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Dream Flags Trek to Nepal

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Dream Flags To Nepal

Epilogue--On the way home . . .

Here's Khunde Village, just up the path from Khumjung. I started my day there.

The clouds were as beautiful as the mountains.

OK, NOW I'm ready for the trek to Tenboche!

We found a place for helping the forest grow on the way!

Mystical mountains over the courtyard of Tenboche.

On the trek to Phortse. See the mountain goats.

Epilogue--On the way home . . ., Click for FULL set with captions on Flickr.

Well, I wanted to tell you about the last part of our trip—going to a really neat old monastery, seeing a tiny village (even smaller than Khumjung), coming back to Khumjung, saying goodbye to our new Khumjung friends, and then trekking back to Lukla, flying to Kathmandu, and saying goodbye to my trekking family.

On Monday morning, we went on a long long trek to a place called Tengboche. It’s a monastery that’s all by itself high up in the mountains, and it’s the most important Buddhist place in these mountains. That’s what Mr. Harlan told me.

When we got there, it was very cloudy, and we couldn’t see any mountains, but the next morning, all the clouds were lifting and we got to see all around. It was amazing—like a wreath of mountains all around us. In this monastery, there’s a room dedicated to Mingma Sherpa, and when Phurba was showing it to us, Mt. Everest came out of the clouds for the first time on our trek, and we could see it through the window! You can see it in my pictures. It was a very special place. Everything was careful, just like how I’m made too, only even more. I felt very at home there, but I’m not a monk, so it was OK to go on.

We took a long trek to a little town called Phortse, and guess what? On the way we saw wild mountain goats eating in the forest! Some of us also saw a blue pheasant, but my eyes weren’t big enough. I know it was there, though.

The little town had a beautiful temple, and we were greeted us with tea and khatas. (Khatas are soft scarves they place around your neck for good luck!) We had some tea and biscuits with our friends there. The people there were especially happy to see Anne and Phurba because they helped the temple a lot. Also we got to meet the artist who did the beautiful paintings all over the walls. He said it took years, and it reminded me of the book Clear Sky, Red Earth. I like that book because a Himalayan girl gets to be a famous artist!

It was a long trek back, but we went all the way to Khumjung in the same day. I was tired just from riding!

On the morning we left Khumjung, I got to visit some of my new friends at the Khumjung School. Their school keeps running all summer, so they were back in classes since the big celebration was over. They were doing some of their morning exercises, and Mrs. Crow helped me to say “Tashi Delek!” (good luck!) and goodbye. It was kind of cloudy and sad to leave, but I hope I’ll see them again, at least in my email! And who knows when else. Dolls like me love to travel (and I’m very light!)

Then we had a long trek back to Lukla. Phurba went as far as Namche with us, then turned back since she was visiting her family in Khumjung for a few more weeks. It took two long days (one day almost in the dark), but we made it back to Lukla and stayed with the nice people who gave us breakfast there when we first arrived.

On the day of our flight back to Kathmandu, it was cloudy, so we had to wait, but the pilots are very, very good at flying, and ours got us safely back to Kathmandu where friends met us to take us to the hotel. We hadn’t done much trekking that day, but I was still a pretty tired doll. Guess what, though? At our hotel I saw the same lady who had the Tinker Bell doll on the trek, and I got to say hi! (She said Tinker Bell was tired and sleeping in her room.)

We did a little sight-seeing in Kathmandu, and the grownups did a lot of shopping. (They didn’t find any other dolls like me, though, even though they looked. It turns out I’m quite rare!) On the last night, we had a "Best Of Trek" awards dinner. Tommy got “Leader of the Pack” because he was always out front. Daniel got “Most Likely to Climb Mt. Everest” because he’s only six and did such a great job. Nick got “Most Improved Trekker” because he became so much greater each day. And Kate got “Intrepid Trekker and Most Likely to Be Adopted By A Sherpa Class” because the kids at Khumjung loved her so much! I got a special porter basket just my size! And everyone said I got the “Made Most Friends” award. I don’t’ know why. I’m just me, and people like me.

