A Nepali Wedding!!!!

The very young bride and groom! Age 18 and 17, an arranged marriage

My clinic manager Devi invited me to her nephew's wedding! She invited me on a Wednesday as she boarded the bus to go to the wedding, telling me to come on Saturday.

Well, at first I was rather confused.
Me: "You're going to the wedding now?"
Devi: "Yes, going now"
Me: "But I should come on Saturday?"
Devi: "Yes, with Sabina, on bus."

Apparently Nepali weddings are big parties lasting between 2-4 days. Anyone who knows anyone in the semi-immediate family (parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents) are invited.

The groom! Making his rounds around the minivan.

Nepali band, rockin the bazaar

Friday evening I walk down to the bazaar and find a party going on! It's pretty small, but there's this big bamboo thing that's been constructed with intricate strings wrapped around and a little fire going in the middle. There's a couple people sitting around putting things into the fire (bits of wood or bits of red colored rice), singing prayers, and there's several little plates of food near the fire (offerings). Apparently, it's part of the wedding! There's a several day party at the groom's house and a several day party at the bride's house.

Some young friends I made Saturday morning in the bazaar at the Bhotechaur location wedding party

Saturday morning I wake up and I put on my party clothes (I just had a kurtha surwal made) and run down to the bazaar where I hear music playing before clinic opens. There's people in all their fine clothes, makeup, and gold, dancing and a full (Nepali) band!! Sarita and Paru (from clinic) soon join me and we watch people dancing, listen to the music, and drink tea. Someone comes around and puts red rice tikkas on our foreheads. A decked out minivan pulls up, and this young man in a funny grass necklace comes out of the nearby buildings and walks around it three time with incense. People keep stopping him to shove money in his hat or hands. Every time he walks around, more people follow him. Some of them throw rice, some of them dance. I find out that this is the groom, on his way to the bride's part of the party. In Nepal, this may be the first time the bride and groom meet. The minivan fills up to the brim (including the full band), and drives off. Time for clinic!

Women (and some kids) dancing, singing, and playing drums

At the end of the day Paru, Sarita, Sabina and I walk down to the bazaar again. Since the morning party left, a bunch of women wearing red have remained in the bazaar all day. They play drums, take turns singing songs and dancing. We are fed, and then fed some more. Apparently the bride and groom's family have to feed all the party goers 24-7 for the extent of the wedding. I ate sell, a kind of not-too-sweet rice flour doughnut, crispy puffed spiced rice, little sweet hard rice flour balls, and plenty of veggies and rice. Then Sabina and I hop on the bus.

Sarita and I stirring one of many giant pots of food over a cooking fire on the roof

The bus, so full that folks are sitting on the roof--
which is illegal but not strongly enforced

After a little engine trouble and spending some time wondering if we'd have to walk the remaining distance to Devi's home (where the party is going on--it would have been about a 3 hour walk up and down the Himalaya), we make it safely to the party! We spot Devi in the crowd almost immediately, she is going around and being a very gracious host to everyone. I'm immediately brought over to the bride and groom. I awkwardly place a red rice tikka on both their foreheads and give them money. The bride offers to pour water over my hands to clean off the extra goop. I'm then taken over to a 7 year old boy who is sitting with his two older sisters and is also, apparently celebrating something. I also put a tikka on him and give him money.

At this point many people have already put tikka (red colored rice)
onto the bride and groom, so they have a GIANT tikka on their foreheads

Then, we dance!! Some cute old ladies teach me the traditional Nepali dancing style. You have to wave your hands around a lot in little circles while first turning right, then turning left. This one middle aged guy was going around jumping/squatting/dancing with a bowl, and if he touches your feet and dances in front of you, you have to put money in it. Sabina tried to get out of dancing by manning the camera (she got some great shots), but I eventually grabbed the camera away and made her dance too. As soon as we stopped dancing, we were given MORE food. More of the delicious sell-doughnuts, veggies, tea, and then raksi, the local moonshine. I was a little hesitant to try it since it was being served in big bowls (and sharing cups/plates/utensils is a HUGE no-no), but eventually I was able to get a very tiny serving. It is distilled from millet, and is very, very strong. We finish our snack and about 15 minutes later Devi finds us again and tells us that we absolutely must have dinner now! So....we go off to eat again. Rice, beans, goat(? maybe buffalo) meat, potatoes, cauliflower....yum!!

