[ Bhaktapur Durbar Square ]

The rest of Saturday evening, Prabesh and I headed over to the second of three major squares in the Kathmandu Valley: Bhaktapur Durbar Square. This was larger than Patan's, and quite beautiful at that!
Enjoy the photos! :)

I also had to stop at each of the water sprouts--I think they are so cool!!!

That rounded out Saturday!

I did some hardcore relaxing on Sunday. :) Ashok actually called me around 1:40 pm, as I hadn't even left my room yet! He was worried that I may be sick, but I reassured him as I was feeling quite well. I had simply been reading since 10 am, and didn't finish until a few hours later at 4 pm. After finishing The Tenth Circle, I took the hottest, most luxurious shower yet and went down to inquire about dinner. Everyone in the house ate together that night, around deliciously filling naan and curries. With dinner over, I met up with some other Borlaug-Ruan interns, Ali (in Bangladesh) and Allie (in Costa Rica), over Skype! It was so great getting to see them and discuss what this experience is like with people who are going through it!

That is the end of my third week here! It is unbelievable to think that the end of next week is my half way point! I hope you all have a great week with celebrations (in America) for Independence Day!

Peace and love,

Abby

[ The Sleepover ]

Thursday was my first real run in with food poisoning.  Even with more sleep than usual, I woke up absolutely exhausted. My appetite was nonexistent for both breakfast and lunch; I won't go in to the other details! Luckily, by dinnertime it had mostly passed, and I was incredibly hungry after having had a sparse lunch.
It also helped that Ashok prepared phenomenal Thai food! :)

That night was the US-Germany game, but I opted out, still not feeling quite up to par. When the power came back on around 10 pm--and with it, the fan--I decided to call it a night.  Only half of my brain was in on this decision, and the other half continued to mull over a new book I had taken up: The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult (before you judge understand that the author was recommended by a trusted friend and that I read unemotional scientific papers all day. The change of pace was needed). I switched on the lamp at my bedside and before I knew it it was 1 am. The entirety of my brain, along with my drooping eyelids, unanimously voted for sleep.

Ironically, Friday morning I felt completely rejuvenated! The work day flew by as I sorted through a few more articles and continued with the book Dirty, Sacred Rivers by Cheryl Colopy. At the end of the day, I said my farewells to Celine (Zumba Celine) and hopped on the ICIMOD bus with Rashmi. She had generously offered to have me over for dinner and to go on a hike the next morning. Pragun (Pra-goon), her 3 y.o. son, was incredibly energetic and guffawed at even the simplest things. I managed to win him over, and he was soon cuddled up on my lap as we watched music videos and waited for dinner.

Rashmi and Hiten (Hee-ten), her husband, had prepared the traditional meal of dal bhat (lentil soup and rice), but while she and Hiten dug in with their hands (also in the traditional style), I opted for silverware. Her son had fallen asleep on the nearby bed, but Rashmi, Hiten, and I stayed up late, enjoying the conversation and company.

The next morning (after breakfast, of course!), we set off for a hike into the hills. Their house is located closer to the hills than my guesthouse, making the view and birdsong even more varied and beautiful. We set off down the road, then up the road, then traversed a well-beaten trail and turned back around.

This beast had the smoothest body I've seen!

The goats were bowing down to their queen.

There was a view of rice paddies on one side of the trail...

...and Kathmandu Valley on the other!

This goat was the cutest thing. Its coat looked so soft!

Just one example of, depressingly, innumerable polluted waterways in Kathmandu.

If you look closely, there is a lizard chilling in the center of this photograph!

On our way back, we took a detour to Budhanilkantha. This temple was stunningly unique, for the pond in the middle held a large stone carving of Krishnu. He was supine, covered in the strings of orange flowers that you find everywhere here. Bells were banging all around the temple as people performed their pujas and burnt little offerings.

Cameras aren't allowed inside, so this was taken through a gap in the fencing!

With this sight seen, we once again turned back and soon arrived home.
That brings me to now, as we wait for Rashmi to fry the noodles. Hiten and Pragun are watching The Lion King--I think I'll go join them. :)

Peace and love,
Abby

[ In Which I'm Reminded of Home ]

I am three days into my third week! :) This will be pretty quick, so hold on tight!

