Follow along on the journey
We arrived in Cambodia! We spent a week in Siem Reap getting oriented to our semester, regional culture and language, learning how to stay healthy and safe, and exploring the cultural gem that is Angkor Wat. We spent time with local contact extraordinaire Cho, who guided us through three days exploring historic and contemporary issues regarding landmine removal, the Khmer Rouge, and shared his family's story and home with us.
Written by Samantha and Kilani’s Instructors
Namaste Friends and Families,
It’s been 10 days since the group has moved into urban homestay setting. Students have been exploring the Patan and is planning for Sunday excursion tomorrow which we all are very excited about!! 😃
This last week, we delved into the history of Patan and the religion aspect of it. The group went on a heritage walk with Anil where our students learned so much about the ancient kingdom and the meaning behind the idols, images and symbols.
The group went on a language excursion where their task was to buy 3 things in the market using their Nepali skills! They all got most of the things correct!😉
Then the group got their first Nepali Dance class with Tara which everyone enjoyed. Followed by that, we had Palina giving us talk on the Eastern Food diversities and her entrepreneurship journey. Later that afternoon, whole group joined the momo party where they all made veg and buff momos with one of the homestay/ISP mentors!
Next week, we have more interesting activities coming up which we are very excited about! For now, please enjoy some pictures! 🙂
Instructors
The instructors found me a mentor!!!! Her name is Merry Didi and she has been in the weaving/handicraft industry for a long time and teaches women to weave. I met her and saw the workspace on Friday with Shanti G showing me the way. I have to really focus on my language practice because my mentor doesn’t speak much English. It was so amazing to meet her and see where I’ll be working, and I’m very excited to start today!!
Over the weekend, the group also made an excursion to the village of Gundu on the outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley to visit a permaculture farm and learn about sustainable agriculture and development in the context of Nepal, and on Tuesday enjoyed a walking tour focused on Patan’s cultural heritage. A few photos are attached 🙂
Our group spent the last 4 days trekking in the Kathmandu Valley. The hike was exhausting and difficult, but well worth it to witness beautiful vistas and meet new and interesting people. We stayed in a guest house on top of a great hill the third night of the trek, and I saw views I had never seen the like of before. The trek up and down the mountain was grueling at times, but the experience brought us all closer together as a group by the end. My favorite memory was the dog that followed us throughout the second day, as well as the priceless memories I made with my friends.
After four tough, sweaty, and fun days hiking through the Himalayan foothills, the group is back in Kathmandu, enjoying some hot showers and well-earned rest. In the morning we will be heading to the ancient city of Patan, where everyone is very excited to be moving in with their urban homestay families. We will spend the next few weeks in Patan getting to know the ins and outs of this amazing city, spending time with homestay families, having daily language classes, visits from expert guest speakers, and other activities, as well as diving into our Independent Study Projects. More updates to follow!
We successfully ended our days of orientation in Boudha with a ceremony where everyone lit the candles in Boudhanath stupa sharing what they want to cultivate in their life.
We have started our 4 day short trek in the foothills of mountain in the Kathmandu Valley yesterday. The hike was challenging but everyone supported each other!
Namaste!
We met multiple thangka painters and scrutinized the rates at money exchange offices, and Belen bought a dorje, a protection talisman in the shape of a thunderbolt. Taking a bit of a break, our group stopped for tea at a cafe with an extremely low-clearance bathroom. After tea, we rolled over to a rooftop restaurant for lunch, with an incredible view of the great white stupa, all of its prayer flags waving in the wind.
Today was our first day exploring Boudha. One highlight of our exploration today was sitting inside the Maitrya Thanka Gallery and Nirvanic Art Studio talking to the artist Maila Ghising. From him, we learned about the Wheel of Life, Mantra of Compassion, and the Kalachakra Mandala (Wheel of Time). In the Kalachakra Mandala, the five physical elements are represented through colors. Green is space, black is air, blue is water, red is fire, and yellow is solids. We bought two works of art from Maila Ghising before leaving the stupa and roaming around without much of an idea of where we were going. Wandering into different fabric shops, traditional clothing stores, and restaurants, we luckily ended up back where we started and found our way back to the stupa by asking people for directions. We finished our expedition with some delicious chicken and vegetable jhol momo on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the stupa. What a cool day. Missing you all! Can’t wait to share what we will learn.
