Living in Thamel

October 31st, 2008 by Fiona Cavaiuolo

Well, we have all settled in quite nicely over here. all the volunteers are very friendly and we have all become friends very quickly. To look at us you wouldn’t know we have only just met. Thamel (district of Kathmandu) is fantastic! So many shops and people! It is just vibrant here. It is however, a very different living environment, but nevertheless I am enjoying it immensely and have fit in quite easily. Thankgod for hand sanitiser!

Today was my first taste of Dhaal Bhat. It was great! We were served up with a bowl of lentil soup and a plate of rice, yoghurt, some kind of curry paste, spinach and eggplant. The idea is to tip the soup over the rice and mix everything on the plate together with your hands. You then eat the meal with your right hand, it was messy and yummy! My kinda food!

The guesthouse we are staying in has basic facilities such as a bed (very thin mattress) a wardrobe, desk and bathroom (which is very basic). So really, it is actually kinda ‘luxury’ cos it has a hot shower etc.

Day one of training today. Aside from an hour and a half Nepali language lesson, we all just sat aroundf and listened to various introductory speeches from the VSN staff, who are all very friendly. We were told that we were a very rowdly, loud bunch. Which just goes to show how well we all get along! Day two tomorrow, then we are off to visit one of the villages, then to visit all of the Children’s homes so that we can choose where we would like to be placed.

Well, that’s about it, it’s a long enough entry already!