I'm exhausted and don't feel like writing a cohesive blog. Deal.
- I started my job as full-time teacher on Monday. Things have gone well so far, but I have had to be stricter than I expected. Some 8 year olds just can't stop talking, and hearing 14 different voices asking me variants of the same question simultaneously makes my head hurt worse than anything I have ever experienced, aside from the day after drinking the majority of a bottle of cheap tequila and having numerous scrapes/cuts all over my body. That being said, the job itself is rather enjoyable. For the most part, the kids are sweet and don't give me much trouble. Only having power at the school on Thursday and Friday makes things difficult, but I'm adjusting. I have a newfound respect for teachers and parents; on Friday when I got back, I collapsed on my bed for two hours and didn't move. Kids can be thoroughly exhausting.
-My only blunder this week was not permitting a student to go to the restroom upon request. He asked to go right after Child #1 went, and I assumed they wanted to just leave and talk in the hall (two of the troublemakers). I asked if Child #2 could wait for the Child #1 to return; he said he could. Oops. When Child #1 returned, Child #2 waddled out of the room, having wet himself and the pillow he was sitting on. Lesson learned, always grant permission for the bathroom.
-I went to a tattoo convention last week with artists from all over the world (pictures soon). The buzz of 60+ needles made the room feel like there were thousands of angry bees buzzing about, and watching people getting inked was entertaining in a creepy way. I spent a lot of time watching a guy get a butterfly-like creature tattooed on his face. I'm all for expression, but this felt like a poor life decision. The guy kept flinching, which probably made life difficult for the tattooer. Nobody wants an asymmetrical butterfly tattooed on their face. My favorite individual was a gentleman named Rishi, who had all of the flags of the world tattooed over his face and body (poorly). He enjoys breaking Guinness records, and was talking about attempting to set some record involving using 50 drinking straws simultaneously to drink something. No clue on if he reached his goal, but you have to respect the ambition. (http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sarahbellecher/1/1303795732/tpod.html)
-I have decided to become vegetarian, not for tree-hugging reasons but for the fact that I get ill every time I eat meat. However, there is something slightly unnerving about seeing living goats roped up outside of a butcher shop while other goats' heads and bodies are laying about, but such is life. If I leave for work early enough, I sometimes get serenaded by the horrific sounds of slaughter. Not the best way to start one's day. Unlike America, being vegetarian is pretty easy here, as vegetables are more plentiful and there are many meatless options that are wonderful. I still eat meat if it is part of a dish and I have no other substantive options, but plan on avoiding it otherwise.
-I have replaced American Idol with Dexter as my guilty pleasure TV show. The premise is weird and the acting is bad, but I can't turn away. We just started season four where Dexter is after some new serial killer. Fun times, at least compared to Idol.
-The NBA playoffs have been great so far. Even having only seen three games in replay, I would contend that this could be the best playoffs of my life as a sports fan, which started around 1992-93. The Grizz just knocked off the Spurs in the West, I saw one of the best games of basketball I have seen in years between the Nuggets and Thunder and Chris Paul torched the Lakers single-handedly in what should have been a sweep for LA. CP3 is my favorite player in the league, and I hope that he ends up somewhere in 2012 on a contender, and not with Carmelo in NY.
-As much as I root for the Bulls and hope they win everything this year and every year, I don't really like the players. I love watching the team and think they're among the most entertaining in the league, but being from NC and absolutely hating Duke, I have a hard time rooting for Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer. Joakim Noah was my most hated college baller of the last decade, and while I like him now, I still find him hard to look at. I love His Holiness Derrick Rose, but he did come from a sleazy Memphis program and forged his SAT scores, which the media has brushed aside. Regardless, blood is thicker than water, and I hope Chicago wins it all. The Eastern Finals should be legendary.
