Farmers Market Goodies

There are some comforts of the familiar life that we don't like to sacrifice, even for a life in kathmandu. Finding certain individual indulgent treats can be difficult here, and for me, those 'treats' tend to be edible. The is no Loblaws or Essence of Life in Kathmandu, no one-stop grocery shop where you can get any ethnic ingredient or health food or organic veggie. Here I have taken the habit of prowling each grocery shop looking for certain ingredients. i know i can find Kimchi at one store, beef tenderloin at another, Japanese food at yet another...
Hence, I was thrilled to discover the 1905 farmer's market held every Saturday in the city. Here is a link to a little video of the market made by a travel group. 
The market is held in picturesque restaurant grounds and the wares are sold by various local craftsmen from Nepal, Italy, France, Russia, Poland...
The goodies we found.... it was like Christmas morning and thanksgiving dinner combined....

Cheese! (goats cheese, mozzarella, brie, all fresh made)

Fresh organic produce!

Multigrain bread!

Fresh homemade Italian pasta!

for J: pain de chocolat!

and for U: fresh mango puree!

Cheese, fresh ravioli and various organic produce (including shittake mushrooms!)

my stomach is telling me that it is getting easier and easier to call kathmandu 'home'...

j inquiring about something at the market

friends!

many people have been asking about our social life here. do we have one?

I couldn't imagine being here without a baby. Having a baby has immediately propelled me into a world of playgroups, facebook groups, singing groups (for baby, not for me thank goodness), baby-safety talks and used-baby-stuff groups. Likewise, a baby can always serve as a topic of conversation or awkward-moment cover up when attempting to meet new people.

In a quick few months, little u has managed to form us quite an extensive social network and she can't even talk yet.

Having some friends over for sunday 'family' dinner

U and her good friend at the cafe.

We've made friends from all over the world: Ireland, Nepal, Australia, America, Austria, Holland, France, the UK to name a few places. Apparently there are other Canadians here but so far I've only met two. Neither of them asked if I knew so-and-so from Canada.

play group!

My only concern is our lack of Nepali friends. The expat community here is just so involved and so keen that the only Nepali people we see regularly are those that have married foreigners, those J works with, and our didi and Nepali teacher.

That's the things with the expat community. Many of them are working in development, or with embassies, or otherwise are on 2 or 3 year contracts and are used to living the transient expat life, moving from place to place. So they are really good at making friends. Forget the small-talk, the life-stories, the inside jokes from way back and idea of really understanding a good friend. All I needed to do was show an interest in making friends and 2 days later I had a whole group.

It doesn't matter if we don't know each other's last names, really.

u in heaven with a friend and toys

Namobhudda

This time of year is somewhat of a holiday in Nepal. It is Teej time, which I'll write more about in the next post. The holiday means a little time off work and therefore another little getaway outside of Kathmandu.

Last week we headed up to Namobhudda resort, which is located in Kanodada Village here.

We stayed in a quaint cabin built in the traditional Newar style, with lots of beautiful carved wood, a loft style bedroom (steep ladder included) and an overall sense of being tucked neatly and compactly into the mountainside. Our one complaint was that traditional Newar style also meant Newar size, and we both suffered a share of bumped heads on the low doorways and ceilings. Here's our cabin:

Cabin from the back

me & u through the cabin door

morning view from cabin

We also ate extraordinarily well, gorging on delicious homemade vegetarian food, mostly made from the produce grown in the resort's own organic garden. The chef even made us mashed potatoes for U, which she very much enjoyed, despite the picture that looks like she just ate a lemon:

Eating mashed potatoes

I also came across something I had never seen before - an isolation, or flotation tank on the resort property. J and I both made a point of trying it out, though I can't say I'm in any rush to do it again. A bit too transcendental for me.

Besides attempting to meditate in a creepy dark space of salty water, we got out for a beautiful hike around the village and explored the nearby monastery and Stupa. apparently, the Stupa is quite famous as it was actually visited by Bhudda. Here is the gate to the Stupa:

The hike itself was and invigorating (small) bit of exercise. Being out on a trail brought back fond memories of pre-baby days in Ontario's backcountry. Sigh. While this was no Canadian Shield, the air was crisp, fresh and pine scented.

As we neared the stupa and monastery areas, the tress became crowded with Tibetan Bhuddist prayer flags, which (according to Wikipedia, are used to spread a message of peace, wisdom and hope. The monastery area itself was covered in them.

100% Made in Nepal

We got a new table. With a bench.

I know maybe to you readers a post about a table isn't so exciting. But this is a special, handmade, gorgeous table.

I would like to say that we bought the table because it is one hundred percent made in Nepal, made by a local carpenter with mango wood, but actually we bought the table because it is beautiful. The other stuff is just a bonus.

This is how it went down: I saw a table in a coffee shop last November when I was here. We really, really liked it. The owner of the coffee shop raved about it. So I asked around when we came back in July. Got a number for the carpenter from a trusted friend. (who also had a table made by him). Called him up, he came over, we sat down together and I explained what we envisioned for our table.

10 days later he brought it over, had two guys carry it up the stairs, and installed it in our dining area.

