Howdy Folks! Tara here (Sophia & Sophia) the power couple and some of the two most valuable members of Tara ;P and we’re here to INFORM you about what is UP! We are dropping some major knowledge/deets here so get hyped up folks!! (Sophia wrote all of this, not Sophia)
We met up in Kathmandu and boy was it crazzaaayy!! The group LOVES each other. We have formed unbreakable bonds like none other in just a matter of a couple days!!
We were staying in Shechen guest house (lots of coooool monks chilling there too) which made us feel pretty chill too. We saw the Boudha Stupa which was STUNNING let me tell you! Whew! Wowee mama! Mama not papa because this is a feminist trip 🙂
We oriented ourselves, had an opening ceremony (with fire!! Watch out parents it was a little dangerous!!! Just kidding we are SOOOO SAFE here!! Haha Amanda and Kelsi protect us at all times!)
Then we went to homestays which is wild. Lots of loving Nepali people!
We spend the days carrying large quantities of rocks on our heads, shoveling dirt, mixing cement, creating assembly lines, because we are BUILDING A WALL!!!! But this wall, fear not friends, is a good wall. A wall that shall help the children have a safe and secure playground.
We also hang out with some sweet young ladies at the HOPE HOME which is an amazing organization that helps out orphaned young Nepali girls. They do good things! Plus they dance like BEASTS. They KILL IT on the dance floor. These girls are going places, I tell you. Plus we learned some of these sick dance moves so be warned families, we might bust em out at any time back home 😛
We also went on a hike. Not much to say about it.
Also, Tristan tragically got ONE (not two) ONE of his shoes stolen. But now Sophia is wearing it so at least its getting use 🙂
Also, something that has become very important to Sophia and Sophia is snacks!! We eat about 1000 snacks per day. It makes us feel strong and powerful. Lottes Choco Pies power us. The sweet sweet artificial chocolate is flowing through our bloodstream as we speak, and it is what is powering us to write this blog. Thank you Lotte <3 Now its time to get serious folks. Buckle your seatbelts. Fasten em tight. Women face some extreme discrimination in Nepal in all sectors – economically, socially, educationally. While we were working at the school the female workers did much of the heavy lifting while the men sat around and smoked for the most parts. We later discovered that the women are paid around 200 rupees less than the men. Additionally, one of our host sisters is currently menstruating and she is not allowed to leave her room that often. She can’t touch her brothers, touch food, or eat dinner with us while she is on her period. The family views her period as a shameful and disgusting thing, and she seems to have internalized this sense of shame. This is largely due to the stigma around women’s periods in Nepal. Their bodies are believed to be polluted and they are isolated from their families during this time. Sometimes, this can even lead to death. Arranged marriages, preference for sons, and gendered roles in the home are also common in Nepal. Sex trafficking is also a major and devastating problem here. It is difficult to come in from a Western perspective and immediately critique all of these cultural norms and practices without really knowing anything about the culture. However, the purpose of our trip is not to “fix” anything — rather, it is to take stock, learn and understand more deeply why things are this way, and carry this with us in our lives moving forward and try to implement positive action from a more integrated perspective. That is why our homestays have been such a wonderful experience — a way to truly experience Nepali family life. Undoubtedly we have already been touched in many ways by the beautiful stories of all the hardworking and strong people here. So hope you had a good mix of laughter and tears!!! We’ll be back next week (not us) but another duo. 🙁 Thanks for tuning in! Buh bye now! This has been quite the wild ride, my dear amigo, bless your poor soul for reading it all but hey, it means a lot to me, Sophia and to Sophia. Also, hope you dig these SICK PICS! I know no one reads anymore so pics are important. I acknowledge that. I don’t blame you for not wanting to read. If you are reading this, I admire you, buddy, I wouldn’t be able to do it probably.
