For all those that are curious, I am far away from Bombay and I am not being directly effected by the tragic events that occured there recently. I am leaving India on the 12th of December so I am not here for much longer. Please do not worry about me.
I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving, and I look forward to seeing everyone around Christmas time!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Puri
Here I am in Puri after a week at the hospital. Here in India it is difficult to feel like you accomplish anything, because everything you do, is going to be implemented after you leave. By you... I mean me. Everything I am working on here is going to be used in this nebulous future time that I am unable to participate in. It is very frustrating. Every time I feel like I am accomplishing something, I realize that I haven't actually done anything. For instance. One of my goals was to have better quality internet at the hospital. I had done alot of research and looked into alot of options. As far as I knew it was a done deal. However.... It turns out that the technology I was going to use is not available in this particular district of this particular state in India.
Very Frustrating.
However I am having a good time seeing all my old buds from the Hospital. Chandu is still playing frisbee. All the clerks are still insisting I teach them computer classes for a few hours every day. Govinda is still a great guy. Babu is doing well in school. The Mosquitos are still biting. Everything is going well at the hospital.
I have had some time for good thinking. India is a good place to clear your head of all the distractions of home. It is amazing how you can sit on the roof of the hospital and just stare at all the stars. There are A LOT of stars here. You can see the milky-way every night. It is so peaceful here.
Well I have to go and actually do some work other than sit on the beach getting a massage. Oh the hard life here in India...
Very Frustrating.
However I am having a good time seeing all my old buds from the Hospital. Chandu is still playing frisbee. All the clerks are still insisting I teach them computer classes for a few hours every day. Govinda is still a great guy. Babu is doing well in school. The Mosquitos are still biting. Everything is going well at the hospital.
I have had some time for good thinking. India is a good place to clear your head of all the distractions of home. It is amazing how you can sit on the roof of the hospital and just stare at all the stars. There are A LOT of stars here. You can see the milky-way every night. It is so peaceful here.
Well I have to go and actually do some work other than sit on the beach getting a massage. Oh the hard life here in India...
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Avoiding Riots, Kolkata, The Train, Puri
So we got out of Kathmandu right before the SERIOUS rioting started. It turns out that those innocent schoolk children are starting their own little revolution. I will try to find out more from my friends.
After a few hours in the Kathmandu Airport and a 1.5 hour flight (We spent more time in the airport than on the plane) we arrived in Kolkata(Calcutta). This town is old. I dont mean like ancient archetecture or big monuments with triple digit dates old. I mean old like everything seems to age there. The people, the buildings, the whiskey, the attitude... everything. It is really kind of run down, and the kids on the street are relentless.
As a greeting one of the little kids on the streets decided to run up to me and slap my belly. Unfortunately she was too short to quite get to my stomach so instead she punched me a little lower. Note to all the children of Kolkata that read my blog... punching someone in the groin is NOT the ideal way to introduce yourself.
So we only spent one day in Kolkata at the Paragon Guest house. Nice place filled with hippy travellers. We had lunch at this one really out there place owned by a British lady that I am pretty sure was stuck in the heyday of the empire. She had enough makup on to start and stop traffic if she blinked.
That night we headed out to the Kolkata train station... which is a sight to behold. This trainstation is about 4 airplane hangers worth of crowded people. It is a city unto itself. The trainride was rather pleasant. It was only 9 hours and at night, so we just slept and woke up in Puri.
Since we weren't going to the hospital right away, and had to meet one doctro from spain called Marta, we decided to go to the beach. The sun was warm, the water was cool, and the people were all trying to sell you something... Just like I remember the Puri beaches! Got a little bit of a sunburn, but at least in December when I come home I will be the only one with a tan!
Tomorrow we head off to the hospital, so this should be my last blog post for about 1 or 2 weeks.
Motadaii out (Motadaii is my Oryian nickname... means the same thing, different dialect.)
After a few hours in the Kathmandu Airport and a 1.5 hour flight (We spent more time in the airport than on the plane) we arrived in Kolkata(Calcutta). This town is old. I dont mean like ancient archetecture or big monuments with triple digit dates old. I mean old like everything seems to age there. The people, the buildings, the whiskey, the attitude... everything. It is really kind of run down, and the kids on the street are relentless.
As a greeting one of the little kids on the streets decided to run up to me and slap my belly. Unfortunately she was too short to quite get to my stomach so instead she punched me a little lower. Note to all the children of Kolkata that read my blog... punching someone in the groin is NOT the ideal way to introduce yourself.
So we only spent one day in Kolkata at the Paragon Guest house. Nice place filled with hippy travellers. We had lunch at this one really out there place owned by a British lady that I am pretty sure was stuck in the heyday of the empire. She had enough makup on to start and stop traffic if she blinked.
That night we headed out to the Kolkata train station... which is a sight to behold. This trainstation is about 4 airplane hangers worth of crowded people. It is a city unto itself. The trainride was rather pleasant. It was only 9 hours and at night, so we just slept and woke up in Puri.
Since we weren't going to the hospital right away, and had to meet one doctro from spain called Marta, we decided to go to the beach. The sun was warm, the water was cool, and the people were all trying to sell you something... Just like I remember the Puri beaches! Got a little bit of a sunburn, but at least in December when I come home I will be the only one with a tan!
