Not a huge day in terms of going out and pictures, but a TON of work got done, which is always good. I also hear that not only UNICEF but also the World Health Organization are trying to start a program in Nepal for — you guessed it — telemedicine. On October 7th, Hi Tech Pioneer (which as of last Thursday includes me) will meet with a representative from UNICEF. We’ll bring at least one of the computers running all the telemedicine software we are developing (a database for medical information, with files for individuals that can be forwarded over the internet), plus some hardware we’ve been working on. For instance, I took apart an old stethoscope and attached it to a USB microphone so doctors can do things like take pulse or check a cough from miles away, Muni is looking for flexible cameras we can use, etc.
The goal is to provide telemedicine stations to rural clinics, so that they can have direct communication with specialists in Kathmandu and around the world. The clinics will have all the necessary tools that you could expect from your average checkup at the doctor’s office, but should any patient develop symptoms that the local clinicians can’t treat, the patient’s medical data and case file can be instantaneously forwarded to experts complete with audio, video and pictures if need be. Muni is converting a few rooms here to be used as the telemedicine headquarters of sorts, which will have dedicated ADSL lines (ADSL lines are among the fastest internet connections you can get in Nepal). A number of Muni’s friends are doctors who have mentioned working with Muni on this telemedicine project, so the future is looking good.
Other than that, not much. Now that the festival is over, the atmosphere is much more relaxed. I went for a long walk with Muni and Sami to pick up some vegetables and fruit from a local market. They had all kinds of things, and we picked up onions, garlic, potatoes, sugar cane and coconut.
I’m still getting looks for being the only “tourist” in the non-tourist parts of town, and it’s a lot of fun to use as much Nepalese in conversation with locals as I can. I started off just by beginning each conversation with namaste and ending with shubha yatra, but now I’m trying to work in as much local language as I can. When I’m talking with Sami, I often call him bola keta or “crazy boy” when he’s up to his usual antics. I’m also trying to work on grammar, so that I leave Nepal with some semblance of understanding of the language.
This is Sami. I mistakenly taught him karate. Bola keta!
That’s all for now.
Charles
I was born in London, England. At the age of ten, I moved to Hong Kong, which opened up a whole new part of the world: Asia. Since then, I have enjoyed traveling to different locales around the world. Having graduated from High School, I am taking a gap year to work on a computer project in Nepal, and later a cultural immersion trip in Ghana. This is the blog I am using to keep the world notified. 
hey charles! looks like you’re having fun! photos are amazing. beautiful place