Dancing! Hands in the air! Twirling!

After dinner I speak a little bit with some folks that know some English (I'm the only foreigner at the party). I try to use the little Nepali I know as best I can. We watch the dancers while we chat. Nepali people don't ever display public affection, not even hand holding- so this applies to dancing as well. Most of the dancing so far has just been group dancing, but now that it's getting later and slowing down a little bit the dance floor is more empty, and I get to watch a young couple dance together. It's really beautiful, there's all the same turning right and then left with the hands in the air, but they twirl and circle around each other, with the man leading. A shy 20 something gentleman asks to dance with me (he doesn't speak a lick of English so Sabina translates), and so I dance too! We dance the rest of the night-the young men are constantly trying to drag more women onto the dance floor. A lot of folks keep walking up to me and telling me they thought I was Nepali, and complimenting my dancing (note: they only compliment my dancing after realizing I'm a foreigner). The bride and groom remained seated and ready to receive guests almost the entire night. I'm not sure if they even got up to dance.

I spent the night in a spare room (quite literally only a bed and standing space) at Devi's house. In the morning I sat with a bunch of cute old ladies to have leftover sell and tea. There was then a little farewell ceremony with bestowing tikkas and kata (silk scarf), and beer, coke, mandarins, and apple slices on some extended family that had travelled from some distance to attend the wedding. They made me join in too! Then around noon we packed as many people as possible (standing room only) onto the back of a pickup truck and hurtled down the bumpy roads back to the hospital (with may stops along the way).

Additional note...

Additional fundraising note:
Looks like I overestimated shipping costs of yak wool blankets (the blankets themselves are not all that expensive). I was initially selling them for $45, but I can do so for $35ish (maybe $37). If you've already made your donation I'll be happy to give you back $10ish--or I can bring you some handmade incense from the Buddhist nuns at Kopan Nunnery!

If you'd like to order, email me at eceyildirim9@gmail.com and let me know of any color requests (or colors that you don't want). You can give me your donation when I get the blanket to you, or you can donate via paypal (see previous post) or mail me a check at:

114 Sausalito Dr.
East Amherst, NY 14051

Of course I'm not there at the moment, but my parents will be happy to deposit your check for me.

Love and light,
Ece

Fundraising Sales:

Email me at: eceyildirim9@gmail.com to place your order

Yak wool scarf appx 12"/60": $30 donation

Yak wool blanket appx 34"/80" (can about cover a single bed): $37 donation

Handmade ground herb incense by Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery

Each $7-10 donation, or 3 for $20

     Rhododendron Forest

     Medicine Buddha

     Lotus Blossom

     Tibetan Healing

Prayer flags

     Small: $10

     Large: $12

Prayer flags blessed by Tibetan monks

     Money for blessing will go directly to the monks, give whatever feels right to you

Where does the money go?

Fund raising goal: $3,965

$1000 minimum donation to Mindful Medicine to pay for interpreters, supplies, most living expenses, and administrative expenses

$1800 (appx) in airfare*

$365 Travel insurance (discounted for volunteers)

$100+ for Nepali visa

$300 estimated for additional transportation and living expenses in Nepal for 3+ months

$400 estimated additional expenses (travel supplies, clinic supplies, passport renewal)

*$1800 is approximately the cost of a round trip flight from the US to Nepal in the off-season. I will not be taking a direct round trip flight, but will be instead making a few stop-overs to visit friends and relatives, and will pay additional expenses out-of-pocket.

Mindfulness and Mindful Medicine Worldwide

I've arrived in Nepal!

I have had some trouble accessing internet, so I apologize for the slow posts.

I wanted to take some time to tell you a little bit about the work I've begun in Nepal with Mindful Medicine Worldwide. I'll tell you more about the day-to-day life in the clinic next time.

