Matthew and Yarrow's Life Adventure

Langtang Trek - Day 1

2010-06-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

It's time for the main adventure event; our feature presentation! If you're in Nepal, you have to go on a trek. That's just what you do. We had been given a tip from two separate sources on a great guide who worked out of Kathmandu, Bishnu Rai of Himalayan Sunrise Ltd. We wanted to put in a solid week of trekking that didn't kill us. We hadn't done any training before hand and the Himalayas are high! Bishnu suggested Langtang Park. It was the perfect fit. The trek would involve bussing to Syabru and hiking up the river valley and back with a summit hike in the middle.

Day 1 involved getting there and putting in a good warm up hike. Syabru is due north of Kathmandu and just a few kilometres below the Tibet border. Bussing to Syrabru was more of an adventure than the first day's hike. We left our hotel around 5:30am and loaded onto the bus which surprisingly left on time. Pulling into traffic was a feat unto itself. With some LA wedge and lots of horn we eventually got going and were on our way. The quarters were very cramped. They say everything in Nepal is made for the average height of 5'6". Being 6'2" did not work well. I had to either sit spread eagle or with both knees to one side. It was a crazy, twisty, stop and go 6 hour ride through the mountains. There were sheer drops to one side and mountain cliffs to the other. The driver was contantly honking to warn oncoming traffic of our presence. Half the road was paved and half was gravel. The bus seemed to picking up more and more people, not to mention all the stuff they were bringing with them, which included several bags or rice, beds and goats. Some of which would end up on the roof, including the goats after they spent some time huffing and puffing in my lap.

The bus spat us out at a shack on a stream that powered a small mill for milling flour. We changed into our hikers, were introduced to our porters and were off. We were surprised that there were only two porters for our collective 4 backpacks. No problem! They happily carried two a piece which we sheepishly left with them. We told Bishnu how we felt and he said that if we carried all of our own stuff then the porters wouldn't have jobs.

We started off into the mountains full of pine trees and incredible mountain vistas. We ran into a few tea houses and farming settlements. We stopped for tea half way and were able to duck out of the rain as we were invited in.

At the end of the day, coming into Upper Syabru, we were greeted by a jubilent guest house keeper who was very happy to have some customers. She chuckled the entire way as she and Bishnu chatted and brought us to our resting place at the Yeti Motel. The views from the rooms were spectacular. We all filled up on some hearty Sherpa food, including buckwheat chipatis, and laid down for a great nights rest.

GPS Path for Langtang Trek - Day 1
Best viewed in full screen mode

The Monkey Temple

2010-05-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

We decided to take in some of the local culture. We were able to take in wild life and religion in one fell swoop. The Monkey Temple known as the Swayambhunath Stupa is a Buddhist Temple located in the West of Kathmandu. We jumped in a taxi and headed for the hill temple. We were dropped off at the bottom. We jumped out and started spotting monkeys. Right away we were surrounded, by monkeys and vendors peddling their souvenirs. After several photos we started our way up the steep 365 steps. At the top we saw a great temple surrounded by several mani wheels (prayer wheels that you spin). There were also several other buildings and other monuments and idols of worship. We spent the next couple hours just wandering and snapping photos. The major temple was being fixed up for May 27, the Buddha Purnima which celebrates Buddha's Enlightenment.

We wandered down to the lower area where we found another stupa (temple) and of course lots more monkeys. We snapped a few more shots and enjoyed the view of the entire Kathmandu Valley before heading home.

Sonrisa Orphanage, Nepal

2010-05-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

As Yarrow and Lauren are working at the hospitals in Kathmandu (details here), I have been volunteering at an orphanage. The orphanage is located in the Northeast corner of Kathmandu in a suburb called Chandole. The nearest landmark is Chappal Karkanna (sandal factory).

At the beginning of our trip there was a Maoist strike and there was no public transportation so I had to walk. It was about 5km each way and my soft feet soon fell victim to blisters. The days were hot and I garnered a lot of looks as I wandered my way through the suburbs. What the heck was a kuirey (koo-ee-ray - slang for white guy) doing in the neighbourhood?! The best reaction I got was when I ran into the Maoist march parading through the city.

