If Mr. and Mrs. Denmark were to define the word slum they would probably say something like: “It’s a group of poor and criminal people living together in a stinky bunch of shelters made from garbage”. But maybe Mr. and Mrs. Denmark would change their perception and even wanted to redefine the term if they were to live in the slum for one day. My perception was changed.
But back to the beginning of the day. In the morning we had a class with Anjana about slum and adequate houses. The class ended with a debate on the topic “Slum tourism”
Moti gave a short briefing about the slum areas in Kathmandu including the slum where he grew up and still lives.
After lunch some of us went to the city center to buy small gifts to the families we later were going to stay with, besides that we did nothing but waited to take off for the slum.
When we arrived at the slum there were no signs of the man who was going to meet us there so we were put into the community house to wait. We were told that he would show up in 1 ½ hour which meant that we had plenty of time to discover the neighborhood.
1 ½ hour passed and the man didn’t show up. Actually no one showed up so we sat waiting in the community house watching the sun set knowing nothing about what was going to happen later on. Eventually the man and a young English-speaking girl showed up. Now the plan was that we should take a walk around the area with them, eat with the families and then return to stay overnight in the community house.
We went into the slum again and got divided between the families 3 or 2 together or just alone. It was quite obvious that most of the families didn’t know we were coming. I was placed alone with a family consisting of the grandparents, the parents, two sons and plenty of cousins and cousin brothers. The older brother aged 20 was quite good at speaking English so he acted translator when the family kept asking me questions of all different kinds in Nepali. They were very eager to hear about me and Denmark and my purpose of going to Nepal. They were very sweet, and most of the time was spend laughing.
For dinner I was served a plate of dahlbath and I can without lying say that there were rise enough to feed 3 persons on that plate. But I smiled and ate it all. After dinner I was served Nepali wine and asked to play guitar. The neighbor son went to get his guitar. A shining white electric guitar without jack stick amplifier, so there I sat playing something that no one could hear. But they clapped and were very pleased.
Just as I was going to bet I was told that I’d better keep some of my clothes on and zip up my sleeping bag and as soon as the light was turned off I discovered why. The bed I was laying in hosted not only me but a mice family as well. So I lay sweating in my sleeping bag while mice kept running round in the bed and on my sleeping bag. But to my fortune it started raining making the sound of the mice disappear. So there I lay slowly falling to sleep full of rice thinking how well I was treated. Sure my perception of the slum was changed!
/Mads
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
You know you are in Kathmandu when...
- you wake up with six bed-bugs-bites on your arm (Ida G)
- you eat rice at breakfast, lunch and dinner (Frederikke)
- you pay 4 danish crowns for a taxi (Camilla)
- locals call you Salad (Charlotte)
- all men offer you marriage (Catharina)
- being 8 people in a taxi is no problem (Line)
- your stomach hurts because of the spicy food (Marie)
- it suddenly becomes dark when you are in the shower (Ida P)
- you always fight with a salesman about the price (Stine)
- you need a local girl to help you over the road because of the wild traffic (Kristine)
- you are called Maam (Monica)
- the first thing you put in your bag is a headlight (Nicoline)
- you wake up at 5 am to the sound of barking dogs and screaming men (Anna Julie)
- your room mate dissapears every other minute (Mads)
- you can bargain with a taxidriver about the price for a ride (Svenne)
- your stomach has been teasing you for 4 weeks (Jesper)
- there are danish people all around you (Ida S)
- you always have dirty feet (Louise)
Written by Marie Henriksen
- you eat rice at breakfast, lunch and dinner (Frederikke)
- you pay 4 danish crowns for a taxi (Camilla)
- locals call you Salad (Charlotte)
- all men offer you marriage (Catharina)
- being 8 people in a taxi is no problem (Line)
- your stomach hurts because of the spicy food (Marie)
- it suddenly becomes dark when you are in the shower (Ida P)
- you always fight with a salesman about the price (Stine)
- you need a local girl to help you over the road because of the wild traffic (Kristine)
- you are called Maam (Monica)
- the first thing you put in your bag is a headlight (Nicoline)
- you wake up at 5 am to the sound of barking dogs and screaming men (Anna Julie)
- your room mate dissapears every other minute (Mads)
- you can bargain with a taxidriver about the price for a ride (Svenne)
- your stomach has been teasing you for 4 weeks (Jesper)
- there are danish people all around you (Ida S)
- you always have dirty feet (Louise)
Written by Marie Henriksen
Thoughts and ice cream
