Category Archives: Life in Kathmandu

Honouring Fridays: May 29th, 2009

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!

Honouring Fridays: May 8th, 2009

This week contained an incredible amount of change for Nepal, with the resignation of the Prime Minister, amidst some of the most complicated accusations and juicy political scandal imaginable. Videos circulating of lies the previous PM told the UN, unconstitutional moves by various individuals that have been called `illegal`, and a `constitutional coup`. And while the rumour mills and gossip chains are on fire with chatter, the rest of life rolls along, as it must. The regular folks (and that includes me) got up and went to work, drank their tea, made dinner, and tried with all their might to hope that stability and peace would succeed.

Packages. R`s mom sent us a lovely package that arrived early this week. The anticipation of opening them, the secret treats that are hidden inside, the carefully wrapped and addressed box…packages are a treat (cards and letters are just as wonderful!) that we dearly look forward to. It is true that we can get just about anything we need here, but there is still something lovely about knowing that someone somewhere thought enough about you to drop something in the mail.
uTorrent. The source for my regular fix of bad yet totally addictive TV. Until now, our power situation was too dire to even consider downloading anything remotely large. But lately, we have been the recipients of magical power that stays on for…gasp…DAYS…at a time!!! Which has meant some quality utorrent downloading. I am slowly finding my way back to the centre of pop culture.
Courage. I am currently wading through some rather intense and unfortunate group politics in my work that has had me questioning not only myself, but the worth, value, and possibility that the work we do can actually change education for children. I was reminded yesterday that there are so many Nepalis who have been fighting this same fight for their entire lives – demanding that Dalit members of their society have the same rights, opportunities, and access to quality of life that caste based discrimination has prevented them from having. While I struggle to keep faith in humanity, my Dalit colleagues can look at this and see it simply, as one more challenge to be overcome. My emotions still get the better of me, my hope and faith slowly drains, and I know that my courage is only a sliver compared to the courageous folks who live with this every single day of their lives. I am grateful that they feel the courage to keep on fighting the good fight.
Tuna. We have once again discovered the joys of canned tuna. I know, not much of a discovery, but I had somehow forgotten how delicious a tuna sandwich, rich with mayonnaise and studded with sour little pickle bites could be. How much it reminded me of home. Part of this discovery was also the holy grail of a good tuna sandwich…good bread. A local hotel makes fresh french bread – toasted and smothered with tuna and cheese brought us right back to home. Mitho thiyo! (It was tasty!).

Follow the leader…unless he resigns!

Honoring Fridays: April 17th, 2009

Honouring Fridays: April 10th, 2009

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Looking back on the past year it strikes me just how much my life has changed. So much happened! The anniversary of our elopment is this weekend on April 12th. Rex decided to pull a surprise and book a wonderful 4-day weekend in Pokhara…he spilled the beans this morning when he mistakenly mentioned that “while we are in Pokhara…”. Also, many thanks to VSO for moving our marriage decision forward in a big way…got married so we could volunteer in Ethiopia and here we are in Nepal…whoops…well good thing that if we ever need to volunteer in Ethiopia we will be ready : )

This weekend will provide some time to reflect on the past year and dream about adventures in the year ahead. Next week is also Nepali New Year – a timely moment to be celebrating our anniversary and thinking about the beginning of another year together. This post is all my gratitude towards that handsome man in the photo over there…

