I have spent the whole day today in a incredibly interesting consultation forum on the drafting of a new youth policy in Nepal.  Youth from all regions of the country were invited to review the draft policy and provide feedback, suggestions, and critques about how their voices were reflected in the policy.  Youth from many ethnic groups, with disabilities, religious minorities, and those displaced from conflict zones in Nepal shared passionate and emotional stories with the policy committee and have clearly invested much of their future in the development of “New Nepal”.  I left feeling hopeful for what they should be able to achieve within Nepal, provided the government listens to their voices.

• Fragrance. Kathmandu is alive and bursting with flowers now that the winter chill has subsided.  Besides the colourful beauty of these flowers, my favourite part is the fragrance.  At night in my little neighbourhood you can walk down these small winding alleys and find yourself in a haze of jasmine – sweet, pungent, and rish was sumptuous frangrance.  The other flower that has been casting a spell over my walk to work the past few days is a bit like a large grapefruit flower.  The smell is intoxicating and I have taken to picking a couple blossoms on the way to work that are an easy counter smell to some of the nasty odors one encounters on the walk (garbage, pollution, smelly river etc.).  And both of these blossoms make wonderful natural perfume, dabbed on the wrist when walking past a bush.
• Vacations. Next Friday my lovely hubby and I will be leaving to take a short 3-day trip down to Chitiwan with some of our friends.  Another volunteer has a travel agent for a landlord so the deal we have gotten is simply incredible.  We have all transportation, food, and accommodation included, PLUS, some great activities in Chitiwan – tiger walks, elephant rides etc.  I have been in Kathmandu for about 3 months with only a short respits to a village and training centre for 1 month – I am itching to get out of he city and into something more peaceful.  I think this trip will be the perfect salve for my battered nerves and polluted lungs 🙂
• Rainstorms. Storm season has officially started.  Nothing torrential and as heavy as a monsoon rain, but at least some scattered and intense showers to freshen things up.  The heavy clouds billow like blackend marshmallows and hang there for what seems like hours.  The thunder will grumble, grumble, grumble and then finally, as though lightening is the decision maker, a streak of electricity will get the whole thing started.  The storm will thunder on for about an hour and then like a faucet being turned off will suddenly stop.  Brilliant sunshine comes back out and everything dries in a matter of minutes.  But I love the storms – it reminds me of Vancouver, of being cozy, and of a fresh new start.
• Ovens! We had a lovely and generous gift of a small toaster oven this week.  Another volunteer who is leaving inhertited one when she arrived and is passing it along.  I have grown so familiar with gas flame cooking that it has been sitting in our kitchen all week gathering dust because I don’t know what to do with it.  Oh, and I guess because we need electricity to run the darn thing.  But once we have more power I am certain that some cookies, cakes, and perhaps muffins might emerge from it 🙂