Generosity

July 15, 2011

Just so happy bumping along in an old rickety bus down the streets of Kathmandu while listening to Nepali folk songs on the radio.  The smog, car congestion and honking are things I barely notice anymore.  I love the vegetable stands, mangoes, bananas, leeches, jackfruit, cows and bamboo trees.  Last night I was telling this to my little Nepali family (Santosh, Khem and Prava), and Khem said “Nepal gets into your blood.” And it is true!  I feel so safe and loved here.  Of course there are major problems – rampant corruption, an astonishing absence of Rule of Law, and large amounts of trash along most of Kathmandu’s rivers – are some, but I love it here despite these problems.  I love Nepal because of the people of Nepal.  Despite the hardship of life and absence of so many things that people in other countries take for granted, Nepali people lift their hands to help others, and practice daily a kind of generosity that is rare in this world.