Kavya is the second youngest boarder at Stephens, but has
much better manners than most. She is quiet, until you get to know her and gain
her trust—then she’ll ask you about every single new word she comes across and
tell you stories about her life and family that can at times be hard to follow
to someone with as little Nepali as me. Her family is in Korea, she tells me,
and she will be going soon, too, although I am a little vague on what “soon”
means.
Kavya wins the Most Improved award for her writing. Just a
month ago, every single time I asked her to write something, she would be back
in my door complaining that she doesn’t understand what to do. After the
inevitable second and possible third comprehension check, she would use the
next 15 minutes writing the first word of an elusive sentence, and then chewing
her pencil and getting distracted by her fellow “studiers.” Now, she asks me
only once what my prompt means, and can usually figure it out herself with a
little help. Then I don’t see her again until she is done, most of the time
doing her writing by herself, sometimes with the help of Aaditi. I hope she
keeps writing in English even when she leaves for Korea.
Me: First, introduce yourself. That means tell me your name,
how old you are, things like that.
Kavya: My name is Kavya Subedi. I am nine years old. I study
in grade two. My father’s name is Raju Subedi. My mother’s name is Rama Subedi.
My brother’s name is [laughs, can't make out name] Subedi. My mother is beautician, she is 29 years
old. My father is an office man. He made some coffee, tea, like that, and bags,
like that, and he distribute to our family to use like that. And my father is
42 years old.
Me: What is your favorite subject in school?
Kavya: Health and G.K. and science
 |
| Laughing at my attempt at speaking their language |
Me: If you had to pick just one of them, which would you
pick and why?
Kavya: G.K. because in G.K. there is so many fun things, fun
things to write, many pictures. It is fun to write, study G.K. that’s why I
like.
Me: What’s your favorite animal?
Kavya: Cat. Cat is my favorite animal because my old family
liked cats. We had a cat. No, I don’t remember the name, but there is…
Me: Who is your best friend?
Kavya: Sayuri
Me: Why?
Kavya: She is intelligent, she teach me so many things, what
I don’t know. And she gives me lots of chocolate. And Sayuri’s father and my
father are best friends too.
Me: Oh that’s cool, do you two get to hang out outside of
school? What do you two do together?
Kavya: Yeah. On Saturday, when I was not at hostel, I [went]
on Saturday and I [went] to Sayuri’s home and we played. We played badminton.
Me: Badminton? I love badminton! Who won?
Kavya: Me. [Laughs]
Me: If you could
change one thing about this school, what would you change?
Kavya: I would change that, I would change that place where
that cars… scooters and cars, bikes, I would put a separate place to put that.
Me: Oh to put the vehicles in their own place? That’s a
great idea! Because we always have to yell at the kids to get out of the way of
the micros so they don’t get squished. Who is your favorite famous person?
Kavya: I can say name right now? …I forgot her name.
Me: What does she do?
Kavya: She is singer. Abeee, why do I forget so much today?
 |
| This picture makes me smile |
Kavya: I would say, “I love you. You can teach me like that,
singing?”
Me: Do you want to be a singer when you grow up?
Kavya: Yes. And dancer.
Me: You should do School Dance Champ next year.
Kavya: Next year I will be in another school.
Me: Oh yeah, where are you going to be next year?
Kavya: In Sundhara, there is one school called, what? Abee,
what happened to me, I forgot…… Oh Bagmati School!
Me: Like the river? Why are you changing schools?
Kavya: [Sadly] I don’t know.
Me: And I know that in two years you might be moving… Where
are you going?
 |
| She does look bored... |
Kavya: Korea.
Me: North or South Korea? [Laughing]
Kavya: South Korea.
Me: Good, good. And why are you moving there
Kavya: To study. And because I am living in Nepal so many
years I am feeling so bored and that’s why.
Me: Oh you’re bored with this country?
Kavya: In Nepal there is so polluted. Animal walking here
and there with…bum. With showing their bum, that’s why I don’t like Nepal.
Me: I love Nepal. There is more to Nepal than just
Kathmandu. There are a whole bunch of mountains and a whole bunch of rivers…And
in these mountains and across these rivers, there are people. And there are so
many different kinds of people who call Nepal home, people who worship
different gods, people who lead different lives--
Kavya: --Yes… some are Burmese, some are Tamang, some are
Tadu, some are…what to say… Christian, some are Rai Limbu, some are Sherpa,
some are Newar, some are…what to say?
Me: Wow you’ve studied your social book!
Kavya: ... I don’t like this city!
Me: Yeah, it is dirty, and the animals with their butts
hanging out… Yeah, you’re right. Korea will be fun, it will be such an
adventure. Ok another question for Kavya. What is your favorite part of the
day?
Kavya: Sir? My favorite part of the day when I was small I
used to steal and eat all grapes and curd. And kicking father and mother.
Me: Hahaha you told me about how much you love grapes! Ok,
so when you’re lying in bed at night, right before you go to sleep, what do you
think about?
Kavya: Sir…What my mother and father are doing in Korea…
Me: Ok so you can ask my friends and family--
Kavya: [Jumps out of her chair and looks over the balcony]
Sir calls! Sir calls for class 2! He will scold
Me: Oh no he won’t, just give me one more minute and I’ll go
down with you. I’ll make sure you don’t get scolded. Ok, so you can ask my
friends any question you want. Ask my friends one question about anything.
Kavya: I will say when your friends come to this school, I
will say don’t leave this school and…
Me: Oh you’re as bad as Aaditi! Fine. Is there anything else
you want to say? If you could say one thing and the whole world could hear you,
what would you say to the whole world?
Kavya: Don’t make this place dirty, polluted. I would say
that.
Me: That’s good! Anything else you want to say?
Kavya: [shakes head]
Me: Want to say bye?
Kavya: [looks confused, but waves and says it anyway] Bye!!
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