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People:
My feet are planted a bit too firmly on the ground for my liking, but nonetheless, I am here in Boston and beginning the ‘Summer of Liz’ (working title; suggestions welcome). Despite the end to my travels, I want to continue the blogging in hopes of starting a dialogue with myself about what exactly it is that I want, and engaging with other cool people on the internet about what’s going on in which I may participate.
I came home so ready to jump in and DO things. I’ve been here for three weeks now and I’ve spent much of that time wanting to do something new every day, with no idea seeming like a good one for more than a day or so. My initial homecoming celebrations have quieted now and as I struggle to give my life definition through a job (or at least a new project or two), I feel like perhaps my time is best spent figuring out what I want to do with the experience I had. Hitting the ground running is rather difficult when one has no idea which way she’s headed. In the meantime, therefore, I will be blogging about whatever it is comes to mind. In the absence of a grand plan, I will always have my whims afterall. I think perhaps this may be better — a grand plan is nothing if not changing. Stay tuned for the whims – my stats need a boost.
LoveLox
Well friends, as I was cruising back to KTM today from Kunta, my new favorite village for oh-so-many reasons, I had a whole plan to write a substantive entry about ‘going places’ – not in the Seussical sense, but rather, in the literal sense: infrastructure. As I begin my research about dairy cooperatives in Nepal, I have been taken in my interviews to the issues of local governance, the importance of traversable roads (read: NOT raato maato chiplo baato) and how these affect the efficiency of cooperative economic structures. But where has the time gone? I have to leave now to share dinner and chit-chat with some KTM friends and get ready to head to Damauli for step 2 of coop research in the Pokhara region.
I suppose that means for now, no updates on my small vacation/faux bandh waiting-out with Maegan in Dhulikhel or Annapurna, or all the other things I’d like to tell you all about. So for now, please give me some more time, I’m so eager to write more on experience, on going places and on the places I’ve been.
For now I will end by wishing you all the best for the Nepali New Year…2067…best year of my life begins today.
LoveLox
Hello friends,
Well, after spending the first six weeks of this program with no laptop, relying on a ghetto desktop from the 90’s and writing copious letters, I have a laptop – better to update you, my pretty. This week marks our last in Kathmandu – Wednesday begins a two week excursion to Annapruna. and soon after I get back, my research begins.
Chitwan was a blast, I got my fill of bicycle riding, elephant love, and lots of time hanging out with an independent bee-keeper and very successful honey producer in Saruha. Soon after returning from Chitwan, I celebrated Holi with my family and a few friends and kids from Sukedara. Aamaa and I made a huge lunch for everyone and watched color explode all over Kathmandu.
Today after no success trying to contact organizations dealing with cooperatives in Nepal,my fancy shoes (Chacos stayed home today) and I were invited to the National Cooperative Federation of Nepal for a meeting, two cups of tea and lots of helpful information for upcoming papers and research. Huzzah. A powerful lesson in shameful self-promotion/feigning legitmacy, with a skimpy blog post to mark the occasion. Raamro!
More post-Annapurna.
Much Love,
Lax
Namaste, Friends (because yea, I’m in Nepal and it doesn’t sound cheesy and new-agey to say). I am taking this time to update you on the past three weeks as a result of a plan to go to Chitwan that is being reworked on account of Maoist bandhs or strikes taking place along the road. So instead I am sitting in Kathmandu, my belly full of peanut butter sandwiches, courtesy of my Nepali aamaa and didi (host mom and sister) waiting for Maoists to get bored or take a lunch break.
It’s difficult to know where to start when updating so late in the trip so I’ll start small. First, I am fascinated with social enterprise. Yesterday the group and I went to this handicraft fair near Bag Bazar and it was both fascinating and inspiring to see how many coops, professional groups, women’s development groups, and innovative peoples were coming together from as far as India and Pakistan to bring their trades to prospective buyers. I didn’t really understand why there was a program focusing on social enterprise in this tiny country with serious traffic issues, but now I see – and I’m totally on board. Wish I’d taken pictures/that this computer wasn’t from the late 90’s and wouldn’t take forever to load them. Ke garne.
