Nilufer School Bursa

My overall experience was quite successful with my lovely 6th grade class.  The students I absolutely adored. At first, they were a handful like most students are in the beginning.  They test their boundaries with the teacher and see just see how much they can get away with.  My students do well because I gain their respect. Respect is something that works both ways with all human beings and even animals.  With children especially, when you respect them and treat them like little adults, they respond very well. 
Naturally, teachers have their favorite students and mine were basically all the boys in my class. There were the most adorable set of twins(handsome and very smart). One can not help, but wonder what these boys will become when they get older.  Asim and Atif were my also my two favorite boys.  Atif was always enthusiastic and dramatic when trying to explain something in English only as no turkish is allowed in the classroom.  And of course, there was my adorable chunk of love Sahim.  He was overweight with black square glasses and he was very shy, but always very polite.  He would always smile big and offer me some of his chocolate wafers-priceless.

My other class was not as great as my first class, but they respected me, which resulted in great lessons, enthusiasm, and participation.  The girls were chatty and not as enthusiastic as the boys, but it is all good.  The last day of class we were playing games, eating marshmallows, and dancing to the party rock anthem(boy that video is addicting). I still do not know how to fully do the dance. My team teacher, Angie, picked it up faster than me ha!

The principal, Mr. Fahie, was always so kind and had the cutest mannerisms. He would always squint and be walking around the school looking confused, but he knew what he was doing. He took us to the Whirling Dervishes dance one night as a school outing.  We also went on a picnic with the students and took them to a lake for fishing. 

I just loved, loved this school and this whole experience.  It was very little money, but it was such a pleasure.  When you have such a nice experience, money is the last thing that matters-really.  I got caught up with my running, met wonderful new friends, explored Bursa, loved my students, loved the school, the Saturday bazaars, bonding with my roommates, long lunches, and cafe stops snacking on honey dew and chai.  It was wonderful...

My First Time Scuba Diving

With all the incredible seas and oceans visited, scuba diving had been on my mind for a while.  It just so happened that my host's roommate(also on couch surfing) works as a diving instructor for the Blue Lagoon.  The Blue Lagoon is a top notch diving center for French visitors coming to Hurghada.  Lil(name changed for confidentiality purposes) told me about her amazing experiences and also conveyed such a passion about diving and her company. She sold me on choosing her company, but most of all she sold me on diving my first time with her.  It was time for me to face my fear and I knew being with her would make me feel welcomed, safe, and comfortable.   

The whole day could not have went better-really it was pretty much "perfect."   We started off at the Blue Lagoon  where Lil and I were rushing to get there.  We were suppose to be on the boat at 8:30, but we had left the house at 8:30.   When we arrived, the staff were so friendly and helped me get my gear together. We hopped on the boat and I was introduced to my other second dive instructor-Yasir.  He has been diving for the past thirty years and Lil brags for him about how amazing he is. 


On the boat, there are a bunch of adorable, older French wearing their speedos and relaxing on the top of the boat-sleeping and sunbathing.  Again, super nice and welcoming and most did not even notice that I was not French-go figure Priscilla the chameleon.  The boat itself is super clean and luxurious and I am very happy with my choice.  The videographer, the Captain, Lil, Yasir, and myself all sit down in the cabin area getting acquainted. 
Lil gives me my briefing how how to breath, what to do and what not to do, and how to communicate under water.  I am feeling anxious, but she calms down my anxiety with her positive attitude and sweet nature-can you tell that I just adore her?
Most of the diving sites in Hurgada are about 1-2 hours out in the Red Sea located near the many islands. The boat stops for our first dive where I decide to warm up snorkeling.  The water is a light turquoise sea green with the coral clearly visible from the boat.  Getting adjusted with the snorkel mask and breathing took some starting up, but eventually I was able to stay under water and enjoy the coral and fish.  I really thought that I would just be seeing a few fish and some coral, but WOW, WOW, WOW.  There were schools of all kinds of different fish, colors, hott pink coral, and multi-colored fish blue, pink, orange, green of various neon shades.  It could not even compare to my snorkeling in Hawaii-this was completely amazing.  Just snorkeling around, I was thinking to myself, "Um if this snorkeling I can not even imagine the scuba diving."

Being so consumed by the breathtaking underwater beauty, I came above water and realized I was so far away from the boat.  From a distance, I see waiving hands from the boat next to ours telling me to come in.  I quickly swimmed over(surprised by how fast I moved because I am really not a good swimmer).  Lil was waiting for me and told me and Hamed, the captain, place the oxygen tank on my back, set up the rest of my gear, and gave me a push back in the water. 


Our original plan was to practice above water, but before I knew it we were counting and within seconds I was working my way down beneath the water-meter by meter.  Lil was holding on to me and signing to make sure I was okay every minute.  She kept smiling and I just sat in my mask with a very serious face focused on my breathing. I was so worried that if I laughed or even smiled I would mess up my breathing.  The other instructor and my Egyptian friends were smiling at me and patting me on the back.  Under the water, there was an old, abandoned ship, schools of fish on my right side and my left side, sting rays, and all types of coral and fauna.  I had my arms out to the side free falling and just kept thinking about what Lil said, "Just relax and think you are like a mermaid." And so that is what I did think of myself like a mermaid just gracefully moving my legs and letting my arms just flow with my body.  Twenty five minutes later and I was up above the water. I did it! My First dive! Yasir and Lil were so proud of me and off we went to the second dive location for dive number 2. 