But that’s the fun of trekking. You can just be yourself and see what happens. I know I’ll never forget this trek. I think I’ll be learning a lot from it for a long time.

And it’s been so much fun blogging with you! So even thought the trek is over, you can still ask me questions or send me email if you like. Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow say I can get email at dreamflags@agnesirwin.org. Just say it’s for me, and they’ll make sure I get it.

Bye for now! Tashi Delek!!

--Yesshe

Khumjung Day 4--Closing Up Shop with Speeches and Awards

Khumjung friends--just like at my school.

There's our friend Lhakpa making a speech.

Lots of them wanted to know about the Dream Flags.

I like this music group from Khumjung school.

Mr. Zeke O'Connor came out. He helped make the hospital here.

There's Mr. Zeke O'Connor. He's helped a LOT of people.

Khumjung Day 4--Closing Up Shop, a set on Flickr.

May 29 -- Not too much to say today except that I got to see a real helicopter land! Today was the last day of the Khumjung Celebration.

There were lots and lots of speeches and awards. Oh my. Some were by our friends, though, like Lhakpa Sherpa. And some people who can’t trek as well as I can (because they’re 85 or something like that), flew in on helicopters.

We also got to just walk around and make friends with more kids. I always like that. It was kind of sad to see the celebration end, but it was great, and we were so lucky to be part of it. I know I’ll remember it all my doll life.

Tomorrow we go on a trip to Tengboche, a really old monastery, and I’m ready for more trekking!

Khumjung Day 3 -- Tea and Teaching

Here I am in the prayer room with Phurba!

This is Mingma's chorten. That's a special kind of remembering place.

This was the underneath of Phurba's mom's house. Animals live in there!

Kate going up the steps to the main room.

They used this for storing grain in the old days.

Phurba and Francis, the publisher of "Clear Sky, Red Earth"

Khumjung Day 3 -- Tea and Teaching, Click for FULL set with captions on Flickr.

May 28

We had a great quiet start to our day, and I was relieved that our Dream Flag celebration was over, even though I liked it a lot. I just went around with Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow today, learning about Khumjung. We saw some beautiful things in the morning, and the voleyball championships! I was voting for the red team. The girls in this video were cheering for them too!

Khumjung Early Morning from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.

All day there were different things on the main stage of the celebration—dancing and all kinds of stuff. Also everybody seemed to like reading our Dream Flags! Here's me watching one of the acts I really liked:

Fun On Stage May 28 from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.

In the afternoon, we got to go to Phurba Sherpa’s mom’s house for tea. She lives in an old fashioned house pretty much like in Lhakpa Sherpa’s book, Through A Sherpa Window. You can see me next to some gigantic brass pots. They were for keeping water in the winter because all the water outside was frozen solid. (Now the water comes in pipes.) You can also see their prayer room. They actually have special books like in a monastery! I wish I could read them, but they’re in Tibetan.

We also got to meet with some kids from the Khumjung School and their art teacher. Mrs. Crow and Mr. Harlan showed them the books about me that kids at my school made. They really liked them! We got to see some of their art work and talk to them a little too. I know a few Sherpa phrases now (Like “gna-la ga-la sun,” which means “I feel happy.”), but they know WAY more English. They could talk a lot with Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow.

Well, that’s about it for the day. More later.

Thanks for waiting!

Hi, everybody. This is the first time I could get on a computer in a bunch of days, so I just wanted to let you know I'm great, and I've seen some amazing things and met some wonderful new friends! Right now, we're in a little town called Phakding, and the Internet won't let me send pictures, but I think I can tomorrow after we Trek to Lukla. Will write more then.

Bye!

Khumjung Day 2-- Our Big Day!!!

Thanks for helping us get the flags hung!

Anne Keiser tells about Sir Edmund Hillary's dream.

Mrs. Crow reads the letter from our school Head.

Headmaster Mahendra translates the letter.

Mrs. Crow introduces me to the crowd. They were very nice.

Tha't their uniform. They wear blue just like me.

Khumjung Day 2-- Our Big Day!!!, Click for FULL set with captions on Flickr.

Well today was our big day, and everything lined up for us just like the Dream Flags make a long beautiful line.

