Happiness

Being "poor" is a term we slap on to Third World countries. We label the developing world as just that-"developing"-as though it lacks progress and is not stable enough to survive on its own. When I was in Tanzania, everyone repeated "oh, that's such a poor country, isn't it?" giving this country its seal of fate, signifying that everything I would encounter would be summed up in images of starving children and unsanitary living quarters. While there are various ways in which Nepal may seem “poor”, I just can’t shake the moments that I witness every day from my mind that inherently defy this label. Yes, there is trash on the ground, streetlights cannot be found, dust blows in the air from the polluted street, and in some places there is a child begging at your feet. But the thing is, people are happy. Not everyone, of course. But everywhere I go, I catch glimpses of life in Kathmandu and it fills me with happiness to see how happy others can be.

Market Kid (Thamel, Nepal) 

In the U.S. you may walk along the street and see people heading to work, busily clicking away at their cell phones with sunglasses covering their eyes. Many jump in their air-conditioned cars, listening to the radio as they prepare to punch in for their 9 to 5.

In Nepal, people head to work just the same. Only their eyes are ahead, looking for oncoming traffic while carrying their briefcases under their arms as they navigate the streets. Others hop on a bus, squeezing into tight quarters and handing over 15 rupees as they sputter along to the office.

Biking with Dad (Kathmandu, Nepal)

The Commute (Patan, Nepal) 

In the U.S. kids don’t play in the city streets. They hold their parents’ hands and walk, staring at the ground, picking up bugs or pebbles that strike their fancy.

In Nepal, kids are everywhere. Some play marbles outside a shop. Others help take care of their little siblings, snacking on a bag of raw ChauChau noodles as they walk to school holding hands. Some ride bikes along the sidewalk. And many young boys ride the bus, collecting passengers’ money to earn a living.

On the Street (Jawalakhel, Nepal)

In the U.S. you’ll see a squirrel climb a tree and pigeons swarm around some leftover crumbs from a woman’s sandwich. Maybe someone will run past, dog in tow. Or a small trail of ants will follow the cracks along the sidewalk, busily crawling toward a water source.

In Nepal, there’s no shortage of animals in the streets. It’s normal for a bull or calf to walk along the sidewalk or even cross the street stopping traffic as cars honk for it to move along. Pigeons flock around grains of rice that were given as offerings at temples. Dogs are everywhere- all of them mutts- searching for leftover food or a place to close their eyes and rest.

Calf on the Street (Naxal, Nepal)

My point is, that while these differences distinguish Nepal from the U.S., it does not make one "poor" and the other "developed". It simply means they are different places with different people who, surprisingly, have very similar ideas about life. I would like to argue though, that these two places have very different ideas about happiness. In the U.S. we tend to measure happiness based on wealth, on things, on what we can show we have earned for ourselves. We are so obsessed with happiness that we force it upon ourselves, relying on media or entertainment to fulfill our need for a laugh or smile. While this makes us hard working and future oriented, sometimes we forget to take a moment and appreciate the little things. We are so busy worrying, trying to be what we want to be that we forget to just be.

In Nepal, some might argue there is the opposite problem: people are too focused on the present so that short-term fixes are not sufficient enough and cannot be sustained. While this argument may be valid, there are also so many ways that this approach works to keep people happy. Sometimes you have to make the most of what you’ve got, and at times that can be short-lived. But I’ve found that most people here really know how to love their families, to care for one another, and to smile and laugh whenever they can.

