From the North to the East

On-site at the Nehemia Center

There is currently a lot going on here since the last update. It's been almost three weeks and I have arrived at the station, high in the northeast of India, about a two-hour drive from the Nepalese border. In Indian distance, this translates to about 30 kilometers 😂 A traffic without rules, bumpy roads, dust, and animals on the street slow everything down a bit.

Did you read my first update? Did you get a sense that the start phase for me was rather challenging? Challenging in the sense of adapting to a completely different culture. Be prepared.

Back in the mountains in the North

One and a half weeks in the mountains sounded actually quite short. However, the days felt really long. Especially because I consciously didn't have any tasks there (that was agreed upon with AVC). Of course, we visited different families and they proudly presented their projects in the apple orchards to us. Visiting a family means that you are lovingly invited into a little house (conditions vary greatly), where you comfortably sit on blankets, which somehow have a rather peculiar smell. And then you sit there for the next two hours, drinking and eating even though you're not hungry anymore, because the last meal was only 3 hours ago, and you wonder why God couldn't have rewarded you with only one language. But then in such a moment, you learn once again the infinite patience, tolerance, and simply letting go. Melanie, I have to compliment you at this point, you did it much better than me. For people from the villages, it is already a huge joy when we dedicate our time to them and give them a listening ear. Well, let's switch gears and patiently wait, that will surely affect me a couple of times 😁

Mulling Trek

The three-day hike in the Himalayas was really cool and beautiful. We reached an altitude of almost 4000 meters. We spent the nights in tents in front of fascinating mountain ranges and wild horses. The team that took care of us really did everything to ensure that we were well and had everything we needed. They cooked super delicious meals over the fire. The many carcasses around us were a bit unsettling, apparently tigers and bears are often spotted in this region. But apart from a little rustling around the tent at night, I didn't see or hear anything.

Off to the East

And so the time in the mountains came to an end and soon the 15-hour bus ride to Delhi was ahead of me. To avoid the bus ride, I spontaneously booked a flight to Delhi. However, the flight was unexpectedly canceled on the same evening before departure. Reasons unknown. Anyway, I still arrived in Delhi. In Delhi, I spent one night and took the opportunity to eat a delicious pizza. The next morning, I went to the airport early in the morning to catch a flight up North.

Upon arrival at Bagdogra Airport, Phillip and his wife Dakem warmly welcomed me. They have been working with AVC Switzerland for several years. After a half-hour drive, we reached the base or the center, where I will be stationed for the next two months. The building is called Nehemia Center and was built by AVC in 2010. The building is mainly used for seminars and offers accommodation for up to 60 guests. The surrounding area is huge and very green. The vegetation here is generally very vibrant, and the variety of fruits is delightful 😋 The goal of this stay and the reason why AVC sent me here is to refresh the existing design, in collaboration with the local responsible persons, to show them what it takes to maintain such a huge garden area. In the meantime, we have worked out concept ideas and put them on paper (you can see the design concept in the pictures). I was overjoyed and very grateful that the Leica equipment arrived unharmed. Thanks to the support of these measuring instruments, our work is much easier. A big thank you to you, Nathanya, and the Leica team. The support is very generous. In addition, we have to procure tools and machines locally. The existing tools we have been working with so far were very worn out.

Preparatory work is already in full swing, so I have to end this update now (no interruption 😁). People are motivated and when they pitch in, it's funny when the actual chef suddenly trims hedges. Yes, I am also motivated and confident that we can achieve something long-term here.

See you soon. Take care 🙌🏻