Town in the hills

Namaste!
After three months of language training, cultural orientation and project planning, I am at last starting to work on the project in my placement area, Lamjung.  It's very exciting, if a little daunting. The  difficulty I have experienced learning spoken Nepali has left me feeling inadequate in that field, and now I really do need the language, but I'm sure, with daily practice I will become more confident and proficient.

Lamjung is a district of Nepal, set in the foothills of the Annapurna range, about 7 hours travel by bus north-west from Kathmandu. I am now based in a smallish town called Besisahar, which is at the end of the tarmac road, with only tracks beyond leading up into the hills and mountains. The long 12-14 day Annapurna Circuit Trek starts here, although it is possible to catch a jeep ride up the track to the next small town and save on some of the distance. Besisahar is the administrative base for Lamjung District, districts being the equivalent of counties in the UK.  The town, perched on a small ridge, is surrounded by hills and rivers full of blue-green glacier meltwater.

The town itself has a bustling main street lined on both sides with small shops, which seem to sell most everyday things one would need; even mobile phones and motorbikes. Locally grown fresh bananas and oranges are sold from stalls and baskets by the roadside and are delicious.

The most spectacular thing about the town has to be the views of the snow-capped mountains to the north. The view from the hotel balcony at 6am on my first morning there was breathtaking. Worth getting up early just to enjoy it!







This town is to be my home for the next two years. I can't believe how lucky I am to be sent to work and live in such a spectacular place. What an adventure!!

Travelling around

Namaste!

There are not nearly as many private cars on the roads in Nepal as there are in the UK.  Cars are expensive to buy and then, once purchased, there is a very high tax to pay, virtually the same as the cost of the car.  This means that many people do not consider a car is a worthwhile purchase.  You need to be very comfortably off to afford your own car.

In the cities taxis are plentiful and not very expensive, so these are used for many short journeys. Most taxis seem to be very small white cars, into which as many passengers as possible will pile, to share the cost. If there is a rule about number of people in a taxi, it is not adhered to! I have travelled several times in one of these small taxis along with four other passengers – a real squash but much cheaper than paying for two taxis! 

Microbuses, what we in UK would call minibuses, are the most common mode of travel for people in the cities.  They are cheap, 15 rupees (10 pence) to travel about 4 miles into the city. However, again there are no rules about number of passengers and so, at busy times, many people are crammed in, the more fares the more money they make! I travelled in a microbus along with 35 other passengers one afternoon recently!

Buses are also plentiful and cheap, so are well used, but mostly for longer distances, school buses or travelling around the countryside rather than for journeys in the cities. Long distance bus travel is served by large buses/coaches and tickets can be booked in advance. This type of travel is cheap; Pokhora to Kathmandu, about 7 hours travel cost 700 rupees – about £4.50, travelling in a tourist bus with allocated seats. If you are Nepali, and travel on the regular long distance buses, the cost will be considerably less. As there are no trains in Nepal this is the way to get around the country for most people. For those who can afford it, there are regular internal flights to most parts of the country, which will cut travelling times to a small fraction of that of bus travel.

Bus services to rural areas are fascinating. People pile onto the bus with huge bundles, bags and parcels. Sacks of rice, large packages and calor gas cylinders may be stacked in any available space. When the inside is full, people climb up the rear ladder onto the roof and travel there, along with other large luggage.

Tuk-tuks are to be found rumbling around the cities.  They are as cheap but are a slow alternative to the microbuses.  In construction they are like a milk float with a metal box for passengers to ride in. The ones I have used seem to have no suspension and, as a tall European, I have to be careful not to crash my head on the roof when the tuk-tuk goes over bumps and ruts in the road. The seats have no cushions either, so not a good option for anyone with a bad back.

Motorbikes and scooters abound on the roads.  In Kathmandu there are special bike parks for them – but I have yet to see a car park here. The drivers have to wear a helmet, but there seems to be no such regulation for passengers. In many cases the motorbike is the means of family transport and frequently the wife and one or even two children are perched behind the driver. Bags of shopping may also be suspended from each side.