After just a couple days I then fell victim to a local gut bug and was out with a fever and GI issues and had to take a few days off. After I came out of bed rest I was back at it and by that time the strike was over and I was able to take public transport... once I figured out which bus to take, which proved to be quite difficult.

I usually arrived at the orphanage around 8:00am as the kids were finishing music lessons (bamboo flute and violin) or were coming home from traditional Nepali dance lessons. I was usually greeted at the gate by Phula. I was given the name 'Brother Matthew' which was quickly shortened to 'Brother'. 'Brother, brother, look'. 'Brother, brother, this'. 'Brother, brother, me'. I would join them for a dal-bhat breakfast served by one of the live-in care-takers, Auntie Gange. After breakfast all 15 kids brush their teeth and get ready for school. They wear a formal get up and put on their collared shirts, dress pants, skirts, ties and polished shoes. I would then walk the kids to school. It's a windy 1km path through Chandole. Most of the kids made their way on auto pilot but a few trouble makers got their little hands into everything and I had my hands full keep track of all the munchkins. I would then make my way back, trying not get get lost. The first couple of times I took my GPS. Below you can see a track of the path from our Hotel to the Orphanage and then to the school.

Once back at the orphanage I would help out with the odd chore and building maintenance and work on homework. Around 3 o'clock I made my way back to the school and picked up the 12 younger kids. We'd snake our way home in the narrow streets of traffic, heat and pollution and settle down for a snack of watermelon, juice and cookies. After snack it was homework time. Two tutors helped out the kids. I gave tutoring a try but when you don't speak their first language it is quite difficult to be effective. Homework time quickly degrades to reading books time.

I had a great time making 15+ new friends and all the children are very special. It is sad to hear their past stories but they have been given a great new chance at Sonrisa Orphanage. You can find out more information on their great website here: www.sonrisanepal.org

They depend solely on donations to operate and do not receive any funding from the government. Sonrisa elected not to give the kids up for adoption, raising them and taking responsibility for them until the age of 21. If you feel moved to donate and support this excellent organization please find more information here: http://www.sonrisanepal.org/get-involved/make-a-donation.php

I am also working with Sonrisa to get an online donation system operating so if you wish to donate that way please keep in touch.

Commuting to Sonrisa Orphanage then to Shivapuir School from Thamel

First Impressions of Nepal

2010-05-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

After a rousing visit in Hong Kong we were ready for the main event. Unfortunately we didn't organize our seats well and I ended up meeting a nice woman from Beijing who worked in foreign policy in developing countries for the 4 hours flight from Hong Kong to Kathmandu. Yarrow and Lauren made the most of the flight and tried to catch some Zs, but their necks ended up in similar shape to the letter Z.

After a sunset stopover in Dhaka, Bangladesh we touched down in Kathmandu. We spent the next hour filling out customs forms and visa applications. We collected our checked baggage while warding off 'volunteers'. As we poked our heads out at the arrival gates we were met with a crowd of strangers, all of which were offering some kind of service except for one. A familiar smile in the crowd was holding a hand made sign with our names on it. It was Bishnu our trek guide. Bishnu helped us with a few bags and helped ward off the other many 'volunteers'.

We loaded into the Suzuki micro van and headed under the cover of night to the Happy Home Guest House on the left side of the road... usually. The traffic was calm but the road was not. I was impressed at the Suzuki's structural integrity. We didn't take Bishnu's advice and thought we could make do with the Happy Home Guest House. Bishnu helped us get settled and made us feel very welcome. He even helped us patch up the holes in the mosquito screens. The room we ended up with was not the one in the picture in the internet! It was in pretty rough shape and hadn't been used or cleaned in a while. We tried not to touch anything and were able to catch a few winks before heading out the next day (which included finding a new place to stay). We ended up taking Bishnu's advice and settling at the Tibet Guest House which is a night and day comparison.

