Hey Everyone!
My name is Mike and I am one of the 4 Creighton University students partaking in this summer journey to Kathmandu through Tiny Hands International. I am a Junior Theology Major, pursuing a career in medicine, and I was born and raised just west of Chicago, IL. I enjoy a good game of tennis on a slightly breezy day, playing guitar when I'm stressed, and laughing with my amazing circle of family and friends. That's me in a blog-appropriate nutshell.
I cannot express how lucky I am to be a part of such an amazing team for this experience. Unfortunately, Daniel has not been able to be with us this semester in Omaha as he is studying abroad in the Dominican Republic. He is remembered in spirit (that always sounds so much more morbid than intended) and kept in the loop regularly as we practically move forward in getting ready for our experience. Early into the semester as we continued to think of useful things we could do to prepare, the obvious question of the language and culture barrier came up, and it is here that our lives have been graced with Molly.
Molly is a staff member through the Magis Program here at Creighton University, and lived and taught in Nepal for 3 years. This semester she has been kind enough to take an hour each week to teach us Nepali, the native language of Nepal, as well as informing us on cultural differences and things to remember. I can honestly say that these lessons have become one of my favorite parts of the week, as it is a time I can set apart from the busy school life and learn something completely new in a very intentional, comfortable, informal atmosphere.
So how is it going? Well, let me just say that Nepali is nothing like Spanish, and when that is the only foreign language you've ever learned or spoken, being told to "push your tongue across the roof of your mouth well making the 'n' sound" is not only new, but extremely difficult. Do I unconsciously slip a "por favor" in there every now and again? Maybe, but I'll get better with time. We've learned a lot of phrases and words, and it will take a lot of practice each week, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it as a whole, despite how much I anticipate using "bastaaribhanus" (please, speak slowly).
One of the greatest and most helpful things about these lessons outside of a classroom is that since Molly has lived there, she removes all of the technical, non-practical aspects of the language and concentrates on what you would actually say on the street or in a home, despite what is grammatically correct. On top of that, we've learned some cultural norms, i.e. if you finish all the food on your plate, you will more than likely be given more whether you ask for it or not, or that stepping on someone's foot is very disrespectful and should be apologized for with "maaph garnus." One of my favorites is the idea of adding the "-ji" suffix to names when addressing friends, mainly because it sounds pretty awesome in practice. These are all very worthwhile things to know, and every week comes a new insight into the world we'll be immersed in for 6 weeks.
I still have so much to learn, and I understand that I will not be able to know everything or understand everyone, but to have this crash course is something I know I am extremely lucky to have available, especially with a teacher as enthusiastic and passionate about the culture, the people, and the cause as she is. Heck, we're looking to set up a Nepali dinner sometime soon where we'll utilize our food phrases and eat without silverware! I think I can speak for the group when I say Molly has been an inspiration and a blessing in our drive to learn as much as possible before this trip, and we would not be nearly as prepared without her help.
Bistaarijaanus,
('Take Care'/'Happy Journey' -- Also a favorite of mine),
Mike-ji
My name is Mike and I am one of the 4 Creighton University students partaking in this summer journey to Kathmandu through Tiny Hands International. I am a Junior Theology Major, pursuing a career in medicine, and I was born and raised just west of Chicago, IL. I enjoy a good game of tennis on a slightly breezy day, playing guitar when I'm stressed, and laughing with my amazing circle of family and friends. That's me in a blog-appropriate nutshell.
I cannot express how lucky I am to be a part of such an amazing team for this experience. Unfortunately, Daniel has not been able to be with us this semester in Omaha as he is studying abroad in the Dominican Republic. He is remembered in spirit (that always sounds so much more morbid than intended) and kept in the loop regularly as we practically move forward in getting ready for our experience. Early into the semester as we continued to think of useful things we could do to prepare, the obvious question of the language and culture barrier came up, and it is here that our lives have been graced with Molly.
Molly is a staff member through the Magis Program here at Creighton University, and lived and taught in Nepal for 3 years. This semester she has been kind enough to take an hour each week to teach us Nepali, the native language of Nepal, as well as informing us on cultural differences and things to remember. I can honestly say that these lessons have become one of my favorite parts of the week, as it is a time I can set apart from the busy school life and learn something completely new in a very intentional, comfortable, informal atmosphere.
So how is it going? Well, let me just say that Nepali is nothing like Spanish, and when that is the only foreign language you've ever learned or spoken, being told to "push your tongue across the roof of your mouth well making the 'n' sound" is not only new, but extremely difficult. Do I unconsciously slip a "por favor" in there every now and again? Maybe, but I'll get better with time. We've learned a lot of phrases and words, and it will take a lot of practice each week, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it as a whole, despite how much I anticipate using "bastaaribhanus" (please, speak slowly).
One of the greatest and most helpful things about these lessons outside of a classroom is that since Molly has lived there, she removes all of the technical, non-practical aspects of the language and concentrates on what you would actually say on the street or in a home, despite what is grammatically correct. On top of that, we've learned some cultural norms, i.e. if you finish all the food on your plate, you will more than likely be given more whether you ask for it or not, or that stepping on someone's foot is very disrespectful and should be apologized for with "maaph garnus." One of my favorites is the idea of adding the "-ji" suffix to names when addressing friends, mainly because it sounds pretty awesome in practice. These are all very worthwhile things to know, and every week comes a new insight into the world we'll be immersed in for 6 weeks.
I still have so much to learn, and I understand that I will not be able to know everything or understand everyone, but to have this crash course is something I know I am extremely lucky to have available, especially with a teacher as enthusiastic and passionate about the culture, the people, and the cause as she is. Heck, we're looking to set up a Nepali dinner sometime soon where we'll utilize our food phrases and eat without silverware! I think I can speak for the group when I say Molly has been an inspiration and a blessing in our drive to learn as much as possible before this trip, and we would not be nearly as prepared without her help.
Bistaarijaanus,
('Take Care'/'Happy Journey' -- Also a favorite of mine),
Mike-ji
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