Nepali Time

Hello, how are you? I am good. Today was great.
Caroline and I have purchased some cleaning supplies for the day centre. We also have purchased two toys- one is a stacking toy, rainbow rings that stack on top of one another... the other toy was large lego that have faces on them! they also connect like a train so the children will surely enjoy those... this is given that they have had breakfast and aren't hungry... we have some children who don't get much food and therefore have a hard time focusing.. it was hard to unerstand at first but now I see that the lack of attention and energy is because of food. It's hard to supply food because we may have the entire neighbourhood bringing their children so Caroline and I are cleaning the place up and supply few materials. We have heard that the outside may get a brick wall soon( the children cannot play outside due to a cliff with garbage and rocks at the bottom). The children are very quick and very smart. They can say their ABCs and talk some english when we ask them to repeat phrases. They are already waving good bye and hello. also namaste of course :) It's great that they are recognizing us weird canadians because at first it was a lot of wide eyed stares.
Tomorrow is a cleaning day before the children arrive at 10am although some are there before 10... The teacher arrives at 10 so it may be a challenge but something that is possible. anything really is with the help of basic resources, materials and community support...

As for the fundraiser money there are many options ... many many options. I'm hoping to make a decision soon but there is so much to consider. It is a gift that will go a LONG way here in Nepal. Something that wouldn't be as long term or as sufficient in Canada. I'm very thankful for all the sponsors who contributed to IT'S ALL FOR NEPAL. Your contribution is going to make a huge difference and i'm happy to have tea with those who would like to hear more about it once I get home. It's amazing how far a dollar can go. It will benefit children in need and it's very important that this money goes towards my initial concern which is their education. Some money will be for the Himalayan Helpless child academy which my friends are teaching at daily. The children love making them talk about Canada :)

Thank you for reading.

day 8 in kathmandu

Hello! I am back and the internet lace thankfully has power. I'm learning a lot very quickly and thankfully have the help of my classmates to keep my mind preoccupied. I'm reading Little Princes which is a book based in Nepal and is an interesting book, cant seem to put it down. i highly suggest it if you're curious about some of the issues in Nepal.
I'm fascinated with Nepal and wish time would slow down. Everything is happening rather quickly and Caroline (my partner at my practicum site) and I have been very welcomed into the community. We had lemon tea today with the head of police wife...there were 5 soldiers dressed in blue and in a truck outside their house so it was un nerving walking into the home....we did anyway because we knew the wife from the day centre. very nice. she welcomed us for tea anytime.

We are enjoying the community and I have gotten a hang of the routes around our town. almost got lost but found my way.... thankfully...

actually this afternoon caroline and i had an appointment at 1pm and started walking at 1240pm... we got to the house at 145pm... we saw a friend from the day centre who took us to her home because she ran out of cell minutes so we had to use her land line. it was lucky we met her today or else we would be walking around kathmandu like a bunch of tourists....

Tonight we have dinner with the principle of Kadambari College and Ceceil from Action autonomy nepal. like i said... days go by very quickly and we have met many people which is nice... Cant wait to read my book tonight.

adios (for some reason i keep thinking spanish!) anyways...

Bloggin ain't eazzzy

Nepal is lovely. I am absolutely fascinated with everything I have encountered and have been taking a lot in. I have been to Thamel and have now moved deeper into Kathmandu... I have been placed at a centre for infants and toddlers and currently there are 4 children ages ranging from late one to two years old. They are all so well behaved and curious.

I am hoping to help clean up the centre to create a good repuation for the children who attend the centre with the community. This will bring more children in and allow the babies to create friendships and a sense of community. Relationships are so very important.

Currently the conditions of the child centre are... the conditions are bad. Cleaning, sanitizing and lack of materials have made the centre unappealing to families in the community. Also because they cannot send their children with food to the centre they cannot drop their children off. some children eat cheezy rings for lunch... this isnt bad, they have something to eat in the sense of lunchtime being a time to get something into their bellies. As an ECE the nutrition level is something that will affect the developmental level and how well the child will get on with the day... I have so much more to say but will keep this a brief description...Since Caroline and I have been at the centre, one child has joined the group. He is "the boss" as I like to say because he knows what he wants and goes for it! its such a great practicum experience. My didi is named Rona, she is lovely. speaks little english but that doesnt stop me from trying.

I am taking nepali classes mon-friday 6-7PM so I'm getting beter :)

Internet place is closing.

Subaratchi

Kathmandu is on my mind...

Hello! and Namaste!

I can't wait for the Nepal trip to get started. I'm savoring every moment with my family and yesterday had a wonderful Easter with everyone.

I'm happy to say IT'S ALL FOR NEPAL mainland edition did AMAZING! I well exceeded my goal of $1,000....and raised $1,910.46!!!!! Everyone had a fun night and a lot of the community contributed to the cause by playing music, games, raffles and the 50/50.

One of the highlights from IT'S ALL FOR NEPAL Mainland was the 50/50 raffle! People were still trying to purchase tickets after Dylan announced the draw was done!