The two buildings at the top of the hill are the Bhotechaur Hospital; my clinic is a room in the lower pink colored one, and I am staying in a room in the upper building with blue accents. I drink buffalo milk tea regularly at the building at the bottom of the hill!

Volunteers are carefully selected for this program. It is not enough to be willing to work in a rural foreign clinic with limited modern comforts in a busy clinic-- electricity and hot water are unreliable, and buildings are not heated-- but the organization wants volunteers with an open heart and as their name suggests, volunteers who are practice being Mindful.

Here's a picture of the inside of my clinic. Three beds; one normal sized and two narrow.

So what does it mean to practice Mindfulness? I've struggled a lot with defining this concept in words alone, as it is something you do (a verb!). It is being present in every moment, being fully alive rather than going on auto pilot. You can practice it in a myriad of different ways; meditation and tai ji are some ways that help me remain Mindful. Tai ji has the added benefit of aiding my physical health through exercise and alignment, but both practices help me to clear the busyness out of my head. I feel that it is important to clarify that sitting and standing meditation are not a means to an end, though; meditation is for the sake of meditation! Meditation is being totally present in the moment, with nothing else going on.

This is a picture of the entire town of Bhotechaur1 (Bhotechaur is actually spread out over 8 little farmtowns). You can see the Bhotechaur hospital at the top of the hill, and the Helambu Himalaya (possibly a little of the Lapsong region too) in the far background.

A quick fundraising update:

Currently I’ve raised approximately 75% of my volunteer related expenses! This has allowed me to pay most of my major expenses; airfare, vaccines and traveler's health insurance, but other expenses like herbs/supplements (prevent parasites and adjust to altitude changes), travel within Nepal, food, candles for when the power is cut, etc. are still underfunded. If you are financially able (or have friends who are), please consider making a donation to support the Mindful Medicine Worldwide and my work there! All donations are tax deductable as MMW is a non-profit organization.

You can make donations one of these 2 methods:

Mail a check (made out in my name) to:

114 Sausalito Dr.

East Amherst, NY 14051

Send via PayPal:

You can also scroll down to my first fundraising post to see a list of items you can purchase from Nepal!

Visit MMW’s website or continue following my blog for more information. I’ll be working in the Bhotechaur clinic, 1-2 hours outside Kathmandu.

Love and light,

Ece

Cyprus

My time in Cyprus is already more than half over. I've been having a really lovely time with my relatives! Two weeks is just barely enough to see all of them; I've got aunts and uncles from both sides of the family, cousins, and some close family friends.

I'm staying in my cousin Bikem's 2 bedroom apartment with her and her 7 birds. The neighbors have chickens, several roosters, and an outdoor birdhouse, so mornings are filled with the beautiful chirps, tweets, songs and rooster crows. She works afternoon's teaching music in after school programs, so we spend the mornings and early afternoons going out for lunch with other relatives, running errands, visiting friends, or visiting the beautiful parts of Cyprus. My first day I went with my 3 cousins (Bikem, Akan, and his wife Sengul) to Lefke to walk along the sea. This is my first time in Cyprus that I'm not here in the summer, so it's weird to only look at the sea and not swim in it...but though the sun really warms you up in the day time, there's definitely a chill to the air (and I'm sure a chill in the sea as well).

It's nice to have a different perspective on Cyprus. The rains have begun (a little bit), so greenery is returning to what is mostly desert and dry pine forest in the summer. I actually experienced a really loud thunderstorm one of my first nights! It seemed so out of place...I've hardly ever seen a cloud in the sky in my previous trips, let alone a rain storm. On a clear day I hiked up the mountain with Akan to visit one of the old fortress ruins and take advantage of the height to look over the newly emerging green across the landscape.