Here it is:

It is just so pretty. And perfect for eating a simple but tasty home cooked, freshly made dinner and glass of cheap wine:

Even great for relaxing under

Or sitting on top of

 Or even for hiding behind

And finally, i know the table is made to seat more than our little family of three, and will welcome many loved ones, family and friends.

So hurry up and visit us!

Chobar Up and Down

Although we are now calling Kathmandu home, we are still tourists, and there is nothing better than spending a day sightseeing and exploring the surrounding scape of Kathmandu.
Kathmandu valley is a valley made up of three districts, which were once independent kingdoms: Kathmandu, Lalitpur/Patan (where I live) and Bhaktapur. The valley is surrounded by hills and mountains, which houses various villages and townships.

We've been fortunate to befriend a lovely Australian lady who married a Nepali musician and now calls Nepal home, having lived here for over 10 years. Her Nepali is excellent, as is her advice on everything from health care to tailors to restaurants. Last weekend, she invited us to up the south-eastern side of the valley to the village of Chobar,  found on the map here

We had to cross a perilous, but exciting, foot (and apparently motorbike) bridge along the way...

...and then climb what felt like like a million stairs. Okay, it was probably only a few hundred. really, I'm out of shape. Carrying U up these steps was the best exercise I've had in awhile...

On the way up we didn't encounter many people, but we did see other creatures:

In the village at the top of the hill we soaked up the cool(er) mountain air, moseyed around and enjoyed the narrow winding streets with beautiful views. 

We also went to an old Hindu temple and a Bhuddist monastery, had a snack in town  and chatted with some villagers.  Not a bad way to spend a Sunday. 

hanging out at the Hindu temple

U trying her first taste of rice. she loved it!

beautiful vista with storm clouds rolling in.

Puja!

Yesterday was an exciting day on Shangri-la lane and an informative cultural and religious experience for our little family. Our landlord and his wife held a Puja, a Hindu ritual. If you want more information on Pujas, check it out on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puja_(Hinduism)

This Puja was offered to bless and protect our building (hopefully from earthquakes!). The event lasted all day, and included a religious leader making offerings, chanting, and ringing bells at each level of the apartment. U was quite entranced by the religious man hammering this into our doorway:

After this process, there was a party. A BIG party. Arranged chairs, a colourful tent, a bar, two large food tables and probably about 60 guests piled into the courtyard of our little apartment complex. The food was traditional Newari (a tribe of Nepal) and consisted of such yummies as roasted soybeans, lentil donuts, various curries, fried fish, BBQ meat, chickpeas, and lots of other delicious delectables which I don't know the names for. Unfortunately it was dark and I didn't get any pictures, but here is a shot of us just before heading downstairs to the festivities.


We met many interesting folk including neighbours, relatives, a Nepali teacher and a few other foreigners from the neighbourhood. Of course, U was the star of the show until being the life of the party and getting passed around became a little too much for her and she went to bed, exhausted.

There was also the celebratory beverage, glasses  being filled and refilled by elderly ladies - a homemade barley based alcohol that could probably blind a person. A few sips and I was practically cross-eyed...

Despite the abundance of hooch, the party, like most evening events in Kathmandu, ended quickly and all was quiet by 8:30pm. This morning all evidence had been cleaned up save for a tired-looking landlord. Oh, and U slept in an extra 2 hours...

Weekend: a party and more food

A party! and more food....
On Saturday we held our first get together at the flat, hosting a few of J's local colleagues and their families for a light lunch. It was a good way to get a little more organized, nothing like company to force one to clean, cook, and put on respectable clothes. Needless to say we were looking forward to seeing new faces:

We made a table spread of different dishes, including veggies & dip and devilled eggs (classics from home), thai chicken patties (a new creation), sausage rolls from the bakery (the lazy dish), and mushroom momos (the must-have Nepali addition, made by our Didi). Oh, and I should mention the plate of fresh fruit and store bought swiss rolls for dessert. My excuse for not baking is that the oven only works when the power is on....

Here's a shot of R making the momos:

...and the completed, but not yet cooked product:

Sunday we spent doing more errands and checking out central Kathmandu, an area that has its own charms but I'm glad we are not living in. The noise is almost as polluting as the air, which is thick with traffic fumes and dust. And after heavy overnight rains the roads were streams of mud and grime. We did manage to find a clean and quiet lunch spot though, a French restaurant that is quite popular with foreigners and wealthy Nepali's. U got to try her first high chair and used it to sit and stare unabashedly at everyone in the restaurant:

Una Staring from Highchair

U & I out for lunch

a first view

Even though it's monsoon/rainy season, I have not been bothered by the weather. It is hot and humid just about all the time, and cools down after a rain - which happens about once a day. The sun is rarely out for extended periods and when it is out, it is HOT. So by the time it does rain we are usually glad as it cools the air and keeps the dust down.

However.... last week after almost 2 days of rain we woke up to a beautiful sunny sky and our first glimpse of the Himalayas outside out kitchen window:

not bad to stand and watch with a cup of coffee in hand...!

