A few things of distinction between Nepal and San Francisco:

Here: Laundry Machines

There: Clothes and linens are brought to a spout by the side of the street for washing. Cars and motorcycles drive by and kick up putrid trash and auburn dust into the mix, like detergent. The children at the original Little Princes were fortunate enough to launder at a running river an easy walk away without dams of trash.

Here: Finished products

There: Beginning of the production cycle. Walk by bean stalks and rice sifters, taking advantage of post monsoon harvests. Nothing is packaged. Clothing stores just have rows and rows of raw material, unsewn and made to order. Rachel, who manages the new NGN children’s home says that they never really get the sizing right. Buying clothing becomes a fun game of chance.

Here: Size and girth

There: Doors reach a height of 5 foot 5. Cows are smaller and skinnier than Harvey, Adam’s Tibetan mastiff, and I could probably pick up 5 goats in one arm.

Here: 5-minute lunch breaks

There: The children at the Karnali House sit cross-legged on the floor of the kitchen (some on bamboo mats) and pray before eating. They then sip milk tea and dip biscuits in it for lunch. Mint tea is passes around after, before running off to do homework or do flips in the living room.