Tomorrow we head off to the hospital, so this should be my last blog post for about 1 or 2 weeks.
Motadaii out (Motadaii is my Oryian nickname... means the same thing, different dialect.)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but riots can keep me from the airport.
So I was going to India today. Probably still will be, but looks like I am going to be delayed. Today there are riots. As we were leaving our guest house, a group of 4 taxi's came down the street blaring their horns. We thought nothing of it until all the shops around us started shutting their heavy metal shutters.
Ahead in the distance we could hear a dull throbbing noise. We were on our way to the airport, and the only way to get there was to go to the Thamel taxi stand. As we approached it it was clear that stones were being thrown into shop windows, and students were chanting something in Nepali. The mob was disorganized, angry, and had weapons. They ignored the people in the streets and went directly for the businesses. Throwing rocks and any and all exposed glass. Finally one man stood on a soapbox and started issuing directions for the crowd. They throng of people began moving as one towards the center of Thamel. After they passed, the police began showing up in full riot gear marching methodically behind the crowd. The police did not appear to engage the rioters directly or try to provoke an attack.
This kind of stuff happens every day in Nepal. This was just the first time it happened close to me. They riot so often that the shopkeepers and restaurants have protocol that they follow. These bonds can happen over anything. Someone is hit and run and the driver won't come forward... Bond. There is a traffic accident and the two parties can't decide who is at fault... Bond. The students have a day off and are bored... Bond.
I was talking to Binod about these bonds, and he said he didn't mind them too much. He removed all the glass from all his shops, and as soon as the riot starts he closes his shutters and just waits it out. He told me that these organized destructive forces are the only way for anyone to be taken seriously in Nepal. He justified them as a necessary evil, and an extreme way to practice freedom of speech.
Hopefully the taxi's will return now that things have moved further away and Michael and I will be able to get to the airport on time.
Ke Garne?
Ahead in the distance we could hear a dull throbbing noise. We were on our way to the airport, and the only way to get there was to go to the Thamel taxi stand. As we approached it it was clear that stones were being thrown into shop windows, and students were chanting something in Nepali. The mob was disorganized, angry, and had weapons. They ignored the people in the streets and went directly for the businesses. Throwing rocks and any and all exposed glass. Finally one man stood on a soapbox and started issuing directions for the crowd. They throng of people began moving as one towards the center of Thamel. After they passed, the police began showing up in full riot gear marching methodically behind the crowd. The police did not appear to engage the rioters directly or try to provoke an attack.
This kind of stuff happens every day in Nepal. This was just the first time it happened close to me. They riot so often that the shopkeepers and restaurants have protocol that they follow. These bonds can happen over anything. Someone is hit and run and the driver won't come forward... Bond. There is a traffic accident and the two parties can't decide who is at fault... Bond. The students have a day off and are bored... Bond.
I was talking to Binod about these bonds, and he said he didn't mind them too much. He removed all the glass from all his shops, and as soon as the riot starts he closes his shutters and just waits it out. He told me that these organized destructive forces are the only way for anyone to be taken seriously in Nepal. He justified them as a necessary evil, and an extreme way to practice freedom of speech.
Hopefully the taxi's will return now that things have moved further away and Michael and I will be able to get to the airport on time.
Ke Garne?
I am HUGE in Asia.
Tonight is my last night in Kathmandu. It is starting to get chilly over here. Temps in the low 50's during the day and low 30's in the night. And in one day time I am going to be going back to it being high 70's-80's. Yup! Finally heading down to Orissa. I am looking forward to seeing all my old friends down at the school and hospital.
Kathmandu has been great! There have been parts that weren't perfect, but everything was a little adventure. Meeting lots of new and (sometimes) interesting people is great, and it also teaches you something about people in general. People are People. I hate saying it like that, but I have found that no matter where in the world you are, and no matter how vast your cultural differences are, people really behave the same way the world around. I say this without ever having gone to Africa or China, but I feel confident in my assessment.
The views in this country are amazing. Simply wonderful. Lush valleys and snow topped peaks as far as the eye can see. This country is truly a trekkers dream come true.
Everything in Asia is designed for Asians. This proves to make MY life difficult. I am too big for some cars. Newari stores have a door that is 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Even Michael has difficulty getting into them. Crowds press in on all sides in the markets, most of the people barely coming up to my shoulder. That being said. I am HUGE in Asia. Like David Hasselhoff in Germany.
Kathmandu has been great! There have been parts that weren't perfect, but everything was a little adventure. Meeting lots of new and (sometimes) interesting people is great, and it also teaches you something about people in general. People are People. I hate saying it like that, but I have found that no matter where in the world you are, and no matter how vast your cultural differences are, people really behave the same way the world around. I say this without ever having gone to Africa or China, but I feel confident in my assessment.
The views in this country are amazing. Simply wonderful. Lush valleys and snow topped peaks as far as the eye can see. This country is truly a trekkers dream come true.
Everything in Asia is designed for Asians. This proves to make MY life difficult. I am too big for some cars. Newari stores have a door that is 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Even Michael has difficulty getting into them. Crowds press in on all sides in the markets, most of the people barely coming up to my shoulder. That being said. I am HUGE in Asia. Like David Hasselhoff in Germany.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
New Photos!
