Just For Kids! Everything You Need To Know
Friday, May 27, 2011
I visited some really sweet kids at Randolph Elementary School yesterday. The class was doing a unit on Nepal and I watched as hand after hand shot up enthusiastically with better questions than I get with even my most sophisticated adult audiences. We chatted about Nepalese food and religion and sports and culture and the Himalayas. Then we all got up to do some Nepali dancing and laughed... a lot. When our time was up the entire class asked if they could stay for their lunch period. I was so flattered that they'd be willing to give up lunch for me and even more flattered when a cute little kid named C asked for my autograph. They made me feel cooler than Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus. We exchanged hugs and the kids sent back letters for my 5th grade class at Kopila. I wished for a moment that we could all pop over for a visit, have a soccer match, tour the school and have lunch in the Kopila Cafeteria to show the kids in Mrs. Kruse-Marcus's class what Nepali food was all about.
But what struck me the most was how much these kids reminded me of my kids in Nepal. Kids everywhere are so much the same. I couldn't get over the similarities. The world is becoming a much smaller place in a lot of ways and I think it's so interesting that kids everywhere and all over the world are learning and fascinated with what each other's everyday lives are like. This class was so happy to be in school and I was reminded of how awesome our world is going to be when every single kid has the opportunity to go to primary school.
This video here is for all the Kopila students to show them the Randolph kids' attempt at Nepali dancing. Pretty impressive, ay?
Also, to all the kids who have been following this blog and my story, I just want to say thanks. I wish I could spend an entire day with all of you. You inspire me more than words can express and I'm so excited for what our world has in store with this next up and coming generation.
Also I've included a list of the questions the Randolph Elementary School kids asked that I'm sure other kids are wondering too.
This is a typical Nepali thali meal, the traditional food dish I was telling you about. Our students eat this EVERY DAY for lunch.
And the kids' favorite food... MOMOS! Yummy. We have eating competitions in our house to see who can eat the most. The record is 37! Do you think you could eat 37 of these?
I think it was Elise who asked what the kids favorite animal was and I told you about the elephant rides we went on last year! We <3 elephants, especially baby ones.
Nepali clothing looks something like this... Watch this woman dancing to a traditional song.
The men and boys wear Nepali topis, these cool hats.
Nepal is home to 11 or the world's 13 highest peaks in the Himalayan Mountain Range. Mount Everest is the highest and most famous mountain in the world.
Nepal is the Hindu capital of the world, the oldest known religion. The children at Kopila Valley all go to temple on holidays and get a blessing, indicated by the red rice mark on their foreheads.
Nepal is also famously known as being the Buddha's birthplace. Here's a photo from a Kopila Family vacation where we sat under the Bodhi Tree the Buddha, is said to have achieved enlightenment.
The capital city of Nepal is Kathmandu, my dad always asks "What does the Cat Man Do?" Typical dad joke.
You asked who the funniest kid in our home was and I told you if everyone voted, S would probably win. He's the class clown and probably gets in trouble the most out of anyone. Here he is using corn husk and pretending he has a mustache.
You asked if we had any pets. Besides turkeys, chickens, and goats we raise to eat, we have a cat named Arjun who keeps the mice away. She stayed inside when she was a kitten but now she stays outside and mostly only comes around at night.
Last Nepalese children show respect to their elders and say "hello" by putting their hands together folded and bow saying "Namaste." Learn some other basic Nepali phrases here.
Namaste!!!