After spending a week in agony with stomach issues, I finally felt better and decided to start eating real meals again. Shehrish and I met up with her friend Arpana and went to Thuche, a Thakali restaurant. Thakali people come from northern Nepal, and the food is quite spicy. We ordered an array of snack-type food: aloo sadheko (Nepali potato salad), sukuti (mountain sheep jerky), mutton momos and aloo tareko (fried potatoes). The mutton momos were fantastic, the potato dishes were okay but ultimately forgettable and the sukuti was strange. I almost didn't eat it because it smelled terrible and nobody could tell me exactly what it was other than some mountain animal. I eventually gave in and tried it; good flavor but weird. We ordered Thakali brandy to go with the meal, and I could smell the alcohol as the waiter approached the table. It came piping hot, and was really good.
India and Pakistan played in the cricket world cup yesterday, and every place we went was packed with rabid cricket fans who mostly supported India. The atmosphere was electric, and crowds went nuts any time something went India's way. It would be like people going crazy over any out in a baseball game, which actually happens in the Dominican Republic. I have enjoyed learning the game, but find it a little bit boring. There seems to be commercial breaks every three minutes, which gets annoying. I really am missing the NCAA tournament and NBA. VCU and Butler (and Kentucky) in the Final Four? The Bulls being among the favorites to win the East, and Rose likely winning MVP? At least I have UEFA Champions League coming up.
Teaching has been going well so far. I have been shadowing/assisting with grade one, and the kids I'm with now will be my class next term. Out of thirteen (?) kids, only one is constantly disruptive. The other challenge is having a little girl with selective mutism who has yet to make eye contact with me. She always has fun playing with her friends during recess, but has never uttered a word in a classroom environment. Hopefully we can find a way to communicate. They refer to me as 'sir' or 'Mr. Kyle'. One highlight so far happened when I was reading the kids a Berenstein Bears book. I was about halfway through when all of a sudden one of the kids farted really loudly. I bit my lip and tried to maintain composure as the children giggled away, but they definitely saw me smile.
Load shedding seems to be coming more and more, and we've been going to bed around 10 or 11 every night. I saw my first and last episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians last week. The family was on 'vacay' (their word) in Breckenridge and Kim felt like the family was teasing her too much. She proceeded to throw her mother's cell phone down a flight of stairs and lock herself in her room, eventually coming to the decision to leave and head to a bus station. Upon arrival at the station, she realized she didn't know the bus schedule and went back home to her family who were in tears worrying for Kim's safety. Hugs around, end of episode. I know reality TV is a favorite vice of many of my friends, but no one can justify watching this show.
American Idol was a bit of a letdown this week. The contestants all had to sing Motown songs, and 80% were terrible renditions. The judges used their one 'save' for the season on some strange guy named Casey, whose claim to fame is having really old parents who waited to have kids until their mid-40's. He seemed to have a panic attack on stage when the judges revealed that they saved him, which was more weirdness than entertainment.
Steven Tyler critique of the week: "E to the Z, oh tweedily dee" (I think it was meant to be positive)
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