My first weekend here we went out for Halloween (which is still relatively new to Cyprus) and then out the next night for some live music. Bikem is a bit of a night owl, but I am not! We didn't stay out too late though :)

It's not just the weather that's new to me in Cyprus. More and more I see people interested in different spiritual teachings or alternative living styles, and these new ways of thought have reached Cyprus as well! I've been talking to folks about my next steps; my clinic and tiny house, as well as my reasons for returning to Nepal and what I experienced there last time. Some folks think it's very different/weird, which is usually the reaction I get to my lifestyle choices when I'm here. But this time there are other folks who are genuinely interested and want to hear more, or share their already existing plans to live in a caravan and roam the world (or at least Cyprus).

My time here is wrapping up quickly and I'll soon be heading to Nepal! I'll keep you updated...
Love and light!

Istanbul

My time in Istanbul was short but lovely. The weather forecast was definitely not pleasant looking, but the weather stayed sunny and warm for 4 days anyway! Then it became quite rainy and cold for my last day and a half. Oh well.

I got a chance to visit all my favorite spots. I went with my cousin to Ortakoy where you can sit by the Bosphorus river, eat Kumpir (a kind of baked potato that’s 1000x more awesome than your typical baked potato), and watch the ferry boats go by. Ruya, her roommate, friend, and I sent out to Taksim for dessert and a little bit of Istanbul night life. I did some shopping at the saturday bazaar at Ingirli, as well as some in the Grand Bazaar--some clothes and turkish things. It’s SO much easier for me to find clothes in Turkey where the people are small like me. Also, the prices for good quality clothing are a lot cheaper than anything you’ll find in the US. I also went to one of the old Turkish Hammams with beautiful architecture and got scrubbed clean! I tried a new food - stuffed mussels, and ate some of the foods I miss: taze fasulye, bamya, doner kebap, kazan dibi, salep, just to name a few...and drank a ton of Turkish tea.

Sorry about the sideways pictures.I'll try to fix them when I have more reliable internet! It took about a million years just to upload them and I can't figure out how to turn them without having to upload them again :(

It was really lovely getting to know my cousin Ruya as she reaches adulthood. This is her first year away from home in Cyprus-she just started college back in September. It’s really neat to see her transform from a wild and free child to a fun loving (but more aware of responsibilities) young adult.

I’m in Cyprus now! My cousins keep posting pictures of us together on facebook, so check my page to see what I’ve been up to or check back here for more updates :)

Croatia!

Alright, today I’m going to start off by showing you the set up I have to accomplish in order to charge my computer:

It’s a little ridiculous. My voltage converter thingy should be able to plug directly into European outlets and then have US plugs plug into it...but of course it’s not that easy. The European outlets are inlayed, so I have to use another plug thingy to get it into the inlay. Then my voltage converter only accepts 2 pronged US plugs...and my computer uses a 3 pronged. So I have to use a US to US plug converter. But it works!

My time in Zagreb, Croatia with Selene and Marko came and went so quickly! Croatia seems like me a cross between Portland climate and Cypriot culture but with a Slavic based spoken language. They got an unusual amount of rain this summer (which was also cooler in temp), so everything was green! It was sunny and beautiful while I was there up until the day I left--it thunderstormed and rained with strong, cold winds.

Most of my time in Croatia was just seeing the daily life of the people. I love seeing the different ways that us humans live. Croatians (much like the Turks) dress up to go anywhere--even just to run to the market down the street. They have a daily farmers market (the Dolats) with vegetables, beans, dried fruits, honey, flowers, crafts, etc. in a big square in central Zagreb. They insist on having their coffee outside every day--cafes put out heat lamps and blankets if it’s cold. Having coffee is not a drink; it’s a social event and you sit for at least an hour if not three. There’s the flower square close to the Dolats where you can buy every type of seasonal flower arrangement. There’s little bits of history interspersed among the shopping centers, markets, trams and alleyways in the form of statues, plaques, or beautiful old buildings. It’s beautiful.

With Marko’s best friend and sister alternately joining us, we also spent time visiting the green spaces; the botanical gardens and on a different day Sjeme (I forgot how to spell it but pronoucned roughly Slee-yeh-may) the nearby mountain (big hill). We hiked all the way to the top in a couple of hours, enjoying the view every inch of the way. I, of course, insisted on stops to sip tea from my thermos and just soak up the view. Marko allowed it but was itching to keep going.

