we love kumar

after being home in the states and seeing my friends and their workloads as moms, it has struck me even more how precious kumar is. i would not be able to afford someone who can take care of us like he does, stateside. we are very fortunate to be in the position to have the kind of help we do. since our friend, lydia, living downstairs, with whom we shared kumar is gone, christy and i have decided to continue with kumar full time, paying him the same wages he has made all along. he has one less apartment to clean and less ironing to do, so what was already a cushy job has become like a lazy-boy. because lydia..."madame ladia" as kumar refers to her, was a vegetarian, we asked him to make only veg stuff with occasional shrimp. our first day back in kathmandu kumar asked me if he could cook meat...he was so excited! i think we tapped out his "veg dishes" and he was getting bored. he makes an excellent dal, which is like a thick lentil soup, that we eat with naan. i have not tired of that one bit; it's so yummy. but, with less work and one fewer person for which to cook, i decided to send him to cooking class with the principle of lincoln school's cook, hari. he will begin this coming monday and i explained it to kumar that we want him to go to network with lincoln people so he can get a job with one of the 7 new hires for next year coming in august, because we are leaving in september. once you're in lincoln's system, it's a good gig. yes it will be nice for him to learn some new dishes, but the impetus for the move is to network for him. he is a good guy and would make someone a nice cook...his cleaning and ironing aren't stellar, but we let that slide. : ) ...like i can complain, eh?! we will pay the extra 550 rupees, which is about $7 every monday and give up a day of having kumar at our apartment. i wonder what he thinks about the cost because that's more than 1/20th of what we pay him every month (10,000 rupees)...or, his daily salary. he seems very happy with the idea and thankful for the opportunity. i hope it all works out. i've heard horror stories from other staff about cooks and house help that turn out horribly. kumar has been consistent for us and is a nice guy to boot. he cooks, cleans, does laundry and ironing, shops, hangs pictures, mails christmas cards, takes our mending to be done, has things repaired, goes to the bakery, cuts up our fruit, squeezes limes for juice...i know, ridiculous..., changes our sheets, dusts, and whatever else we ask him to do. he even changes lightbulbs, except that the one we had him change the other day came crashing down while we were watching the inauguration speech. oops. so, all in all, he's like our surrogate husband and if we can help him find his next job, that will be great. plus, there's just not enough work for him to do for the two of us 5 days a week. hmmm, maybe he can take up knitting...i've been wanting a new sweater. : ) sheela, on the other hand, i'm trying to figure out how to get her to leave her family and move to the states with me! lol...she's awesome... take care and leave comments!! i love to know who's reading the blog. i'll add some pics/video soon. love, j

welcome back

after looong flights and a lotta perusing of duty free shops, we finally made it back to the 'du. the airport is so rinky dink that i went through customs and then skated out before getting my luggage trying to look for our friend, lydia, who was leaving forever. we literally said our good byes at the airport and then she slipped off into the time warp of travel from which we had just come. we will miss her greatly... so after saying goodbye, i grabbed one of the scarce international terminal click-ity-clack carts and ran back in to get our monstrous and obnoxious 6 checked bags. [the only good thing about that is we didn't have to pay for the extra luggage because we had to arrive at the airport so early at our point of departure, that the united agent couldn't find her master keys to open the cash drawer. we sweated it a little bit, as she said our final leg carrier, thai airlines, could ask for the receipt, but we were able to slide through it all nicely.] after christy finally got her (yet another) tourist visa (i'm trying to contain my laughter here) she came out. my principle sent a van for us from lincoln and the driver was right there ready to take our bags and bring us to our apartment. it was a beautiful day...in the 60s and sunny. whew. driving home i couldn't help notice how crazy everything still seemed after a month break, but how it was all so normal and familiar in the end. the garbage was piled up bountifully for our arrival, however, which was a nice touch, but other than that it seemed the same. we're back and slowly putting all of our stuff away and getting readjusted to the time zone. i fell asleep on the couch for 5 hours last night before going to bed and sleeping for 8 more hours. this morning i feel so much better and am ready to go to school and then to the american club to watch the inauguration tonight! oh yeah... one thing that is different since i've returned...how could i forget...is that we are now without power for 16 hours a day! yikes...we have a generator for some of those hours but even that can't take care of the load, so we do without, completely, for 4-6 hours per day. we just set up a propane heater and added extra blankets, so should be fine until the weather breaks in another few weeks. the tricky part is showering...there's only hot water at two different 4 hour increments a day, which is when we have full power. we have to plan around that and are s.o.l. when those increments are midnight to 4 am (when i'm sleeping) and noon to 4 (when i'm at school). i feel terribly fortunate however, despite how it may sound, because i was talking to kumar today and asked him about his living situation. he completely loses power for 16 hours a day and when he does have power, his landlord won't allow electric heaters. kumar nestles into his bed loaded up with blankets and reads by candlelight. and i'm pretty sure he doesn't have a shower, let alone hot water ....i can't complain. we are very fortunate...not to mention my heated classroom! i will write more soon, but wanted to touch base. it's been a long time since i've blogged! love, j

