2006.10.01: October 1, 2006: Headlines: COS - Nepal: World Travelers: Chico Enterprise-Record: Nepal RPCV Gina Ellena writes: I'd been at my Peace Corps teaching post in Kusma for a month when the district school inspector arrived from Kathmandu to conduct a teachers' conference and asked me to assist

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Nepal: Peace Corps Nepal : The Peace Corps in Nepal: 2006.10.01: October 1, 2006: Headlines: COS - Nepal: World Travelers: Chico Enterprise-Record: Nepal RPCV Gina Ellena writes: I'd been at my Peace Corps teaching post in Kusma for a month when the district school inspector arrived from Kathmandu to conduct a teachers' conference and asked me to assist

By Admin1 (admin) (ppp-70-129-41-112.dsl.okcyok.swbell.net - 70.129.41.112) on Sunday, November 12, 2006 - 7:19 am: Edit Post

Nepal RPCV Gina Ellena writes: I'd been at my Peace Corps teaching post in Kusma for a month when the district school inspector arrived from Kathmandu to conduct a teachers' conference and asked me to assist

Nepal RPCV Gina Ellena writes: I'd been at my Peace Corps teaching post in Kusma for a month when the district school inspector arrived from Kathmandu to conduct a teachers' conference and asked me to assist

""World travelers" was the generic term for the multinational, eccentrically dressed and drug-addled sorts who, along with Peace Corps volunteers, medical missionaries and diplomats, made up the strata of foreigners in Nepal. Typically, members of each strata tried to dissociate themselves from the others. And why not? Most "world travelers" that I encountered displayed little respect for local customs. Like the French woman who hiked topless. World travelers were noted for scrambling up on whomever they could for free meals, free film, whatever. But, aid to travelers is a requirement of many cultures and religions. Nick and I cannot count the kindnesses people all over the world have offered."

Nepal RPCV Gina Ellena writes: I'd been at my Peace Corps teaching post in Kusma for a month when the district school inspector arrived from Kathmandu to conduct a teachers' conference and asked me to assist

Flashbacks from here and There: Work
By GINA ELLENA

NEPAL 1966 -- I'd been at my Peace Corps teaching post in Kusma for a month when the district school inspector arrived from Kathmandu to conduct a teachers' conference and asked me to assist.

Lacking electricity, we worked morning until dark in the municipal building -- one room, plus the loft where I'd slept on my first night in the village. I wrote English-instruction materials, the inspector translated to Nepali, I hand-copied the English and, using the Devanagri-script manual typewriter, slowly typed his Nepali text, then ran copies on a hand-cranked mimeograph machine.

The handsome inspector, of the Newar ethnic group, amazed me with his good humor and patience.

One thing I'd learned since arriving was that Kusma is on the tourist route to Annapurna. All sorts of world travelers trekked through the village. Foreigners in need were now directed to me.

An American woman arrived with some Peace Corp rejects. The first thing she said was "Where's the bathroom. I have to s---." Then she complained that Ted's outhouse (the only one in town) had flies. I thought evil thoughts, but heated some water so she could wash, and gave her a blouse and some clean underwear. They left without saying goodbye.

The night before the conference two Germans, both named Reiner, roused me at 10 p.m. needing food and wanting to stay with me. I led them to Kesher Kumari's batti (inn). The next morning they hinted that they had no rupees to pay her. Their bill was about $2.50. They had American dollars, and did I know a black-market dealer in town? Name me 10 who aren't, I thought, but told them that changing money "on the black" was against my principles. I paid their bill from my $40 monthly salary, and they gave me $2. They sold some food and clothes in town, but didn't reimburse me further.

"World travelers" was the generic term for the multinational, eccentrically dressed and drug-addled sorts who, along with Peace Corps volunteers, medical missionaries and diplomats, made up the strata of foreigners in Nepal. Typically, members of each strata tried to dissociate themselves from the others. And why not? Most "world travelers" that I encountered displayed little respect for local customs. Like the French woman who hiked topless. World travelers were noted for scrambling up on whomever they could for free meals, free film, whatever. But, aid to travelers is a requirement of many cultures and religions. Nick and I cannot count the kindnesses people all over the world have offered.

Next morning teachers arrived and squatted on rugs spread in the dirt schoolyard. And what a fearsome tribe. All male, all dark glinting eyes, dressed in dusty white cotton caps and leggings, or turbaned with hoary beards, hands gripped around skinny legs. They had walked hours on mountain paths from their villages where they taught in schools without furniture, blackboards or books for little and intermittent pay. And I was supposed to teach them?

That evening we attended a party. The village compounder, a government first-aid worker who no medical equipment and only one bottle of gentian violet for treatment of burns, was being transferred. What better send-off than Bal Bahadur's wonderful tea made with powdered milk purchased from the Reiners. The compounder, a sensitive man who spoke a little English, had tears in his eyes. I raided the Peace Corps-provided book locker, which a porter had carried two days from Pokhara, and presented the compounder with a copy of Henry James' "Portrait of a Lady."

The conference finished next day with speeches, airing of teacher complaints (just like home, I thought) and distribution of mimeographed training certificates. For me, these men now had names and histories. Some were Brahmin priests literate in Sanskrit, Hindi and other languages. Some were tribal Gurungs who had served 20 years in British or Indian armies, seen war, brought their families home, and continued to serve as teachers. Unsung heroes. We shook hands warmly. They invited me to visit their schools.

Before departing that morning the compounder entrusted his bottle of gentian violet to me.

Gina Ellena is writing Flashbacks From Here and There while her husband Nick, a retired reporter for the Enterprise-Record, compiles these columns into a book.




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Story Source: Chico Enterprise-Record

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Nepal; World Travelers

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