The next morning I woke up early beside my wife in our single bed and crept out to get a look around. I made small talk with the keeper and found out that there was a 'strike' going on. The word strike has a lot more impact in Nepal, especially when it is organized by the Maoist party. I returned to the room and stuck my head out the window to see a long parade of Maoists filling the streets chanting, flying hammer and scythe flags and holding hands in rows that reached from one side of the street to the other. There was a strong comradery between them and they seemed bent on change.

A Maoist 'strike' in Nepal means, in this case, masses gather into the big cities from the countryside and the city to protest about the political situation. It also means that ALL non-emergency businesses and vehicles are forbidden to operate except between certain hours. In this case the curfew was lifted between 6-8am and 6-8pm, which was later revised to 6-10pm. This makes doing anything difficult! If shop keepers or drivers disobey the curfew then they would be met with angry protesters either asking for 'donations', vandalizing their shops or vehicles and in some case vandalizing the shop keepers and drivers themselves! Trying to get 6km across town transforms into a bit of trek. Trying to get shaving cream turns into a carefully scheduled trip to the shops. The streets are still full of people, just people walking and people on bicycles. All the shops that line every square foot of the streets are locked up tight behind the roll down security doors which gives the feel that a bull run might start at any time. The Maoists want the current prime minister to resign and he isn't budging. It's called an 'indefinite' strike but we and the people of Nepal hope it will all be over soon.

Despite the strike I was still able to get out to the orphanage on foot and the girls were able to make new arrangements to work in a hospital closer to town. We've all had the pleasure of wrestling with stomach bugs and both Lauren and I have fought off fevers. I've also ran into a Maoist parade on my way to the orphanage. I ducked into a laneway and tried to make myself inconspicuous. That didn't happen. Almost every parader that passed had to have a look at the 'kuirey' (white guy). I was told later that some may have never seen a white person before.

NEPAL!!!

2010-04-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends,

It has been way too long since I last wrote - so much has happened since then...including buying and renovating our cute little Vancouver East Side condo, moving to Kelowna for 8 months and catching lots of adorable babies. Just wanted to update you on the next exciting adventure Matthew and I have signed ourselves up for - in 2 weeks we are headed to Nepal for 2 months!

This opportunity came through the UBC Midwifery Program, which offers students the opportunity to do an international placement in the summer between third and fourth year. I will be going with one of my classmates Lauren to work in two maternity hospitals (in Kathmadu and Bharatpur) and Matthew has taken a leave of absence from work to join us. You can follow Lauren and me on our blog: himalayanbirth.blogspot.com, which will be devoted to posts about our placement/midwifery related work. Of course, still follow along here too for the adventure side of things, including stories about our trekking and Matthew's volunteer work :)

Ok - now it is time to go get my pack on...so much to do and so little time! And somewhere in the midst of everything I should be learning some Nepali...hmm, we'll see how that goes!

Namaste,

Yarrow

My First Midwifery Placement

2008-10-06T08:40:00.001-07:00

It has been announced! My first midwifery placement will be at Bloom Community Midwives from February to April, 2009. I am thrilled with the placement and my preceptor, Chloe. In fact, Chloe was a 4th year midwifery student at Cook St. Community Midwives in Victoria when I worked there 2 years ago, so we already know each other!

Bloom Community Midwives is on Davies St. in downtown Vancouver, 2 blocks away from Saint Paul's Hospital and 6 blocks from where Matthew works in Yaletown. I am pleased as punch that we don't have to make our first "midwifery placement relocation" move just yet and that Bloom is about 15 minutes from our house. From what I have heard Bloom is a very socially aware and environmentally active practice which is soooo fabulous - here is the website if you want to check it out! http://www.bloommidwives.com/ I am really looking forward to not only honing my midwifery skills but also to see how a practice runs and how it fits into the community that surrounds it.

Finally having a placement to look forward too has really been a reality check for me - I am a MIDWIFERY student! Up until this point it hasn't felt like midwifery school was real. Last year felt like any other undergrad year - microbiology, anatomy, anthropology...but now it finally feels like my dream is becoming a reality. Starting in February I will be catching babies!!!