my digits...

come sunday when i land in san francisco, i'll have a pre paid phone. thank you james for doing the legwork!

Janice - 408.506.0422

Christy - 408.504.9429

call if you'd like, but i have no idea how many minutes i have and how long i can chat, but it'll be nice to say hi. i also don't know if i'll be textable. see you soon. xo, j

subtleties

as i was walking to catch the bus this morning, past the puppy and assortment of dogs outside my gate, i whistled and they all came running to greet me. despite the stares and sometimes smiles by onlookers, i insist on this a.m. ritual to give me much craved pet energy. i wandered out onto the road to taxis calling for my business and motorbikes whizzing past side by side with bikes and buses beeping at any thing in their path. the normal few random men were peeing on a broken down wall in the field unaware of the activity on the street 5 feet away. i passed the small hindu temple where women and men were exiting carrying woven leave baskets with the remnants of rice, flower petals and colorful powder, fresh from their morning pujas. the vegetable market was in full swing as vendors hawked their edibles and customers went about their early business of choosing food for the day. the cows were hanging out in anticipation, waiting for extra scraps much like a domestic dog at a dinner table. conversations i didn't understand filtered through my ears and countless billboards and signs went uninterpreted by my brain. women were out sweeping the roads and sidewalks with their 'witch-like' brooms to get all the dust back onto the road and all the garbage into the curb. other women were out frying various snacks and staples in large wrought iron vats of oil on the side of the road vying for morning competition. the men...mostly were sitting...but some were out milling about. even the occasional man and woman were out jogging. then, there was a separate group of kids donned in white karate-esque robes who were in-training for some martial art, jogging in a single file line directly past me. the air was crisp and cool; i could see my breath and had my hands deep in my winter coat pockets, fully bundled. many people weren't wearing a coat and were in flip flops.  i thought about leaving tomorrow for a month and if it would look the same to me upon my return. i've been here almost a year now and it all seems quite normal and doesn't phase me. i wonder if it will be strange to come back mid january. i will miss some aspects of the culture while away, but i'm also very ready to head stateside and catch up, eat up, drive and be with my own peeps. ready or not...here i come! : ) lots of love during this holiday season and always, j

