Our place within Your liturgy....

Prayer flags at Swayambu

"After the football game...."


While at the end, the immense crowd flowed laboriously into the narrow streets, I reflected, Lord, that human history, for us a long game, is to you this great liturgy...
A prodigious ceremony initiated at the dawn of time, which will end only when the last celebrant has completed his final rite.


In this world, Lord, we each have our place.
You, the far-sighted coach, have planned it for us.
You want us here, and our brothers need us, as we need them.


It isn't the position I hold that is important, Lord, but the reality and strength of my presence.
What difference whether I am forward or back, as long as I am fully what I should be?


Here, Lord, is my day before me...
Did I sit too much on the sidelines, criticizing the play of others, my hands in my pockets?
Did I cooperate with my team without seeking the limelight?
Did I battle to the end despite set-backs and throw-backs?


I come in now to rest in the pavilion, Lord.
Tomorrow, if you kick off, I'll play a new position.
And so each day...
Grant that this game, played with all my brothers, may be the imposing liturgy that you expect of us,
so that when your last whistle interrupts our lives, we shall be chosen for the championship of Heaven.


-Anonymous


Snapshots.....

Prayer wheels at the Swayambu temple (Buddhism)

Burnt Offerings....

Burning of paper...unsure if the women wrote prayers or sins on these slips of paper before the burning.

deep in thought....

Santhi and Esther, my guides for the Kathmandu Zoo

dogs, motorcycles, and temples oh my....!

Well it has been eventful last couple weeks to say the least!

First, my roommate for the next three months arrived, which means not only a partner in crime for cultural and city orientation, but also the start of language classes!  We started on Monday, and our lovely teacher Chalita is very gracious and kind, and talks v....e...rr...y s....low.....ly for her "bidishi bidhyaartis" (foreign students).  Here is a brief recap of some sentences I can put together:
Mero naam Meghann ho.
Mero desh America ho.
Ma Kathmandumaa, Patanmaa, Dhobighatmaa baschuu.
Ma Nepali baashaa sikchhu, ma bidhyaarti hu.
Mero jholako rang seto, raato, ru kaalo chha.

Translation:
My name is Meghann
I am from America.
I live in Kathmandu, in the suburb Patan, at/near the dhobighat.
I am learning Nepali; I am a student.
My purse is white, red, and black.

CLEARLY I am well on my way to effortless fluency.  You have no idea how much I can with just that little amount of Nepali ;)

Anyways, Jessica, my roommate is wondeful! We have been having a great time.  She will be here for three months teaching some of our mother tongue translators (MTTs) how to improve their English and professional writing skills.

New subject: DOGS.  Apparently the dogs in KTM have determined that white foreigners can usually be dependable for small food handouts and to NOT throw rocks at you.  Therefore, dogs will sometimes attach themselves to foreigners who are out walking on the streets.  This usually isn't too much of an issue, but tonight my friend and I had a small female dog get so attached to us that she followed us for almost a half hour, waiting outside the bank for us, crossing the busy jawalakelchowk (roundabout) with us, etc.  The reason became clear very quickly: every time we passed a male dog, of which there are many, they would snap, growl, chase, and try to EAT HER until we had passed...I was certain that both the dog and my leg were probably gonna get chomped on.  I have never been so relieved to go to a restaurant as I was when we finally ditched the dog for some yummy Chinese food.

Motorcycles...sometimes, they just get a bit too close for comfort.  Maybe its my western "personal space bubble" kicking in, and there a few other reasons, but motorcycles are starting to make me jumpy.  Guess I'll just have to take the plunge and purchase one myself....if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! :)

Yesterday we visited the Patan Durbar square.  It is a beautiful and clean square in the center of Monghol Bazaar which houses both temples boasting stunning Newari wood carvings, and the residence of the former Royal family.  There were many nepali youngsters hanging out listening to music, old folks smoking and chatting, and foreigners enjoying good food at the museum cafe and taking lots of pictures (of course!)  See pictures for examples of some of the temples...there is also a picture of my friend Stephanie and I in our new kurtas (traditional female nepali outfit) and a shot of our street with the Himalayas in view.

Stephanie and me!

One of the temples....

Another temple....

Can you see the mountains?

To finish off, its been a great, yet exhausting couple of weeks.  Thank you all so much for your prayers and support - the community I have found and friends are most definitely blessings from God and results from prayers!  Please continue to pray that God will loosen my tongue and sharpen my mind with language learning, and that I will continue to learn and discover all that God wants to reveal to me in this city.  Namaste...