The way you make me tea in the morning. Mornings begin early here. And while this doesn’t mean we actually get out of bed before 6am, this does mean that the sounds of our neighbourhood waking up start around 4.30am. So, there are many mornings when waking up is hard…regardless of how early you get to bed the night before, 4:30 is still an early time to begin the slow process of waking. But the best, best, best part about every morning is knowning that you will sneak out of bed, walk down to the little shop on the corner and buy milk so we can have tea in the morning. A small action but I know there is lots of love in that dudh chiyaa.
The way people just like you. I take some time to warm up to new people. I am friendly enough but know that new friends will be kept at an arm’s length until I have made up my mind. You, however, are just how I wish I could be – open, warm, genuine, and immediately likeable. How many times have we met a new group of people and they have remarked to me, in confidence later, just how much they truly enjoy you. You are everyone’s favourite warm-hearted soul and I am proud to snuggle my soul next to your kind soul.
Your passion…for libraries, for small towns, for rural life, for gardens, for technical gadgets, for peggle, for www.thegreenpages.ca, for blogging, for the West Coast, for my cooking, for the internet, for friends, for taking a nice walk, for enjoy what is, for adventure, for trying anything once, for taking care of people, for helping, for family, for goodness, for peace, for all that is right in the world. It is contagious and inspiring to watch you dream and imagine what is possible. I am a greater believer in the unreal and impossible because I see you make it real and possible every day.
Your hugs. Nothing is more comforting or more reassuring than coming home from a crazy day and walking into a warm hug from you. That will always be the most satisfying and rejuvenating way to end any day. May your hugs be ever more plentiful as we grow old together and may I always be there to hug you right back.

Kathmandu After the Rain

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The loose refuse twinkles with dewy drops – sparkly garbage ornaments decorate every alley.

Everyone is lazy, slowly moving, barking less, smiling more. They look scrubbed and fresh too as though they spent the night under a downspout.

The air, fresh and suffused with richness, shook clean of dust, odor, and heat. The breeze plays it cool.

Filaments of sharp, crisp, verdant smells are layered over a rich earthiness.

Feet have trampled the casualties, melting them into a carpet of pink blossoms, a tribute to the wind, a cushion for my soul.

Mud tracks, previously roads, gush with silty water making sandy, dusty swirls as the sun bakes their waters to steam.

A drip drop is all that is left. Enough to quench no thirst but my ear, wanting to hear, for one moment more, the rain song.

Honouring Fridays: March 27th, 2009

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I have spent the whole day today in a incredibly interesting consultation forum on the drafting of a new youth policy in Nepal. Youth from all regions of the country were invited to review the draft policy and provide feedback, suggestions, and critques about how their voices were reflected in the policy. Youth from many ethnic groups, with disabilities, religious minorities, and those displaced from conflict zones in Nepal shared passionate and emotional stories with the policy committee and have clearly invested much of their future in the development of “New Nepal”. I left feeling hopeful for what they should be able to achieve within Nepal, provided the government listens to their voices.

Fragrance. Kathmandu is alive and bursting with flowers now that the winter chill has subsided. Besides the colourful beauty of these flowers, my favourite part is the fragrance. At night in my little neighbourhood you can walk down these small winding alleys and find yourself in a haze of jasmine – sweet, pungent, and rish was sumptuous frangrance. The other flower that has been casting a spell over my walk to work the past few days is a bit like a large grapefruit flower. The smell is intoxicating and I have taken to picking a couple blossoms on the way to work that are an easy counter smell to some of the nasty odors one encounters on the walk (garbage, pollution, smelly river etc.). And both of these blossoms make wonderful natural perfume, dabbed on the wrist when walking past a bush.
Vacations. Next Friday my lovely hubby and I will be leaving to take a short 3-day trip down to Chitiwan with some of our friends. Another volunteer has a travel agent for a landlord so the deal we have gotten is simply incredible. We have all transportation, food, and accommodation included, PLUS, some great activities in Chitiwan – tiger walks, elephant rides etc. I have been in Kathmandu for about 3 months with only a short respits to a village and training centre for 1 month – I am itching to get out of he city and into something more peaceful. I think this trip will be the perfect salve for my battered nerves and polluted lungs 🙂
Rainstorms. Storm season has officially started. Nothing torrential and as heavy as a monsoon rain, but at least some scattered and intense showers to freshen things up. The heavy clouds billow like blackend marshmallows and hang there for what seems like hours. The thunder will grumble, grumble, grumble and then finally, as though lightening is the decision maker, a streak of electricity will get the whole thing started. The storm will thunder on for about an hour and then like a faucet being turned off will suddenly stop. Brilliant sunshine comes back out and everything dries in a matter of minutes. But I love the storms – it reminds me of Vancouver, of being cozy, and of a fresh new start.
Ovens! We had a lovely and generous gift of a small toaster oven this week. Another volunteer who is leaving inhertited one when she arrived and is passing it along. I have grown so familiar with gas flame cooking that it has been sitting in our kitchen all week gathering dust because I don’t know what to do with it. Oh, and I guess because we need electricity to run the darn thing. But once we have more power I am certain that some cookies, cakes, and perhaps muffins might emerge from it 🙂