phat contract

whilst sitting here in my apartment today after having taken the day off, waiting for my intestines to settle down so i can venture 5 minutes outside without worrying, i realized i hadn't updated people on what's happening with me next year. when i got to school in the morning last monday, just before we left for Explore Nepal and the last resort, our principle allan came up and asked to talk to me. we stepped aside and he quietly said "hey, i've heard a rumor that shannon (the woman on maternity leave for whom i'm subbing) won't be back next year." well, just a few days prior he had asked if i wanted to be considered for the position because shannon had said she wasn't coming back in august for the neeext school year. so i said "yeah, allan, we talked about it and i said you can consider me." to which he replied, "no, janice...she's not coming back in jaaaanuary!" this was a complete surprise to me...and obviously, to him. he told me to consider continuing until june and he would fill me in when shannon confirmed it with him, which was supposed to be within the next day or so. crap! from that moment on that's all i could think about on our trip! the whole ride up i talked to one of the other teacher/chaperones about it and having been involved with contractual things in the past, she was a great person to talk through it with. sure enough, two days later he called and told me shannon had contacted him. he tried to talk her out of it, citing a plethora of reasons, but she was holding to her wishes. she does not want to bring a 4 month old baby back to nepal. period. now next semester i was going to work 60% with a couple 8th grade social studies and a p.e. class, 2 out of the 7 cycle days off and a much more laid back feeling than this semester has been, plus a work visa continuation. now he said i would be at 100%. i struggled with the decision because of the new curriculum and time commitment, but after some negotiating, i wound up getting most of what an overseas hire would get (i'm considered a local hire) and i just couldn't pass it up. i'll get my salary tax free, cash in lieu of health insurance every month and cash in lieu of a round trip airline ticket home. when i finish my contract in june, i'll also get a 10% completion bonus that's intended to be used for retirement purposes. i reminded him i wasn't coming back until a week after the kids come back as i had made my travel plans before i knew i was going to continue and he said the school will work around it. he did not expect me to change my flight. plus, he said shannon was going to write up a more detailed outline of the semester and get it to me. ok. just before we left for Explore Nepal i had explained to my students that shannon was coming back and reminded them that our semester ends before we leave for winter break. oops. well, some of that is still true, but i told the kids yesterday that 'ms. carey' won't be back, so i have agreed to continue and they applauded...how sweet. well, at least the girls did...the boys just looked at me...teenagers! so after the holidays i'll be doing what i'm doing now, just getting paid more than twice i'm being paid as a permanent sub now. sweet! ...and i'll have sheela! hooray. i can do anything for 5 months. after reading one day in the life of ivan denisovich, and studying the russian revolution, my life seems like a piece of cake! just thought i'd let you know my latest news. now if only the dysentery would go away!! love, j

burp, squirt and gurgle

...aka dysentery. yup...after nearly 11 months living here, i finally got it. i thought my body was building up immunity and i was even thinking of considering maybe possibly brushing my teeth with the tap water, but noooooooo, not now. how have i gone from baby elephants to this? last week i stayed at a rustic camp, went canyoning in waterfalls and rafting down a river. any one of these could have contributed to my current state of affairs. hmmm...after a few episodes this weekend, i thought i was doing better this morning so went to work. big mistake. i'm on the third floor and the staff bathroom is across campus on the ground level. the cramps come outta no where and then it becomes a race to the lou. running down the steps did not help! ee-gads. and the noises my belly has been making? OMG...some i think whales could understand! i told my fabulous t.a., sheela, that i was having troubles and she didn't bat an eye. she told me to go whenever i needed; she was there. culture here is so different regarding it. because it's so common, it's just part of people's every day vernacular. 'soooo, how's your diarhea? what color is it? does it smell? what have you eaten? are you crampy? etc.' ...and evvvery nepali person has advice. 'eat rice...eat bread...don't eat...take this herb...have this (while shoving something completely unrecognizable in your face).  christy told her work people about it after i called to tell her that i was going to the clinic and they even asked her a bunch of questions! lol! i don't think i'd ever had such a conversation with anyone in my life...but here, it's like talking about the weather. fortunately i had only the first 2 blocks today (out of 4) and was free before lunch for the rest of the afternoon. i told our principle that i was having stomach issues and he said he was too and that his wife (our 4th grade teacher) was home today because of it. ugh. i set off out of the school in search of a taxi. the walk down the hill to the main road was scary and the 20 minute cab ride, tricky. i finally made it to the best clinic here, known as ciwec, where there are western doctors and nice facilities (i would not go to a nepali hospital...ever.). at ciwec there's even a doctor from chelsea, michigan! what a small world sometimes. but anyways, he was the doctor who, after inspecting my 'stool' sample (and i use the word stool very loosely...pun intended), told me that i had the worst case of dysentery he had ever seen. nice. sooooo, meds for 3 days for me. he said they wouldn't make much difference until 48 hours later, however, so i'm really leery to go to school tomorrow. just thinking about the bumpy bus ride gives me chills. i think the russian revolution can be independently studied tomorrow! ugh... the only good thing about this is it's a quick 'reduction' before coming home for the holidays where i plan to totally pig out! more later, love j

baby elephant at chitwan

great weekend!

