Sunday 14 October 2012

Final Farewells...

Thursday 11th October 2012

As my flight was not until 11.35pm I had the whole day to enjoy which meant that things were not as rushed as they usually are. I began by swinging by Sushil's paper shop to collect the wedding invites and other items in my order including some new price tags. My last day ritual involves sitting in the Northfield Cafe drinking their excellent coffee and calling each of my suppliers one by one to come to drop off stock and settle the bill.  It was a great afternoon I always get really excited to see the new designs I'll be taking home and this year was no different. Eight suppliers came and went and Pradip kept me company, between us we drank enough coffee to keep us running for the next few days.

On my way to print out boarding passes I got literally dragged into a pashmina shop by Ekanath Duwadi, a local trader I've known for years from wandering around Thamel. I am always dashing off somewhere so he was determined he should get chance to sit me down with a cup of tea to flick through my wedding photos book. He's such a lovely man and it was just such a lovely way to spend an hour, it's one of the things that is great about Nepal, time is very flexible (!) and nothing is so urgent that you can't make time for a friend.

This evening as I had the luxury of a late flight and online check in I had decided to hold a party at Tri Netra, the home for the blind children. President, Kancha Gurung, was unfortunately held up at the hospital as one of the kids had been taken in with breathing difficulties, however his wife, Sonu, and the rest of the children were there when my friends Annie, Deepak, Pradip and Rupak turned up. Sushil from the paper shop and Krishna the painter also stopped by so we amassed a good crew for the occasion. There had been a power cut since morning, but candles were lit and we were delighted when the lights came on shortly after we arrived so we could get the party started. Rupak had brought a chocolate ice cream cake which the kids were besotted with, so after a few rounds of nepali songs we cut it up to share out. The kids all associate eating cake with birthdays, so despite the fact my birthday was six weeks ago I was serenaded enthusiastically with a round of "Happy Birthday to you" as I sliced up the cake!

Cutting the chocolate ice cream cake
Pradip, Kushum and Deepak enjoying the cake
I had spent hours making a pass the parcel using colourful layers of paper, so the next step was to explain the rules and embark on a game. Deepak was in charge of stopping the music as nepali folk tunes blared out from his phone. Under each layer was a small gift and sweet and the winner - Maya - got a plane and duck whistle which proved the source of great amusement. 

Playing pass the parcel
Maya with the duck whistle she won
I handed out party bags, then it was time to go to the airport with my friend Rupak. My trip, much shorter than usual, over for another year, my heart ached as I walked through the airport doors, but I am always happy to arrive back on home turf and I know Nepal, my second home, will be on the agenda again neat year... 

With Rupak at the airport

Thursday 11 October 2012

Nearly home time...

Wednesday 10th October 2012

This morning I decided to try to get my head back into the idea of being back at home by putting on the BBC news, it's always surreal listening to the World News when for the most part I am caught up in my own little world when I am in Nepal! The morning began dramatically when the bathroom flooded as I took my shower and I came out to find my room like a lake! The cleaning lady soon mopped it up and I was ready to begin a day of traipsing about various places trying to confirm all orders have been completed to my satisfaction and make sure I have done my sums correctly. Although I haven't ordered huge amounts of stock this time, there's still been plenty of margin for error and I picked up on a few things on my travels around Thamel, but nothing that a cup of tea and a natter couldn't fix, I think I managed 8 cups of tea today!

Over a meeting at a little Japanese cafe with Razza from the bead bazaar who I was talking through a specially commissioned rose quartz and pearl bracelet with, my designer friend Rupak turned up out of the blue with his business partner so I made time to sit down and eat a proper lunch, something I rarely get to do in Nepal. In the early evening I headed to Paper Park, a shop selling products made from recycled paper rather than the lokta (leaf fibre) paper which is famous in Nepal. The owner Dibya Acharaya is really committed to his business and runs a big recycled paper factory which sources the paper he uses for his designs. I love the rose and chilli pens and was there to discuss an upcoming order, when I bumped into a friend of mine, Annie Pariyar, who is married to a Nepalese man and runs a business selling nepalese accessories. Cue introductions, tea and lots of laughs as Dibya picked our brains for new design ideas.

