Author Archives: Tlell Elviss

Mushroom and Paneer in a Cashew Yogurt Curry

Last week we made what I think may have been the most mouthwatering curry I have ever made – the addition of cashews and yogurt made for such a a rich and sumptuous taste. I have no pictures (I am a terrible picture taken when I am cooking…too much going on and not enough hands!), but the recipe is below.

The recipe came from a small local cookbook, the proceeds of which support a local technical school, Kumbeshwar Technical School for low caste and economically deprived people. A good meal for a great cause!

Mushrooms and Paneer in a Cashew Yogurt Curry

Serves 4

500g paneer, cut into ½ inch cubes. If you can`t find paneer, you can substitute halloumi cheese or easily make your own.
½ cup cashew nuts
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup thick full-cream yogurt
½ tsp turmeric poweder
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
2 Tbsp ginger and garlic paste (equal parts ginger and garlic pureed with a bit of water to make a paste…this is the foundation of all Nepali curries)
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup fresh diced tomatoes
Oil
Salt

Soak cashew nuts in water for about 20 minutes until they feel soft.

Pour a couple tablespoons of oil in the pan and fry paneer until it is golden brown and crusty on the outside. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add to the pan chopped onion and fry until golden brown.

Put onions, soaked cashew nuts and ½ cup water into a food processor or blender and puree to a thick paste.

Into the same pan as before add 2 more Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, turn down the heat and add all the spices, the ginger garlic paste, yogurt and the cashew puree and fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and diced tomatos to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid sticking. The curry should be thick but if it sticks to the pan add a small amount of water.

A Tribute to the Beginning of a New University Semester

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I am experiencing some serious nostalgia these days as I see the numerous notes from friends and old colleagues about the fact that students are just around the corner, set to enter university en masse for what will hopefully be one of the most satisfying and challenging learning experiences of their lives. And while I truly grateful to spend the months of August and September in a more relaxed and less frantic state of mind, I do remember just how exciting and important this time of year can be.

Campuses will be buzzing with activity again, moving trucks will mark the weekend moving madness, the supermarket shelves will be nearly empty as student apartments are stocked, some sort of back-to-school flyer will crowd out of every mailbox on the block, orientation programs will be scrambling to get the last bits in order for the big day, information booth duty becomes a central part of your job description, and those lovely, curious, keen, bright, and energetic students will come bounding into campus, hesitantly ready to make their mark.

And as the “fresh” students collide with the tradition and culture of the old, I am also reminded just how hard that clash can feel. The sense that there may just not be any room left for newness in all the oldness. The feeling of needing to “catch-up” and get there faster to ensure you blend in and avoid any cultural blunders. The wish for someone newer than you to arrive so you can feel experienced and knowledgeable again. It sounds hauntingly familiar to my own culture shock here in Nepal actually.

So…

To my old colleagues at UBC who are working tirelessly right now – I am with you! I can sense the energy and imagine the dedication, exhaustion, and anticipation you are feeling. Keep your eye on the end of September, keep your student leaders at the front, and yourself on the sidelines. Enjoy the familiarity and the camaraderie that this time of year brings – I will miss being part of that feeling that an entire campus is poised and looking towards the same goal. Watch it amazement as it all unfolds magically and with some predictability – another year, another slice of pizza 🙂

To the campus oldies, remember to make space for all the newness. Leave room for those who follow you to step into new roles, test new ideas, and change the campus that you have so willingly cared for and loved. You made it better and they will continue your legacy – but they might also begin some legacies of their own. Support and help them do that and then get the heck out of their way – you have a new role as the shoulders on which they will need to stand.

To the campus new ones, despite what it may seem (and it may seem exceedingly chaotic, large, overwhelming, and secret-club like) your new community has the potential to change your life. And you have the potential to change it right back. You will get lots of advice – you should listen to all of it, but choose to take only what seems valuable to you. There is space for you here to find whatever it is you are looking for – space to choose, to experiment, to explore, to change your mind, to disagree, to get swept up, to lose track, to find focus, and to learn.

And I am looking forward to being back and a part of the fray next year perhaps because there is no better place to work than on a university campus!