In Kathmandu city it is still possible to hire a rickshaw; a seat and sun shade for the passengers whilst the poor rickshaw driver has to pedal hard on the bicycle front part in order to propel them along. This is very much a service for the tourist and only found around the main tourist areas of the city.

However many people still journey on foot, and see nothing wrong in walking an hour or more to get to work each day.

Pheri bheTaulaa (See you again.)

Dream of a Garden

Namaste!
In the centre of Kathmandu city, tucked away from the roar and hooting of the traffic, behind a high brick wall, is a small oasis of green tranquility.  This beautiful place is called the 'Garden of Dreams'.

The garden was built by Field Marshal Kaiser Shamser next to his palace in the 1920s. He had visited England and was impressed by the Edwardian gardens and estates that he saw, so created his own private garden in that style in Kathmandu. It is said that he financed it with money he won from his father, who was then the Prime Minister, in a game of cowrie shells.

This garden became completely neglected after his death; the vegetation totally overgrown and many of the structures and buildings dilapidated and unsafe. A restoration project financed from Austria spent 6 years reconstructing the parts that had not been completely destroyed, rebuilding and replanting.  About a third of the original garden now remains, with only three out of the six pavilions that adorned it. When built, each of the six pavilions was named after and dedicated to one of the Nepali seasons.

A visitor there can stroll through many 'garden rooms' and secluded areas, one leading into the next, each with a different vista.  There are beautiful statues, fountains, ponds and running water, with landscaped tiers and small walls changing the ground level.

Carefully chosen plants, shrubs and trees compliment the hard landscaping, giving a serene and calm atmosphere to this delightful garden. It is a beautiful place to sit, contemplate and relax; to get away from the noise and clamour of the city.

In one of the pavilions is an exhibition of photographs showing the original garden, along with before and after scenes of the reconstruction.  Of course the garden also has a cafe for refreshments.






It is wonderful green retreat in the midst of a busy city and many people use it as a peaceful place to relax with friends, read a book, or even bring a picnic.

Pheri bheTaulaa!

Dates and seasons Nepali style

Namaste!
Nepal works on the Hindu Lunar calendar, a completely different calendar to the Gregorian one that is used in Europe.
At the time of writing it is 24th November 2013, but in Nepal it is 7th day of Mangsir 2070. This calendar is called the 'Bikram Sambat' which, when writing, is abbreviated to B.S. It is named after King Bikramaditya of Ujjyan, who introduced the present era in the Gregorian year of 56-57 B.C. However, this Nepali date can be converted into the corresponding Christian year by subtracting 56 years and 8 and half months. Easy!!

There are seven days in the week; aaitabaar, sombaar, mangelbaar, budhabaar, bihibaar, sukrabaar, sanibaar (Sunday to Saturday). Sunday is a working day and is the first day of the week for schools and businesses, which seems strange to us, especially as VSO work on a Monday to Friday week. Christian churches in Nepal often hold their services on Saturdays rather than Sundays so that their congregations can attend.

There are still 12 months in each year, however there is not of a fixed number of days in each month, and the number varies from year to year according to the phases of the moon. There can be up to 32 days in a month. So, each year is different and Nepalis have to rely on their printed diaries or calendars to know how the  months go.

The Nepali new year starts on 14th or 15th April with the month of 'baisaakh'. Each month in the Nepali calendar goes from the middle of one of our months through to the middle of the next month. For example 'baisaakh' goes from mid April to mid May in our calendar. Then comes 'jeTh' from mid May to mid June, and so on.
(Ed: No, it's not grammatical error, Nepalis do not use capital letters for names of days or months! Watch out for a future blog page about the Nepali language, once I'm more confident about using it.) 