I love that Selene and I are able to stay in each other’s lives. When I last saw her in Portland, we set the intention to keep in touch even over time and distance. I’m not very good at communicating over long distances; and as Selene adjusts to being in Croatia she has not been either, but getting together felt like no time had lapsed at all. I don’t really know how to explain our friendship. We compliment each other. We are moving towards the same goals from opposite directions; I work more physically, she works more energetically. I’m better at the details, she’s better at the big picture. She is my sister.

I know those of you who know Selene are curious to hear more about Marko. They are definitely a good match. I know this first year has had a lot of ups and downs from them, and there is more to come, but their relationship had to move quickly because of the distance and borders. What I see in them is the normal ups and downs of a long term relationship condenced into a shorter amount of time. The nature of their troubles are all on the physical plane; they are adjusting to each other’s living styles, culture, customs and finances. What carries them through the trouble is the most important part of a relationship, that their higher purposes match. They have so much love for one another and share in their goals and in their path to those goals.

Now I’m in Istanbul, staying with my cousin Ruya! For just under a week. I hope you’re all well xoxox

England....Croatia!

Hey everyone!
I am *attempting* to post at least once a week to keep all you folks updated on my adventures, but unfortunately I had some technical difficulties last time I tried to write a post. I brought the wrong plug for UK, then my computer blew the fuse on the one my cousin lent me. Whoops! Anyway, I have it all sorted out now.

English to American word key:
Pants=Underwear
Tea=pot of tea with a side of cream and hot water
Cream tea= pot of tea with side of cream, hot water, 2 scones, clotted cream, jam
Cider=hard cider
Apple juice=Apple cider
Pudding=All desserts, including cakes and pies
Dinner=Lunch
Tea=Dinner or Tea

My cousin Esen came to meet me in London when I first arrived in England. We stayed in the lovely Astor Hostel--very clean, nice and helpful folks, and great location. Day one most things were already closed by the time we got settled; they actually close up and go home by 4-5pm! What an awesome working/living ethic! Big Ben was much more amazing than I had anticipated; I think it was something about how it's watched over London for so much time. It feels alive in a way, like a temple or a stupa. We also walked by the Palace, though the guards on duty there had poor posture and were not dressed up like I had expected:

  

Their knees were locked and they were all stiff, definitely not ready to defend the palace. We walked through the Princess Diana memorial gardens and watched the swans and other birds, then walked all along the waterfront! I saw the re-creation of the Globe Theatre, lots of policemen in funny hats, red phone booths and red double decker busses. Day two we went to the Camden market, a really cool place. It was like the British version of the Grand Bazaar--big enough to get a little lost in. We mostly window shopped but did buy a couple items. They had a bunch of awesome food stalls there too, and there are canal locks there, so we saw some house boats and other boats go up and down the locks. Then we visited the TARDIS!!!

Yes, it's true, I'm a big Doctor Who fan. I also got to meet up with a friend of mine back from high school; Michelle Nusinov! It's been almost a decade since we last met up. It was pretty brief but enough time to catch up and share the happiness we are both currently living. The next day, we left London and stopped on the way to Somerset to see Stone Henge!!!

I was disappointed that we could not walk among the stones; unfortunately there have been problems with tourists defacing this sacred temple. Even from a distance, though, I could feel a lot of the ancient power of this place, especially from the point pictured above. There was a great beam of energy coming from the largest intact gateway. Stone Henge is still used as a temple by Druids at the equinoxes and solstices, as well as host for a party at New Years, so I hope to visit again in the future!

Then next day was quite rainy and cold, so Esen and I drove out to a nearby cider (hard cider) and brandy distillery for some tasting and to see the giant piles of apples! We then drove along all the scenic routes all the way to the coast. I tried to get a picture next to the adorable fields of sheep, but while passing cars don't perturb them, they are apparently not used to a person emerging from the car and chasing after them. We also saw wild pheasants, and breathtaking views of the rolling countryside, forested areas, and an adorable scenic town on the coast. We had cream tea (tea with scones, clotted cream and jam--I skipped the scone) and headed back.

