Nepal

I have been here in Nepal for almost a week now and our Summer Camp is going well. I cannot believe how well behaved these kids are. They blow my Japanese kids out of the proverbial water. Their English is great, I have 5 year olds speaking to me in English. Japan can learn something about English Education from Nepal. I am teaching Japanese to these kids, strange seeing how I have spent the last 2 years teaching English. The camp is great though but requires me to be always super energetic. At the end of the day I am exhausted.

Health and cleanliness is another story here. The bathroom is a scary place, every morning I take a shower with some companions of the 8 legged variety, needless to say I get in and out as fast as I can. Toilet paper has not been introduced here yet so we bring our own with us everywhere we go. I try not to use the bathroom more than twice a day and only when I really really have to go.

We are doing a homestay here and I am really happy with the family we are staying with. It is the sister and niece of the organizer of the camp. We have been welcomed into their family with open arms and we are planning to cook them dinner tomorrow night. Should be fun...hope they don't suffer from our cooking.

So far Nepalese food has been agreable with me, although I am feeling a little funny today. The diet is mainly rice and veggies that you eat with your hands. You do not use utensils.

Every morning I hope on the back of a motor bike and zoom through the countryside into town from the small village where I am staying. I love the ride, except for the occasional goat, cow, or duck that strays onto our path. This morning we nearly took out a duck on the road. Cows and goats just roam everywhere. We are in a very underdevelopped area. Their is livestock everywhere. The level of poverty is astounding. I cannot believe it somedays. What a huge difference from Japan. Talk about culture shock.

All in all I am having a good time, amazed by the kindness of the Nepali and how we have been welcomed here. Everywhere I go, I am greeted with a smile and namaste. Which means hello, good bye and almost everything else. Nepal is beautiful and more interesting than I could ever have imagined. It is an awesome country.

Okay will update in a few days.