Woken up at 5 am. wasn't what we (Ida, Anna Julie and I) had in mind, but anyhow it is okay. We got tea but the situation of just sitting in this room with no windows, the not-knowing-what-to-do-feeling, was just too overwhelming and we took a taxi home to the platform. Laying in my bed my bed not knowing whether it was wrong leaving the slum, or not troubled me at lot of thoughts on how we should have reacted. Here we come as foreigners and just leave really early, almost rudely early, in the morning. And had only recieved a lousy cup of tea from this friendly, openminded, caring family. I woulds not say I'm sorry about the situation but lets say it made me think. At 9.30 the ots returned and we shared experiences and talked about the evening and the night had been going. It seemed like everyone had a positive experience. The rest of the day we had no classes, and then 3 o'clock some of us decided to go to Søbogaard, an ecological farm in Bahktapur, outside Kathmandu. They are making juices, ice cream and in general food that is 100% egological. It was a really beautiful farm, the food was delicious, and that homemade ecological ice cream - I still dream about it!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Friday 9th of September
After a well deserved reminder about the house rule’s (nothing more to say…), we presented our Human Right’s assignments. The groups had made plays, power-point, quiz etc. After the presentations we went down to the TV-room to watch “Born into brothel”. After many technical difficulties, we were finally apple to see the documentary about an American woman, who tries to help Indian sex worker’s kids by teaching them how to photograph. Unfortunately we did not have time to see the whole documentary, because of an early lunch. At 1.00 pm we had to leave the platform to visit Raksha Nepal, a center who provides care and support for sexually exploited girls, women and their children. We had planned some games and social activities for these kids – and what a welcome we received! The founder of the organization told us that the children had taken a day off because we came to play with them. After a short introduction to the organizations work and ideas it was time to meet the 4 to 12 years old children.
The room were the children was supposed to be in was very silent – until the children saw us, then we were overwhelmed with excitement and “NAMESTE, NAMESTE!!!” Without a doubt a very emotional greeting for all of us! After the traditional “we-are-glad-you-came-to-visit-ceremony”, with blessing and scarf, it was time to play. Even though many of us were a bit marked after last night’s adventures, it was an amazing experience!
The evening ended early, because the majority had to get a good night sleep, so they were ready for trekking in Nepal’s many mountains.
The room were the children was supposed to be in was very silent – until the children saw us, then we were overwhelmed with excitement and “NAMESTE, NAMESTE!!!” Without a doubt a very emotional greeting for all of us! After the traditional “we-are-glad-you-came-to-visit-ceremony”, with blessing and scarf, it was time to play. Even though many of us were a bit marked after last night’s adventures, it was an amazing experience!
The evening ended early, because the majority had to get a good night sleep, so they were ready for trekking in Nepal’s many mountains.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
thuesday 20.9.11
Today we had to make a video about something in Nepal. The day before we had made the screenplay and storyboard of our story and today we had to film the video and afterwards edit it.
In the very beginning of the morning five people had decided to join the tea for free event, which was supposed to take place at 6am, but the five people could not find the guy who was the leader of the event, so they decided to take home ammidietly. Me and my roommates had also agreed to participate in this tea for free event yesterday, but this morning Mads was very sick, and my stomach was not well, so the three of us decided to sleep it of instead.
Making the video this day was really fun, interesting, but also a bit stressfull. We had to be done at 5pm, and this seemed to be a tight deadline for everyone, but around 5pm people seemed to be finished with their video, and we saw each others videos on a flatscreen.
It was very fun to see the others and your own video on the flatscreen, and we learned a lot from the feedback which we had afterwards recieved.
At night almost all girls went to the cinema to see a bollywood movie, while me and svenne went to thamel to do some laundry. We came home to a very quiet house with a sick roommate laying in bed and people reading in their rooms. A very quiet night.
In the very beginning of the morning five people had decided to join the tea for free event, which was supposed to take place at 6am, but the five people could not find the guy who was the leader of the event, so they decided to take home ammidietly. Me and my roommates had also agreed to participate in this tea for free event yesterday, but this morning Mads was very sick, and my stomach was not well, so the three of us decided to sleep it of instead.
Making the video this day was really fun, interesting, but also a bit stressfull. We had to be done at 5pm, and this seemed to be a tight deadline for everyone, but around 5pm people seemed to be finished with their video, and we saw each others videos on a flatscreen.
It was very fun to see the others and your own video on the flatscreen, and we learned a lot from the feedback which we had afterwards recieved.
