Wrote this on Friday but the internet and electricity have not been working simultaneously until now...it's Sunday afternoon.
As I was leaving the internet café or "cyber" last night it had begun to rain which midway home turned into a torrential downpour followed by thunder, lightening, and hail. Rain on a tin roof is usually rather nice but hail on 100 tin roofs is quite deafening. I made it home just as the street was turning into a violent muddy river. I probably haven't adequately described where I am and the surroundings. The main street is dirt with rocks of varying sizes. It is rather uneven and in some places crude steps have been formed but for the most part it is quite difficult to even walk on and can be treacherous when wet. It is quite hilly where I am as the village is on a ridge settled amongst the mountains. As far as outsiders, I was the first foreigner to land in Tumlintar since January 6th. They have a book that you must sign if you are a visitor and provide you passport number, etc. During the fall I think they get a few more trekkers passing through as the path to Makalu one of the 8,000 meter peaks begins in Tumlintar and goes through Khandbari along with another week long trek to Makalu base camp. Anyway, I am the only foreigner in the district and it is kind of nice. It's fascinating to see what life in the district is really like and it only sets in after a few days.After getting home and being urged out of my wet clothing by my hosts who take excellent care of me I settled with a cup of tea on my porch to watch the rain. I sat outside for a couple of hours and watched the rain and contemplated life. Time to sit and ponder life is a rare commodity at home and it was nice to be completely relaxed watching the rain listening to some of my favorite music. It made me think of all the things I wished I had more time to do at home (or made the time to do) like play my guitar and cook. Anyway, it turned out to be a lovely evening. Upendra and Bimala went to bed early and I watched the 1st half of "Return of the Jedi" which was on the English Stars movie channel. For some reason the cable was upgraded yesterday and we now also get HBO and BBC News so maybe if the TV has to be on first thing in the morning I can catch up on some news rather than professional wrestling.
This morning the sun finally showed itself and it was a beautiful day. Out the back door we can see Mt. Wana which is a smaller peak but still looks rather impressive. Off the front porch Makalu is obscured by some buildings but some of the snow-covered mountain leading up to it can be seen. I don't know if I've adequately described the clinic yet. It is a 3 story building set on one of the main streets in town. There are porches front and back on all levels. The front opens to the street then beyond the land drops off to some homes and gardens that are below then just beyond is the school run by the same organization as the clinic. It continues to drop off into a valley and then mountains beyond. The back is similar except there is not immediate road. It also drops off into a valley and there are some houses/gardens visible. The valley floor is not visible from either side but mountains are in view from both the front and back. There is a 2 room outhouse off the back of the building and a small shower/wash room. The lower 2 floors of the building house the clinic including receptions area, pharmacy, lab, ultrasound room, x-ray room, GYN room, office, and examination room. On the 3rd floor are our 3 bedrooms, a small common room, and a kitchen. The common room has a bench and a few chairs, a coffee table, and a TV with stand. The kitchen has a sink, a 2 burner stove, and a table. Each room has one bare light bulb. Large open windows are in every room along with a doorway out to the porch. My room has a desk, chair, and a bed. The bed is a wooden frame with a thin (maybe 1 inch) cotton pad on it and a thick blanket. The floors are very uneven and I'm not sure what underlies the ancient linoleum that covers them. The walls are also badly in need of paint but the building serves its purpose. I'm not so convinced the clinic is all that much of a charity organization more of a business. Prices for labs, x-rays, and such are similar or just a bit more than those at the district hospital. They also charged my $250 for my flight from Kathmandu to Tumlintar which can be purchased for $90. If there was an understanding that they were overcharging to raise money or trying to make money this would not bother me but I was told this is how much the flight was. Also, the medical care provided is not free or subsidized for people and I'm not sure who profits by the 'extra' money that I have paid. I also paid an extra US $250 for an "extra month" which will really be only 5 days but I didn't push the issue at the time. Anyway, I let myself be a little annoyed for a few hours but am trying to let it be and not let it bother me. It's just money and I'm very lucky to be here. What bothers me most is the people who need my money the most aren't seeing it.
Despite feeling somewhat mislead as to the nature of the organization and the related costs the people here are fantastic. They are kind, caring, and happy. The patients are glad I am here although I don't actually contribute much. The guys at the public health office were also grateful that I was here to see the situation in the district. It is much more poor here than in Kathmandu. In Nepal 88% of people live rurally in the hills and 80% make their living by agriculture. 82% of Nepalese people live on less than US $2 a day. The poverty is striking but efforts at improved education and health are in progress. While the Helping Hands clinic and school both appear to be for the most part a business they serve a much needed purpose here. Ok, this seems to have developed into a long rambling so you should be commended if you made it this far. I'll have to see if I can get online and post this. I will have consistent internet access for the next week so feel free to email me at porterjasona@gmail.com as that address is easier for me to check than my other one. Hope everyone is well.