Honouring Fridays: August 14th, 2009

Honouring Fridays: August 7th, 2009

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I hear it is hot in Vancouver. Hotter than what would be considered usual for this time of year. And while I can sympathize with those West Coasters who are just not genetically engineered for this heat (and I feel absolutely terrible about the forest fires that are raging…they were actually featured in photo on the cover of a national Nepali newspaper this week…I could hardly believe my eyes)…but I digress. I just wanted to toss out a quick reminder that your version of hot is mild. Yesterday, I walked to work and by the time I arrived my shirt was actually soaking with sweat…and I mean SOAKING..dripping…could be wrung out with enough sweat to brew a cup of tea…gross. And there is no cool refereshing lakes, rivers or oceans…just large seas of rice paddies. In some of the southern areas of Nepal near the Indian border the temperature is regularly in the 40’s for weeks. So, it is hot on the West Coast but my sympathy extends only so far…until your brewing tea with your t-shirt sweat it’s not that hot 🙂

Cold marble floors. On those days when the temperature is insanely hot one of the most cooling things I can find to do is stand (or admittedly sometimes lay) in my kitchen. Usually associated with hot, steamy, splattering foods, the kitchen in my house is actually the coolest spot around thanks to the floor to counter slabs of marble. I find that I channel almost all my excess body heat through my feet so there is nothing more comforting than soaking up the cool through one sole…which inevitably cools the other soul.

Nimbleness. One of the things that I have learned since being here is just how much I appreciate nimble organizations. The type of organization that can be quickly responsive, adaptable, flexible, and strategic – that doesn’t get bogged down by adhering to excessive, circular, and semantic conversations. I truly believe that nimbleness is possible for an organization of any size, degree of hierarchy, or type of work. It is often thought that being smaller means being more nimble, but really it is more about the implementation of organizational structure not the actual structure itself. In a dictatorship, nimble is easy – boss makes decision and can change the decision based on new information at any time. In the same way, a more participatory organization could empower those most impacted to make the decision on behalf of the group. I believe that very few organizations recognize nimbleness as a high priority but I think this will become increasingly important – to stay ahead they will need to be nimble to remain competitive.
Good communication. Good things happen when communication is good. I was reminded this week that communication takes practice, patience, and listening. Listening. Listening. Maybe speaking. Listening. And no matter how experienced or capable you are in communication there will be tests of this skill – moments when your abilities fail you and you need to find some new strategies. But as soon as you stop allowing your communication strategies to evolve, the less able you will be to communicate.
Garlic and cheese rolls. Near our house there is a wonderful Italian bakery of which we only recently started taking full advantage. They make breads, cookies, pastries and other delicious goodies. But my indulgence there is singular. In fact, I don’t think my eyes even drift further than the large tray of warm garlic and cheese rolls. They always have my full attention, the garlic winking, the cheese seductively draping itself over the wholesome multigrain goodness. For those who know me well, they could tell you just how much I love savoury breakfast. So, for breakfast, we sometimes walk over for a breakfast treat and delicious latte (next door is a little coffee roasting shop that hand grinds beans and steams milk individually for each latte…divine and the best to be found in Kathmandu I think). Below is a photo tribute to this new Saturday morning ritual.

A little piece of heaven in the form of a roll.

Honouring Fridays: July 31st, 2009

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So, I am actually rambling away on a Thursday evening writing this blog. It is the eve of my first all-nighter in Nepal. A proposal so flawed it needs its own reality TV show must be perfect by tomorrow morning. So, to warm up the writing juices getting a jump start on the blog seemed like a good idea – especially because it reminded me to be grateful, as Fridays always do. Now, with a better, healthier, and more positive outlook on this all-nighter I am going to get to it.

Naspati. Another week, another magical fruit season. New to markets these past two weeks are naspati, the ubiquitous asian pear/applepear/Pyrus pyrifolia. These round and crunchy fruits are kin to the pear and while expensive at home, come at a ridiculously affordable price here. Last weekend for our regular Saturday gathering (where I have found my niche as honoured dessert maker) I made a poached version with a few tweaks to this recipe from Marvin at Burnt Lumpia. Instead of wine I used pomegranate and grape juice to poach, meaning I skipped the additional sugar in the poaching liquid. Served cold with fresh cinnamon cream, the reduced poaching liquid, and homemade cashew and almond granola they were delicious! Perhaps if you get yourself over here in the next month I could make you some…provided they are still in season…oh who am I kidding…if they aren’t in season something else delicious will be, so get the heck over here!

Girlfriends. Hard to imagine life without the care and love of a good group of girlfriends. But this week I think I realized just how much I miss those friends who are simultaneously an adviser and empathizer. They help sort out the myriad of emotions and yet somehow manage to remain both level-headed and compassionate – feeling what you feel but not getting so deep into the crux of it that they are no longer able to help dig you out. And they know you well enough to know when to challenge or to simply agree, when to pour a glass of wine or reach for the gin and tonic, and when a little laughter is better than tears. They just know. Thank you so much to all my girlfriends who have reached out over the past week with emails, snail mail, packages, and good thoughts. It was just the love I needed this week.
Knowing that I still have lots to learn. I guess this is not a new revelation. No thunder crashed or lightening flashed when I told myself this afternoon that I still have so much to learn. Because I actually don’t think this state of mind ever really changes. I always think I have much to learn, but the harder part is being grateful for it. It isn’t about being young or old, schooled or unschooled, experienced or unexperienced – it is about curiousity – about retaining that curiousity when you are learning something you maybe don’t want to learn. And that is something I still have to learn…to appreciate the lessons that are the hardest to appreciate.
Randomwebsitegenerator. Sometimes I need inspiration. And I read this article just the other day that suggested using randomly generate websites to inspire solutions to problems (they called them probortunities…don’t even get me started!). And I remembered a number of years ago this website that helped generate random URLs. So I tried it and found inspiration here, and here, and here, and here…places I may never have found otherwise if it wasn’t for my trusty randomwebsitegenerator friend. Thanks for the randomness friend!