chilldun kali pulling my hand into her mouth

we went south to chitwan national game reserve and stayed within the park at a place called chitwan jungle lodge. the rapti river was too cold for elephant bathing, but it was all very enjoyable none-the-less. i met some great people, saw some fantastic things, learned a lot about the flora and fauna, but the most exciting part, hands down, was getting to play with a 23 day old baby elephant!! OMG was she cute! she was so curious and playful and would grab your arm with her trunk and then suck on your hand! her mother was ever present and despite being blind, she knew exactly what was going on at all times. she is 35 years old and has been raised in captivity, but was impregnated by a wild male who wandered into camp one evening...22 months ago! we almost didn't go to the park this weekend, but i'm so glad we did because i wouldn't have wanted to miss 'chilldun kali' at this age. on the adults, we went out on 3 different elephant safaris and although we never saw the elusive one-horned rhino, we did see some other animals and some beautiful scenery. we were either out at sunrise with misty valleys or were able to watch the sunset on the river while on a pachyderm's back...not a bad way to spend your time. it's unbelievable how sure and silent their footsteps are. there were also 3 kittens at the compound that were adorable and actually wanted to be held. at one point i had all three of them piled up on my lap, fast asleep... so, this is brief, but i wanted to post a few pics...i have videos, but can't upload them now. i have only a half day to pull myself together to head up to the tibetan border in the morning with 24 tenth graders. we're going to a place called 'the last resort' if you care to google it. it's pretty cool; i am so fortunate! i'll catch up more soon when i'm home next weekend. hope all of your thanksgivings were great. welcome home bella!! love, j

happy thanksgiving!

long story...but in nepal the schools build in 'bandh' days much like schools in michigan build in 'snow' days. since there were no strikes (bandhs) for the first few months of school they gave us the day after thanksgiving off. we already had turkey day as a holiday, but they turned it into a 4 day weekend. ...scene 2. last week we had 2 bandh days due to some members of the ycl (youth communist league) attacking a couple guys, killing them and burying them by the river here in kathmandu. since there's no justice system in place, people have no recourse but to take matters into their own hands and create some havoc within the city. then people take notice. so, they stopped traffic, threw rocks at people who tried to scoot through, and burned tires in the streets to get some reaction from the government. this happens quite frequently in the 'du, but it's never targeted at foreigners or their intention isn't to harm people. the first time i saw one it freaked me out a bit, but now it's like 'uh...another bandh...' serious matters, but no big deal in terms of our safety or lifestyle. we just avoid that part of town. so because we had those 2 bandh days last week, school has rescinded the day off tomorrow. i'm still taking the day off, though because christy and i have rented a car and driver to take us down to chitwan game reserve. i took the above images off the internet but they're all from the park. i'll post my own when i return. we're going to do really cool things like ride elephants so we can get up close to the animals, bathe the elephants and look for tigers really early in the morning! i am so excited!! i love this kind of thing and was happiest in africa when on safari. i checked into the treatment of the elephants who are privately owned and their treatment is very fair and humane. if i find out any differently once there i won't participate. but how cool is it gonna be to bathe an elephant in the river!! and there's a breeding center with many teenie tiny babies. oooo i love this stuff! we will return on sunday and then immediately monday morning i leave for 'the last resort' which is an outward boundsy kind of place. i'll be up there for a week with our 10th grade class doing other cool things like rafting, canyoning down waterfalls, trekking, etc. it should be a lot of fun and help build camaraderie amongst the class...25 kids. so, that's what's happening with me...along with teaching the russian revolution...  all's well and i sincerely wish you all a happy thanksgiving. i have so much to be thankful for, and, if you're reading this...you're one of them! thank you! enjoy your weekend! lots of love, j

anything nepali?

i've asked a couple people individually, but if there is anything you would like from nepal, please let me know. i have just over 3 weeks before i leave to come back to the states and a week and a half of it is taken with travel. so, if you would like something specific; don't be afraid to ask, just let me know. my brother asked for a yak horn...i got it for him... : ) other items of more interest would be fantastic cashmere, lovely pashminas, inexpensive silver, buddhist and hindi items, and really nice, natural incense. just to give you an idea. i feel like i have most of my christmas shopping done and am not stressed about it so would be happy to look around for stuff for you. i feel i'm pretty safe posting this on my blog because not too many people read it anymore! ha! in any case, think about it and let me know before the 12th of december. that will give me a week before i leave. love, j