I can't believe how much time has already passed since arriving here in Nepal. This entire week has been packed totally full with orientation at the volunteer house, familiarizing ourselves with the area around us and exploring more of the city as the group gets to know other volunteers on a much better level.
This week everyone begins their placement. It should be a great week!!
Our group here has been awesome - or should I say 'attiutum'! Nic and I have been taking tons of photos of our adventures which are all posted on PICASA (link below) but here are a few to show off some of the highlights from the past week or so:
On Tuesdaythe guys in the placement went to get fitted for durwall suari's the male equivalent of the Sari. It was really cool having them fit every inch of our body to get just the right fit. And talk about inexpensive! These things cost just NRS 2500 - about $40 CDN. This Friday we are all dressing up in our gear and heading out for a traditional night out in Thamel at a traditional restaurant nearbye.
Afterwards the group went to see Kathmandu Durbar Square. Kathmandu’s Durbar Square is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the Kathmandu Valley. It is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, still take place today. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows, panels and houses and is an amazing place to see any time of the year. I however didn't go with the group as I has a sudden 24-hour sickness that got the better of me. I can happily say that all is good and that all cylinders are firing now!
So after taking a hiatus from activities with the group, I was back in action and went with the group to a very historic site on the outskirts of Kathmandu called Pushupatti. The Pashupainath Temple is the most important Hindu shrine for all Hindus in Nepal and also for many Hindus in India and rest of the world. Here families will take the body of the deceased and place them onto a concrete pillar located at specific points within the temple grounds. The location at which the body gets placed will reflect that person's rank within the society. If you're of royalty or government then your body gets placed up river on one side of a dividing bridge. 
After visiting the temple, we made our way to Boudinath - the lsecond argest Boudah stupa in the world. We had lunch here and took lots of funny pictures!
Friday was a very full day. Not only was it the last day of our language training with our teacher Sharma G, it was our Amazing Race day and night out wih the volunteers wearing our new Saris & Durwall Suari. The race took us around the city with a three hour time limit. I was paired up with another housemate from Ontario and we took to the streets. First Challenge: hand feed your partner a bowl of dhaal bhat! I totally had to eat from her hand and basically inhale what was given to me. Not a bad start - we got out second.
So after bartering with locals, recording a video of speaking Nepalese with market sellers and making up a catchy song for other racers, Nadia and I finished last...boo! It was a lot of fun and a great way to see more of the city.
With our night out, everyone looked awesome! Nic especially looked amazing and even took the time to pose in a Charlie's Angel stance! You Rock Nic! The dinner was a traditional Nepalese tapa-style meal with authentic music, dancing and entertainment. It was a great was to finish off a week that was packed full of things to do.
This week everyone begins their placement. It should be a great week!!
Check out more photos online at: http://picasaweb.google.ca/home?hl=en&tab=wq
