Author Archives: Tlell Elviss

Honouring Fridays: July 3rd, 2009

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After all that waiting for monsoon rains, they have fully arrived along with streets turned into rivers, mud up to your ankles (and who knows what else might be mixed into that mud…just keep walking and don’t think about it!), and umbrellas an absolute must-have item in your bag.  But for me, it feels so much like home.  Well, maybe not SO much like home.  More like what I imagine the love-child of a wet Vancouver Spring and a humid Ontario summer might be like:  damp, grey, hot, sticky, and raining like the sky has been torn to shreds.  But it is still rain, and I missed the sound, smell, and feeling of it all.  Everything feels cleaner, greener and fresher…except of course for all that mud…now that’s just dirty!  This week’s gratitude goes entirely to the earth-quenching goodness of rain.

  • Jelly shoes. I never before contemplated just how important footwear would be during the monsoon.  I knew I would need to get something better than the Birkenstocks, as leather doesn’t really play well with mud and rain.  But I had been struggling to find something that would be supportive and durable enough to wear all day every day for the next few months – flips flops spray mud up the back of my kurta and long scarf and that is just not very chic.  The answer was so simple…plastic shoes!  Like the jelly sandals of my childhood I suddenly see every woman wearing a bejeweled, flower topped, trendy little pair of jelly sandals.  And while I still have not been able to find a shop that sells them in my size, they are the answer to my quest…no need to buy Chanel or Givenchy jelly shoes for $400 when a pair of chinese imported ones cost only $1.60.
  • The frog symphony. You know who else loves the rain.  The frogs.  I awoke last night to what I thought was the hum of a car or the rumble of the refridgerator only to discover that the frog symphony had begun!  Hundreds or thousands of the little critters must live in the empty lot behind our house.  And together, croaking to an invisible rythm, they drown out the barking dogs!  It is actually insane just how loud they are (one might even think we live in a swamp) but at 4am with the rain tumbling down and the froggy murmurs filling the silence, it is an absolutely beautiful music.
  • Green. The rain has also changed the landscape of Kathmandu.  When we arrived in November, the dominate shade of everything was dust – a brown film of particles had simply covered everything.  Now, I noticed yesterday a lawn, that I am certain wasn’t there the day before.  It looked bright easter basket green, sparkling with drops of water, and growing by the second.  Grass?  Really?  But I swear, they have appeared overnight and all of a sudden are EVERYWHERE.  Everything green has found its season yet again – the bamboo shoots, the banana trees, the rhododendrons, the marigolds, the dhalias, the tropical plants that you have at home in your house that are the size of small trees here – everything is lushly, moistly, and exuberantly green.
  • Coffee, drizzle, jazz, and a good book. Regardless of the temperature rain brings me into a cozy state of mind.  Having grown up with rain as a constant feature of life on the West Coast of Canada there is something so patient, peaceful, and soothing about a good rain.  Add to that rain a healthy dose of good jazz music, an excellent cappucino, and a good book and I think there is nothing that would feel more satisfying.  There is a fantastic, second floor, coffee shop in Kathmandu called the Java Cafe that serves up locally grown and roasted coffee.  The covered patio when it is raining is one of my favourite places in Kathmandu.  They play great jazz music too.  And as long as I bring a good book, I want for nothing but more time to sit and enjoy the moment.

Rooted

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home. my place and space, where water coloured edges fray with memories.

invisible roots plunge deeply and firmly, anchoring souls,  like a salmon remembering their stream

home.  my memories tumbling in the waves. they are smoothed and rounded and soft. the jagged edges no longer burn with salt.

the tides ebb and flow even when I am landlocked.  the moon tugs at the current and waves rush to fill a small gap in my heart.

home.  where deep, salty waters preserve my roots.

