Category Archives: Life in Kathmandu

Honouring Fridays: January 23rd, 2009

Fridays seem like good days for reflection. They are filled with the potential of the upcoming weekend, informed by a week of learning, and harbour just the slightest innate wildness that I think make them more exciting than other days of the week. No, Fridays are not ordinary, plain or bland…and they deserve our attention. To honour Fridays, I would like to now begin my regular and weekly installment of gratitude…this week, things I am grateful for include:

Well-written policy documents and reports. After slogging through too many long and tedious government reports, I have a profound and accute appreciation for clean, simple, and fresh writing. To anyone who can infuse policy documents with such energy, I salute you!
Mah-jong. I had no idea that this incredibly old tile game was so much fun! I have taken to playing a digital version on my laptop when we are without power and immensely enjoy it. Now if only I could get my hands on a real set of tiles and a group of friends to play with…
Purna. Purna is a lovely Nepali man that we were connected with this week who is showing us around to apartments in Kathmandu. He seems to know everyone in our neighbourhood and has just the most wonderful energy. He stands only 5 feet tall, smokes like a chimney, and is a retired high-altitude guide. Without him, our quest for a Kathmandu apartment would be completely lost.
Avocado. Today I had this lovely achaar (kind of like a chutney or pickle or sauce that comes in many different flavours) that was a cilantro, onion, red chili, tomato, and avocado base. Amazing. Avacado, Nepali-style. I have new appreciation for the green fruit.

Newsworthy in Nepal: 01/22/09

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In efforts to help a smidgen of news to trickle through from Nepal I will be starting a bi-monthly post highlighting some of what is making news in Nepal. I am guessing guess that your media coverage over the past month has mostly Obamania, the economic crisis, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict…am I correct? Making headlines in Nepal right now is:

Avian flu has now crossed over the Indian border and into Nepal. The cases at this point have been limited to the Eastern region of the country…but officials have been warning all people to avoid eating chicken and sales of chicken have gone down up to 25% this month.
The murder of another prominent journalist in early January, Uma Singh, has caused major media protest and concern about protection for other journalists. This murder has followed other targeted attacks on media personnel and newspapers and is suspected to be tied to stories and reporting by media outlets that criticizes government policies and actions.
A garbage strike in Kathmandu has led to more than the usual amount of debris creating large and unruly piles around the capital. The strike is being carried out by citizens of the small village that live next to the place where Kathmandu dumps its garbage and citizens are calling for a longer term solution to the problem, rather than dumping Kathmandu waste into someone else’s backyard.
Various Nepal student organizations are increasing and amplifying their protest efforts against the government. While intended to be peaceful yet disruptive blockades, in Kathmandu and Pokhara, they have turned into more violent clashes between rival groups, police, protesters, and media. The student groups are politically affiliated and have strong ties to the major rival parties in government.

And that is what is making headlines today in Nepal.

First day of work

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After 2 months of cautious observation, protection, training and coddling, this week i our first week of work.

The cautionary tales of not expecting too much, being patient, and taking everything that might happen in stride had worn us all down. In fact, our expectations were so lowered that I was thrilled to walk into my office and have a desk, chair, and binder of reading waiting for me.

Much of the week was spent reading and studying documents related to child-friendly schools, inclusive education, valuing teachers, teacher training, and complex, tedious and often circular debates by large donor agencies about just how important education is to alleviating poverty (I absolutely can agree with their arguments but let me tell you these documents do not stimulate any creativity or inspire ideas that will help to achieve their lofty goals).

Today I got my computer started up and was able to dig a bit deeper into the specifics on my job which is to provide support and advocacy advice to the Nepal Global Campaign for Education, comprised of local NGO’s and some INGO’s that are making efforts to coordinate their advocacy efforts towards the Education for All goal of 2015. It is complicated…and more so given that I am not familiar with all the development lingo, acronyms, and agencies…phewwww!

The highlight of my day happens twice = once at 9:30am and once at 2:30pm. This is chiyaa chutti (tea break) and lunch respectively. The whole office gathers to chat and read the newspaper during chiyaa – a lovely start to the day. Then at lunch, we all flock to a corner of the yard to eat our curry, rice, and dhaal for lunch. We pay ahead for a month of lunch (about 50 cents Canadian per day) and the fabulous kitchen team lovingly prepares us lunch…very very tasty! No more brown bagging when I can have a hot and fresh lunch each day!

I have yet to sort out my best mode of transport to and from work. So far I have been walking 1-hour each way which in the morning is lovely – tea in a travel mug and BBC World News through my headphones makes the time pass quickly. But the afternoon walk is just chocked with exhaust, dust, noise, people, traffic, dogs, garbage, street vendors, honking, and the odd cow that it is almost too much stimulus after a long day of work. Today I hopped the bus and it was heaven, and by heaven I mean a jostling and bumping ride full to the brim with people, with bags smacking you in the head (much like a crowded 99 bus in Vancouver but with more chaos and twice as crowded) – and still…it was heavenly compared to the walk home.