The sky was bright blue, and it was a sunny breezy mountainy day. Mrs. Crow, Mr. Harlan, and I met with Phurba Sherpa to go over and set up the flags by 7:00 before the festivities of the day started up. I liked all the activities and people for me to meet.

They set up our Dream Flags along ropes on poles that were in front of a gigantic (to me) outdoor stage in front of an even giganticer field with chairs and places for smaller people (or dolls) to sit in the front. Everyone pitched in with lots of friends helping, and the Dream Flags were up in no time. I liked how the ones from Khumjung were in front of the stage and ready to connect with the very long line from so many states and countries that Mrs. Crow and Mr. Harlan brought. Mr. Harlan said he carried them in his backpack all the way to make sure they were OK and because he likes them so much. Mrs. Crow said they brought more than 200 flags from other places, mostly in groups of 5.

When they were all set up, I noticed a crowd over by the side of the field. It was the ending of a race that had started earlier. Boys and girls from the Khumjung School and other schools were finishing a race of about 9 miles all through the mountains. Oh my goodness. Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow get out of breath just walking up a hill, and those kids were running all the way! I’m not really a running kind of doll. I like watching. And there was lots to watch.

Some kids were having a volleyball competition in the morning too, and we watched a little. Then it was our turn--Dream Flags time! All of the Khumjung kids were ready with their poems and we had kids too (besides me). My friends Tommy, Kate, Nick, and Daniel were ready with their poems and with poems that kids from other schools wrote too. And Mr. Harlan, Mrs. Crow, and Anne Keiser had more Dream Flag poems to read. I was ready too. My job was to help introduce the doll we were giving to the Khumjung students.

A very nice lady in an old fashioned outfit (like mine!) introduced us. She spoke in lots of languages including English, Nepali, and Sherpa. Then the speeches started (not my favorite part—but OK). Phurba Sherpa introduced Anne Keiser. Anne Keiser talked about the dream of Sir Edmund Hillary to build this school and how that connected to lots of other dreams—like our Dream Flag Project! Then Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow sang their Dream Flag Song (I think they sang too loud.) and it all got going.

There was a nice letter from the Head of The Agnes Irwin School, Dr. Mary Seppala, to Headmaster Mahendra from the Khumjung School. Mrs. Crow read it out loud, and Headmaster Mahendra said it in Nepali so everyone could understand. Then the gifts—my favorite part. Mr. Harlan gave Headmaster Mahendra a Dream Flag shirt and a whole bag of Dream Flag shirts as a gift from the Greater Himalayas Foundation (that Anne Keiser and Phurba Sherpa do.) Then my turn! Mrs. Crow introduced me, and the whole crowd made a sound like they liked me. And I had my turn introducing the Agnes Irwin doll that we brought to remind our friends at the Khumjung School of their friends in America and everywhere else! I told everyone her name is Kate, and Headmaster Mahendra smiled a lot, so I think I did OK, but I was relieved when it was all over.

Then poems. I love poems. Kate, my new doll friend, and I sat on the stage while the kids and grownups read the poems. Headmaster Mahendra started with his. One of my favorites was a very long one by a boy at the Khumjung School. We all started clapping because we thought it was over, but then he said, “Wait, I have bit more,” and took another sheet out of his pocket. All of the poems were in English so I could understand them. Sometimes the lady in the nice outfit said some into Nepali.

Then we all went down to the Dream Flag lines and we tied the Dream Flag line from The Khumjung School to the Dream Flag line from the Agnes Irwin School and all of the other lines. I helped. All the kids held onto the lines and so did Kate and me. (We held them for a long time because of so many photos, but it was fun.) Then we were done. Boy, was I tired.

We all had a big rest. I went back to Mrs. Crow’s room. Later we went out and did some other things. I didn’t go, but Mr. Harlan went to the Khumjung Monastery and talked to Peter Hillary there. (His dad was the first to climb Mt. Everest, and he's a big climber too!) He told Mr. Harlan some things about what we can learn from the Sherpa today, and you can even hear him say them if you click HERE. (I like making clicky things!)

