Today we ventured back to Kalimpong via steep and rocky roads. The roads
were perhaps the least expected part of this JanPlan for me, as they provide
both fantastic views and instill heart-racing terror. There were a few stops
along the way, where we had to prove our identities, but everything went
smoothly and we eventually arrived at the farm in time for lunch.
I had a wonderful time relaxing in my own bed again, listening to music and enjoying the sunshine. In the afternoon, we had a musical guest (whose name I've forgotten) come and play a few instruments for us. He did a cover of “Imagine” in Nepali and sang “Yesterday” in English, while also doing a few traditional Nepali songs on a small guitar called the churongo. We were able to interact with him for awhile afterwards, and I ended up having a one-on-one conversation with him for almost 45 minutes. He is head of a program that is working to archive indigenous languages through music; his first project was to put the Nepali alphabet to music and the government of Nepal has since been working with him to incorporate it into education. He said that the project has gotten a lot of attention throughout the region, and many cultures that are being overrun by mainland culture (ie. Gurung and Tamong languages being replaced with Hindi) want him to make an alphabet song/capture their language on tape. His partner, Effie, is from Jerusalem and just quit her job last summer to move to India and focus on painting. She brought a whole sketchbook of drawings she has been working on; Effie incorporates a lot of geometrical patterns into portraits and the result is really beautiful.
After they departed, the group bonded over a few hysterical games of mafia before dinner. I am so pleased with how the group has been getting along; I feel we all mesh very well and work towards inclusivity. By that time we were all zonked, so we called it an early night. It was one of the best nights of sleep I've had yet!
I had a wonderful time relaxing in my own bed again, listening to music and enjoying the sunshine. In the afternoon, we had a musical guest (whose name I've forgotten) come and play a few instruments for us. He did a cover of “Imagine” in Nepali and sang “Yesterday” in English, while also doing a few traditional Nepali songs on a small guitar called the churongo. We were able to interact with him for awhile afterwards, and I ended up having a one-on-one conversation with him for almost 45 minutes. He is head of a program that is working to archive indigenous languages through music; his first project was to put the Nepali alphabet to music and the government of Nepal has since been working with him to incorporate it into education. He said that the project has gotten a lot of attention throughout the region, and many cultures that are being overrun by mainland culture (ie. Gurung and Tamong languages being replaced with Hindi) want him to make an alphabet song/capture their language on tape. His partner, Effie, is from Jerusalem and just quit her job last summer to move to India and focus on painting. She brought a whole sketchbook of drawings she has been working on; Effie incorporates a lot of geometrical patterns into portraits and the result is really beautiful.
After they departed, the group bonded over a few hysterical games of mafia before dinner. I am so pleased with how the group has been getting along; I feel we all mesh very well and work towards inclusivity. By that time we were all zonked, so we called it an early night. It was one of the best nights of sleep I've had yet!
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