Annie in the Paper Park shop with Dibya
Kancha and my friend Amy came to meet us and we headed to La Dolce Vita, an Italian restaurant which was established in Thamel 26 years ago and serves excellent pasta and pizza as well as decent wine. I specifically chose there because Ishwor, the nice guy who walked me from the bus back to Thamel yesterday, works there and told me to bring my friends in for a ten percent discount. It was really nice to relax and share news and we were the last people to leave!  

Me with Amy, Annie and Ishwor

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Last day in Gorkha

Tuesday 9th October 2012

Up bright and early at 6am (village style) Chija and Deepak came to join us for tea on the rooftop as we discussed their ideas for the future. They both said they want to try hard to finish their studies, then see what life holds in store for them! 

With Chijamaya and Deepak
They walked with us up to the road then Shila and I headed on up to Lal Prasad Shrestha's house, the very house where I lived with my fellow volunteers in 1998!  Lal Prasad's helper made one of my favourite nepali snacks 'Sel Roti' (Circle bread) which is made from rice flour fried in oil. Very unhealthy I'm sure but extremely tasty and we ate them with curry and pickle. Lal Prasad had also invited an American lady volunteering at his school through the Fulbright Scholorship program. It was lovely to chat to someone doing the same teaching work I did, her contract is twice as long as mine was as she'll be based in Gorkha for eight months, and she seemed very committed to the cause. 

Lady cooking Sel Roti
Eating breakfast with American volunteer
Back at the Gorkha Crown Resort I had a final cup of tea with Gokul and his wife as they told me about their big plans to take over a 56-acre Hill Resort in the area! I can't wait to see it next time I am back. By midday it was time for me to take the minibus back to Kathmandu. Shila's husband had booked me the front seat so I travelled in relative luxury, as ever there were lots of friendly people onhand to chat to and we were very lucky in that there was no traffic jam on entry to Kathmandu (very rare!). A young man from the bus walked with me back to Thamel (the bus driver had told him to take care of our 'Nepali-speaking sister'!) and I checked back into my hotel, dusty and tired. A quick shower later and it was back into the hustle and bustle of Thamel to meet my 'brother' Kamal for dinner at Or2K. After all the rice I'd eaten in Gorkha I opted for a huge salad! I remember that I craved salad after living in Nepal for eight months and when my mum asked me what I would like for my welcome home meal I chose salad and jacket potatoes.

Sponsorship

Monday 8th October 2012

I am allergic to dust mites so I woke up with a terrible sneezing fit.  Shila boiled water so I could take a pot wash and I felt ready for the hectic day ahead.  Hectic because I sponsor several kids in Gorkha and needed to visit them all!  Shila had taken the day off work to help me (bless her!) so we set off first to Gorkha Crown Resort run by Gokul Aryal, son of Babu Ram Aryal who was the headteacher of the Old Capital School when I taught there in 1998-9 with my co-volunteer Sara, from Aberdeen. We nicknamed Babu Ram Aryal "Nepali James Bond" because nothing fazes him. I was delighted to find Baby Ram had stopped in to see his son and we all had a catch up over a cup of coffee. 

Me and Babu Ram Aryal
Next stop was the Old Capital School where I worked as teacher 14 years ago! I always go back to say "hi" to students and eat some food in the little canteen there served by Nirmala and Bhagat, the same couple I used to buy my lunch from all those years ago, whose four children all study at the school. I tasted several curries and pakora (fried snacks) as I showed them my wedding photos from the portable album I brought with me from the UK - it's proved to be a godsend as after all "Pictures tell a thousand words" and nepalese people LOVE looking at pics :D 

With Nirmala and Bhagat in the canteen
We took a bus down the hill to Laxmi Bazaar, a small village a couple of kilometres away, to Shree Maya Laxmi School.  I have sponsored four children there for the last few years, but during the past year two of them had graduated from school so I had two places available. Lal Prasad Shresta, Principal of the school and owner of the house where we stayed in 1998-9, brought three more students to the office and told me to "Choose two for sponsorship". Of course I couldn't leave one out so I took on three new students, Soni Bishwa Karma and brothers little Jivan and Sujan Rana. All three students had been selected because they are orphaned and very poor, Jivan didn't even have a uniform or shoes. I will provide their school books, stationery and uniform for the coming year, I can't wait to see how they get on. The other two students I look after are Achut Thapa and Jit Bahadur Rana who are both in higher classes and studying well.  I had a soft drink and catch up with the teachers (the wedding photo book was passed around!) and then it was time to head back up to Gorkha....two teachers drove Shila and I on motorcycles! 