Best Friends (Larjung, Nepal)

So when I return to the U.S. I’ll miss walking past the grandpas on the street laughing over chiyaa while their wives sit across the courtyard gossiping about their children. I’ll miss seeing a store shop didi help a customer as her chorri sits patiently next to her, entertaining herself with makeshift toys. I’ll miss the big sisters helping her little siblings with homework as their parents continue to skillfully sew kurtas, saris, and cholos for waiting customers. I’ll miss the two friends on a motorcycle, trying to balance all their things while navigating busy traffic and carrying on a conversation through their helmets and masks. I’ll miss walking past a young mother with a baby on her back as she carries groceries home, the nani smiling happily as she bounces up and down, staring at the world around her. And lastly, I’ll miss the feeling that I get when I catch a glimpse of these moments of happiness that are all around me. Because those are the moments that make you feel full and that inspire you to take a moment for yourself to just smile and be happy. 

Seeing Nepal

For the past three weeks I've been in the midst of my ISP (Independent Study Project) and it's given me a chance to see so much more of Nepal. I'm not talking about the heights of Sagarmatha (Everest) or the jungles of the West. I've come to know the quiet neighborhoods, the shortcuts to the bus stop, daai's little shop on the corner, and the local street food hot spots. It has been so exciting traveling and exploring these last few weeks that I've neglected to update everyone- and for that I'm sorry. But good news is, I've got a lot of cool pictures to show you. As always, some are of food!!!

Street art has been so amazing. Everywhere you go it's inevitable to stumble upon. Some might consider it graffiti in the U.S. but I get the sense here that while it's often political, street art is accepted and encouraged. There's so much trash along the streets and the art is a way to bring a little bit of color to people's lives. When I get the chance, I take a picture of some new art I see and it makes me wonder if the negative perceptions of graffiti in the states are really all that valid. Yes, in many cases, people are defacing public buildings, but there are so many instances there are creative artists that just want to make art free and viewable to all. These are a few of my favorites:

ke nepal baachchha. (kantipath road, kathmandu, nepal)

ma bhinna chhu. i am different.  (kathmandu, nepal)

street art (patan, nepal)

stop. learn. go. (patan, nepal)

Being on my own has it's perks. For example, I direct you to exhibit A below. That there is a fine bowl of delicious, fresh, and sasto (cheap) fruit and yogurt. Mike's Breakfast has not only delicious Western-style food but also has wifi. aka is the most convenient place to go when in Naxal. During ISP we've been finding plenty of good food- that's for sure.

fresh fruit with yogurt (mike's breakfast, kathmandu, nepal)

Oh hey! This is me riding the chhabis (26) public bus with a semester's worth of clothing, books, and little treasures I picked up along the way on the seat next to me. My aamaa gave me tikka and a white scarf for good luck as I left for research on my own. Naturally, everyone on the bus stared at me as I hopped on with a 40 lb backpacking bag and a backpack full of books, shoving my way to the back where I hoped to disturb the least amount of passengers as possible. I realized during that bus ride from my homestay to the guest house that I was sad to leave my family, yet excited to be able to return with stories and research to share. I'm planning on heading over to cook with them tomorrow =)

leaving homestay (bus, kathmandu, nepal)

Prabin, Aamaa, me, and Pragya (Handigaun, Nepal)

For my month of research I'm focusing on international volunteer development organizations. I'm talking with Peace Corps, VSO, JICA, and ActionAidDenmark officials to learn about their approach to development and how they place their volunteers. I decided to head out to the villages and find out just what the volunteers are doing in their service.

For a few days I went out to remote villages, shadowing Peace Corps volunteers and learning about their experience in Nepal. That required what I'd like to call, some extreme bus riding. Buses here are not at all like they are in the U.S. Sure, they've got 4 wheels, a driver, and passengers. But when you walk up the narrow stairs to find a seat, it's shocking how many people are packed in there. The bus is rangichangi (colorful) with knitted neon decorations and hand painted Hindu gods along the flashy metal walls of the bus. If you're lucky, you get a seat. If you're like me, you're standing for 2.5 hours while driving along unpaved single lane roads. In my case, that requires a slightly hunched neck and a firm grip on the ceiling bar as I tower over a small aamaa with a baby in the seat beside me.
I love riding buses and watching the "bus boys" do their thing. "Bus boys" are so young (usually under 18 by the looks of it) and have such a relaxed attitude. Their job is to stand at the door, whip it open, shout the bus' many destinations to pedestrians, and collect money from passengers. Fortunately for me, I always try to make friends with the kid, speaking Nepali to figure out where I'm trying to go, and sometimes getting a free piece of gum in return. Watermelon Centerfruit is my fave cause it's swee, lasts forever, and you can make some pretty good bubbles with it. Buses are my friend because they bring me from A to B for about 15 cents. They are, however, hot, uncomfortable, and bumpy. Good thing I can make small talk.