While Esen worked, I took the train to Bristol! I feel like Bristol is the Portland of England (though I think Glastonbury is more known for it's hippies?). There are people with dreads, organic/fairtrade/local coffee shops (I liked the Treehouse Cafe) and co-op markets, and tons of AMAZING street art! While you can find Banksy pieces and other art pieces throughout Bristol, I found the best concentration (and most varied art) in the St.Paul's area. They also have a number of free museums :)

This has been a very different way of travelling for me. My last trip was a lot about discovering myself; and so I had to go away from everything I've ever known and all the existing constructs of my life in order to really be able to go inward and listen. That inner voice is a little louder now that I've connected into it, but I still hope to have more extended periods of 'being away', probably later on in my trip. For now it's really wonderful to connect with many of the important people in my life. I feel like I had the opportunity to connect with Esen like I haven't had in the past. Usually it's a group of 'the cousins', or I tend to hang out more with Bikem when I'm in Cyprus since we're the youngest women of the cousins. I'm happy to see how Esen has been honoring his passions; living simply with his beautiful home and little garden, and taking plenty of time out in nature and photographing and sharing that beauty.

Well, I've arrived in Croatia now and am with Selene! I'll update again in a few days to tell you about Zagreb. Selene is my soul sister. I love her to pieces and am so happy to get this wonderful (albeit short) week with her! I love her husband already, he is a wonderful man.

The Adventure Begins!

Bye-bye (for now) Portland!!

Hello friends and family!
WOW! Your outpouring of support (financial and well-wishing) has been absolutely amazing! I'm very close to reaching my fundraising goal to pay for my volunteer related expenses. Thank you.

Well, my bags are packed and I'm ready to head overseas on Thursday night (arriving Friday morning). My bag is a lot heavier than how I usually travel; between the clinic supplies and reference books there's quite a bit of extra weight. I still managed to pack my things into my backpacking bag, a small handbag and my little carry-on bag.

My first stop is London, England! My cousin Esen lives in Somerset and will be coming to meet me there. We'll stay in London for Friday and Saturday, then head back to his side of town. He'll have to work during the week, but I'll go around and check out the town on my own. I'll be there for a week before I head onwards to Croatia! In Croatia my dear friend Selene will come out to meet me with her husband Marko. I hear Croatia is absolutely beautiful and am eager to see it for myself, but am more excited to see Selene. A week after arriving in Croatia I'll head towards Istanbul, Turkey to stay with my cousin Ruya. I'm hoping to have a trip to the Turkish bathhouse and to the Grand Bazaar, two of my favorite places in Istanbul. I'll be there for only 5 days before heading over to Cyprus to stay with my many cousins, aunts, and uncles. 2 weeks will be a very short time to visit them all, but I'll need to make it to Nepal in time to work in the clinic! My volunteer funds will not be contributing to this part of the trip. Though volunteering helped reduce my travel costs to affordable levels (I included an estimate of a round trip ticket to and from Nepal as part of my costs), this portion of the trip I am paying out-of-pocket.

I'll arrive in Nepal a few days before my volunteer time begins. I'd like to acclimate to the high altitude and buy some warm bedding--the room in the clinic does not come equipped with warm things. My volunteer time in the Bhotechaur clinic in Nepal begins November 17th and will last a full 3 months until February 13th. There are many different organizations to volunteer with in Nepal; I chose Mindful Medicine because of their focus on how treatments are carried out. There is a strong emphasis on bringing mindfulness, or meditative practice and presence to each of your patients. Though there are many people coming in to the clinic every day, reducing the amount of time you can spend with each patient, it is so important to be fully present with each person who walks through the door seeking treatment. Equally important is taking care of yourself as the practitioner. A pracitioner best able to serve patients is one who is well rested!