Also, all day long the Dream Flags were outside and lots and lots of people were reading them. They were doing their Dream Flag job!

At the very end of the day, there was a big big party in the gigantic field, and I think everyone in Khumjung was dancing under the beautiful mountains. It looked a little like this:

Party in Khumjung! from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.

I bet you can guess I slept really well.
Well, if you’re still here, thanks for reading this.

Khumjung Day 1--Start the Celebrations!

Headmaster Mahendra gives a welcome speach.

Mr. Harlan watching the opening ceremonies.

These ladies helped everybody with refreshments.

Special clothing for the parade. (I always wear special clothing.)

Khumjung Day 1--Start the Celebrations!, Click to see the FULL set wth captions on Flick.

I’m just writing a little on this day to catch up.
First Day in Khumjung

After all that flag sorting, I sure slept well, and guess what? The next morning there were real yaks outside our hotel, just standing around and nibbling little plants. They were so furry, shaggier than any animal I ever saw. Some of their fur was as long as the hair of some girls at my school.

When we were looking at the yaks, we heard music coming from the celebrations area and went down to see what was happening. It was the beginning of the big celebration for the Khumjung School! Mr. Harlan told me that 50 years ago, their school got started by Sir Edmund Hillary and it's going better than ever! After some speeches, there was a big parade with everyone in town—boys and girls from the school, men and women, visitors--everybody. They marched and chanted and some played instruments like cymbals and drums and we all joined in. You can see the pictures and how happy everybody is to celebrate this big birthday for the Khumjung School.

After the parade was over we watched volleyball. Lots of teams had come from other schools, and they were all trying for the championship. Mr. Harlan held me up so I could see over the crowd since there were so many people.

We also got to see some of the school, like the new dining hall and its kitchen. Science rooms too. Their kids study the human body, just like my friends in Pennsylvania! And we saw some Dream Flags that Mrs. Crow sent them two years ago so they could see what Dream Flags are. They were hanging in a gallery along with some beautiful ones with paintings on them that some Khumjung School students made. We also found out that tomorrow was our big day for Dream Flags. So we did a little more getting ready and went to bed early. I was a little nervous.

Day 3 of Trekking--To Khumjung At Last!

Inside the monestary (but not the museum.)

Good lessons at the Sagamartha Park Headquarters

Here's where we learned about Mingma, Phurba's husband. There's Phurba on the left and our friend Anne Keiser on the right.

Mrs. Crow introduces me to a new friend.

I love th colors of the ropes. They're like mine.

These were just growing along our trail.

They have a big open field for the celebration.

Walkng into Khumjung everyone passes these mani.

Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow worked hard to get the Dream Flags ready.

Day 3 of Trekking--To Khumjung At Last!, Clic to view FULL set with captions on Flickr.

I loved Namche. It was all hills and houses and markets with lots of wonderful colors , just like my colors. We didn’t even have to wake up early, but got up and got going around lunch! We packed up and said goodbye to our new friends at the Namche Hotel.

Then Phurba took us to a new museum all about Sherpa culture. It had just opened the day before, and our friend Lhakpa Sherpa helped organize it and open it for everybody. There was lots of stuff about the old Sherpa ways he writes about in Through A Sherpa Window, so I knew some already. I liked the gigantic horns there and the great big cymbols. (I’m sorry it was a "no pictures" place so I can’t send you any.) It was in a monestery, though, and I have pictures of that.

Next we went to another learning place. It was the big center for the Sagamartha Park (Sagamartha is Mt. Everest in English), and there was a new special part all about Phurba Sherpa’s husband! Phurba has been our class friend at The Agnes Irwin School where the 6th graders have learned all about the Sherpa and me! When she was a little girl, she lived in Khumjung, and now she lives near Washington, DC in the USA. Phurba’s husband, Mingma, was in charge of the whole Sagamartha Park and helped make the park clean and healthy for everyone. Then he helped people all over the world learn how to do that in their parks too. When I grow up, I hope I can do something really helpful like Mingma Sherpa did. (I’m sorry he died about five years ago, but his teaching is still helping people today.)