[ Monday ]

Monday was just another day at the office--afterwards is where it gets interesting. :)

For dinner, Barbara, Sascha, Oliver, and I walked over to the Sigma (or Sig-Ma or Sing-Ma perhaps) Food Court for some fast-food style South Asian eats! Their menu was the most expansive I have seen yet, with pages and pages of fried noodles, steamed dumplings, soups, desserts, and just about anything else! 

I had heard that they serve Singaporean dishes and I immediately thought of the Tan family--a second family of mine. :) Wynn's mother, Ping, is one of the best cooks I have ever had the delight of eating with. I spotted pau and bee hun on the menu and simply could not resist what I hoped would be a "taste of home."

These two little beautiful corners of the universe are known as pau (or pao or pow).
They are dumplings filled with meat, a little like momos, but doughier.

Wynn! They even had those spoon-ladel-majigs that you have!
Unfortunately, there was only one pair of chopsticks for the four of us...
so I didn't get to show off the mad chopstick skills I learned from you.

I inhaled the bee hun. It was wonderful.
But Ping, these noodles didn't come anywhere close to yours. :)

After that delicious excursion ended, I came home to read--and actually finished a book! I brought about 7 along with me, but at this rate I won't get through all of them before returning home.

[ A Love of Howl's Moving Castle ]

This book was a particular favorite and deserves a section all its own. My great and unwavering affection for the book, while fully captivating in its own way, largely stems from my great and unwavering affection for the movie based off of it (it isn't often that I see the movie first, but it is definitely a good thing I did this time, as they are so different!). It was one of those books where you don't really know what to do with yourself after it ends. Mostly because your head and heart are still in it. Howl's Moving Castle is to me what An Imperial Affliction is to Hazel Grace from The Fault in Our Stars (another great book/movie duo).

[ Tuesday ]

Tuesday I was suffering from a slight book hangover, but I managed to make it through the day without much incident (I did spill some tea...sorry about that Floor 2 Water Theme, at least it was lemon and smells good).

After work I went with Celine (an intern at ICIMOD from Germany/France!) to Zumba at a nearby sports facility. It was a blast, getting to hear fast-paced Nepali music and the first guy I have ever seen in Zumba! Unfortunately, it just wasn't quite the same without another friend/family member, Mur (short for her last name, Murtha). The class was packed, and I wasn't able to truly share the experience with someone like Mur and I do! Nonetheless, it was great to get out and burn off some energy. :)

Once we finished with our hardcore dance workout, Celine bought lychees. I wasn't aware of this fruit's existence until arrival in Nepal, where they are sold on just about every street corner. It resembles an oversized raspberry with the structure of a clementine (you peel the...peel off of it and eat the fleshy inside). Then it is like a cherry with a pit that you eat around and spit out. The inside is reminiscent of a fish eye, with its cloudy transparency and smooth, slimy surface. The fruit itself is very sweet, though. :)
In case this description was unsatisfactory, check out the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee

After lychees, we went to a takali restaurant where I ordered a peanut something and said my farewells to Celine (home was only a block away). @Home, I dug in to the roasted peanut mixture. It was an odd kind of spicy, one that I didn't cough at but stung more acutely than anything else I have eaten here. With the aid of some water, I made it about halfway through and had to call it quits. My lips were numb after that chili-infused dish.

That night I also skyped with Zumba-Mur and my "sister" since 4th grade, Michaela! :) It was great seeing them both; I definitely miss being around them and their laughter. :)

Tuesday night brought about another spider attack! There were two baby spiders in my bed, both of which were easily obliterated by a pinching of the fingers. I paid them no mind: I could not entertain the thought of a possible new batch of spider eggs and infants if I wanted any sleep.

[ Wednesday ]

Today, the table that I sit with at lunch held a good-bye lunch for Celine, whose last day is Friday. Everyone brought their homemade Nepali food (and Sonika brought fluffy pancakes!). I was so full by the end, but it was a great time and we even coaxed a small speech out of Celine. :)

The rest of the night has been uneventful, yet it has been a good chance to catch up with other friends from Iowa while listening to Sinatra (it doesn't get much better!). This is a day of repose with what looks like a busy four days ahead of me!


Peace and love,
Abby


PS. The World Food Prize has asked us to send in 10-15 pictures of us in the lab or field. While I haven't been out yet, I shall consider my desk a laboratory of thought and analysis! This is the closest I could get--it sums up my time here so far pretty nicely. :) Thank you to Tanuja Shrestha and her brilliant photography skills!

