Charlotte's Web: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! To celebrate on New Year's Eve, Lizzie, Chris, Taylor, Brijlal and I went to the Electric Pagoda restaurant to have a light dinner and listen to a live Bob Marley cover band. The restaurant was outdoors and we sat on cushions on the ground at a low table while enjoying Nepali beer and Mexican food (Nepali food wasn't offered). After dinner we went to a hookah bar called the Buddha Bar where we again sat at a low table and had a complementary drink before hitting the dance floor with mostly Nepali men. The music was mostly American but it was fun to talk and dance with locals. We strolled back to our hotel on the busy streets and exchanged a "happy new year!" to everyone we passed.

The next morning we had breakfast on the roof of the hotel enjoying the morning sun. We then took taxis to a local private school where we interviewed the founder of the school named Rajesh about migration, remittances and the education system of Nepal. It was amazing to learn more about what goes on in Nepal from a local. I rode on the back of Rejesh's scooter to the college that he also founded. We passed what looked like a river bed but it was filled with sewage and trash. After touring the college we returned to the school and had a lunch made in the straw roof outdoor cafeteria. We were able to go to the home of a well-off Nepali family and meet their children who are fluent in English and seem to be doing amazing things in school. Then we went to another restaurant where we all tried new things. I avoided the goat head dish...but as a trade I was coaxed into eating goat testicles. Not my favorite Nepali food to say the least. Overall it was another great day in Nepal. Despite still not receiving our group's 5 pieces of missing luggage.....