Peace
Friday, April 29, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Pokhara
We woke up at 5:15 in the morning to meet with the group near ___ (Freak street) to depart to Pokhara. Techno music started to blare around 7, and rainfall soaked everyone before we left around 9. Our first stop was about 20 minutes out of Kathmandu and then we were onwards. We had lunch about halfway through down by a river, and the weather got extremely hot. Afterwards, I apprehensively got onto a motorbike and rode with a biker for nearly an hour. Once I gathered my bearings it was nice, but the fear factor never went away. We were zipping past bikes and around buses and turns at around 80 km/hr. The scenery was beautiful, aside from seeing a freshly decapitated goat getting eviscerated by the roadside. We would go past several little villages on the way, where people were going about their daily routine and paying us no attention. I felt every minor bump in the road between my legs and was numb for hours upon stepping off at one of the stops. Once nearing Pokhara I got my first glimpse at real mountains in my life and spent the remainder of the trip in awe of my surroundings. We got to the hotel around 7, and I was thrilled to discover that I had a TV and unlimited power in my room. I was unaware of the result of the Chelsea-ManU game, and watched Chelsea waste yet another Champions League campaign by playing Fernando Torres in the first half, who did nothing and was promptly subbed out (End rant). We ate dinner around 9 and then partied to live music late into the night to bring in the Nepali New Year.
The next day Shehrish and I got up and started making our way through Pokhara. Everything was so much cleaner than Kathmandu and I was taking deep, full breaths for the first time in a month. Shehrish thought that Devi’s Fall was worth seeing, so we paid Rs. 1500 to take a 5 minute cab ride to see a glimpse of a dried up waterfall that was hugely disappointing. Turns out it was nearly half of what we spent, but whatever. Later on we took a boat out on Phewa Lake with a guide and watched the sun set over the Himalayas and snapped pictures whenever the clouds broke. The night life was similar to Kathmandu, little bars and clubs with live music. One nice thing about Pokhara was that everywhere had happy hours where we could get beers and snacks for cheap.
Pokhara was amazing, everything was cleaner, people were friendlier to tourists and the weather was nicer (albeit hotter). The one complaint I had was that the food wasn’t as good as Kathmandu. On the last night we went to a restaurant with live music, and I ordered a hot dog from the continental menu, as I was tired of eating mediocre Nepali food. I have no idea where they got their concept of a hot dog, but they brought me something that looked like a southern style biscuit on a weird bun with a half-cooked runny egg on top. I ate it and was sick two hours later. I guess it serves me right for ordering a hot dog in Nepal. We got up early on Sunday and made the trip back to KTM. Hope everybody is doing well.
The next day Shehrish and I got up and started making our way through Pokhara. Everything was so much cleaner than Kathmandu and I was taking deep, full breaths for the first time in a month. Shehrish thought that Devi’s Fall was worth seeing, so we paid Rs. 1500 to take a 5 minute cab ride to see a glimpse of a dried up waterfall that was hugely disappointing. Turns out it was nearly half of what we spent, but whatever. Later on we took a boat out on Phewa Lake with a guide and watched the sun set over the Himalayas and snapped pictures whenever the clouds broke. The night life was similar to Kathmandu, little bars and clubs with live music. One nice thing about Pokhara was that everywhere had happy hours where we could get beers and snacks for cheap.
Pokhara was amazing, everything was cleaner, people were friendlier to tourists and the weather was nicer (albeit hotter). The one complaint I had was that the food wasn’t as good as Kathmandu. On the last night we went to a restaurant with live music, and I ordered a hot dog from the continental menu, as I was tired of eating mediocre Nepali food. I have no idea where they got their concept of a hot dog, but they brought me something that looked like a southern style biscuit on a weird bun with a half-cooked runny egg on top. I ate it and was sick two hours later. I guess it serves me right for ordering a hot dog in Nepal. We got up early on Sunday and made the trip back to KTM. Hope everybody is doing well.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Random Anecdotes
Last week, Shehrish and I were in Thamel at night having dinner and listening to music. I had mentioned to her earlier that the streets felt a bit shadier than normal, as less people were out and a lot of shops were closed early. While waiting to check out at the super market, we saw some Nepali guy run up to a girl, punch her in the face, and run off. People tried to apprehend him, but he was gone in a flash. I was really rattled after this, and we went to the main entrance area of Thamel to get a cab back. Shehrish always negotiates price before I get in the car, as the drivers tend to rip white people off. She approached the cab, and the driver motioned for her to quickly get in. She did, the driver slammed her door shut, a kid came and hit the trunk of the cab with a stick, and he peeled off into the night. At first I thought he just didn't see me, and I was running to catch it, but after about thirty seconds of sprinting barefoot through tourists, beggars etc. it became clear that he wasn't stopping. At this point I am in panic mode thinking that she was just kidnapped or something, as the guy was just weaving through cars and driving erratically as if he were trying to escape capture. He finally stops after I have sprinted for about two minutes, and I get in. Shehrish and I start yelling at him, but he just keeps driving, saying he doesn't understand. The guy was definitely on something, as his driving was all over the place even on empty roads. At one point we nearly get into a head on collision with another cab, and when we get to her house, he demands Rs. 300 (we had agreed on 200). Shehrish says no, and the guy threatens to follow us and stay until we pay. I cough up the extra 100, and he left. We have been back to Thamel since, but have avoided taking cabs from there at night.
