Sunday... Playing "Catch-up"

Everyone else in Nepal works on Sunday, but I'm taking my two day American weekends. So today I only briefly visited the dental school. I mostly worked from "home," catching up on some online/computer work.

I started my morning with a 9 AM walk to the TikTok for breakfast. It was a cool 44°, but the sun was out. I saw this woman working on a terraced field. I couldn't tell if she was harvesting something or if she was merely pulling weeds to prepare a planting bed. It looks like hard labor.

I had fried eggs and "toast" for breakfast... and coffee!

On my walk home, I saw a number of dogs resting in the sun. That made me think how some things are the same everywhere. Whether they are in the US or Nepal, dogs like to sleep in the sun. 

Dogs are dogs and people are people. Despite some cultural differences, there are some universal human characteristics. The women I passed on the street today were dressed up for their day. They were presentable with clean and stylish clothing, jewelry and make up. Certainly their garb is largely unlike that in the West, but women still want to look good -- for themselves, for men & for their female peers.

I passed a number of kids on the street. They were in uniforms, either walking to school or walking to catch a bus to school. Some were chaperoned, but most were not. Just like kids in the US, kids here just want to have fun. Few parents will trust their kids to walk across the street alone, fearing for their safety. That is not a concern here.

Similarly, I never feel unsafe here. Unlike how the US has unending mass shootings, such atrocities are unfathomable here. In so many ways, Nepal is far more civilized than the US. When I hear pejorative comments about Nepal being a second or third world country, I reflect on the societal norms and mores here. In so many ways, the society is much healthier here. Families are strong. Divorce is almost nonexistent. 

Unquestionably, there is tremendous poverty here. But unlike the US with all of its homelessness, I haven't seen any homeless/street people here. Also opposite of the US, I have not substantially encountered any beggars. 

Such philosophizing makes me appreciate the basic tenets of humanity. If Nepal, with all of its poverty can be so civil, then why can't everyone else? Maybe money just screws up societies? Maybe my brain had too much coffee or sunshine that stimulated such thoughts this morning?

After reviewing some tedious required annual online CE modules for my contact military job in the US, I walked to the canteen and met Dr. Kafle for lunch. I had dal bhat & rice. Afterwards, we returned to his office where we worked on some logistics: timing, transportation, lodging and activities for the numerous "volunteers" who will be visiting Dhulikhel over the next 3 months. Here you can see his complex scheduled notes. The logistics of all of this will be a challenge. Dr Kafle is so gracious and caring: wanting to ensure all visitors have excellent experiences here.

After a brief visit with my chums in Conservative Dentistry, I walked up the 95 stairs back to my room. This photo demonstrates how well they have carved this hospital into the hillside with loads of terraces and retaining walls.