We were in Pokhara this past week attending a wheelchair distribution. During the event I saw a young women that received a chair for the first time in her life.
It was a touching scene. You may think that she was overjoyed, but it wasn't about her, it was about her family. The following are pictures of her climbing into the chair.
The real story is about how this family got to this point. They are squatters living in Pokhara. Basically they are homeless and live where they can. Someone asked them if the needed a wheelchair and of course they said yes, but couldn't get one because they were poor and couldn't afford the cost. They were told to contact NRSD to get some help with a chair, but again they couldn't because first they didn't have a phone and second had no money to travel. The person took their name and contacted NRSD, told them about the family and an assessment worker found them and made the assessment. The young women qualified for the chair according to the LDSC standards and the deal was done. All they needed to do was to come to the distribution point, which was the ceremony. In case you think LDSC needs some sort or recognition for the work we do that is not correct. The ceremony is so the government can see openly where the chairs are going, it called transparency.
Back to the story of the young woman, she didn't show a lot emotion because she is also intellectually handicapped. She couldn't speak except in unintelligible sounds, which I believe her parents understood. This is a picture of her with her parents. The older woman you can see was very happy, she kept telling me she was the mother and the man to my right was the father and the girl was their daughter. They got to the ceremony with her crawling, which by the way, she was very good at. Their entire lives they had carried her and were tied to her, because of her needs. This wheelchair has helped not one but at least three people,
unless you count this little woman sitting on the ground waiting for things to get moving, She is the grandmother, and very vital to the success of the family. As you can see each person that receives a chair impacts the lives of many others. In this case the mother and grandmother will be able to get places faster and easier. Father can work more and made more money, maybe get a real house someday.
These wheelchairs were just put together and are waiting for someone to call them theirs. Look closely and you will see two different styles of chairs. The chair on the left front is called a rough rider chair, it is built heavier and has a lower center of gravity, for rougher travel. They are much heavier and harder for some people to use. Most people like the Standard chairs better because they are lighter in weight, users can get them in and out of public transportation easier. That is Janet talking to and greeting people.
We left Pokhara and while driving saw some women planting rice,Janet had the brilliant idea to help them plant. Off she goes into the rice paddy (mud again) to help her.
About half way up her calf in mud and other stuff, that we will not talk about at this moment.
The locals made it look easy but just walking around in the stuff was difficult.
It looks like she's got the hang of it, now if she can go a little faster. The women in the field, I'm sure, wondered what was going in the the minds of these fair skined maidens. 
Just so you don't think I am making this stuff up here is one of those women just watching and wondering "what's up with them". After the planting was done there was time to find a NBF (new best friend). This is the chief of the field and Janet made a friend. The
question is how do get a photo op in the rice paddy with your new friend without getting that stuff all over each other. Janet found a way, Janet's NBF.
Now the job is done, now how do you get these fair maidens back in the travel van with out offending the other passengers Correct! Make them take a shower, at least their feet. So...off to the nearest shower, yup right by the barn. Why not, the animals need to be watered and the house is right there and the family needs to keep clean, great location and very efficient. Long story, here's Janet doing her best to keep clean. (see the calf in the barn)
Time to move forward with the adventure.
Between Pokhara and Kathmandu is a small village on the top of a very high hill, called Manakamana. The is a very sacred temple there and we stopped to visit.
They are burning the undergrowth from the hills and it was very smoky getting to the top. I wonder why all of the trees didn't catch fire.
When we got to the top it was also very smokey, but lots of people got there and we saw some very beautiful Nepali faces.
This picture is so typical of an older Nepali man, I just had to take it.
As I looked around I found another young women deep in thought. I wonder what she was thinking. She is a very beautiful young women.
She had just walked up to the village from her home on the hill side, I guess she might have been a bit tired too.
Of course there is always the village priest just waiting to have his picture taken. They sit lined along the wall waiting for tourists to take their pictures, and then they demand money from the unaware photographer, oh well, every one has an angle.
On the way down we passed another small village with shops on each side of the trail. Janet stopped for me to take her picture.
It is kind of steep and the stairs that they carve in some place are very unique, to say he least.
As we walked we saw this woman tilling the manure pile, she will take it to the paddy's on the hillside and use it to fertilize the soil.
These are the happy campers down from the treacherous hike. The best part of these couple of days is the girl time for Janet. Thank you Chris and Marsha for spending time with us and enjoying the adventures we are having. If you don't see Mark in the picture it is because we lost him. That story is for another time or ask Mark and Marsha.
On the way home we got the message that the highway was closed because of a bandh in Damauli. A man was arrested the night before and while the police were taking him to jail he fell out of the truck and died.
The family was protesting, so the village got together and closed the highway until the government would do something about it. The road was closed for about 12 hours when the government said they would pay the family some amount of rupees to compensate for the death. Magic!!