Notice this beautiful mug in the foreground. It is my savior.
Those earbuds are also saviors.
And the book, Dirty, Sacred Rivers, is really fascinating!
And no that's not Facebook. :)

[ A Love of Hiking ]

[ Thursday ]

The calf that waited with me Thursday morning for work

Thursday was a turning point! I have become increasingly interested in my work, and both Thursday and Friday flew by.  I also had something to look forward to Thursday night--something that I had looked forward to the entire week! Laeti's group of women had a sale for all of the purses, dolls, scarves, hats, etc. that they had made.  They were so adorable, beaming at everything and showing off their hard work. I ended up buying a few things to support them and for gifts to family and friends! :)
There was also a terrific duo that did renditions of old jazz songs. It was only their second time performing, but it was really good!

Magic. Or, for that night, The Band Formerly Known as Magic.

On Thursday there were also two new houseguests (unrelated to each other). One, Chris, is from Germany and in the process of looking for a flat. The other, Vanessa, is from California and will be doing an impact study once she leaves for the field in a few days. That is all for Thursday, so on to

[ Friday ]

Friday morning at work I was invited to one of Mandira's (a coworker's) presentation; the presentation was about ICIMOD with a focus on flooding--something I haven't included in my research (yet!). The group being presented to was entirely composed of American students! I met some students who are attending Bowdoin College. They were jokingly disappointed that I was attending Colby (Bowdoin and Colby are rival schools), but ultimately they reassured me that it is a great place to be. It was really refreshing to speak with other Americans because most conversations I have with people are not in their native tongue, and it can be exceedingly difficult to understand accents.  

When I arrived home, Laeti was just heading out the door to do some last-minute shopping (I now understand why!). We went to two really cute craft stores; I ended up buying some of these colorful leaves to hang in my room (and future dorm room, if that's alright with you, roomie).

They also had this Phone Dairy...there are many humorous misspellings here. :)

That evening the guesthouse celebrated Laeti's last dinner here. I treated everyone to open momos prepared at Cafe Gangri. Having the house together for dinner was so lovely; everyone was laughing and telling stories. In particular, Katrin and Ashok recounted their "how we met" story. The whole thing sounded like it was straight out of a movie! 

The shortened version of How Ashok and Katrin Met:

In the city of Goa, on the coast of India, Ashok owned a small bar. Katrin, with her best friend and best friend's sister, were traveling from Germany when they met, although Katrin wasn't interested at first, a little persistence from Ashok lead to them spending time in Goa. It was only a few days, however, and Katrin returned back to Germany, reminding Ashok that it would not work.

But he called every morning.

After three months of talking on the phone each day, he asked if she would marry him. The third time he asked, she said yes.

When she went to Nepal, she had forgotten what her husband-to-be even looked like! Once they met up, they went to a bar where a bar fight ensued, and the night ended at the police station. After a week in Nepal, they were still set on marrying. The rest is history!

Laeti had also bought gifts, and a gift exchange ensued. I couldn't stop smiling the whole night, I was so happy with what I took to be my make-shift family. Laeti had to leave for her flight early the next morning, so I woke up at 5 am

[ Saturday ]

morning to have breakfast with her! We said our good-byes and I have missed her ever since! 

About an hour and a half later, Arindam (Aditi's husband), Bikul (a coworker), and Tatiana (a friend of theirs) picked me up to go for a hike! We drove up to Hattiban resort...or at least, as close to it as we could get. The incline was steep and the turns were tight--Bikul's car wasn't quite up to it.

That is Tatiana on the other side! 

Although the carbon dioxide levels went up 2% within those 15 minutes spent on this curve, the view was splendid!

We parked the car about halfway up the unpaved trail and began out ascent. We started right away with a shortcut, which wasn't too well defined.

Nevertheless, it was beautiful and smelled so clean after the rain. Once we got up a ways, there was an amazing (if not a bit cloudy) view of the valley and Kathmandu sprawling across it. I even got a picture with it!

You can see the Bagmati river, a sacred river for many in the region.

Photo courtesy of Tatiana Zelenskaya!

At the top, you could see the crests of other hills. On the next closest was a temple with a stone path leading to it.

On our way back down the batto (path), we walked throug
h a cloud!!! I was overly excited, to put it nicely. :)

Once off the beaten trail, we traversed the road to Bikul's car while two dogs followed us the whole way!

More of Arindam's friends joined us for lunch (where I had pancakes!) and we talked about random control tests and religion. Exhausted, I finally made it home just in time to go right back out again!

