Nepal Sweater Festival! A very warming event!

This is a beautiful wood carving of Nepal that was on display!

This story begins and is continued by this wonderful lady who is speaking and wearing the Nepal Sari. For my bad memory I will call her Sensei for I do not remember her full name. This wonderful lady is the quintessence of servant hood for she not only gives but educates. After visiting Nepal once as a tourist Sensei felt the urge to help in some way. She knew she could give money but wanted to give more than money. She felt that money is only momentary and that education is lifelong. So she decided to teach local women how to knit creating beautiful knit sweaters, bags, socks and so many wonderful things. Sensei taught the women how to make the yarn, dye the yarn, and go through all the steps necessary to create beautiful works of art. After this training she had the sweaters sent back to Japan and twice a year has a sweater festival to raise money for the Nepal people. She has since, I think 30-40 years ago, built 12 schools and 1 college which supports the schools by training some of the students to become teachers which can be come teachers at these schools. The money from this sweater festival will go back in full to the Nepal people to help sustain their lives. All materials are made organically and created by the women by hand. I could only begin to share her wonderful story which has inspired me to be more of a servant to those around me. She still gives and gives to other creating awareness and starting new education for women in Nepal. Her new project is showing women how to have healthier pregnancies and births since they mainly do the delivery by themselves and the death rate after deliveries is so high. She is one amazing lady.

So I was here for two days with my host family. The first day we helped prepare food- so I was literally helping creating many Japanese meals for everyone and set up for this sweater festival! The second day was final preps and making the Nepalian food for the festival! This food was given out free of charge as a thank you to supporters! Some food we made was Douchai- which is Chai Tea,which I am a pro at now! Natsuko (mom) and I manned the both giving out tea (HAI DOZO) so we experienced how to make Douchai many times ! It was so fun! Also we made Mochi- which is pounded rice molded in a shape of a sucker on a wooden stick which is then coated with Miso paste and other spicy spices and grilled over a fire, Pizza, and these pot stickers made with a potato veggie middle! It was so much fun! 

Nagisa (sis) in front of the night sky! This was right before we all ate dinner which we helped chop and cook!!! There were about 30 of us sitting outside on the beautiful mountain side enjoying eating and drinking (for me green tea) and enjoying nature.

So I stayed in my first "real" hostel. I slept in a room with two other women who new little English. I became pretty confident in Japanese as I was asked many things and tried to get through it. But I was just excited to see what sleeping on tatami was like and being in a room with strangers was like- because this is very normal. I had a great time and slept for about 10 hours because I was so exhausted from the day! 

Here is where we ate and cooked many things! It was so fun to be cooking and peeling things outside and getting out hands dirty around the mountains! The views were amazing from every angle! Oh we were in Gifu-ken which is two prefectures away from Yamanashi-ken and 3 hours from Kofu! It was definitely a family vacation you know the typical long car ride and many random naps and stops at rest stops for bathroom breaks!

Step 1: Mochi process- to pound the rice. yes this is the family- Yoshi- dad, pounding the rice and Nagisa trying to help out! I did try this out and it was difficult!

Step 2: Mold the rice into wooden forms- and placing a wooden stick in the middle. Natsuko is actually happy we had just laughed- but Yoshi kinda caught us off gaurd!

Step 3: It was cooked and coated with a mixture of miso paste and spices! Then you grab a new Japanese friend, Miusa, and enjoy! 

Nagisa making the potato potstickers! (nice hat- we convinced mom and dad to buy it for her!)

The potato potstickers! I will find out what they are called in Nepal! But they made so many of them to give out!

The makeshift tents created because it rained that day! Stink! But it still was a sweet day! As you see under the tents were the sweaters and other things donated to sell for Nepal! Many of Sensei's textile students made things to sell- so there hand made things from Japan too! a Cultural Festival of sorts!

a sweet country style band that came to support Nepal! The guy in the red vest I think is from Nepal! They played many songs I new like "What a friend we have in Jesus!" This was a little blessing from God for me that day! 

Here Roxi and I are checking out my new diggs! I got new sweater socks! Hand made by Nepal women! They are so sweet and WARM! I wear them every day at my place to keep the cold out! Below are a couple bags, and a hat I got from the festival too!

I am digging the hat! Only go hyaku en! five dolla!

This weekend was beyond words- This is something that most people who travel to Japan do not get to see. This festival did not bring in the masses nor was it so well known but the impact on the world was huge! I was so honored to be able to help and support such a great passion!

Remember: You may think traveling to a new country will teach you so much about that country but in reality it opens you up to the world!

~MOlly