I am sure this system will be problematic when I am arranging dates for visits to schools and appointments to speak to the District Education Officer, so I need to learn to adapt to this different calendar. Fortunately most calendars and diaries available in Nepal are printed with both dates, unfortunately the Nepali part is in Nepali script which I cannot read!  I can now read the Nepali numbers so that is a start!

Seasons in Nepal are another matter! Officially there are 6 seasons, basanta (Spring), grishma (Summer), barsha (monsoon, rain), sharad (Autumn), hemant (winter) and shirshir (early Spring). However this is now considered old fashioned and these names are no longer used very much.  Instead the Nepali people have adopted a three season year;

• jaaDo mahinaa  - (literally) cold months
• garmi mahinaa -  (literally) hot months
• paani parne mahinaa - (literally) rainy months.

This seems to be much simpler and fits the weather and temperature changes in the Nepali year.

Nepal is now going into jaarDo mahinaa, so everyone is wrapping up in coats and shawls.

Pheri bheTaulaa.

Guard dogs - or elephants, lions and mythical animals

Namaste!
The entrances or doors to temples, squares, palaces and other important buildings in the Kathmandu valley frequently seem to be guarded by pairs of animals made of stone.  These can be either mythical or real animals, and range from actual size in real life to enormous.

One of a pair of lions guarding Kathmandu Durbar Square.
Notice the man selling Nepali flags in the background.

Brass animal, possibly a lion perched on top of a high pillar

Mythical animals guarding a main door to the
palace in Kathmandu Durbar Square

Pair of huge elephants guarding a temple in Bhaktapur

Lions in Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Lions guarding the palace at Patan

In Bhaktapur two flights of temple steps are adorned with a whole range of animals to act as guardians.

Pairs of animals, guardians of the entrance 
to Nyatapola Temple.

Jayamel, carrying a mace, one of a pair of wrestlers at 
the bottom of the steps at Nyatapola Temple.

At the bottom of the flight of steps leading to Nyataploa Temple in Taumadhi Tole, Bhaktapur is a huge pair of legendary Rajput wrestlers, Jayamel and Phattu.  Then come pairs of elephants  with floral saddles, lions adorned with bells, griffons and finally at the top the Goddesses Baghini and Singhini.  Each of these figures is thought to be 10 times as strong as the ones on the level below.

Shiva Parvati Temple with pairs of animals guarding the steps.

Rarely do the animals seem to be painted, but this pair of lions in Kathmandu Durbar Square, guarding the palace of the Kumari, the young girl with the status of living goddess, are particularly colourful.

Sometimes these statues are so much part of daily life that people living nearby almost ignore them, as in the following photo of the washing draped across very old lions at the temple entrance in Kirtipur!

My time in Kathmandu has educated me to look with new eyes at the entrances to peoples properties, and how they are guarded.
Pheri bheTaolaa.

A little bit of shopping

Namaste!
Kathmandu, like any city is full of shops and markets. There are some larger, more expensive shops in the city centre, similar to in Europe, with window manikins clothed in their wares. Of course as in any city in the world, you also find the ubiquitous supermarkets, and Kathmandu has a few large ones and many small ones on street corners. However the small traders are to be seen everywhere. They need to be supported or they will just disappear, as they have almost done in Britain.




In parts of the city the pavements of the narrow streets are filled with traders displaying their wares.  The shops behind are so small and dark that the traders need to spill out into the open air.  Items for purchase are hung on every available surface, and spread out on the pavement outside the tiny shop, filling the narrow alleys with multicoloured wares. The salesmen will often stand outside hoping to encourage passersby to stop and browse.

Brass pots shining in an alley in Thamel, Kathmandu.
Sacks of rice in front of the next door shop. Notice the carved pillars.

Green vegetables for sale outside this tiny shop.

Tibetan masks and souvenirs catch the eye.

Some sales men have no shop at all, but carry their goods for sale in large baskets, mounted on their bicycles, both front and back, or suspended from a pole across their shoulders.  These men are frequently selling fruit or vegetables, one or two types only, and will tour the residential streets and alleys, shouting to encourage people to buy their wares. We have bought potatoes, apples, oranges and cucumber from these bicycle salesmen in the lane outside our accommodation.

