The Importance of the Sun

Heaters and furnaces are rare in Nepal. Central Heating does not exist. Fireplaces do not exist. If entertaining outdoors, a fire will be started in a firepit. In areas of high elevation, the people simply dress warm and sleep in frigid rooms. When the sun comes up, everyone goes out to their balconies and rooftops to get warm. From my bedroom, I can hear people in the neighborhood talking: mothers and their babies, young men brushing their teeth as they get ready for work, and merchants walking the streets shouting their wares. The sun is the only source of heat.

To get warm after a chilly day, I take a hot shower. The room fills with moist air, that soon becomes frigid. At night I have heavy blankets and quilts, and can keep quite warm. During the day I am active and can dress warmly. After work, however, when I am sitting around watching TV or reading is when I am most cold. Life here is very simple.

Nepal is suffering from an energy shortage, so they cut off the electricity for about 6 hours a day - usually 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. The only thing we use electricity for is TV, lights, and the internet. Since the main time I have to get on the internet is in the evening, this makes things difficult. We have a generator at the house, so we always have lights, but the cable TV does not work then.

It has been very foggy lately. We haven't been able to fly very much. Somedays we manage to squeeze in one flight, but mostly we just watch the weather. The students tell me the weather should break next week, and the flying will be very good. They are anxious to continue their training and get their licenses.