We went to Durbar square recently, and it was absolutely beautiful. Being white, I was supposed to pay around Rs. 400 for entrance, but we went a roundabout way to avoid having to pay. I find it funny when I have to pay more for entrance than SE Asian people. Garden of Dreams cost me twice as much to enter as it did for Shehrish. Not exactly the best message to send when the country is promoting tourism for 2011. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked as we went late afternoon and it got dark quickly, but all of the carvings on the temples were so intricate and beautiful. Most of the temples in the area are over a thousand years old, and the area had a peaceful vibe. We spent an hour or so having tea at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the entire kingdom. My only complaint was the amount of dust/fumes. The high walls seemed to trap everything, and breathing was difficult.
March/April seem to be prime birthday months in Nepal. I only know probably around 30 people by name so far, and have been to four or five birthday parties in the last few weeks. An average party involves a lot of eating, drinking and playing guitars and singing. I am amazed to have actually lost weight since being here given the amount of food served at any given time. People eat gargantuan portions at every meal, I have no idea how they stay thin. I recently went to one last Saturday when the cricket final was going on. India won, and everyone was in full on celebration mode. We ended up staying until around 1 in the morning, quite late for Nepal. Most nights we get back around 10 or 11.
I am currently on a two week break from work, as the school is between terms. On Wednesday we are leaving for Pokhara, a city about seven hours from Kathmandu by car. Shehrish's dad organizes an event every year for motorcyclists, going from KTM to Pokhara and back (www.enfieldpokerrun.com). I will be going in the car; I have been on a motorbike since being here and it was terrifying. The Nepal new year is coming up, and that will be celebrated as well. I am really looking forward to the trip, as the pictures look beautiful and I could use some fresh air.
American Idol has gotten so bad. America voted off the best singer this week, Pia, in a 'shocking' turn of events. I think Steven Tyler is on or off drugs again, as his comments have been really succinct, like "I loved it". Most of the contestants have nauseating personalities, but my least favorites are Scotty, a country singer who is a dead ringer for Alfred E. Neuman of Mad comics, and James, a pro wrestling enthusiast who looks like a cross between Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray) and Sloth from The Goonies. Our Saturday and Sunday mornings are devoted to watching the program. I'm amazed by how many Nepali people seem to enjoy it year after year.
Hope everyone is well back home.
We went to Durbar square recently, and it was absolutely beautiful. Being white, I was supposed to pay around Rs. 400 for entrance, but we went a roundabout way to avoid having to pay. I find it funny when I have to pay more for entrance than SE Asian people. Garden of Dreams cost me twice as much to enter as it did for Shehrish. Not exactly the best message to send when the country is promoting tourism for 2011. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked as we went late afternoon and it got dark quickly, but all of the carvings on the temples were so intricate and beautiful. Most of the temples in the area are over a thousand years old, and the area had a peaceful vibe. We spent an hour or so having tea at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the entire kingdom. My only complaint was the amount of dust/fumes. The high walls seemed to trap everything, and breathing was difficult.
