rants, odes, and ramblings: 3 Peaks Challenge

10 June 2009

3 Peaks Challenge

Here's a picture of Team ALPHA at the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland -- first stop of the 3 Peaks Challenge this year

(PS: Although we are in fact totally awesome, the name Team Alpha was assigned to us). That's me, Angelina, Sophia and Melanie. Thanks to the generosity of our families and friends, our team raised over 2,500 pounds for the Ubuntu Education Fund!! So thanks for your help, warm thoughts and good vibes. Now if only my muscles would stop aching enough to let me enjoy these last couple of days hanging out at Angel's house in England before I go to Oman TOMORROW!

Quick UK lowdown:
-Here with mom, grandma, Sophia and Angelina, plus BONUS: Mel got to hang out with the fam for a few days!!
-In the past 5 days I have eaten pizza, chinese food, pub grub, had a delicious meal at a French Brasserie, and kicked back a few lovely English pints, and this will continue for the next 16 until my tastebuds begrudgingly return to the oil-soaked carb fest that is Kazakhstani cuisine.
-I had a Flip video camera delivered here, so stay tuned for my debut as a videographer.
-Bury St.Edmunds, Suffolk UK is to me, like Cleveland is to Liz Lemon. I like to think I'm a pretty nice person, and I have had to stretch my friendliness to levels that would be unthinkable on the streets of Aktobe just to remain barely within the norms of social pleasantry here.

Thanks for checking in -- CB

2 comments:

Unknown said...: xoxooxoxoxoxo. Miss you.

Thats all,
Jenna; June 10, 2009 at 6:48 AM
Sylvia said...: XT! You are on a mad adventure right now... I hope it is magical and satisfying in a million ways!
Graduation was a great feeling but the weeks leading up to it definitely left me with some new gray hairs. I'm still looking for a job...I'm trying to stay here in California (not Monterey, though)! I'm hopeful that something will reveal itself soon, but until then, I am a gypsy woman - be well, my sista! Have wonderful travels! xoxo; June 16, 2009 at 10:44 AM

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Frequently Asked Questions

Weren't you going to move to Singapore?

Excellent question. Steffen and I were all set to move to modern, beautiful Singapore when two things happened. The job I was up for fell through, and Steffen's company's project in Nepal started to heat up. So, when faced with a decision between paying two to three times our Monterey, CA rent in Singapore, versus about a fifth of that in Nepal, we decided it was time to do some trekking in the Himalayas :)

What happened to your awesome cat when you moved?

Obviously, he came with us as carry-on luggage. No seriously. He was a little angel the whole way, he is treated like a prince by locals here, and he's loving the abundance of pigeons outside all the windows of the apartment. I know that dogs are cooler, but as long as we're travelling, the Sgaz-man is just about the best pet anyone could ask for.

Where is Nepal?

It's a little country in South Asia, south of China and north of India...I think Bhutan is somewhere nearby.

What's the food like?

Nepal's geographic location makes it a culinary paradise for Steffen and I. Most menus in town are a mix of Chinese and Indian food, with the frequent Continental dish like pizza, pasta, or fish & chips. For about seven bucks, we can both feast on various curries with veggies, chicken, tofu, mutton, or "buff" (water buffalo) and rice, garlic naan, and tandoori chicken, and wash it down with a sweet, yogurty "lassi" drink or an icy cold bottle of Everest beer. There have been Western expats in Kathmandu for so long that you can get pretty much any dish you want.

What about your favorite breakfast?

Oddly enough, most cafes in town offer my favorite breakfast: Two eggs any style, home-fried potatoes, bacon, toast and coffee for about USD $2.50. Like I said, it's pretty much food paradise.

Are you guys working over there, or...what?!?

I'm working on an education project with the Embassy, and still looking for a full time gig in International Ed or language teacher training. Stef's doing the same job he was doing in Monterey - the only difference is that now he doesn't have to take trips over here all the time, because we live here now. We're taking Nepali language lessons, and trying to make friends by signing up for every random event that comes up on the Kathmandu expat forum, including a pilates class, a cat play date, and volunteering to play Santa and Mrs. Clause at the annual American expat club holiday party, to name a few recent ones.

What's the time difference there?

Kathmandu is 13 hours and 45 minutes ahead of California, making it pretty much the most annoying time difference possible. As I write this, my day is just warming up and you're all going to bed.

How are you going to keep in touch?

Although Nepal is, I think, less developed than Kazakhstan (or at least, Aktobe), it's a lot easier to keep in touch from here. We have internet in the apartment, 3G modems in case the wifi is too weak for Skype, and smart phones with What'sApp, Facebook, and all that other jazz. I know what you're thinking: "But will you use them, Christina?" And it's a good question, because my track record with keeping in touch has not been stellar in past sojourns. It's my greatest personal goal to stay more connected, and I hope that all you dear friends and relatives will help me by nagging me about it.

rants, odes, and ramblings

10 June 2009

3 Peaks Challenge

2 comments:

Other great travel blogs!

Babushka!