For the mean time, it's back to the books. This semester I am in pharmacology, a research methods course called Critical Appraisal of the Literature, Midwifery Ethics, and Birth and Its Meaning. In my spare time, which I thought I would have a lot more of, Matthew and I are taking Spanish class in preparation for Mexico at Christmas, I am taking a silver smithing course to take Kaya Island Designs' jewellery making to the next level and Matthew and I are a part of a wonderful small group at our church. It's a busy semester and already flying by, which just means that in no time it will be February!

To say good bye, I will leave you with a new favorite quote from the book I am currently reading, Expecting Adam, by Martha Beck.

"you'll never be hurt as much by being open as you have been hurt by remaining closed"

New Job!

2008-05-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Matthew here. I've made the move to join my wife and I've finally found a job! The company is FCV Technologies. FCV addresses "complex business issues with web-based technologies specializing in creative marketing solutions, social networking and online community tools, web application development, business strategy and customer insight". They make $200-500K websites for their clients. Some of their clients are Expedia, Act Now BC, Telus, and Travelocity. It's a good fit for both parties. The atmosphere is great and the boss is chill. I have no idea what the projects will be like. The office is located downtown in Yaletown. I'll be acting as a senior developer and it could lead into a project management role. The compensation is quite good. I have been holding out for a job that I'm keen about. I've run around town doing interviews with recruitment agencies and firms for the past two months. I'm hoping that it will be worth it for holding out. It's all a bit anti-climatic. I signed the papers today and I will start a month from today after our three week trip to France. The big search is over after two months of hitting my head against the job board.
Finding a job in Vancouver was not as easy as I had thought it might be. There are a lot of firms looking for a lot of people but they expect you to know how to the job as soon as you start. Very little firms are willing to invest the time training employees. They expect employees to just magically have everything that's needed to accomplish the position. There is a real black hole when it comes to applying for jobs online. You put your blood sweat and tears into a cover letter and resume and send it off. All you get back is a automated confirmation notice, if that. This is very discouraging and frustrating. Some jobs that are posted online are already filled and some don't even exist.
Most firms cannot handle the volume of applicants and some deal with this by using recruitment firms. I like to call them head hunters. A lot of positions are advertised under the recruitment company with a vague job description. As soon as the recruitment companies get a hold of your resume and they like what they see. They will invite you downtown for an interview. I personally worked hand-in-hand with many recruitment agencies. The top agencies that brought results I found was P3 Resources (small but good), Procom and Annex Consulting (they mean business and got me my current job). Don't forget to post your resume on Monster.ca. You will get a lot of attention from that.

France!

2008-04-07T15:17:00.001-07:00

Yarrow and I have bought our tickets to France. We are both quite excited. We will be meeting Yarrow's friend Riki and spending time with her and her family. Yarrow lived in France for her 16th year on a rotary exchange and Riki was her exchange sister. This will make it quite the reunion. Riki now has a husband and two children that will be joining us.
It will be a great opportunity to see the sights and retrace Yarrow's steps of 10 years ago. We will be leaving at the end of May and traveling for 3 weeks. I better brush up on my French.

Bon Voyage!

