it's like an alarm clock

End of July (already!)

2011-07-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

At the end of our Elk Lake weekendWe, unfortunately, were too full to eat this one (we had already eaten another)twin trout catch!Elk Lake. Awesome. My first catch- 17 -18" cutthroat!I am pretty sure this pika has been in the frozen water all winter. I love dead things. Devil's pass? Not sure what it is called. In the dorm bathroom. The coolest ranger station ever. Belly River. Looking beyond

July so far

2011-07-07T14:06:00.001-07:00

July 1, Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump, CanadaJuly 2, trail to Iceberg Laketourists at Iceberg LakeJuly 4, St. Mary KOAJuly 5, experiments with thingsJuly 6, outside our room in the Upper Dorm

Just to further my point

2011-05-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

Skyscanner's 2011 Travel Awards named the USA and Australia (tied) as having the "friendliest locals" of all the countries in the world... well, Western world I think. http://www.livethelife.eu/australia-crowned-king-at-skyscanner-travel-awards/

An Ode to Oz

2011-05-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be posted BEFORE the previous post... but for some reason it didn't. Sorry! This is a ode to a country that is vast, self-centered, and wholly Western (in both the worldly sense, and the cowboy). It is an ode to a place where people are generally kind and welcoming, down-to-earth and ready-to-talk. It is an ode to a people that love their country, for all its faults and

Return to Oz

2011-05-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, the Royal Wedding (sorry, had to interrupt for a lunch break with mom at the new restaurant in Irving Park- Remix. if you are in Chicago, please check out this place. It is CHEAP, there are delicious crepes, the owner is super nice, and it is the only cute new restaurant in this neighborhood. Help it out!) The evening of the Royal Wedding (LIVE coverage began at 5pm in Australia), Ben and I

Americans meet the Outback

2011-05-05T06:45:00.001-07:00

Feeding the animalsCouldn't find Pride Rock in Africa... because it was in AustraliaSalt flatsWe've been upside down for too longBen really doesn't like the idea of being a fattyRed dirtTypicalCoober Pedy, Opal Capital of the World. The man buried under this keg thought he was the best brewmaster in the region, but he couldn't drink alcohol because he had cancer. Last laugh was on him...

Australia, au naturel

2011-05-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

Kings Canyon National Park, Northern TerritoryGrampians National Park, VictoriaKangaroo and Joey, Grampians National ParkUluru (Ayers Rock), Northern Territorya real koala! Great Ocean Road, Victoria/South Australia

Bangkok part deux

2011-04-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

yes, this is a real bunny. Walking out of the tiny soi (side street) where my hostel is situated, I ran into Johnny Depp. If he hadn’t opened his mouth and had a Thai accent, I may have had a minor heart attack. Dressed in full Pirates costumage, Johnny was a bit cheeky, and wouldn’t let me take his picture unless I bought one of his tacky hemp necklaces. Alas, I only have 15

Bangkok

2011-04-15T06:28:00.001-07:00

Traveling to Bangkok in the middle of April is much like I imagine it would be to lock oneself in a Ziplock bag, and then put that Ziplock bag in the microwave. It’s the kind of heat that I remember from the worst days of summer in Chicago, when you walk out of the house and instantly slump over, like a wilting flower. The sweat accumulates even before you step outside, as

The kids (Part 4, Final Episode)

2011-04-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

AshishTulieWell well. The time has come for some quips about the final two children at Harka, Ashish and Tulie. These two have been there nearly their entire lives (Ashish since he was about 1 1/2 years old, Tulie since the day after she was born, literally). The two have grown up knowing nothing other than what it is like to have 17 siblings- which means they are frequently bossed around, are

The Kids (Part 3)

2011-04-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

ManessaShishirGangaJamunaSuman “The competence of Nepalese children is staggering; if all the adults were to die tomorrow they’d manage perfectly well on their own.” I stumbled on this perfect quote while reading Christopher Pye-Smiths’s Travels in Nepal, that I picked up at a guest house in Pokhara. It definitely rings true with the children at Harka, perhaps more so than

SCOOTER!