Soni, Jivan, Sujan and Lal Prasad Shrestha
We headed to the hardware store of successful local businessman Saroj Pokharel who has been helping with the sponsorship of a family we look after for the last six years. In Nepal there is a caste system whereby certain people are considered higher and more "pure" and certain people lower and "untouchable". This caste system is slowly dying out, especially under the new Maoist government which actively discourages it, but old habits die hard and Gorkha still has some people who abide by it. The Kami family we help are from the blacksmith caste and have had a terrible time of things. Their dad died several years ago, their mother suffers from terrible asthma which makes it very hard for her to work and she had six children to look after. The two eldest girls were married off (in nepali culture once a woman marries she lives with the husband's family) and the eldest boy Sitaram and his two younger sisters and one brother we have supported through school. Sitaram passed his School Leaving Certificate (the first boy in the village and a source of great pride to us) two years ago and has actually taken a job in the middle east now, like many nepali people he has headed off in the hope of earning a reasonable salary (approx £150 per month) but we still support the other three. Saroj keeps brilliant accounts and has been very helpful so it was nice to sit down and talk about their progress with him.

With Saroj in his hardware store
Up the hill again to the Gorkha Inn which opened in 1998 and served as a base for revelry amongst our group of volunteers; we would meet there regularly for meals and drinks and often stay over in a room they would provide at a fantastic rate!  I bought snacks and drinks for Chijamaya and Deepak, brother and sister from a small village near the bazaar who have had an equally tough time of things. Their father was killed in a truck accident when they were tiny and their mother became an alcoholic. Alcoholism is a huge problem in the villages, especially amongst poor communities where the work is very hard and they depend on a cup of the local strong rice wine ('Rakshi') to get them through the day. Nowadays we provide sponsorship for the educational needs and the nutritional needs of Chija and Deepak and they are trying their best to complete their studies. We are helped in our quest by Krishna Sir, a teacher from the school where they study who is very kind and communicates well with us to keep us updated on their progress. We were joined in our little party by Sitaram's family who came to receive the gifts I give to all my friends in Gorkha and catch us up on their news. We were served by Bishnu and Durbar who have been at the hotel since we used to party there and are always there to greet us each year.  It is always a happy reunion! 

Me with Sitaram's family outside the Gorkha Inn
With the reception staff at the Gorkha Inn
By the time we finished our meeting it was almost 8pm and there was a power cut, so walking back to Shila's was a challenge, the road is very steep! Her lovely husband had cooked us curry and rice so we dined by candlelight and had more tea before lights out.

Gorkha Trip

Sunday 7th October 2012

This morning I had morning coffee (proper coffee, none of this Nescafe business!) in Thamel with Kancha and helped him to write a letter in English, we take these things for granted a little when we are fully sighted I think.  I passed by Sushil's paper shop to check on the wedding invites I've designed and give him the gift I bought him from England - a variety of scissors which cut all sorts of different designs into paper, and some quilling tools.  He was delighted and offered to drop me to the bus station so I could catch my bus to Gorkha which was very helpful.

Bus travel in Nepal is much easier than it was on my first trip here, but it's still a lengthy process to get from one place to the next largely due to the fact there is only one road between the two main cities and it is pretty narrow, very windy and in many places totally broken, meaning it is more like travelling through a building site and all sorts of traffic can build up.  There is no pollution control so lorries and buses spew out black sooty smoke, it's pretty unpleasant to be stuck behind one.  Luckily with the arrival of "micros" (minibuses) the journey can be done faster and most problems avoided.  I bagged myself a seat and made the journey in 6 hours with one change on the way, which was pretty good going.  As is the custom in Nepal I met plenty of friendly people to chat to and the scenery from the window is so beautiful - the road snakes along next to a river and mountains for most of the journey - so there is no chance to get bored.