Dive number 2 was even better than the first because I learned that it is okay to laugh and smile underwater without dying. The second dive was with Yesir and he took me deep under 10 meters! We went all the way to the bottom where I sat in yoga position and it all felt so peaceful.  He held my hand and pointed out fish hidden underneath the coral.  Like a little child, I just kept pointing at what I was seeing and just amazed for every minute.   I wish I could have a better description of the types of fish, but even my diving instructors do not know-it is just something you have to experience in your life.  He let me be free just swimming around on my own while turning back to give the "A-okay" sign. 

Being under water, it is so freeing. Here I thought I would be panicking not able to breath and guess what they have invented an amazing system to breath underwater ha! This French guy who invented it is one smart guy!
After our dive we had an amazing lunch, fresh melon, more snorkeling, Hamed and I went to the front of the boat taking silly pictures and doing titantic moves, and I left feeling so content with my experience.  Yasir liked me so much he said I can come back with him Saturday and for some free diving, but I did not want to "rock the boat" with Lil and her job.  I faced my fear and it felt so good-I am very proud of myself!

Thank you to amazing staff at Blue Lagoon- you are the best and I love the French!

Hope for Change in Egypt

First of all, here is the situation in Egypt:
Many Egyptians are just hoping for the election to go well with possibility of a new president who will care for the state of Egypt.  Corruption has lead the Egyptian political state for a very long time, but things have improved with the revolution.  A president can now only be in office for up to eight years instead of thirty-go revolution.  

Currently many Egyptians remain jobless and just trying to make ends meet.  An adorable chunk of love working on the street selling peanuts told us about the government stealing his cart and asking for 500 egyptian pounds to get it back.  They took it because they said that he is "ruining tourism" for Egypt.  You know what is ruining tourism? The poor government and caring for tourism-that is what is ruining Egypt-not this adorable man selling fresh peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.  Having to scrape together 500 egyptian pounds took him a while and he was behind on all his expenses when they took his cart. What are Egyptians suppose to do to make a living? Is the government suggesting they just live on the streets as beggars? All the Egyptians can do is HOPE for a better future. 

When George Bush was in presidency, the country could not wait for the next president to come and save them from their misery.  This man came and his speech was focused on hope and change.  While the word change takes a significant period of time and may not be seen even in his term, he pushed his philosophy in hope for a better tomorrow and future.  America felt this message of hope in their hearts and President Obama became the President of the United States.   

While I am unable to understand Arabic, I have my friends translate some of the election talk for me on radio and television.  The city of Cairo and Alexandria is full of election fever.  Horses and trucks with banners of the candidates and nightly demonstrations in the street.  It is only a matter of days before elections begin and Egyptians are eager for them to take place as their fate awaits them. 

Now back to the job situation in Egypt, it is quite sad listening to my friends Khaled and Khaled, especially my dear Khaled(1).  Khaled(1) works in a customer service call center where he has to disguise that he is Egyptian and act like he is from New York! His English is good, but not great and even his co-workers who speak excellent English are working in these call centers with a dead end of opportunity. Khaled has excellent customer service and would love to work in a bank or hotel, but this is only for those with "Egyptian connections."

Two things that make your life a cake walk in Egypt 1.) Money 2.) Knowing the right people.

If you speak English well, this does not guarantee you a good job rather it is about the social networking.  Khaled says only if you know someone will you land a job in a bank or hotel.  Himself and his friends have tried applying and his attempts just seem to feel more and more hopeless. 

Khaled(1) says that 90 percent of Egyptians are desperate to go to America for a "better life."  He says the statement that I dread hearing from locals when traveling, "My dream is to one day have a life like yours." If these Khaled's only knew how amazing yet how tough my life could be.  I respond with a positive statement that your life will be just as great, things will hopefully get better with time and with the election, but will they get better?

Another thing is that traveling for Egyptians and obtaining visas is easier if you have the bank statements proving your income.  My friend Moustafa has traveled all over, but he is also privileged with a wealthy family and upbringing.  For those Egyptians of lower classes who are just working to live-obtaining a visa is expensive and very difficult.   
The more money, more problems in USA but in Egypt the less money, the more problems...

Two Egyptian souls, Khaled and Khaled, I can only hope and pray for a better life for these two, for my families I have met in Egypt, for the shopkeepers, for the street vendors, for the people of Egypt.  While they are living, breathing, and they are both employed-they want to be feel fulfilled in their work(purpose of life) and they want to travel and explore the beauty of the world.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

My first stop in Alexandria was the library. I joked with my Cairo host that I would be in Alexandria for five days and every day I would be in the library.  This library is so amazing that I could spend weeks in her researching, studying, and writing!

Also, what is great is that it combines two of my favorite things: art and books.  The library itself has fifteen different exhibitions and four art galleries.  You can follow the art all the way to the Planetarium, which is full of factual scientific information. 

It was nice having an English tour of the library with factual information about the architecture of the building. The old Ancient library of Alexandria was the largest in the ancient world. Julius Caesar's fire in the Alexandrian war of 48BC burned the library down. It was rebuilt in its new location in 2002 and has been designed with a Greek and Roman influence.  The exterior ceiling is shaped in the form of eyes with eye lashes and eye lids with blue(symbolizing the ocean) and green(symbolizing plants and eco-environment).  The library space itself can hold over a million books and the library reading space is the largest in the world.  They have one of the top printers in the world-copying 500 plus pages of books, binding it, and even with the cover in under five minutes.  This is a book nerd's fantasy-wow! I just sat staring at the printer thinking of all the books I could have in just one hour!