I uploaded a bunch of new photos. For those that are interested there is a link on the left side of the page.
Or you can just go here.
My Photos
Or you can just go here.
My Photos
Friday, November 14, 2008
Little Britain Coffee Shop
Sitting here in little Britain Coffee Shop with Michael. This is the first place we have found with free, fast, and reliable internet. Something I take sorely for granted back home. This post comes to you in a few parts. Some will be travel woes, so be prepared to hear me whine a little bit.
One thing that made me happy is I finally found out HOW I lost my debit card. Turns out the ATM I was at only returns your card after you hit 2 buttons. The first one being that you do not want another transaction, THEN it asks you if you would like your card returned. No Joke. The options are as follows. Return Card? Yes or No. Who would ever... EVER hit no? And if you do hit no, what then? Does the machine just eat your card? Questions I do not intend to ever find the answer to(Again).
Today we had a meeting with the Citta Nepal board members. They are all very nice people and seem like the want to be more involved in the Humla and Gaikhur project. I got to work with Sushila at the office during some of the meeting. Sushila is brilliant. No joke. She is an extremely capable woman. On top of maintaining the office and keeping things running here in Kathmandu, Sushila is about 8 months pregnant, and still hard at work.
One of Michael's problems in Nepal or India is finding dynamic and intelligent women to work or run the woman's center. Women here in Nepal seem to either be extremely outgoing and smart, or extremely conservative and shy. There appears to be no middle ground. Sushila is a rare breed in that she is down to earth and humble, and extremely capable.
Another woman issue Mike is having is this: He needs a woman who is educated, stylish, well spoken in both English and Nepali, AND able to do handicrafts. These qualities combined seem to not exist together. Either the women here are very educated, OR they are very capable in handicrafts.
Enough about the Woman's Center and on to my immediate future. Next Thursday Mike and I are heading out to Kolkatta, India. We will be spending one day there, and then we are off to Orissa. I have been in Kathmandu for (almost) a whole month! It feels like 6 months, or 1 week depending on what is going on at the time. Time has different meaning here. In the US time also feels varied, but it is different back home. There when you are busy or having fun, time seems to fly, but if you are bored and doing nothing, things seem to take forever. Here EVERYTHING seems like it takes forever while you are doing it. The trip from Thamel to Bhaktipur is only 8 miles, but it takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour, and feels like 5 hours. when working in the offices or working in an internet cafe, everything seems to take forever. The days seem so long and feel like they drag on and on. However the next day, yesterday's worries and troubles are passed in a blink of an eye. Every day here is fresh and new. I think that is what makes the time feel so different here.
Speaking of between days. I don't usually have dreams I remember, but whenever I am traveling, I find myself having the most vivid dreams. Most of it is processing my experiences from the day, but in really weird ways. For instance after one particularly long day I dreamed I was watching Cricket, and even in my dream, the match felt like it took 3 days. It is odd how the mind deals with information, or lack thereof.
The people here in Nepal are all so friendly. They give you personal space, always smile, and are generally very peaceful in their daily actions. Most people in Nepal seem to glorify a simple existence. The ideal of most people I have met is earn a little bit of money while young. And then return home to the family farm, get married, have kids, and work in the fields.
I apologize for jumping around so much in this post, but I have the time to just sit and type today.
This happened to me yesterday:
A man rode up to me on a rickshaw and asked
Man: "Rickshaw?"
Me: "No Rickshaw."
Man: "No Rickshaw?"
Me: "No Rickshaw."
Man: (Big smile) "Ahhh, Rickshaw!"
Me: "No Rickshaw."
Man: (Puzzled look) "No? Rickshaw?"
Me: "Rickshaw Na."
Man: (Big Smile) "Ah! Rickshaw?"
Me: "Ughhhhhhhhh...."
This continued a few more times until finally I just stopped engaging him. after him saying Rickshaw a few more times, he finally got the idea that what I meant was No Rickshaw.
I really hope everyone is having a good time back home! I miss almost everyone. Except Donnie. He never writes to me or calls me. I bet he doesn't even read this.
Motodaai Out!
One thing that made me happy is I finally found out HOW I lost my debit card. Turns out the ATM I was at only returns your card after you hit 2 buttons. The first one being that you do not want another transaction, THEN it asks you if you would like your card returned. No Joke. The options are as follows. Return Card? Yes or No. Who would ever... EVER hit no? And if you do hit no, what then? Does the machine just eat your card? Questions I do not intend to ever find the answer to(Again).
Today we had a meeting with the Citta Nepal board members. They are all very nice people and seem like the want to be more involved in the Humla and Gaikhur project. I got to work with Sushila at the office during some of the meeting. Sushila is brilliant. No joke. She is an extremely capable woman. On top of maintaining the office and keeping things running here in Kathmandu, Sushila is about 8 months pregnant, and still hard at work.
One of Michael's problems in Nepal or India is finding dynamic and intelligent women to work or run the woman's center. Women here in Nepal seem to either be extremely outgoing and smart, or extremely conservative and shy. There appears to be no middle ground. Sushila is a rare breed in that she is down to earth and humble, and extremely capable.
