Category Archives: Life in Kathmandu

Let there be light and chana masala

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So, we are now up to 19 hours per day without electricity…a radical increase from the 14 we had last week!  However, this increase coincided with the arrival of the Sri Lankan President in Kathmandu.  And although these two separate events would seem isolated and unrelated to an untrained observer, the result for our small domestic corner of life is ELECTRICITY!

We are luckily living in the same region as Nepal’s Prime Minister which, for whatever reason, has meant that for the last two days he needs extra power in his house during this important diplomatic visit (and you can’t tell me the man doesn’t have a generator at his house anyway…I am sure power cuts are not something he experiences regularly anyway).  But we won’t complain.

We are basking in the glow of our low energy lightbulbs and computer screens, staying up to the unthinkable hour of 11pm (truly a rarity for anyone living in Nepal who is not tied to Thamel, the trendy tourist area with all the bars) to simply enjoy it!  I know, I know, we have gone a little crazy, but we know what waits at the end of this tunnel – 19 hours a day with no power…can you blame us?

To celebrate our second evening of cooking by something stronger than candlelight we made one of our new favourite dishes, chana masala.  A spicy tomato-based curry of chick peas.  Rex made fresh roti to top off the celebration factor.

So, for those of you craving a recipe of “electric” capacity try out this simple recipe for Chana Masala, compliments of one of my favourite Indian food bloggers, Hooked on Heat.  We added a bit of extra spices, garlic, ginger, and cilantro and a whole small eggplant as well to boost the veggie intake.  Also used dried chick peas soaked over night and then pressure cooked till tender, but mostly because we are too cheap to buy the canned variety and not because it tastes any better.

CHANA MASALA
CHICKPEA CURRY
Prep time: 10 min | Cooking time: 20 min | Serves: 2

1 can
1 medium-sized
1 large
1-2
1 tbsp
1 tsp
1 tsp
1/4 tsp
1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp
1/2 tsp
2 tbsp		 chickpeas, drained
onion, finely chopped
tomato, chopped
green chillies, finely chopped
ginger-garlic paste
tomato paste
cumin seeds
red chilli powder
turmeric powder
coriander powder
cumin powder
light cooking oil
salt, to taste
water, as needed
fresh chopped coriander, as garnish
lemon wedges, as garnish

SAUTE cumin seeds in hot oil till they start to sizzle and pop. Add onions and green chillies, and fry till tender.

ADD in tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste, salt and spices, and cook till tomatoes pulp and starts to give out oil from the sides.

STIR in about a cup of water, allow it to come to a boil, and then add chickpeas. Let simmer covered for a few minutes till chickpeas are soft and tender to the touch.

GARNISH with fresh coriander and a sprinkle of lemon juice.

Shiva Ratri

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Today, February 23rd, is a special holiday in Hindu culture called Shiva Ratri.  The festival honours the Lord Shiva, the Destroyer.  It is a day of worship to celebrate and honour Lord Shiva and many followers flock to Pashupatinath Temple for a dip in the holy Bagmati river.  The temple is also crowded with sadhus, holy men, who devote their lives to a material free existence and concentrate on their relationship with the gods.  Shiva Ratris, historically, was when the sadhus would arrive in Kathmandu to receive their free marijuana from the government which would help their quest for spiritual enlightenment.  Thus, today, many Hindus partake in smoking of marajuana since it is the only day of the year when it is legal to smoke marijuana in Nepal.

But more locally, Shiva Ratri is an opportunity for local children to gain some money.  Children create small barricades of rope across small lanes and request rupees to allow any passerby access.  The really devoted ones have incense, pictures of Lord Shiva, and pujaa (offerings) or rice, marigold flowers, and red powder on a tray into which you can place your rupees.  I made a small journey of about 20 minutes to a local restaurant and was completely stripped of all my coins!  I hit about 8 roadblocks and was happy to hand over a few rupees to the groups.  Only once was I chased down and wrapped in rope because they wanted more money…a few stern no’s was enough to untangle myself from the ropes and keep moving.

The next big festival will be on March 10th, Holi Day, which is a festival of colour.  This is the day that balloons of dye and pigment rain down from the balconies of buildings, mostly targeting the folks passing by 🙂  I actually think this will be a fun festival to participate in, providing I find some cheap clothes to wear and find places where they don’t throw the balloons too hard – apparently it can be dangerous to be female and non-Nepali as you are most definitely a target!

