9.29.19
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Our minor excursion to Darjeeling and Ilam ended with trips to a large-scale tea production company and a small-scale tea plantation farm. It was mind-blowing to see how complicated and laborious the tea-making process is--every tea plantation tastes different, due to several factors including time of picking since the last picking, season of picking, the use of chemical versus organic methods, the presence of other plants that affect the taste of the tea leaves, the hand rolling of the leaves, and more. At the Gorkha Tea Estate in Sudarpani, Fikkal, Ilam, Nepal, we were granted the opportunity to see the organic tea plantations up close, as well as the factory production of the tea. Then, we stayed at an actual tea farmer's home to ask him questions about his contribution to the larger corporations.
These experiences were definitely memorable, but I'm not sure if I would ever go back to those locations. We first stayed at a hotel that appeared nice but was actually not very well-kept. The rooms smelled musty; the beds and pillows were literally rock-hard; the water system was weak and complicated to operate (it involved the turning of many handles); the walls were caked in mold; and the carpeted floors that were once royal blue were now brown. However, my classmates especially loved staying at the farmer's homestay. I felt uncomfortable, actually, because I'm so used to my form of cleanliness at home, and I haven't really lived in such a simple style. The beds were moldy, the floors were powdered with dirt; the Asian toilets housed a strong feces smell; there was an absence of soap; and the windows didn't really close. I'm definitely grateful for their accommodation, but I think that the experience greatly diminished my enjoyment. I don't want to sound pretentious, and I know that I am privileged, but I would not want to do my ISP (Independent Study Project) in a rural area.
After several hours, I arrived back home and I was able to wash my smelly clothes and take a shower. To be honest, it was a relief to be back at my Kathmandu homestay. While my classmates endlessly complain about Kathmandu and were jokingly crying about leaving Darjeeling and Ilam, I quite like Kathmandu. I think it's so very easy to be negative about Kathmandu because of its pollution and its craziness in the streets, but I appreciate the city opportunities and more modern living situations.
Today, I took a walk and went to a local cafe (and got pooped on by a bird again). Having finished the last of my assignments, I then treated myself to a shopping spree at Bhatbhateni Super Store, which is essentially a Walmart. Later tonight, I'll be going to a classmate's place for dinner. Today is a balanced day of productivity, self-care, and social interaction. I hope I'll feel well-rested for class tomorrow, as this minor excursion has actually taken more out of me than I would have expected.