Reunited in Rainy Vancouver

2008-04-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Yarrow and I have spent that last 7 months apart. So far that makes up 35% of the time we've been married. It's mostly gone by fast and but sometimes slow. We received a lot of warning in regards to living apart, the difficulty, the loneliness, etc. I reckon we weathered quite well.
Yarrow is finishing up her first year at UBC Midwifery. The journey has begun and is in full swing. It hasn't been easy for Yarrow. Just like it requires a village to raise a child, I believe also takes one to put one through University! Yarrow has done very well in her studies and is making heaps of important contacts. She has taken on a part time job with the department which makes for an excellent challenge and some extra income.
I have finished my job with the Federal Government in Victoria. I am now seeking out employment in Vancouver. There is a lot of opportunity but it really comes down to who you know. I have sent out many resumes but receive little in terms of reply. I am told there is high demand for IT staff but you wouldn't know from the response I've had from applications.
I am getting settled in our one bedroom basement suite in Vancouver. We had a lot of stuff stored in that big house on Joan Crescent. Most of the items we needed was easily loaded into two car loads and shipped over via the Yarrow Taxi service. Exercising my organizational skills I was able to keep the open look and feel to the suite while bringing in all my clothes, toys and other junk. It was a two day effort.
The climate in Vancouver is a little different than Victoria. I find Victoria to have cheery, impatient weather which brings sunny breaks and pathetic mists of rain. Vancouver has real rain and lots of it. Luckily we are going into Summer and I am looking forward to that.
Being unemployed I have taken on the role as the house-husband. I could get used to it. Staying at home, taking care of the kids... that won't be for a while yet.
Wish us luck as I hunt for a job and Yarrow as she finishes off her last course and starts a summer job with the midwifery department.

Accepted!!

2007-04-15T00:53:00.000-07:00

The latest news in our life is that I (Yarrow) have been accepted to midwifery school at UBC! We received the news this week and I am still letting it sink in. I was one of ten women selected out of more than 60 people this year, so it's quite exciting. This great news means I will be in the business of "baby catching", I'm sooo thrilled! It also means a move to Vancouver for 4 years which will be a big change for Matthew and I as we leave our very tight knit community in Victoria. Right now we are continuing to live in the moment and enjoying our last spring/summer in Victoria for awhile...sigh, sad but with such an amazing time on the horizon we really can't complain! We are truly blessed!!

Back to School

2007-03-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Yarrow is currently chasing after a career in baby catching! Yarrow left on Tuesday for an interview at Seattle Midwifery School in Washington State. She is very excited. Yarrow also received a call this week from UBC Midwifery School asking her for an interview. This has really been Yarrow's heart's desire and it has been met with a lot of anxiety and prayer. We really believe that God has been leading us along this path and have really felt supported by Him and the great friends and co-workers along the way.
Yarrow has been working at the Cook Street Midwives office for sometime and has really benefit ted from being involved with them. The midwives have been a great source of encouragement and advice to her.
We have also met other midwives fresh out of school that have given Yarrow encouragement, a step up and a good look into what to expect. I feel that Yarrow has a good grasp on what to expect and is well prepared to meet the challenge.
Yarrow returns from Seattle tonight with her new friend Suzanne who is also a hopeful midwife. Suzanne is from Port Alberni.

Yarrow's preference is to go to UBC for midwifery as the 4 year program is more affordable and she can hit the pavement running right out of school where as with Seattle Midwifery School (3 year program) she would be required to take an equivalency test which is more money and can take up to a year.
Going to UBC would involve a move to Vancouver which I absolutely hate the thought of. Rent will be much more expensive than our lovely cushy house sitting situation. And we will have to live in Vancouver which means it will take 30 minutes of commuting to get anywhere no matter where you are or what you want to do. :-p
Going to Seattle would be more expensive but Yarrow would work from home and take a monthly visit to Seattle. This would mean that we could stay in Victoria with our same living situation.
I think it would be a lot harder to get a proper education via distance education and I believe that the best situation here is a 4 year term at UBC. I will just have to start getting use to the idea!

Time to Invest

2007-03-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yarrow and I have jumped into the investing crowd. Yarrow would rather have a nap than talk money but she is very supportive. This year have been good and we are virtually debt free which is a real blessing. We did have to borrow money for our car and our RRSP contribution this year. Borrowing money for your RRSP is a great idea because it will take a healthy bite out of your income tax. For example I saved 20% on my income tax this year. Yarrow and I purchased our through our bank. It was a painless process. The only thing I'm not sure about is user fees! I forgot to ask about these. We invested 75% in a Balanced Fund and 25% in Canadian Equities.