As I was leaving the internet café or "cyber" last night it had begun to rain which midway home turned into a torrential downpour followed by thunder, lightening, and hail. Rain on a tin roof is usually rather nice but hail on 100 tin roofs is quite deafening. I made it home just as the street was turning into a violent muddy river. I probably haven't adequately described where I am and the surroundings. The main street is dirt with rocks of varying sizes. It is rather uneven and in some places crude steps have been formed but for the most part it is quite difficult to even walk on and can be treacherous when wet. It is quite hilly where I am as the village is on a ridge settled amongst the mountains. As far as outsiders, I was the first foreigner to land in Tumlintar since January 6th. They have a book that you must sign if you are a visitor and provide you passport number, etc. During the fall I think they get a few more trekkers passing through as the path to Makalu one of the 8,000 meter peaks begins in Tumlintar and goes through Khandbari along with another week long trek to Makalu base camp. Anyway, I am the only foreigner in the district and it is kind of nice. It's fascinating to see what life in the district is really like and it only sets in after a few days.After getting home and being urged out of my wet clothing by my hosts who take excellent care of me I settled with a cup of tea on my porch to watch the rain. I sat outside for a couple of hours and watched the rain and contemplated life. Time to sit and ponder life is a rare commodity at home and it was nice to be completely relaxed watching the rain listening to some of my favorite music. It made me think of all the things I wished I had more time to do at home (or made the time to do) like play my guitar and cook. Anyway, it turned out to be a lovely evening. Upendra and Bimala went to bed early and I watched the 1st half of "Return of the Jedi" which was on the English Stars movie channel. For some reason the cable was upgraded yesterday and we now also get HBO and BBC News so maybe if the TV has to be on first thing in the morning I can catch up on some news rather than professional wrestling.
This morning the sun finally showed itself and it was a beautiful day. Out the back door we can see Mt. Wana which is a smaller peak but still looks rather impressive. Off the front porch Makalu is obscured by some buildings but some of the snow-covered mountain leading up to it can be seen. I don't know if I've adequately described the clinic yet. It is a 3 story building set on one of the main streets in town. There are porches front and back on all levels. The front opens to the street then beyond the land drops off to some homes and gardens that are below then just beyond is the school run by the same organization as the clinic. It continues to drop off into a valley and then mountains beyond. The back is similar except there is not immediate road. It also drops off into a valley and there are some houses/gardens visible. The valley floor is not visible from either side but mountains are in view from both the front and back. There is a 2 room outhouse off the back of the building and a small shower/wash room. The lower 2 floors of the building house the clinic including receptions area, pharmacy, lab, ultrasound room, x-ray room, GYN room, office, and examination room. On the 3rd floor are our 3 bedrooms, a small common room, and a kitchen. The common room has a bench and a few chairs, a coffee table, and a TV with stand. The kitchen has a sink, a 2 burner stove, and a table. Each room has one bare light bulb. Large open windows are in every room along with a doorway out to the porch. My room has a desk, chair, and a bed. The bed is a wooden frame with a thin (maybe 1 inch) cotton pad on it and a thick blanket. The floors are very uneven and I'm not sure what underlies the ancient linoleum that covers them. The walls are also badly in need of paint but the building serves its purpose. I'm not so convinced the clinic is all that much of a charity organization more of a business. Prices for labs, x-rays, and such are similar or just a bit more than those at the district hospital. They also charged my $250 for my flight from Kathmandu to Tumlintar which can be purchased for $90. If there was an understanding that they were overcharging to raise money or trying to make money this would not bother me but I was told this is how much the flight was. Also, the medical care provided is not free or subsidized for people and I'm not sure who profits by the 'extra' money that I have paid. I also paid an extra US $250 for an "extra month" which will really be only 5 days but I didn't push the issue at the time. Anyway, I let myself be a little annoyed for a few hours but am trying to let it be and not let it bother me. It's just money and I'm very lucky to be here. What bothers me most is the people who need my money the most aren't seeing it.
Despite feeling somewhat mislead as to the nature of the organization and the related costs the people here are fantastic. They are kind, caring, and happy. The patients are glad I am here although I don't actually contribute much. The guys at the public health office were also grateful that I was here to see the situation in the district. It is much more poor here than in Kathmandu. In Nepal 88% of people live rurally in the hills and 80% make their living by agriculture. 82% of Nepalese people live on less than US $2 a day. The poverty is striking but efforts at improved education and health are in progress. While the Helping Hands clinic and school both appear to be for the most part a business they serve a much needed purpose here. Ok, this seems to have developed into a long rambling so you should be commended if you made it this far. I'll have to see if I can get online and post this. I will have consistent internet access for the next week so feel free to email me at porterjasona@gmail.com as that address is easier for me to check than my other one. Hope everyone is well.
1 comment:
Glad you are getting to relax and ponder life. I like how you realized that it's not that you don't have time for certain things, it's that you aren't making time. It's funny how we all complain that we dont have time. As if we arent in control of prioritizing our days and lives and are at the mercy of some time eater or something. Anyhow... I also share your frustration that those that could use the benefits of the extra $ you are paying likely won't see it... Let us know if we can send you anything too...
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