At night almost all girls went to the cinema to see a bollywood movie, while me and svenne went to thamel to do some laundry. We came home to a very quiet house with a sick roommate laying in bed and people reading in their rooms. A very quiet night.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Namaste. Tapai Kasto lai cha?
My phone rings again for wake up, and it's 8.15am, I've been awake the last half hour, just as the previous mornings, because the dogs who live around us, has chosen to bark while we should have some quiet time to sleep. Well, up to get dressed and off to breakfast and morning meeting. At 09.30 am after the morning meeting, we had language training for the second time and it was a great fun, just like last time. Last time it was based on words and numbers, but this time it was based on whole sentences, which we can use when we e.g. want to call a taxi or order some food. It's pretty hard to study a new language which is not similar to Danish or English, it is quite funny and a big challenge. After the language lesson, we had a lesson on Human Rights, which was the "theme" for today. We all got one article each, which we should make a drawing of and then show to the others in the group, while we were explaining our article. It was a good and different way to get the subject remembered.
Then it was time for lunch at 12.30, time for good food and relaxation.
The afternoon programme was a continuation on Human Rights. We discussed the types of human rights and when it is violated. We did this by looking at some different types of cases.
Our training ended earlier than usual because we had to work in some groups and work on a project to be presented on Friday. We chose to look fast at the project so we could get into Thamel, to look around in the streets and look at all their nice things. We left around 3.30 pm and came home after 7 pm. In that time we managed to buy skirts, tunics, shirts, ornaments, etc. We got lost, so when we decided to go home, we took a taxi just to get us on the track, so we could come home and get some food in our stomachs.
Tonight we are going to watch a movie, actually it starts in a few minutes, so I am off for now, see you.
Then it was time for lunch at 12.30, time for good food and relaxation.
The afternoon programme was a continuation on Human Rights. We discussed the types of human rights and when it is violated. We did this by looking at some different types of cases.
Our training ended earlier than usual because we had to work in some groups and work on a project to be presented on Friday. We chose to look fast at the project so we could get into Thamel, to look around in the streets and look at all their nice things. We left around 3.30 pm and came home after 7 pm. In that time we managed to buy skirts, tunics, shirts, ornaments, etc. We got lost, so when we decided to go home, we took a taxi just to get us on the track, so we could come home and get some food in our stomachs.
Tonight we are going to watch a movie, actually it starts in a few minutes, so I am off for now, see you.
Kristine
Today we went to the slum because activista! had donated money to a library. The books were not there yet, but it was opening ceremoni anyway. All of us at the platform were going, so we did a little energizer that was called "big fat pony". At the library there was a lot of speakers and it was all in Nepali. There was school children, women with kids, older people sitting in between. They were all smiling and giving us scarfs that they give to guests or people they respect. We all got chai tea and a little biscuit, and it tasted really good. After the opening ceremoni we went around the area, and I was so surprised. The paths was very narrow, and there was even a television in one of the houses. After lunch back at the platform we had about "Agents of social change". We talked about which skills that are important as an agent of social change. We all agreed that you need patience, leadership, good speaking skills and a good amount of creativity.
after a short break we watched a movie about a Nepali theater group. They go to small villages to preform a play, that has a dilemma and a problem. The people in the village have to make up solutions, and therefore they will learn what to do in similar situations.
After dinner we all went to a local pub with Rikke. They were very happy to see us, and they were all very nice. After some big beers, a couple of hours and a lot of fun we went home. It was the intern Louise last night, and everybody were so excited to dance.
after a short break we watched a movie about a Nepali theater group. They go to small villages to preform a play, that has a dilemma and a problem. The people in the village have to make up solutions, and therefore they will learn what to do in similar situations.
After dinner we all went to a local pub with Rikke. They were very happy to see us, and they were all very nice. After some big beers, a couple of hours and a lot of fun we went home. It was the intern Louise last night, and everybody were so excited to dance.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Today, sunday september 4
Today, sunday september 4., was the day for our first group excursion.
The day started out as a sunny and hot one, which gave us a beautiful picture of the Kathmandu valley and all the rice fields.
However, we probably should have prayed to the Hindu God who's in charge of the weather, because within a short period of time the rain started. And not just a few raindrops, but serious monsoon rain. But nothing could stop us from enjoying the experience, and since it is the rainy season, the downpour was worth experiencing in itself.
The first place we visited was a Hindu temple placed in a forrest. Luckily we were there at the time of day where they were doing sacrifices - which included sacrificing a chicken to the Gods.
