Jado Chuti (Cold Break)

I probably butchered the spelling up there, but oh well. It's difficult to change a phonetic alphabet into the Roman alphabet. Take the name of my village, for instance. The second syllable can be spelled with "u" or "oo," and no one seems to know if the middle is "b," "bh," or "v." It's different all over the bazaar. 

Cold break refers to my three-week long winter vacation that stretches from this past Thursday to the end of January. So far, activities have consisted of sleeping, eating, reading, writing, and hanging out with my host family. Very difficult stuff. I want to take advantage of my "relaxation days" however, because there's lots of excitement to come. 

Take next week, for example. On Monday, my aamaa and I hope to go to Bhaktapur, once one of the three kingdoms of Kathmandu Valley. It is very famous for its architecture and curd. Yes, you read that right. Curd. I believe they call it "king curd" due to its superiority over the other available choices. 

Tuesday is a day of meticulously planned errands and, I hope, a trip to the movie theater to see a Bollywood film. I've promised to treat my host brother, who will finish his nine-day exam period on Monday. He has been studying non-stop, and I think he deserves a nice break.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday...now, those are the really exciting days. Way back in July, Ellen and I decided that we wanted to visit Chitwan National Park sometime in January. Well, the month is here, and next week we, along with Emily, will be embarking on a jungle adventure. There will be a sunset canoe ride, bird-watching, and a highly-anticipated elephant safari. Apparently sitting atop an elephant is one of the best and safest ways to try and spot the park's wildlife. I mean, seriously: when looking for rhinos, sloth bears, and tigers, would you rather be on foot, or on the back of a mammal bigger than your car? 

After that, I'll be helping out at a camp, and at the very end of my break, I will be running two creative writing workshops at the Kathmandu Book Fair for Kathalaya Publishing House, which will hopefully go smoothly. Anyway, expect actual stories next time you see a post here, not just a summary of my life. 

And coming soon: #OnlyinNepal - The Sequel

The best sunsets always come after the storm.