On arrival in Gorkha I was greeted by long time friend Shila.  I've known her since my first trip to Nepal when one of my fellow student teachers taught her at school.  She is now 31 years old and mother of three children.  Her husband is a lovely man who does his fair share of the cooking and looking after the kids, which is very rare in Nepal!  She came to greet me on the road and we went to her house, the whole family sleeps in one room so as the kids are quite young we had just enough time to drink hot tea and eat rice and vegetables (and even fish which she had bought especially!), before bed.

Monday 8 October 2012

Saying goodbye to my brothers...

Saturday 6th October 2012

As my 'brothers' Santosh and Krish were still in Kathmandu I called them early to make sure they had taken tea and bread, then met them at midday to go for a tasty dal bhat dinner, joining us were a couple of other nepali friends who the boys used to know when they were at school.  It was a happy occasion we had a good chat and even better dal bhat.  The nepalese canteen system means that you get free top ups of everything from rice to pickle to vegetable curry to lentils and the boys certainly made good work of that!  I was given lots of presents including some glass bangles and a fancy watch and I handed out goody bags to everyone too, with little things I have collected throughout the year in the UK.
Me with some of the gifts I received
Eating Dal Bhat
We moved on to meet yet more friends to the popular Northfield Cafe where I was excited to introduce Krish's kids to the tortoise that lives on the cafe grounds and wanders about.  Neither of them seemed afraid of it and chased the poor thing around until we told them he would be tired. 

Santosh with the tortoise
Though everyone was full from dal bhat I made them have some peppermint tea and then we checked out Pradip's Art Shop and all picked out our favourite paintings (didn't actually buy any of course).  Saying goodbye to the boys is never easy, especially this time as Krish is due to take up a work contract in Malaysia properly.  Nepal outsources a lot of manpower to the middle east and south east asia and Krish will be taking a three-year contract packing clothes in a factory.

Me with Krish's family
As I am heading to Gorkha tomorrow I spent the evening getting everything ready, a very sensible Saturday evening :D

An early one

Friday 5th October 2012

I decided to begin today with a proper meal (for once!) and headed to the fantastic Organic Green Cafe which, though pricey, serves excellent organic food.  I took my "bahini" (sister-friend) Ranju and we tasted some of their unusual salads and tea - I tried the Yarsagumba tea after learning about its special powers at the documentary film evening on Wednesday!  I was collected from lunch by long-time friend Michael who was interested to learn more about the TriNetra centre. The children are usually at school on Fridays, but luck for us, when we went to visit they were at the centre because it is exam time so they get time off.  We spent a wonderful couple of hours playing with the children and had a competition as to who could make the best model from Playdough (the same Playdough that Finnish girl Paulina had brought for them the last time I was there). Kancha talked about how the foundation came to be and gave Michael leaflets and fliers to help advertise the centre, word of mouth is the best way to garner support for a cause in Nepal.

Michael and some of the children
Two children with their models
I had invited my two baby brothers Santosh and Krish (again not my real brothers but the first children I ever sponsored in Nepal (from 1999) and people very dear to my heart) to come to visit me as my trip to Nepal is so short this time, and by 4pm Santosh had arrived in Kathmandu, though not before getting stuck in a huge traffic jam for four hours at the checkpost before the city.  Travel into and out of Kathmandu is notoriously difficult with just one major road between Kathmandu and the second city Pokhara, not particularly wide and hewn into the mountain.  It only takes one vehicle to break down (which they do regularly as many of them are very old and the roads are very steep!) and a jam will quickly build up, so I very much appreciated the boys' efforts to come.  We took Santosh for a cup of tea at Or2K and caught up on a year's worth of news!  Santosh married several years ago and now works as a driver in Pokhara. Deepak, the friend I watched a documentary with on Wednesday, came to join us for an apperatif at a local restaurant and from there we went to the fabulous Kilroy's restaurant, set up by an Irish man in 1998 and famous for its desserts!  I was treated to the house speciality of Bread and Butter pudding when the waiters, who have greeted me there every year since it opened, found out that I got married in the time I'd been away! 