March/April seem to be prime birthday months in Nepal. I only know probably around 30 people by name so far, and have been to four or five birthday parties in the last few weeks. An average party involves a lot of eating, drinking and playing guitars and singing. I am amazed to have actually lost weight since being here given the amount of food served at any given time. People eat gargantuan portions at every meal, I have no idea how they stay thin. I recently went to one last Saturday when the cricket final was going on. India won, and everyone was in full on celebration mode. We ended up staying until around 1 in the morning, quite late for Nepal. Most nights we get back around 10 or 11.
I am currently on a two week break from work, as the school is between terms. On Wednesday we are leaving for Pokhara, a city about seven hours from Kathmandu by car. Shehrish's dad organizes an event every year for motorcyclists, going from KTM to Pokhara and back (www.enfieldpokerrun.com). I will be going in the car; I have been on a motorbike since being here and it was terrifying. The Nepal new year is coming up, and that will be celebrated as well. I am really looking forward to the trip, as the pictures look beautiful and I could use some fresh air.
American Idol has gotten so bad. America voted off the best singer this week, Pia, in a 'shocking' turn of events. I think Steven Tyler is on or off drugs again, as his comments have been really succinct, like "I loved it". Most of the contestants have nauseating personalities, but my least favorites are Scotty, a country singer who is a dead ringer for Alfred E. Neuman of Mad comics, and James, a pro wrestling enthusiast who looks like a cross between Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray) and Sloth from The Goonies. Our Saturday and Sunday mornings are devoted to watching the program. I'm amazed by how many Nepali people seem to enjoy it year after year.
Hope everyone is well back home.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thakali food, teaching, etc.
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)
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)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Compare/Contrast
Someone asked me to compare various aspects of life between the USA and Nepal, so...
Food: Eating healthy, flavorful food for reasonable cost in America is impossible unless you have lots of money to go out all of the time or you can cook really well. Flavors aside, everything from vegetables to meat just has a fresher taste, as a result of not undergoing processing. If you can handle spicy, you'll like Nepali food better. The only drawback is the absence of good coffee. I like tea (especially here), but miss a good cup of coffee. Edge: Nepal
*This may change if my stomach doesn't improve in the next few days. Everyone told me I would have issues for about a month; it took a week or so to start, and is an ongoing struggle.*
Entertainment: Several factors to weigh:
Commercials- I pick up a magazine or flip channels when commercials come on in the States, but Indian/Nepali commercials make me laugh out loud, even though I can't understand them. The acting is so eccentric, and most times the message has nothing to do with the product.
TV shows- Due to load shedding, I don't get that much time to watch anything, but when we do, the popular show in the house is American Idol, which I hadn't seen since Kelly Clarkson won 10+ years ago. The concept is the same: mediocre singers battling it out for a bad contract and three weeks of fame before becoming obsolete, but the addition of Steven Tyler makes it worthwhile. He was dressed like a cross between Keith Richards and a native American while looking half coherent, and I must of missed when he battled drugs/alcohol however many years ago, but his critiques were simply amazing:
"Girl, just hitch your wagon to a star and you will go places"
"You need to keep being YOU, my brother. I love YOU, but you gotta be YOU"
And apparently, Aerosmith is coming to Kathmandu later in the year. Hopefully he speaks between songs.
But as great as Steven is, big edge to American TV. I miss my shows, but can probably find bootlegs for pennies if I look.
(By the way, Haley totally deserved to get the boot this week after butchering a Whitney Houston track and smearing her lipstick all over her face with the microphone, causing Ryan to awkwardly clean the smudges with a tissue post-song. America missed on this vote)
Sports- The US likes football, basketball, baseball and hockey. Nepal likes cricket, and to a lesser degree, soccer. I was hoping soccer would be bigger here, but cricket is far and away top dog. I do get a lot more soccer here than what FSC has to offer, but it comes at strange times and is usually replayed. Everybody likes Man U, Arsenal or Barca; nobody likes Chelsea. The one thing I really miss in the US (besides family and friends) is basketball. The Bulls are tied for first, Derrick Rose should win MVP, Tyler Hansbrough's stat lines make it seem like he's actually gotten good, and I can't see any of it. ESPN 360 is spotty and with the electricity issues, I am left to rely on Sportscenter recaps and Youtube for hoops.