Chitwan promises elephant rides, possible tiger sightings, and interviews with different professional groups. Most of Nepal’s food is grown in Chitwan so we will get to meet paddy growers, bee keepers and other people who are very knowledgeable about Nepal’s food security situation. Excellent. Plus, I just got word that the bandh is over and we will be on our way shortly. It’s funny to see how early people start and finish things when there is no electricity.
So I’ll conclude for now. Haven’t had enough? Check out my friend Maegan’s blog about our trip! maegangoestonepal.blogspot.com – hope you’re all well and stay in touch.
-Laxmi
Faithful readers, (all approximately five of you out there on an average day), I must apologize for the neglect of my blog. This has not been any type of glorified “too busy living life to stop and write it down,” but rather a mix of constant travel and being too picky about what I would like to say/impart to you about this trip.
There are but 17 days left in my Istanbul adventure and I’m ashamed to say that I feel as though I still have so much to do to feel like I really “know” this city. So far I think this trip has been much more about feeling the impetus to go. In the past three weeks I have seen historical ruins, a WWI battle site, more Soviet propaganda than I know what to do with (Oh hey, Ukraine), and a small city in central Bulgaria that also helped to satiate my Eastern Europe binge. So now I am back in a place that should feel like home by now, but instead just makes me feel feel lost. This should change. So this weekend, along with writing more detailed entries on side trips, I am planning to really see Istanbul as opposed to the passing through that I’ve done in between schoolwork and trips to the airport or bus station. I have finished all of my travel snacks, actually unpacked my backpack and stowed it away for the next leg of my trip. So I apologize to you dear readers, but also to Istanbul – I have neglected you both. But I will soon correct this.
There’s a sensation that comes upon you when arriving somewhere new: am I really here? I’ve been in Istanbul for almost a full week now and I’m still not quite positive. I certainly don’t feel any different; I’m just surrounded by new people, cars that don’t stop for pedestrians, and menus I can’t understand. I’m eating very well, albeit lacking any regard for healthy eating habits (béchamel reduced to the consistency of mashed potatoes stuffed with lamb and oven baked., red meat 2 meals a day etc. Oh well, there’s love in this food, you can tell right when you bite into it.)
And yet, this is not my home, and thankfully so, I say. This is an adventure that affords me lodging for 6 weeks and a chance to forge a relationship with this gigantic metropolis before moving on. At this point, I am trying to navigate the city and see some of the bigger sites with a few side trips planned. I walked down to the Bosphorus yesterday and popped into various shops before eating dinner and lingering over my cup of tea to sit and stare into the depths of my Rough Guide recommended restaurant. I am here as a visiting student, feigning a purpose to be here, but when I leave, there will be no remains of Liz Peyton and this massive city of 12 million (although I’ve heard up to 25) will continue to humor the next wave of visiting students that their broken Turkish has some potential. I’m okay with that. Until then, I’ll keep you updated on the happenings here in this new place with the amazing view of the Bosphorus, very welcoming people, and some pretty amazing food. Sounds good to me.
Before I go, I’m going to link to this article that I facebooked earlier in the week: {click here}. I’m so glad that the Times did this article and I think it serves as a great reminder that being a woman does not end any hopes of travelling solo, as long as you us your head!
Welcome friends and anonymous lurkers: you have found my blog. I am Liz Peyton and while considering what I’d like to actually do with myself in life, I am trying to travel, do, and eat as much as possible. This coming Monday, 22 June, I am beginning a seven week trip to Istanbul to take classes at Bosphorus (Bogzaci) University and finally immerse myself in a culture that I so enjoyed studying this past semester. Until I leave I’m finishing up jury service, trying to work my new camera, and quieting nerves about an entirely new experience. So here we go I guess – I’m so excited for adventures involving lots of tea and Ergenekon stalking – among other things.
Liz Went Somewhere... 