Another woman issue Mike is having is this: He needs a woman who is educated, stylish, well spoken in both English and Nepali, AND able to do handicrafts. These qualities combined seem to not exist together. Either the women here are very educated, OR they are very capable in handicrafts.
Enough about the Woman's Center and on to my immediate future. Next Thursday Mike and I are heading out to Kolkatta, India. We will be spending one day there, and then we are off to Orissa. I have been in Kathmandu for (almost) a whole month! It feels like 6 months, or 1 week depending on what is going on at the time. Time has different meaning here. In the US time also feels varied, but it is different back home. There when you are busy or having fun, time seems to fly, but if you are bored and doing nothing, things seem to take forever. Here EVERYTHING seems like it takes forever while you are doing it. The trip from Thamel to Bhaktipur is only 8 miles, but it takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour, and feels like 5 hours. when working in the offices or working in an internet cafe, everything seems to take forever. The days seem so long and feel like they drag on and on. However the next day, yesterday's worries and troubles are passed in a blink of an eye. Every day here is fresh and new. I think that is what makes the time feel so different here.
Speaking of between days. I don't usually have dreams I remember, but whenever I am traveling, I find myself having the most vivid dreams. Most of it is processing my experiences from the day, but in really weird ways. For instance after one particularly long day I dreamed I was watching Cricket, and even in my dream, the match felt like it took 3 days. It is odd how the mind deals with information, or lack thereof.
The people here in Nepal are all so friendly. They give you personal space, always smile, and are generally very peaceful in their daily actions. Most people in Nepal seem to glorify a simple existence. The ideal of most people I have met is earn a little bit of money while young. And then return home to the family farm, get married, have kids, and work in the fields.
I apologize for jumping around so much in this post, but I have the time to just sit and type today.
This happened to me yesterday:
A man rode up to me on a rickshaw and asked
Man: "Rickshaw?"
Me: "No Rickshaw."
Man: "No Rickshaw?"
Me: "No Rickshaw."
Man: (Big smile) "Ahhh, Rickshaw!"
Me: "No Rickshaw."
Man: (Puzzled look) "No? Rickshaw?"
Me: "Rickshaw Na."
Man: (Big Smile) "Ah! Rickshaw?"
Me: "Ughhhhhhhhh...."
This continued a few more times until finally I just stopped engaging him. after him saying Rickshaw a few more times, he finally got the idea that what I meant was No Rickshaw.
I really hope everyone is having a good time back home! I miss almost everyone. Except Donnie. He never writes to me or calls me. I bet he doesn't even read this.
Motodaai Out!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Come to Nepal and See Bad Nordic Cover Bands!
So Saturday and Sunday I went to an Intro to Buddhism class near Boudha Stupa. The class was dedicated to the terms and simple ideas of Buddhism. It was essentially a class on terminology. So, although I did not come out of the class fully enlightened and aware of the scope of the universe and my place within it's cycle, I had a good time.
Things here in Nepal are finally starting to pick up their pace. When working here I constantly feel like I have accomplished nothing (I am pretty sure I haven't), but Mike and all the staff seem to think what I am doing is great.
It is a challenge because I keep trying to push things forward, and then after I have made progress, I find out that I need to pull back and start again, from a different angle, with different language, or in a completely different medium. Here in Nepal people will yes you to death, do things the way they need to be done while you are watching them, and then instantly slip back into the Nepali way as soon as you are not watching.
I am not saying that the Nepali way is bad, or inefficient. It is just that Citta is a multinational charity that has donors and Boards in many different countries. Most of the money comes from the western world, and because of that the methods that the local projects use need to be compatible with western ideas, communication, and transparency. Keeping information in a paper log book is fine, if you only need to record the information and deal with it locally. But the information about the Hospital budgets, expenses, Volunteer Data, and international orders needs to be able to be communicated in a clear and efficient manner to the US, Germany, the UK, and any other places where people donate their time or money to Citta.
Enough ranting about work. Last night Michael and I went to the Reggae Bar to see some Nepali friends that work there. We sat in our usual table over looking Thamel, far enough from the stage so we could talk. The Nepali cover band was great as always, and we had a few drinks and settled in. At about 10PM the band announces it is going to hand off the stage to another band. This alone was weird, but what made it even weirder was the band that took the stage was a bunch of white guys. Michael and I thought we were in for a treat.
It was not to be however because this new band of white guys immediately started singing the worst cover of "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" I have ever heard. This was the type of band you might find in a lounge in an airport Motel 6. So we started trying to guess where these guys were from. Michael took a shot in the dark and stated that they must be from Denmark. It seemed to make sense, but I decided to apply a little bit of critical thinking to the problem and asked myself a few questions. Where in the world is there a country of white people obsessed with American Culture, obsessed with music, and about 50 years behind the rest of the western world culturally. After asking myself these questions I came up with the only answer that made sense to me. Norway.
So we begin asking the staff where the band is from and no one has any clue. We had given up finding out until a girl with a HEAVY Irish accent comes up to the table and asks us if we want to sign a petition that will be sent to the government in an attempt to lift the 11pm forced closing of bars. We got to talking with her a little, and to our surprise she was a friend of the band, and from Denmark! She claimed the Irish accent was because her best friend was Irish, but I still don't believe she was from Denmark.