Here is the link for their online library where over 20,000 digital books are available with many other features including: modern Egypt within the past two hundred years, the library and the world database, and information on Egypts political situation. 

www.bibalex.org

I love Saqqara

What amazed me about Saqqara was actually not the pyramids rather it was the villages of Saqqara(go figure) and the villas.  There are the greenest palm trees, grass, and wheat fields amongst Spring flowers and dirt roads with donkeys(Egypt loves to get around with the donkeys), kids playing, and locals biking around(boy I am repetitive sorry friends).  What is amazing is the architecture and structure of the homes that is very unique to Egypt with cryptic designs and heart shaped doors.
In Saqqara, there are some of the oldest schools for the craft of carpet making.  There are also many locals specializing in pottery(sculpting pots on the streets).  There are a few different "Art villages," which I missed but want to come back to revisit.  The private villas are so nice and luxurious-I really want to have my own villa one day. 

The pyramids were nice(no tourists and pretty empty).  My favorite part was the Ihotep Museum, which was small but quite interesting with nice pieces.  I did not see Dhoser's step pyramid because my friend said you need to take a sand buggy to get there, but this really is the highlight of Saqqara-oh well. 

Here is some better information on Saqqara:

Saqqara^{[pronunciation?]} (or Sakkara, Saqqarah; Arabic: سقارة‎) is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of mastabas (Arabic word meaning 'bench'). Located some 30 km (19 mi) south of modern-day Cairo, Saqqara covers an area of around 7 by 1.5 km (4.3 by 0.93 mi).
At Saqqara, the oldest complete stone building complex known in history was built: Djoser's step pyramid, built during the third dynasty. Another 16 Egyptian kings built pyramids at Saqqara, which are now in various states of preservation or dilapidation. High officials added private funeral monuments to this necropolis during the entire pharaonic period. It remained an important complex for non-royal burials and cult ceremonies for more than 3,000 years, well into Ptolemaic and Roman times.
North of the area known as Saqqara lies Abusir; south lies Dahshur. The area running from Giza to Dahshur has been used as necropolis by the inhabitants of Memphis at different times, and it has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.^[1]

A Dose of Egyptian Laughter

In Egypt, I just love the local people because they are so nice(the majority rather than the minority).  Whenever I ask a question, make an attempt to speak in Arabic, difficulty with understanding, or just confused-they smile and I smile and we both just start laughing.  For instance, the man on the bus kept telling me the stop to get off, but I was trying to tell him I needed the stop before.  Back and forth, back and forth,
Man: "Hallaba." 
Priscilla, "No Hallaba-Gorhiba."
Man "Hallaba"
Priscilla "No hallaba"

With his yellow and black teeth, he just keeps smiling away and hands me a mint.  Oh these Egyptians are like Indians.  They will annoy you and then they will melt your heart with their kindness. My friend who is able to travel outside Egypt and pretty much all over, said, "I could live in many places, but I would always come back to Egypt because the people." The people really are something good. They have heart, soul, and a giving spirit. 

Laughter is the best medicine for two cultures coinciding-and for a girl with poor arabic, but looks Egyptian.  It is just nice to laugh over a situation rather than become angry.  Dalai Lama "Anger is weakness."  But he also says that he handles many situations with a dose of laughter. As a child, he was also pulling small pranks at school and came from a family that used humor to feel good and lighten up their heavy lives. 

"If we only knew the power of laughter, we would all just let our minds distract with laughter and our hearts be content." PRISCILLA

Walk Like An Egyptian

Here we go again with the chameleon adapting to her cultural environment. I went to leave the house wearing my bindy and my friend said to me,

"Umm I would not wear that."


"Why not?"


"Because you Look Egyptian and you will be treated like a local including paying less money for things."


"Okay I will take it off."


I wanted to experiment for the day without the bindy and see what happens.  It turns out he was right- everyones was speaking Arabic to me and just thought I was Egyptian.  Not wearing a veil, I thought they would maybe pick up that I was a tourist, but most people thought I was Egyptian. 





First Impressions of Cairo:

I am not sure what I expected  Cairo to look like, but perhaps I was confusing it with Dubai.  Of course, the real beauty is outside Cairo I know, but I just thought the architecture of the buildings would be better, but it is quite old.  They even have the burnt building from the Egyptian revolution still up behind the Nile river near the upscale hotels.  There is controversy about tearing it down.  The nile is nice I guess, but nothing spectacular. 

The Tahrir square is full of political banners and tents(where protesters sleep).  There are still protests going on in Egypt and actually they are right now in the middle of elections for a new president(big time in Egypt for me to be here).  The previous president, Hosni Mubarak, was in office for 30 years and per the Egyptian Revolution- he finally got the boot out of office.  My Egyptian family says that he was an awful, corrupt president and they are hoping for someone better in office-someone Islam with a "religious direction"

Chevrolet cars, ford, Hyundai, Honda, traffic lanes, all American fast food chains(yuck), malls and construction for more malls(Egypt influenced by Western culture no good), fresh juice on the streets, stands with fresh pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts, falafels are back(yum!), the people are very kind and helpful(thank my higher power for this), and there are few tourists. 