At the temple the girls received a blessing from old ladyes sitting on the ground. They put colored rice (red, yellow and silver) on our foreheads and put string around our handwrists while saying a long verse, that we suppose means good luck. When heading back to the bus, once again the rain started, which made some of us run as fast as we could through the mud and back to the bus. This seemed to amuse the Nepalese people, who all started cheering for us and shouting. Unfortunately it turned out the rice we had in our foreheads and the rain was not the best combination, so back in the bus we had to get out the cleanex, since we had all the color running down our face.
The plan had been to eat our lunch at a lake nearby, but because of the rain we enjoyed it in the bus - A Nepalese Happy Meal, prepared by the guys at the Platform.
Spending hours in the traffic jam of Kathmandu getting back and forth was an experience in itself, even though it was a bit over the top for us when our bus hit a scooter - but luckily nothing happened to him, and we could see him walking away in good condition. Since the Buddhist monastry we should have visited was better to visit at a sunny day, we ended up going to a Buddhist stupa. As soon as we got up there, we could see that it was the exact same one that is on the front the Nepal guide book brought from Denmark - so this was a place that we had all really wanted to see. It was the stupa with all the monkeys, jumping all over it. We got to see Buddhist monks sitting in a room and chanting, which they had propbably been doing all day. There was a certain feeling in the room when they were silent for a moment and hid the big drum, to start over again. What was also funny was seeing one of the young monks was texing on his cell phone while chanting with the others.
In total it has been a really exciting day, which ended perfectly with board games and music in the couches in the living room.
The day started out as a sunny and hot one, which gave us a beautiful picture of the Kathmandu valley and all the rice fields.
However, we probably should have prayed to the Hindu God who's in charge of the weather, because within a short period of time the rain started. And not just a few raindrops, but serious monsoon rain. But nothing could stop us from enjoying the experience, and since it is the rainy season, the downpour was worth experiencing in itself.
The first place we visited was a Hindu temple placed in a forrest. Luckily we were there at the time of day where they were doing sacrifices - which included sacrificing a chicken to the Gods.
At the temple the girls received a blessing from old ladyes sitting on the ground. They put colored rice (red, yellow and silver) on our foreheads and put string around our handwrists while saying a long verse, that we suppose means good luck. When heading back to the bus, once again the rain started, which made some of us run as fast as we could through the mud and back to the bus. This seemed to amuse the Nepalese people, who all started cheering for us and shouting. Unfortunately it turned out the rice we had in our foreheads and the rain was not the best combination, so back in the bus we had to get out the cleanex, since we had all the color running down our face.
The plan had been to eat our lunch at a lake nearby, but because of the rain we enjoyed it in the bus - A Nepalese Happy Meal, prepared by the guys at the Platform.
Spending hours in the traffic jam of Kathmandu getting back and forth was an experience in itself, even though it was a bit over the top for us when our bus hit a scooter - but luckily nothing happened to him, and we could see him walking away in good condition. Since the Buddhist monastry we should have visited was better to visit at a sunny day, we ended up going to a Buddhist stupa. As soon as we got up there, we could see that it was the exact same one that is on the front the Nepal guide book brought from Denmark - so this was a place that we had all really wanted to see. It was the stupa with all the monkeys, jumping all over it. We got to see Buddhist monks sitting in a room and chanting, which they had propbably been doing all day. There was a certain feeling in the room when they were silent for a moment and hid the big drum, to start over again. What was also funny was seeing one of the young monks was texing on his cell phone while chanting with the others.
In total it has been a really exciting day, which ended perfectly with board games and music in the couches in the living room.
Monday September 5, 2011
Monday September 5, 2011
Today it is Charlotte’s birthday so most of us woke her early this morning with a birthday song and a present. She was a bit surprised, but happy.
We had our first day with classes today. We started with language, where Anjana taught us about Nepali and wrote our names on the board, it was very funny to see our own names look so strange. We also learned to pronounce some basic words in Nepali, and a few in Hindi. It was hard, because a lot of the words are so different from Danish and Norwegian. After a break we heard about social structure and the Caste System, which is so far from everything we know, but it was very exciting to hear Rikke and especially Anjanna telling about it. For the ones who are going to India or staying here in Nepal it is something, we will be exploring on our one so it was nice to gets some information about how the System influences the people, who lives by its rules.
After lunch Charlotte had bought Nepali cakes for all, which was very nice, but also sweeter than we are used to. It was decorated with eatable silver, and looked so pretty in laying in the box. After having explored something new, we talked about gender and how it influences us and the Asian societies. In association to this we had a small quiz, which lead to a smaller debate. It is nice to meet people with strong opinions. This was our last class of the day and everybody went out to enjoy our spare time. The boys played soccer with some local boys; most of the girls went to a park to celebrate Charlotte’s birthday and the rest just hanged out in our neighborhood.