Anyway we asked her if the band was from Denmark, and to Mike's dismay they were not. They were however from Norway! After much celebration and libations we signed the petition (twice, Nancy Lanigan and Duane Reade also want the bars open later) and had a rather pleasant night.
Motodaai Out.
Things here in Nepal are finally starting to pick up their pace. When working here I constantly feel like I have accomplished nothing (I am pretty sure I haven't), but Mike and all the staff seem to think what I am doing is great.
It is a challenge because I keep trying to push things forward, and then after I have made progress, I find out that I need to pull back and start again, from a different angle, with different language, or in a completely different medium. Here in Nepal people will yes you to death, do things the way they need to be done while you are watching them, and then instantly slip back into the Nepali way as soon as you are not watching.
I am not saying that the Nepali way is bad, or inefficient. It is just that Citta is a multinational charity that has donors and Boards in many different countries. Most of the money comes from the western world, and because of that the methods that the local projects use need to be compatible with western ideas, communication, and transparency. Keeping information in a paper log book is fine, if you only need to record the information and deal with it locally. But the information about the Hospital budgets, expenses, Volunteer Data, and international orders needs to be able to be communicated in a clear and efficient manner to the US, Germany, the UK, and any other places where people donate their time or money to Citta.
Enough ranting about work. Last night Michael and I went to the Reggae Bar to see some Nepali friends that work there. We sat in our usual table over looking Thamel, far enough from the stage so we could talk. The Nepali cover band was great as always, and we had a few drinks and settled in. At about 10PM the band announces it is going to hand off the stage to another band. This alone was weird, but what made it even weirder was the band that took the stage was a bunch of white guys. Michael and I thought we were in for a treat.
It was not to be however because this new band of white guys immediately started singing the worst cover of "You ain't nothing but a hound dog" I have ever heard. This was the type of band you might find in a lounge in an airport Motel 6. So we started trying to guess where these guys were from. Michael took a shot in the dark and stated that they must be from Denmark. It seemed to make sense, but I decided to apply a little bit of critical thinking to the problem and asked myself a few questions. Where in the world is there a country of white people obsessed with American Culture, obsessed with music, and about 50 years behind the rest of the western world culturally. After asking myself these questions I came up with the only answer that made sense to me. Norway.
So we begin asking the staff where the band is from and no one has any clue. We had given up finding out until a girl with a HEAVY Irish accent comes up to the table and asks us if we want to sign a petition that will be sent to the government in an attempt to lift the 11pm forced closing of bars. We got to talking with her a little, and to our surprise she was a friend of the band, and from Denmark! She claimed the Irish accent was because her best friend was Irish, but I still don't believe she was from Denmark.
Anyway we asked her if the band was from Denmark, and to Mike's dismay they were not. They were however from Norway! After much celebration and libations we signed the petition (twice, Nancy Lanigan and Duane Reade also want the bars open later) and had a rather pleasant night.
Motodaai Out.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Motodaai
Its weird how after even just a short this place feels familiar. Kathmandu and Nepal has not lost it's charm, but how I view things have changed. I suppose I am quick to become accustomed to places. Because of my comfort level rising, I am finding it harder and harder to write about interesting things that happen here. Instead it feels like things are just happening. So I am going to try to talk about some of the interesting things I have observed during my now 2 week stay in this amazing country.
The first thing that comes to mind are the glue sniffers. These gangs of boys between the ages of 5 and 16 are all over the place in Thamel. Actually the seem to be located EXCLUSIVELY in Thamel. Here is the rundown on them. You see them sitting on the street breathing deeply from plastic bags. There are usually between 4 and 10 of them in any given group. And they have clearly established territories. They walk up to you one or two at a time and beg for money. Giving it to them is kinda pointless, because the moment they get a few rupees they dash off to a store and buy glue. If you instead offer to buy them some food they usually walk away or change what they want. See... They will ask you to buy something non-perishable so that as soon as you leave they sell the goods back to the shopkeeper for a little less than what you paid for it, and THEN they buy glue. Which is another part of the problem.
The shopkeepers are accomplices in their addiction. Actually most of the shopkeepers are in on any of the street scams that happen in Thamel. Another popular street scam is a woman will approach you clutching a baby. She will beg you not to give her any money, but please come with her to a store and buy some canned or powdered baby formula. Well if you buy it for them ($10) they will wait for you to leave, and sell it back to the shopkeeper for a nice little profit. After some snooping (and eventually asking Michael) it turns out that many of the women just share a baby to beg with, and hand it off after they have made enough money for the day.
Some other advice for the would-be traveler to Nepal, Don't get hit by a car/bus/truck. I know that seems like very straight forward advice, but here it can be even worse than just the injury received from an accident. In Nepal the law is if you injure someone in an accident, you must pay for ALL their medical bills until they reach 100% recovery. If you injury someone in a way that will require constant medical care, you will have to pay for that. However. However, if you simply kill someone in an accident, you only have to pay a flat price to that person's family. So, sometimes, when someone gets hit by a car/bus/truck, they will back over them, or try to hit them again just to kill them because it will cost them less in the long run! I repeat, DO NOT GET HIT BY AN AUTO IN NEPAL.