Santosh enjoying a lemon soda
Bread and Butter pudding
Poor Krish did not arrive until 9pm, having been stuck in the jam for hours on end.  With his wife, Manisha, and two children in tow, we quickly made sure they had some proper nourishment after their awful journey.  We went to popular fastfood restaurant "Crazy Burger" (!) where they were treated to pizzas and sizzlers. Manisha and the kids safely back at the hotel I took the boys for a wander - Friday night is the most popular night of the week for nepalese people to party as saturday is their holiday, so it made sense for them to make the most of it!  We caught a local band performing in a packed out bar and then had a call from friends to join them at a party in their nightclub, but as the boys are like my own family and in Nepali culture brothers and sisters don't generally go out drinking and partying together much, we kept things low key and I just had one drink each and were all safely in our hotel rooms by midnight!

Krish's son with his pizza

One big family

Thursday 4th October 2012

Another late start as I took advantage of the hotel's fantastic wifi connection (so rare in Nepal) and turned my bedroom into a mini office!  Venturing into the midday sun my first stop was the bead market (or "Pote Bazaar" in Nepali) which is a fantastic little place with tiny alleys filled with shops selling all sorts of colourful beads.  I met my friend Razza who helps me make our fabulous pearl bracelets and necklaces by threading them onto pretty handmade silver clasps. At my friend Sushil's paper shop I was treated to tea and cake - my dear Nepali friends are always shocked at my terrible eating habits here - I tend to get totally distracted by work and not eat anything until the afternoon - and they always pull something out of the bag to ensure my hunger doesn't persist. As Sushil's wife cooed over photos of my Caribbean wedding, Sushil and I created the invitations for my upcoming wedding party due to take place in early 2013. A lovely local artist (Krishna) will be doing some of the artwork so he popped by to offer his opinion. 

I had a delicious evening meal thanks to my "dhai" (brother) Kamal, owner of the hotel where I have stayed every year up until now because he has leased it to someone else who has drastically increased the rates.  In Nepal people often call each other "bhai" (younger brother) or "dhai" (older brother), or if you are a girl "didi" (elder sister) or "bahini" (youger sister).  For me it is a sign of deep respect to be referred to as someone's sibling, but nepali people are a very kind and caring people and it is so lovely to feel like part of one huge family!  I have worked hard to learn nepali language which people here love, and as I help people in Nepal I am constantly being treated by others who appreciate what I am trying to do to help. Kamal is a perfect example of this, whenever we meet he treats me to food and drink and over the years has gone out of his way to ensure my stay is as comfortable as possible, everything from organising transport and activities to adopting a dog I found wandering in the street and took under my wing.  Having caught up on news over dinner at a small local restaurant we began a brief tour of Thamel with a stop in Tom & Jerry's bar (a must for any foreigner in Thamel), Faces (the place I discovered last night but this time I got to witness some outstanding dance moves by an extremely enthusiastic nepali youth). Our final stop of the night was a 'Dance Bar'. Nepalese dance bars are an anomaly. Ten years ago the only dance bars to be found we very innocent places offering mediocre food and overpriced alcohol but with the bonus of a dance show with people in traditional outfits singing local songs.  Over the years I stopped going as they became more lewd and tacky with dances becoming more and more raunchy, but under the current Maoist government this is illegal and once again dance bars have become an acceptable place to hang out. It is a very surreal experience to walk into a bar, be seated in a plush armchair and have drinks served by a waiter whilst nepalese guys and girls reenact elaborate Bollywood dance routines and local songs, but it is certainly worth seeing!

Razza in his shop
Sushil's wife enjoying cake
Local artist Krishna
Kamal is his bar
Me enjoying a cocktail

Just like home

Wednesday 3rd October 2012

A jam packed day with meetings with manufacturers all day, exciting to see how things are moving along, but tiring in this heat!  One thing that never grows old is snaking through the narrow streets of Kathmandu between shops, the things you see on the way are amazing, today I saw people worshipping a colourful deity. 