Right now I can hear some of the others playing Ping Pong, it sounds like it is a very important game and a lot of fun too.
Today it is Charlotte’s birthday so most of us woke her early this morning with a birthday song and a present. She was a bit surprised, but happy.
We had our first day with classes today. We started with language, where Anjana taught us about Nepali and wrote our names on the board, it was very funny to see our own names look so strange. We also learned to pronounce some basic words in Nepali, and a few in Hindi. It was hard, because a lot of the words are so different from Danish and Norwegian. After a break we heard about social structure and the Caste System, which is so far from everything we know, but it was very exciting to hear Rikke and especially Anjanna telling about it. For the ones who are going to India or staying here in Nepal it is something, we will be exploring on our one so it was nice to gets some information about how the System influences the people, who lives by its rules.
After lunch Charlotte had bought Nepali cakes for all, which was very nice, but also sweeter than we are used to. It was decorated with eatable silver, and looked so pretty in laying in the box. After having explored something new, we talked about gender and how it influences us and the Asian societies. In association to this we had a small quiz, which lead to a smaller debate. It is nice to meet people with strong opinions. This was our last class of the day and everybody went out to enjoy our spare time. The boys played soccer with some local boys; most of the girls went to a park to celebrate Charlotte’s birthday and the rest just hanged out in our neighborhood.
Right now I can hear some of the others playing Ping Pong, it sounds like it is a very important game and a lot of fun too.
3-09-11
3-09-11
Today we had a day off. In the morning some went shopping in the city center and others went for a walk through the streets.
We decided, as the schedule recommended, to go to Durbar Square in the old part of Kathmandu. When we arrived, we had to pay to go in and see the temples. We met a 13-year-old local boy who at first asked us for Danish crowns, because he collected them, and he wouldn’t accept Rs. He offered to give us a tour through some of the temples and didn’t require any payment of any kind. He told us his dream was to become a professional guide when he grew up. He was very humble and kind, and even when Camilla offered him some licorice he told us that he would give it to his younger sister.
Later we decided to take a break and have a drink and a snack at a restaurant where we sat on top of the roof with a great view over the city and the mountains in the background.
On our way back to Durbar Square we passed a parade with a lot of people who were celebrating an old man’s “birthday”: he was turning 77 years, 7 months and 7 days. Further down the street we also passed a parade, but much more different since it was some sort of funeral, where many people were mourning over a dead person who was lying on a wooden board carried by relatives and friends. The corpse was covered by a yellow embroidered sheet and only the feet peeked out.
Some then decided to take a taxi back home to the platform and other continued to walk down the streets for some shopping. We walked by several regular shops but also went to a smaller market.
When leaving Durbar Square some of the girls decided to take one of the small busses back, which usually only drives along a particular route, but the drivers accepted to make an exception and drive us to the city center. We were sitting tight, but the ride was fun and a bit different from a taxi-ride.
Today we had a day off. In the morning some went shopping in the city center and others went for a walk through the streets.
We decided, as the schedule recommended, to go to Durbar Square in the old part of Kathmandu. When we arrived, we had to pay to go in and see the temples. We met a 13-year-old local boy who at first asked us for Danish crowns, because he collected them, and he wouldn’t accept Rs. He offered to give us a tour through some of the temples and didn’t require any payment of any kind. He told us his dream was to become a professional guide when he grew up. He was very humble and kind, and even when Camilla offered him some licorice he told us that he would give it to his younger sister.
Later we decided to take a break and have a drink and a snack at a restaurant where we sat on top of the roof with a great view over the city and the mountains in the background.
On our way back to Durbar Square we passed a parade with a lot of people who were celebrating an old man’s “birthday”: he was turning 77 years, 7 months and 7 days. Further down the street we also passed a parade, but much more different since it was some sort of funeral, where many people were mourning over a dead person who was lying on a wooden board carried by relatives and friends. The corpse was covered by a yellow embroidered sheet and only the feet peeked out.
Some then decided to take a taxi back home to the platform and other continued to walk down the streets for some shopping. We walked by several regular shops but also went to a smaller market.
When leaving Durbar Square some of the girls decided to take one of the small busses back, which usually only drives along a particular route, but the drivers accepted to make an exception and drive us to the city center. We were sitting tight, but the ride was fun and a bit different from a taxi-ride.