Honouring Fridays: June 26th, 2009

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Terrible nasty chest infection and head cold-2.  Tlell-0.  I had thought, and pardon the visual nature of this next paragraph (please skip if desctiptions of illness, bodily fluids or somewhat gross cultural habits make you the least bit naseous), that any sickness I would encounter in Nepal would likely result in symptoms of the spewing variety or the ever persistent and enviable “bottom explosion”.  I discovered, however, that my achilles heal when it comes to sickness is respiratory.  I must have a magnetic field that attracts the bugs that cause the worst possible head colds and chest infections.  The coughing, hacking, I-just-swallowed-sandpaper, head pounding type of cold that confines one to the Neocitron, sleep, groggy movie watching, sleep cycle has gotten me twice in the last 6 months.  And I have no doubt it will strike again.  The plus…I can eat as much unwashed fruit and unsantized vegetables as I please and seemingly never have stomach or bowel problems…the minus…I still haven’t got the hang of blowing my nose by standing in the street, pressing one nostril in, blowing out the other, and letting whatever comes out drip into a puddle on the ground…I rely heavily on tissue and am a-ok to keep it like that…it just means I have to carry around rolls of toilet paper in my purse.

  • Asparagus.  Like a light sabre of glowing green goodness, the pointy green spears lured me.  I had never thought that asparagus would be a vegetable of discovery here in Nepal but just up the road from my house there is an small organic asparagus growing farm, which conducts research and hosts workshops on how local farmers can grow asparagus.  I eagerly popped into the small lane and nosed around until I found the place.  ALAS!  They didn’t have any just yet…that was 4 weeks ago.  And today (trumpets please!) the large grocery store near out house had bundles and bundles of them!  Who could resist?  Tomorrow morning, we plan to have an asparagus eating competition, followed rather closely by everyone’s favourite toilet game…how can you tell I ate asparagus today? 😉
  • Eating in restaurants where nobody asks you “how does everything taste?”. There was a moment of clarity this week when out eating in a restaurant where we realized why it was so much more enjoyable than eating out in Canada – they let you enjoy yourself and only interrupt when you beckon them!  Genius!  I am all for prompt and efficient service in restaurants but I do believe that the continual witty banter, checkin’ in, and crouching next to my table to really get to my level has gone a bit too far.   Granted, sometimes you can feel neglected, ignored, or even snubbed but it doesn’t take long to realize that the power is really in your hands – when you want something you just have to ask and when you want for nothing, you can bask in it knowing that nobody is hovering to anticipate your every need.
  • All-natural silver cleaner. My silver jewelery has been taking a beating since we arrived (explains why every Nepali woman is decked out in gold…apparently silver tarnishes much faster than other metals and is accelerated in places with high humidity…Nepali women know best!).  In efforts to stay away from harsh chemicals I did some quick searching for a natural solution.  All you need is baking soda, aluminum foil and hot water!  Or toothpaste.
  • Visitors! We are eagerly awaiting the arrival, in just over 2 1/2 months, of my parents from Canada.  There is something so satisfying about having a date, firm and confirmed, in the near future when you will have a new injection of excitement into life.  You get to see your new home through fresh and unjaded eyes which can make everything look so very different.  I think it will gives us new appreciation for what an amazing adventure we are having and the last kick of energy before we close our time in Nepal.  I am grateful for counting down…only 80 days left!

Honouring Fridays: June 19th, 2009

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The monsoon is a week late.  The temperature has soared into the high 30’s and can only be set to rest with the advance of the monsoon.  Apparently it is predictable – every year there is a date that all Nepali’s anticipate when the monsoon rains rush in and quench the thirst of farmers who need to rains for their rice crops.  Being late is a big deal.  Without the rains their rice crops will not produce the food that they require for their families.  And it means that water in the capital city is also limited – less coming through the pipes means less stored in the large tanks atop many of the buildings in Kathmandu.  The recent prediction is that it will arrive in 10-15 days…we hold our breath that the rice crops will still be viable and get comfortable with our sweat and dirt…the rains will come.