Because the road was closed for so long we went back to Pokhara and waited until the next day and started home again.
Leaving the next day we were able to see some other spring preparations for the farmers.
Because the paddy's are terraced it is easier to take the water buffalos into the paddy's and plow and still maintain the dikes that hold the water. This man and his partner were mixing the dung into the paddy in preparation for planting rice, it is slow work, by our standards, but very effective. by the way that is the stuff Janet was wading around in the day before, different location same stuff.
As I watched the farmer I saw two girls at a diversion ditch just watching and talking it is a good picture of Nepali teenagers.
It reminds me of Lauren and Kennedy in our back yard just talking, and talking, and talking...etc.
I guess teenagers are the same everywhere you go.
As we watched the plowing and the girls, we also were being watched by the neighbors.
During all of this I saw a great picture of Manchapuchre and went to take a picture and found something even better, this great little family.
The grandmother was taking care of the kids and thought we were a little weird when we kept saying they were a beautiful family. Look closely. they really are.
Here it is Machhapuchhre or Fishtail Mountain in the Annapurna Mountain range. Its not the tallest but it just sticks out when you see it.
The mountains in the foreground are about as high as the mountain around our home. In Nepal they are called hills, it is easy to see why.
Next stop is Swayambhunath or the monkey temple.
These are the prayer rolls that surround the stupa. Each roll has some mantra or prayer inside and when you walk by it you spin in to send the words up or somewhere, I'll check that out.
The best part is always the people around these temples and stupas. Here some very interesting older women.
These women were hanging around and waiting for someone to give them money, kind of boring way of life.
We are always greeted by these kids when we get home and they are not in school.
This day Chris and Marsha had a present for them. Pencils and friendship bracelets made by some of Chris's students, as you can see they were a hit.
...and of course we found Mark he is always a hit with the kids.
I guess that is enough for today the gospel is true and people everywhere will hear the good word and chose the correct path to eternal happiness!
Next time "busy, busy, busy"
This picture is so typical of an older Nepali man, I just had to take it.
As I looked around I found another young women deep in thought. I wonder what she was thinking. She is a very beautiful young women.
She had just walked up to the village from her home on the hill side, I guess she might have been a bit tired too.
Of course there is always the village priest just waiting to have his picture taken. They sit lined along the wall waiting for tourists to take their pictures, and then they demand money from the unaware photographer, oh well, every one has an angle.
On the way down we passed another small village with shops on each side of the trail. Janet stopped for me to take her picture.
It is kind of steep and the stairs that they carve in some place are very unique, to say he least.
As we walked we saw this woman tilling the manure pile, she will take it to the paddy's on the hillside and use it to fertilize the soil.
These are the happy campers down from the treacherous hike. The best part of these couple of days is the girl time for Janet. Thank you Chris and Marsha for spending time with us and enjoying the adventures we are having. If you don't see Mark in the picture it is because we lost him. That story is for another time or ask Mark and Marsha.
On the way home we got the message that the highway was closed because of a bandh in Damauli. A man was arrested the night before and while the police were taking him to jail he fell out of the truck and died.
The family was protesting, so the village got together and closed the highway until the government would do something about it. The road was closed for about 12 hours when the government said they would pay the family some amount of rupees to compensate for the death. Magic!!
Because the road was closed for so long we went back to Pokhara and waited until the next day and started home again.
Leaving the next day we were able to see some other spring preparations for the farmers.
As I watched the farmer I saw two girls at a diversion ditch just watching and talking it is a good picture of Nepali teenagers.
It reminds me of Lauren and Kennedy in our back yard just talking, and talking, and talking...etc.
I guess teenagers are the same everywhere you go.
As we watched the plowing and the girls, we also were being watched by the neighbors.
During all of this I saw a great picture of Manchapuchre and went to take a picture and found something even better, this great little family.
The grandmother was taking care of the kids and thought we were a little weird when we kept saying they were a beautiful family. Look closely. they really are.
Here it is Machhapuchhre or Fishtail Mountain in the Annapurna Mountain range. Its not the tallest but it just sticks out when you see it.
The mountains in the foreground are about as high as the mountain around our home. In Nepal they are called hills, it is easy to see why.
Next stop is Swayambhunath or the monkey temple.
These are the prayer rolls that surround the stupa. Each roll has some mantra or prayer inside and when you walk by it you spin in to send the words up or somewhere, I'll check that out.
The best part is always the people around these temples and stupas. Here some very interesting older women.
These women were hanging around and waiting for someone to give them money, kind of boring way of life.
We are always greeted by these kids when we get home and they are not in school.
This day Chris and Marsha had a present for them. Pencils and friendship bracelets made by some of Chris's students, as you can see they were a hit.
...and of course we found Mark he is always a hit with the kids.
I guess that is enough for today the gospel is true and people everywhere will hear the good word and chose the correct path to eternal happiness!
Next time "busy, busy, busy"
