Merry Christmas and all other holidays! Beth Burkhauser and I will be off to nepal December 28 (2009), returning January 15. Our purpose is three-fold. First (and initial) we are going to a High School in Butwal, a city in south-central Nepal. We have been invite to continue a program of the use of art to an integrated program with Interdependence and Hexagon projects, "linking" activities and concepts. We will be visiting several schools, students and faculty in the region and see first hand what they are accomplishing in higher education, which is still sparsely available in Nepal. They will also take us to Lambini, the birthplace of Siddhartha/Buddha. All these are very exciting to us. We will both be addressing the students, with Beth's focus on education through the arts and the importance of linking through interdependence. I chose to speak on the importance of taking charge of your own education, and of everyone's responsibility - faculty, administration and students alike - to develop one's mind intelligently. That education is the foundation of their newly awakening society.
But before we get to Butwal, we will visit two other places and each with a different purpose. After our 25.5hr flight via Hong Kong and Bangladesh, we will spend the first five days in the Kathmandu area. We chose to stay in one of the outlying sections, the town Bhaktapur. This entire town is a UN World Heritage Monument! We will visit Thamel (centrl kathmandu) Patan and Thimi, all places of artistic and cultural interest. Here we have several goals. We want to visit the child-labor free and Fair Wage rug weaving industry, for which one of Beth's friends makes designs. We are also visiting the Kumbeshwar Technical School, a place where women are taught craft skills. It includes a center for women with leprosy, a home for abandoned and battered women and a school for their children! A fantastic and growing project. Our goal is to purchase a large amount of their beautiful crafts - also from othher places- with the seed-money Beth and I each will provide. Upon return we will have a Nepal Party with food, documentary, slides, music etc etc!
Our 3rd part is actually in the middle- a visit closer to the Himalayas to have some rest, walking and getting our minds back together from all the impressions.
Anyway...those are the plans! And that is exactly why you may want to follow this blog! To check up on us whether we stick with our guns, us just have a great time gallavanting. (my spellchecker doesn't like that word. Personally, it's one of my favorite!)

If you wish to comment while we are traveling, including suggestions, we'd love to hear from HOME. We'll try to insert pictures, and wave at the highest mountains in the world for you.