2011-04-12T02:09:00.000-07:00

See, I told you good things come to those who wait. I left Harka yesterday, and though only Tulie was crying when I left, everyone was a bit sad, myself included. I didn't get teary until the bus back to Kathmandu, when I began opening the little letters that each child had written to me the night before (they stayed up until almost 11 working on them!). On Sunday, Laxmi and I went out to buy the

Sangachok

2011-04-07T06:12:00.003-07:00

Kids (Part 2)

2011-04-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite documentary film series is the Up series, in which the creator follows the lives of 14 British children since 1964, when they were 7 years old. The children were chosen from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds at the time, with the assumption that social class determines a child’s future. However,

Pokhara

2011-03-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

I am in Pokhara right now, a lazy town in west-central Nepal, chock full of tourists going to and from trekking in the Annapurna Region. Though I have been here before, it is nonetheless a gorgeous little city with a vibe that just makes you want to sit and stare at the Himalayas. On the ride from Bharatpur, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Chitwan resident Shree Ram Subadi. He was a jolly

Inspirations

2011-03-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

This past week at Harka, my artistic left brain was yearning for some inspiration. In Sydney and Kathmandu, I had found myself wandering around with new eyes, and seemingly endless possibilities for myself and my Nikon (for which I bought 20 rolls of professional film for the journey). At Harka, however, while I went digital-photo crazy with the kids, I found it nearly

What?? Photos??

2011-03-20T01:51:00.000-07:00

Tulie on Holi (day 1)Soniya studying in the grassSima doin' up Jamuna's hair (like a boy)Shishir (formerly Secil... we didn't know) and a dragonflyBisal with his paper airplaneSurely, I must be out of my mind. I just checked into my hotel in Sauraha, and they have wireless! Oh how the world is changing quickly... even the Bharatpur internet place now has a generator, so they do not have to deal

"It is dangerous out there"

2011-03-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

So Sima and Bisal tried to convince me before I left on Laxmi's husbands motorcycle to Chitwan National Park today. Nothing, however, was going to stop me from my night's vacaction from orphan home action! According to those two goofballs, today (the SECOND day of Holi, I thought there was only one) is going to be even worse with attacking tourists with bags of powdered color. They said they saw

Holi Wow.

2011-03-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

Already today, riding my bike to the internet, I passed several children covered head-to-toe in colors. The festival of Holi is tomorrow, a Hindu holiday to celebrate the coming of spring and the end of winter, but is more markedly celebrated by throwing water balloons filled with dye at anyone and everyone that is out onthe street. That being said, elders are avoided, so it is mostly a kids game

Reprieve

2011-03-15T00:23:00.000-07:00

Blessings come in odd packages. This morning I got a bit of kid-reprieve for about two hours because a strange, homeless man came wandering about the orphan home looking for money, and had seen me there. I was in my room at the time, and Sima came up to my door and said, "Miss, you stay in here, okay? There is a not good man outside." HA. She locked the door, and I did a little victory dance of

The Adventures of a Bad Babysitter

2011-03-12T20:54:00.000-08:00

Riding to Bharatpur to use the internet on Laxmi's pink Hero bicycle is FAR more up my alley than walking, let me tell you. When you walk to Bharatpur, it takes about a half hour, and the entire walk consists of long, gaping looks trailed warily by, "Hello! What is your name?" when you are 200 yards past whomever it came from. Also, the bicycle is pink, there is a basket, and you sit bolt upright

Remembering Takaka...

2011-03-05T02:48:00.001-08:00

It's only been a day since I left, but here's to you, Ta-ka-ka my first ever tomato. tasted like a tomato.bunny greets us on the way to the grocery store, every time.that's where magic was madethe wholemeal cafepossum fetus?

Haaaaaaallelujah!

2011-03-04T03:31:00.000-08:00

Like a breath of fresh air, getting off the shuttle bus at the intersection of Cleveland and George near Sydney's CBD (Central Business District, to those of you not Southern Hemi acronym-inclined), I got hit in the face with bus exhaust, and an immediate harassment by some slightly-drunk-but-maybe-slightly-mental teenager asking for change. Why did exhaust feel so fresh, you ask? Because it

Off!

2011-03-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

And so it is. In just twenty minutes I will be off to complete my profession as "Ice Cream Girl" (as referenced by many Takaka-ians, including randoms I've run into at the supermarket), a profession I enjoyed 'heaps' (Kiwi for 'a lot') more than my prior profession in Takaka of working the deep fryer at a fish n' chips shop for a horrid ghast of a woman who should never in her life be a manager

we're fine, folks!

