Upon my arrival in Nepal, I was fairly ignorant as to the things that I would find here. I knew of Mt. Everest, the jungles, the poverty, and the more recent political problems that the country has been facing. I do not think that I was aware of the commitment that I would be making when I came here nor what that commitment would encompass. I now feel obligated to my work and to helping those who are less privileged. At the risk of sounding sentimental, I have fallen in love with the country and the determination of the people within it. Having been here for a month and a half now, I have absorbed so much that I have not yet been able to reflect upon it. The present political instability was initially a major concern of mine for fear that I may be in danger. The Kathmandu Valley remains relatively secure and I, along with others around me, do not feel in danger although the potential is real. It is important for people to remind themselves of the danger so that they do not lose sight of it. This is frequently inapplicable to the masses as most Nepalese lives depend on agriculture and are living hand to mouth. The serious problem lies in villages and towns that are isolated from the capital. It is frequently difficult to gain access to these regions to provide aid to the people and suppress rebel forces due to difficult terrain in either thick jungle or over tricky mountain sides and passes.

Many of the people are poor and uneducated, but warm and open. Places that I have visited to conduct community programs often lack essential social structure within which I had the privilege to learn in my home country what I refer to as "common knowledge." Malnutrition as well as unsuitable sanitary conditions are prevalent in many places resulting in disease and depression among the people. The ability to deal with these realities is something that should be realized in order to properly work in the conditions. There is a great need across Nepal to educate people at the fundamental level so that they can begin to develop upon them. The government often fails to meet these education requirements as it cannot afford the programs needed to reach people. Many of the problems that the people face have developed over generations and have become embedded into their way of life and are not even recognized as things working against them. The citizens of Nepal are not primitive but merely require someone there to make them aware of and understand the problems around them and how they can go about fixing them. This is one of the goals of Spiny Babbler's program section that uses the arts to work with people at risk, communities and educational institutions. I have also been conducting research on almost every aspect of the traditional arts of Nepal for that specific section and have been interviewing various artists, politicians, and non-government organizations. One area of Nepal's artistic field that requires greater attention and interest is the contemporary arts. I have been fortunate to start exploring this area by meeting local artists and I am excited for future ventures to explore it further. I strongly recommend one to explore the Spiny Babbler website to fully understand what the objectives of Spiny Babbler are and the programs it is conducting.

I have been living at a local school in Kathmandu where I have had the good fortune to interact with its teachers and students on an everyday basis. I pay one hundred United States dollars a month to live and eat there; however, it is possible to live for less depending on where and how you would like to live. Visas are issued for a two-month period on arrival for thirty United States dollars and extensions for one month periods cost thirty United States dollars each. The neighborhood in which I live is close to Spiny Babbler's office, located in a safe and clean area of the Kathmandu Valley. Many things are different here; some I do not agree with. However, it is necessary for me to recognize that this is life in Nepal and that its problems, if in fact they are and I am not just applying preconceptions, will take time and effort to solve.