Namaste...is the greeting we use in Kathmandu upon meeting anyone - from strangers on the streets to family members. One places their hands, with the palms together, in front of the chest and bows their head slightly while saying "namaste" which literally means, "I bow to the divinity in you". As formal as this custom sounds it is widely used and can be heard echoing in the streets of Kathmandu as well as the hills of the Himalayas.
We'd like to welcome a number of schools who are supporting our run to our blog! We hope that you'll post some messages and ask us some questions.
Here is some background information on where we are going for those who may be interested. Nepal is a small country by comparison to its neighbours India and China. The country's population is nearing 30 million and although bulk of the population lives in the bigger cities of Kathmandu (the capital) and Pokhara, it seems as though every square cm is made into a habitable space. The Nepali people are very kind and resourceful. Ironically, the people of this very poor country have many lessons to teach us about happiness.
Having the Himalayan mountains within the country makes it a small but tall place! If you could "iron" out the mountains, Nepal would be quite huge! The Himalayas, which is home to Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, are young (for mountains) which is why they are so jagged and pointy. The older the mountain range, the more rounded the rocks. (Okay, that's it for my geography lesson.)
The flight to get to Nepal takes a long time. We'll fly from Toronto to London, England. Then, London to Baharain (which is a country in itself) and then finally from Baharain to Kathmandu!
I leave on March 14th, while the other runners continue to train and to fundraise. I'll be travelling to Nepal with Rob (my husband) and 16 students from St. John's Kilmarnock School in Breslau, Ontario. The students are in grades 11 and 12 and we are pumped to go!
Stay tuned to meet some of our Nepali friends and to be introduced to Tshering Lama, runner extraordinaire!
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What an incredible journey! I am so excited to be following all of you in the amazing adventure. How awesome for the students who will be attending to be a part of this once in a lifetime experience. You are all truly agents of hope and change and a wonderful example for other of what it means to take action and make a difference!
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