (in the local language):

Villager: “What’s your name?”

Me: “My name is Katie”

Villager: “I know you’re a girl, but what’s your NAME?”

Me: “My name is ‘Katie’. I am a girl (kay-tee) and my name is also Katie.”

Because of the confusion, my friends in the village have started coming up with their own names for me. Which is great, but now I have three other names I’m commonly referred to, which is very difficult for me to remember and respond. Kah-RUN-AA (Compassion), Bhai-RAH-bee (Knowledge), Ja-RUNE-AA (Waterfall).

Do I seem like a Kahruna, Bhairabe, Jarunea, or Katie to you?