2011-02-22T14:19:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that Ben and I are fine- still in New Zealand, but about 7 hours away from the Christchurch earthquake. More later....

Off to Nepal soon!

2011-02-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,If ya already got this in an email, you don't have to read it again! As most of you know, three years ago I traveled to Nepal to volunteer at the Harka Self-Sustaining Orphan Home in Chitwan. During the three months I spent at the orphanage, I found myself in a myriad of situations- from completely overwhelmed to wholly thankful. I traveled with friend Rebecca Smith, and

the truth

2011-01-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

I realized yesterday that I haven’t written in a long time. Unlike my other travel experiences, where I feel the impulse to write every few days or so (usually with too much to write about) living in New Zealand has been the complete opposite. The truth is, my New Zealand experience has been neither good nor bad, leaving me to contemplate the mediocrity of such an

Takaka!!

2010-11-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

We have moved! I know, I know, I lack in information on the blog. Last you heard we were only mildly disinterested in work at Lochmara. Well, here is how it went: Ben and I spent weeks going back and forth debating over whether we could 'stand' it for X amount of time longer, when finally we cracked and determined that both of us wanted to leave. I 100% blame our glorious managers, as in the last

finally...

2010-11-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

always scaring away baby animalswhariki beach, outside golden baycaves everywhere!dancing amongst the rocksthis rock was fantastic, it looks like a superhero

More pictures

2010-11-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

crazy caveswhariki beach or something like thatteletubby landthis is the second clearest water in the world@ the Pupu Springs, clearer than no other besides the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarcticai made thatsiamese lemon!red jellyfish outside our house!

Internet for free!

2010-11-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

Internet is free at the library! Hallelujah, because it hasn't worked at the Lodge in over a week. Not that I have needed it, because using it would probably result in the desire to leave and go work somewhere else. After a minute breakdown in spirits last week due to the extreme shitiness of our managers (both Ben and my manager suck at managing, and being managers ourselves did not help the

OOPS

2010-10-26T21:36:00.001-07:00

this is actually our phone number, if anyone cares to call!we will answer... if we are home :)011-64-3-573-4653

address, phone number, and pictures

2010-10-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Our Address Post: Britta SchroeterLochmara LodgeP.O.Box 172Picton 7250.NZ.Packages:Britta Schroeter c/o Louise and Shayne Olsen 12 Russell Street.Picton. 7250.MarlboroughSouth IslandNZ.Our Phone Number: 5734653 (when calling from the US, dial 01164 first- we are 18 hours ahead of Central Standard Time) Look at us! We have a spot in the modern world!

Arts & Farts

2010-10-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

At the conclusion of week #2 at Lochmara, I can finally say, without hesitation, that I am beginning to feel quite comfortable here. Our first week almost broke me, where the stress of working lots of overtime while still trying to overcome jetlag made my body just say ‘no’. I was also a little disheartened in the first week that I was only working in the Café, with no

1st week (back-blog)

2010-10-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all of those who thought we had fallen off the planet, or simply forgotten to contact you! We did not. To be honest, Ben probably did just forget, or decided otherwise. But I have pulled through! On our third day (fourth technically, more on that later) and 50th hour of work at Lochmara for this week (yes, you read that correctly) I can finally say that I have

Next up: New Zealand

2010-09-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for New Zealand a little over two weeks from today. Going to Kalispell tomorrow will hopefully be the last and final preparation for the trip; plane and ferry tickets have been purchased, car has been sold, clothes and belongings have been weeded through and sorted, ready to be mailed, donated, packed into Erica’s car and sent home, or placed in a corner of

Finally... the tally!

2010-03-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I would like to let everyone know that I finally remembered to bring my notebook to the computer, and I can finally give everyone that summation of donations that I promised like 2 weeks ago! Before I state the facts, I would like to share with everyone this quote, from a book I read while on the beach in Zanzibar, that pretty much summed up my feelings during the most aggravating of

once constantinople.

2010-03-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

Now sitting in the chilly internet cafe attached to our hostel in Istanbul, it's hard to believe that just a few days ago I was sweating myself silly in Zanzibar. Istanbul has the crisp air of spring, a beautiful city that seems a world away from Kenya. Modernity and cultural beauty are welcome, but not without the perspective and insight that our trip to Kenya brought.Zanzibar in a nutshell:

oops...a little late

2010-03-08T01:38:00.000-08:00

Sooo, I actually wrote this post 5 days ago, when we were on the ferry to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam, but I never got to transcribe until today! Zanzibar internet is hella expensive, so this was the first time I used it. Since the post we literally haven't done ANYTHING, except walk from our room, to the beach, to the restaurant. Encompassing a radius of about 100 feet. Today I ventured a little

the news!

