Day 20 - Familiarity

Friday, September 26, 2014

This morning was spent at a massive market near 0km. They had just about everything from fruits, clothes, spices, utensils, to trekking gear.

Before leaving, Becca and I bought a dozen very yellow, ripe-looking mini bananas, only to realize after biting into them that they weren’t ripe at all. Looking to throw out my peel, I caught myself asking her if the basket hanging on a pole on the street was a plantpot or a garbage can. It was an honest question and I was genuinely confused by the trash and large green plants that appeared to simultaneously be growing inside it. Neither of us could really tell. During an afternoon walk, I saw Shishir sitting in front of a shop. He’s a student at my placement school and we were both surprised by the odd chance of meeting outside it. But more than being a surprise, it was nice. Seeing a familiar face on the streets of Pokhara made me feel more at home. With smiles, we said namaste and continued with our own business. Late afternoon at Naresh’s, I had the opportunity to help edit and write out his biography to send to a colleague. It allowed me to gain some more insight into his story and how he and the program evolved. I listened to his unique experiences and learned about the small pivotal life moments that led him to today.