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...