Final-ish words

I've actually left Damak at this point. One of the refugee drivers who works for Caritas drove me to the airport in Biratnagar (industrial city with soap and brick factories). He told me that he may join his family in Michigan or may join the part of his family who is in Maryland. He's not sure. Like other refugees, he was very familiar with the different states in America, though a little puzzled by why they are so different from each other.

I have been traveling a bit around Nepal (in and around Kathmandu and Pokhara) for the last week or so. I've missed my new friends, but it's been good to use the Nepali they taught me and to take in the amazing natural beauty, architecture and food in other parts of the country. It's also been great to read about the history of the country (Forgetting Kathmandu: an Elegy for Democracy by Manjushree Thapa) and get a better understanding of the historical relationships between the royal family, the Congress Party, and the Maoists that have affected the politics I learned about in the camps.

When I get back to the US, I look forward to publishing the information for teachers here on this blog and of course in other locations. I am also looking to get it translated in Nepali once I get a final version. I also have many photos I've been unable to upload at this point, and will use this to link to those as well.

Thank you for reading and I was so happy to see that Jennifer posted a link to a website in the comments section in an old post. I'd like to encourage those interested in reading further to consult these sites.

Human Rights Watch. “Last Hope: The Need for Durable Solutions for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India.” Available at http://www.hrw.org/en/node/10953/section/4

About 24 sources are listed under Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services websites Highlighted Resources for Bhutanese. Available at http://www.brycs.org/highlighted-resources.cfm?refugeepopulations&list=36