Last one
After a splendid time in Mumbai, I said a heartbreaking goodbye to my new friends and took the flight back to Delhi (or Dilli as the locals say it). Delhi was not at all as bad as I remembered, it had become a warm and sunny city while I've been away - and the fog was gone! I had a fun night with the others at the hostel in combination with some beer, and this did not make me want to leave the next morning! Quite the opposite in fact.
Well, after 22,5 awaken hours I was back in Vasa, Finland. Back in the cold and snow.
It has been the best decision ever to drop everything and move to Nepal for an autumn, and I've met some really incredible people indeed.
Always remember:
" Even if you're on the right track
you'll get run over if you just sit there."
That's all for this time.
New year, old habits.
I have a feeling that's it's gonna be a hell of a good year, and now I'm off to sit in the warm sun and have a lassi (and some painkillers for my poor head!).
Last day at IFCH
It's been an incredible opportunity to work alongside a great pediatrician and surgeon, and I've seen so many cases you'd never have a chance of seeing back home! This is because people can't afford to go to a doctor, or worse: don't believe in them. So instead they go to a temple and pray, sacrifice a goat, and come to the hospital when their kid had septic arthiritis for 5 months that now turned in to osteomalitis, and the kid can't walk anymore.
I've seen many kids die, familys (more or less everyone in the neighbourhood the family lives in) stand outside the hospital crying and screaming. And the funny custom of bringing your own food, or better, light a fire on the ground outside the hospital and prepare it there.
It's been an adventure, like my whole stay in Nepal. And this is not a conclusion, since it's not over yet. I still got a great new years to come, and I'm really looking forward to it!
The girls & me squished in a cab.
December
Talking about survival - I will spend my christmas canoeing on a lake filled with hungry crocodiles, and walking in the jungle trying not to be trampled to death by rhinos. It might have slipped my mind to inform my parents about that (sorry).
Sunday
Sorry for the lack of updates - it's been a pretty busy week with a new job and a puppy to take care of. Plus that I've got the worst cold ever. Overdosed on strepsils and hot lemon & honey yesterday so I hope it will get better.
I've btw learned how you get a drivers license in Nepal: you drive in a field between some cones, and reverse into a square of cones - and that's it! You never even get tested while driving on the roads. I think it would be more realistic if you let a herd of goats loose in the field, trying to dodge them!
Another test should be 'trying to get over a busy street'.
Now I'm gonna head out for breakfast with the crew. Take care.
New Roomate
So no this little bundle of joy (and flees) are shitting on everything we own...
Box
I'm gonna build one of theese.... boxes(?), and sit outside bars in copenhagen
at night selling snacks and water.
Wonder if that's legal?
Lazy girl
Afterwards I headed to a boardingschool where many of my friends volonteer, to celebrate the tiharfestival with the kids. They were so lovely, and it's amazing how attached they get to people after knowing you only for a couple of hours. We made popcorn and "grilled" marshmallows on a big bonfire, and all of the time I had a bunch of kids hanging all over me and sitting in my lap. Theese kids had never tasted marshmallows before, and still they offered you their candy before eating it themselves. Incredibly wonderful kids and it just makes you mad how spoiled kids are back home.
Anyways, tomorrow I'm gonna get serious - promise!
Tomorrow
I'll update you on saturday (if I'm still around).
Sunny Sunday
Just a quick update for you all:
The weekend turned out terrific after all! Early on saturday morning me and the girls strolled off to the Hyatt Hotel - for a day at their gym, pool and spa (with jacuzzi and sauna etc). It was so lovely (I'm gonna try to get up some more pictures - promise!). It was a perfect hot and sunny day to spend by the pool, getting tanned and happy. And after 7 hours of gymming and saunaing (is that even a word?) we had a nice nepali dinner and a beer.
Today we had a long walk to the Kapan monastery, a great lunch in Thamel including some shopping for books. Life here is so easy and non-problematic, I'm gonna be all zen when I eventually get back from here.
Pictures coming up.
Bad Day
Tonight we're making dinner with the girls (no more dhal bhaat!!!) and watching a movie - gonna take it easy this weekend for once. But everything always works out, somehow, and I'm sure it will this time as well.
Boudhanath Stupa
My hostfather served me so much Tuborg Gold at lunch though, that I'm pretty lightheaded at the moment.... I kind of missed it - eftermiddagsfylla!
No I'm sitting at the Boudhanath Stupa internetting - crazy beautiful I say! If you have plans of travelling: go to Nepal!!!
ps. does anyone have any great ideas on fundraising?!?
Settled down
I just got to drop of my thing yesterday at the house before I got a carride to the hospital. That is why my hostmothers son came to pick me up after work (cause otherwise I would not have found it). But I was about to faint when I saw that he picked me up on a motorbike!!! So I sat on the bak of a motorbike through Kathmandus afternoontraffic (thinking I would die every second) without a helmet off course! And the amount of dust in my eyes and mouth!
Today it was time to try the microbus (= a van with place for about 7 people, but filled up with at least 20 nepaleese people + myself). It was deffinetly an experience to try to hear what every driver of the microbusses shouted for a destination, try to jump on to it while it still moved, stand hunchbacked in the crowd of the bus (van), and try to get an idea of if it acctually was the right bus at all.
I don't know if I'm gonna need any white water rafting after all this, cause it feels extreme enough i think.
But the truth is, I love it! And I really hope I will be able to post this on my blog before the daily 2 hour powercut.
Kathmandu
I'm in Kathmandu now and it is so fantastic!!! I'm a bit tired (because I spent my flight from Helsinki to Delhi next to a man from India who did not stop talking), but I'm feeling great.
Now I'm going out to take a look at the city, and most importantly, try not to get run over by a car or a motorcykle!!! I think that is my biggest fear.
And btw, suzukis are VERY popular in Nepal!
A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.
Extreme
Here we go...
It all started in the spring of 2010, when I searched the internet for last-minute trips etc, and found some interesting material on how to work as a volunteer abroad. So now I've taken a break from my medicine-studies, to go to Nepal and work at a hospital. I still don’t have a clue why I chose Nepal (my father thinks I fell and hit my head), but I’m on my way on something that could become the trip of my life.
You will probably not read this until months from now, when I actually leave the comfort of my 12m2 in Copenhagen, but I needed to write this for myself to feel that I’m on my way (I should really start planning something soon!!!).
Let the count down begin!
