Category Archives: Life in Kathmandu

Honouring Fridays: August 29th, 2009

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Call me crazy, but I think I feel a chill in the air.  The temperature dipped below 20 degrees and as we scrambled to get the blankets back on the bed I realized just how much my internal thermometer has shifted.  Since when did 20 degrees become cold?  And how much will I shiver when I get home and an hour of rain isn’t followed by blazing hot sunshine?  But perhaps it isn’t temperature at all, but rather old habits driving this need to cozy up – with September around the corner it somehow just feels like the right thing to do.

  • Work days that allow for a quick venue research trip up a mountain to resort-ish type location where one can see the Himalayan vistas. Need I say more?  In comparison it would be like being asked to visit Whistler (albeit much less fancy) for a day and report back on the quality of the hotel rooms, meeting halls, and menus of possible workshop venues.   And our selection was…Hotel Country Villa.  Beautiful rooms, fantastic food and excellent (read inspiring) views.  Sigh…work is tough some days!  The only piece of this day that I was not as grateful for was the screeching and precariously speedy trip up the mountain side to get to said location.  Thankfully, I was not riding on the roof of a public bus…it was scary enough from the backseat of a car.
  • Pothole warnings.  due to some very heavy rainstorms lately, some of the paved roadways are developing rather large, almost crater like, holes.  On my regular walking route to the tuk-tuk stop I had noticed some sinking spots in the pavement.  But literally overnight, these sink holes had sunk to new lows…giant hollow spaces beneath the pavement, much like cracking the head of a chocolate Easter bunny – the hole may look small from the top but is cavernous underneath.  So, to warn drivers who are speeding through the streets the neighbourhood solution is to prop a tall tree-like branch into the hole.  No bright tape, coloured ribbons, massive orange cones, or heavily roped off areas.  Just a bamboo branch waving lazily in the breeze and blending very wall into the surroundings.  I admit the holes were fixed within a week, an excellent turnaround time for Nepal, but Iam still left marveling at the simplicity of it all.
  • Being able to get work done in a cyber. Cyber is Nepali speak for an internet cafe – minus the cafe.  A bunch of old computers crammed into a small shop along with phone booths, a copy machine, and some dusty office supplies.  Speeds vary, monitors are often discoloured and flickering, and keyboards have notoriously sticky keys.  But right now, we have no internet in our office and have not had for the past 3 months.  So, this means regular trips to the local cyber to check and answer email.  And I am still somewhat shocked (and grateful!) for the amount of work we manage to do in these little cybers.  The noise level is ridiculous, with locals calling family gone to work in the Middle East and yelling over a poor reception, the ergonomics would make any office rep cringe, and there are always a gaggle of folks reading email over your shoulder.  However, with a bit of focus and preseverance we have managed to operate this way for 3 months.  Not ideal, but somehow satisfying.  And a tribute to a culture like Nepal where people simply are not bothered by these small inconveniences.
  • Peanut butter cookies.  It was a moment of madness and I was blinded by a recollection of smell and taste.  I had been dreaming about this particular version of peanuttyness for a few weeks but thought that the feeling would wear off.  It didn’t.  It got worse.  So, after trying desperately to ignore it, I caved and sent R on a scrambling race to the corner store for some peanut butter and baked out my craving with only moments to spare before the power cut started for the evening.  They were delicious and I think worth the madness.  My only excuse is that it was a back-to-school treat (without the back to school part)!

Honouring Fridays: August 14th, 2009

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Last night I awoke to the most spectacular rainstorm we have had yet.  It sounded like rivers streaming from the sky and drowned out any other sounds.  I laid still for about half and hour and just listened to the sound, carefully looking for a change in pace, water volume, or drop intensity.  Straining to hear, you could make out the sounds of the rain falling on different objects – the banana trees in the yard were lashed and submissive, the leaves being torn by the heavy drops, the rhythmic thudding of the balcony downspout on the pavement 3 stories down, and the metallic spring of drops bouncing vigorously off the tin roof over the carport.  All these rains sounds wove together to create a cocoon inside our mosquito net – at that moment there was nowhere more secure, cozy or peaceful to be.

  • The countdown. It is literally one month until we embark on a 4-week vacation that feels like it just can’t come at a better time.  The 4 weeks will be blissfully free from work and allow me to remember just how amazing Nepal has been.  So, forgive me, while I not so silently jump for joy each morning when I look at my countdown clock on my Google homepage and see the numbers ticking down…such power those little numbers hold…I may not be living as directly in the moment as I may like, but I sure as heck have lots to look forward to!
  • Finding the lesson, despite how deeply it might be buried. With enough distance from my stressful and rather confidence defeating past weeks, I have had enough time to gather my wits and regain perspective.  And buried near the centre of all the junk is what I like to call the kernel of wisdom.  My kernel from the last weeks has been: don’t assume that lack of interest is equivalent to lack of caring.  
  • The smell of fresh guava. Not the prettiest of fruit but certainly the most intriguing.  Walking down a muddy alley in Kathmandu I could smell what seemed like a some rich and luxurious Parisian perfume – heady top notes of super sweet and fragrant fruit – like a strawberry married a pineapple.  Much to my suprise the smell was wafting from a precarious looking basket of rumpled yellow-green fruit.  The guava season had arrived by smell alone.  They are not the most delicious of fruits – in fact I would discourage you from going out of your way to find them for their taste value.  Oh, but the smell…the smell alone is reason to seek them out.  They permeate our entire apartment with their fruity, flowery, and steamy scent.  They smell like seduction, passion, and intrigue.  I think small animals, insects, and birds must be seduced by them too – it is a bewitching fruit.  I have since used them to make a rather perfumed sauce with honey and a raspberry tea bag which I hope to serve this weekend with a chocolate cake.  And true to Nepal, the fruit seasons just keeping bringing the most delightful surprises – wistful goodbyes to mangoes – flared nostril hellos to guavas!  And it probably wouldn’t surprise you to know that guava essence is a central ingredient in many perfumes too!
  • Cooking my way to good mental health. There is a term in our house that R and I use, particularly on weekends, when I emerge from a state of intense cookery…we call it the food coma.  Sometimes it is induced by eating all the fruits of my kitchen labours, but other times it it simply the coma from channeling every last drop of creativity and soul into making something tasty.  But I actually do believe that cooking has become an important mode of expression for me.  An outlet from some frustration, a chance to capture feelings on a plate. Nothing better than expressing myself and ending up with a delicious plate of food at the end of it.

