(note: Asha Nepal exists to break the cycle of sex-trafficking in Nepal. I’m living at a home that aims to bring restoration and rehabilitation for women and their children who have been sexually abused and exploited.)
I feel at times like I’ve been dropped off at some bizarre summer camp where there is no schedule and I can’t understand the language of half of the campers.
Brian Regan does this joke about learning the I before E rule. “I before E except after C and when sounding like A as in neighbor and weigh and on weekends and holidays and all throughout May.”
That’s what it’s like here.
School every weekday at 9:30. Except if there’s a strike. Or maybe a half strike. Then it starts at maybe 10:45. And that depends on if it’s a transportation strike or an education strike Or if there is a holiday or holy day. Then no school. So far, it feels like the kids have been out of school more than they’ve been in school.
No school on Saturday and Sunday. Except to make up strike days. Then school on Sunday.
The kids are allowed to watch four hours of tv a week. Except if there’s a holiday. Especially if it rains on that holiday.
Lunch is served at one o’clock. Except when it is served at two o’clock.
We greet the kids in the morning expecting a “normal” day and we’ll get a response like, “Sister! Strike today!” I don’t know how they find these things out. Or they will just know when lunch is ready. No watch or anything, they just know. It’s like there is a secret schedule I haven’t figured out yet.
Meal times and evenings are chaotic, but I love them. There are so many kids talking and running around and in some cases singing and dancing. Sometimes it gets out of hand and I think to myself, “we need an adult in this situation.” Then I remember that I am an adult and I laugh a little. I don’t feel like an adult and most of the time and I don’t feel qualified most of the time, but that’s okay because there’s more room for God to be glorified.
I use the phrase, “Does anybody know what’s going on?” a lot here, because I almost never know. I’m not sure anyone knows. But it’s okay. That leaves me more time to drink tea and stare at the mountains 🙂
