Special people of Khumbu

It is hard to believe that only this time last week, I was at Gorkha village with Kumaran, Mr Krishnan and the amazing teachers and students of Saraswoti High School. We completed the 3rd and final task of our journey and returned back to Singapore on 2nd June. Finally getting some time to update on our journey.

There is so much to share,  I don't know where to start. Perhaps explaining the events of the past few weeks in chronological order might be a good idea.

My last ramble was about the clinic I ran in Pangboche. This post will be dedicated to a special person I met on this trip.... and how she made me see that difference in language, ethnicity and culture do not stand as barriers to integrating into a community. A person's warmth and positive personality alone is sufficient for one to feel at home in an alien community.


Throughout the trip, I had been traveling alone (except for the journey to base camp). Though language can be an issue, I didn't have much problem as the people I always lived with spoke a little English. Except for in Pangboche.

View of Pangboche

My residence

This is a dedication to Jima. She is the owner of Gomba lodge in Pangboche. I was recommended to live there as it is close to the clinic.

When I met her, I realized that her helper Kanji and her can’t speak much English. However, she understood that I was a doctor at the health post. 

Kanji on the right and Jima on the left

During my 2 weeks stay there, I learnt that knowledge of a common language is not necessary to understand where someone has been and what they have been through. From the pictures in the lodge, I had the impression that her husband was well known in the community. His name was Namkha Sherpa and he was a Himalayan Rescue Association medical assistant for over 20 years. Hanging in the lodge were many certificates of appreciation as well as photos of many merry times.

 

Pictures paint a thousand words- her life with her husband appeared rich and colourful. I later found out that they used to be very prominent people in the community and everyone liked her husband and her. However her husband passed away a year ago and she runs the lodge alone. She has 3 children, 1 of whom is residing in America with her family. She then excitedly showed me a photo album of her daughter in America. However, she has not been to America before, for the reason that it is ‘Big money’ (in her words).

As there were no other lodgers during my stay there, every night, I ended up having dinner with them in their cosy, warm kitchen, where I got to try their food. (which was usually potato in all different forms) I would be reading on my laptop while she and Kanji would be cooking or looking at my photographs on the laptop. Whenever she saw my parents’ photograph, she would say, ’Awww!!! Good people’ which just makes me smile to myself. Though we couldn’t hold a full conversation, her warmth and chirpiness was contagious. Through pictures, we both learnt a lot about each other and shared a part of our lives.

My hangout- the kitchen

Then one day she brings out this plastic bag filled with wires and a small laptop. She said someone gave it to her husband. She also said her husband was very smart and could speak both English and Japanese, while she can’t even speak English. I laughed and told her that her English is better than my Sherpa or Nepalese.

Anyway, that was the start of our after dinner documentary sessions. In the laptop, there was an array of pictures, documentaries, American dramas and cartoons.

Our after dinner movie sessions

I made the mistake of showing them an episode of Family Guy (thinking that a cartoon might be entertaining) However it is the episode where Meg likes Brian. She kidnaps him and strips to her undergarments to seduce him. The horrified look on their face was alarming. I decided not to show them Family Guy again.

On the laptop, I also discovered BBC planet documentaries on various natural landscapes (jungle, mountain, ocean, snow, dessert) Kanji and Jima loved it! These sights and sounds were new to them. (I also got to learn the names of some animals in Nepalese too!) They would watch at least 2 documentaries a night!!

It was their entertainment every night after dinner. And each night, a different friend would be invited to watch the documentary. Eventually on my last night, Lama Penju (the local monk) was invited for dinner and a dose of BBC documentary. Jima was really excited about inviting the Lama for dinner and elaborate preparations were made beforehand.

Lama Panju of Pangboche

I tried to teach her how to operate the laptop in my absence so that she is still able to watch the documentaries. However, it was a challenging task indeed- when not only it’s a 65-year-old lady’s first time using a laptop, she couldn’t read English either. I managed to teach her the basics.

Jima practicing on the laptop. I do hope my lessons have helped.

Leaving her the next day was unexpectedly sad. Her warmth, simplicity, generosity, kindness and chirpiness was beyond what we spoke. She didn’t even count the cash when I gave it to her. She presented me with a Katar (white scarf given in respect and appreciation by the Sherpa people). I hugged her and we said our goodbyes. I know I would return to Khumbu one day in the late future… but am not sure if I’ll see her again. My heart felt heavy as I left Pangboche…..