Henna Party!!

My first henna.

Clothes Shopping, Kathmandu Style

Today I finally got to go Nepali clothes shopping!!!  After many times trying, there were no other errands that had to get done or else and no bandhs (strikes).  We went to Assan and New Road, streets chock full of clothing stores.  We went into one and the shop keepers immediately began pulling out sulwar kurtas (tunic and pants).  You pick the fabric you like, they take your measurements and in a week you get a nice outfit, made just for you!  There are a lot of decisions to be made once you decide on the fabric.  You need to choose a neckline, a back line, length of sleeves, length of tunic and type of pants.  I got the sweetheart neckline, a scooped back neckline, short sleeves, just above the knee length and pants that flare a bit at the bottom.

Then we went to Wonderfab and they do have wonderful fabrics, a bit on the pricey side but very good quality.  I picked out four cotton prints I liked and paid for the material (cotton, about 200-250 rupees/meter). Then we went down the street to a tailor and he took measurements and asked the same questions.  I am getting a variety of neck lines, short sleeves and mid-thigh length for my kurtas (tunic tops).

All in all, for five handmade/hand tailored pieces of clothing, it came to about $15 a piece.  Not bad.

Men, there are shops to fit you for tailor-made suits.

I feel an addiction coming on :-)

Dogs and Monkeys and Cows, Oh My!!

There is no shortage of wild animals in Kathmandu.  Baby-snatching monkey's (yes, really), wild-dogs-in-heat and traffic police sacred cows.

The monkey's don't normally snatch babies but I did see one the week I arrived try to take a baby from its mother, quite disturbing to say the least.  Monkey's really like to live where the fruit trees are and there are many.  One day during a staff meeting, a monkey was in a tree just outside the window making fun of our director (not really ;-)  Somedays the monkeys decide they want to play on the playground equipment at school and have to be shoo'd away.  Some friends of mine had monkeys that decided to take over their bedroom balcony while the house was vacant over the summer break, there was a bit of a rumble, no one got hurt...much...(not really ;-)  It is interesting to live somewhere with monkeys instead of squirrels.

The dogs are in heat right now...and boy does it get exciting around here with all of that canine sexual tension in the air.  They are loud, bark a lot, get into lots of fights, flash gang signs, sharpen their fangs, try to look 'cool' for the bitches (hehe, not really ;-)  I am starting to recognize all of the dogs and their territories.  Sometimes I will have one escort me to school in the morning.  I have decided to name the ones in my hood the "Rabi Bhawan 'Ruff'ians" (hehe, referencing the neighborhood I live in.)

The cows, well they rule the world, they have their own bridge which they graciously let cars, motorcycles and pedestrians use to cross the Bagmati River when they feel in the moooood to mooooove (hehe).  They love to just sit in the middle of the street without a care in the world.  Traffic is bad enough, I think we need to vote them off the streets and onto the sidewalks.

Judy, I have yet to see the elusive flying monkey but keeping my eyes peeled. :-D

I have now lived here for exactly 1 month!  Happy Anniversary Kathmandu!!! Love ya!

Kathmandu is Going to Pot

Hehe.  There are marijuana plants growing all over Kathmandu but I have only smelled it being smoked once since arriving, until this afternoon.  I often see and smell something burning in the field next to my house, not that pleasant especially when the wind is blowing in the direction of my always open bedroom window. Today, however, I had a very different smell upon entering my abode, someone from behind my house seems to be burning lots of pot plants....boy was it strong for about 15 minutes.  The big question is, did I breathe enough to get a contact high???  Hehe.  That is life in Kathmandu for you (literally if you get caught ;-) Hehe.

The Bells are Ringing...aka My Unofficial Alarm Clock

It is not the dogs or the birds that wake me up in the morning, sometimes as early as 5:30am but usually at about 6:00am, it is the prayer bells.  People go out to their balcony or worship area at the crack of dawn and give offerings to the gods and ring the bells, someone does this right next to my bathroom window EVERY morning, no reprieve for the weekend.  In Denver, it was the Pipmesiter who woke me up that early because he was hungry, now it is the bells, will I ever be able to sleep in past 6:00am???  After the bells, which continue throughout the morning, it is the birds and they are loud, I tell ya.  Everyone I Skype with can hear the birds in the background and comment.  Maybe I need to invest in some earplugs for the weekends.  Then after the birds, it is the dogs.....then the banging from my downstairs neighbors....then the fruit seller yelling to sell his bounty...then the trash guy....then the milk man....then the car horns....it is noisy but it makes me really feel like I am living in Kathmandu ;-)

Gin & Tonics, Nepali Style

A cheers goes out to Peter for creating the Nepali G&T, just like a regular G&T but with a splash of mango juice, mmmm mmmm good!  Try it sometime, you'll love it!

Try #2: A 6 Year Old's Birthday Party

Today I was invited to my neighbor and landlord's son's sixth birthday party.  I was really excited because we had only said "Hi" and "Namaste" to each other since I moved in.  I found out that my neighbor's in the apartment below me are not Nepali but Indian.  The party started at 8pm (in Nepali time, that seems a bit late.)  I felt a bit awkward at first because it was a big family gathering and I was noticably on my own.  I got many questions on why that was, where was my family, was I lonely in that big apartment all by myself when 6 people lived in theirs.  (Grandmother, Grandfather, Mom, Dad, brother and sister.)  But soon barriers came down and I had a great time.

The celebration started off with appetizers of Momos (Tibetan dumplings) with a spicy sauces and soda.  Then came time to light the candle on the birthday cake and sing "Happy Birthday" in English.  There is no Indian or Nepali translation to the song.  The son was then blessed by his Grandpa (tikka) and the red smudge was put on his forehead and he was given 1000 rupees (his eyes got big, about $12), his grandma did the same thing (and more money ;-).  Then he took a piece of the cake and went around in family ranking order and gave each person a tiny bit of his piece of cake, then he was given a present.  He got lots of candy and few little toys, along with more rupees.  After that he went around and thanked everyone in a traditional way by touching feet as a show of respect.

Then came the dinner (did not realize how much food was going to be served...)  We had a potato curry, dal (lentils), paneer cheese in curry sauce, naan bread and a sweet (this spiral round orange, honey, sticky sweet thing).  They kept filling my plate until I pleaded I could eat no more.

After that I had a great talk with the grandfather, sisters of the wife and daughter about books, henna, life in Nepal, what the Lincoln School was like and the prices of petrol and houses around the world.  It was a ton of fun and I have been invited back for another traditional home cooked Indian meal soon.

This is the reason I wanted to live overseas again, for these types of cultural experiences,  If everyone in the world could experience this on a regular basis then there would be more peace in the world.