Wednesday 14/9
Today we had a 1-day workshop on the platform. We had invited around 20 young people from a nearby college to come and participate. The purpose of this kind of workshop is among other things to learn about and accept different cultures. The motto of the day was “Learn by doing” and to do that we had to make our own workshop. We were divided into four groups with a mix between people from Denmark and Nepal. Each group had to prepare a workshop based on a specific topic. The topic in my group was "volunteering for social changes" and we chose to work with child labor. In the beginning it was quite difficult to do group work because the people from Nepal had a completely different way of working than we are used to in Denmark. But the result turned out ok and in our workshop we performed a play with a problem, and afterwards the other group had to give suggestions to solve the problem. After each group had presented their workshop for one of the other groups, we were told to evaluate each other's workshops. Earlier today we learned how to give constructive critic and we got two different models, the burger and KAD, that we could use. The two workshops that a participated in was great and well structured. To fit in I wore a tunic that I bought here in Nepal, but all the nepali girls wore western clothes, so I ended up sticking out anyway. But all things considered it was a great and very learning day!
Today we had a 1-day workshop on the platform. We had invited around 20 young people from a nearby college to come and participate. The purpose of this kind of workshop is among other things to learn about and accept different cultures. The motto of the day was “Learn by doing” and to do that we had to make our own workshop. We were divided into four groups with a mix between people from Denmark and Nepal. Each group had to prepare a workshop based on a specific topic. The topic in my group was "volunteering for social changes" and we chose to work with child labor. In the beginning it was quite difficult to do group work because the people from Nepal had a completely different way of working than we are used to in Denmark. But the result turned out ok and in our workshop we performed a play with a problem, and afterwards the other group had to give suggestions to solve the problem. After each group had presented their workshop for one of the other groups, we were told to evaluate each other's workshops. Earlier today we learned how to give constructive critic and we got two different models, the burger and KAD, that we could use. The two workshops that a participated in was great and well structured. To fit in I wore a tunic that I bought here in Nepal, but all the nepali girls wore western clothes, so I ended up sticking out anyway. But all things considered it was a great and very learning day!
Friday 2/9 2011
Friday 2/9 2011
Today has been our first day of our program for the month. We started out with breakfast after a good night’s sleep - finally..! and were in for an unusual meal. We had toast, which we all know either with jam, butter, peanut butter or others. But what we hadn’t expected was cornflakes, YES delicious everyone likes cornflakes, until they have tasted it with warm milk… what to say, quite different, but something that we will get used to, I guess.
After breakfast we went outside to our first class which included a warm welcome from Rikke and Anjana followed by in introduction to the program for the next month in Nepal. We sat outdoor to enjoy the good view and weather, which is also surprisingly good considering that September should be the last month of the rainy season. Anyway, the class was about ourselves and our expectations and concerns for our journey in Nepal. To get to know each other at bit we made drawings of how we had ended up at the same platform here in Nepal, all of the drawings where quite good even though several claimed they weren’t talented drawers…
Afterwards we were told to write a letter for ourselves, which we will get back when we leave the platform. The letter should contain 3 challenges and 3 goals. Writing a letter to yourself was kind of odd, but I think it is one of the best ways to realize how far you have come and how much you have experienced and learned after the 4 months. I hope that reading this letter in 4 weeks will convince me that I AM able to live and enjoy India for 3 month!
3.pm. : Class is off.. 3.30 pm. and we are on our way to Thamel (or something) in 4 taxis, all squeezed together in the back of a small Suzuki. For the next 2 hours we were in the tourist part of Kathmandu, experiencing the wild traffic, the many street dogs, the women dressed in beautiful and colorful saris -or what you call it - and all of the shop owners trying to sell us the same things on every street.
Now 9 pm. We are having a good time by the computers, checking out facebook !!
Today has been our first day of our program for the month. We started out with breakfast after a good night’s sleep - finally..! and were in for an unusual meal. We had toast, which we all know either with jam, butter, peanut butter or others. But what we hadn’t expected was cornflakes, YES delicious everyone likes cornflakes, until they have tasted it with warm milk… what to say, quite different, but something that we will get used to, I guess.
After breakfast we went outside to our first class which included a warm welcome from Rikke and Anjana followed by in introduction to the program for the next month in Nepal. We sat outdoor to enjoy the good view and weather, which is also surprisingly good considering that September should be the last month of the rainy season. Anyway, the class was about ourselves and our expectations and concerns for our journey in Nepal. To get to know each other at bit we made drawings of how we had ended up at the same platform here in Nepal, all of the drawings where quite good even though several claimed they weren’t talented drawers…
Afterwards we were told to write a letter for ourselves, which we will get back when we leave the platform. The letter should contain 3 challenges and 3 goals. Writing a letter to yourself was kind of odd, but I think it is one of the best ways to realize how far you have come and how much you have experienced and learned after the 4 months. I hope that reading this letter in 4 weeks will convince me that I AM able to live and enjoy India for 3 month!