Mrs. Crow took me to all these places with the group, but Mr. Harlan went a different way. He told me he learned some things too, though. He had his lunch in a place with cooking in the old Sherpa way and said it was very tasty! (I think he likes food a lot.) He said he had a potato pancake with yak butter and onion sauce. The place where he ate it looked like this:

Untitled from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.

All of us had to go up and up to get to Khumjung, though. I was really glad Mrs. Crow carried me so cozily. I still felt tired when we finally got there. It was so amazing to see the school I’ve just heard about for so long. It was right there when we walked into the village, and I saw kids practicing flips on the grass with a really nice man who’s a circus performer. He came for the celebration just like us!

Walking into the village, we went along the school grounds, and Mrs. Crow introduced me to lots of kids. They were so friendly and liked to hold me.

Then we walked along a big big row of mani. (Mani are stones carved with prayers for good wishes from the Buddhist religion that most people here have.)

It was so great to get here. Phurba went to stay at her mom’s and we got settled in our nice lodge. It’s called the Ama Dablam, and that’s the name of a gigantic mountain right near the village. The mountains here are everywhere. I made new friends while Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow got the Dream Flags ready for their big day.

Sorry for the long entry—so much to tell! See you later.

Day 2 of Trekking--All the Way to Namche

I think our porters could carry 2000 of me.

This cow was just having breakfast when we came by.

Everything in Namche comes by animal. These ones are carrying rice--like we had for dinner.

Mrs. Crow and I got smiles wherever we went!

Here I am with my friend Gyaljen. He's our trip leader, and he knows EVERYTHING.

This building is all handmade--just like me.

Now we're actually in Sagamartha (Mt. Everest) park. I like to pick up litter when I can.

Here's a map we saw and the entrance to the park.

I loved this building--like its growing out of the rock!

This one too. And I love the sound of the bells. They'r so LOW.

This is one of the men leading the horses. They whistle a lot. I'm trying to learn how.

My friends the horses crossing the bridge.

Day 2 of Trekking--All the Way to Namche, a set on Flickr.

We’re in Namche now! And before this I only read about it in stories about me! It was a long long day, and now I’m a super-trekker, but let me tell you how it started. I had a great sleep, and then in the morning I made friends with Dhali Sherpa and her son. You can see them in the picture here. But we were off for our biggest day of trekking yet—all the way to Namche!

Let me tell you how it started. Leaving our happy lodge, we went across a VERY long bridge that just hangs in mid air. I liked the way it swings when you walk across it, like a gigantic playground swing a little, but MUCH bigger! You can see one in the pictures. Also other ones we did later in the day. We passed lots of farms like yesterday. Mrs. Crow was carrying me on Trek Day 2. She introduced me to so many people and they all wanted to know about me, and my school too.

In the morning we went along the river and it was the fastest I’ve ever seen—even on TV. At dinner in Namche, Lhakpa Sherpa (we met him there again!) told Mr. Harlan nobody’s ever gone down it on a raft even. He said the river’s name is Bhote Khusi (I think.) We saw cows grazing along the trail, and our guide, Gyaljen, told us they just go home at the end of the day all by themselves. I guess I would too if I had a cozy home to go to.

After a while we were just walking along when a man called out to us from a window, “Hello!” He was the nice park man and he checked our tickets because we were going in to Sagamartha National Park. That’s where Mt. Everest is (but I’m not climbing it.) They make sure it stays nice with the tickets and keeping track of how many people and dolls go in. (I don’t know about the dolls, but I did say hi to him so he knew I was there.)

Then after lunch, we started to go up and up. And with LOTS of horses and dzo going up next to us with heavy bags. The grown-ups were huffing and puffing a lot, and I was actually glad that I was being carried by Mrs. Crow. It was hard, but she just kept going. Finally, we reached the top, and the beautiful town of Namche greeted us. It’s like a town that’s wrapped up in the hills around it, with three beautiful goddess mountains looking over it. They seem like three powerful and loving mothers to me.

Like I said before, we got to see Lhakpa Sherpa again at dinner and also another person who made a book about the Sherpa called Gaity of Spirit. I can see why she chose that name. I feel like here, everybody tries to be happy—just like me.

