The breaded fish was my favorite; it's the first time I've had fish in two months after eating it every day over the summer!
Every morning my host family plays religious hymns throughout the house, which are very repetitive. When doing a puja (worship ritual), it often times focuses on repeating a few prayers several times. Otherwise I listen to a lot of American music in my down time. I like to listen to instrumentals when I'm studying, and other American music is like my home away from home.
We went on a scavenger hunt! Recently, we learned the vocabulary to go into shops and buy different groceries. Then, to test our knowledge and strengthen our speaking skills, they sent each student to a different village with money and a shopping list. We had about two hours to find a bus there, buy all the correct things, and find a bus back to class.
I read about the practices and history of Indra Jatra and Kumari Jatra, which is a festival that's actually happening today! Indra is the King of the Gods in Hinduism. The festival focuses on giving sweets and flowers as offerings to Indra and maintains the tradition of families who have lost a loved one in the past year parading around the cities at night chanting religious hymns. The Kumari is the Vestal Virgin. She is a Newari girl chosen at three or four years of age if she has no imperfections and shows no fear. After being chosen, she is treated as a goddess until her first menstruation period. When she has her period, she's no longer considered pure.
