In the days since being here, I still haven't had my orientation, but I have managed to wander around a part of the city, and go to the hospital.

The first day, I met the program coordinator, Scott (from Albuquerque, the heart of the southwest), his wife Sunita, and their children Bibu and Kritan, and helpers Santi and Susila. I also met a few interns, Mike and Nate, who work with me at the hospital.
Since Saturday is a holiday, and nobody works, Nate and Mike and I went to Bhouda, a well known holy area about 15 minutes away from the volunteer house. Bhouda is known for its stupa, a giant concrete mound, often containing the Bhudda's ashes.

We entered through an alley way, so as not to pay the entrance fee, and as we did, a small child followed Nate, tugging at his pants. The child (or 'road-child' as they're called here) was homeless and about 5 or 6, and was carrying his younger sibling on his back. He was covered in dirt and grime, and the sibling was crying. Neither of them really had clothing--just torn pieces of fabric That image is so stereotypical of this country--it's just so poor.
The roads don't have lanes, there are mounds of trash and excrement everywhere, and people blatantly sleeping on the sidewalks. We pass about 3 or 4 slums everyday on the way to the hospital.

The hospital sees many people everyday, and when I first was shown into the examination room to meet Dr. Gupta, there were 3 unrelated people being seen at once. Helping Hands is community hospital for people who can't pay--so people come from all over, including remote villages ( we saw a few Sherpas).

In the exam room, I was allowed to help with the physical examinations--notice: this is my second day in Kathmandu--I haven't even been oriented yet--and I felt a girl's swollen fallopian tubes, met with a woman with dysentery, and watched a man go through alcohol detox. All in about 20 minutes. Afterwards, the other interns and I came home (after a horrible lunch at a place called 'Umbrella 66 Fast Food', which started playing 'Apple-Bottom Jeans' on repeat when we walked in,) played with Bibu and Kritan, and watched the sunset on the rooftop.

Today: Maoist revolution and the buses are closed, so we can't really go out.