Walking the streets, I wear a traditional Indian long sleeve top with my arms, legs, chest, fully covered, and people are staring. Men are approaching asking, "Where I am from?" I try to be very polite, but disengage because I know where my friendliness can lead. A man is carrying a pile of chairs on his back in the middle of the street and drops them all after staring at me. His friend knocks him in the head and we just sit staring at each other laughing.

A young boy from the museum I see on the street while I am buying some pumpkin seeds. I tap him on the shoulder to say "Hello" again and we walk together sharing pumpkin seeds and he shares his 7up with me. He does not speak English, but is so adorable. He originally thought I was Egyptian so he was speaking Arabic to me. 

On the bus heading to meet my friend, I get teased on my an Egyptian lady. 


Priscilla teased? If anything it would be me doing the teasing and bullying-tables turned around and I did not like it at all.  I think what happened is that she thought I was Egyptian and I was ignoring her questions when I responded with " I don't know." or "No Arabic, English." The girl was trying to take my notebook and mess with my camera. The bus driver started yelling at her and then another guy was shouting at her and a disagreement between all of them. Priscilla is sitting on a little stool next to the bus driver and these people are all arguing back and forth-quite uncomfortable when you know you are the cause of the disagreement.  They are speaking Arabic, but I know what they are saying. "Why are you messing with the tourist from America, this looks bad for tourism and it will make her think badly of us." So many times I can not understand, but I just know what conversation is taking place-psychology.  The bus driver says, "I am sorry." "I am sorry." I kindly smile and say, "No problem, No problem."  

And this is just the beginning of the adventure..... 

THe AMazing Egyptian Family Experience

Originally I had planned to stay with my friend Mohammed, but he has a home renovation therefore he arranged alternate accommodation.  From one Mohammed to another Mohammed, I am staying with his friend and his family, which is even better for me.
 

His home is absolutely beautiful, 15km away from the busy city centre, and such a breath of fresh air- a gorgeous patio, pool, a washing machine, hot water-the water pressure is heaven, fresh juices and teas everyday (the orange are heaven), the breeze that comes in through my window in the morning(heaven), waking up to birds chirping, back to having hired help, and the most comfortable bed-from simple to luxury-always love this transition because you appreciate the luxury much more.  

His mother (Hedy), sister (Mona), and nieces are lovely. We spent the whole first day talking about America, technology, cinema, politics, and traveling while eating Egyptian food and sipping on fresh lime juice.  His sister is beautiful(fair complexion of skin, very thin with all her clothing imported from Italy). You would never think she has a 15 year old son, but she does and he is polite and nice just like her.  We  immediately get along because we love to discuss our dislike or Apple and Facebook and our conspiracy theory with technology and social control. She says she is very proud of my decision to take a break from materialism and resort to back pack, but she questions why I got rid of most of my belongings instead of keeping them.  I let out a big sigh and think to myself, "I don't know." I gave away my things to Buffalo exchange and Salvation army and when I think about it I am not quite happy with giving away so much. My expensive belts, leather jackets, and JEANS-gone.  I just kept sitting and staring at her jeans in envy-"Oh how I would just love to have my jeans back."  

We shift the topic to food, as she mentions having difficulty absorbing food, and I introduce the the possibility of her being allergic to gluten. 

I tell her, “Don’t worry, Dr. Raj will get to the bottom of this”haha. She says that she has been to many doctors, even the health minister who used to be a doctor, and he just says this is due to “psychological problem,” which they say many doctors like to say this in Egypt.  They said that they like to watch Dr.Oz sometimes, but he speaks so fast it is difficult to read the English Translation in time or follow what he is saying.  Priscilla lets out a big, “Aww.”

The women in their family are always “Veiled” covering the hair, but they do not believe it is necessary to cover the face. Veil is a “must”, but covering the face is a “choice.”-Mona. They say a more conservative Muslim may cover their face, but nowadays many Egyptian women just wear the veil and wear Arabic clothing mixed with Western influence i.e. jeans or tighter fitting clothing.  Mona and Hedy wake up everyday at dawn to pray (5 times a day).  Mona says, “Sometimes when I am sleepy I do not wake, but it is okay.”   

While speaking to me they always say “Yani,” which is a form of acceptance towards me.  It feels nice when they say this

The girls are both 14 and attend the private international school where they learn French, English, and Spanish.  They are excited about going to a study abroad program in Spain for summer-just lovely, lovely girls.  We have such a nice time together-what a nice family.

Welcome to Egypt

The Egypt experience started off on the right foot with the Gulf Air flights. They feed you, give you theater movies(I watched the Vow), and they give you an amazing music selection.  I could not stop listening to the music all the top albums of all genres(like a Pandora on the plane-oh how I miss Pandora). Stopping at Bahrain Airport, it was funny seeing the four coffees in one place: Caribou, Costa, Starbucks, and Coffee bean-that is a whole lot of coffee.  The exchange rate in Bahrain is .3 to $1. I managed to find a place where the dollar is of little value-no stop for me there.

Off to Cairo in a plane with ALL men literally, there were three or four women on the flight. My usual response when interacting with a new culture, I just sit and observe and look around like a child staring at their birthday cake. New faces, new people, new environment-stimulating for the mind and body-does a body good.  

First impressions of Egyptians, they dress very nice and smell very good.  The fragrance of their cologne smells of good quality, the belts, shoes, suits, pants, briefcases- all good quality and stylish.  They really know how to dress and take care of themselves well and smiling and helpful-my first impressions.