Fear.

Honouring Fridays: July 24th, 2009

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Last weekend we took a fantastic day-trip hiking along the edge of the hills that surround the Kathmandu Valley. Spectacular views, excellent company, incredible Buddhist monasteries, and some much needed peace were the highlights. The single low-light: the most crowded and painful microbus ride through almost knee deep monsoon puddles after waiting for 45 minutes. It was totally worth the pain but clearly I need some practice on the whole Buddhist zen…the following conversation occurred between me and my brain during said painful micro ride:

Breathe in deeply (except while my nose is crammed into the armpit of the guy in front of me).

Breathe out deeply (and hope that guy in front of me doesn’t mistake my excellent belly-breathing as a sexual advance).

Let all the muscles from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes just relax and release (except for the muscles that are hanging on for dear life to the roof of the 10-person microbus that is currently carrying me and 50 other people through torrential rains).

Close your eyes (but occasionally scan the rain streaked windows for any landmark that looks familiar where I can make a fast exit).

Imagine you are floating (actually, I am floating, there are so many people on this bus that they have squished me upwards for lack of space and your feet are no longer connected with the ground).

Your weight is fully supported by a gentle breeze (actually it is not a breeze but the heavy breathing of the 50 people crammed inside this small space).

Let any thoughts you have surround themselves in bubbles and float away (how do I surround every curse word I have ever known in a bubble?).

Allow yourself to drift away, slowly, gently into the state of peace (or how about I just get the heck off and find a damn taxi!).

So despite my inability to release my ego and be zen, I do have many things to be grateful for.

Bacon. Greasy and salty, crunchy and chewy, deeply savoury goodness in the form of a fried strip of pig meat. Bacon is something I rarely eat here in Nepal. But the breakfast buffet at the hotel I stayed at for a workshop this week served bacon. And I ate it. All of it. I couldn’t stop myself – I actually went for a second helping of just bacon…who does that??!!! I think it reminded me of home and filled some sort of hole in my soul. It felt almost spiritual – like some inner food-god connection had been unleashed. Perhaps if I had carried some bacon on the micro with me the conversation above would be different. Don’t you worry bacon…we will have a rendezvous again soon, although this time I might just arm myself with some lettuce and tomato. Until then, I will keep you in my thoughts here.
I am grateful for realizing that it’s no longer my problem. We had a proposal due for funding today. It isn’t yet finished. I don’t know when it will be. We might get an extension but we might not. I poured heart and soul into helping to write this thing but couldn’t do it alone. I asked for help and nobody heard my call. I was seriously saddened and frustrated until I spoke with a good colleague, Jeevan, and he reminded me that it wasn’t my problem. I was propping up a crumbling building alone – even if I managed to stabilize one corner, it was still doomed to crumble. I did everything I could but if the building crumbles…I will be sad but it’s just no longer my problem.
Being in the right place at the right time. During our hike and monastery visits last week, just as we arrived at the final monastery, the thunder began to clap and a light rain began to fall. Almost at the exact same time a large drum began to sound inside the monastery. The Buddhist monks were being called to prayer. It was a practice of one of the traditional Tibetan chants. We were able to sneak inside and sit near the back and observe the ritual chanting. It was a beautiful combination of sounds – the booming of large drums marking a return to mindfulness, the gentle snap of fingers when a particular state of consciousness or being had been achieved and the gentle murmur of about 100 voices repeating the soft and rounded Tibetan words. With the rains outside it was the perfect place to be, without a plan and finding ourselves sitting on the edges of daily life in a monastery.
Rex. He has been trying to make it onto my blog for weeks. But I always tell him that I am ALWAYS grateful for him so don’t need to blog about it every week. But this week, I am more grateful for him than usual. He has been away in Hetauda and I am always reminded, when he is gone, just how much support, love, kindness, patience, laughter, and joy he brings to my life. You made the blog sweetie – now get on that crowded smelly microbus and come home soon!

Mehendi

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I blogged a couple weeks ago about the importance of the month of Shrawan to women. Many of the activities this month lead up to Teej (which, by the way I had mistakenly said was in July but which is actually near the end of August) and another important practice for many high caste, Brahmin Hindu women is the application of beautiful mehendi designs of intricate details to the palms of their hands. Traditionally, they apply the henna the night before the first day of the month of Shrawan, which was Wednesday night this week.

