kathmandu, nepal - september 2, 2006

actually, i'm in between the separate community called bouddha (surrounding the larget buddhist stupa in asia, bouddhanath) and aaru bari, which is where the child haven home is located.

i'm overwhelmed. it's full-on and beautiful and wrenching and terrifying and did i mention it's beautiful? even the busy streets of kathmandu itself are vibrant in their own polluted way

the children, however, are definitely the most vibrant part of this. they are endless wells of curiosity and smiles and love and affection from the moment i arrived. by 10am this morning, after breakfast (of daal-bhat taarkari) i felt like i'd worked a full day. i'm going to be the butt of many practical jokes. oh, and i should never be allowed near a basketball. i managed to conk a very little one on the head my first shot this morning. i think i'll stick to walking in the morning, a little gymnastics (did my first cartwheels in years today) and tutoring.

i'm not alone. anna, from ottawa and who was with me at the orientation, picked me up at the airport and has introduced me to the joys of haggling and being at peace with the chaos, thought that's going to take some time to figure out. she leaves monday to continue her journey in india. but i have an unexpected roommate, scott, from england, who's been travelling in asia for several months and ran into anna's friend, sadie, when they were in dharamsala. sadie suggested child haven and he arrived the same day i did. once again, go team synchronicity. the next volunteer, katherine (a retired nurse, also from my orientation group), will arrive september 6.

despite my positive thinking about being here alone, i think it could have been catastrophic trying to figure this out without a little help. i'm so grateful for the the presence of anna and scott. finding a role in relation to the children, particularly the older boys, is going to be a fascinating process.

btw, it's true what the guidebooks say: nepali boys are very affectionate with one another, and now me. there's a great deal of handholding, cuddling, arm-in-arm stuff that is such a shock. it will take considerable getting used to. nevermind, the whole experience is just wild. i'm learning how to eat with the fingers of my right hand. it's an art. i'm being gently teased about it, but all the children are so supportive of my learning. it's so cool.

but it's also very hot. VERY hot. it's just the end of the monsoon, so the roads (if you care to be that generous with terminology) are often muddy tracks. but the home is located in an absolutely spectacular town, aaru bari, that is a perfect, calm oasis from the hubbub of even bouddha, let alone kathmandu, which i'll make my way to once i've settled in to life at the home.

i'm all over the place....

learning the children's names is incredibly challenging since they all sound kind of bubbly and full of trills and whimsical consonants. it's embarassing to forget the names of even those who've given me so much attention. fortunately, they tend to wear the same clothes for several days, so i can put faces to clothes. their personalities are outrageous. one project that scott and i will work on is updating the photo boards above the entrance to the dining hall. they don't accurately portray many of the children who've grown up since the photos were taken.

i'm glad that scott--who was a businessman for 8 years before leaving it all behind to work with children and children's programs and is now a practicing buddhist (don't ask me the discipline: he chants in japanese sanskrit)--is also here. he's got the capacity to be more of a father figure. i can work in the kitchens and do laundry like anna.

but i have to leave. the other two have finished.

more later.

i'm happyscared.

it's all good.