Arriving in Cairo at 4am, it took two minutes to get my visa-basically you pay $15, fill out the arrival card, and boom you are done.  I had not heard from my friend so I figured I had to take a taxi, which would be a hassle at 4am.  Walking out the gate, there is a long white path with a bunch of Egyptian taxi drivers. I let out a long sigh and think, "I am going to go sit in the corner and avoid this mess for a while.  From the back of the crowd,  I hear someone call my name and it is my friend Mohammed with his other friend Mohammed(there are 20 million Muslims named Mohammed haha). 

I was so happy to see him and it was so unexpected as I knew it was late and it would be an inconvenience.  His friend kindly says,"Welcome to Egypt."
Egypt starts off positive and hopeful for a good trip with friends and warm people. 

Bhaktapur Nepal on Buddha's Birthday

Bhaktapur reminds me a lot of Jaselmear in Rajasthan. It is untouched with the beauty completely preserved. Walking down the streets, you can go back in time with people engaging in local customs-pulling up buckets of water out of real wells, clay pots lined up and filled with water, men carrying the pots on both of their shoulders, old, wooden wagons filled with local crafts, and ladies weaving on the streets. The temples are incredible and the squares are all unique places of their own.  The Newari women wear a different kind of Sari tapered at the bottom and the culture of Newari people is different than anything I have ever seen. 
And of course all this beauty makes Bhaktapur another UNESCO World Heritage site.

The many local crafts that are special to Bhaktapur include: prayer wheel, masks of various Hindu gods, galleries with paintings of the Himalayas, Buddha, and local Nepali life, the Om necklaces, the meditation bowl, hats, scarfs, yak products(famous in Nepal),  Handmade paper, wood carvings, tea and spices, painting classes, hand made lamp shades, hand made post cards, and jewelry. So many really nice things that I wanted to buy.

Note to self:   
Come back to Bhaktapur when I am older with money to spend. It has such beautiful things to take home.

I managed to visit all four squares:  with my favorite being Durbar and Tamaudi.  In Tamaudi Square, they have a nice restaurant that sits on to top of a temple-touristy and expensive, but I enjoyed my Newari special yogurt consisting of almond, nuts, and yogurt-it was delicious.  Sitting on the top, the parade for Buddha's birthday came through-this was a perfect spot for viewing.  The locals passed by and I waived at them while they passed by-so happy and proud.   It was a really special day to be in Bhaktapur with the Buddhist monasteries all celebrating. 

The only negative thing I have to say is that people are a bit pushy with selling, but that is due to the fact it is low season and they need business. By now, I am aware of how peoples "acts of desperation" when it comes to selling and making a profit.  They need to live and have a family to feed just like everyone else.  I did manage to buy a few things, but again I really wanted to give this town business and buy more.  I love Bhaktapur and I would revisit again one day.  

And Yeahhh Your Bag is On Fire

Since I was enjoying my guesthouse soo much, I ended up missing the last bus out to Kathmandu.  I wanted to head back to Kathmandu for my next couple days spent in Bhaktapur before going off to my next desination..so staying another night was not really an option for me. 

It was around 6pm and I met another local guy named R.P who was also heading to Kathmandu.  I could immediately tell he had a kind soul and heart.  He showed me his Nepal brochure indicating he was a religious figure in Nepal(he immediately gained my trust for our 3.5 hour ride back  to Nepal.  Blasting my IPOD and passing along the river staring at the moon, which kept following me ha. There was a warm breeze in the air that felt so good, but this quickly changed about an hour into the ride.

It became cold so cold and I left my full backpack in Kathmandu leaving me with arms inside a pair of my bright orange leggings and my scarf wrapped around my head.  All I had was my one strap elephant bag sitting on my right side hanging over the bike. 
Sitting on the bike, I felt the bag getting hot and lifted it up a few times.  I really did not want to carry it on my lap the whole time and RP's backpack was in front of me so there was limited space.  I just let it sit on the side of the bike near the exhaust. 

Arriving in Kathmandu, I realized that the right side of my bag had melted and burned a hole in my bag, which burned a hole in my clothing giving my nice pants I love a charred look.  I shake my head. "Oh Priscilla just sitting on the bike and does not even realize her bag is on fire." I knew the bag was getting hot and I continued to let it sit on the exhaust and basically burn.  Oh Priscilla, Oh Priscilla.
No sex on fire, but Yeaaah Your Bag is on Fire  hahaha

Date with a Nepali

Coming to Kathmandu, I have built many connections previous to my arrival.  I met friends in Pokhara from Kathmandu and also met friends in Chitwan. Many people who live in cities Nepal have some connection to Kathmandu whether family, business, or friends. 

Arriving in Kathmandu, I made friends with some tour agency guys who became like my two fathers who genuinely care about my well being.  One is married and lives in Pokhara and the other is single.  The single one, Arjun, does not even look Nepali rather I tell him he looks Turkish.  He dresses very stylish, clean cut, and is addicted to his iphone.  He jokes that he wants me to find him a nice, American girl and he says that he has a nice, Nepali boy for me.

Arjun: “Prissy I have nice boy for you, really very nice.”

Priscilla: “Um no definitely not interested.”

Arjun: “Come on just go out with him one time. “He is successful and smart business man just like you like.”

Priscila:”No I am not interested in Nepali boys.”

Arjun: “Okay fine fine.”

My friend Arjun and I discuss that day going to see a movie the following day.While writing up a storm, I receive a call that he wants me to come by the office as we are going to see the 6:30 movie. 

Arriving at the office excited to spend time with my favorite little friend, he is packing up his bag and says he is off to a big meeting with Buddha airlines. 

