a bit of a dare

Julia's last post from Kathmandu.

This much I know
by Julia Heffernan 
student
November 20, 2009

This much I know:

Kathmandu was my home.

My ama’s dinners are the best.

You DO get used to squat toilets.

6AM is not so early.

I have friends in Nepal.

Honking is not always angry.

Learning happens everywhere.

Some dogs are bad, but most are good.

There is always room for one more person on a bus.

Power cuts can be peaceful.

Hot showers are better than cold showers.

Cold showers are better than no showers.

I can laugh at my mistakes.

Silence is not always uncomfortable.

Trying is half the battle.

Hands are as good as forks.

A warm bed can make a bad day good.

I will come back to Kathmandu.

—- can’t wait to hug that girl

A note from Julia! xoxoox

Hi mom,

We got here 3 days ago which seems like AGES.  This is the first time I have been able to use the internet since arriving because it is few and far between.  We are staying in the Bhaktapur Guest House right now (although we leave tomorrow for the trek).  It is so beautiful.  And we have hot water for showers!  We have mostly just been doing orientation stuff with the group leaders and learning about what the rest of the trip is going to be like.  We had our first Nepali class yesterday and it was pretty fun.  The teacher’s name is Rajesh (we call him Rajesh-Di, which means older brother).  It is cool the way he teaches because it is all about being able to speak it and less so about writing it.  Lots of repetition and in unison speaking.  He also only speaks in Nepali during class which is cool.  It is actually a very simple language even though it sounds so complicated.  I can say my name is Julia (mero naam Julia ho) and my home is new york (mero ghar New York ma ho) and other simple things like that.  Yesterday morning we hiked to a Hindu temple and watched the people doing prayers and talked to one of the priests.  He kept saying we made him very happy.  We got lost on the tiny little paths winding through the rice patties and corn fields but a little girl gave us directions back to the Guest House.  The instructors are awesome.  Shannon is my main one, like an advisor.  I think I am going to do my independent study on Thangka paintings.  
We leave tomorrow morning for our trek in the Dolpo mountains, which very few people have ever been to.  After 16 days of that we are going to the Kopan monastary for 10 days.  I probably wont be able to email you during this, but know I am thinking of you always.  I miss you guys a lot but if I try not to think about it I am OK.  I am having a lot of fun going to bed at 8 and waking up at 5 (early in the morning you can see the Himalaya in the distance, pretty epic, I’d say).  
I love you so much.  Let everyone know I am doing well.  Forward this email to whoever!

Julia

I'm looking for someone to sell me a huge collection of really nice bow ties, preferably "batwinged" for almost no money.

jimiheffernan:

Know any websites that specialize in that?

email your uncles … actually I guess theirs are all being used. I love a good bow tie!

Kind of a big deal

kateheffernan:

(it feels like fall tonight)

wearing my ugg slippers on the porch for dinner tonight.