Music- I am an admitted snob about music, but I think we can all agree that Bryan Adams has seen better days. A few weeks back, Bryan Adams made his mark in KTM by being the first 'big' Western act to perform. All good and well; the only problem is that it's Bryan Adams and the country is still in a euphoric state because of it. I hear Bryan Adams songs every time I am out, and he is quickly rising to Nickelback and Kings of Leon levels of being unlistenable. I'm sure that "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "Cuts Like a Knife" were rocking tunes at one point in time. But no more. NO MORE.
Slight edge (overall): America
Miscellaneous:
Walking: Sidewalks and stop signs in America; cow dung, strewn trash, attacking dogs and anarchic traffic in Nepal. America is safer, but Nepal is definitely more exciting. Edge: push
Sleep: I usually go to bed after 2 in the States on a plushy mattress; in Nepal, I go to bed around 11 on a firm mattress and am initially woken up by roosters, pigeons, crows etc. around 4, after which I go back to bed and get up around 8. I have successfully adjusted to a normal cycle in Nepal. Edge: Nepal.
Soda (Pop): I drank Diet Coke like water in the States; in Nepal, it's Coke Light, and tastes great, but as an imported product a can of it runs for about Rs. 140 ($2 USD). I used to never drink regular soda, but everything here is less sweet, making a product like Pepsi drinkable. Edge: US. I miss cheap, sizable Diet Cokes.
Alcohol: Was always beer in the US for me, along with the occasional glass of wine. In Nepal, beer is far more expensive than the States, and the selection is limited to about five: Carlsberg, and than Nepali beers (Tuborg, Everest, Nepal Ice, etc). The average beer is about Rs. 320 ($4.50 USD), and the average liquor drink is around Rs. 200 (about $3 USD). The drop in liquor price is nice, but I prefer American beer and their prices, although Carlsberg being everywhere is nice. Edge: US
Food: Eating healthy, flavorful food for reasonable cost in America is impossible unless you have lots of money to go out all of the time or you can cook really well. Flavors aside, everything from vegetables to meat just has a fresher taste, as a result of not undergoing processing. If you can handle spicy, you'll like Nepali food better. The only drawback is the absence of good coffee. I like tea (especially here), but miss a good cup of coffee. Edge: Nepal
*This may change if my stomach doesn't improve in the next few days. Everyone told me I would have issues for about a month; it took a week or so to start, and is an ongoing struggle.*
Entertainment: Several factors to weigh:
Commercials- I pick up a magazine or flip channels when commercials come on in the States, but Indian/Nepali commercials make me laugh out loud, even though I can't understand them. The acting is so eccentric, and most times the message has nothing to do with the product.
TV shows- Due to load shedding, I don't get that much time to watch anything, but when we do, the popular show in the house is American Idol, which I hadn't seen since Kelly Clarkson won 10+ years ago. The concept is the same: mediocre singers battling it out for a bad contract and three weeks of fame before becoming obsolete, but the addition of Steven Tyler makes it worthwhile. He was dressed like a cross between Keith Richards and a native American while looking half coherent, and I must of missed when he battled drugs/alcohol however many years ago, but his critiques were simply amazing:
"Girl, just hitch your wagon to a star and you will go places"
"You need to keep being YOU, my brother. I love YOU, but you gotta be YOU"
And apparently, Aerosmith is coming to Kathmandu later in the year. Hopefully he speaks between songs.
But as great as Steven is, big edge to American TV. I miss my shows, but can probably find bootlegs for pennies if I look.
(By the way, Haley totally deserved to get the boot this week after butchering a Whitney Houston track and smearing her lipstick all over her face with the microphone, causing Ryan to awkwardly clean the smudges with a tissue post-song. America missed on this vote)
Sports- The US likes football, basketball, baseball and hockey. Nepal likes cricket, and to a lesser degree, soccer. I was hoping soccer would be bigger here, but cricket is far and away top dog. I do get a lot more soccer here than what FSC has to offer, but it comes at strange times and is usually replayed. Everybody likes Man U, Arsenal or Barca; nobody likes Chelsea. The one thing I really miss in the US (besides family and friends) is basketball. The Bulls are tied for first, Derrick Rose should win MVP, Tyler Hansbrough's stat lines make it seem like he's actually gotten good, and I can't see any of it. ESPN 360 is spotty and with the electricity issues, I am left to rely on Sportscenter recaps and Youtube for hoops.