Well then, “Who is taking me to the movie?”

I turn around and there is the Nepali guy he wanted to set me up with! The guy is sitting and asking me random questions and I am just ignoring him.  Being a brat, I tell my friend,

“No, I want to go to the movie with only you.” “I do not want to hang out with this strange guy. 

Everyone is laughing and Arjun looks me in the eyes and tells me, “Do not worry I promise I am leaving you with a nice, safe person.”

This guy is actually an educated Nepali that seems to have his life together-pretty good looking for Nepali standards.  He owns three Japanese restaurants: one in Japan, Pokhara, and Kathmandu.  He speaks many different languages and I find out he often dates European girls and never Indian or Nepali.

On the way there, he is trying to engage with me asking me questions about my life. He is being very nice so I decide to not be such a “b****” and respond to his questions.  Off we go to see a great Hindi movie. During the movie, he tries to hold my hand and I push it away haha. He is nice translating the various scenes so I understand, but I always seem to follow along with the Hindi movies.  People are always amazed at how much I can figure out and comprehend (the beauty of being smart haha).

During the movie, I keep staring and admiring the lead guy (Akshay Kumar).  He looks similar to my Turkish boy (his hair, his teeth, smile, facial expressions, body stance).  I just stare and I reach my hand out to the movie screen-if only it could really be him.  My “date” asks me what I am doing and I just tell him, “Stretching.”

It is rare to see guys who like him so I am not creating this in my head.  It is just another sign the universe sends me to be closer to him. Instead of being there, I am sitting in a movie with this guy-makes no sense. 

After we pick up some wine-the best French Cote De Rhone I could find in Nepal.  We share dinner at the Funky Buddha, which is a great atmosphere with great food.  I guess one could call it the Tao of Kathmandu (Tao asian fusion shiek restaurant of NYC).

I order some Thai fish green curry-a rare instance where Nepal delivers with good food-Oh I love Thai food. When we finally discuss our age, he is 41 and when I ask him my age he says, “You look 35 or 36.”

Another typical, clueless Nepali/Indian guy-you do not tell a girl she looks ten years older than her actual age! I tell him that he had a couple points, but now he just entered the negative zone.

When I go to talk, he just cuts me off. He has very poor listening skills (like most Nepalis) who have difficulty with receptive listening. During our dinner, he also tells me I look too tired and my arms are fat.  At least the American guys have common sense on what to say and what not to say-my goodness!

While he is talking and talking and talking and I am eating and eating. He used to be a chef so I am tuned in when he talks about cooking Spanish food, Japanese, Indian, and especially when he describes how he cooks fresh fish. Also, as a student in school he met Jimmy Carter and was inspired to work hard and become successful-this was nice to hear.    

Besides that I am just dazed off enjoying the wine very slowly.  He says he has a Japanese girlfriend, but he would like to break up with her for me.  I tell him this is really not a good idea and express my desire to live abroad,never live in Nepal, and just be alone.     

Priscilla: “I think you are very nice, but I have no interest in a romantic way.”

Date: “I think there is chance, yes there is chance.”

Priscilla: “Sigghhh.”

After 2 small glasses of wine, it is time for me to get my sleep 11:00pm-my bedtime.  I tell him I need my beauty rest and he walks me to my guesthouse.  He begs for just one kiss and I decline, thank him for the evening, and shut the door-just in that order. I had a very nice time, but that was the extent of it.

Nepalese boys for Pris= No Thank you.

The Last Resort Bungee

Instead of going with my buddy lex, I decided to just take the bus.  The bus rides on a straight route directly along the Bhote Khoshi river.  Looking down at the river, twisting and turning with the bus increasing in elevation-my fear began to get the best of me. From a distance, I saw the suspension bridge and wondered if that was my bungee jump. We passed it by and kept going higher up.  The next bridge and village area was my stop with a big sign hanging on the shop roof, “The Last Resort.” Off I went with my small backpack on my front and my big backpack on my back(I got this idea from my fellow backpackers). 

As I walked across the bridge, I just stared down at the river water and rocks(2,000 meters from the river). I kept my eyes ahead and just let my excitement and fear continue to build up. 

At the resort, I made friends with the staff, Umesh and Sanjohn, two nice Nepali boys and my new friend from India, Arjun, and my friend from US, Danielle.  The three of us went to the viewing platform to watch everyone jump.  I tried to get myself in the first group, but that plan had failed because my weight was too high by 5lbs-oh the extra five pounds. That is something I definitely am not going to focus on, but I am just going to let go.

Watching everyone jump I was not feeling scared and Arjun was talking about it like it was no big deal because he had jumped a couple times before. It was lunch time and everyone went to eat, but I was going to wait until after my jump. Eating before bungee jumping? Not really appealing to me. 

My number written on my hand was 66.  Sitting with my buddies, I was just waiting for them to call the second group.  Within a few minutes, group two was called.  Walking onto the suspension bridge, we all just sat looking down awaiting our fate. 

The guy first called was our friend from Holland.  He walked up to the seating area non-chilantly.  I began to go around looking at people’s hands and I realized that I was next.  Seriously, I had no clue that I would feel so scared.  Everyone was laughing as you could hear the panic in my voice and fully read it through my facial expressions.

We watched as our fellow Holland jumper dove off the platform as gracefully as a swan.  It was a near perfect jump.  It actually made me a bit envious.  Who jumps that perfectly in a bungee? Ha.

