Research and Namobuddha Pictures

On the way to a village near Banepa (40 minute bus ride, 40 minute walk) where I got to observe a signing class taught by Dinesh Bade Shrestha (who is deaf himself) and one of the programs run by the Kavre Development Association of the Deaf.

Dineshji, as he was teaching the students calendar signs (months, days, years, etc). The signs for the months were particularly interesting now that I'm learning about Nepali culture. The sign for each month represents the festivals or other main event that takes place that month. For example, the Nepali month for January (the Nepali calendar varies slightly from the US calendar) is a sign representing "cold" because it's so cold, October represents the Dashain festival, etc.

The building where the class takes place. A local post-secondary school (Grades 1-12), opened up an empty building for the class. We were visited several times during the class by curious students from the main school and it appears that a few of them have even been learning a little bit of Nepali Sign!

Dineshji teaching to his class. Originally there had been close to 30 students, but that number has dwindled as the class continues as the students are typically adults who work full time in the potato fields and can't take time off for study without losing valuable income. I believe the class was now down to about 11, though there were only 4 students in the class the day I observed (which was in the middle of prime harvesting season).

The higher secondary school in Sunthan, near the town of Panauti (in the same region as Banepa) that Anu and I visited over the last few days. While the school itself is hearing, there is one deaf classroom that serves up to 10 children in Grades 1- 5. The school is residential and commuter, and as of now, all the deaf students attending currently live at the school. After the students finish in 5th grade, they are usually sent to the Kavre Deaf School in Banepa to finish their schooling.


The children in the deaf class (there is one girl, but she was not in attendance this week. Shanti mam, the teacher, is standing in the back. She has only had 10 days of sign language training, but works hard to be the best teacher she can for the students. My research assistant Anu, is kneeling in the front row. She has been indispensible for the field research!


The fields where the children play during break time. This school is fortunate to have such a large area for the children to use for the break - many schools have only a small court yard.


The students' favorite pastime while in between schoolwork - teaching Anu and I signs from the many sign language posters on the wall! Though there are very few instructional tools, thanks to the Ministry of Education and the Nepal Federation for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, there are many sign posters on the wall in the classroom. Interestingly, though not surprisingly, the students have a much larger vocabulary of nouns and concrete verbs than even simple abstract words. It was clear that much of their sign education has come from the posters. They certainly know those words well though!


Shanti mam teaching students. Due to her lack of sign experience, the diverse grades and needs of the children, and the lack of assistance in the classroom, much of the instruction was given individually and primarily consisted of the students doing book work. This type of instruction is not uncommon in Nepal, and I found Shanti mam a very passionate teacher who was doing her best in the circumstances at hand.


When it was time to leave the Sunthan school, Shanti mam wanted to give us a few fresh oranges off of the many beautiful orange trees that surrounded the village. She also gave us sugarcane, which both she and Anu patiently taught me how to eat (you peel the skin off with your teeth and then chomp down on the meat of the cane. After extracting the sugar cane juice, you spit out the remaining fibers.)


Anu and I visited a Hindu temple at the top of a large hill in Panauti on our way back from the school on the last day. The temple wasn't much to see (especially after walking up HUNDREDS of stairs...) but the Hindu priest in the next shot probably made it worth the hike.


A South Indian Hindu priest who is living in a room at the top of the hill near the temple and blesses the people who come to see the temple. His hair was CRAZY. In another picture, he was holding it up, and I couldn't tell what I was taking a picture of until I put the camera down - it looked like a number of snakes at first! Those who know my fear of snakes can imagine my trepidation as I looked through the camera! I was very happy it turned out being his hair...


The view from Namobuddha, a large Tibetian Buddhist settlement outside of Banepa. It took about an hour's bus ride and another hour or 2 hike up a Nepali "hill" (the size of a large Applachian Mountain!) to get there. It was a wonderful Saturday spent with my KTM roommate Swetha, Anu (my research assistant), and Anu's boyfriend.


Swetha and I peeking out from inside a small cave situated in the Monastery/Nunnery compound, near a HUGE statue of lord Buddha.


A few of the thousands of Tibetian Buddhist prayer flags that were found all over Namobuddha, attached to trees, buildings, temples, stupas, etc.


The view of Namobuddha and the large Nunnery/Monastery that rests on the hill. Everything about it was spectacular - the view of the snowcapped mountains in the distance, the opulently decorated temples and shrine rooms,the rice terraces all around...


Me in front of the beautiful Himalaya mountains. It was difficult to pinpoint where the sky and clouds ended and the peaks began.