Namaste

Walking into a concrete room with two windows on the side, and one in the back. A whiteboard at the front, and 20 nine year olds all awaiting your next move. Teaching and being taught are both blessings. Teaching gives you a power to distribute knowledge, and get a reaction. Partnered with a fluttery feeling in your stomach and a sense of accomplishment. Being taught also has a sense of accomplishment, this time accompanied with understanding. I consider teachers, and being able to be a teacher, a privilege. It’s exhilarating to be in front of a class and be able to give them all of my energy and attention so they are able to comprehend something. Our English language gives them a chance. It gives them a piece of us. And teaching it to them, well, that gives us something priceless. Being in Nepal at Lisha Secondary School has given me the motivation and appreciation for every single thing in my life.

                Speaking of privilege, our rights also indicate how much of a chance we have. Our chance at success. Our chance at equality. And our chance at surviving. These chances are dealt to us very much like our lives are dealt to us. When we are born, we get a number of different combinations and opportunities. We are all unique. I have also noticed because of that, the human race is flawed, like many things on Earth. This is what makes it both beautiful and interesting. My only question is why can’t we just live and acknowledge one another? We are given rights, we are given bodies, minds, and we (usually) use these things for the better. There is power in positivity and creating the best for everyone. This power is given to us daily, we are given the choice daily to be the best version of ourselves and make the wisest decisions for our human well-being. How will you be your best self? How will you bring everything you have, every single day? I have learned that starting your day with what you want to accomplish, and confirming your power and your strength can get you anywhere you want.

                There’s something so magical about being able to provide service. Hearing or just feeling “Thank you” from people when you’ve been able to help them is that much more rewarding. There was a house we visited this week. This was the home of Reeyah, her brother Ronak, and their mother and father. They had dirt floors until the first room, which had two beds with were made by mattresses on plastic crates. They had a small stove area and a table with a couple of chairs. They had just moved back into this home a few days prior to our visit. They lost their old home in the 2015 earthquake, and are still working on finishing the second floor of this new house. They plan to rent out the first floor to make more money. While we were there, their hospitality really shined. They brought us tea and paired it with some biscuits. Although they might not have had much, they gave everything to us. We all had a memorable conversation about how their father was a driver in Kathmandu, and how the boys would wake up at 6 in the morning to go play soccer. They even sang us their National Anthem and taught us a traditional Newari dance. It is experiences like these that really let us see a different perspective, and begin to imagine and understand what it’s like for other people in these fascinating countries. They show resilience and strength when there seems to be none. That alone drives me to keep working hard and keep pushing myself here in Nepal and at home. I hope to keep learning new amazing ideas and practices from them in this next week I get to spend with them in their wonderful country.