A few days ago I received my Begin to Learn Nepali Language booklet and audio cassette. I’ve realized quite suddenly that I’m going to be learning a foreign-foreign language. Perhaps it should be renamed, Learn to Speak Nepali in Your Wildest Dreams.
There’s some handy phrases in book (apparently to be used), such as:
Are there poisonous snakes around?
I don’t know Nepali culture. Please teach me.
Mother cooks delicious food.
I will not eat today. I am not feeling well.
Last week I made my flight reservations. My parents suddenly realized I was leaving the country and not going camping. (My mother insists I bring a compass in case I “get lost,” and who knows, maybe she’s right.) For me, it was a great relief.
Once I get on the plane, there’s no turning back. Before I fly to Kathmandu, I’ll attend a ’staging’ in San Francisco with other Peace Corps volunteers heading to Nepal (I’ve heard it’s around 58 people). After a day of being introduced to life as a Peace Corps volunteer, we’ll head to Kathmandu.
I’m not sure how many actual hours it’ll take us to get to Kathmandu from San Francisco, but because of time zones and the International Date Line, we arrive in Kathmandu around 48 hours and 20 minutes after leaving San Francisco:
| Date | Departure airport | Departure time | Arrival airport | Arrival time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 18, 2002 | SFO, San Francisco | 12:25 | NRT, Tokyo | 16:45 |
| Feb 19, 2002 | NRT, Tokyo | 17:50 | BKK, Bangkok | 22:25 |
| Feb 20, 2002 | BKK, Bangkok | 10:30 | KTM, Kathmandu | 12:45 |
So that means it’s 21 days before departure. Let me stretch my legs while I can.
