It’s 6 am. I’m up on the roof overlooking the city. Being still has never been so entertaining. I look down and observe a smorgasbord of activity: a young man hoeing his “front yard”; an elderly couple on a morning stroll; two ladies chattering away in the street; a woman hanging laundry out to dry; two cars at full speed passing each other—and then sideswiping so the van loses its side mirror.
Such is life in Nepal. It is constantly full of activity, of bustling bodies and seeming chaos. Yet, I’ve noticed more here than anywhere else how, at the same time, the people seem to do nothing but sit outside their homes or stand in their doorways and simply watch. Watch what? The parade of white people that pass by or potential car and motorcycle accidents that could happen at any moment?
There are over 200 castes in Nepal, each one speaking their own dialect. I assume things aren’t as chaotic as they seem, but to an outsider like me, I’m shocked to see so much diversity and lifestyles occupying the same space. There are little children dressed in dirt and rags running around while in the same blink of an eye I notice beautiful, dolled up Hindu women. Some wear traditional clothing, others wear jeans and t-shirts. But what I’ve found to be the most consistent among all castes and valleys is the food: rice and beans, beans and rice.
I’ve yet to figure out the traffic system (if there is one). As far as I can tell, people drive on the left (steering wheels are on the right), but more often than not, they either take up the entire road or zoom around any which way to pass the children walking home from school or the slow truck ahead. The other day I was involved in a traffic jam—and I was walking. I don’t think ‘pedestrian’ translates into Nepalese.
People rise early here and go to bed early as well (at least my host family does, so we do, too). The power gets shut off at 9:30 pm, so bed time it is. We’ve been getting up between 5:30-6:30 am every morning. The mornings are the best, cool and quiet. And Nepalese tea (think a chai latte) is heavenly. Showers are cold. Sleeping is hot and sticky. The mosquitoes are big and slow; you can catch them with one hand and kill them instantly. It’s a fun game. But my, do the bites kill.
It surprises me how quickly I adjusted to this life: throwing on the same sweaty shirt from yesterday, walking a handful of miles every day on rocky hills, muddy paths and narrow bridges. Perhaps the best part though is how friendly people are. Nearly everyone—from the women in the rice fields to the men gambling out front of a store—will stop, make eye contact and greet you with a smile and “Namaste” (hello). And when a bus of little Nepalese students passes by, the screams and waving hands shooting out of the windows make me giddy as I childishly scream “Namaste” back with a huge wave of my own.
Nepal is unlike anything I’ve seen. The views are unexplainably gorgeous, even if the majority of the mountains are covered in fog and rainy clouds. From every angle, the city and valleys are surrounded by panoramic views. The colors are so vibrant, from the green rice fields to the people’s clothing. This life is so different from what I’ve left behind, but it’s beautiful in its own way. Regardless of the difficulties and challenges I’ve already faced, I am very blessed to be part of the Nepalese lifestyle—even if all the ladies laugh at me because I fell asleep in church.
Prayer requests:
–Good health! We eat A LOT of carbs and the hygiene is obviously not like it is in America, so I covet your prayers in this area!
–The people of Nepal, who are mostly Hindu and Buddhist. Pray for broken chains, freedom from witch doctors and old customs
–The small but mighty number of Nepali Christians. Prayers for them to be bold witnesses, and to continue growing in the Lord
–Finances. Money is coming in slowly but surely! My next deadline isn’t until October (roughly $10,500). If you feel led to give, just click the link above!
*I apologize for the lack of photos and also for not posting the Sarah Safety Series. Wifi is greatly coveted by us Racers, so things are a bit slow right now 🙂 I promise it’s coming!
