A Mix of Cultural Events: Tibet, America, Bhutan, & Nepal

This month we've got a few events going on. First up this Friday is Losar, more commonly known as Tibetan New Year. Usually there are some celebrations out at Boudha where the Tibetan community of Kathmandu in large part lives. Kim and I went out there last year for the celebration and there were some tensions between Tibetan's who wanted to parade a portrait of the Dali Lama around the stupa and local authorities that are very sensitive to the wants and fears of the Chinese. I suspect it will mostly be lighthearted celebration and throwing some of that flour stuff up in the air while people cheer and chant stuff in a language that I can't comprehend. I really do love the people out at Boudha so I am looking forward to this.

Next we move back to my native United States as there is the upcoming Super Bowl next Monday morning which we will not be able to watch it appears. The only place that appears to be showing it is Phora, and as we are not members it doesn't look like we'll be seeing it there. So back up plan is in effect and the projector will get hooked up to the laptop which will have to stream the audio and have the play-by-play board from ESPN on. Now in some countries you might be able to find a stream of the full broadcast, but in Nepal the internet just isn't up to streaming live video feeds. The plan is currently to supply plenty of buffalo wings, pulled pork sandwiches, and nachos along with some beer and other light alcoholic drinks. A perfect start to a Monday morning with some football. Looking forward to a good game between the Packers and Steelers.

The following weekend we are leaving for a short five day trip to the small Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan. This country is a little difficult to get to and travel in, as the government sets a minimum amount of money to be spent per day and you have to receive a letter of invitation arranged by a travel agency to visit. After a few weeks of e-mails, scanning passports, and wiring cash we got our plane tickets and letters of invitation. One highlight for me will be visiting Taktsang Monastery, better known as tiger's nest, which sits on the side of a cliff roughly 3000 feet above the nearby valley. This is one of the most dramatically placed buildings on the planet and I've always wanted to go there since I first saw a photo of it. Our trip will also coincide with the Punahka festival which I think celebrates the victory over invading Tibetan forces and the result is lots of dancing, costumes and what should be a good time. Really looking forward to this trip and am not really sure what to expect.

After we get back it will be a week and a half to get things in order before Donnie and I set out to reach Everest Base Camp and the Gokyo Region. Yes I did this Trek just last Sept/Oct, but this time we will be walking in from Jiri, rhododendrons should be coming into bloom and I'll get another shot at going over the Cho La pass that I couldn't get to due to being turned back by the Ngozumpu glacier. I'm really looking forward to the part of the trek from Jiri to Lukla as I haven't done it since 2002 when the country was in the midst of civil war, I'm curious to see what those villages and towns are like along that part of the trail now. I remember many of the villages along that route fondly, and they have been some of the better ones I've stayed in amongst the middle hills of Nepal. That trail is also an endurance tester, as over the course of traversing the many ridges passes and valleys on your way to Everest your total elevation gain is higher than the summit of Mt. Everest, roughly 9000 meters, or 27,000feet. 

So there should be some fun things to talk about and pictures coming up soon, certainly an interesting month or two.

Apparently I'm going to Tibet

So we have been planning been planning on going to Tibet some time in July for a while. A friend of ours & her boyfriend, were going to bein China & Tibet some time this coming month. Turns out that it was early July, and since the summer is by most accounts the best time to go, we thought it would make sense. We had planned on flying in so that we wouldn't have to rush, but we found we could get a better price if we drove in and flew back. In order to get there on  the day that would coincide with Kim's friend however we have to leave on Tuesday. This Tuesday. 

Running to Boudha

I love to run. To most people that seems like a crazy thing to say, but I truly do enjoy it. Before I came to Kathmandu I had expectations of doing some running at the valley fringe on a regular basis, but the reality is that getting there is a pain in the ass. The pollution put out by the traffic on the larger roads seemed like just too much to put my lungs though, and the back roads can be extremely cramped for space, uneven, and have many blind corners. I was holding off until we got membership into Phora, thinking I would just use cardio machines or make use of the 600 meter path around the perimeter there. 

Then as I posted during the maoist bandha I took the opportunity to run the traffic free streets out to Boudha, which was just about a perfect run. The route is about 2.6 miles, has one really good up hill and one good down hill. So when I got the urge to run again I thought about my options and said 'what the hell' and gave the same route a shot with traffic. 

The Stupa at Boudha

Respiratory *Cough* Problems and Other Updates

I'm not sure exactly what it is here, but I keep getting terrible sore throats along with a cough and occasionally other symptoms. Sure once in a while when adapting to a new climate you expect these things, but it seems almost once a month I get hit with this for a week or so. The last two days I've been hit with this again, although not debilitating, it certainly can be a little annoying. The upside is that it seems to be clearing up a little faster each time I get it, and it's almost gone already this time, so maybe next time it'll be just a day. Maybe it's the dryer climate, maybe the dust, possibly the pollution, allergies or a combination of some or all of the above. Who knows, but it is definitely one of the more troublesome things I've had to deal with here.