  • Airtreks.  With tickets finally “in-hand” for our ridiculous round the world adventure (airport codes in order are: KTM-DEL-HKG-NRT-HNL-OGG-NRT-MNL-AUH-CDG-LHR-KEF-YYZ-YVR) that begins in January, I couldn’t be more grateful to the good folks at Airtreks for all their help.  They helped us navigate our complicated route, found the best deals, and offered some great customer service.  And although it looks expensive on the surface, when one considers the various flights and connections we are making it was pretty darn reasonable.  While many of the legs will be just quick airport stops, some will be the beginning of incredible new experiences – who could resist a 3-day, no extra charge stop-over in Iceland!
  • New colleagues and new offices.  Much to my great excitement, and what may go down as my single biggest accomplishment here in Nepal, my organization, National Campaign for Education, Nepal (NCEN…used to be GCE Nepal but they changed their name…long story) has a new office!  And with that office comes a newly hired full-time Program Coordinator.  I now work 3 days a week with my new colleague Sujata in a small house in Thapathali.  We rent two small rooms on the cool and shady ground floor.  She is keen, talented, and really fun to work with.  Plus, she loves financial management and that is where we need to most help.  I hope these final six months are full of good progress and am so grateful for some new energy at work.  Plus, our office has an avocado tree in the yard…this will probably be the only time in my life I can say that 🙂
  • Didi.  Didi is a Nepali word which means older sister.  It is a term used for your actual older sister, but also used for a woman who is older than you, but not old enough to be your mom, whom you want to address somewhat respectfully (otherwise you would use bahini (sounds like tahini) which means little sister but is disrespectful if you use this term for someone older than you). In our house we have a lovely didi who washes our laundry for a small monthly fee of 500 NPR (about $8 CAD).  She is the sweetest Nepali woman and we are so grateful to have her service.  While I sometimes feel guilty for not washing my own clothes, the reality is that for many Didi’s who clean houses and do laundry, this is the only income they have.  I will happily pay a fair and ethical wage to employee a local woman to earn some money.
  • Barfi.  Alright now…stop giggling about the name.  This is one of my favourite sweet treats in Nepal – an Indian treat that is actually widely available around the world.  I prefer a pistachio or cashew barfi, but it can also be made with coconut, almonds, chick pea flour, chocolate, mango, or carrot!  This weekend, I hope to try my hand at some barfi-making for a dinner party this weekend – I will try to post some results of that effort and let you know how the carrot barfi turns out!

More perspectives on aid and development work

In my continued effort to wrap my brain around the aid and development field and my endless internal debates about what I really think, what I think I should think, and what I am actually seeing, I am always thrilled when friends, who have much more experience in this whole biz than I, send me links to things that throw new ideas into the mix.

Many thanks to K for sharing these short videos, from Beyond Good Intentions.  More food for thought 🙂

Honouring Fridays: June 12th, 2009

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As many of you know the past week was a momentous. Tomorrow marks exactly 7 months since arriving in Nepal and tomorrow also marks the beginning of the last 6 months we will spend here! A big decision, not taken lightly, that we will be departing this beautiful country in January and embarking on some travel adventures to Hawaii, the Philippines, Europe, and Toronto, before returning back to the West Coast around September 2010. Described in 4 words it feels: marvelous, satisfying, sad and thrilling.

  • Mango squeeze. I talk about mangoes every week. They continue to amaze me with their variety, ability to satiate the sweetest of teeth, and health properties. But this week, I would like to highlight their portability! Not normally lauded for their ease of opening, slicing, and eating I have come to learn that they are one of the most portable snack foods around. Provided, you know the right way to eat them. I like to call this a “mango squeeze”:

Instructions:

  1. Buy a small ripe mango – the small Philippine kind works well – should fit easily into the palm of your hand.
  2. Gently squish the mango with your thumb, slowly working the fruit away from the peel and pit inside. Note…mango is still whole and uncut…skin is completely sealed.
  3. Bite a small hole in the skin at the end of the mango, where it was once attached to a branch.
  4. Slowly and carefully squeeze the pulp from the skin. Eventually, all you will be left with are pit and skin – toss into the compost and relish the fact that you are free from sticky mango juice and have eaten the whole thing.
  • Alternate perspectives on aid. Before coming to Nepal, I previously believed that development work, was a field of work built on passion, social justice, and mutual respect. And while I have met some incredibly inspiring individuals who embrace these qualities, the reality is that development is an industry. The money that channels through these countries is astounding! For a country like Nepal, with up to 50 years of development work, the money has long been sufficient to create a more equal, fair, and inclusive society. But, there is no incentive to achieve this vision, as it would mean a loss of jobs for many, many people. Enter a brilliant economist, Dambisa Moyo, whose perspective on aid in Africa, while contentious and provocative, is truly a reflection of what I have observed in Nepal.
  • Having friends around the world. Since we posted a quick update about our travel plans starting in January, we have been flooded with lovely offers of places to stay and people to visit all over Europe. Nothing is more heart-warming than knowing that despite long gaps of time there are people willing to welcome you into their home and share a meal with a wandering visitor.
  • This. “When you care enough to hit send.”

And a special “welcome to the world” shout out to new baby Frei who arrived yesterday! Congrats to the family and watch out Ohio…you now have a Frei/Mordarski on the loose 🙂

Honouring Fridays: June 5th, 2009

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The weekend ahead is full relaxing – no plans and no plans to make any plans.  When I started posting blogs on Fridays the idea was to recognize just how much potential and excitment was wrapped into a Friday – to honour that magical anticipation with some bold words of appreciation.  I am amazed that after writing posts for every Friday since January, I am still full of things to be grateful for.  And while I may have slipped for moments of whining, focussing on the positive things has certainly kept my spirits high and my perspectives in check…no problems, just inconveniences 🙂

  • Lychees.  The season of fresh lychees is in full swing all over Nepal.  The rough brown and pink exterior hides inside a rather gelatinous looking eyeball of sweet, juicy goodness.  I, for one, don’t mind the texture but I could see how it may throw some people off.  Eaten by the dozens they leave the fingers sticky with sugar and rough shards of husk everywhere!  But they are beautiful to look at and sold by the 1 kg bunch from the neighbourhood fruit seller.  I discovered that I had many unanswered questions about the lychee that wikipedia just didn’t have the answers to – enter LycheesOnline with the best set of FAQs I could find including “Can I plant the seeds from my lychee fruit to grow a lychee tree?” – everytime I eat a lychee is this the question I ask myelf.  The answer – YES!
  • Change. The VSO Office in Nepal is undergoing some very drastic changes over the next few months.  Staff are moving on to new opportunities, having babies, and shifting focus.  Additionally, there is a large corporate strategic review happening right now as well.  Everything is in flux.  Nothing feels stable or firm.  However, deep inside that change is opportunity.  It is small, hard to see, and sometimes only evident after squinting for a really long time, but in the distance is the light at the end of the tunnel that brings fresh ideas, renewed energy andexceptional creativity.  There is much to be grateful for but today I am grateful for possibilities.
  • Will Ferrell in Man Vs. Wild.  So, Man vs. Wild is apparently, a really popular show on Discovery channel.  I don’t watch it but I couldn’t resist downloading an episode that featured the Man (Bear Grylls) out in the Arctic of Sweden with Will Ferrell.  It was fantastic!  And it helped cool me down with the scenes of snow and ice in this humid hot house of an apartment.
  • Getting out of Kathmandu. Last weekend we took to the river and had an amazing time rafting through the green hills of Nepal.  What I appreciated most about this experience was that it pulled the focus away from Kathmandu and reminded me just how incredible Nepal truly is.  The geography is extreme, the beauty is intense, and the poverty is very real.  But the poverty, while shocking to some, is simply life for many Nepalis.  They eat what they can grow and live simply.  So, while we make every effort to help Nepali people eliminate poverty, let us not also remove their ability to choose in the process.  While we may see the benefits of refrigerators, cement houses, and products for every possible cleaning dilemma, they see the benefits of house made from local materials, eating daily and not relying on foods that need to stay cold, and having immune systems that cleaning products would actually weaken.  Poverty is not equivalent to a desire to change or a need for a different life.  It means the need for food, clean drinking water, and education – and then choice to determine the type of life they want.

