Tag Archives: clothes

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.

Honoring Fridays: April 17th, 2009

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Where to begin! Last weekend we had a spectacular trip to Pokhara which has a spectacular location on Lake Fewa, nestled into the “hills” (read large incredible mountains which to the locals are nothing in comparison to the Himalayas but to everyone else are fully mountains). It was our anniversary trip so we kept it totally unscheduled and just enjoyed the spontaneity and indulgence of it all. Without a doubt the best part was the swimming pool – with temperatures hovering around a humid 30 degrees C, there was nothing more refreshing than spending the day in the pool. Now for my weekly dose of gratitude…

Planning(as I call it)/Dreaming (as he calls it). Many of our conversations during the weekend centred around what the next year might bring – dreaming about the future and just what we imagined and hoped for ourselves and each other. There is something utterly thrilling to think ahead to what is possible and let the mind race ahead a bit. The risk, of course, is that present time is less appreciated, less thoughtfull spent, and less enjoyed. However, we indulged and just dreamed about what might be…it was hopeful, inspired, and energizing…thanks to Pokhara for inspiring our next dreams.
Sweet chili sauce. Condiment of the gods, sweet chili sauce is one of the few condiments in our fridge (currently soya sauce, dijon mustard, butter, and sweet chili sauce are actually all that are in our fridge at all…we are confident that when the power is out they are “tough enough” to withstand some subtle warming without turning into poison). What I do recommend is sweet chili sauce on friend rice. Delectably spicy and sweet at the same time with the nice firm crunch of vegetables. Better, in fact, than the traditional soya sauce. Not at all Nepali in any way but cheap and tasty nonetheless.
Summer fabrics. With the onset of hot weather the prospect of shopping has once again popped into possibility. Exceptionally cheap and perfect for hot weather is fantastic linens, cottons of every colour, hue, pattern, design and combination of emrboidery, sparkly sequins, or complex hand painting. I will admit that the clothes I brought from home are no longer suitable for this weather – they are sticky, heavy, and these days at least 3 sizes too big. That means a trip to my local tailor for something new…yipppee!
New load shedding schedules. All I can say is we are down from 19 hours a day to 12…it almost feels luxurious and decadent…its not…but it still feels like it, so while the euphoria lasts I am going to enjoy it.

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!