In the evening I was collected from my hotel by Deepak, a friend of mine who speaks fantastic English.  We drove to an upmarket bar called Moksh where they were screening a nepali documentary film called "Journey to Yarsa" which is about a type of fungus (Yarsagumba) which grows on caterpillars, killing and mummifying them.  Each year hundreds of nepali people acquire a permit to head up onto snowy slopes to seek out this fungus, hardly surprising when you consider that it sells for $10,000 a kilo in China! http://www.journeytoyarsa.com One great thing about the screening was you could take drinks and food into the cinema so Deepak and I treated ourselves to a stone baked pizza, it was almost like chilling out at home!  Having had the chance to congratulate the director, Dipendra Bhandari, who presented the screening, we drove back to a small local bar in Thamel for a glass of rakshiya (local rice wine).  I was about to head home when I had a call from some friends I hadn't seen since their amazing wedding four years ago who had read I was in Nepal and happened to be out celebrating in a fancy cocktail bar.  I arrived to find a large group, and, cocktail in hand, the women all headed for the dance floor to strut our stuff.  At the same time I had a call from another friend, Michael, who's been living in Switzerland and has just arrived home to Nepal. As Thamel has a general midnight curfew we had a job to find where to continue the party, but we managed to find a place in the form of Faces, a new bar.  Walking into it was like stepping back into Europe, the whole place is UV with a giant motorcycle as a DJ booth and a huge well stocked bar.  Very, very surreal.  It was the perfect place to hang out and people watch till the early hours.


People worshipping the colourful deity
Michael in his patriotic t-shirt

Wednesday 3 October 2012

A creative day...

Tuesday 2nd October 2012

Today began with a healthy glass of fruit juice at the local walk-up juice stand.  They throw all sorts of exciting things into the mix including papaya and pomegranate and it was just the tonic against the dusty roads around Thamel. I was collected from the hotel late morning by Shakti Singh, the owner of a local felt factory.  Back in the office we drew some exciting new designs for felt necklaces which I have big plans for, and I also picked out some fun new Christmas gift ideas including finger puppets, rings and clips.  I spent most of the afternoon checking on orders and drinking the various hot beverages which accompany such meetings.  This evening was a lot of fun as I visited my friend Rabindra who is manager of a well known local restaurant set in a former palace which serves traditional nepali and newari food and even stages elaborate folks dances from various regions of Nepal. I enjoyed the six course feast and a lengthy catch up with Rabindra, even if I did get pecked on the head by a man dressed as a peacock (not sure what folk dance that counts as). 



Fruit Juice Man
Nepali Folk Dancers
Pecking Peacock

Princess of Pearls or Felt Fairy?

Monday 1st October 2012

I spent this morning doing what I love best in my job: bringing pieces my customers have commissioned to life! We have had all sorts of orders this time with many different stones, I always feel like a princess picking out all kinds of glittery gems and drawing up new designs.  After a happy couple of hours I headed on to another workshop where our bespoke silver clasps are made by a talented local silversmith, Mohan, I am making some new pearl pieces which these will be just perfect with so we worked out logistics and I shall hopefully have them ready for the Christmas season.  From silver to felt I headed over to Ishwor's Felt Shop and went over to the showroom to get inspiration for some new ideas.  I found some cute little things and some much bigger ones, I even had chance to model a huge felt flower wreath garland I found.  

Final stop of the day for me was snacks with my blind friend Kancha.  As we met early evening Kancha was accompanied by one of the children from the centre (during the daytime he usually negotiates the busy streets by himself with his white stick!). He brought Sujan, a lovely smiley little boy, I let him pick anything he wanted from the Newari (Kathmandu area) cafe we went to and so of course he chose chicken! Whilst Kancha and I discussed Charity affairs Sujan entertained himself with the game on my phone, at least some things don't change no matter which country you are in!  

Me wearing a felt garland
Kancha and Sujan

From stone buying to Mexican feasts!

Sunday 30th September 2012

Last night's revelry meant I began the day's meetings a little later than I had planned (!). First stop was a meeting with Sitaram (whom I met with yesterday to make an order) in his workshop to pick out stones and check how work had started.  I made a quick tour of a couple of other silver shops I buy from to pick out new pieces and designs.

On my way to my next meeting with a clothing designer friend I spotted a travel agency (Blue Mountain Travels) run by Buddhi, a man from Gorkha I met on my first trip to Nepal back in 1998.  A quick stop in for a cuppa and chat was necessary of course, and I left with a dinner invitation to be taken up before I leave at his family's house.  Rupak, my nepalese designer friend, took me for a yummy pasta lunch as we discussed various pressing issues from manufacturing bunting in the elefair colours (!) to securing long-term funding for Tri Netra.

