Sunday, or Saturday, wait, what day is it?

Today is actually Saturday, but it felt like Sunday because I went to church today. Here in Nepal, the work week is Sunday-Friday and Saturday is holiday, or the weekend. So church is on Saturday because that's the day everyone has off work. Having only one day off doesn't constitute much of a weekend to me, but people here are very relaxed and laid-back all throughout the week. While it is the norm is America to get up and get going early in the day, many people here don't get to work until late morning. So a typical week may be working Sunday through Friday 11am-5pm, with Saturday off. I don't know how I feel about this yet. Would you rather work 9-5pm 5 days a week, or work 11-5pm 6 days a week?

So, my day started with a hot shower, which wasn't hot by my definition, but it was a huge improvement from yesterday's shower. Then I went down to the kitchen and met Lana, who is the cook and housekeeper at the guest house. She may be related to the family that lives here and runs the place, I'm not sure. Anyway, she had never eaten oatmeal before or seen it prepared. She stood next to me and watched, asking questions. She speaks some English, so we can communicate well enough. She was surprised when I put brown sugar in it and asked to taste some. She described it as pie sugar. It was a good bonding experience and I found it funny that someone was watching me cook (I don't enjoy cooking. nor am I very talented at it, just ask my mother). 

Church was such a comforting experience. It is amazing to me that on the other side of the world, in the most foreign setting of my life to date, there is the church. The one familiar thing, the one constant part of my life. The doctrine is the same, and spirit is the same, and it was a great relief and comfort to me to find that peace today. There is a branch of about 80-100 people and we meet in the Shambala Hotel from 10am-noon. The church house was damaged by the earthquake, and the new one isn't quite finished yet, so that's why we meet in the hotel. I met the senior couple missionaries, the Branch President, a group of BYU students studying art here for a couple weeks, and Bishnu. Does that name ring a bell for anyone? He is one of the members interviewed in the documentary Meet the Mormons. This show came out last year and explores the lives of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all over the world. You can watch it on Netflix and Youtube if you are interested. 

Well, that didn't go as planned: Episode 2

On my walk home after church there was a group of dogs that started to get rowdy and it was clear they were going to fight. Unfortunately a young girl, probably 5 years old, and I were caught in the cross-hairs of the two dog gangs. The dogs started running at each other (consequently at us) barking and growling. Looking back I should have been more scared, but then again, I have experience with unruly dogs, and I knew they weren't coming for me. The little girl however was quite upset. She ran over to me and threw her arms around me. She said something in Nepalese, which I can only imagine was some expression of her obvious fear. I leaned down and put my arms around her at which point the dogs ran around us. I stood up, we made eye contact and she smiled at me, then ran off down the road. 

It was a sweet moment, and one that made me realize the human factor of why I am here. These dogs are more than an annoyance, they are a danger to human health in many ways, not just rabies. Although my project is focusing on rabies, I am working within HSI's larger project of changing the culture of dog care and ownership. One goal is to increase responsible ownership and thus decrease adverse interactions with dogs. Another goal is to decrease the stray dog population by implementing spay and neuter programs. We are also doing mass dog vaccination against rabies and public education campaigns. The work is still in the planning phases, but we will be underway soon. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend my summer here, to help improve the lives of humans and animals alike. I believe that being a veterinarian is my calling and I am so grateful for the opportunity to receive an education and pursue my dreams. 

Alright, enough mushy-gushy stuff, I promise to post some pictures tomorrow. 

Abbreviations:

HSI = Humane Society International