The bungee man comes for me next and I am just as scared as I was when I walked on the bridge. Being paranoid, I ask him if all my gear is tight enough.  He says, “Don’t worry about this part.” I then let go and sit down where I am strapped to the back fence while the Hollland guy jumped-accidentally messed up the sequence. I found this pretty funny as I felt like a dog on a leash-boy I feel for dogs now that is not fun. 

The videographer begins filming me asking me how I feel and my fingers are quickly making circles around my mala beads and reciting mantras. I looked in the camera and said, “I really did not think I would be this scared, but I am.”

This guy must hear the same reactions over and over again all day long, “I am scared.” Geez Priscilla could you be a bit more original?

It was my turn to jump, there was no turning back now, it really was the last resort.  Like a penguin, I waddle over to the platform and the man asks if I would like to say anything to the camera before I jump and I just keep my head down and do not even respond as I am filled with fear.  One slight push and 3,2,1- off I jump off and dive forward as instructed and what a thrill! My mind is blank, but all I remember is Umesh telling me whatever you do, “Do not pull the rubber.” I keep my arms out the whole time in the same position. I shout a bit, but stay pretty much am quiet throughout my jump-what a boring bungee jumper ha!

After this there was a mini trek, what goes down-must come up! The trek had all these mini-waterfalls along the way and went back to the resort through the village.  The lunch at the resort was amazing and we all had great laughs watching the video. While everyone is laughing I do not care to watch my video because I have concerns about looking fat-“Oh Priscilla get over it.”

My plan was to go to Tatophani after by local bus in the evening arriving by myself with no direction and it was raining-so appealing right? My other choice was to go back to Kathmandu.  All my new friends took the package deal and I took the side door of course. Instead of challenging myself, I decided to go for fun and convenience. I sat in the front of the bus with the guys singing Bollywood songs, watching the rain fall, and the river current crash.  We have to make our own music because the tourists like the bus quiet.  The Hindi and Nepali music on the local buses has actually been a highlight for me.  It just proves that tourist buses are BORING. Both boys in their early twenties are adorable and senseless.  They ar e  Umesh tells me that they are both there if I ever need any help on my trip and he is definitely sincere in his words. 

Ananda is staying in Kathmandu and offers me to stay in his guesthouse with another couple of his friends.  Sanjohn offers his home with his family.  My friend from Pokhara has a room for me and a couchsurfer also accepted my request a while back.  So many options and my decision really is the one that is closest away from the hustle and bustle of the city. 

Mistakes are Just Tiny Pieces of Fate

My whole confusion between Kodari and Godwari can be perceived as a positive.  If it was not for this confusion, I would not have met this family whom I adore.


After we get in from all this drama, we just sit and talk about it.  Alena’s dad is sitting and smoking with his hands on his stomach letting out sighs throughout our conversation.  Alena speaks just great English that we are able to have full conversations.  Her dad is very cute with his intentful eyes trying to understand what we are saying.  Alena will stop and translate for him and then he will respond with his feedback. 

Elena’s is suppose to prepare dinner, but her mother says she can stay inside to keep me company.  We sit on her bed-sheets with pink roses and a little teddy bear sits in the corner.  She places the pillow behind my head so I sit more comfortably. 

About an hour later, the food is ready.  Alena apologizes for the food taking so long, but explains that that things take longer with fire and wood-so cute.  We all sit in the candle light having our dinner.  The mom shines the generator on my food so I can see.  She keeps refilling my plate with dal bhaat and aloo.      

During dinner, Alena asks me, “Is it true that American people say that food is tasty when they really do not think it is tasty?”

I respond, “Yes this maybe true, but this food is really, really tasty.”

After this the generator goes out and we all laughing in the dark.  To drink, her mother gives me boiling water and washes it by dumping it in  between two cups five times. The attention to detail makes me so appreciative and I can feel how much they care. 

We head to her room where I begin to jot down a few of our moments.  She holds the candle over my book for me to write and her father sits smiling bright at me.  We stay up talking about our lives. It was so refreshing to have “girl time” as I spend so much time with men (Shortage of women in Nepal and India).  She tucks me into the bed and puts a glass of water next to the bed.  “If you need anything, just wake me up.” “Don’t worry I am here for you and you are safe.” I felt safer than ever and slept like an angel because there was an angel sleeping near me…. 

Priscilla Almost Kidnapped?

While I was suppose to visit Kodari in Nepal, I ended up going to a small village where all the way in the opposite direction. It was a full day of bad directions and bad vibes, which happens I got the wrong direction from the original bus driver and then switched buses with two men who looked very suspicious. The only tourist with a big backpack on a local bus was fine....but not this bus. These two guys had their eyes right on me and I was unable to get a seat so I was standing in the aisle. The one man tells me to just sit down in an authoritative voice and I respond, "In what seat." He says he is an army lietueant and I need to find a seat and stop blocking the aisle. Another guy next to him says, "Don't worry, let me help you. "Let me see your phone I can show you directions." He is wearing all black and I am getting really bad vibes from this whole situation. The bus ends at the final stop in this small village of Godwari and the two guys follow me off the bus. They are just standing and staring at me and I am staring at all the villagers who are looking at me like, "Where did this girl come from? She must be lost." 

This 20 year

I ended up on a bus headed Walking away down the single dirt road(there is only one straight road leading out of the village), a local on a motor bike comes near me and is trying to help guide me back to the city.  The “army/police” man not dressed in any uniform comes walking towards us while we are talking.  He apologizes for his behavior and says that he really just “wants to help me.” I completely ignore him and continue my conversation with the local on the bike.