Nepali Cooking Class

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The finale to our 10 week training has been an exciting foray into the world of Nepali cookery. What was a classroom the day before, was transformed into a make-shift kitchen with the addition of a small table top stove and a large canister of gas. The smells of cumin, red chilies, garlic, ginger, and tumeric permeated the small room quickly as we flavoured the oils with spices.

The first dish, although not Nepali, is easily one of the most available snacks in Nepal – french fries! So many potatoes around and deep frying is a common cooking method, so of course the natural outcome is a french fry, here often curiously called “finger fried” on the menus…never fingers and always potato. The best part was the addition of salt and cumin powder for flavour…delish!

Second was the deep frying of what seemed to be mountains of paneer – once fried this was added to a delectable combination of mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and peas that had melded with spices into a thick, saucy, and utterly incredible curry. Easily, the best Nepali curry I have tasted since I have been here.

Then came the daal and rice – we have all been craving the traditional daal bhaat since returning from our village stay and were eager to get the tips on pressure cooking lentils and legumes. Topped off with fresh papadums, homemade roti, a potato and broccoli curry and some fresh fruit, and we were all simple stuffed to the gills with good food (dherai ukusmukus bhayo which translates to very, very full and cannot eat another bite).

I am looking forward to having a kitchen where I can begin to experiment a bit with the produce and spices to concoct some other great dishes…recipes posted on the blog if they are tasty!

Pashupatinath

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This week our class visited the holy site of Pashupatinath, which is situated along the Bagmati river on the Eastern edge of the city. This holy site is an incredibly important place for many Hindu Nepalis as it is here that many families come to conduct the cremation ceremonies for family members who have died.

Before arriving I had been preparing myself for what we might encounter – I just wasn’t sure what kind of emotions might present and how the visual images would impact. I have always had a very active imagination. At the risk of sounding childish I will admit that I am still overcome by nightmares of such a vivid and horrific nature that I sometimes wonder whether observing raw and real human suffering is simply a catalyst for such terrors.

But I soon realized, upon arriving, that my worries were unfounded. While the vision of heaps of straw, wood, and smoke surrounding the body, was startling at first, it was also incredibly peaceful and spiritual. It felt very natural and although filled with an urgent sense of grief it looked very much like those families we saw were spiritually letting go -letting the river carry away their sorrow and grief.

There was a family undertaking the rituals of preparing the body before cremation and I watched from atop a hill as the family grieved and laid garlands of marigolds over the body, the golden colour reflective of the god Vishnu, the Protector.

The grey river, clogged with debris, and exceptionally polluted, still worked tirelessly to sweep away the ashes and provide the holy water which would secure the deceased a space in heaven. Caught in the current were some golden orange strands of fabric that clung to a muddy stick and fanned the current along.

I watched this family closely and was reminded that although their grief was still fresh they were following a centuries old tradition that would protect and honour their family member in the after-life and that they too would one day be washed down the river towards a holier and more pure existence. The actions were public, but the emotions were purely private and held solace for the grieving families.

Apartment Hunting

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The final week of training is upon us and although there is some relief that we will soon be engaged in what one hopes will be meaningful and soul-satisfying work it is hard not to be continually distracted by the search for an apartment. I would be the first to admit that finding a place to call home is my least favourite activity…the agony of choosing the right location, the pressure of negotiating, the competition, the moving in… It is exhausting in a context with which I am familiar (a city and language that I know) and here we simply don’t have the context at all.

I will also admit that having a home that feels cozy and comfortable is important to me. It was important in Canada and will be equally as important here. Somewhere that can wrap it’s arm around me and give me a hug – when I wake up in the morning and when I return again in the evening.

The quest will not proceed un-aided, however, as we will have help from R’s NGO in the search. But the urgency I feel to be settled is hard to communicate to others. Perhaps I am over stating the value that I will gain from being settled…but I do think it will make me a much better volunteer when I start work next Monday. The distractions of living out of a suitcase will only cling like cobwebs in the brain while I attempt to read through years worth of files, making some sense of what exactly my job is and where I should endeavour to begin.

Needing less, learning more

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Tomorrow our small but dedicated group of volunteers moves along to a small village 1/2 hour outside of Dhulikhel (find a map of Nepal and look east of Kathmandu, east of Banepa, and you will find Dhulikhel). We will be living with a small (or in Rex’s case large – 11 people to be exact!) family for one week to gain a better understanding of rural life in Nepal. This is an absolutely incredible oppportunity to embrace all that life in Nepal can be and challenge ourselves to live without some of the comforts we consider to be essential but that are actually quite unnecessary – everyday hot showers, 3-4 meals a day including snacks, power at all times of the day, and indoor plumbing. We assume that life without these things is impossible or so diffult to be completely unenjoyable. But, in fact, my sense is that we will suprise ourselves and flourish in such a warm and hospitable environment. And we all have tucked away into our bags some small comforts – myself I have grabbed photos of family, a book, and some small sweet treats – those are the comforts I needed.