Fresh pictures from a rafting extravaganza!

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Spent last weekend floating down the Trisuli River with a great group of friends.  Two full days of rafting with the night in between camping on a lovely sandy beach along the river.

Two shout outs for the great trip.  The first, a local family run company, International Adventures Treks & Expeditions that organizes such adventures – Harka and his wife Emma are two of the best folks we have met here in Nepal.  He is a past Gurkha and Emma is an import from the Phillipines so we feel right at home.  They have joined us on our trips to Chitwan and rafting, so it feels more like family than anything else.  Second, Himalayan River Fun, our actual guides who moved us safely down the river, cooked fantastic meals, and hauled us all back into the raft following extended swims as we floated down the river.

A selection of some of the best photos and videos full of action and fun are uploaded here.   But a few of the extra special ones below for your viewing pleasure.

I am ready to hit the river complete with every protective element possible, including sunscreen
We spent the night camped on this sandy beach. The tents were stifling hot but at about 3am the monsoon rains broke and eased the heat. Cooler and it was a lovely to fall asleep listening to the sound of rain hammering down on the top of the ten while we were warm and cozy inside.
We spent a good chunk of time in the water and NOT in the raft – nothing like floating down the river (of course most Nepalis do this without a lifejacket or safety helmet.
Scenery was spectacular for the whole ride. Huge tropical mountains all lush and green.

Honouring Fridays: May 29th, 2009

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In efforts to get a jump on my blog post due to a white-water rafting extravaganza happening this weekend, I am writing this on Thursday night.  Usually peaceful and quiet evenings are the norm in our cozy little neighbourhood.  However, tonight we have the distinct privilege of a wild and noisy party happening next door.  Ordinarily, I might be particularly bothered by this disruption of peace but it is hard to be mad when the crowd is grooving to a great live band and screaming the lyrics to Bon Jovi and the Police songs at the top of their lungs…if I close my eyes I could be anywhere…when I open them I am both surprised and tickled to remember I am rockin’ out to Bon Jovi in Nepal 🙂

  • Plums. Appearing in street-side wicker baskets all over the city, the bright red and yellow globes are the new must-have fruit of the season 🙂  About the size of very large cherries with intensley bitter skin and sweet juicy insides they are the perfect accessory for fruity salads or workplace snack attacks.  And the pits make great chew toys for long bus rides and are fun to spit out the windows of moving vehicles.  Plus, they are THE newest super food…watch out plums…you may have tried to stay out of the spotlight but I think you might be headed into the super food fastlane…ask the blueberry for tips on handling the “pit”falls of fame and fortune.
  • The sound of children playing in the alleys near our house. From the sterile and serene environment of our Vancouver apartment to our bustling and yet peaceful neighbourhood in Kathmandu, the sounds have changed with the seasons (the evening dog choir is the only constant) and we now have frogs, crickets, and monsoon rains to soothe us to sleep.  But the most joyful and happy sound is actually the sound of the neighbourhood kids playing in the alley.  Squeals of delight at being caught in the rain, laughter when a friend gets lost in the empty lot, beautiful singing of one of the many traditional folk songs, and shouts between competitors in one of the many imaginative games they play.  It is the sound of complete comfort and reminds me just how inventive and creative kids can be with nothing more than each other for company.
  • Braids.  It has been an incredibly long time since my hair was long enough to braid.  Ponytail, yes, braid, not quite.  But the time  has come to march the braid out.  I have dreams of having those long thick braids that many Nepali women have – glossy, black, and as thick as a rope – it will never happen but one can dream.  Instead I parade a more meak and sad version of the braid, thinly woven into a teeny tiny blonde rat-tail like braid (it feels this bad but I have been assured by credible sources it is not this bad).  Braids hold a kind of earth mother mystique for me – perhaps beause my own mom worn one in my early years – but I always feel like I should bake bread, till the earth, and milk cows when I wear a braid.  Natural, earthy, and maternal – all stylish looks in Nepal.
  • Having less choice. I walked past a sign this afternoon in a large kitchen appliance shop.  Their slogan “130 modles of kitchen appliances, with more on the way” .  WHO needs 130 types of fridges and stoves to choose from? In Canada, I remember quite vividly suffering from my need for choice.  In fact, I carried it all the way to Nepal and have only just recently shaken the need.  I bought my first kurta surwal (Nepali clothes) after visiting 6-8 different tailor shops, patiently searching for the perfect fabric and colour.  I was certain that if I looked a bit further I would find exactly what I wanted – in psychological terms this is called being a maximizer.  But it didn’t take too long for me to realize that the quest for that perfect something was entirely built upon my need for excessive choice – to leave no stone unturned before making my decision.  Yesterday, I went to two shops, next door to each other, to buy another kurta surwal.  I looked at the options, picked the two that pleased me the most, got measured, and left.  I liked what I chose and felt no urge to keep searching for something better – I have become a satisficer!  More choice for me meant I was paralyzed by options…less choice meant I got to buy something lovely and had enough time left to stop, buy some plums, watch the kids play, braid my hair, and smile knowing that all the choices in the world would not make up for missing the opportunity to live in this moment.

