Random Observations Part 4: Mostly About TV

What do you know, there's another bus and taxi strike in the Kathmandu Valley---I think this time it's to protest the rising prices of fares due to the shortage of gas. So of course the kids in the family didn't have school again (they aren't on summer break like me). I'm so lucky I'm not dependent on public transportation out where I am; my school is about a 7 minute walk from my house.

This morning I watched part of "High School Musical 2" in Hindi with the kids. Even the songs were in Hindi. So funny. It is oddly (and perhaps disturbingly) comforting to me to have a TV in the house, even if I usually can't understand anything. My greatest pleasure on the small screen is now watching Tom and Jerry cartoons with Anish because nothing is lost in translation.

A lot of the TV shows here (mostly transmitted on Indian channels and all in Hindi) are copy-cats of American shows. For example, they have their version of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" and there are several spin-offs from the "American Idol"-type show. The main difference is that they love putting the little (and I mean little!) kids in the main spotlight. The main show that my host family watches---"Chak De Bachche"--- is a combination dancing and singing show where boy-girl duos (I think most of them are brother and sister) perform these really cheesy routines and people then call or text to vote for their favorites. For all the people I've heard sing really poorly on the big stage for "American Idol," I am really surprised at how terrific most of these kids are! I've never really heard any kid biff it or just freak out because of nerves (which is what I think most of us would expect from a little child now and then). Of course the style of singing is very different than what we are used to. I think most of us would call it whiny, but it really does start to grow on you, ha ha.

On one of the Nepali stations there is even a spin off of "America's Next Top Model." Nepali people I think are naturally very shy people (especially on camera or if they're having their picture taken), and even more so when it comes to trying to act sexy. I really will not go too much into detail as to not be too demeaning, but I venture to say that even some of my most awkward junior high students would know more how to act on camera than most of these girls (I would say most of them ages 16-20.). When they make the attempt at being seductive, I really don't know whether to laugh or to cry!

Back to my students: I have taken many pictures of them and while they're so excited at the prospect of seeing a camera and having a picture taken, the discomfort they experience while they're actually having to stare at the lens is almost painful for me now. They almost never smile at the camera, even if they usually smile otherwise. I've resorted to taking more candid shots now because it really captures how sweet and happy most of them are.

I am getting really really great at walking in mud and water. Even my little jaunt to town---Patan, basically a suburb of Kathmandu---left even more of my students laughing at me sliding around mud and water in sandals. I am really in awe of how they do it all---we're taking short cuts through rice fields, for crying out loud!---and not splash mud all over the back of their pant legs (I have resorted to rolling my pants up above my knees so I just have to wash my leg and not the pants. Everyone stares at me anyway, so I have long since given up trying to look good.) It had just barely finished raining as we entered Patan so the sort-of-paved streets were extremely muddy as well; I think I had to wash myself like 3 times that day (there are just free-flowing stone taps in the city that people collect water from if they don't have running water in their homes, believe it or not) and I still can't get all of the mud stain from off the bottom of my feet!

I washed clothes by hand for well over an hour yesterday. It was the first time I had really done major laundry in the 3 weeks I've been here. I love my washing machine at home! Even though I might not have to go to the gym if I put a couple hours into hand scrubbing my clothes with a bar of soap and a brush each week.

I got an email from a student today who finally admitted, "So is Nepal in Utah? I don't really know where it is." I think that was the internet highlight of the day.