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.