Well, tomorrow it’s Khumjung. I can’t wait to meet the students!

Day 1 of Trekking!

I helped pack up in Kathmandu. That's me on the ladder.

The plane ride was fun. This was the airport in Lukla.

And I could see this from the airport too.

In Lukla we had breafast in thier restaurant. They like me a lot.

They had a great Losar sign at the brekfast place.

Here are the porters who help us carry things. (Mr. Harlan carried me.)

That's me next to Mrs. Crow. She let me hold the pole.

Here come the dzo. I'm stepping off to the side.

Here was a field of barley--just like in the book!

Looking up at the mountains after lunch.

My new friend Tinkerbell! She's travelling just like me.

Here's where we ate and I met my new friend.

Here's the cozy kitchen where we had lunch.

Day 1 of Trekking!, a set on Flickr.

I’m trekking! Today is the first day, and I love it! This morning we started SO early. It was dark out and the birds hadn’t even started singing yet. I helped us get all packed up in the van—you can see me on the ladder—and then we were off. It was a great plane ride. Like I said before, I like small things, and the plane was nice and small. It was cozy, though, and lots of people held me. There’s even a video of it, and you can see me showing Mrs. Crow some things out the window.

Flying to Lukla! from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.

When we landed it was in the middle of the most beautiful mountains I could think of, and I knew this was the place for me. Some people even look kind of like me! First we had breakfast and I made some new friends. They had the same poster for Khumjung as we have in my school! And they had a sign about Losar too, and that’s in some of the stories about me! Trekking means hiking and we stared right away after breakfast. I knew I could hike the whole way, but Mr. Harlan said my outfit was a little too nice so maybe I should ride in his pack. It was bumpy sometimes, but I saw a lot, looking out of my pocket. There were dzo, which is a kind of yak and cow put together, and they help carry things. (They’re in a video too.)

Dzo on the trek from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.

And there was beautiful mountains everywhere. You can see me looking at them when we stopped for lunch. And guess what? At lunch I met another trekking doll!! She's a Tinkerbell doll, and she is travelling with the mom of some kids who live in the Caribbean Islands to help them learn about her trek! You can see me and Tink in the picture by the big prayer wheel. Meeting her was definitely the best part of my lunch!

After a little more walking, we got to our lodge, and I lay down for rest right away. The beds were cozy, and I think I’ll go take a nap when I finish writing this. I’m going to bed early too, cause tomorrow is a BIG day—all the way to Namche!

Day 2 in Kathmandu: The Monkey Temple!

These prayer wheels reminded me of our sixth grade ones.

Click here to read the captions for Monkey Temple! picures.

Well we finally got to sleep like normal people (and dolls) last night, but guess where I am in this picture? Where the animals are mostly the size of me! The Monkey Temple, a famous place to pray with lots and lots of monkeys. It’s high up on a hill over the city. We rode a van to get there through all sorts of windy streets. It was definitely my favorite part of the day. The morning was kind of boring because Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow were organizing their things for the trek we start tomorrow, and there was no one to play with me. We did go to a palace place, but they wouldn’t let me in because they had a no dolls (or no bags) rule, and I thought it was really unfair. Mrs. Crow said I wouldn’t have liked it anyway because it was mostly paintings and furniture. But I do like to see things that are beautiful like the old temples yesterday. And the market at The Monkey Temple had LOTS of beautiful things. I loved it.

When we finally left the Monkey Temple, we were invited to dinner at Phurba Sherpa’s sister’s house, and it was for me too. I met lots of people, but my favorite was Mr. Ang Rita Sherpa. I hope you read the book Namaste, but if you didn’t yet, you should. It has a girl a lot like me in it. Mr. Ang Rita Sherpa likes our books too—the ones about me, and that’s him holding me in the picture! He was such a nice man and told us all about how the book was made. I love books, even ones not about me. Don’t you?

Got to go to bed now because tomorrow’s one of those wake up VERY early days. Lulka here we come. I can’t wait to start trekking tomorrow! Bye!

In Nepal at last! We made it!

See these and their captions at Flickr.

Golden Gate at Drubar Square form 1754. Very old.