A few minutes later, I am approached by two ladies from the bus.  The one lady says that she would like me to come and stay with her for the night.  She is speaking Nepali to me, but there is another sweet, lovely girl who is translating.  With all my exhaustion and frustration, the sky is about to turn dark(and go into pitch dark because there is no lights), I warmly accept her request and place my hands together a few times expressing my deepest gratitude.

Immediately when this lady approached, the “army/police” man, his friend who looked like trouble, and the guy on the bike disappeared. 

Walking through the villages with Alena (translator), she welcomes me to come to her home to stay with her father and mother.  Her father does not speak English, but she tells me he is very worried. She tells me that he says "I am like a daughter to him and I should not worry about anything-I am safe."  Hearing such genuine concern, my eyes start to tear up and I feel quite thankful. I can visually see the concern in her father’s face as we walk up the dirt path in the dark.  Trailing behind us and gossiping is basically the whole bus full of villagers. Each family stops at a different place and I thank them for their concern and looking out for my well being.

Speaking with the local villagers, they tell me that those were “bad men”.  I asked for clarification and Alena said that kidnapping is very common in Kathmandu, especially the rural outskirts.  She said the man behind me on the bus does not live in the village. 

When I thought about it, it was the last stop and everyone who got off the bus lived in the village. What was this man doing on the bus sitting right behind me? Alena said she is very sure he is not a army man or police man rather he was trying to cause trouble with me.

Hearing all this, I was quite surprised and sat in disbelief. “This could not happen to me.” “I am sure they are just exaggerating the matter.”

This was clearly not the case.  Alena told me that she heard the man call his friends to come over near the last stop of Godwari. When I heard this, my stomach felt sick and I started to believe that I really could have been in trouble. 

Analyzing the situation,when I tried to disengage with, this man still continued to follow me.  I believe that he did not expect the situation to go that way.  When I got up complaining about being lost and starting to cry while feeling frustrated, he was thrown off with my reaction. Perhaps he was hoping for a sweet, naïve backpacker who was not going to be so aggressive and upset. I really was not accepting his help and not engaging with him perhaps my unconscious knew trouble was ahead of me. When thinking about it, I probably looked sweet and innocent just sitting on my bag in the aisle(pulling out my camera taking sunset pictures-poor move).  In reality, I am not the person to kidnap-really I would fight for my life and I guarantee I am smarter than all three of them. 

Speaking with different villagers everyone said I should be very thankful for Alena, her father, and mother who went out of their way to come and help me.

God sent an angel to save me and I am forever thankful for Alena and her mother and father.....

Gandhi: A Real Human Being

USE THIS POST SUNSHINE

Often, we like to put people up on pedastals i.e. doctors, therapists, nurses, religious leaders, and political figures.  We do not realize the basic fact of humanity that, “We are all human beings and we all grow and develop no matter what our accomplishments, class/status, religion, or economic status.” PRIS

Reading about Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Siddartha Gautama, Sigmund Freud,Swami Rama,the Dalai Lama-each and everyone of them had negative experiences or wrong doings. And each one of them admits to being human and not being a “perfect” human being-it does not exist.  All of them definitely deserve to be put on a pedestal and are incredible, smart human beings, but they should be idealized for being humans not being perfect.

Here are some things that make Gandhi real:

Engaged in intercourse at the passing of his father(regret over his lustful instincts that took priority over his father on his death bed)

Smoked cigarettes, consumed alcohol/meat(lied about the meat eating for a while)

In London, he became an English gentlemen engaging in materialism fixated on buying new suits for occasions and outings

Gandhi had many psychoanalytic tendencies(inferiority in self, lack of role-models gorwing up therefore seeking mentorship/leaders).

Gandhi once was lost. Had narcissistic deficiency, feared socialization with others when younger and focused on ahmnisa(nonviolence)

Defense transference-displacement of characteristics from sign. Persons in ones past to latter day figures who are then resisted b/c of disappointment with the original significant person(Aktar p. 206). 

Relationship limited of incomplete-Gandi did not have a satisfying relationship with his father therefore he was searching for the idealized parent, which he found in his Guru and religious leaders.

Gandhi experimented and tasted like just like Swami Rama and that is why I love and adore them both so much.

A person has to go through the developmental stages of their life and this involves trial and error.  If a person just goes through each stage of life with no experience, then they are not learning period.  It does not matter if it is the Buddha or Jesus. A person has to experience life to learn about their true self in order to serve others. 

“Learning about yourself inside and out through trial and error” PRIS

There are a few spiritual leaders whom I have met in India who have had a life of desire, greed, passion, and fear.  They converted their life to their present spiritual one and they have learned profound life lessons that have contributed to their current spiritual identity.  It is an educational path, but it is also a path of real life experience and self-improvement stemming from this experience. 

My point here is not to criticize anyone or emphasize their flaws in life.  It is to demonstrate my belief that real human beings are not perfect-we are all imperfect learning beings.  If a person does not experience life through trial and error and they never make a mistake-they are not learning about themselves and their connection to the environment/universe.  These amazing beings that we put on pedastals worked on themselves inside and out through the trial and error learning. They did not just pick up a book on themselves and start reading.  It was their real experience that shaped their being.  God bless these spiritual leaders of the world and thank you for existing and being REAL. –PRISCILLA C. RAJ-