Catch me in Kathmandu: The Beginning

Hello all, this is a blog that I will be posting on throughout my semester abroad based in Kathmandu, Nepal. I will be writing about my experiences here and current events happening the Himalayan area.

My journey began with many flights, taking me from New York to Tokyo to Bangkok and finally to Kathmandu. Looking out the window when my flight to Tokyo was landing was incredible. It is truly breathtaking looking down at a city in a different continent and how quickly one notices all the little differences and changes in environment. Another amazing sight was when my flight was taking off from Tokyo. As the plane was shooting through the clouds I could see a rainbow—a sight that took my breath away. What was even more drastic was landing in Kathmandu. All around me I could see huge mountains, with a bustling Asian city in the valley below. Walking off the plane was simply magical, as I could hardly believe all the sights around me, the many signs advertising Nepal’s historical significance as the birthplace of Buddha and as the home to Mount Everest.

Since my program was not scheduled to pick me up for another hour and a half, I waited outside the exit of the airport by the greeting area, sitting with my bags and watching the people around me. Fortunately for me a traffic cop my age name Rajan noticed me, believing me to be a lost and confused foreigner—which wasn’t wrong. He looked out for me and started making some conversation, as he knew pretty good English. He asked me all about America, my life, and why in the world I was in Kathmandu, while I in turn asked him about his country. Rajan told me about his love This showed me that what is more beautiful than the majestic mountains around me are the people that inhabit them. for Nepal and all the sights in it and how he believed Nepali people to be amongst the most honest and kind people in the world. Holding an optimistic view of the world and a love for his people told told me matter of fact, “I was born in Nepal, I will live in Nepal, and I will die in Nepal.” To me this was all amazing considering the fact that Rajan told me earlier in the conversation that the earthquake a year and a half ago killed all his family. This showed me that what is more beautiful than the majestic mountains around me are the people that inhabit them.

When my program arrived picked me up we spent the next four days doing an orientation in Pharping, a town an hour and a half outside Kathmandu. This town is a sacred place for both Buddhists and Hindus, and sits some 300 feet above Kathmandu with many gorgeous views of the valley below it. During this time, we learned about the different culture and customs of people on this side of the world, many of which are truly fascinating. We also began our intensive study of the Tibetan language, which is quite difficult.

As part of the orientation they taught us how to perform field work and we did a “drop off,” where they sent us into town in small groups with instructions to find a place in Tibetan. Fortunately for my group after an initial struggle we met a kind lama (Buddhist teacher, not animal) who did not take us to the destination on our paper, but instead showed us the entire monastery complex. First we went into a small room to do offerings and prostrations, which he showed us how to do. Next, we went across to a slightly larger monastery room where he explained the significance of many objects, paintings, and prostrations. After that we followed him up a moderate climb (everything is harder in higher altitude!) to what is known as the Asura cave. This cave is very special to Tibetan Buddhists because it is the place where Guru Rinpoche—who brought Buddhism to Tibet—achieved enlightenment. In the cave the lama had us do some meditation and some mantras after which he blessed us with some water and performed prostrations. This experience was completely surreal and has yet to truly sink in.

Next up is a homestay in Bouda, an area in the outskirts of Kathmandu, with a Tibetan family for two weeks!