uNaBLe To gEt thE WoRLd cUp sOnG oUt oF mY HeAD

Justin: "I got hit by a motorcycle today."
Kaitlyn: "I got slapped at work."
James: "An naked man chased after me."
Justin: "You win."

World Cup…”Oh oh oh oh oh……”

I have watched approximately 315 minutes of the World Cup while I’ve been in Nepal. This is 315 minutes more soccer than I’ve ever watched in my life (in fact, I was so clueless about it that I thought it was like the Super Bowl and just one championship game instead of a tournament). To be completely honest, I can’t say that I love it. It is such a frustrating game to watch! Barely any goals are scored, the players are ridiculously dramatic-throwing themselves on the ground and whining in agony, only to stand up and shake it off as soon as a yellow card is drawn, and the announcers are completely biased and a little mean. However, I think that watching it here, with people who actually care about soccer/football is just about the best way you can watch it. I was watching the Germany vs. Serbia game with a German the other day, and I honestly thought he was going to start crying at the end of the game. I think it’s also funny to be in an environment where it seems like everyone is against the U.S.A. winning. I watched 2 of the U.S. games and both times EVERYONE was cheering for the other team.

Ants in my Pants…I mean, my bread.

The other morning I was at breakfast and was about to bite into my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, looked down and saw that ants were crawling ALL OVER and INSIDE of the bread. Needless to say, I freaked out (luckily, I was eating alone), threw the bread away and didn’t end up eating anything for breakfast. Bummer.

Getting Slapped.

After a semi-dramatic...well, I guess it was pretty dramatic...facebook status update about getting slapped, I suppose I should explain myself. Here is the story: I got to work early the other day and was locked out of my office. After awhile, this dude came to unlock it for me and once he finally jiggled the lock open, he slapped me across the face and said, "Happy now?" I was so shocked, I didn't know what to say so I just looked at him and said, "Yeah, thanks!" That's right...I thanked him for slapping me. It was actually pretty hard, but I just figured it had to be culture thing, because it wasn't like he was mad at me or anything, and I remembered that my boss often grabs and squeezes my cheeks when he's talking to me, so...it had to be a infatuation with the face or something.

THEN, the next day, I was talking to my boss and at the end of our conversation, he slapped me across the face too!! (This time, it was more gentle though.) I have come the conclusion that this bizarre act must be like when you punch a friend in the arm jokingly in the USA. I've also come to the conclusion that I'm being so stupid, because here I am, doing research on Women's Rights Issues and becoming that submissive woman who just takes it. And finally, I've come to the conclusion that if it happens again, I'm going to ask them to stop touching me, slapping me, grabbing me, and squeezing me. I'm an American. I have a bubble. And no matter how much I want to immerse myself in Nepali culture, I need to preserve my bubble.

Killing Time.

Besides watching the World Cup, almost eating ants, and being slapped, there isn’t a whole lot going on here. I’m not much a clubber (no matter how enticing the "Teen Dance Club with Shower" signs are) and I’m trying desperately not to shop too much. So James, Justin and I are often stuck twiddling our thumbs and trying to think of things to do. We usually end up at OR2K sipping on fantas and eating humus. And last night I splurrged and bought five new movies (including Sex & the City 2!!!) for a mere $5...so hopefully that proves to be a source of entertainment for a little while.

But the point is, I’m ready to go on a weekend getaway. I think next week we are going to venture to Pokhara which is a town with a lake about 6 hours away from Kathmandu. I’m absolutely thrilled.

So, with that, I’m signing off…because really….not a lot is new.

Peace. Love. Boredom.