Tsivia's Notes From Nepal

I am typing this on my phone, as it is 11 p.m. on Saturday night and all of the rest of my electronics are packed up. Why? Because I will be spending two and a half weeks, starting this coming Monday, February 20, trekking the Annapurna Circuit. 

     Sunday, February 12, my homestay sister, aamaa, and I take the bus into Bhaktapur. We have one goal in mind: for me to have Kurtha Sarwai made. Kurtha Sarwai is one of the three most common Nepali dresses, among Sari and Lehenga. You may remember back in my very first article talking about packing and preparing for the trip that I mentioned a desire to buy and wear local clothes; well, it finally happened. Sunday, aamaa, and Rik helped guide me around Bhaktapur to the good fabric shops where I found two different styles that I liked, and then they took me to their tailor. Wednesday, aamaa, and I caught the bus to Bhaktapur again (barely) and picked up my two new Kurtha Surwai from the tailor’s shop. 

     He did not disappoint. Let me say that when I first mentioned to one of my guides from the program in my first few days here in Nepal that I was interested in dressing in local style, one of the first things she said to me was that Sari can be uncomfortable and I would probably be better off in Kurtha Surwai. And while I have yet to properly try Sari long enough to pass judgment on its comfort, I do have to say that over the past three days that I have been wearing it, I definitely feel more comfortable walking around in Kurtha Surwai than I do in any of the clothes I brought with me (excluding my slacks). Not that the clothes that I brought are uncomfortable or inappropriate, but, for me personally, wearing the Kurtha Surwai makes me feel a little less like I stand out, and a little more confident in myself being here in an area where foreigners possibly do not come that often. Aamaa did show me how to wear Sari the other day, but as of yet I have not worn it out and about, and am not sure when I will have a chance to. 

     While in Bhaktapur, we also stopped by the local favorite sweet shop to try some of the foods Bhaktapur is best-known for: jujudai, sweet yoghurt; lalmon, which is similar to a small donut hole; barphi, which tasted kind of like a mix between cheesecake and fudge; bara, which consists of a crepe-like base made of lentils with an egg fried in the middle; and paneer momo. Momo here is a very common dish, and essentially is like a dumpling (which every culture has their version of) that can be filled with a variety of things. There is vegetable momo, Buffalo momo, chicken momo, paneer momo, and much more. The paneer momo is filled with, of course, paneer, which is some kind of a dairy milk product. Bhaktapur is well-known for two things aside from being a historical site: it’s dairy products, such as the jhujhudai, and its cakes and sweets. 

     Today, I did laundry for the second time. Now that aamaa  has taught me what to do, I have to say it went much easier this time around. It is still a lot of work, but even though I may have the option of lugging my clothes into Kathmandu to pay someone to wash them, I have to say that I much prefer doing it myself. And Rik enjoys the free entertainment that she gets by watching me do it. Rik fancies herself a photographer, so I am sure in the future there will be many more pictures of anything I do while she is around. 

     Starting Monday, however, for 17 days I will be immersed in one of the larger aspects of Nepali life and culture: nature and the Himalayas. Eight of the worlds highest peaks are in Nepal, including Annapurna (which is 10 on the list), and while I will not be ascending beyond about 6,000 meters, it is sure to be exciting nonetheless. Having the opportunity to do some trekking was definitely one of the top things on my list, because it is such a huge part of the people and the culture here. The Nepalese name for the mountain we call Everest is Sagarmatha, which translates as ‘Goddess of the Sky’, while the Tibetan Sherpas call it Chomolungma, ‘Mother Goddess of the Universe’. 

     After Annapurna, I will have the opportunity to spend a few days in Pokhara, one of Nepal’s most popular cities. In the meantime, however, you may not see an article from me for a while, so keep an eye on my Instagram and Twitter feeds. I’ll be posting whenever I have a chance on Twitter @GetScaredLater and on Instagram @get_scared_later.