I've come to realize that I haven't actually said anything about the work we're doing... or even mentioned anything about it! Strange really with it occupying my time 5/6 days a week!
This was the work site when we first arrived... it was hard to see what we were aiming for to begin with as we weren't shown or really told any plans/what it's gonna look like! It was also hard to tell how much we would be doing as EVERYTHING is done the Nepali way....
Frustrating at times as things tend to go slowly and tasks end up being repeated/pointlessly made difficult!!! It's proper hot as well which doesn't help - 30 degrees on average!!!!
Despite this, we've done LOADS!!!! ........look!!!
The manual labour we've been doing is fair intense... at first it was haaaard to handle but now I feel the fittest I've been in years! I love it! We tend to shift gravel and sand from one side of the village to the other in the dodgiest wheelbarrows imaginable and move piles from one side of the work site to the other a lot... we also mix cement in the shape of a BIG volcano which is really fun but tough on the arms! We shifted all the wood from the other end of the village, made huge platforms at the front of the school, filled all the squares, got the walls up and running and twisted/bent/cut the iron rods.... done loads and I've probably forgotten some of the monotonous jobs we did... but I'd like to leave it that way!!Yesterday was a weird day at work...
I had a right nice morning pottering around, then ate a looooooovely breakfast - rice pudding and fried potatoes, mmmmmmmmm!!!! Well good, but very hot and we were a bit late cos of it!! Tut!
Got to work and me and Rowan shared a wheelbarrow for sand/gravel and as we walked past the first temple there was blood EVERYWHERE and then loads of men walked out with a decapitated goat with it's neck dripping blood, a kettle full of the stuff and it's head on a platter with other offerings. Straight after, a dog tried to go in to the temple and was whacked HARD on the legs with a massive stick....
Something that gets me over here is the treatment of animals. With it being a Hindu/Buddhist country I thought that there would be more compassion shown toward them.... I knew animal sacrifice went on but seeing it was harsh. So glad I didn't see the actual act or hear the goat.... makes me sad.
Also in the village there's a puppy with it's jaw kicked in, a puppy that can barely walk and looks SO thin and weak, a dog that limps really bad that we saw someone then ride in to on their bike laughing, and a dog being thrown by his neck down an 8ft drop on the the work site... WHY? It's just a common sound to hear yelping!
Saying this though, I can't condemn a nation to the acts of a few... but I don't like the way it is so readily accepted. I feel like I've even hardened to a lot of it though.... which is a strange feeling, but then if I hadn't everything would be affecting me too much!
I'm really glad that I was put with a family who aren't like this. We have a dog called chentu and he's looked after so well! Also, when there's a bug around it is NEVER killed and if someone tried to they're stopped. Apparently the bugs are our friends... personally wouldn't go that far, but I totally disagree with killing them! I do love my family you know!!!!!
Me and Chentu! :D
Something else that's harsh around the village is the treatment of a certain boy who caught malaria as a baby/small child. Some of the volunteers call him the 'dribble kid' which I find a bit horrible really. The locals push him around and generally mock him, and the other children tend to bully him... It just points out the lack of understanding and the lack of facilities here to handle these kinds of things.
Again, saying this, I do think it's just a lack of understanding, or maybe just a way of coping with the situation. I don't know. I've only been here 2 months so can't really make big claims!
Also saw a man publicly smack a women over and over again at our work site.. THAT was horrible, and I cried quite a lot!
So yea... seen some mad things here, but I don't see these as bad experiences... they were hard but they made me realise what was out there a bit more and 'hardened' me up to cope with stuff. Makes it easier to do something about a situation if you're not on the floor crying about it!!
Anyway, didn't mean for this blog to get so negative but I'm glad I got stuff on here that has stuck with me.
Something I feel that I've gained from this experience is tolerance. I haven't been in this kind of situation ever before in my life! The culture, the traditions, the religion, the [behavior of] people and most of all, the group dynamics!! The best complement I've had in a very long time was when Jessie told me that she admired my tolerance when I was having a really hard week with the group. Sometimes it's hard to accept the way people act and the things that people think/say, but here you just have t get on with it. You can't walkaway from situations and expect never to come across it again... things either need to be resolved here or an agreement needs to be made to leave it as a misunderstanding. I have noticed a lack of maturity in the group and also total lack of understanding at times. It feels a bit like I've gone back to high school.
After going to Thamel, I feel like I get on with everyone in the group again.. I've had my ups and downs with people, like everyone else, but now I've let things drop that I thought would hold out til the end of the trip... Proper happy about it. Only a week and a bit to go til the end so I'm planning on keeping out of any form of lingering horridness!!
Written a few songs whilst I've been out here, so looking forward to a gig when I get home (wink wink nudge nudge Chris!!) Also looking forward to Matt's gig - Purple Buddha - at the Derbys, so hope everyone comes!! I miss everyone a right lot!
Anyway, been on here for an hour now so gonna get myself off and ready for another day of work!
Wheelbarrows, here I come!
See you soon and danyahbad for reading!
Zara xxxxx
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