2010-02-21T01:16:00.000-08:00

This will have to be kind of short and sweet, because I have another computer project I'm working on today and my internet minutes are racking up! I just wanted to send out a huge thank you and update to everyone that has donated so far to the various and extensive projects we have planned for the next few weeks. Though Ben and I will only be here for one more week, we are trying to get as much

tribes.

2010-02-17T23:45:00.000-08:00

Oh it has been more than a week since I last wrote! Apologies. A lot has been going on. Especially in the past four days. I am ever so slowly realizing how complex it is to live in a society ruled by tribes and tribal conflicts. Last week Ben, Robin and I began sending out emails requesting donations for various projects that we would like to complete in the next week and a half (Robin has a bit

the elders.

2010-02-09T00:35:00.000-08:00

"I used to sit in the middle of the village with my guitar on one knee, and a beautiful woman on the other," said 73-year old Waweri, smiling, during my first community-assessment interview. I couldn't have picked a better Ebenezer member to start with. Waweri, confined to a wheelchair for the past 10 years or so (he doesn't really remember, and claims his paralysis from the waist down is due

week 3.

2010-02-06T00:02:00.000-08:00

We're halfway done! With time that is, halfway done with projects... well, that could take a lifetime. The week started with a trip to Naivasha and Hells Gate National Park, a 1 1/2 hour ride from Gilgil on two matatus (read: minibus crammed with at least 14 people). But, the transport was only about $1.50 and we were a world away from the camp, which was pretty welcome at that point. There

week 2.

2010-01-29T03:35:00.000-08:00

I would like to say it's hard to believe that we have been here two weeks already, but in reality, it feels like we have been here months. Not in a negative way, but simply because we have gathered and learned SO much information in the past two weeks- not only about the IDP camp, but about the area and Kenya in general. I think I have used my brain more since arriving in Kenya than I have since

on the big screen?

2010-01-23T06:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/847600/-/vpemm9/-/index.htmlOn our way to town today with Samuel and John, we heard that in today's Nation (Kenyan newspaper) there was an article- about our IDP camp! Evidently a Danish film crew came two months ago and used camp property and camp residents in the filming of their movie- about a white doctor in Darfur. Hm. Interesting. Samuel and John were

mzungu (aka "white person" in swahili)

2010-01-21T05:02:00.000-08:00

To all those who are wondering whether we in fact fell off the face of the earth, we did not! It being about a week since we left the good old USA, I figured it was about time I wrote a little something. Now inhabiting the outskirts of the small town of Kikopey, near Gilgil, we have been at the Ebmezer IDP camp for about 5 days. Ben and I are staying with Theresia, an older woman who lives on

bienvenidos a costa rica y nicaragua

2009-04-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hey, guess what? I went on another trip this spring! Actually, I´m still technically on that trip. I thought about blogging at the very beginning of my excursion, and then realized that internet access 1) was minimal, and 2) cost a lot of money. So I never started. But right now I am staying at a fabulous hostel in Granada, Nicaragua, and there is amazingly fast FREE internet! Plus, I have been

7 months ago today

2008-11-05T13:17:00.001-08:00

7 months ago today was my last post for this blog... but not for long! I had written a sort of "conclusion" to my trip in May, but never had the chance (or internet access) to post it. But I think it is still valid, so I'm putting it up now! As for more writing, I hope to do some while in Essex this winter. We'll see how that goes. May 15, 2008

THE TREK (+Cutie McCuters part 2 and our future plans)

2008-04-05T04:44:00.001-07:00

oh! it has been far too long since an update. so sorry about that, there have been mountains, heavy backpacks, swedish friends, and children in between...but don't worry, I'll give you the scoop.Again we find ourselves in Pokhara, beautiful town of mountains, a lake, and the most delicious daal bhat we have ever eaten (the Almond Cafe is spectaular. and amazingly cheap). "What britta? aren't you

THE HIMALAYAS (pt. 2)

2008-04-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

one of my last steps before i keeled over and stumbled down the mountainSherpa children are quite possibly the cutest children on earth, even if they're a little dirty 7 hour days make for musclesama dablam, way cooler looking than everesteverest...see? not that cool. it's always hanging out behind other stuff.

