Joy Cometh in the Morning

weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. -psalm 30:5 I was holding my grandfather’s hand when he died. To this day, I can remember exactly what it felt like. His skin was warm and slick. His pulse had been getting weaker throughout the day, his breathing more shallow, and I […]

And then Continue Onward: Part 1

Terminology in this post: High school=9-10th grades; College=11-12; University=our college 8% of Nepali girls will graduate from 10th grade (which is graduating from high school). Of those, less than 1% will score high enough on the national high school graduation exam to qualify for scholarship for university. In the history of the village where I […]

A story of time

My grandparents, like all old people, owned four hundred and seventy three clocks. There were clocks made of wood, clocks with dainty flowers around the edges, clocks imbedded in plaques, and my personal favorite, a clock of the shiniest gold-plated metal that had two columns that spun. My grandmother always had the TV on to […]

A patch of green grass.

It’s been a while since I’ve written. Part of that was that med school keeps me busy. Part of it was that I couldn’t think of what I could write about that would be anywhere near as interesting as my past. Part of it was that once I stopped, it was hard to start again. […]

An(other) election

On our election day, I wanted to write about my experience witnessing Nepal’s first general/local election after the long civil war. The civil war was in some part a fight to hold local elections for all citizens. In the days leading up the election, various political parties (at the time there were 57!) would go […]

Live from (Syracuse) New York

Check out the photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EkavMyVktWcaN89n9 (I can’t post the photos here because they’re higher resolution than my hosting site allows, and I can’t be bothered to resize all of them.) Notes: I would like to thank the South Side Innovation Center and the residents of Syracuse’s South Side for their hospitality. I obtained consent […]

Three Shadows in Unfamiliar Hills

There is a pressing issue facing Nepali society, but I was never really that interested in it: Over 10% of Nepalis (and over 50% of young men) are currently working abroad. In addition to the “brain drain”, where Nepal’s brightest minds go to live permanently in other countries, many low skilled workers are attracted to […]

Tales from the Front of the Class, Part 3

Four-Year-Olds are (not) so Cute I had secretly always wanted to teach little kids, just a few times, but I didn’t have time to add another class onto my teaching schedule when I lived there. So last week, when a primary-level teacher asked me to fill in for their first grade class of 45 four […]

I’m back.

As I was saying my goodbyes to everyone in Nepal, I was always asked one question, “when are you coming back?” And my answer was always the same: I’ll be back in two or three years. My sister was with me when I was saying goodbye to the village, and as we drove away, she […]

Where to Now?

I majored in employment practices and theories, yet I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life when I graduated. There were many different ideas and visions for what I could do: teacher, musician, corporate HR, lawyer, diplomat; I heard it all. I studied for the LSAT, GRE, and (a few years […]

Every Month

I shook my head as my student ushered me into her home. “I can’t come into your house because I’m menstruating.” I explained as she started to walk into her one-room house. “It’s ok, though. I’ll sit outside.” Khabita frowned but nodded. She brought a cup of tea out to where I was sitting on […]

Inside a Dimly-Lit Room

The thing I am most proud of is one that I have a hard time articulating. When I tell people about it, I can tell they don’t really get it. So maybe writing it down will help. About six months ago, during Nepal’s first election in over twenty years (an election that was won at […]

Who I’m Meant to Be

This is me:     Life in Nepal has been more than I’ve ever dreamed it would be. I don’t really have words to describe how thankful I am that I had this experience, that the Fulbright officials me a shot, that my friends and family supported me, and that in the process, I got […]

100 Photos of Corn

What is god’s gift to mankind? According to some Hindu text, Lord Shiva loves marijuana. One night he was smoking, lost his powerful trident, and woke up surrounded by vast fields of it. So once a year, everyone worships Lord Shiva for a full night, with a lot of people partaking in smoking to celebrate […]

My Youngest Sister

For the longest time, I convinced myself that my youngest host sister, Hasina, liked me. Or rather, I knew that she found me to be Adequate, and I convinced myself that was her highest rating. Other people–usually men–would get a grimace from her. I received no reaction at all. For the first eight months, the […]