Honouring Fridays: March 20th, 2009

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The march of the week days continues on. One thing that I can confidently say about working in a new country is that work is still work is still work, any way you slice it. I had kind of thought (naively) that somehow working overseas would feel not like work! But who am I kidding really – it is still fraught with the same pitfalls as work anywhere – overtime/weekend work may be expected, office politics still run rampant, not everyone loves their job and it is still hard to get people to work together and collaborate. All that said, work in Nepal is nothing like work in Canada 🙂 Yes, it still feels like work and still has many of the same pitfalls, but …it is indescribably different. So, to honour this particular Friday some things that I am grateful for at work 🙂

Talented and wise colleagues. It is often the case that I seek the wise council and advise of my “supervisor” R. I have found myself a bit stumped this week on how to address some internal politics and clearly unethical behaviour within the coalition I work with. What I am continually so impressed with is R’s ability to read a situation for the subtle and often incredibly sensitive cultural messages that I so easily miss. He understands so well the dynamics of human behaviour within the Nepali context and can so easily and gracefully adapt his own communication to these complex social situations. Hi wisdom and talent is impressive and I have so much to learn from him.
The official VSO Library. Not everyone knows this, but one of the simple pleasures of being at the VSO office is that I can sherpa back to my apartment every day a couple of books from the VSO library. These are years and years worth of books collected by various volunteers and left for the enjoyment of continuing volunteer generations. All free and totalling about 1500 books in total. From the obscure, to the mundane, to the breathtaking one can find just about anything. And I have also discovered that there is a point after which one will read ANYTHING simply for the sake of reading. So far I have read books (fiction and non…you decide) on the following topics: British culture, tennis and drug addiction, incest in frontier France, the Nepali civil war, walking the Appalachian Trail, lesbian love in the early 1900 British theatre scene, down’s syndrome, the life of a writer, the culture of a small fishing village of the coast of france…and I have only just dipped a toe into the literary excitement of the VSO library.
Riding on the back of my boss’s motorbike to get to meetings. It is hard to imagine how I would have reacted in Canada to the suggestion that I hop on the back of a bosses motorbike and zip off to a meeting. But, today, that was exactly what happened. Indulge me for a moment and just imagine your own boss riding a motorbike. Now, imagine yourself, dressed in traditional Nepali clothes but topped off with a black motorcycle helment and hopping on the back. Weaving in between cars, traffic, and bicycles, balancing precariously on the back, trying to make your body flow with the bike rather than against it. After the meeting, we debrief the meeting while whizzing through the streets….incredible! I must admit that I loved it and hope we have more meetings we need to get to where we will need to take the motorbike.
Meetings where a mutiny occurs! The above mentioned motorbike trip took us to the first all-members meeting of the Global Campaign for Education-Nepal. About 15 people in total attended but the big news, and something I was considerably grateful for, was the fact that a mutiny occurred! The chair was essentially kicked from his position by both his organization and the rest of the members. There was a reshuffle of the steering committee which hopefully resulted in renewed focus and energy. AND, all this happened while the (ex) Chair was not in attendance! He wasn’t even there to defend himself. Bizarre to think that he was part of the coalition a day ago and now is no longer involved…and I don’t even know that anyone has told him yet…yikes! But I must admit it was a step in the right direction – and it was just such a interesting process to observe.

Honouring Fridays: March 6th, 2009