THE ADVENTURES OF THE JAC ATTACK!

A Blog about a clever boy and a mom determined to out-smart him.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Yo

Yo K Ho?  This phrase is Nepali for  "What is this?"  As we drive around town I ask my driver this question over and over.  So many things about Nepal are mind boggling.  They are so new and strange and entirely without logic.  I have to ask "Yo K Ho."

Today 50 or so men danced down our busiest street wearing yellow t-shirts and bright red shorts. I had to ask, "Yo K Ho?"  My driver hesitated and with long broken pauses responded, "He dead."  I looked again and realized they were dancing a wrapped corpse across town to the cremation site.

This is Nepal.  Remind me to take more pictures.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Remote

The shop was smaller than a walk in closet.  Every crevice held knock off trekking gear leaving only a few feet to maneuver in the pitch dark.  My brother and I debated the merits of a lumpy sleeping bag while an eager shop owner held up a flash light.

My plan was loose and my husband was pacing worriedly.  I was taking his only child six hours away to the remote regions of Nepal armed only with a map and the promise that a guide would meet us at the tea house at our final destination.  As we left town my confidence dwindled.  The road quickly became a series of potholes tied together with slivers of pavement.

We bounced along in our over-sized SUV that we had lovingly named "The Beast" and the smog of Kathmandu began to clear.  I was reminded why this trip was worth it.  Kathmandu is every shade of brown.  Brown smog sits on the city.  Brown dirt coats brown trash lying on the brown street.  Outside of the city the landscape slowly becomes shades of deep green. Terraced hillsides grow into the massive snow topped Himalayas.

We honked a loud warning as we rounded every turn on the switchback road and narrowly missed a head on collision with a speeding bus. I stopped at our first military check point testing my novice Nepali language skills.  The guards smiled at my attempts and we passed through without incident.  As we drove through tiny mountain villages young men laughed at a girl driving - a sight rarely seen in Nepal.


At the mountain town of Sarabu Besi we unloaded our car.  A slight woman in a long dress greeted us at the tea house.  She had dark hair and distinctly Tibetan features.  We inspected our gear and looked up at the Mountain.  In the morning we would begin a three day uphill climb to reach the glaciers at nearly 15,000 feet.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

A List

I have not written a post in a long time.  I had writing fatigue.  The Connelly House is in a state of change and we are enjoying every minute of it.  Here is a quick list of what is happening here in Kathmandu.

1. Summer has settled on our valley.  The dust and heat permeate every inch of the valley and we are taking refuge every afternoon at the pool.

2. We have two new fluffy members of our family.  On in impulse I bought two white baby bunnies.  They were crammed into a tiny wire cage and sold on a busy street corner.  They looked desperately hot and I purchased the pair without thinking twice.  Now they alternate between hopping around our yard gorging themselves on my flowers and hiding in sheer panic from my dog.

3. We have just bid farewell to our first round of post Spring visitors.  My brother and sister-in-law stopped by and we spent 6 days backpacking the remote regions of Nepal.  We are sad they have left but are looking forward to a steady stream of visitors until Christmas.

4. Finally, I got a job.  I am a party planner, event organizer, potluck coordinator, report writer, volunteer coordinator and general promoter of happiness.  So far I love the job and it was a great excuse to buy some new clothes.

I promise to write more very soon.