I'm looking forward to September and October when the air clears and the mountains are really visible. We'll have to make use of the rooftop terrace.

baby bedroom

The flat we are living in is coming along nicely and definitely starting to feel more homey. (pictures soon I promise). One area we were keen to get completed is the baby's room. After sharing a bedroom with us for many months and sleeping in a travel cot (which was becoming too small way too quickly), U finally has her own, person-sized bedroom. I'm proud of how it is coming along.

We've incorporated some of the lovely gifts we received from people back home, including a magical paper crane mobile, the baby's name in cut out felt, and a special little elephant clock. All we need to do is hang my grandmother's painting on the wall...

family day

Since we are finally starting to get settled and our place is coming along nicely, we were able to spend Saturday enjoying some of the family friendly activities Kathmandu has to offer. In the morning, we headed to the Central Zoo. From my experiences in other countries, I did not have high hopes and was preparing myself for broken cages, depressed animals, and unhealthy conditions - an overall sad scene.

This is not exactly what we saw. Most of the animals seemed healthy and happy enough, with the exception of the sloth bears, who were pacing their cages and exhibiting disturbingly repetitive behaviours; and the monkeys, which just looked quite sad.

Despite this, the zoo was a relatively green space and full of interesting animals and birds including a variety of deer & antelope, a leaopard and other cats from the region, a hippo, three majestic black rhinos and some frightening looking vultures. There's even a beautiful elephant open for rides:

Also on the plus side, we actually got to use the stroller! We haven't had much opportunity aside from pushing it back and forth inside our flat. Roads here don't exactly lend themselves to western-style baby transport. U was happy in her ride and mom's back finally had a rest from the carrier.

U at the Zoo. smiling!

After a rather hot hour and a half at the zoo we had seen (and smelled) enough. After a short rest at home we spent the remainder of the day lounging by the poolside of a nearby hotel. The shade of the umbrellas, the green grass, and refreshing water was a welcome respite from the heat and dust of the neighbourhood. Not to mention the poolside momo and beverage service. U even went swimming. twice.

U by the pool

 Good to know this was just a short walk away. We'll be spending more afternoons here!

Didi culture: Respected Sister

We've hired a didi.
Here in Nepal, like in many other countries, having a housekeeper (domestic employee, nanny, etc) - called a 'Didi' here - is not only very common, but expected. Our didi works part time and does some cooking, cleaning and will eventually babysit a little.

Of course being from the West it has been an adjustment. My instinct is to feel uncomfortable, awkward, even offended at having help in the house. Imagine what my liberal social-justice-oriented higher education has to say about privilege, class & race in this scenario...

On the other hand, the lady (R) we've hired has put three children through school with her work, though she has minimal education herself. We pay her fairly, treat her well and today she announced to me that she found a 'very nice family" and is 'very happy'.

Once over the discomfort, we can think about the benefits of having her help us. She is already acting as a cultural translator for us, helping us learn Nepali, demonstrating how to shop (and not get ripped off), and also building a relationship with U, who seems to be really taken with her.

R & U - new friends

Not to mention she has cooked us some outstanding Nepali food. Here's a shot of our dinner, inclusive of rice, dhal, a veggie dish, salad and chicken curry: mmmmmmmmmm (bad quality photo, the power was out, thus lighting bad)

For my part, I believe in a reciprocal relationship and including R as a member of our little family, and less like 'domestic' help or part of some degrading hierarchy, which we are bound to think of coming from Canada. Interestingly, the meaning of Didi in Nepal is "respected sister".
I've enjoyed sharing my home space and appreciate her lively energy. She has already changed our 'settling in' process for the better.

a busy week..

we've had a busy week. settling in, more settling in, J's birthday, making a few friends, and still more getting settled. plus i'm learning how to navigate the nepali kitchen and make some half decent food.

first big event and good news: our shipment of stuff from Canada arrived. it is amazing how much 'stuff' we thought we needed so badly and then forgot about once we got to Nepal. I forgot many of the belongings we had packed in our boxes. That said, having my cast iron fry pan here has drastically improved my cooking...
we spent a few hours at the customs warehouse waiting for, and then inspecting our goods that we had shipped. the baby came with us and was a big hit at the male-dominated warehouse. Men were vying for a turn to hold her and snapping photos with their mobiles:

Miss popular

U with our boxes at the customs warehouse

The next event was J's birthday. I used the cast iron pan to make a half decent omelette for breakfast and surprised him with framed photos of U for his desk at work. There are some beautiful handmade paper frames and other crafty items here, made by various socially-concious organizations and sold to raise money.

After work we headed through Kathmandu and partway up the himalayan foothills for a birthday family getaway for two nights. After a rather bumpy ride, and steep uphill walk, we came through the bush...

the adventurer

 ...and to a stunning lodge with even more spectacular views of the valley we had just come from.

view of kathmandu valley from Shivapuri Heights

Here we had a chance to put our feet up, catch up on some reading, and eat very well. We were not disappointed with this fantastic introduction to the country. We also made a few friends with the lovely staff,

J got an open-air birthday haircut and straight-blade shave,

And we still found time to relax in the bean bag chairs.

Most importantly we let the magnificent views and fresh air rejuvenate our souls, while we wondered at the reality of our new home.