Honouring Fridays: February 20th, 2009

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  • Pancakes. Not the puffy, fluffy kind but the pan cooked thicker, crepe-like kind made of egg, milk, and flour.  Topped with fresh honey and lemon or with curried veggies – we have been enjoying them in both sweet and savoury ways since it is easily made by candle light and is quick after a long day at work.  Breakfast for dinner…perfect!
  • My landlady.  We have had a problem with our generator that powers our water pump lately, which has meant a shortage of water to our apartment.  Enough for a shower every few days but little more.  We are able to pump water into buckets to flush the toilet and wash dishes which is just fine.  But what makes this something to be grateful for is that when I come home from work I often find a bucket or jug of water waitig at my door…a little gesture  but so appreciated since I don’t have to lug it up 4 flights of stairs in the dark.  Thanks to Rita my landlady for always making sure we can flush.
  • Rest. The joys of a good restorative and rejuvinating sleep were revealed to me this week after a few difficult nights.  Mental exhaustion unravelled all my rational thinking, emotional composure, and coping abilities earlier this week.  I took rest.  And miraculously, 8 hours later, I awoke feeling completely restored 🙂   There is no other activity that results in such good health, that takes zero energy in which to engage and yet produces results so vastly impressive in nature.
  • Language. The eloquence of a statement I had written in English I had hoped could be translated into Nepali for a workshop next week.  Not suprisingly, it was not that simple.  The nuances of Nepali, the structures of sentences created their own unique eloquence but required tweaking, thinking, debating, and carefully selecting the appropriate word.  This required further explanation from me about the meaning behind my statement.  Was one of those moments where the complexity of languages was both frustrating and magical.  These are complex words we speak…

Newsworthy in Nepal: 02/20/09

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It has been a pretty quiet month for news in Nepal actually – no major headlines but lots of great small ones that are interesting to me, so I will share.

  • The Maoist government is having their annual convention this week, full of many many closed-door meetings.  The political party system here is incredibly complex, with mutiple parties having the words “united”, “maoist”, “Nepal” in their title.  There is in fact the following political parties listed in today’s paper:  1) Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – UCPN(M) who are newly elected into power and have a minority in the Constituent Assembly, 2) Nepali Congress (NC) – the ousted party who form the second largest party in Nepal and are the opposition, and 3) Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) – the largest coalition group of many smaller communist parties.  This doesn’t include the smaller, more extreme parties which often represent specific regional ethnic groups or are youth wings of the above mentioned parties who provide the agitation and public distrurbances for the party.  A great summary of the political situation right now is published today on ReliefWeb.
  • One of the driest winters on record.  According to the Nepal Meteorological Forecasting Division we had almost no rain in Nepal this dry season and temperatures that were above normal (despite the fact that I spent most of December shivering).
  • Oldest man to climb Everest.  It is a feate that many from around the world attempt and one which many also fail.  But for Nepalis, a point of pride is their tenacious ability to climb Everest.  So, when a 77 year old attempts to get into the Guiness Book of World Records as the oldest man to scale the peak and is trumped by a 75 year old…well national pride is hurt.

Rabbie Burns makes a surprise appearance

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So this is a delayed post from about a month ago that I forgot I had written!  Apologies to anyone Scottish who is offended that I would have a moment of memory lapse and forget Rabbie Burns!

Who would have suspected that here, in Kathmandu, one would have their first official Burns Supper!  Celebrating the late and great Scottish poet, Robert Burns, one of our friends, who is a proud Scotsman had been asked to perform the "Ode to the Haggis" for an official military Burns Supper.  Besides the necessary accent he also possessed a lovely kilt to wear for the occasion.  A small group of us gathered to be the guinea pigs, test subjects to ensure he had memorized the 8-stanza poem without a pause, stumble, or incorrect gesture (the gestures were exceptionally important in conveying the meaning of the poem…who would know what he was saying otherwise!)

There was shortbread, haggis, and bagpipes.  And although most of us had no idea what he was saying, it sounded just perfect.  What was the better part was the quiz afterwards of key Scottish words…blimey!  I think I have better luck guessing Nepali words and their meanings.

So, without further ado, here is the famous 8-stanza poem for your enjoyment.  Thanks to G & M for the crash course in all the stereotypes of Scottish culture 🙂

Address To A Haggis (from the Robert Burns World Federation who also have a translation for those who need it)

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’ need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, 
they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit!" ‘hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle.
Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,
Gie her a haggis!

Honouring Fridays: February 13th, 2009

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This week has flown by!  Much of it was spent in a planning session for VSO Nepal’s Education Program which gave me a great overview of where we have been and where we are going.  The incredible focus on analysis, evidence, and rigorous reporting structures was a suprise (although it shouldn’t have been) as we are accountable to DFID (British equivalent to Canadian International Development Agency in Canada).  But I had forgotten how rigourous all that reporting could be…need to keep those ducks in a row!