THE HIMALAYAS

2008-04-02T19:36:00.001-07:00

looking out our window in BupsaPhewa Lake in Pokhara...we took out the "yeti boat" for a day one of our first days on the trek, outside the little village of Bhandarour lodge in Sete, arguably one of the most beautiful places I have ever beenour final night of the trek, our packs crushing us in our Lukla lodge room

before i go into the wilderness...

2008-03-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give everyone a few pictures before we head off to Sagarmatha for a good 3-4 weeks. We're not sure if there will be internet anywhere, but if there is, I'll let you know I'm alive! In the meantime, enjoy these photos... some of the cream of the crop~ ashish giving a big smacker to aunt jemima (aka tulie with bad hat) manesa, "namaste" pointing out John Cena on the WWF poster.

5 kids and a national park.

2008-03-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

Secil and the elephant ride salesman, consulting. budi. atop an elephant in the middle of the jungle. samjana. thug life. radika. we both look mad, but we're actually REALLY EXCITED TO SEE ELEPHANTS.most hilarious picture of Secil. ever.

punums.

2008-03-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

tulie. babu (cries a lot, but that punum almost makes up for it) ashish and tulie hangin out (ashish is eating a bag of old orange peels) pre-breakfast time with the kiddos, they're mixing nasty bisi food (l-r, gonga, secil, jamuna, tulie)ashish throwing a tantrum in front of the bisi

i like lists

2008-03-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

so i started making a list the first week we were at Harka of "things we have done", and continued it throughout our stay (party because I love lists, and party so that I remember all the randomness). warning: some things may gross you out. removed slivers, popped and medicated infected scabs, soaked and medicated heads that were covered in scabs (Ashish had 5, Jamuna at least 15, still not sure

in the year 2064...

2008-03-11T05:44:00.001-07:00

...i became part of a family in Nepal. That is, according to the Nepali calendar that neither shares months nor years with the Western world. Leaving the orphan home on Sunday left a pit in my stomach somewhat akin to the feeling of losing someone for a long time. Kind of like a breakup. But at the same time, I realized how much I loved the children and that I knew I would be back sometime soon.

a 'lil bit

2008-03-11T04:12:00.000-07:00

so before I go into the saga about leaving the orphan home (which was like leaving a family, albeit a slightly disfunctional one), i thought i should go into detail about the oldest child at Harka, Ramesh. Ramesh is 14 years old. When we first arrived at Harka (that crazy day where we were handed babies and plopped in front of 16 quizzical faces), he was the one with the firm handshake. We were

...and counting.

2008-03-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

Ohhhh the week of all weeks. We are here, in the heart of our last week at Harka, and couldn't ask for a crazier one. You know how at times you feel like time is flying and at times it is crawling? Yesterday crawled. Kumari and Prim have started leaving the orphan home for extended periods of time without telling us where they are going (Prim probably to gamble, Kumari always comes back with some

Budi... and a touch up on Manesa and Babu (Manish #2)

2008-02-26T22:10:00.000-08:00

Two blog posts in one day?? Holy rollers. It's true. I thought I'd touch on a few of the kids that we haven't talked about much lately, starting with the not-so-newly-arrived-now fam of Samjana, Babu, and Manesa. Remember when those random people showed up one day and Laxmi said they were going to be living at the orphan home with us? As it turns out, they have snuggled in quite nicely. Mama

Backa, the Mystery Machine, and Ultimate Cutefest 2008.

2008-02-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Wait a minute. Let's back it up. I tried to write this blog yesterday and was rudely interrupted by "power loadshading" AKA power turn-off time, thus losing all of my blogging. Thus, this will be an attempt to recapture what I wrote...Ultimate Cutefest 2008, AKA the tale of 5 Nepali children (3 orphans, 2 with neglective, yet present, parents), 2 American ladies, one political/petrol strike, and

Miss! YOU HAVE SIX LICE!

2008-02-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

Direct quote from Sirjana (queen of quotes in this blog) in a triumphant, Bob Barker-esque ("come on down!") tone two days ago, upon careful inspection of my scalp. Originally, Becca and I were going to escape to a secluded corner somewhere and quietly inspect each others heads, but as such a corner does not exist at the orphan home, we were quickly found out by Rita (our next door neighbor)

are those really some PHOTOS????

