REBIRTH

I am happy to be back to civilization!

Feeling enriched always as the days go by. It's all a habit now. I am woken by Ama or by the shreaks of Prakash ("Barkus") Bastola next door at 5:30am. Prakash is a happy boy of 4 who obviously was born with some brain injury. He walks like Big Foot (sounds ridiculous but there's no other way to best describe it). His tongue hangs out, he's mostly naked but takes his pants on and off at least 20 times in the hour. He does not formulate words, yet he tries to communicate in his own way. Ama serves me hot chia (back tea). I sit on the porch looking out at the fields attempting to wake up. I walk to the fields with Ama and Shova ("Shoba") and I help plant millet in between the rows of corn. They laugh at the fact that I can't squat with my feet flat on the ground. How annoying! Breakfast is served at 9-sh. Menu: Copious amounts of rice. AGAIN! At 9:45am I walk to the health post which closes at 3pm. More bat (rice) for lunch. Occasionally roti which I actually enjoy! I then read and write and await the children as they return from school. The next hours of the day, is what I enjoy the most. Children have a way of helping you live in the here and now. Transmuting any of my fustrated thoughts of the day. And, as much as I appreciate learning Nepali, I get to speak in ENGLISH! Ahhhhhh!

Yesterday, I was returning from the health post. The Bastola women were hailing me down to the rice feilds. "Annie Myallai. Aunu! Annie Myallai!" Annie my love. Come! The men and the women were preparing the terraced fields for rice. The men, direct two buffalo with the plow through the mud many times over, and the women pant the rice when each field is complete. They were showing off how fast the buffalo could plow through. Fast enough that one of the buffalo went over the edge! As I was leaving they insisted that I stay for lunch. Daily, one of the women (usually one with small children) will make a huge batch 'dal bat' for everyone. It was an honor that they wanted me there. The Bastolas have really taken me in as their own.

Last night, my immediate Bastola family, cooked me goat meat along with the regular dal bat. They rarely eat meat so it is a privilage to be honored (again) in this manner. This time Baba Homnath (my Nepali father) cooked. He is equally as good as Ama Sitar! This morning I was fed the left overs for breakfast. I was quick to notice the hairy meat. I want to be here in Nepal to try new things but I draw the line somewhere! Luckily I was able to discard the hairy morsels without being noticed. Last night, we ate in candle light (Nepal has power outages twice daily) and I'm glad to have never noticed what I was eating exactly.

Did I mention the leach attached to my foot as I was showering yesterday morning in the woods! I had been reading about leaches the night before. Was not expecting one to be attached to my foot in the morning!

The feeling of rebirth has been in the air the last few days. Puja my favorite of the Bastola children (I call her "Kushy Bahini"- 'Happy younger sister') showed me her baby goats and her cats' litter of kittens. In the afternoon, I am shown the birth of a goat (missed it by seconds) and at night I dream of baby animals and flying home.

REBIRTH. RENEWAL. REJUVENATION.
Happy to call this life my own!