Last night I officially got my Nepali nickname. Here I am now referred to as Motodaai. Loosely translated it means Very Big Brother. Translated exactly it means Fat Older Brother. I actually really like the nickname because they don't mean the fat part in a big way. They are just unabashedly, totally, brutally honest here in Nepal. They tell you exactly what they think about anything. And there is no motivation behind it other than communication. David Driver (46) got the nickname Grandpa because he looked a little weary and hard-traveled.
Here they don't have the same sense of "proper" conversation that we have in the west. Actually I think we suffer from it in the west. Here what people think is what they say to each other. It lacks the complexity of western interpersonal relationships. The best way to describe the way they communicate is "refreshing."
Motodaai Out.
The first thing that comes to mind are the glue sniffers. These gangs of boys between the ages of 5 and 16 are all over the place in Thamel. Actually the seem to be located EXCLUSIVELY in Thamel. Here is the rundown on them. You see them sitting on the street breathing deeply from plastic bags. There are usually between 4 and 10 of them in any given group. And they have clearly established territories. They walk up to you one or two at a time and beg for money. Giving it to them is kinda pointless, because the moment they get a few rupees they dash off to a store and buy glue. If you instead offer to buy them some food they usually walk away or change what they want. See... They will ask you to buy something non-perishable so that as soon as you leave they sell the goods back to the shopkeeper for a little less than what you paid for it, and THEN they buy glue. Which is another part of the problem.
The shopkeepers are accomplices in their addiction. Actually most of the shopkeepers are in on any of the street scams that happen in Thamel. Another popular street scam is a woman will approach you clutching a baby. She will beg you not to give her any money, but please come with her to a store and buy some canned or powdered baby formula. Well if you buy it for them ($10) they will wait for you to leave, and sell it back to the shopkeeper for a nice little profit. After some snooping (and eventually asking Michael) it turns out that many of the women just share a baby to beg with, and hand it off after they have made enough money for the day.
Some other advice for the would-be traveler to Nepal, Don't get hit by a car/bus/truck. I know that seems like very straight forward advice, but here it can be even worse than just the injury received from an accident. In Nepal the law is if you injure someone in an accident, you must pay for ALL their medical bills until they reach 100% recovery. If you injury someone in a way that will require constant medical care, you will have to pay for that. However. However, if you simply kill someone in an accident, you only have to pay a flat price to that person's family. So, sometimes, when someone gets hit by a car/bus/truck, they will back over them, or try to hit them again just to kill them because it will cost them less in the long run! I repeat, DO NOT GET HIT BY AN AUTO IN NEPAL.
Last night I officially got my Nepali nickname. Here I am now referred to as Motodaai. Loosely translated it means Very Big Brother. Translated exactly it means Fat Older Brother. I actually really like the nickname because they don't mean the fat part in a big way. They are just unabashedly, totally, brutally honest here in Nepal. They tell you exactly what they think about anything. And there is no motivation behind it other than communication. David Driver (46) got the nickname Grandpa because he looked a little weary and hard-traveled.
Here they don't have the same sense of "proper" conversation that we have in the west. Actually I think we suffer from it in the west. Here what people think is what they say to each other. It lacks the complexity of western interpersonal relationships. The best way to describe the way they communicate is "refreshing."
Motodaai Out.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Cheap and Best
We headed out to Bhaktipur on Tuesday to do some work at the Woman's Center. I spent the entire day with Prakash, the manager/clerk of the Center. He is a smart guy who is really into his job. Actually he is a nerd, so we got along great. I showed him how to better use outlook and better keep his records in a western style. I also tried to institute the new communication system that Michael had me develop for Citta. So far so good.
After Bhaktipur we went to Roadhouse (again) but I didn't have the pizza this time. Had a few glasses of red wine and talked about The meaning of life, the universe, and everything. It was David's last night in Kathmandu so we decided to celebrate by going out to Reggae Bar and have a few drinks. Weeeeeeeellllll a few drinks turned into a few more drinks and a fun time was had by all. The music was really good, the staff was really friendly, and the drinks were cheap enough. On this momentous occasion, David officially Dubbed Kathmandu the city of Then, Now, and Tomorrow.
The reason we came up with this name was because Nepal is experiencing a political revolution, agricultural revolution, industrial revolution, sexual revolution, woman's liberation, Bad hair of the 80's, AIDS epidemic, rise of cellphones, and the Age of the Internet all at once. Kathmandu is like looking at NYC develop in stop-motion. Skyscrapers are being built next to goat farms. Marijuana is being smoked openly in bars that are forced to close at 11pm due to strict public policing. Cellphones are being used by people who don't know what a radio is.
Because of all this development, Nepal has some serious growing pains. Things in the west happened slowly, over time. In Nepal, everything seems to be happening all at once. Because of the rapid development here, the population does not have the (very little) wisdom of the proper use of technology we have in the west. Seeing some of the social policies and unspoken rules of Nepal has given me insight into the impact of technology on society. I am not passing judgment on the advances of civilization, I just realize that left unchecked, and without wisdom to accompany knowledge, the modern world can be a pretty intimidating place.