The ready-mixed henna paste is stuffed into a foil cone that narrows to a pin prick at the bottom (in fact a pin is inserted in the narrow end of the cone to keep the henna inside the cone). You can buy the dry powder but the cone is just much easier, especially for a novice like me. Remove the pin and gently squeeze the cone to release a narrow thread of the paste.

Before applying the henna women first, coat their palms with lemon juice or sugar water and let it dry. This helps the paste adhere really well to the skin and not flake off. Many women will apply the henna on the last night of the month of Bhadra and sleep with the henna on their hands until the next morning. It really does stick like glue to skin and can be difficult to get off, although it still feels a bit crunchy, like applying a face mask to your hand.

I timidly began to draw a design, having no idea what would be suitable. My colleague from work gave me a few ideas which was good asI think it helped make it look more authentic. But it was hard to get it as detailed as I would have liked. I saw some women on the bus the next day whose hands were so finely decorated it look like a red lace glove on their hand.

Below is a before and after picture of my first attempt – not too bad I think! Apparently, the darker the henna stains, the more your husband loves you…they say mine was very dark… 🙂

My hand with Mehendi still on — My hand with mehendi still on

Honouring Fridays: July 17th, 2009

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This week was difficult. A couple of experiences reminded me just how much distance remains in moving to a place where everyone has enough to eat, a warm bed, and the ability to have a small degree of choice in their own destiny. I recently read a great quote in a book, The People’s Act of Love, about what those who have never really suffered think when looking at those living in poverty. “And you thought: they’re used to it. But that was how those who suffered less always thought about those who suffered more, that they were used to it, that they no longer felt it as you did. Nobody ever got used to it. All they learned to do was to stop letting it show.” This week, I looked more closely at people around me and realized the truth of this statement. Nobody here is truly adjusted to being poor – they are just very good at disguising how it makes them feel. It can feel overwhelming and impossible to imagine how we can help millions and millions of people escape the cycles of poverty – dauntingly huge and terribly important. So this week I am reminded just how grateful I am for the basic essentials of life.

Having enough to eat. Many of the remote Districts in Nepal are facing a drastic food shortage this year. The late monsoon, still only barely having dampened the soil, will drastically reduce production and those who are subsistence farmers, producing only enough food to feed their families, will risk starvation. Land fertility is also decreasing due to increased use of harsh chemical fertlizers. It is easy to feel very distant from such basic needs when shelves are stocked high with packaged and imported foods. The “have money, will pay” philosophy wins out – those who have money will never feel the effects of going without food. It will always be those who simply cannot afford to eat anything but what they grow that will die from starvation. Our bellies are over-full. We have absolutely no reason to ever complain.
Feeling secure and safe. Recently in Kathmandu there has been a tidal wave of insecurity due to a rash of kidnappings. The fear and worry has gotten to a point where groups of citizens have taken the law into their own hands and killed people they suspected to be kidnappers only to find out that they were not. Previously, kidnappings were politically motivated and occurred between parties. But now, it seems the are more motivated by money – an easy way to extort money from wealthy families. There is nothing safe and secure about being a parent or child in Kathmandu these days. I am grateful for not feeling that my life is at risk.
My health. In the far western region of Nepal there has been a recent outbreak of rather terrible diarrhea. It started months ago but caused no alarm within the power capital of Kathmandu. It took up to a month for the government to mobilize any medical teams to address the problem. And it is now too late. They are assuming that it is a result of unsanitary drinking water (also no move has been made to rectify this problem) and are blaming the disaster on poor public awareness about sanitation. I am ever grateful for public health care and clean drinking water. We have an exceptional facilities in Canada – there is always room for improvement but I can be pretty certain that it is very unlikely that I will die from unclean water or extreme diarrhea. And that is something to be incredibly grateful for.
I got to go to school…even though I was a girl…and they spoke my language in the classroom. The government released the new budget this week, much to the anticipation of many citizens. Working in education advocacy in Nepal means that the most important number in the budget was the allocation to education. Did we see an increase? Will it be enough to carry out the promise of free and compulsory education for all Nepali children? Well, the budget came in at about 16% – not terrible, but not a great improvement. It is true that it is the most that education in Nepal has ever been allocated. But the international standard and recommended allocation is 20% of the GDP. Salaries for employees make up the bulk of this 16%, leaving little left for scholarships, textbooks, classrooms, resources, and teacher training. The quality of education depends on the quality of the government’s investment. Without a stronger investment there will continue to be girls, ethnic minorities, and Dalit children who will go without access to this basic right. If you can read this then you have many reasons to be grateful.

Honouring Fridays: July 10th, 2009