After a long string of internal cursing, I went to American Airlines to figure out what to do…positive that I was totally screwed. Thankfully, they re-booked me through Doha, Qatar…which actually only delayed my trip 15 minutes and took out my long layover in Delhi. (“Is that okay ma’am? It’s the Middle East-you know, like Iraq.”) Don’t ask me what the Middle East is like…I was there for approximately a blink of an eye-and at night. However, the city looked pretty all lit up, and I couldn’t help but feel a small connection to Carrie Bradshaw (as Abu Dhabi was within spittin’ distance).
Occurrences/Observations of the Flights:
1. Traveling with twin toddler boys looks like hell. But parents of said twin boys looked like a mix between Mother Theresa and warriors.
2. Sat next to the most awkward, fat, teenage little redhead on my way to London. I’m thrilled I’m past that phase...not that I ever went through a fat redhead stage...
3. I met a lady in Doha who was 44 years old, single, and from Portland, Maine. She was on her way to Nepal to adopt an 18 month little boy. I’ve never met a more deserving mum. She seemed composed and ridiculously eager. She even packed a little green baby blanket covered in frogs on her carry-on. Tender.
4. Single lady from Portland also told me to “follow my big dreams. Because those are the ones that propel you. Don’t worry about the little dreams. They’ll fall into place along the way.”
5. First impression of Nepali women: negative. I sat next to a lady who seemed to be my age on my way from Doha to Kathmandu. She never spoke a word, and glared at me the whole time. I realized she didn’t speak English and decided to take off my judgmental pants.
6. Movies watched: Leap Year (not so great), An American in Paris (love), An Affair to Remember (love), and Invictus (didn’t get to finish it though…bummer).
When I got to the Kathmandu airport, I looked around at the sea of Nepali faces holding signs with American names. My name was nowhere to be seen. (More internal cursing and fear was settling in of being conned).
“The charm of adventure sweetens that sensation, the glow of pride warm is; but then the throb of fear disturbs it; and fear with me became predominant when half an hour elapsed, and still I was alone.” –Jane Eyre
Finally, Nardev showed up…only 45 minutes late. I got into the tiny taxi and was whisked through the twisty streets of Kathmandu.
First impression of Kathmandu: positive…in fact, more like enchanted. There is a constant hustle and bustle, people wandering through the streets on foot and by bike, cars barely missing one another as they zoom through the tiny spaces in traffic, and little shops selling spices, vegetables, bangles etc.
When we made it to the hostel, it was like walking into heaven. (Finally home sweet home.) It is more run down than the pictures suggested, but it is still charming in its own right. I’ll be living here with Nardev, his wife Seelah, their two children (girl is 5-cute as a button, and boy is 12) and 3 other interns. My room is small, and has two twin size beds (which I’m assuming means that I won’t be alone for the whole summer). We all share one bathroom, we only get 1 hour of water/day, and electricity goes in and out throughout the day. Luckily, the water is hot, and I have wireless internet-that mostly works-when we have electricity...gotta count my blessings!
There is another intern here right now from Washington D.C. I just got the scoop on him…He was in the military, then worked on a tugboat on the East Coast, went to school for photography, and is now here as a journalism/photography intern. He seems quiet and reserved, but has already won the hearts of the kids with his guitar.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so exhausted in my life. I’m eager to go wander the streets, but I can barely keep my eyes open (and it’s only 6:12 as I’m writing this). Time for another nap….let’s just hope they don’t perceive me as the lazy American in Nepal.
Peace. Love. Jetlag.
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