Ups and downs

Today hasn't been the best day. I've had on and off stomach pain and nausea since this morning, with occasional headaches and chills mixed in as well. I've spent much of the day sleeping, and much more of it attempting to upload photos from our second day at Dhulikhel, which have only just completed (perhaps ten hours after I first tried to upload them).

The group had a full program today, which I've quite obviously missed. However, I lent the camera to my dad, who will perhaps provide me with something to post up here, so keep an eye out for that.

Before I go any further, it occurs to me that some people may be somewhat hazy on the subject of Rotary International. Rotary International is a worldwide volunteer organization with massive philanthropic impact. And when I say worldwide, I mean it. Here in Nepal, there are over 70 Rotary clubs. Worldwide, there are 1.2 million Rotarians. Their motto is Service Above Self, and it shows. The men and women on this trip with my dad and I are paying their own way to be here and volunteer their help. Rotary International does not endorse a particular religion, nor is religion a guiding factor. The guiding factor is simply the will to make the world a better place, whether through selling ice cream at fairs to fund projects, tireless efforts made in the name of eradicating polio, or flying to Nepal to help a man on his mission to help those whom society will not allow to help themselves.

The less poetic and more information rich version:
http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/Pages/ridefault.aspx

Which brings me to the final point of 'what are we doing here,' which may or may not be apparent by now. People who are disabled in any way in Nepal must live with a stigma attached to their existence, the stigma that they are suffering from a past life sin or curse. They constitute the lowest rung on the societal ladder. My dad is interested in changing this perception. It is not about changing the entire belief system of the country or changing religion in any way. It is about showing the people of this nation that those are believed to be useless may be an asset to society, and not a burden. It's about showing the people who are put down that they can make something of themselves. It's about going to the remotest of villages and helping those who may not understand what disability is to realize that their child may amount to great things someday. It's about getting the people of this country emotionally involved in this effort, and with the help of Rotary, giving hope.

Enough of my spiel. www.trifc.org

ON TO THE EVENTS OF DHULIKHEL DAY 2

We visited the Kavre School for the Deaf and got to work. There was a wonderful tent provided so that we could paint in the shade outdoors. Ruth, one of our volunteers, helped to describe the day's activity. She is a firm believer in the idea that "everyone can paint," and, though she is without formal training herself, creates wonderful works of art. Many (if not all) of the children had never painted before, at least not painted on something physical besides paper. In Nepal, if you want something painted, you generally hire a painter, and that's the end of that. It was immediately clear that these children had found a wonderful avenue for personal expression, and once they started painting, it was difficult for them to stop.

Following the painting session, my dad had hired a magician, who rather mundanely introduced himself as Adarsha. His last name is Limbu, and I'm fairly certain that his business would triple if he would simply change the name of his act to "Limbu the Great," or "Limbu the Magnificent," or even "Limbu the Somewhat Okay and Mediocre." The name Limbu speaks for itself.

With Balram translating into Nepali sign language, the children got another wonderful visual treat, and the looks on their faces were absolutely priceless. Yes, I've posted photos of that.

Following Limbu, there was lunch, which we ate in the traditional Newari style. Translation: We sat on the ground with woven leaves as plates and ate with our hand (the right one). It would take some getting used to, but really, your hand works just as well if not better than a fork.

Last on our program for the day at Kavre School for the Deaf was a number of dance and martial arts performances done by the children, which were fantastic. Remember these children are deaf, and cannot hear the music and beat, and yet, moved with remarkable unity.

After finishing up at Kavre School for the Deaf, the group attended a meeting of the Banepa-Kavre Rotary club, and was treated by the club to a wonderful dinner afterwards.

That's about it! Whew.

Dhuikhel Day 2 - Kavre School for the Deaf

-Carey