Up late?

I thought'd I'd woken up really late this morning because I heard people outside talking and laughing and eating but it turned out to be just around 9a. Since most people don't have their first meal until closer to 10-11a, getting up at 9a wasn't too bad but I felt bad getting almost 9 hours of sleep (went to bed shortly after midnight after taking extensive notes from yesterday) and so I went back up to the house to start more cleanup work immediately.

Working Hard

Ashim, Anis, and Kamal at work clearing rubble. Looking toward the street. Taken in Changunarayan, Nepal, May 10, 2015.

I had expected Kamal to be over there but I later learned he thought I was still asleep and was waiting for me at Ama's (even though she knew I was up). I worked until about 12:30p, with a break with everyone to have more dal bhat (again eating with my hand). Then I went back to Ama's to refill my Nalgene with water and get some sunscreen and a bandana for my neck. Today was much hotter than yesterday and had been almost totally clear all day (it's pouring right now though) so the sun was quite harsh. I expect to get more accustomed to it in the coming weeks but I need to be careful to put on at least a little sunscreen every day until then. Luckily, the sunscreen and sweat mixes with dust/dirt pretty quickly and creates a kind of faux tan.

Courtyard

Another view of the courtyard. Looking from the street. Taken in Changunarayan, Nepal, May 10, 2015.

More army fun

I saw an osprey flying around earlier. It's the first time I've seen one in actual use and they look a bit terrifying. They are slow when they are in airplane mode and make a lot of noise. It's clear to see why they are easy targets for anti-aircraft weaponry. Seeing one flying around here must mean they tricked the Nepalese army into thinking they were good aircraft instead of money-wasting deathtraps. Planes, helicopters, and ospreys flying around is really common; I get the sense that is new since the earthquake and not a long-time part of Nepali life.

Four Reduced to Two

A larger view of the building next to the courtyard. It was originaly four stories. Taken in Changunarayan, Nepal, May 10 2015.

Slow day

Many of the folks who were helping yesterday had to do other things today and so, for most of the day, it was just me and one or two other people. We still made good progress though. We cleared the rest of the courtyard in front of the restaurant/inn and cleared enough of the pile by the house to close the large gate that had gotten jammed open. Unfortunately, the large brick column it is attached to has tilted a bit and the 3rd segment isn't closable yet (the gate folds into 3 equally sized segments). They are going to get an ironsmith (there is one working on the temple scaffolding) to look at it soon.

Nothing Untouched

Looking down the street from the top of the hill. The street was barely visible under the rubble in this part of the village. Taken in Changunarayan, Nepal, May 10, 2015.

The heat didn't help with productivity but we got some things done nonetheless. People here are very accepting, and actually expectant, of things getting done slowly so they haven't been anything but happy with what has been done. They are constantly, vocally appreciative of my help and so are many other random people (army, tourists, et al.). It's clear that the Nepalese are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the situation and the help from foreigners seems to be having a big, positive impact on their state of mind. It feels really good to be able to make such a big impact with what seems, to me, to be such a small effort.