Tansen

So, I can hardly believe that I have been in Tansen for over a week. 10 days to be exact. It has been a whirlwind of activity and culture shock and awe and disappointments and praise! First off, our trip here was long! There ended up being a strike, which is called a bandh (bund), so the direct (if you can say direct) route here was closed. We ended up having to go through Pokhara and it took I think somewhere around 11 and 1/2 hours. I told you it was long! Surprisingly, I didn't get 'bus sick' and neither did the boys. Jake and I were in the back of the 'buck'- called this because of the back half of the bus being made into a truck. The rest of our crew was in front of us. Right across the aisle was an Australian couple whom I am so blessed to get to know! They are my age, and have been married only a month. Megan is a med student and working in the hospital, while Gavin is studying to become a pastor. We chatted off and on the entire ride, and I am now priveleged to call them friends. Our bus ride was windy, think Northern California coast, Going to the Sun Road in Glacier, or any other mountainous, treacherous road you can think of! No guard rails, crazy drivers, and buses that just decide to STOP in the middle of the road so someone can go to the bathroom. Yikes!!! We saw a couple accidents: one bus crashed into a house, one fell into a ditch, and one was up on a brick wall. I am told that the hospital here in Tansen has at least one major bus accident a month, where buses literally fall off the side of the mountain. Talk about scary!
Anyways, I am here and still in one piece! Thank you Lord! I'm not sure that I am looking forward to the return trip, but that is not for a few months at least. :) Let's talk about Tansen.
First, our houses. (Be sure to look at my facebook photos!) My house is two stories and has a large attic. I have very small ceilings and even smaller door frames. I am constantly ducking and banging my head, think Snow White and the Seven Dwarves! My fellow missionaries call it the 'doll house'. Those of you who know me understand my pain. Even in American I am rather tall for a girl and here in Nepal I easily pass 90 % of the population. I have gotten used to the stares from the people here and simply smile in passing. The Nepali children are wonderful because they all greet me as I pass-by and sometimes start conversations. I don't understand a word of it, all I know in Nepali is how to talk about where I am from, what I do, and how to say my name! Oh, and how to greet people and say thank you. That's pretty important in my book. So, back to the house, it is furnished. I discovered on my first day that I did not have linens though so I had to take a quick trip to the bazaar (marketplace). There is nothing even close to a Wal- Mart here and the items in stock are so random. There are dozens of stores, some not bigger than closets and certainly none as big as a McDonalds. Most are open-faced out to the street, so merchandise gets covered with dust. There aren't very many vehicles here though. A few buses and motorcycles is all. We walk. Hooray for exercise!
As for cooking and baking, I have attempted three things- all turning out rather well. My fellow missionaries are amazed because most people rely on the didi's (Nepali house help), or don't know how to bake. Well, it certainly is no picnic, but baking is how I relieve stress so I knew that I had to try! I have found it takes at least twice as long- the oven scares me and I find myself praying each time that I don't blow my house up! Plus, doing dishes is a long, long process. To give you an idea, I have found one precious measuring cup and one teaspoon. There are only two pictures on my oven knob, one to light the stove and one that I have no idea what it means. So when a recipe says, turn on the oven to 350 degrees, I have to laugh because there is just no way! Also, sugar here comes in big pieces so to get the right consistency, you have to grind it down into the powder that we use back in the states. I could go on forever about the differences, but you get the idea. What did I bake you might wonder? First, banana muffins. Second, cinnamon apple streusal muffins, then Snickerdoodle cookies. Yum! You have no idea how glad I am that there is chocolate here. The only American chocolate I have found here are Snickers and Kit-Kats (or Scooby Snacks as my dad likes to call them).
Let's see, what else? Let's talk about the didi's, or house help. The Beine's and I employ three didis between us because our houses are so close- about 20 steps from my front door to their side door. Two are solely for cooking, they come on alternate days with Saturday being the 'off day'. Then one comes just for gardening and laundry and house-cleaning. When I was in the states, I had a hard time with this. I was like, "I can cook and clean myself". But now that I am here, I am so grateful for their help. Everything is made fresh here because of the power outtages. Refrigerators simply can't be trusted. It takes all day to prepare the two meals, lunch and dinner. Laundry takes hours to hand scrub and boil water for, and house cleaning is no easy task. Most houses are made out of mud. To say the least, my standards for cleanliness have been altered!
My house is about 10 minutes away from the hospital, and ten minutes away from the bazaar. I'm right smack in the middle. :) We drink milk from cows and water buffalo, and our cheese comes from yaks. I have no idea where the butter comes from, but someone told me it's probably from water buffalo ('buffs' as we call them). It definitely is not like American butter, but its not bad. With the milk since it is not pasturized, you have to boil it and cool it before you can drink it. Another example of how much longer things take here. I have noticed that when I am walking, I normally pass people on the road. There just is no need for 'rush' here. I will have to try and trade my American sense of time and timing for a Nepali one. And let me tell you, it's hard!!!
Okay, I think that this is all the randomness I will leave you with today. I can't remember what I have and have not written! So before I go and repeat everything again, I will wisely stop. God bless you in this coming week, as so many of you have blessed me with your notes and encouraging words. I treasure each one of you that is reading this. Smiles!
P.S Be sure to check out the new pictures and layout of my blog, I had fun with it!