riding buses (somewhere near kusma, nepal)

on the bus (tripura sundari temple, tripureshwor, nepal)

While doing research, I traveled with a few classmates to Pokhara, a lakeside town west of Kathmandu by a 6 hour dive. It's extremely touristy with trekking shops galore, but it also has a calmness and less polluted atmosphere that's nice. It gave me an opportunity to run along the lakeside and get some fresh air. While this initial idea of getting some exercise seemed ingenious, of course, was followed by my realization that I'm completely out of shape. I only managed to run about 3 miles before I had to return and shower and pass out from exhaustion. Summer, you will be both an enemy and a friend, cause this body needs to get back in shape. I can't wait to get back into swimming and biking. Running, not so much.

idol by the lake (lakeside, nepal)

After Pokhara, we returned to Kathmandu but were feeling like a change of pace from the busyness of Naxal where our school is located. We found a Norwegian guest house in Jawalakhel, about a half hour drive south of Kathmandu and I'm loving it. It's like living in the dorms and our rooms feel cozy. We have a yard, a place to hang our laundry away from the dusty streets, and most importantly, a kitchen so we have the freedom to make all of our meals. Of course, we have to stop at the katti roll joint. These rolls are 130 Nrs (about a dollar fifty) for a delicious burrito-like snack filled with tandoori chicken, sauteed veggies, and egg. The kid who makes it has to be about 15, and he has so much attitude and confidence flipping the rolls in the air from the grill top to a plate. It's entertaining, cheap, and delicious.

our yard (norwegian guest house, jawalakhel, nepal)

homemade veg sandwich (norwegian guest house, jawalakhel, nepal)

homemade breakfast (norwegian guest house, jawalakhel, nepal)

katti roll kid (syanko, jawalakhel, nepal)

It's been so fun exploring the neighborhood here. Where Kathmandu has narrow streets packed with cars, barking dogs, and people commuting, this area seems to be a little more spread out. There's quite a large foreign community here, likely due to the presence of so many INGOs and the UN. Coffee shops are filled with bidheshis (foreigners) on their laptops and the streets are calmer and lined with large houses. There is also the occasional monkey run-in.

coffee shop friend (patan, nepal)

abandoned 3rd floor (durbar marg, kathmandu, nepal)

street flags (jhamsikhel, nepal)

I've got a week left of ISP research. During this time I'm going to be finishing up my last interviews and bringing my work together in a 20-40 page paper and presentation. It's so hard to believe that this semester has flown by. Words cannot express the emotions that I have felt since being in this country. It's not only it's diversity that is so attractive, but it's people that make me want to return to Nepal. Everyone I meet here asks if I'll come back- while my future is so uncertain, I know that I will make a point to return to this place that I've called home for 4 months. It's incredible the connections you make and the people that mark your life when you have an open mind and a positive attitude. I've learned how to be more flexible, try more things, and be confident in ways I never was before. More than anything, this has been an amazing growing experience for myself and I can only hope that I managed to make a mark on half the people I've met. 

Nepal is a beautiful place. I am so privileged to be here. And I do not want to leave. That being said, I feel content that I will be back in San Jose in just 15 short days. I'm excited to share stories, pictures, and memories and to be back with my family and friends. I just have to accept that I'll be leaving such a rich community back here in Nepal and know that I will, one day, return.