Despite still suffering from a bit of jetlag, I’ve officially been here one week! Orientation began this past Wednesday, and the days have been an exciting blur. The past few months I’ve been so focused on the fact that this was an intensive summer course (how else would you learn a language in such a short time!) that I didn’t give much thought to how wonderful everyone would be. My teachers are amazing (and already piling on the homework!), the staff is supportive and caring, my fellow students are incredibly diverse and lovely, and the cultural field trips are a real treat. (See the bottom of this post for some pictures from our Patan tour this past Friday.) The Boudha community has also been so welcoming and patient – helping me find an umbrella for the monsoon downpours and pointing me in the right direction when I’m lost.
The institute itself is housed on the edge of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and includes courses such as Sanskrit, Buddhist studies, Classical Tibetan, and Colloquial Tibetan (as well as Nepali, of course). There are about 100 students here from all over the world studying anything from the languages of remote Nepali ethnic groups to the history of Nepali religious rituals and even to the endangered crocodiles in Chitwan. I’m learning so much.
As far as class goes, next week we move from the alphabet on to actual words and phrases, and I’m both excited and nervous about learning so much material. One thing I don’t have to worry about, though, is lacking support. I’m really lucky to have such a great community to help me during this process, and I can’t wait to see what the next few months bring!