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!

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!

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

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We are rounding the corner to the end of month 8 in Nepal.  It is really, really hard to believe.  But when I look at my life here, maybe it’s not so hard to believe after all.  I barely notice the roving cattle in the middle of the busy streets, I am adept at dodging various forms of excrement on the sidewalk, I didn’t blink when I saw the fruit man sharpening his knife on the edge of the curb, I feel naked with a jauntily tossed scarf around my neck, mangos have become their own food group, I can jump from taxi-micro-bus-tuk-tuk easily and without hesitation, I walk into oncoming traffic regularly and am confident that a brief wave of the hand will allow me to cross safely, and I am starting to think that the earlier in the day one gets to eat something curried, the better.

  • Teej. Shrawan is the name of the Nepali month from mid-July to mid-August.  Typically, all Nepali months are about the same length as Roman calendar months but they begin halfway through a Roman month and end halfway through the next Roman month.  Shrawan is an important month on the Nepali calendar for women.  During this month is the celebration of Teej.  Teej is a festival of women filled with dancing, singing, ritual bathing, and fasting for up to 3 days.  Red clothes are typically worn during this time to symbolize joy and happiness, reflecting also the marriage ceremony when women wear red saris.  Married women pray for happy marriages and healthy, long lives for their husbands.  Unmarried women pray for finding a good husband.  What I appreciate is a whole month with a strong focus on women.  True, the focus is on the role of women as wives, which seems limited and perhaps slightly old fashioned, but here in Nepal this is a very important role.  For me, it will be more about women coming together in kinship, spirit, and celebration.  And I did buy some green glass bangles, which promote health and good blessings for your husband…can’t hurt right?
  • My new lunch spot. With the new office move I found myself without the common comforts of my old office. Most notably lunch!  We had such lovely daal bhaat and curried vegetables every day and the thought of packing a lunch and slogging it all the way to work was unappealing.  So, I and my colleague Sujata, stepped out to find a nearby eatery.  We walked about 10 meters down the road.  And stopped.  And there was a lovely, small, local, and bustling shop.  Owned by a gracious and kind family that has developed a strong customer base from the private school next door – oodles of uniformed children stop there for snacks after class.  They sell some of the best samosas, alu chop (like a heavily spiced, chickpea flour coated, deep fried, mashed potato finger), and vegetable momos I have found in my time in Nepal.  And the momos are about 25 NPR which is about 25 cents….hard to beat.  Now we go twice a day – once in the morning for tea and samosas and once for lunch of momos, chops, and a cool Sprite.
  • Homemade Sun Tea.  Easily one of the most thirst quenching, satisfying, and quick drinks to make.  Tea is plentiful, sugar is local, and small lime/lemons – kargatti – are always available.  Plus, the regular and intense sunshine makes perfect sun-tea!  I read the numerous warnings about the health risks of sun tea (seriously?) and decided that the risks for sun tea and decidedly less risky than most of the other food I ingest on a daily basis.  I have taken to using flavoured teas like raspberry and peach (can’t get the real fruit here so the subtle flavour infused in the tea satisfies the basic need).  Topped with some sugar and fresh squeezed kargatti – delicious!
  • Gandharba musicians. One of my great VSO colleagues, Raj, comes from the musical Dalit caste, also called the Gandharba caste.  Historically, castes were formed by grouping certain professions.  Professions that were considered favourable, powerful, or prestigious are upper castes.  And those that were considered menial, degrading, or sacrilegious were deemed lower caste.  The arts, overall, were considered low caste professions and as such many of the Nepali artists belong to the Dalit caste.  Raj is passionate about his history and spends every free moment, when not working on VSO stuff,  promoting, sharing, and enhancing the public awareness of the Gandharba caste.  Today he was featured on a national radio program, he regularly writes articles for various publications, has won international awardsfor his work on Dalit issues, and he has recently helped to create a relationship with a musical school in India which provides a scholarship to one Nepali musicians each year and has just begun to offer a course in traditional Nepali music.  I am grateful for all he does to work on behalf of Dalits in Nepal, especially the very talented Gandharba musicians.  To download some Gandharba music to sample look here.

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.

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!

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.