Honouring Fridays: May 22nd, 2009

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Let’s keep this short and snappy shall we?  Time has been creeping away from me lately and I find myself on a Friday afternoon facing into a weekend jam-packed with meetings, presentations, language refresher classes, and proposal reading and have just finished up a week that contained a 4-day volunteer conference with full to bursting days.  So, I am in the mood to get straight to the point – no waxing poetic or philosophizing about life in Nepal.  Just some honest-to-goodness moments of gratitude worthy of sharing and then on to enjoying this lovely Friday evening.

  • Debate. Alright, I hate debate.  I loathe the strict and structured format, the polarization of opinion, and the outcome of motions “standing or falling”.  However, this week, I saw the value of debate.  It kep people quiet.  More specifically, it kept the people who talk too much quiet and gave the people who did talk a time limit.  And while I don’t find the process of debate fulfilling, I sure do like the silence it can provide.  I can think of a number of meetings where this would be helpful here in Nepal – keeps the loud ones quiet enough to here the voices that are mere whispers.
  • Miracle ovens. One of the highlights for the volunteer conference was that we had a cooking demonstration session.  A group of us put together a collection of easy recipes one can make on a 2 ring gas burner or in a miracle oven.  I took the challenge and produced a chocolate cake!  Over a gas burner!  Thanks goes entirely to the magical Miracle Oven. A miracle oven is like a bundt pan that sits oven a gas flame with a lid over the top.  The centre hole in the pan allows heat to move through the centre and create an oven-like atmosphere in the bundt pan.  Amazing, but true, a perfectly moist and delicious chocolate cake was mixed and baked over one gas flame 🙂  Loaves and fishes…pshaw…chocolate cake is the true miracle!
  • OR2K. One of my favourite new restaurants in Kathmandu, serving up magically delicious Israeli food.  How I did not find this months ago, I will never know, but surely am glad I found it now.  Last night we went and had falafel, hummous, baba ghanoush, a soured cream cheese dip, and a spicy tomato spread all slathered on thick and soft pieces of naan bread.  I will admit that the place is more than a little touristy but the food is so delicious it is hard to resist and the prices are reasonable.  It is hard to imagine getting jazzed up by hummous but the escape from curry was heavenly, even just for one night.  OR2K means “Light to Kathmandu” in Hebrew.
  • Great chimeckiharu (neighbours).  We live in a building with great people.  We have caring landlords and even a couple of fledgling friendships with people in the building.  Yesterday, I rescued a pigeon trapped in our stairwell with the girl downstairs.  And Rex might take motorcycle lessons with the guy on the first floor.  They are good people and I am so grateful to have good people who live in such close proximity.  There should be a day every year for people to honour their neighbours…to thank them for being good and neighbourly…I think it should be May 22nd every year.  In fact, I think I will begin this year – if you want to join me cross the hall, road, or field and bring that neighbour of yours some cookies!