Nicole Farkouh

Nicole Farkouh (Collective Campaign for Peace – COCAP): Nicole graduated from Smith College with a BA in Cultural Anthropology. She also has a Master of Education from the University of New Orleans. Nicole’s professional background is in education. She has worked as a teacher, administrator, and consultant, mainly with middle school students with special needs. She is also a certified community mediator and has studied a complementary model of mediation based on Non-Violent Communication. She has studied abroad in India, lived and taught in Mexico. At the time of her fellowship, she was studying for a Master of Public Policy degree at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. After her fellowship, Nicole wrote: "More than anything, this summer I received a new level of understanding /appreciation for the complexity involved in “development” and “human rights” work…. Particularly being a foreign body trying to work in a new culture."



LANDING IN KATHMANDU

05 Jun

My communication with COCAP about plans for my arrival hadn’t been great, though I had sent my flight info and been given a phone number to call upon arrival. Unfortunately, in the whirlwind of my departure, I had forgotten to write it down. Thus, as I landed, made my way through immigration, and picked up both of my bags (yay!!), the one thing on my mind was finding an internet connection.

I had been pleasantly surprised to find wireless in all the major airports I’ve spent time in during the last couple weeks – even if some of them required a bit of detective work. I assumed Kathmandu would be the same, particularly because so many people have described it as a very western and developed city. Unfortunately, my internet search in Kathmandu airport led to a dead-end, and I was informed that the only internet was in the tourist center, Thamel.

After scanning the small throng of men outside the gates and not seeing a sign w/ my name on it, I decided to make my way to Thamel. I hooked up w/ a Canadian couple heading in the same direction to share a cab. As we collectively took a deep breath and stepped into the barrage of taxi drivers I happened to notice a man holding a sign reading “COCAP.” Anil, using rapid-fire broken English (which as hard to understand as it was, far exceeded my Nepali) got us into a cab and began my induction to COCAP and Kathmandu.

Posted By Nicole Farkouh

Posted Jun 5th, 2007

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