Phurba holding me and Mrs. Crow smiling.

Durbar Square from the 1700's and before

Pottery Square. I'm about as big as one of these pots.

Me with the author of the book! I loved meeting Lhakpa Sherpa.

Well here I am at the end of a LONG day, but we actually made it to Nepal this morning. This is me at dinner with Mr. Lhakpa Norbu Sherpa, the actual author of Through A Sherpa Window, my favorite (and the very best) book about where we're going! AND he told me that he has a big daughter, and can you guess what her name is? YESSHE! For real.. I wish I could meet the big Yesshe. Her dad liked the stories about me.

You can see from these pictures that we did a LOT. In Delhi the beds were very comfy, and I did not want to get up at 4:30 to get our plane to Kathmandu. (But we did get to ride on the cart thingy in the airport and that was fun.) It was so pretty looking out the window at the valley and the big mountains far away when we landed. Then Phurba (our friend who grew up in Khumjung) met us, but there was no resting for us because we had a lot to do. I liked lookiing out the bus window. I wish I could ride on a scooter! It looks fun.

We got to Bhaktapur (Mr. Harlan said it's from the 600’s.) and saw very very beautiful buildings there. They were made so carefully (like me) and I felt just like I belonged there. Mostly Dr. Zopf carried me because I was tired. But I liked it, and the restaurant for lunch had a fountain. Then it was more grown-ups at the dinner. But I forgot the pots back in Bhaktapur . That was one of my favorite parts. They dug up special clay there and make clay pots for everyone. They dry in the sun, and then get baked. I wanted to touch one, but our guide said not a good idea, so I didn't. The best was meeting Mr. Lhakpa Sherpa at dinner, though. He had so many stories to tell and wanted to know all about me.

What's tomorrow? I don't know yet, but I know I'm going to sleep a lot right after I finish writing this.
See you soon and have fun clicking on my pics!

I'm in India!!

5/20 Hi, everybody. We’re in Dehli, India!! It was a VERY long flight, but I kept busy sitting in people’s laps, looking out the window, and watching the movies. (I think I watched three.) I liked how you could see where we were on the screen in front of Mrs. Crow’s seat. And she DID let me sit on the table-tray just like she said she would. I took a nap too because it was way way past my usual bedtime. Our plane took off from Newark, New Jersey around 8:30. You can see in this picture how we went way up high (Dr. Zopf, Mrs. Crow’s husband, said to call it north.) near a big white land called Greenland. Then we went over Europe, and I saw us go over Afganastan too. We were WAY high up—about 33 THOUSAND feet high, and it was colder than even the Himalayas outside our plane. It said on the screen that it was -72 one time when I looked! But now we’re on the ground again in Dehli and the airport looks pretty much like home, but Mr. Harlan said the signs are in English and Hindi, which is what the people near us are talking in right now. Oh, and the kids you see (I was really glad I’m not the only one.) are Tommy and Katie. Their parents are here too. They were really nice to me and helped me cozy in and take my nap. Talking of rest, I need some more now before we fly to Kathmandu really early tomorrow! I’m so sleepy. Bye.

Looking out the window (sideways)

Me with the other kids. (sidways again)

Watching the movies.

Here I Go !!

All packed up!

5/19 Well, here we go!! All packed up! Will write from India if I can!!

Through Security!

5/19

Got my passport!

Flags, Flags, Flags!

Dream Flags, Dream Flags, Dream Flags! I think Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow might get buried in all the Dream Flags just like me. Mr. Harlan’s room is covered with them, but we’re working hard to get them organized and ready to fly.

I can hardly believe that in just six days, all the Dream Flags will be packed up and ready to go along with Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow. (I’m packing my sweater that one of Mr. Harlan’s students gave me.) Here’s what we’ll do:

First we’ll take a train from Philadelphia to Newark, New Jersey. Then we’ll get on a plane and fly across the Atlantic Ocean even further to Delhi, India. (Mrs. Crow said I could sit on her tray table and look out the window!) Then we take another plane to Kathmandu, the biggest city in Nepal. Then we get off and rest a little, but I don’t think I’ll be tired. Then we get on what Mr. Harlan says will be a teeny plane to fly up to a small place called Lukla. And I love small things, so I really can’t wait for that part. Then we get out of the plane and walk. (Mr. Harlan said he’d carry me because my legs are not quite as long as his.) And we walk, and walk, and walk—for three days ! -- until we get to the famous Khumjung School for their big birthday party! I’ve never been to a birthday party, but I think I’m going to like it.

