Loadshedding and Love Spreading

Here in Nepal, the Nepal Electricity Authority mandates certain hours of the day, that specific ares will go without power, called load-shedding.The city is broken into 7 sections, and the number of house, and which hour a day you go without power changes daily. I've been lucky that for the most part, we are without power during the day- when I'm gone. Meaning, I can still have my fan and keep things charged at night. However, when the power does go out, one light in each room still works and the WiFi remains on, so really the outages aren't that bad. The load-shedding schedule really revamped this week, because prior there was very few outages. The Nepalese government was allotting more power to help people get back on their feet after the earthquake. Especially those with complete destruction. 

Speaking of power, the power lines here are crazy. There are so many jammed into just one converter box (or whatever they're called, I'm no electrician), it's honestly somewhat frightening. Also I've noticed on my walks, that many power lines have fell and are just sitting there, sometimes in water! EEK! Some of the lines are even draping low enough to touch the top of my head, and I'm pretty short! :)

Power Line Craziness

Nepal is divided into 3 main regions (Terai- farming region, Hilly- hill region and Himalayan- mountain region), 14 zones, and 75 districts. 

Geographical Regions

I'm in the Bagmati Zone, in the Kathmandu Valley, which is made up of 3 of the 75 districts: Kathmandu, Lalitipur, and Bhaktapur.

Zones of Nepal

Districts of Nepal

Kathmandu Valley Districts

I'm in the Kathmandu District, in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, which is also broken into different neighborhoods, which are used primarlity for directions, and the familarity among locals. there are no distinct street signs, and many places don't even have an address. For example, my "apartment", is in the Nayabazar neighborhood, while I spent my first few nights in Thamel- a much more touristy filled neighborhood of Kathmandu. 

Map of the City of Kathmandu

Hopefully these maps are interesting to some of you, I find them helpful, to better explain the geography of Nepal, and where exactly I am. 

Today was another day in the hospital, with the continuation of my physio-therapy rotation. I spent a bit of time in the burn ward, as Dr. Punam, the PT I've been shadowing, had to do some exercise teaching to some of the parents, and also do a consultation on a patient, that needed a splint, after a severe leg burn. It brings me to tears to stop and think about how strong children really are. I don't care if it's a Nepalese child, a South African child, or an American child- children are the most versatile and resilient group of people you will ever encounter. They have this never-ending spirit that makes you want to be a better person, less worried about what tomorrow will bring, and the struggles that don't seem as hard after you spend time with them. They have a magical way of showing you what's really important in life, and realizing how much the "now" means. 

Being in a children's hospital I'm experiencing this unending love for life and perseverance for healing, every day. Want a humbling experience? Walk into a children's hospital. Want an even more humbling experience? Walk into a third-world country, government-run children's hospital. Because, I will tell you right now, that everyday when I go into the hospital and see the patients, nothing else matters. Nothing else is important, and my hardships and trials seem so trivial and unimportant, that they seem to fade away- if even for a moment. Seeing the pain and fear, in so many of these children's eyes, makes me want to do all I can to stop their hurt, and take away the pain no one that age should ever feel. But even on the worst of days, so many of these patients still find the incredible strength inside to smile. Children as filled with so much love, that you can't help but feel it. That's the thing about children they are SO much stronger than anyone gives seems to realize, myself included before this experience.

A woman much smarter than I (you'll know who you are, when you read this), always says that medicine is much more than the basic treatment. Medicine, is the people, the interaction, the WHOLE process- the healing. After, spending the few days I have in the hospital here, and getting to know the doctors and patients- I couldn't agree more. So much of medicine and healing process is about the interaction. There is so much more to giving good care, than the scientific piece. There's the compassion, the attention, the understanding, and most of all the love. Because, without that how can you really get to know a patient? How can you really understand what they need, or how they feel, if you don't spend the time? 

That's what being a good doctor (nurse, PA, PT, etc.) is about. 

The more the science part. The step above, the step further. 

Medicine isn't just science, it's the process, all the parts, all the people- the team. 

I've been here for just about a week, and each day the adjustment gets easier. I spend less time thinking about going home, and more time in the hospital and figuring out my surroundings. Today I did some exploring walking around through the hustle and bustle of the streets. But my favorite few is still out my window, or from the roof of my apartment building. Seeing the city as a whole, rather than just the small parts. 

Nepal is a beautiful country, with beautiful people, and I am continually blessed by God on my journey here.