The jackpot was up to $230!!! My sister, Nicole called the winner,  Eva Marsh to tell her that she had won. This is when Eva said "IT'S ALL FOR NEPAL Steph, It's all for Nepal." This is an amazing example of the fun we had and everyone's generous mood!

Another highlight were the Pink Ribbon Cupcakes everyone loved!! The one winning cupcake was found by a 21 year old named Dean. He won a RiverHouse roadside assistance bag :) and finally, the photography by Stefanie Hurst Toigo who everyone happily posed for. Thank you so much!

It was great getting everyone together and being a part of a memerable night that, I know, I will never forget. It was great seeing my worlds come together and see smiling faces.

I'm really looking forward to meeting the children. Unti I see those beautiful faces I will not know what to expect! so, I will bring a book and wait...

count down is getting pretty stingy.

Love, Hope, Faith and strength!!! the only words I can really think of now besides dylans inspiring "You are my strong and independent woman!"

Thanks for reading, i'm getting pretty mushy as I'm getting ready for take off so I hope you start to comment on some posts! blogs are kinda hard....

8 Day until Nepal

It's a very exciting time for me as I'm preparing for the second, IT'S ALL FOR NEPAL Fundraiser at the RiverHouse in Delta, BC on April 23, 2011.

The first Fundraiser in Victoria, BC, was a FUNdraising event with silent auction prizes, raffle draw, 50/50 and beer & burger tickets. With these endeavours combined,  $835 was raised! This is incredible because Nepal supplies and bedding are very cheap compared to purchasing these supplies in Canada. These dollars are going to make a HUGE difference!

I'm happy to represent all the caring people from Victoria and Delta who have such giving hearts and have generously donated money, items, and volunteer hours to benefit the children of Kathmandu.

This leaves me to packing now! I finally finished my last exam at Camosun! It was a hard but great day writing for three hours about 4 short paragraph questions, 10 multiple choice questions and one 750 word essay.

It also was a great day to end my time at Camosun because it was hard work and a good memory that I've worked hard for my ECE diploma. After Nepal I will have my specialty in Infant and Toddler theory.

It's time to pick up my passport from Camosun before I head over to work at the Boys and Girls club! This will be hard because they're really amazing kids but its time to say Au revoir.

Catch ya later!

Steph :)

29 Day until Nepal...Video time!

Pre departure orientation was on a Sunday March 27...It's already the 31st...29 days until Nepal... Some funny videos from the Camosun Counsellor, Anna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSdxqIBfEAw and this is because I'm a great fan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM7-PYtXtJM I attended a workshop today at UVIC for Moving Early Years in Nature. It was with Ken Finch, Victor Elderton, Frances Krusekopf and Enid Elliot (my teacher!) This work shop had me thinking of the child's physical, social , emotional, creative and intellectual development. And of course Nepal is on my mind...and so much more...:/

Spring 2011 has begun...

Hello, Today was my orientation with the field school i'll be attending this Spring 2011. I'm heading to Nepal for a practicum experience and I am thrilled to be going somewhere different. I just hope I remember that once I get there :) I'll be taking a short flight from to Vancouver where I will board a plane in the early morning to Hong Kong where I'll live in the airport... Then its off to Kathmandu!!! This experience is going to have me challening my own personal levels of comfort. I'll be living with my 7 other class mates (6 gals and one gent) and there will be a cook!!! The orientation today had our field instructors telling us to be good, the nurse told us not to "do it" (honestly an educational experience I liked her stories and she got a few people to share some good ones by asking if we had any) and finally the counsellor came in and asked us some really good questions about our values and goals and to keep in mind that stress may be a factor and to recognize it before its too late!!! I hope Kathmandu has a treadmill.... After the practicum experience with the Kathmandu community, school, orphanage and community projects we will head to Chitwan National Park. This experience will allow us to enjoy the lavish wild life and land of Nepal, something I will have to share with you all through pictures and stories as they happen... Wifi isn't something that I can just walk into while staying in Nepal. I will blog as much as possible and hopefully share a positive experience that will challenge and excite me. I'm hoping the children in Nepal will be patient with me as I learn their language and customs work to climatize myself. Culture shock will be something I am not looking forward to but like my friend Sarah (UVIC student who is in my field study group) said: "It's something that's going to happen so deal with it." So true, i'm so happy my group is down to earth and friendly. I feel this is going to be a learning experience that i'll never forget and hopefully my group feels the same. Soo, The fundraiser IT'S ALL FOR NEPAL is still happening in Victoria Friday, April 15 at the Upper Deck and in Delta on Saturday, April 23. The website is something i'm working on but here it is!: http://allfornepal.webs.com/ My true hope is for the Children of Nepal to see their potential and have access to education, reading materials, and food. I'm going to bring toothbrushes and toothpaste and teach some kids how to brush their teeth with songs that practise the motions! haha really. I hope i'm this enthused during my experience because right now I feel pure anticipation!!!