I have been in Nepal 4 weeks now and am finally starting to feel like I have a bit of a routine and know where I'm going—at least in the 3-mile radius I walk around my home! I haven't taken as many pictures yet as I'd like, but here are a few pictures and descriptions to give you a snapshot of life here in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu is nestled in a valley amid mountains, which you can see on a clear day. In the picture above you can see Swayambhunath Temple on the left overlooking the city. I and a couple friends hiked to this temple one Saturday.
When we visited the temple it was a Saturday, the Hindu holy day, so the temple was filled with people, sounds, smells, and color. It was fascinating to see the intricacies of it all.
Back at my home, here is a view (below) of part of the city from my rooftop. I share a flat with another American who happens to be from Minnesota! Our view overlooks the the laundry and washing hub of the city called the dhobighat. The laundry lines are quite a colorful view most days!
Conveniently, the office I teach English at is only a 5-minute walk from home! I teach just below the dhobighat in one of the flats on the left in the picture above. To give you an idea of day to day life, I am currently teaching Monday through Thursday in the afternoons. In the mornings I either prep for teaching or take Nepali classes from a private tutor. (The walk to Nepali class is a bit farther—about 25 minutes one way.) I have to say, the Nepali language is difficult, but I am learning ... slowly.
The English classes, on the other hand, are going really well. I teach 5 students every day (3 lower level students and 2 intermediate level). It's a blessing to be able to teach a small number of students and give them the attention they need. We are working on pronunciation, reading, and identifying parts of speech in the intermediate level class right now. In the lower level, we spent the first two weeks studying for a high school equivalency exam called the School Leaving Certificate. Two students are taking the exam this week!
Life in Kathmandu is colorful, to say the least. I can't say I'm used to the incessant honking yet or walking into oncoming traffic to cross the street. But the people are beautiful and I enjoy my world "shrinking" to about a 3-mile radius as I walk to the store, then class, the office, and home. Hopefully I can share more shapshots of daily life here as I spend more time calling it home in the coming weeks.
Kathmandu is nestled in a valley amid mountains, which you can see on a clear day. In the picture above you can see Swayambhunath Temple on the left overlooking the city. I and a couple friends hiked to this temple one Saturday.
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| The steps going up at Swayambhunath Temple |
When we visited the temple it was a Saturday, the Hindu holy day, so the temple was filled with people, sounds, smells, and color. It was fascinating to see the intricacies of it all.
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| Bhuddist prayer flags at the temple. |
Conveniently, the office I teach English at is only a 5-minute walk from home! I teach just below the dhobighat in one of the flats on the left in the picture above. To give you an idea of day to day life, I am currently teaching Monday through Thursday in the afternoons. In the mornings I either prep for teaching or take Nepali classes from a private tutor. (The walk to Nepali class is a bit farther—about 25 minutes one way.) I have to say, the Nepali language is difficult, but I am learning ... slowly.
The English classes, on the other hand, are going really well. I teach 5 students every day (3 lower level students and 2 intermediate level). It's a blessing to be able to teach a small number of students and give them the attention they need. We are working on pronunciation, reading, and identifying parts of speech in the intermediate level class right now. In the lower level, we spent the first two weeks studying for a high school equivalency exam called the School Leaving Certificate. Two students are taking the exam this week!
Life in Kathmandu is colorful, to say the least. I can't say I'm used to the incessant honking yet or walking into oncoming traffic to cross the street. But the people are beautiful and I enjoy my world "shrinking" to about a 3-mile radius as I walk to the store, then class, the office, and home. Hopefully I can share more shapshots of daily life here as I spend more time calling it home in the coming weeks.
Jessica, I love these pictures! It makes me feel a lot more connected to you and what you are doing there in Nepal.
ReplyDelete:) yea! What a wonderful update, Jess! I want to see more of the colors- keep posting pictures...
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