Nepal - I am back :)

Today I am exactly 20 days back in Nepal and it feels like I have never left. Many things are just so familiar. The friendliness, kindness and warmth of the Nepali people is just unique. They are so welcoming and make me feel at home. It is so beautiful to meet up with old and new friends, colleagues, landlords and even shopkeepers ;)

Spending time at my favourite coffee place ‘Karma Coffee’ is just so nourishing! Working from there every day, surrounded by lovely girls who are running the place fells amazing. The iced coffee is just so tasty and the freshly baked oat cookie as well! I really couldn’t have asked for more!

Karma Coffee

Sushila and her family are so kind to rent out a beautiful room to me in lovely Sanepa. I am very fortunate as Sushila is a great cook and I am sharing many meals with her family. I found tasty Rye Bread here in the Vienna Bakery and some tasty Tahini in the Organic Farmers Market JLife is good! 

I was even able to borrow a beautiful bicycle from Sushila’s son! I am riding it every day and it brings a lot of joy into my life! I just love to ride two wheels :) Gives me a great feeling of independence and freedom. The bicycle brings me to conferences, meetings, markets, coffee places, to the meditation center and many more places! I got some mudguards to protect me from the dirt during the rainy season, a helmet, lights and a mask. 

I also got the bike maintained in my old bicycle shop. The guy there was so cute, he still remembered me and the tools I gave him two years ago which my Dad had sent from Germany for him. He was praising the quality of the saw and how often he is using it. He said, this quality will last a life time. Made me very happy and so grateful to my Dad. I really love how simple and so efficient Nepali people maintain a bicycle with hardly any tools. It works perfectly! Simplicity is key J

Lots of things happened in the last 20 days. From meeting Caroline and Kenta again, attending a 3 day conference about Risk to Resilience, meeting lots of interesting people, reconnecting with VSO colleagues, conducting interviews to hire two research assistants, managing to do three interviews already for my PhD research and more on the way next week!

Risk2Resilience Conference

Actually, at this time of the year it is rainy season in Nepal. However, it is not too bad overall I have to say. So far we are very lucky as it mostly rains heavily at night time. Nevertheless, that’s how one of the major roads looked like this morning :)

The cable solutions still keep amazing me! I am always wondering how a technician knows what cable belongs to what ;)

I also found already a beautiful place nearby which serves fresh tasty lemongrass tea – so lucky I am!

Fresh Lemongrass tea in Cafe U

Yesterday I was so grateful to get a verbal agreement from Kajal. It looks like she is going to work with me as research assistant for my field study for the next few months! I am so happy and looking forward working with her!

Kajal & Kerstin

Today I finally took a full day off and went to my favourite place here in Kathmandu - the “Boudhanath” stupa. 

For me it is the most beautiful stupa in the world. The moment you step into the circle of the stupa a beautiful energy fills your entire body and I felt instantly so calm and relaxed. 

Happiness

This place is so spiritual and just stunning! I am also very pleased that the entire stupa is already completely refurbished after the 2015 earthquake. Amazing work has been done by the Nepali people! 

Joy

I just love these flowers :)

I can’t wait to come here with Alfredo to share some beautiful memorable moments together.

I was also so fortunate to meet Phu again, a friend and trekking guide I had met in 2012 on the Annapurna circuit trek. It was lovely to share some tea and lunch together and to catch up. 

Many things related to my research study are still up in the air so. Nevertheless, I feel very relaxed. I am sure everything will fall into place, including the location for my field work. I am going to have three meetings tomorrow and I am hoping after this things might become a little clearer ;) 

Am I excited?! Yes, I am! I can’t wait to go on our first pilot study into the field. Let’s see where the universe wants us to go ;) I am sure we will know when the time is right and some light will be shed on it! I will keep you posted!

A big hug from beautiful Nepal to all of my blog readers & friends!

Enjoy a good cup of coffee!

Thanks for reading my stories :)

In gratitude

Kerstin