After Bhaktipur we went to Roadhouse (again) but I didn't have the pizza this time. Had a few glasses of red wine and talked about The meaning of life, the universe, and everything. It was David's last night in Kathmandu so we decided to celebrate by going out to Reggae Bar and have a few drinks. Weeeeeeeellllll a few drinks turned into a few more drinks and a fun time was had by all. The music was really good, the staff was really friendly, and the drinks were cheap enough. On this momentous occasion, David officially Dubbed Kathmandu the city of Then, Now, and Tomorrow.
The reason we came up with this name was because Nepal is experiencing a political revolution, agricultural revolution, industrial revolution, sexual revolution, woman's liberation, Bad hair of the 80's, AIDS epidemic, rise of cellphones, and the Age of the Internet all at once. Kathmandu is like looking at NYC develop in stop-motion. Skyscrapers are being built next to goat farms. Marijuana is being smoked openly in bars that are forced to close at 11pm due to strict public policing. Cellphones are being used by people who don't know what a radio is.
Because of all this development, Nepal has some serious growing pains. Things in the west happened slowly, over time. In Nepal, everything seems to be happening all at once. Because of the rapid development here, the population does not have the (very little) wisdom of the proper use of technology we have in the west. Seeing some of the social policies and unspoken rules of Nepal has given me insight into the impact of technology on society. I am not passing judgment on the advances of civilization, I just realize that left unchecked, and without wisdom to accompany knowledge, the modern world can be a pretty intimidating place.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Wrap Party, Nepali Politics, Miami and Morocco, Don't Drink the Water
So the past few days have been very busy(fun).
Monday night was the wrap party for David's filming project. It was hosted at Cafe Mitra in Thamel, Kathmandu. This place has some amazing food, and a great atmosphere. I had the opportunity to talk to Renu Chatra, David's translator for his film, and starting that day she is a senior journalist at the Kathmandu Post. First day on the job and she got on page one. After many congratulations and some red wine I asked her to describe her perception of the political situation in Nepal. I figured if a senior journalist didn't have an opinion about it, no one would. Here is a run down of what information I was able to gather.
The Maoists essentially ran on the platform of we will fix Nepal and repair the shattered(and mostly non-existant) infrastructure. Renu was kind enough to remind me that what little infrastructure Nepal had was in fact shattered by none other than the Maoists. Despite their violent history, Renu felt that the Maoists were the best bet for the rural and more-backward regions of Nepal.
That being said, even though the Maoists control most of the 601 seats of their "Congress" They are essentially crippled due to the fact that they do not have an overwhelming majority. Due to this lack of voting majority, the Maoists have been forced to form alliances with other parties. The other 2 major players in the congress refuse to deal with the Maoists on principle, so the Maoists are forced to court the smaller WGF. The WGF is a brand new political machine in Nepal that was formed in the wake of the Maoist success. This party is largely located in the Terai region of Nepal, that realized its power and influence when it decided to completely cut Nepal off from all Indian imports for a few days. The Terai region of Nepal is the low flat land that shares a border with India, and most, if not all of Nepal's imports come through this region.
This interim government has a 2 year time-line to write a new Nepali Constitution, and they haven't even started. So Renu, and many other locals I have spoken to, are not optimistic about the way the government is heading, but they are happy for peace, and security.
After the wrap party, we joined a woman named Wanda for some drinks at a very stylish place called Thomas. White sheets hung from steel rafters, low lights and dramatic shadows, and low table with couches around it gave this place what David Driver described as a "Morocco meets Miami" feel to it. Good drinks, and even better company ended the evening on a very high note.
More to come, My stomach problem is back.
Monday night was the wrap party for David's filming project. It was hosted at Cafe Mitra in Thamel, Kathmandu. This place has some amazing food, and a great atmosphere. I had the opportunity to talk to Renu Chatra, David's translator for his film, and starting that day she is a senior journalist at the Kathmandu Post. First day on the job and she got on page one. After many congratulations and some red wine I asked her to describe her perception of the political situation in Nepal. I figured if a senior journalist didn't have an opinion about it, no one would. Here is a run down of what information I was able to gather.
The Maoists essentially ran on the platform of we will fix Nepal and repair the shattered(and mostly non-existant) infrastructure. Renu was kind enough to remind me that what little infrastructure Nepal had was in fact shattered by none other than the Maoists. Despite their violent history, Renu felt that the Maoists were the best bet for the rural and more-backward regions of Nepal.
That being said, even though the Maoists control most of the 601 seats of their "Congress" They are essentially crippled due to the fact that they do not have an overwhelming majority. Due to this lack of voting majority, the Maoists have been forced to form alliances with other parties. The other 2 major players in the congress refuse to deal with the Maoists on principle, so the Maoists are forced to court the smaller WGF. The WGF is a brand new political machine in Nepal that was formed in the wake of the Maoist success. This party is largely located in the Terai region of Nepal, that realized its power and influence when it decided to completely cut Nepal off from all Indian imports for a few days. The Terai region of Nepal is the low flat land that shares a border with India, and most, if not all of Nepal's imports come through this region.
This interim government has a 2 year time-line to write a new Nepali Constitution, and they haven't even started. So Renu, and many other locals I have spoken to, are not optimistic about the way the government is heading, but they are happy for peace, and security.