The Visa Process that never ends-
We are still waiting to get our work visa. After talking to our Lawyer it looks like we take another step Friday morning, then maybe get the visa early next week. Originally we expected this to be completed around the end of April, as we draw into the middle of May, my chances to go trekking without encountering a plethora of leaches, rain, and areas prone to avalanches due to the increased snows is dwindling. We also can't apply to the American Club until we have a non-tourist visa, and then it takes five or six weeks to process. Patience is a virtue, and it is twice as valuable in Nepal.

Learning Nepali-
So just looking at a book wasn't cutting it, and Kim, Sami and I signed up for Nepali classes together with a woman named Geeta. I enjoy her teaching style quite a bit, and I find I am picking up some very basic knowledge of the language. While purchasing vegetables tonight I actually caught a bit of the conversation that was going on around me. My understanding is still very rudimentary, but the fact that the sound of the language took some form in my brain and didn't just sound like gibberish is a very positive step forward.

Upcoming Events-
So assuming we get our visa in the near future I am planning on a three week trip in the Annapurna region. In July we are planning on taking a trip to Tibet, where we can hopefully meet up with a friend of Kim's from home who will be travelling there in the same time period. We have a custom made outdoor grill that was supposed to have been done last Sunday, but who knows when we will actually get it. All I know is that I will definitely be having a cook out when I do, and everyone is invited.

Learning Another Language

So Kim and I have been in Nepal for three months now, and you know how much Nepali I can speak? About 20 words. Maybe 30. Of those words, I think I've only learned three since I've been here. Among these (and the spelling may be off, I've only heard them verbally) are mamu (mother) babu (baby/kid) and ha-jur which is kind of like yes/excuse me I think. See I don't even know these words...I just hear them a lot.

One of my goals in coming here was to learn another language, as I never really have. I know a minimal amount of Spanish, and enough French and Italian words to get by as a tourist. I can say hello and thank you in lots of languages... because as a tourist that speaks English that's all you ever need. I wanted it to be different here, and though I know that regardless of how well I speak Nepali I will always be an outsider, it couldn't hurt to be able to converse a little in the local language.

So yesterday we were at a yard sale that was put on by the American Embassy at Phora, the American Club.

Hair Cuts, Phora Durbar and Meeting New People

So nothing real big going on right now, just working on lots of little things. My first recent adventure was going to get a haircut. Wandering into a nearby barber shop I asked if anyone spoke English and one of the customers did and was able to relay what I needed done. The guy payed some serious attention to detail, did a really nice job, touched everything up with a straight edge, gave a head massage, and spent a good 45 minutes working on me. The charge? 50 NRS. Now I'm usually happy to just get what seems like a good deal, especially since I'm usually charged more and take it. I gave the guy 100 NRS and called if good. I figure a $1.50 for that kind of service with a big tip included is still a great deal. I'll try to go back there every three weeks or so if the same guy is there.

We also got invited to dinner a couple that went to school in the states and now live here in Kathmandu. Akshay is Neapli born and attended MIT and Berkley while in the US, and Jenara is from San Fran and they met while they were both attending Berkley. Both seemed really nice, very interesting and it was great to meet some other people. The dinner they served up was also very good, and we had a great time. They were also able to tell us about joining Phora Durbar and some places to check out in the city. They recommended we check out the book Forget Kathmandu, which goes over the political situation here as well as covering some of the last three hundred years of history. Going to give that a read when I finish the books I'm currently reading. They also recommended a pair of documentaries about Neapli's working overseas, specifically the Middle East. Going to try and check out both. Anyway good time, and nice people, we had fun.

Speaking of Phora Durbar, we got to give it a visit today when we stopped by for a Town Hall meeting for Americans living in Kathmandu. For those who don't know Phora is the American Club, it's property that is owned and by the Embassy of the United States and consists of some fairly nice green space, tennis courts, a baseball field, a little store, a restaurant, some mini-golf, a pool, and a gym among other amenities. Seemed like a really nice place, and at the meeting we met some nice people. Bumped into a woman who had taught in Freeport and a kid studying Nepali that had lived in Portland's west end. For such a small little place in the world, we bump into more people from our area while traveling than we ever should by statistics I would think. Getting back to Phora, it seems like a really nice place and as soon as we have non tourist visas (a requirement) I think we will try and apply to join.

The town hall meeting that the Embassy put on was informative and I'm glad they did it. They gave us some forms to fill out to have in case of emergency and went over what to do and how to prepare for the possibility of an earthquake here (Kathmandu has a fault 22 KM directly below the city). They also went over Visa issues with Nepal, India and for Nepali's wanting to go to America. Embassy staff were actually very helpful, cordial and really seemed interested in talking to people and offering actual assistance. This is not something I'm use to encountering with Federal employees, and it was kind of a breath of fresh air. Anyway big kudos to the embassy staff here, the event was carried out well and they have been very responsive and professional when we registered with them. Seem like a good team of people.