  • Health. We recently had some sad news that the mom of one of my good volunteer friends here may have cancer. It shakes up reality beyond belief and I think has really reminded us all just how far away we are.  We don’t feel far away most of the time thanks to Skype, Facebook, and MSN Messenger.  But when these types of life events happen it can feel like another planet.  The diagnosis comes out this afternoon so we are all waiting nervously…I am so thankful that people I care about are healthy…please, please stay that way!
  • The colour red. An important colour in Hindu culture and often a key signifier of marriage here in Nepal.  Red lugaa (clothes), red churri (bracelets), and red tikas (religious symbols placed on the forhead) symbolize that the woman is married.  I have started wearing red sparkly bangles (so unlike me, I know) to indicate my status.  It is amazing what a pair of red bangles can do…significant decrease in men chatting me up!
  • My friendly taxi cab cluster. So every morning and afternoon I walk for about 15 minutes between work and the bus stop.  And at a particular corner is always a crowd of taxi cabs.  The first few times they would ask me if I want a taxi (because I am white almost every taxi asks me everywhere).  My response “chaindaina” which means “no, thanks, I don’t need/want one”.  They laughed and laughed, enjoying that I spoke Nepali.  It has now turned into a game…they know I don’t want a taxi but still take great pleasure in shouting out “Taxi madame?” twice every day, knowing I will say no.  They have also become a wonderfully regular and familiar part of my journey and I actually look forward to testing out new ways of saying now (Arko patak = another time, bholi bihanna hola = tomorrow morning maybe, or Ma hidera janne mon par cha = I like going by foot).  So nice to feel like you are part of a community in some small way.
  • Cheese. So, I have a confession.  There is a dairy about 10 minutes from my house that sells cheese.  And I buy it.  And I eat it.  And I love it.  Paneer, mozarella cheese, kanchan cheese (sort of like a sour gouda), even yak cheese…the meltier, squidgier, the better.  I have even taken to having grilled cheese sandwiches for breakfast!  I can’t get enough of the stuff…when one can even put it in curry (palak paneer anyone?) I think it is possibly the most multi-purpose thing ever.  Although, what can one not put in curry really…?  Perhaps it is curry I should be grateful for!

New Digs

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So, finally, a moment when the power schedule and my waking hours collide which allows the upload of some photos.  After much deliberation I decided to showcase where we live, as the last few weeks have been mostly filled with moving and setting up house.  So without further ado…our apartment.

Our front door leads to the kitchen on the right and living room on the left.
door to bedroom
Through that door is the bedroom, balcony, and bathroom. Living room is rather bare still…no point in showing photos of that.
bedroom
The bedroom – our favourite place because of the beautiful sunlight that washes through the windows.
The blue bathroom – lots of blue everywhere! The shower is the open space next to the toilet which means that is it really a whole bathroom shower because everything gets wet.
The view from the balcony off our bedroom – a lovely neighbourhood!

Honouring Fridays: February 6th, 2009

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It has been a long week – we are gearing up for a program analysis workshop happening Monday to Wednesday next week and since we are all new here in the Education Program office, I am pitching in to help where I can – we are sort of fumbling through it all together which is pretty comedic really.   And yet in all the rush, I am celebrating the feeling of being productive and useful again – I forgot how good it feels to be useful.

  • Silence.  Kathmandu is a city full of noise.  There is rarely that deep and unending silence that one can sometimes find deep in the forest or even the kind of silence that one finds at the ocean – the waves and seagulls become a sort of white noise.  BUT, in the misty early morning as families wake and give “puja” to the gods there is a stillness that almost resembles silence.  I sleep through the best silence most days since it appears fleetingly between 5am – 6am.  But if one is lucky enough to catch it, it would be easy to understand why people in Nepal wake so early – the gods are present in the silence.
  • Transgender choirs. So last week I was grateful for diversity and this week I am grateful that I was able to be present at the first performance of Nepal’s first transgender choir (perhaps the first in much of the world too?).  It was a great show and I discovered that one of the offices for the Blue Diamond Society is actually in a small building in my back yard…a truly small world!  Needless to say, this week I was inspired by all the voices I heard in the choir.
  • Gas. No, not the human kind, but the cooking kind.  We are now the proud “owners” of two large red gas cylinders which dutifully cook our food on the two-gas burner stove and heat our water for showers.  They are cumbersome, heavy, ugly, and dirty things but we love them for the freedom they provide – we can finally cook our own dinners!
  • The Department of Education in Nepal. This week I attended my first meeting in the Department, along with about 20 other Nepali individuals from various INGOs, NGOs, and the government.  It was just the most amazing thing to see – the politics, the subtle power dynamics, the personalities, the cultural rituals.  The important government officials came and went throughout the meeting – particularly when things got sticky and they were being called to task on some of the programming choices – enrolling students who are not retained in the school system instead of working on student-teacher ratios or providing free textbooks to students – they simply stood up, walked into a side office, and shut the door.  There was much banging of fists, agenda pushing, and advocating for various causes, all happening throughout the official meeting – cell phones ringing, people coming in and out, Nepali insults flying (at least I think that is what happened, as it was all in Nepali – I think I caught most of it!).  Fantastic fun and a great introduction to the nature of government meetings – I have to say I throroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next showing.