Music- I am an admitted snob about music, but I think we can all agree that Bryan Adams has seen better days. A few weeks back, Bryan Adams made his mark in KTM by being the first 'big' Western act to perform. All good and well; the only problem is that it's Bryan Adams and the country is still in a euphoric state because of it. I hear Bryan Adams songs every time I am out, and he is quickly rising to Nickelback and Kings of Leon levels of being unlistenable. I'm sure that "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "Cuts Like a Knife" were rocking tunes at one point in time. But no more. NO MORE.
Slight edge (overall): America
Miscellaneous:
Walking: Sidewalks and stop signs in America; cow dung, strewn trash, attacking dogs and anarchic traffic in Nepal. America is safer, but Nepal is definitely more exciting. Edge: push
Sleep: I usually go to bed after 2 in the States on a plushy mattress; in Nepal, I go to bed around 11 on a firm mattress and am initially woken up by roosters, pigeons, crows etc. around 4, after which I go back to bed and get up around 8. I have successfully adjusted to a normal cycle in Nepal. Edge: Nepal.
Soda (Pop): I drank Diet Coke like water in the States; in Nepal, it's Coke Light, and tastes great, but as an imported product a can of it runs for about Rs. 140 ($2 USD). I used to never drink regular soda, but everything here is less sweet, making a product like Pepsi drinkable. Edge: US. I miss cheap, sizable Diet Cokes.
Alcohol: Was always beer in the US for me, along with the occasional glass of wine. In Nepal, beer is far more expensive than the States, and the selection is limited to about five: Carlsberg, and than Nepali beers (Tuborg, Everest, Nepal Ice, etc). The average beer is about Rs. 320 ($4.50 USD), and the average liquor drink is around Rs. 200 (about $3 USD). The drop in liquor price is nice, but I prefer American beer and their prices, although Carlsberg being everywhere is nice. Edge: US
Thursday, March 17, 2011
White Like Flour!
After going in for the morning to the school to sit in on a classroom, Sherry picked me up and we went to a barbershop to get my beard trimmed. I have never had facial hair for more than a week or so, and was looking really ragged. Sherry tells the barber in Nepali what I want done, and I sit down in an old chair that I barely fit into. The guy starts to comb my facial hair, and begins to trim away. Everything is going well at this point, aside from the barber's ripe armpit being shoved into my face numerous times and it smelling like B.O. mixed with B.O. After the trim, he tilts my head back and beings to lather underneath my neck. Having never had my throat area shaved before, I was nervous, but once he started everything went fine. By this point, three other men have crammed into this tiny shop and begin conversing and laughing in Nepali. I am 100% sure it is about me (as Sherry was laughing too), but maintain my tilted position to avoid my jugular or throat being sliced. Once he finished, he removed the towel and I stood up to leave, but he put me back into the chair and started slapping my head as if it were a drum. Some slaps were light, and some actually hurt. He then went on to abruptly pull my arms behind my back to pop my shoulders, and proceeded to crack each individual knuckle in my head. This is apparently common, but I more it to be more painful than relaxing. After we left, I made Shehrish translate what was being said by the men:
"Oh my god, so white, how does he go out into the sun?"
"He must be Irish to be that white, there's no sun there."
"He is white like flour! God must have blessed this one!"
However, the trim/shave was great and only cost Rs. 40 (approximately $.60), so I plan on never shaving while here and going back to be laughed at again.
Not much else new has been going on. I have started to shadow classes at the school, and the kids seem well-behaved. We met up with friends in Thamel (again) for a dinner party and ate Malaysian/Nepali food. I ate fish head for lunch today, and nearly threw up. It was jelly-like and really fishy, will not try it again. All the best to everyone.
"Oh my god, so white, how does he go out into the sun?"
"He must be Irish to be that white, there's no sun there."
"He is white like flour! God must have blessed this one!"