Prabesh (the Chai Chai Cafe Prabesh, that is) and I walked over to the Patan Museum. (More or less) on the way, we stopped by a temple for Saraswati.

Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of learning, but there were also Buddhist shrines there!

Just across the road from the temple was what we would call a Buddhist monastery. As we walked, Prabesh was able to tell me a lot about different sites we passed and the history of the city. He made for an excellent tour guide, and it was much more interesting than seeing these buildings without any historical context!

Yes, it had started raining by this time! Welcome to the monsoon season. :)

Also on the way were several water sources! I was so excited to see more, as these are a main part of my research!

These sweet women nodded in agreement to the camera, even smiling for me. :) Unfortunately, the pit wasn't draining correctly.

On the other hand, this pond (pokhari) had dried up.

Just past this pond was Patan Durbar Square, where the King's Palace is located. The museum was inside this King's Palace!

The middle of the palace held a beautiful courtyard with a flowering tree. The rain had washed away some of the dirt and left the red brick glistening and bright.

The inside of the museum, however, was much more dim.

There were many ancient and intricate artifacts! On the whole, I thought the museum was really interesting. The little plaques in front of each exhibit were written in English--and quite well written, at that! Several times I gawked at the beautiful language of these momentos...it was really special, especially in a place where most people do not speak English that well! But that is just me and my love for the intricacies of language. Anyway, here are a few examples of what you might find in the museum:

I found the postures to be really interesting, as most all Hindu god(desse)s appear like this.

During this time, extra limbs and faces were added to express the multiple functions and roles of that god.

Vishnu (my favorite of the Hindu gods so far) is pictured here, soaring through the heavens (as the description says).

This is a miniature replica of Boudanath, the Buddhist temple I went to last Saturday!

This is the King's throne! It is plated in pure gold.

The museum did an excellent job of describing the different Hindu gods, Buddhist beliefs, and Tantric development. If you climb to the top of the museum, there is a bell tower that overlooks the entire square!

The ticket that granted us access to the King's Palace also gave us access to an architectural museum two doors down. The courtyard held another small temple.

The carving on the arches was beautifully done.

The carvings on the wood around the courtyard were also incredibly intricate!

The inside of this second museum was not as expansive: it was about three short hallways dedicated to columns.

The first hallway was pretty neat though!

Outside was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.
I don't know the name of this stone spout. I forgot it. It was in the museum somewhere, I'm sure.
I found it so stunning; the carvings were so intricate, the spout itself so clean, and the whole layout aesthetically pleasing. I spent quite awhile just admiring it's beauty.

Girl in pink with umbrella makes her debut by this glorified drinking fountain.

Look at that radial symmetry! How splendid!

Two snakes surrounded the pit.

This is Vishnu again, still soaring through the heavens!

On the way back "home" we stopped by another stone spout/ dhunge dhara/ hiti (depending on the language!).

This one most likely had sewage flowing in, causing that grayish water by the spout.

Once home, I changed and got ready to go back out--again! Saturday night, Bharati (the woman I had met on the plane ride over) invited me to dinner. It was so much fun! She introduced me to her daughter, Jasmin, who is really cool. We all played Uno for awhile (a favorite game of mine! :) ) and then had a delicious dinner with kulfi (ice cream) afterwards.

This is Bharati and Jasmi holding the adorable little pots of Kulfi!

Bharati and I, courtesy of Jasmin! :) I went with traditional wear, although neither of them had it on! :)

That wraps up my Saturday! :) It was so busy, and I slept for a very, very long time.

[ Sunday ]

Sunday was uneventful--a day of rest for me! I didn't get up until after 10am!! My first meal was lunch, and after that I went out to find a new bag for my laptop (I had been borrowing Laetis because mine broke!). I found this great store called Dukatis, which was three stories high and had items from the Women's Skills Development Organization in Pokhara, Nepal.
For dinner, I went to El Meditteraneo, a Spanish restaurant just up the street, with Vanessa. It was such an enjoyable dinner, and I was really happy to have company after such a solitary day. Vanessa is really friendly and open-minded; she seems to make friends wherever she goes, and she has traveled many places! I hope to travel as much--if not more--than she has already! :)

This wraps up the weekend for me! I hope to have a post soon about the culture here; I am slowly compiling lists of customs and attitudes so I can share something a little more comprehensive with you all. :)
Have a great week!

Peace and love,
Abby