Me

The kids get to watch a horrible soap opera at 8:30 each night.  It's easy to tell they don't do it except that there's nothing else to do, because when I'm around they prefer to play with me.  It's a really violent, sexist show that just teaches the people that it is ok to kill your wife, or rape women.  There doesn't seem to be any apologies for this behavior on TV.

You can see how much they'd rather goof around with each other and me than watch the scary soap.

At a rather sad park that we took them to on a field trip.  The woman is the house maid.  She is gone now, but they are easily replicable in Nepal, so we got a new one.

Most of the time we hang out and play on the roof.  It's flat and has a waist-high wall around it for safety.

I don't tend to pose for pics too often, but Tej wanted me to.

My friend Ganesh is from 6 or 9 hours outside Kathmandu (buses are FAR from reliable, thus the wide range of possible travel times).  This is his aunt, neighbors, grandfather, and grandmother in their typical Nepali house.

Around Nepal

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The closest village to Ganesh's house is 1 hour's walk.  This house crumbled when the bus accidentally clipped it on the corner a few months before.

Child labor laws do not exist here.  People have children for free labor.

Spice shop in Kathmandu.

Street spices and food I don't recognize.

Typical street scene in Kathmandu.

Typical intersection in Kathmandu.

The tourist district, Thamel, on a rainy day.

Some Nepalese say that the people here are lazy.  I'm not sure about that, but they point out how many able-bodied men can be found just sitting around doing nothing.

Some friendly neighbors to YAUC pulled out their new camera when they saw me taking pictures.

Again, child labor laws don't exist.  She's wearing sandals, but could be walking a few kilometers with that.

People often prefer to ride on top of buses.  They say it's more safe.  At first you might blame this on ignorance and distrust of this modern convenience.  But they are actually right.  In a country where a bus crashes everyday, and drivers who've been driving for 24 hours think alcohol will keep them awake, you are indeed safer on top where you can jump off before the thing careens off a cliff.

Ganesh with his family.

The Kids

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Tara

Tara at Pashupatinath, where they burn the dead.

Tara

Sabina

Laxmi, Tara, and Parmila

Susmita, who is no longer at YAUC.  She was a part-timer (I don't know how that works) and it was decided she would live with her family full-time.  She had a wicked fashion sense!!

Sabina

Tara

Avin in Tej's office.

Avin going to school.

Aisha's teeth have gotten better since she came to YAUC.  This was taken soon after she arrived.

Laxmi

Susmita with Naresh, Korbita, and Chakra in the background.

Naresh turned out to have behavioral problems and turned into a thief.  He was sent away, but Tej never explained where.  Like his shirt?  Chakra supposedly had similar behavioral problems so was sent away.  Tej blames it on their peers, which is beleivable.

Menuka.  She's super independent, and if she had the opportunity, she could become a really cool woman.

Susmita and Avin

Laxmi in front of the washing area - used for washing clothes, dishes, and their bodies.

Sabina at a temple.  She seems more religious than the others.

Tara in her winter clothes.  Possibly from a previous trip of mine?

Manuka playing with hanging laundry

Susmita, Aisha, Sapana, Sabina, and Tara on their way out of the neighborhood on a field trip.

Sabina

Chakra with a home-made cricket bat.

Aisha and Laxmi

Avin with Aisha and Sapana in the background.

Laxmi pouting

Whenever a volunteer come to YAUC, Tej has the kids make a cute little welcome banner like this one.

My friend Ganesh came by YAUC to see the kids, and give me another perspective on things.  The kids loved him.

This is how all Nepalese drink.  Almost any drink is a shared one, so this is how they keep from touching their lips to the bottle/pitcher.  I don't think it's a germ thing.  I think it's a more obvious issue of avoiding spreading dirt and stuff on your lips.