Yarrow and I have also jumped into real estate! We went in with 3 other friends on a development project in Edmonton, turning 68 agriculture land into 2 acre parcels. My best man Scott Neufeld is heading the packing as he starts a career in real estate. The investment opportunity was presented to us as an inside family deal and promises a great return; enough of a return to pay for Yarrow's schooling which would be a real blessing. The land was purchased by Scott's parents, cousin and his cousin's business partner. The great thing about it is if the development doesn't go through council the money will be refunded to the investors. And worst case scenario is we will own 2 acres in Edmonton.

New Car

2007-03-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

Yarrow and I purchased a new car. It is a black 1996 Volkswagen Jetta GL TDI. We purchased it from a very nice police officer. Her name was 'Debbie Justice'. Apparently there is a long history of enforcement in the family.
The car had been owned by two previous owners who had it on a lease. The car is in reasonable condition. We put some money into the suspension and bought some used wheels and tires to replace the balding rubber.
So far the car has been great and the fuel economy rivals sub compact cars. If you time it right diesel is at times up to 10c a litre cheaper than petrol. So far its needed a new rear wheel bearing but other than that has driven without a stitch since we got it. This is a big relief over my previous vehicle. A 1989 Jeep Wagoneer. Although great for it was designed for, the jeep, having all that weight suspend over an aging drivetrain combined with fatiguing engine accessories, suffered several breakdowns. Lets just say driving a jeep is an expensive habit! Our BCAA membership paid for itself almost twice.
The Jetta has made a long trip to Portland and back and several other up island trips without skipping a beat.
I look forward to driving a diesel. Currently in North America diesel is known as a dirty fuel but this is a misnomer. Diesel is now being produced with far less sulphur and matched with a proper diesel exhaust catalyst emissions can be reduced to almost zero. Keep in mind if you run old dirty diesel it will chew threw the catalyst so I probably won't install one until I feel there is a safe supply of Low Sulphur diesel at the pump.
As with any car there is the odd issue. There seems to be a leak in the trunk and in the after market sun roof. This causes a rather stale foul smell. The used wheels and tires we bought do not run as smooth as I like at speeds over 50km/h. It came with a tape deck so we replaced it with a Clarion DB365USB Head Unit with USB Input.

Married!

2007-03-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yarrow and I were married on July 15, 2006. It was a perfect day. I couldn't have asked for anything else.
Notable mentions go out to:
The Doyle family for hosting our ceremony and preparing the grounds for months in advance.
The musicians did an excellent job ushering everyone into the ceremony and Emma Postl and Phil Dwyer did a great job keeping everyone entertained at the signing.
Both Fox and Anders/Chudleigh families really pulled together a fantastic celebration.

Thanks to friends and family for coming from far and wide to celebrate with us!

Joan Crescent

2007-03-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

What a gift!

Yarrow and I are house sitting for a family friend in a great neighbourhood in Victoria. In May 2006 Yarrow and I started looking for a place to live together as we were getting married in July. I am always thinking of how silly it is how much unused resources there are out there and there must be a way to benefit from it. Fortunately this was just the case for Yarrow and me.
This beautiful house (see picture) had been sitting vacant for a year. Unfortunately the elderly woman who owned the place came down with dimentia and was unable to stay at home. Yarrow's mother, Jill, grew up across the street and use to frequent the place. Jill's family was good friends with the elderly woman's family. Jill passed the message onto the family that Yarrow and I were looking for a place to stay. It was the perfect situation. Having us house sit meant that the family would not have to prepare the house for renters. This would be a big deal as we all know what it's like to move someone out of a place where they have been living for years. The family would also get a way better deal on home insurance. Once a home is vacant for over a year insurance rates sky rocket and the coverage is very weak.
The price was right. We were to stay and pay the utilities such as electricity, cable and phone and the family takes care of the rest: 2 grounds keepers, water, maintenance, land tax and insurance.
It is a true blessing. The house features three bedrooms, two fireplaces, two washer/dryers, great entertainmetn center and a great view of Craigdarroch Castle. It's similar to living in Disneyland. There is a steady stream of tourists that come by and take pictures of the house. We have now been here for almsot 10 months and we there is still no end in sight. It has been a great way to start a life together.