Honouring Fridays: January 30th, 2009

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Again a moment of gratitude for Friday!  This weekend we are moving into our new apartment and eagerly anticipating the first night in our new place…internet has already been installed and mattress and bed will be waiting when we arrive…what more does one need!

  • Networks.  These are a foundation of Nepali society, emphasizing the importance of relationships as a means to just about anything – employment, favours, good deals, food, friendship, love…everything is based on the relationship that the individuals share.  Nowhere has this been more apparent than in our quest to find and furnish our apartment.  Any Nepali we know has been burning up the phone lines trying to find us the best deals on furniture, source some hand-me-downs, or get a recommendation from a friend who absolutely knows how to find the best mattress.  I am amazed and awed by the outpouring of support – we are very well taken care of by all our Nepali friends and acquaintances.
  • Fair trade shops. There are so many brightly coloured stalls and shops flogging a wide array of Nepali crafts.  But the reality is that most are not actually Nepali made, nor are those who make them receiving a fair wage that would cover basic living costs.  Enter Mahaguthi and Dhukuti, two fabulous shops that are dedicated to supporting marginalized populations, particularly women, and local artisans.  My kitchen has already requested a set of plates and mugs in bright Nepali colours…how can I refuse my kitchen!
  • Buff. It sounds dirty, but isn’t.  Buff is the common short form for buffalo meat which is very common in Nepal.  Since cows are sacred in Hindu religion there is very little consumption of beef (some of the ethnic groups do eat beef and traditionally some of the lower castes also ate beef, mainly because they were the only castes permitted to kill cows and work with leather, but it was considered very wrong by the Hindu religion resulting in marginalization by the upper castes).  Buff tastes a lot like beef but is much leaner and is a delicious in fried rice, as a stuffing for paratha (kind of like a quesadilla but filled with various curried meats or veggies), or as a filling for momos (almost exactly like a gyoza or dumpling but again filled with curry flavours).
  • Diversity.  This weekend we have been invited to attend a performance by the LGBTI community in Kathmandu – a group of transgender Nepalis singing with a Dutch trio called Posie & the Fags”.  I am so looking forward to it 🙂  I only wish I had brought with me my “Yay for Gay” t-shirt which is packed into a box somewhere at home!  One of the volunteers who works with VSO works with the Blue Diamond Society which supports the development and advocacy of the LGBTI community in Nepal.  A fantastic organization which works right next door to our new apartment.

Military Infusion

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One of the elements of Kathmandu scenery that has infused my life, to the point of feeling normal, is the military and police presence in the city.  There are a number of different police forces present but the most common is the  Nepal Police Force dressed in blue camoflauge fatigues.

They are everywhere – in front of very embassy; surrounding every possible bank, foreign agency, or large gathering area; on street corners; standing at above ground look-out points; and peering over and through the many walls that enclose much of the city.  Sometimes they can be seen riding on horseback in large rows or once I even saw them in a horse-drawn carriage.  The really unnerving part is that most of them are equipped with very large rifles, machine guns, and other artillery.  They guard every inch of protectable space in the city with serious weapons.

I walked past one such command post outside of the Police Hedquaters the other day and with the narrow space left on the sidewalk (much of it being consumed by the small square command box the officers were using as their post) I literally brushed my shoulder on the muzzle of the rifle…a little too close for my comfort.

Additionally, there are tourist police walking the busy Thamel area to ensure that tourist are not being hassled.  They wear navy blue uniforms with smart little burgundy berets and are overzealous in their efforts to keep tourists from being bothered.  A mother and her 3 children were asking for money outside of the bank machine (good choice of location I think!) and I was happily to making small conversation with the children in Nepali.  But as soon as the little girl saw the tourist police approaching she quickly withdrew to the arms of her mother who whispered for them all to quickly come back…it was clear that they had already learned, by the ages of 2, 3 or 4, that the navy blue suite meant business.

Finally, my morning commute would not be complete without the active and rigorous exercise routines of the Nepali military.  They run through the city in the very early morning in packs of about 50-60, their army uniforms and and stiff black boots moving in unison.  I see about 20 such groups in the short 40 minute bus ride to work…meaning I must see at least 1000 of the dedicated men (and very very seldomly women) out for a run on Kathmandu’s busy streets.

So, there is a lot of protection here in Kathmandu and yet it still makes me a wee bit nervous to have a city full of rifle bearing police around every corner…somehow the potential for an accident just seems too possible.