It's not too late to place your order for yak wool shawls, blankets, incense, or prayer flags! Check out my previous post for item details and pricing. You can still submit donations by mailing a check to 114 Sausalito Dr. East Amherst, NY 14051 (my parents have access to my checking account and can deposit it for me), or feel free to use paypal or donate directly to the Mindful Medicine Worldwide website--just mention my name when you do so.

Help Ece Volunteer in Nepal!

Help Ece give back to Nepal!

When I visited Nepal in 2009, I was touched by the beauty of the people and the land. The people have so little, and yet are radiantly happy and appreciative of life. I think it comes from the magic of the land itself; it is a sacred place.

I want to go back. And this time, I want to give back.

Turns out I’m not the only one who is touched by Nepal—there are numerous non-profits and a variety of programs. Including clinics that provide free healthcare! As a soon-to-be graduate of National College of Natural Medicine with a degree in Classical Chinese Medicine, now is the best possible time join the trend.

From November 17^th 2014 until February 13^th 2015, I’ll be joining the Mindful Medicine Worldwide team to provide free long-term integrative health care in their clinic in Bhotechaur, Nepal. I’ll be the resident Chinese Medicine practitioner providing acupuncture, moxibustion, and other modalities to the patients there. There are also several other members of the team, including an interpreter, a physician’s assistant and a midwife.

I need your help!

Please help me raise the funds required for this trip, help me reach my dream of returning to Nepal, and help provide healthcare for the beautiful people of Bhotechaur, Nepal.

How can you help?

Check out pictures from my previous trip to Nepal here on dropbox. I encourage you just to browse, but if there’s one (or more) that you really like, you can purchase the picture for $15 plus printing fees at a printing shop near you (I will find the shop and have them print it, you just have to pick it up!).

You can donate money for my trip a few different ways--and all donations are tax deductible.

Donate via:
Directly through Mindful Medicine Worldwide in my name

Or directly to me (you can still get tax deduction this way; I will have MMW write a receipt)

Check: mail to Ece Yildirim, 114 Sausalito Dr., East Amherst, NY 14051

Online: Dwolla, Venmo, or Paypal

If you live in Portland, Buffalo, NYC area, or DC area, you can also pre-purchase a few things that I can get while in Nepal. See the information below for descriptions and prices.

Whether or not you are able to donate:

I Love You!

Please send this message far and wide :)

Fundraising Sales:

Email me at: eceyildirim9@gmail.com to place your order

Yak wool scarf appx 12"/60": $35 donation

Yak wool blanket appx 34"/80" (can about cover a single bed): $45 donation

The yak wool is thin, light, and surprisingly warm!! I LOVE the blanket I bought during my first visit in Nepal :)

Let me know at types of colors you'd like: earth colors, bright, pastel, canary yellow, etc.

I'll do my best to accommodate your preference. You can also let me know what colors you do NOT want.

Handmade ground herb incense by Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery

Each $7-10 donation or 3 for $20

     Rhododendron Forest

     Medicine Buddha

     Lotus Blossom

     Tibetan Healing

Prayer flags

     Small: $10

     Large: $12

Prayer flags blessed by Tibetan monks

     Money for blessing will go directly to the monks, give whatever feels right to you

I'll be visiting Istanbul, Turkey; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Chaing Mai, Thailand, so feel free to make special item requests.

Additional items from Nepal can be viewed here: http://www.monasteryshop.org/

Please keep in mind that while the items themselves are rather inexpensive, shipping out of Nepal costs about 3x the cost of the item, depending on weight.

 

Where does the money go?

Fund raising goal: $3,965

$1000 minimum donation to Mindful Medicine to pay for interpreters, supplies, most living expenses, and administrative expenses

$1800 (appx) in airfare*

$365 Travel insurance (discounted for volunteers)

$100 for Nepali visa

$300 estimated for additional transportation and living expenses in Nepal for 3+ months

$400 estimated additional expenses (travel supplies, clinic supplies, passport renewal)

*$1800 is approximately the cost of a round trip flight from the US to Nepal in the off-season. I will not be taking a direct round trip flight, but will be instead making a few stop-overs to visit friends and relatives, and will pay additional expenses out-of-pocket.