2008-02-17T00:05:00.000-08:00

elephant safari! ashish (yes, he's coming home in a bag with one of us) they made us flower crowns(with (l->r) tulie, secil, radika, and jamuna)tules the photographer, with bisiwell, i just made a sorry attempt to upload some photos! it was slightly successful! i hope all of you out there don't think i had given up on what seemed like a futile process. about once a week, when i'm feeling

2008-02-10T00:36:00.000-08:00

The past week, post the celebration of my 24th ("chorbis") birthday, rang in a plethora of activity at the Orphan Home. A few days after my birthday (can't remember when, they all seem to run together after a while) some random strangers arrived to hang out on the front stoop area with their bags . Now, usually this isn't weird, as there are random strangers always hanging out somewhere near the

a birthday party for reecha

2008-02-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

quick side comment: i realized after writing the last blog post that my physical description of ashish was not sufficient. becca has touched on a few of his mannerisms, but honestly, words cannot describe the hilarious charicature that is that child. i wish we could upload pictures.so, my birthday. when i say that we never know what is going to happen when laxmi shows up, i mean we have

charisma charisma charisma

2008-01-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

Becca touched on our polar-opposite twins the other day in her blog, so I thought I'd talk a little bit about 3 year old Ashish- aka charisma extraordinaire!Through broken English a week ago, Laxmi relayed to us a little of Ashish's history, which is actually quite extraordinary considering his current demeanor. Ashish was found a year and a half ago in a rural Chitwan village in the mountains.

"all children very happy"

2008-01-29T02:43:00.000-08:00

direct quote from Sirjana, our girly-girl 11-year-old. actually, it was written on a pre-birthday card she gave me yesterday after school, adorned with flowers and hearts. as many of you know, i'm not a fan of my birthday. other people's birthdays i'm all about, but when it comes to mine, it has just never been a fave. at first i wasn't sure if i wanted to tell the kids when it was, but it came

2008-01-24T00:30:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note on the goings-on of the orphanage, because I don't think I mentioned anythingin my last (and pretty much only) post:At the Harka Self-Sustaining Orphan Home we have 9 girls, 6 boys (ages 1 1/2-14), 1 house mother (Kumari) and house father (Primo), 1 orphan home director (Laxmi, who is virtually never there), 1 bisi (buffalo, not like the American version), 2 bacra (goats), a

ughhhhh, internet on the other side of the planet.

2008-01-22T03:38:00.000-08:00

Okay. I just wrote an entire blog entry on Tulee (our littlest child at Harka) and then my computer froze. Not writing it again until later. Sorry. Read Becca's blog for an entry on another favorite- Secil!!

ketaketi

2008-01-19T22:03:00.001-08:00

because i haven't written in a while (there have been a few failed attempts on behalf of the random electricity ourtages and internet screwiness), i figured i'd just relay some of the choice happenings of the past 5 days...beginning with our departure from kathmandu. after the crazy day spent with guru traveling around kathmandu city, we were about citied out. so many people everywhere, we were

2008-01-15T06:46:00.001-08:00

monkey. stupa. the himalayas!!!!!!!

350,000,000 gods.

2008-01-15T06:09:00.000-08:00

fun facts for the day: -hindus believe in over 350,000,000 gods. there is a god for pretty everything you could possibly imagine.-there are 65,000 peaks over 6,500 m in nepal. no one has bothered to count them all. 6,500 meters?? it's true. i'm pretty sure the tallest mountain in montana is around 3,500 (many of you probably know the actual height of mt. cleveland, but it is passing my mind

We're here!

2008-01-13T20:28:00.000-08:00

Hello all!We have arrived! All safe and sound here in Kathmandu, my plane actually came in a half hour early...crazy. My flights to Doha, Qatar and Kathmandu were pretty much the most international of flights I have ever been on, people from all over Europe and Asia, no one culture majority. Rebecca, on the other hand, experienced being the ONLY female on a flight from Doha to Bahrain, which I'm

5 days!

2008-01-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

Hello friends, family, random seekers of interesting tales, and data-enterers everywhere!About 5 days from right now I will be sitting on the runway at O'Hare Airport, anxiously awaiting takeoff. Though I will be arriving in Kathmandu a couple of days later (traveling via London and Doha), I thought I'd take a minute right now to update on all the essentials! As for a little bit of background,