3.pm. : Class is off.. 3.30 pm. and we are on our way to Thamel (or something) in 4 taxis, all squeezed together in the back of a small Suzuki. For the next 2 hours we were in the tourist part of Kathmandu, experiencing the wild traffic, the many street dogs, the women dressed in beautiful and colorful saris -or what you call it - and all of the shop owners trying to sell us the same things on every street.
Now 9 pm. We are having a good time by the computers, checking out facebook !!
15. September - Observing at a school
Today was excursion day, so we had to wake up a little earlier than we were used to. A little past 9 o’clock we arrived to a private school. We were going to observer a normal school day and then we are supposed to teach at the same school the following day. The settlement was arranged with help from Khaji, because he has two children at the school. Originally we were supposed to observe more than one class, but because today was ‘Children’s day’, the pupils only had a half day of classes. When we arrived, all the pupils were doing a morning ritual, where they were standing in lines and talking in a choir. It was much disciplined and very different from the Danish school system. Afterwards they went to different classrooms sorted by age. After a briefly introduction we were divided in smaller groups. Six of us went to a nearby kindergarten/nursery school. There were three different classes and Catharina and I went to see a class with around 20 four years old boys and girls. They had just started learning English, so they couldn’t even say their own name. In the classroom Catharina and I was placed on small plastic chairs and forty big brown eyes were starring at us including Khaji’s four year old son. He was a straight A student. We were participating in the class for about 45 minutes. And during the class there was singing, dancing and repeating, what the teacher said. The discipline from before was totally gone now, and during the class, one girl just suddenly stood up and started dancing, while others were climbing on the table. They were all very adorable. I’m very excited to see if Catharina and I will succeed in teaching Friday, when the children are in such young age.
After observing the class, we all gathered together and shared experiences. We then watched the ‘Children’s day’ ceremony, where five of us participated and gave present for some of the pupils. During the ceremony there were different speeches, a quiz, music and dance. It was a great experience to be a part of. Some of us really wanted to stay longer, but we had to go home for lunch. At lunch we had burgers for a change, but honestly I already missed nepali food. In the afternoon we had an energizer and a meeting, where we talked about our emotions and different issues as toilets and food. We were supposed to have a session about learning methods, but since we all were very tired, we instead had time to prepare for tomorrows class. Before dinner most of us went to Thamel to book the weekend trip to Last Resort, where we are going bungee jump, river rafting, tree climping, relaxing and rappelling. It’ll be fun! Tonight is a very exciting night because of the election in Denmark and hopefully we can hear some Danish radio. And hopefully the right party will win.
After observing the class, we all gathered together and shared experiences. We then watched the ‘Children’s day’ ceremony, where five of us participated and gave present for some of the pupils. During the ceremony there were different speeches, a quiz, music and dance. It was a great experience to be a part of. Some of us really wanted to stay longer, but we had to go home for lunch. At lunch we had burgers for a change, but honestly I already missed nepali food. In the afternoon we had an energizer and a meeting, where we talked about our emotions and different issues as toilets and food. We were supposed to have a session about learning methods, but since we all were very tired, we instead had time to prepare for tomorrows class. Before dinner most of us went to Thamel to book the weekend trip to Last Resort, where we are going bungee jump, river rafting, tree climping, relaxing and rappelling. It’ll be fun! Tonight is a very exciting night because of the election in Denmark and hopefully we can hear some Danish radio. And hopefully the right party will win.
15. September - Observing at a school
Today was excursion day, so we had to wake up a little earlier than we were used to. A little past 9 o’clock we arrived to a private school. We were going to observer a normal school day and then we are supposed to teach at the same school the following day. The settlement was arranged with help from Khaji, because he has two children at the school. Originally we were supposed to observe more than one class, but because today was ‘Children’s day’, the pupils only had a half day of classes. When we arrived, all the pupils were doing a morning ritual, where they were standing in lines and talking in a choir. It was much disciplined and very different from the Danish school system. Afterwards they went to different classrooms sorted by age. After a briefly introduction we were divided in smaller groups. Six of us went to a nearby kindergarten/nursery school. There were three different classes and Catharina and I went to see a class with around 20 four years old boys and girls. They had just started learning English, so they couldn’t even say their own name. In the classroom Catharina and I was placed on small plastic chairs and forty big brown eyes were starring at us including Khaji’s four year old son. He was a straight A student. We were participating in the class for about 45 minutes. And during the class there was singing, dancing and repeating, what the teacher said. The discipline from before was totally gone now, and during the class, one girl just suddenly stood up and started dancing, while others were climbing on the table. They were all very adorable. I’m very excited to see if Catharina and I will succeed in teaching Friday, when the children are in such young age.