After the wrap party, we joined a woman named Wanda for some drinks at a very stylish place called Thomas. White sheets hung from steel rafters, low lights and dramatic shadows, and low table with couches around it gave this place what David Driver described as a "Morocco meets Miami" feel to it. Good drinks, and even better company ended the evening on a very high note.
More to come, My stomach problem is back.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Election (as not seen from Nepal)
One thing that I have been constantly thankful for on my trip here is that I have heard blessed little from McCain or Obama. Every time I see a headline with Obama or McCain's name in it I immediately turn my head away and keep walking. This is something I would not have been able to do in the US.
Most of the people who I have met here feel the same way I do. The election is going to happen, I have cast my vote, and I do not care anymore. I don't need to know who McCain is getting money from, or what Obama did as a child. It is not important. It doesn't matter. Have I said that it isn't important?
The reason is this. They have been campaigning for over a year. IF you don't know about the candidates now, you either a) don't care, b) live in Nepal, or c) live in the US, but under a rock.
I say all these negative things about the election, but in reality I miss all the hype, the illusion I used to have that any bit of information about the candidate was so important and necessary to my every day life. It took a few thousand miles, a few rounds of Puja with the local Porcelain Deity, and 2 weeks of detox, but I finally understand that the election has been over for months. The only thing keeping it going was the lack of a vote.
Here whenever someone is trying to sell you something they will ask who you are voting for. Its their way of getting you invested in them, and by extension, their product. Ahh.... reminds me of home.
Most of the people who I have met here feel the same way I do. The election is going to happen, I have cast my vote, and I do not care anymore. I don't need to know who McCain is getting money from, or what Obama did as a child. It is not important. It doesn't matter. Have I said that it isn't important?
The reason is this. They have been campaigning for over a year. IF you don't know about the candidates now, you either a) don't care, b) live in Nepal, or c) live in the US, but under a rock.
I say all these negative things about the election, but in reality I miss all the hype, the illusion I used to have that any bit of information about the candidate was so important and necessary to my every day life. It took a few thousand miles, a few rounds of Puja with the local Porcelain Deity, and 2 weeks of detox, but I finally understand that the election has been over for months. The only thing keeping it going was the lack of a vote.
Here whenever someone is trying to sell you something they will ask who you are voting for. Its their way of getting you invested in them, and by extension, their product. Ahh.... reminds me of home.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Kathmandu Art Scene
So after a brief bit of work at the Citta Nepal office (This time without the overpriced Taxi) I arrived back in Thamel for some R&R. I am coming down with a cold, so R&R primarily means black tea with lemon and a nap.
A few hours later I am awakened by Michael Daube RUSHING into the room and telling me to get up we are going to an art gallery opening on the other side of the King's Palace.
Now.... I like art. I appreciate art. And I even like some of this guys pictures. However I am not an art gallery guy. Thankfully this was a gallery/cafe called Imago Del. Good food, nice atmosphere, and there was even a nice warm fire to warm up by.
I just hope this cold doesn't get the better of me.
On to some musings. I have been learning Nepali while here. And while it is VASTLY different from every western language, some things apparently never change. It was something I had learned from Anthropology, but until you experience it it is hard to internalize. People communicate more through their body language than their mouth.
Gestures reign supreme when you can't talk to people. And it is such a basic and pure form of communication that you can get a lot of information accross than if you wasted the time to try to teach each other the language. A few things to note about gestures in the east however. Shaking the head from left to right, while in America and most of the western world means "No." Here it is "Yes, Ok"
Another gesture that I find very interesting in Nepal is the 2 handed pass off. Nepali tradition states that it is considerd polite to hand someone something with both hands. That goes back many thousands of years supposedly. However in the modern day and age it has evolved into a new type of gesture. Now you are polite by touching your left hand to the inside joint of the elbow while handing with the right hand. You see it happening everywhere, and unless someone points it out to you, or you spend enough time here, you may just miss it.
Speaking of miss. I miss you all, but it is time to go for dinner.
A few hours later I am awakened by Michael Daube RUSHING into the room and telling me to get up we are going to an art gallery opening on the other side of the King's Palace.
Now.... I like art. I appreciate art. And I even like some of this guys pictures. However I am not an art gallery guy. Thankfully this was a gallery/cafe called Imago Del. Good food, nice atmosphere, and there was even a nice warm fire to warm up by.
I just hope this cold doesn't get the better of me.
On to some musings. I have been learning Nepali while here. And while it is VASTLY different from every western language, some things apparently never change. It was something I had learned from Anthropology, but until you experience it it is hard to internalize. People communicate more through their body language than their mouth.
Gestures reign supreme when you can't talk to people. And it is such a basic and pure form of communication that you can get a lot of information accross than if you wasted the time to try to teach each other the language. A few things to note about gestures in the east however. Shaking the head from left to right, while in America and most of the western world means "No." Here it is "Yes, Ok"
Another gesture that I find very interesting in Nepal is the 2 handed pass off. Nepali tradition states that it is considerd polite to hand someone something with both hands. That goes back many thousands of years supposedly. However in the modern day and age it has evolved into a new type of gesture. Now you are polite by touching your left hand to the inside joint of the elbow while handing with the right hand. You see it happening everywhere, and unless someone points it out to you, or you spend enough time here, you may just miss it.
Speaking of miss. I miss you all, but it is time to go for dinner.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)