Cucumbers and garlic for sale!

This man has green vegetables in his baskets.

By the sides of busy streets and main thoroughfares men and women will frequently be found, sitting on the ground with goods for sale spread out on tarpaulins, displayed on boxes or in baskets. In Kathmandu Mall, in the city centre, beside where the majority of buses drop their passengers, the pavements are crammed full of these traders, selling clothes, stationary and books, small toys and a multitude of other things. However more common to see outside the city centre are the traders selling fruit and vegetables.

Coloured powder for making street decorations before Tihir

Chillies, limes and grapefruit in these baskets. 

Garlands of marigolds alongside vegetables for sale
on these pavements.

Finally, the smallest scale of sales person are those who carry their wares with them.  In tourist areas many are to be found selling souvenirs; Nepali flutes, jewellery, small bags and purses, and, strangely, miniature chess sets. These people will wander the tourist hot spots, accosting anyone who looks like a 'bideshi' in the hope of making a quick sale, often at a vastly inflated price.

This lady is selling beautiful little bags to
tourists in Durbar Square.

The range of shops and traders found in Kathmandu makes shopping quite a different experience from the weekly journey to the supermarket in Britain.
Pheri BheTaulaa!

Rice - how it is produced in Nepal

Namaaste!
Rice is the staple food of most Nepali people. Daal Bhaat is the meal most eaten, sometimes twice a day, and is Daal - lentils cooked into a soup/sauce and Bhaat - boiled rice. Of course curry and rice are also frequently eaten. Nepalis also eat 'beaten rice' as a snack and use rice flour for cooking breads and biscuits. The country needs more rice than can be grown, so has to import rice from surrounding countries.  However many people who live in rural areas grow their own, rather than have to spend money buying it to feed their families.

All around the Kathmandu Valley, beyond the city limits, rice is grown in terraces and small fields. This crop is planted, tended and harvested by hand - very labour intensive and much of this work seems to be done by women.

Small rice plants need to be hand planted into very wet soil, and the women wade, calf deep in mud, along the rows, bending to plant the young seedlings. This must be back-breaking work. Some women are experts and can plant up to 100 in a minute! Sadly I have no photographs to show this planting time, as it happened this year before I arrived in Nepal.

Come September the first of the rice is ready to harvest. Rows of people, men and women, anyone available it seems, move across the terraces cutting the plants just above root level. They are then put into small stooks to dry, either balanced upright or leaning against the terrace wall.

The next stage, removing the grains from the stem, I have seen done by a small machine powered by a generator. However the rice stalks have to be fed, a few at a time, into the machine, and there are a number of people needed just to keep the machine fed with a steady supply.

In this picture a small machine is removing the grains which then run into sacks.
Many people are needed to supply the machine.

The rice stalks, the straw, are now left to dry thoroughly, so that it can later be used for animal bedding or tinder for fire lighting during the colder months.

Rice straw drying against the wall of the house. In top
right of photo maize heads can be seen drying too.
The grain is spread on large tarpaulins to dry.  I have seen whole village/town squares filled with drying rice, watched over by women who periodically rake the rice to turn it and allow all grains to dry evenly. The village square seems to be a good place as the stone surface holds the warmth and is not damp, but other places are also used. Many houses have rice drying around them, on terraces or paths.

Winnowing seems to be also done by hand by women.  This is when the chaff, the hard but light cases that surround the grain are removed. A small amount of rice grains are scooped into a flat round basket, then shaken gently so that the lighter husks fall or are blown out. Sometimes small electric fans are used to blow the chaff away, just leaving the useable rice grains.

Next time you eat a bowl of rice, think about the amount of work that goes into growing and preparing it in some parts of the world; I know I shall.

pheri bheTaulaa! (see you again)