The rest of the day was taken up with social calls as I took my "bahini" (younger sister) Ranju and her daughter Mansha to the well known Israeli-Nepali cafe OR2K for tea and cake, nepali style!  OR2K is a favourite with locals and foreigners alike, it has huge murals on the walls painted in UV paint, and the lights are kept pretty dim, very Goa.  My evening meal was taken care of by my American friend Amy who rustled up an incredible Mexican feast inspired by ripe avocadoes she had purchased from the local farmers' market.  Seven grateful diners devoured the delicious feast and enjoyed lengthy debates on the many happenings in Nepal over the last twelve months. 


Sitaram in his workshop

Jai Nepal (long live Nepal!)

Saturday 29th September 2012

Today began with a wake up call from my blind friend Kancha, president of TriNetra, the organisation for blind children we support in Nepal.  I headed to the centre to take dal bhat (traditional nepali food of rice and lentils - in this case with the tasty addition of tofu and pickles) with the kids, and I was lucky to meet Paulina, a Finnish lady who has been in Nepal editing a film about Gurkha soldiers and who along with my friend Gopal Gurung has set up a weekly documentary film night to advertise the Tri Netra foundation. It was Paulina's last day in Nepal and she had brought some play-dough which the kids had a whale of a time with.

I headed off in the midday sun to drink tea with Ishwor - shopkeeper in a felt shop I make orders in.  We drank tea and discussed new products, he demonstrated ten ways to wear the "magic hat" (a type of snood made from knitted fabric which has apparently taken the world by storm (!)) and made me sport a huge pointy felt hat for the duration of our meeting.

I love a good cup of tea as much as the next person, but I was keen for a stronger afternoon caffeine boost and therefore chose Northfield Cafe, a Thamel institution which serves fabulous organic coffee, as the destination for my meeting with Sitaram, a nepali silversmith who will be making some pendants and bangles for our christmas season.

The evening was a boisterous one: I, along with half of Kathmandu, headed to an outdoor bar to watch a fabulous performance from local band Cobweb who performed acoustically.  Luckily I had flat shoes on as I ended up dancing the night away with friends old and new.  Under the moonlight I reflected on my visit so far and the country I love so much, my second home.  As we say out here "JAI NEPAL" (long live Nepal!)

Paulina and Gopal at documentary film evening
Young girl playing with playdough

Nepal Trip

Friday 28th September 2012

Arrived safely yesterday and managed a decent night's sleep but woke this morning to calls and texts from the UK checking I was ok - I turned on the news to find an early morning plane crash had killed 7 Brits and 12 others! So sad and certainly put me in a sombre mood. I began the day with a cup of tea in a shady cafe with Kancha Gurung, one of my best friends here and president of Tri Netra foundation which is a small home offering support and education for blind children in Nepal.  We discussed progress since last year and I was happy to learn a local guy and his Finnish friend have been putting on regular documentary film nights with 70% of the profits going to the foundation.

Next stop for me was the Pooja Paper shop.  The owner, Sushil Thapa, I met six years ago and as is the custom in Nepal we sat down to talk business over a nice cup of masala chiya (tea with spices).  I have a custom order for our popular mini notebooks and we are working on several new product designs in handmade lokta paper.  After a flying visit to a silver shop where I picked out stones for some silver commission pieces, it was over to a busy courtyard to visit my friend Tashi Ghale in his tourist information office to catch up on local news and upcoming events.  I was happy to find the Kathmandu Art Gallery Shop open as I wandered past - the shopkeeper Pradip Balami is a talented artist and I had a nice hour checking out his latest work and giving suggestions on developing the sales space over (you guessed it) another cup of tea!

The evening saw Thamel, the tourist area of Kathmandu, come alive as Saturday is the day off for most nepalese and they all like to go out and have fun on "Good Friday".  I met friends and went on an interesting tour which included chats in an Irish Pub, dancing at an out door psy-trance party and chilling with a cocktail at a lovely bar.  Plenty of time to practise my nepali and share stories and jokes.  It's a hard life, but someone's got to do it!

Pradip Balami holding one of his pictures