Out of everyone, she may be the most fascinating character of all. I enjoy her company and have spent a fair amount of time with her, but I still can’t figure her out. On the one hand she is this completely modern woman – she works for the United Nations, she married out of love after having dated Robin for 2 years, she doesn’t let her husband boss her around (she talks back and jokes with Robin, she hasn’t given in to the pressure of having kids right away…), her English is excellent, and she is intelligent and forward thinking. On the other hand, she embodies the perfect Nepali woman – she is modest and quiet when around men, wears traditional clothing (actually, when she lived in Kathmandu, which is where she is from, she used to wear modern clothes but once she moved in with the Acharyas she started wearing traditional clothing), is a very good Hindu (kisses her mother-in-law’s feet, doesn’t share jutto, sleeps on the ground rather than with Robin when she has her period, performs puja every morning…), and is a very responsible housewife when not at work (doesn’t eat before Robin, cooks food and tea whenever she is home…)
Sampada’s day is full to the brim. Because she just started a 9-6 job (rather than shift work) and Ama is not at home, she wakes up at 5:30 to cook lunch for everyone (even though she won’t be eating any herself), make tea and breakfast, and make snacks for Jyoti and Aartee. She leaves for work at 8am and doesn’t come home until 6:30. As soon as she gets home, she makes tea for Dada (and me because she knows I will never turn it down). Then she helps out with dinner and doesn’t really get to relax until almost 9pm.
Despite this hectic (and rather undesirable, in my opinion) schedule, she still manages to do everything with a smile and a loving desire. She genuinely enjoys taking care of everyone and her sense of duty and maturity are amazing to me because she is only 26.
It took me a while to get to know Sampada because she was always at work or busy. But even though I don’t see her as much as any of the other girls, when I do see her it’s really nice. Sometimes at night I will go to her room and chat with her and Dada. On Saturdays, we will all sit outside and chat, laugh, and relax. Sampada is at once a girl my age and my mother – she treats me as lovingly and nurturingly as she would her child, yet she transitions effortlessly into silliness and girliness and youth with all the rest of us.
P.S. Because of her job as supervisor in the Nepal Security Division of the UN, I get a lot of good information from her too. She always gets the dates for bandas before the general public; she was able to print out and post our power-cut schedule; and she always explains anything I don’t understand from the newspaper (Nepali politics are obviously complicated right now and I don’t have any background in it) and we will sit and discuss the repercussions of decision, actions, and happenings in Nepal.
Sampada’s day is full to the brim. Because she just started a 9-6 job (rather than shift work) and Ama is not at home, she wakes up at 5:30 to cook lunch for everyone (even though she won’t be eating any herself), make tea and breakfast, and make snacks for Jyoti and Aartee. She leaves for work at 8am and doesn’t come home until 6:30. As soon as she gets home, she makes tea for Dada (and me because she knows I will never turn it down). Then she helps out with dinner and doesn’t really get to relax until almost 9pm.
Despite this hectic (and rather undesirable, in my opinion) schedule, she still manages to do everything with a smile and a loving desire. She genuinely enjoys taking care of everyone and her sense of duty and maturity are amazing to me because she is only 26.
It took me a while to get to know Sampada because she was always at work or busy. But even though I don’t see her as much as any of the other girls, when I do see her it’s really nice. Sometimes at night I will go to her room and chat with her and Dada. On Saturdays, we will all sit outside and chat, laugh, and relax. Sampada is at once a girl my age and my mother – she treats me as lovingly and nurturingly as she would her child, yet she transitions effortlessly into silliness and girliness and youth with all the rest of us.
P.S. Because of her job as supervisor in the Nepal Security Division of the UN, I get a lot of good information from her too. She always gets the dates for bandas before the general public; she was able to print out and post our power-cut schedule; and she always explains anything I don’t understand from the newspaper (Nepali politics are obviously complicated right now and I don’t have any background in it) and we will sit and discuss the repercussions of decision, actions, and happenings in Nepal.