After observing the class, we all gathered together and shared experiences. We then watched the ‘Children’s day’ ceremony, where five of us participated and gave present for some of the pupils. During the ceremony there were different speeches, a quiz, music and dance. It was a great experience to be a part of. Some of us really wanted to stay longer, but we had to go home for lunch. At lunch we had burgers for a change, but honestly I already missed nepali food. In the afternoon we had an energizer and a meeting, where we talked about our emotions and different issues as toilets and food. We were supposed to have a session about learning methods, but since we all were very tired, we instead had time to prepare for tomorrows class. Before dinner most of us went to Thamel to book the weekend trip to Last Resort, where we are going bungee jump, river rafting, tree climping, relaxing and rappelling. It’ll be fun! Tonight is a very exciting night because of the election in Denmark and hopefully we can hear some Danish radio. And hopefully the right party will win.
After observing the class, we all gathered together and shared experiences. We then watched the ‘Children’s day’ ceremony, where five of us participated and gave present for some of the pupils. During the ceremony there were different speeches, a quiz, music and dance. It was a great experience to be a part of. Some of us really wanted to stay longer, but we had to go home for lunch. At lunch we had burgers for a change, but honestly I already missed nepali food. In the afternoon we had an energizer and a meeting, where we talked about our emotions and different issues as toilets and food. We were supposed to have a session about learning methods, but since we all were very tired, we instead had time to prepare for tomorrows class. Before dinner most of us went to Thamel to book the weekend trip to Last Resort, where we are going bungee jump, river rafting, tree climping, relaxing and rappelling. It’ll be fun! Tonight is a very exciting night because of the election in Denmark and hopefully we can hear some Danish radio. And hopefully the right party will win.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
September 6th at Global Platform Nepal
Getting up at 7.30 is just as hard as it has been all the other days, even though you’re waking up to sun in your face and nice weather. Tuesdays are cleaning days, so we found our brooms, cloths and our ‘all purpose spray’ and started washing every corner of the house. When we were all finished it was no surprise to find Louise downstairs still working on her major project: putting all the board games together. But I’ll tell yah that the platform was shining from one end to the other. So even though you’re all Danish you did a good job cleaning!
After our two hours of cleaning we went back to class where the man running Tea4Free stopped by to tell us about his project working with the street children. He visits different places in Nepal and together with a huge network of volunteers; they serve the street children tea and some of them get a chance to do something different with their lives. A very impressive project if you’re asking me.
The event of the day happed later that night when we had our International Culture Night. All countries performed some sort of song or dance typical for their home. The Danish people sang the nation anthem as well as helping little Norway in a little folkdance. I would say the best part was when we all just started randomly dancing. On at a time, both guys and girls showing of their dance skills hit the dance floor. The highlight would be trying to follow the Nepali girls in their ultimate dance off. That was not an easy task. This arm should twirl like that while this foot goes back and forth this way. As a perfect ending to the day, some of us sat down on and played guitar and sang. It’s not always easy to find songs that we all know, but we sang ‘Summer of 69’, ‘I’m yours’, and ‘Wonderful world’. Thank you everyone for a wonderful evening!
After our two hours of cleaning we went back to class where the man running Tea4Free stopped by to tell us about his project working with the street children. He visits different places in Nepal and together with a huge network of volunteers; they serve the street children tea and some of them get a chance to do something different with their lives. A very impressive project if you’re asking me.
The event of the day happed later that night when we had our International Culture Night. All countries performed some sort of song or dance typical for their home. The Danish people sang the nation anthem as well as helping little Norway in a little folkdance. I would say the best part was when we all just started randomly dancing. On at a time, both guys and girls showing of their dance skills hit the dance floor. The highlight would be trying to follow the Nepali girls in their ultimate dance off. That was not an easy task. This arm should twirl like that while this foot goes back and forth this way. As a perfect ending to the day, some of us sat down on and played guitar and sang. It’s not always easy to find songs that we all know, but we sang ‘Summer of 69’, ‘I’m yours’, and ‘Wonderful world’. Thank you everyone for a wonderful evening!
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