Haircut/ Badra

Haircut

My hair is getting too long (for me). My friend takes me to a local barber shop. I show him the photo of the haircut. He says he can do it. He does a decent job for 50NPR (less than $1.00). I get a head massage at the end...part of the massage feels like he is rapping on my head with his knuckles quite hard. Sometimes I feel like a sideshow.

Badra

There is a beggar woman that I see on my way to school. She was here when I was in Nepal last year and I used to give her money....she remembers me. She is missing a lot of teeth. This year I feel more inclined to give to people that are disabled or to support Maiti Nepal.

One day she is holding her cheek, she is going to the Schezen Clinic to see a dentist for a toothache. When I return from my guesthouse on my way again to meet my friend, I see her again but this time she is sitting and crying. I think that the clinic is closed for the holiday.

I walk with her to a pharmacy, get her to talk to the pharmacist to see if there is anything that he can give her. I tell him that I will pay for it. He gives her some pills (250NPR) for 5 days and she can take some right then at the counter. I try to explain that I have to go to meet my friend - another woman tells her and I run to catch a tempo.



My friend's neice spends a day with me at Boudha. She is 13 years old. My friend puts her on the tempo (mini bus) and she stops at Boudha gate...it is the first time she has ridden on a tempo by herself.

We have a fun day together, walking around the Stupa, playing cards and having lunch with another young friend in a restaurant.

I get her to talk to the beggar woman to find out why she begs. She says that she can do cleaning but no one will give her a job. Her husband also begs. I think that her two boys live with her mother. I also find out her name and her two boys.

I try to think of what work she can do. I mention that maybe I can get her to do my laundry. After I mention it I wonder if she can do a good job and if my clothes will be secure where she hangs them up to dry.

Another day she grabs my arm as she wants to see if I can give her this work. She takes me to some young boys to get them to ask. I try to explain my concerns and also that I want to see where she will wash my clothes.

She takes me to her room and shows me her washing area. It is in the toilet room and it does not look agreeable. Somehow in the communication with the boys she thinks that I am concerned that she will steal my clothes...however after seeing the washing area I don't want her to do my laundry. I wish that I hadn't mentioned it to her.