However, the trim/shave was great and only cost Rs. 40 (approximately $.60), so I plan on never shaving while here and going back to be laughed at again.
Not much else new has been going on. I have started to shadow classes at the school, and the kids seem well-behaved. We met up with friends in Thamel (again) for a dinner party and ate Malaysian/Nepali food. I ate fish head for lunch today, and nearly threw up. It was jelly-like and really fishy, will not try it again. All the best to everyone.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Thamel
Shehrish and I have gone to Thamel the last couple of days, a tourist area of Nepal crawling with activity. We have been walking from her house, a considerable hike but I have enjoyed seeing more of the city. The only problem with walking through these areas is the amount of dust and gasoline fumes from all of the bikes. A lot of people walk around with masks on their faces to avoid inhaling the allergens, and eventually I may follow suit. On the way we turned a corner to be greeted by 10-15 cows walking in our direction. Shehrish got terrified and hid behind me like a child. Sometimes I wonder who is the foreigner. Walking by the palace, a massive golden eagle flew right over us and landed in a tree. Being irrationally petrified by birds of prey, it gave me quite the fright. Entering Thamel, we walked by a lot of street children who would tug on my clothes begging for money. Lots of them had their faces buried in small paper bags, huffing glue non-stop. This was heartbreaking, but an unfortunate reality in KTM.
The heart of Thamel is really exciting, with tons of shops and restaurants condensed in really narrow streets filled with cars, motorbikes and people. Many of the shops sell bootlegged things, and I got the entire series of both Sopranosand Loston DVD for the equivalent of $12 USD. I don't think that copyrighted material exists in Thamel. We met up with some of Shehrish's high school friends at OR2K, a dirty hippie place with good vegetarian food. We ordered veggie momos (dumplings), chips chilly and hummus. Chips chilly is essentially french fries covered in a spicy, chili red sauce with vegetables on the side. I loved it, and love that in Nepal it is common to get appetizers while having drinks. All of the food is Thamel was good and relatively cheap; the momos were Rs. 80, about $1.25 USD. While hanging out at OR2K, there was a massive thud on the metal roof. One of Shehrish's friends made a remark that it was probably a monkey, and I thought he was messing with me, until all of a sudden a big monkey jumps out on the ledge and skittered away along the roof. I had thought that the monkeys were only in the jungle areas, but apparently I was wrong. Later on, we went to Buddha Bar, a small place with beautiful ambiance and good hookah. I liked OR2K because it was more spacious, but Buddha Bar was a lot nicer.
We walked around a bit more, and the area got kind of shady after it got darker. Some of the streets were poorly or completely unlit, and walking through these areas was rattling. Lots of people came up to us either begging or trying to sell drugs, and I was happy to get back to the lit areas. While in this nasty part, I stepped on something squishy and wet. Having stepped in crap the day before, I looked back to see if I needed to clean my shoes yet again. I had stepped on a fat dead rat, laying in the side of the road. I have never been more grossed out in my life, aside from having to clean fraternity house bathrooms after parties.
To end the evening, we met up with Shehrish's dad at Upstairs, a place sort of on the outskirts of Thamel that had live jazz. I tried buff (alo) momos for the first time, and liked them alot. In America, I got tired of momos, but in KTM every place has different styles and different 'achar', the sauce on the side that is usually spicy. I don't see how the Nepali crowd at Salem can even eat momos in America, because they are terrible in comparison. I guess any momo is better than no momo. Upstairs was nice, but a bit crowded for my taste. Being sandwiched on a rickety bench isn't fun, and the smoke factor is annoying after getting used to smoke-free restaurants/bars in North Carolina. Most of the places are well ventilated or partially opened, but not Upstairs.
All in all, things are great so far. I plan on taking a class to learn Nepali, and have been told by several people that it is a pretty simple language to learn. There have been some communication issues with the maids, and they have actually done better than me in that they ask me things in English now. Seems like a uphill battle to be able to pick it up at this point, but I am going to try. Everyone speaks predominately in Nepali around me, but I am used to this from hanging out with the Salem crowd.
