Lunch with Sajana and Richa

Sajana (left) and Richa (middle) are some good friends that I met at church. They are amazing women! They have been so kind and welcoming and have secured their spot as life-long friends. One afternoon Sajana invited Richa and I to her house for lunch. It took Richa about an hour by bus to meet me. I had arrived at our meeting place by taxi. 

Then together we hopped on a tuk-tuk for another 15 minutes. What's a tuk-tuk?

Tuk-tuks are 3-wheeled tin cans that somehow serve as a means of transportation. They are super cheap, rather slow, and epitomize dirty public transportation. The back cabin is just metal benches against the sides of the vehicle. The inside of the tuk-tuks are typically covered in chipping blue or green paint and missing windows. The back is open, which is great for ventilation except when it's pouring rain, then it's not so enjoyable. I have only ridden in a tuk-tuk three times, each time with a Nepali. I can't figure out where the tuk-tuks are going and need a native speaker to make sure I don't end up in China somewhere. 

Sajana is a fantastic cook! She prepared a traditional Nepali meal of dhal bhat, with chicken and vegetables. Dhal bhat is a bean and lentil soup that is poured over top of rice. It's not anything fancy, but it's yummy.

After lunch I asked Sajana and Richa lots of questions to try and understand their world better. They told me about their experience of the Gorkha earthquake. Luckily they didn't lost anyone in their immediate families, but they did paint a grim picture of the country in the days following the earthquake. We talked about their feelings towards India and the tensions between India and Nepal, as well as plans to travel the world, the challenges of getting a VISA, and much more. It was a great privilege to pick their brains and build my picture of Nepal through their eyes and experiences. These women are STRONG and resilient! I am so blessed to have them in my life.

View of the valley from Sajana's apartment