The thing about the Chuchepati camp is that it is in a completely open area in the middle of the city center area, so many people pass it on a daily basis. On top of all of that, it is the biggest IDP camp in all of Nepal and the Hyatt Hotel is just right next door!! All of these factors make it the number one relief spot for all INGO/NGOs. So on a daily basis, there are multiple organizations going in and out of the IDP camp, either to distribute relief goods, conduct a training program, free clinics, or just to walk around and take photos. This type of situation happens all the time!
One of the best ping-pong tables around!!!
ACF = Action Contre la Faim (French INGO)
Squatting in the next tent to see what's going on! haha.....natural position for all of us apparently!
The Japanese Documentary Crew! They were filming the IDP Camp today! OH my NCV crew, they are just too cute! Holding that yellow umbrella proudly all day! You rock!
Was invited to come join the IsrealAid team in their Drama Therapy session for the earthquake (EQ) victims! It was a packed tent! What an awesome opportunity to learn about all of these organization's various techniques! This is how we all should work together, for the same goal and combining man power! Super grateful for the chance to observe this session!
On average, at least four different organizations will be in and out of the camp within each hour. So of course, today was no different! There was even a Japanese documentary crew there to film!!! On top of all of this, the current government structure of Nepal is very unstable due to the fact that they are in the process of trying to change their constitution. So it is pretty much a giant revolution period, which means there are many opposing noises that results in inconsistent strikes and riot breakouts at the moment. So today she we got to the camp, there was already five big city buses lined up to take camp residents to Lalitpur to join in a grand scale strike against the government's decision to clear out all IDP camps! So that means our plans for health education session was pretty much down the drain! Haha this is Nepal, lots of changes and curveballs every single seconds. No worries!
Due to governmental issues at the moment, IOM and All Hands projects are still on halt! The pile of bamboos has been there for about a month now!!!! Let's hope the projects can quickly restart again, so the residents can have a safe fence!!!
The showers at Chuchepati Camp have been completely finally! They now have four new showers to use! This way the women can have more privacy and a sense of dignity when showering at the camp site now! I am really happy to see that and super grateful to UNICEF/NCV for making that happen in such a short period of time! What awesome work!
This was what the sky looked like today in Nepal! I looked up and surprise a Halo formed in the sky! This is also called a Cock's eye, where it looks like a full rainbow is surrounding the sun. It looks super cool and really pretty, but at the same time, this is really a warning that a storm is coming!
A halo, also known as a Nimbus, Icebow or Gloriole, is an optical phenomenon produced by light interacting with ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere, resulting in a wide variety of colored or white rings, arcs and spots in the sky. Light is reflected and refracted by the ice crystals and may split up into colors due to dispersion. The crystals behave like prisms and mirrors, refracting and reflecting light between their faces, sending shafts of light in particular directions. In the earlier days, atmospheric phenomena such as halos were used as part of an empirical means of weather forecasting before meteorology was developed. This type of phenomenon often do mean that rain is going to fall within the next 24 hours as the cirrostratus clouds that cause them can signify an approaching frontal system.
I actually learned all of this when I was back in Ethiopia in 2008, from the local farmers when I was helping out in the fields. They were so knowledgable about all different means of weather forecasting just by looking with their bare eyes. So these empirical means do have their rightful reasoning behind it.....it was indeed true in today's case.....after seeing this Halo in the sky when I was visiting the Chuchepati camp, about 6 hours later....giant rain storm came pouring down for the whole entire night! Literally the beautiful calm before the storm!!!! Halo accuracy = 100%
We patiently waited for the other sessions to come to a close and was about to leave due to the strike situation, but somehow we decided to stay and just look around the campsite. As we were looking around the campsite, more and more housewives started to come out of their tents. It was amazing! It was the perfect situation. We didn't even need to call out to them and they all just magically appeared! Thank you Buddha was calling out to all of them for us! It was a good crowd despite the strike situation!
This is my favorite "Prayer Lady"! She is so lovely! Every time she sees me coming from a mile away, she would start smiling from ear to ear! She would always bless me with her words and send prayers my way! I am so grateful for her prayers! Let's all pray for Nepal and for all of humanity!
Super cute children playing with hula hoops! When was the last time you played with hula hoops? The simple pleasures in life are just so precious!
Tiffin time with my boys from Chuchepati! Thank you guys (Block D) for inviting us to your homes! Such a lovely bunch of boys!
They are such hard workers and so humbled in everything they do!
Tiffin time (Afternoon tea) = Chia (tea) and Biscoots (Biscuits)!
Newari snacks (Baji) time!!!! This is one of the best meals ever!!!!
Beaten rice (Baji), roasted and curried soya beans (Bhatmas and Musya), curried potatoes (Alu Tarakari), boiled potatoes marinated with pickle (Alu Wala), vegetables pickled with chili (Sanan), and Newari pizza with egg!
Going with the Newari theme today! Thanks to Mahendra for his kind gestures! Tonight is our last night at the Hotel Heranya, so the owner gave us some special Newari dishes!
Lentil patties (Wo) with duck eggs (Khen)!!!
Newari feast tonight! I am the luckiest girl in the world!
Bon appétit! <3
What a fulfilled day! Thank you for remembering all the details and writing down to share with us. Incredible!
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