Nepal: Burrowing into Bhaktapur

Week two in Bhaktapur with my host family, and I am hooked.

A view of the rural farmlands of Bhaktapur

The Shiwakoti family welcomed me and a fellow volunteer into their home with open arms, and every day since has only brought us closer. The two girls, Sanskriti (6) and Shree (4), took some time to warm up to us, but with a thorough introduction to each of their stuffed animals on day three, I knew I was in.

Our home: Ground floor— family rooms, 2nd floor— my rooms, 3rd floor— kitchen and patio

Suddenly, gone were the shy, quiet angels, replaced by giggling balls of energy that are shouting “Didi!” (sister) down the road as I arrive home from work. Both girls are enrolled in an English secondary school, and are happy for the extra help with their letters and numbers, that is, when they’re not coloring, dancing to Bollywood music videos, and chasing each other around the house. Sabitri (mom) is a wonderful cook, and fills our plates with piles of rice, curry and vegetables every morning and night— and I do mean piles. With some practice, I can proudly say I have now developed a Nepali appetite, and do not have to turn Sabitri down when she offers a second serving of everything (the first time).

Dal bhat served in the home

On the patio with the girls

Most of the produce is grown in a small crop garden next to the house, ensuring fresh, delicious dishes. Subash (dad) is a chatty family man with a musical gift, often breaking out the harmonium and singing for us before dinner, and he is also in charge of making a corn husk fire on the bottom patio for us to enjoy on chilly nights. The family has welcomed friends over for tea or dinner several times, introducing us to more of the community and offering more insight into the Nepali way of life. The home is warm and full of laughter from morning to evening, beginning with milk tea in the sunshine of the patio before breakfast, and ending with black tea in the kitchen after dinner.

My days have been filled volunteering at Satprayas, a non-profit center dedicated to the rehabilitation and education of children with special needs. I walk 15 minutes down the road to work each morning, often accompanied by some local children on their way to school who have become enraptured by the strange American girl on their street. I’m happy for their company, especially when it comes to crossing the main road (several lanes of traffic with no signs or lights installed for pedestrians) which is certainly a case of “strength in numbers”.

The physio room at Satprayas (No pics of the kids for HIPPA reasons, but look them up on Facebook!)

The center, consisting of a classroom, physiotherapy room, play room and kitchen, hosts around 25-30 kids with abilities ranging from severe developmental disabilities to muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy. On staff are three physiotherapist assistants, one teacher, and two cooks/helpers. My role involves entertaining and engaging the children (sometimes 10 at a time) in activities aimed to strengthen their muscles and improve their gross motor skills. This may include holding a child in a low weight-bearing position against my chest while passing a ball back and forth with a spastic child sitting upright on a step, strengthening her core. Or, I may be holding a child’s elbows as they take small steps, while also rolling a ball for another child in a chair to practice kicking, strengthening his atrophied lower extremities. Goals like this keep me busy, as there are so many children to work with, all of whom have such unique needs. My current mission is to develop a plan that will keep one girl’s hand out of her mouth, where she keeps it 90% of the time. The work can be slobbery and tiring, but seeing their faces light up when I offer them my hand or roll a ball towards them makes it more than worth it.

Every day continues to get easier as I get to know the group, and I find myself excited to see them all each day— I’ve even *almost* gotten all the names down, which has proven to be quite tricky given that half the children are non-verbal and the other half have some form of cognitive delay or speech impediment (Oh, and the language barrier!). The ladies I work with are all very friendly and supportive, and I’m served a hot cup of milk tea every afternoon after we finish feeding the kids lunch. It has been a wonderful experience so far, and I am proud to be working with an organization that is bringing so much hope to these underprivileged children.

With Shree (left) and Sanskriti (right)

Filling up my soul every day at the clinic, and my stomach every night at the kitchen table, I would certainly say that I am beginning to thrive in this new environment!

Walk to the temple with Subash and Sanskriti

I feel as though my place in Bhaktapur was solidified with the celebration of Mahashivratri on March 1st, otherwise known as the Great Night of Shiva. This holiday recognizes Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and rebirth, while also marking the transition from winter into summer (something certainly worth celebrating). My host family and I walked about an hour to Doleshwor Temple, a pilgrimage destination throughout the region for the observation of this holiday, to enjoy the beautiful decorations, shrines and music that flooded the space. Pilgrims lined up down the hill to present an offering at the temple, Yogis, covered in ashes, sat along the edges of the grounds, and hundreds of Nepali locals milled about, basking in the celebratory atmosphere.

Doleshwor Temple decorated for the holiday

Women preparing curry and rice pudding on our ground floor patio

Back at the house, the celebrations didn’t stop. Women from around the community joined us at the house in the afternoon to begin cooking up the feast that would we would be hosting that evening. Huge piles of potatoes, coconut, ginger and herbs filled the downstairs patio, and delicious smells began to fill the kitchen. As the women chopped and stirred, the men pulled out the harmonium, drums, and tambourine, serenading us with Nepali songs of peace and love while the children clapped along. When dinner time arrived, the Shiwakoti family invited their closest friends to crowd around the kitchen table upstairs, where we enjoyed a meal together before joining the community party downstairs. Back on the ground floor, vats of curries and rice pudding were being served out of our entryway to dozens of neighbors and friends as a huge bonfire was blessed and lit in the yard. While the fire blazed and the pudding was devoured, a large speaker was plugged in on the second floor balcony, and so began the dancing.

The celebration and fire set just outside of our house

The women took me under their wing, showing me how to dance in the classic Indian style, all hips and hands, while the neighborhood children ran between our legs trying their best to imitate their moms. At the end of the evening, I found myself sitting in a circle of teenage girls, talking pimples and boyfriends. It was an absolutely incredible night that spoke to the community-oriented nature of the Nepali people, all of whom went out of their way all night to make me feel included and welcome. And bonus: I now have so many more people to greet on my walk to work!

Though it has not yet been two weeks in this lovely region, I have started to truly embrace the rich culture and warm community of Bhaktapur. In my free time, I’ve had the opportunity to explore both the cobbled streets of the old city, and the dirt roads of the rural neighborhoods, and I have yet to meet an unkind soul. Though the people here enjoy few luxuries, they possess a wealth of happiness and community that is tangible, and I am looking forward to my next three weeks In their company.

A view of Bhaktapur and the surrounding Kathmandu valley from the Ganesh Temple (30 minute walk from home stay)