Namaste everyone!!

This week has been so incredibly hectic and frustrating though exciting all the same. I have now moved into a hostel where I'm living on my own near the tourist district of Thamel. With all the patience o could conjure up, i still could not stand having to be dependent upon someone to carry me up the three flights of stairs, and not being able to go out whenever i want. even though its a bit lonely, it seems my independence trumps all. Plus there's a lot more to do and see here. The hostel is definitely rugged but nice, i have running water and electricity most of the tome. Plus i only have to walk (roll) half hour to the orphanage where I'm working. This is quite nice since i go there at 6 in the morning till 10 when they go to school and then come back bout 6 till 10 in the evening. Long days but the kids are really good. There's only about 12 which is quite enough, but easily manageable, plus they are remarkably well behaved..so far...

One boy Soloman is quite brilliant, I've been teaching English to most of them and he picks it up very well. He's also taken a liking to teaching me Nepali which is quite needed.

To be very honest its very hard here, very very rugged. I definitely feel like one of those stereotypical volunteers who turn into these unshaven, dreadlock wearing people, who sit on the edge of the mountain chanting OM. No worries not quite there yet. The roads are the most horrible kind of combination of mud, gravel, rock and broken cement, of which i sincerely hope my chair survives. The toilets are worse than Peru because its a novelty to find a western toilet, they are all squat toilets which i have to do acrobats to aim in, but getting used to it. Plus they all have open facets on linoleum so the floor is always flooded, making it amazingly slippery.
The Nepali culture is very unique, at times it drive me insane but all to do with culture shock i suppose. Due to high unemployment and poverty levels there is a lot of loitering done by men, and i say men because the women work at least 19 hour days holding a job plus caring for the children household and what not. But they unabashedly stare at me, its quite funny when i actually stop traffic, with the people staring .
The other strange thing is 'bandh's which close down the entire city, schools, shops, offices and traffic. A volunteer couple from Sweden told be that when they were teaching in a village, 5 out of the 6 weeks they were there the schools were closed because of 'bandh's.' Usually they are organized by marginalized groups such as the native tribes, but like Badri jokingly said, i could announce a 'bandh' for marginalized disabled! All i need was a press conference and to burn a few tires and cars and effigy's in the middle of the city. But anyway i don't mind bandh's since i can ride on the road without traffic.
Anyways more later and i will post pics as soon as i can, sorry Melissa!
And Michelle i am deeply deeply saddened by your rejection.............
Jack, loved to hear from you and Doreen, i think of you often!!!
:P
Meg