Hope that everything is well in the States. The predominant news stories lately have been the political scene with the upcoming Nepali constitution (so confusing with the different parties splitting/merging/disbanding that I can't even keep up) and the tsunami in Japan. The Kathmandu paper is fun to read, but the English is written slightly differently that I have to reread a lot of sentences. For the most part it's Nepali news but some world stuff too. In today's paper there was a write-up on Indianapolis malls, which was fun to read because I had been to them. Why they would put an article in Indy malls in a Nepal newspaper is beyond my comprehension, but I have stopped overanalyzing everything to avoid going insane. They also have a section for celebrity birthdays; happy belated birthday, Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. Lodeshedding just kicked in, so I'll post this when I can, ciao.
The heart of Thamel is really exciting, with tons of shops and restaurants condensed in really narrow streets filled with cars, motorbikes and people. Many of the shops sell bootlegged things, and I got the entire series of both Sopranosand Loston DVD for the equivalent of $12 USD. I don't think that copyrighted material exists in Thamel. We met up with some of Shehrish's high school friends at OR2K, a dirty hippie place with good vegetarian food. We ordered veggie momos (dumplings), chips chilly and hummus. Chips chilly is essentially french fries covered in a spicy, chili red sauce with vegetables on the side. I loved it, and love that in Nepal it is common to get appetizers while having drinks. All of the food is Thamel was good and relatively cheap; the momos were Rs. 80, about $1.25 USD. While hanging out at OR2K, there was a massive thud on the metal roof. One of Shehrish's friends made a remark that it was probably a monkey, and I thought he was messing with me, until all of a sudden a big monkey jumps out on the ledge and skittered away along the roof. I had thought that the monkeys were only in the jungle areas, but apparently I was wrong. Later on, we went to Buddha Bar, a small place with beautiful ambiance and good hookah. I liked OR2K because it was more spacious, but Buddha Bar was a lot nicer.
We walked around a bit more, and the area got kind of shady after it got darker. Some of the streets were poorly or completely unlit, and walking through these areas was rattling. Lots of people came up to us either begging or trying to sell drugs, and I was happy to get back to the lit areas. While in this nasty part, I stepped on something squishy and wet. Having stepped in crap the day before, I looked back to see if I needed to clean my shoes yet again. I had stepped on a fat dead rat, laying in the side of the road. I have never been more grossed out in my life, aside from having to clean fraternity house bathrooms after parties.
To end the evening, we met up with Shehrish's dad at Upstairs, a place sort of on the outskirts of Thamel that had live jazz. I tried buff (alo) momos for the first time, and liked them alot. In America, I got tired of momos, but in KTM every place has different styles and different 'achar', the sauce on the side that is usually spicy. I don't see how the Nepali crowd at Salem can even eat momos in America, because they are terrible in comparison. I guess any momo is better than no momo. Upstairs was nice, but a bit crowded for my taste. Being sandwiched on a rickety bench isn't fun, and the smoke factor is annoying after getting used to smoke-free restaurants/bars in North Carolina. Most of the places are well ventilated or partially opened, but not Upstairs.
All in all, things are great so far. I plan on taking a class to learn Nepali, and have been told by several people that it is a pretty simple language to learn. There have been some communication issues with the maids, and they have actually done better than me in that they ask me things in English now. Seems like a uphill battle to be able to pick it up at this point, but I am going to try. Everyone speaks predominately in Nepali around me, but I am used to this from hanging out with the Salem crowd.
Hope that everything is well in the States. The predominant news stories lately have been the political scene with the upcoming Nepali constitution (so confusing with the different parties splitting/merging/disbanding that I can't even keep up) and the tsunami in Japan. The Kathmandu paper is fun to read, but the English is written slightly differently that I have to reread a lot of sentences. For the most part it's Nepali news but some world stuff too. In today's paper there was a write-up on Indianapolis malls, which was fun to read because I had been to them. Why they would put an article in Indy malls in a Nepal newspaper is beyond my comprehension, but I have stopped overanalyzing everything to avoid going insane. They also have a section for celebrity birthdays; happy belated birthday, Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. Lodeshedding just kicked in, so I'll post this when I can, ciao.
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