Welcome to Kathmandu

Last night Jess' assistant hosted our welcoming party.  We sat around the room in two semi circles.  The Nepali staff on one side politely using broken English and the Americans apologizing for not understanding a word of Nepali.  Food and family bridged any awkward gaps.  I was slowly growing more comfortable as I joked with other women about the perils of drinking the tap water in Kathmandu.  I was also overwhelmingly thankful to have a break from JAC who was having a blast playing with the older children upstairs.

I was mid bite when a loud high pitched ringing filled the room.  At first I was annoyed because the security alarm was going off but then I heard the low rumble and we knew it wasn't the security system.  It was the earthquake alarm and the rumble was instantly by the whole house shaking.

I made a desperate mad dash up the stairs dodging older children running down the stairs.  I swooped JAC up and soon we were standing huddled in the outside court yard with the other party guests. 

The earthquake was short.  While is registered a powerful 6.8 the epicenter was miles away in India.  I felt grateful to be safe.  When we finally returned home we all slept crammed together in one bed.  The dog, the kid, and the husband slept soundly while I stayed awake and marveled at our luck.  A month ago we had an earthquake in D.C.  and this was the first earthquake Kathmandu has experienced in a long time.  I queried Jess' Nepali staff who seemed truly terrified and many of then attested they had never experienced a quake before. 

The Connely clan seems destined to experience world wide travel in its most daring form.  Nevertheless I hope to sleep soundly tonight without event.