At the party, we’ll be bringing Dream Flags from our school and lots of others. Here are some of the places the Dream Flags come from: Louisiana, Hawaii, Washington, Texas, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Also Haiti, Madagascar, Nicaragua, and Belize! Mrs. Crow told me Belize is south of Mexico, and I sort of know where that is, I think. Mr. Harlan says Madagascar is a very big island that’s part of Africa. They do seem very far away to me. I’ve only been to the store where I was on the shelf and this school so far.

But we have a big job to do sorting out the Dream Flags and getting them ready. Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow put them in piles and label them, but what I do is dive underneath them to pop up and surprise them—just like in this picture! I also point out the neat ones that I like. Can you see the little person on my shoulder? I like it a lot.

And the one on my left is about kids ending hard things like getting sick. Mrs. Crow told me it was made by kids at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and that sick kids go there to get better. Since I’m a doll, I don’t get sick much (or I haven’t yet), but if I did, I hope they’d take me there. Mrs. Crow says the doctors are very smart and lots of kids get better every day. And she says the Dream Flags help them get better too.

Well, back to work!

P.S. Here's a fun map you can use to see where we're flying. If I stand on the + it get's bigger!
If I jump on this: View Larger Map I can see a map with the places on it. You try it too! Have fun.

About me . . .

Hi. This is Yesshe again. I can’t believe our trip starts just next week! We’re leaving next week on Thursday, and I can’t wait!

Before we get going, I thought I’d tell you a little about myself. I’m a hand-made doll from the Himalayas. I think it took about four days for someone to make me, and I guess I have lots of detail or they just were really careful making me. I don’t know. I’m just glad I was made and found my way to Mr. Harlan’s and Mrs. Crow’s classrooms.

My life at school started when Mr. Harlan bought me last summer at a museum store where I was up pretty high waiting on a shelf. He reached up and got me down to have a look at me, and right away decided his students would like me and I should come to Philadelphia with him.

It was a while before I actually met his students, but when I did, they all liked me and I liked them too. They were studying about the Sherpa people who live in Nepal and decided to call me Yesshe, which is a Sherpa name. I like my name. It means “wise one” and I like how it sounds. It’s easy to spell too because it’s like the word Yes + She = Yesshe! And I like to say "Yes." Like, “Yes, I am going to Nepal!”

Besides naming me, Mr. Harlan’s and Mrs. Crow’s students actually wrote a lot of stories, and I got to be the star! I’m in pretty much all of them I think. (Actually I haven’t heard all of them yet.) I think they learned a lot about the Sherpa to write their stories, so it’s not just me who’s Sherpa. The stories have Sherpa houses in them and Sherpa food, Sherpa animals and all kinds of stuff. Also pictures. I like the pictures best—especially the ones of me (which is a lot).

Click here to read the book!

Here’s one you might like. It’s called The Search For Butter. It’s about me when I get a yak for my birthday, and then something bad happens (but it ends up OK.)

Do you know what a yak is? Well in this story, the yak’s name is Butter. She’s sort of like a cozy cow with little horns and lots of warm fur for the cold winters in Khumjung. That’s where I live in the stories. See what you think about it and let me know.

See you soon! I have to go keep getting ready for the trip. Mr. Harlan’s sorting the Dream Flags, and I’m going to help.

Hi, I'm Yesshe.

This is where I'm going to tell about my trip to Nepal, helping Mr. Harlan and Mrs. Crow take the Dream Flags.

I hope you come back soon to read more!

INDEPENDENT COLLEGE PREPARATORY GIRLS SCHOOL FOR PREK-GRADE 12

Ithan Avenue & Conestoga Road, Rosemont, PA 19010

t. 610.525.8400 f. 610.525.8908