The families are just as excited to meet us as we are to meet them. My family has mother, father, one son, and two daughters, very much a mirror of my own family. I will be back in Kathmandu on Christmas Eve and have plans to make loads of phone calls on Christmas day to wish friends and family well. Until then, consider me off the grid and soaking in the essence of Nepali culture, language, and spirit.

A special hello to my Mom (Monika), Dad (Randy), Sister (Emmie), Brother-In-Law (Blaine), Brother (Alfred), Nephews (Cole and Isaac) and 2 Nieces (Elise and Natalie), whom I am missing very much during the holidays. I will think of you all often over the next week as I introduce you all through pictures to my new host family. Love you all so much and miss you tons. And Mom, your package has arrived this week…we will be able to open it on Christmas which will be such a wonderful treat…thank you!

Lots of love to all – namaste!

Daily Mundanities

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A few people have asked for a more detailed account of life day to day while we are in training – I promised that I would not turn this blog into a public daily journal, but just this once I will oblige…

We wake at about 5:30am, not because we want to or because we have to, but rather because we have no choice 🙂 The dogs, the birds, the blaring Hindi music…life begins with the sun. After a restless hour of trying to sleep through the chatter we resign ourselves to the fact that awake we must be.

Our small room does have a small bathroom with shower (one kind of showers over and around the toilet so the whole bathroom gets rinsed) so Rex and I take turns having a quick shower. We have the luxury of hot water but it doesn’t last long and with 13 volunteers, the race is always to get the hot shower first. Breakfast is at 8am in the big dining hall – usually semi-toasted toast, toasted over am open gas flame, perhaps a hard boiled egg or some rice pudding, and always some curried chick peas, beans, or potato. And as much chiyaa (tea) as you could want – with milk and spices or black and piping hot.

At 9am we start class in groups of 3-4. We have been in the same groups for a number of weeks so have gotten to know our teachers well. After learning about 20 new vocabulary, 6-10 new verbs, and a new sentence structure we break at 10:45 for chiyaa chuTTi (tea break). This is the time to bask in the sun and warm up…perhaps even remove one of the fleece layers that we added immediately after waking.

More class until 12:30 and then lunch. Lunch is baat (rice), daal (lentils), tarkarri kauli and alu (curried potato and cauliflower), saag (usually radish or mustard greens), achaar (a pickle of some sort) and papads (papadums in Canada). After lunch is almost always a chance to sit in the sun for 1/2 hour and let our minds rest. PLUS…I think we all believe that somehow we can store body heat and release it at night when we are freezing!

Final block of class in the afternoon which is often more of the same, but sometimes a lesson in Nepali script (so we can read signs and perhaps even write a few words) or a culture class on do’s and don’ts, how to use a pit toilet or bathe in public (yes, we do get lessons on that), understanding temple symbols, understanding the caste system, how to eat with your hands etc… All very interesting indeed. And sometimes, if we are very lucky, we have a game or activity. For example, this week we had a Nepali pictionary class and last week we had to go out into the village and chat with people in Nepali.

Usually we end around 3pm and there is a race to the internet cafe for everyone to check email. If we are lucky it is working and we all get a comp. If we are unlucky there is no power or poor connectivity, then we stroll around the town. We buy oranges from the local street vendors or poke into small shops and dig through a strange assortment of things (anyone for olive oil or shaving cream? Plastic flip flops or a metal canister?)

By 6pm it is always dark so we rush home and sit either in the dark or with the gas fumes tingling our senses from the on-site generator…I think I actually prefer the dark. Or candlelight too…that is nice. At 7 we eat..usually the same thing as lunch too…but by dinner we are hungry again so anything tastes good.

After dinner Maybe an hour of BBC news if the power and cable are working, and usually an hour of homework…revising sentence structures, learning new verbs and vocab, or pravcticing our conjugations. Bedtime is usually around 9pm…early early early.

And that’s a day in the life…for now. Next week we leave to stay with a village family for a week…the daily schedule will surely be different.

Public bathing

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Like many majority countries (and by majority I mean not where power IS held but rather where the majority of the people in the world live and where equivalent power SHOULD be held) much of what we would consider private life is conducted in public.

In some cases there are cultural roots for why public over private and other times it s simply out of necessity. With only one tap of clean running water in a village it may be the only place for village residents to bathe.

And as such, it is important to know how to bathe in public. Today I bought a lungi which is really just a large piece of opague and patterned fabric which one wraps around oneself to remain decent while bathing. With some clever tying, pinning, or stitching one can remain fully dressed for the duration of the public bathe…genius really!

Morning…bihanna

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The fog sinks deep and thick over wooded hills. The terraced rice fields, brown and scrubby after harvest, steam from the weak sunlight that manages to pierce the fog. Damp clothes swing from clotheslines dripping the dampness from their stitches. I too swing dampness from my limbs. And yet, the anticipation of the heat and warmth beyond the fog brings everything from their warm beds. There is rice to be sown, corn to be dried, and dust to be swept. There is not a morning without the hallam (noise) of magpies and crows awake in the fog. By lunch, the fog has been swept clean behind the hills. But for now the fog rests heavily and I am hidden within it.