Please enjoy!
11/29/2016
Ani and Britt in Nepal
After seven years living in Asia, this blog needs some fresh insights and reflections and my mother-in-law will help me make this happen.
Please enjoy!
Please enjoy!
9/28/2016
Teeth
Teeth are something you take for granted. Til they start making trouble, that is.
I've had the best teeth. For the last 20 years I haven't made a single filling, but now the good times belongs to the past.
It started with a root canal a few months ago when I lost the only filling I had and now I have to make 5 (!?) other root canals.
Why haven't the teeth followed the rest of the body's evolution?
We are getting older and healthier, but the teeth don't seem to adapt to modern food intake.
Strange in my opinion and not so good for the wallet.
When I grew up we were thought that the tooth trolls Karius and Baktus were chased off with brushing your teeth morning and evening.
And in school we had the flour lady who popped by once in a while making us gargle liquid flour for two minutes without laughing.
Well, you can be happy with false teeth too!
I've had the best teeth. For the last 20 years I haven't made a single filling, but now the good times belongs to the past.
It started with a root canal a few months ago when I lost the only filling I had and now I have to make 5 (!?) other root canals.
Why haven't the teeth followed the rest of the body's evolution?
We are getting older and healthier, but the teeth don't seem to adapt to modern food intake.
Strange in my opinion and not so good for the wallet.
When I grew up we were thought that the tooth trolls Karius and Baktus were chased off with brushing your teeth morning and evening.
8/31/2016
Back in Nepal!
We had a fab time in Sweden, but now we are back in our new home in Kathmandu and it was great to meet Nicholas and the dogs again.
We celebrated my birthday with my favorite food and dessert.
Smorgas and strawberry cake, not in combo though.
The weather was mostly really, really bad, but Leya got the chance to swim in the lake Vättern a few times.
We had icecream in Askersund's harbor with cousin Alfwin.
We also recorded the music video for Leya's new song Piaro Ram.
We celebrated my birthday with my favorite food and dessert.
Smorgas and strawberry cake, not in combo though.
6/29/2016
Prime minister K.P. Oli
For the first time since we moved here we have heard good things about the Nepalese government.
Is it thanks to this man, the Prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli?
Read more about him here.
He made the historical decision to send an aircraft to bring home the remains from the suicide bombing in Afghanistan last week when 12 Nepalese security guards where killed and 7 where injured.
The plane also brought home a number of people who wanted to go back home to Nepal.
Read an newspaper article about it here. He is also taking actions about so many things that the previous leaders have discussed about for years with no result.
Like the lack of insufficient power stations, the supply of petrol and cooking gas and other important things we need to develop Nepal.
I even heard from a friend that he made a surprise visit to the airport since he believes the airport is the first door to Nepal and it must work smoothly and give a good impression.
I found an article about the visit that you can read here.
Apparently he checked everything from the security to how clean the toilets were.
When our young friends see a glimpse of hope for the future here in Nepal I feel so happy.
Is it thanks to this man, the Prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli?
He made the historical decision to send an aircraft to bring home the remains from the suicide bombing in Afghanistan last week when 12 Nepalese security guards where killed and 7 where injured.
The plane also brought home a number of people who wanted to go back home to Nepal.
Read an newspaper article about it here. He is also taking actions about so many things that the previous leaders have discussed about for years with no result.
Like the lack of insufficient power stations, the supply of petrol and cooking gas and other important things we need to develop Nepal.
I even heard from a friend that he made a surprise visit to the airport since he believes the airport is the first door to Nepal and it must work smoothly and give a good impression.
I found an article about the visit that you can read here.
Apparently he checked everything from the security to how clean the toilets were.
When our young friends see a glimpse of hope for the future here in Nepal I feel so happy.
6/26/2016
Swedish Midsummer
This weekend we celebrated Swedish Midsummer.
Nicholas stayed home and made food while I went to town and worked.
On the way home I picked up a big surprise for Leya. Watch it here.
In Sweden the nature is full of flowers this time of year, so we use to make flower wreaths to put on the kids' heads, but here I made them of waste saris instead.
Of course we invited our little neighbor girl Kuchan to celebrate with us.
Swedish people love buffets and Midsummer is a great opportunity to eat a lot.
Here you can watch Leya presenting the food.
Nicholas stayed home and made food while I went to town and worked.
On the way home I picked up a big surprise for Leya. Watch it here.
In Sweden the nature is full of flowers this time of year, so we use to make flower wreaths to put on the kids' heads, but here I made them of waste saris instead.
Of course we invited our little neighbor girl Kuchan to celebrate with us.
Here you can watch Leya presenting the food.
6/23/2016
6/02/2016
Happy Mother's day gifts
Instead of sending gifts to our mothers in Sweden at Happy Mother's day we give something to someone here who is in need of something specific.
This year I bought school books, for grade 5 and necessary stationary to the cow-boy I've written about in an earlier post.
If you put together all Christmas happiness for a lifetime, you will get close to what emotions went through this boy when he stood there and held his new books.
He was really hungry, so I bought him a plate of momos.
One of his sisters is apparently at the hospital with a burn injury, so every rupee they earn from the cow milk they have to pay to the hospital.
I have no clue when he ate before this meal, so I also bought a few kilos of rice, eggs and noodles he could bring back to his family.
It is impossible to fully understand what it's like to grow up this poor, to not even have food for the day.
I hope this smart boy will take the chance and study hard with his new books.
If he is determent I know he has a bright future.
My sister Tess in Sweden made a donation to LoveNepal, as a Mother's day gift to our mother.
LoveNepal is a Swedish organization doing whatever they can to rescue children and young women from brothels, that are more like prisons, where they are raped many times every day. They get beaten and some even gets killed.
They run seven orphanages and a school here in Nepal.
They are especially focusing on the Badi people that are untouchable in Nepal. Read more about the Badi people here. Their website is in Swedish, but please take a look here.
I was just going to publish a heartbreaking photo of a dirty little girl, sitting all by herself, but I decided to publish a photo of something positive from the work of LoveNepal instead.
This year I bought school books, for grade 5 and necessary stationary to the cow-boy I've written about in an earlier post.
If you put together all Christmas happiness for a lifetime, you will get close to what emotions went through this boy when he stood there and held his new books.
I have no clue when he ate before this meal, so I also bought a few kilos of rice, eggs and noodles he could bring back to his family.
It is impossible to fully understand what it's like to grow up this poor, to not even have food for the day.
I hope this smart boy will take the chance and study hard with his new books.
If he is determent I know he has a bright future.
My sister Tess in Sweden made a donation to LoveNepal, as a Mother's day gift to our mother.
LoveNepal is a Swedish organization doing whatever they can to rescue children and young women from brothels, that are more like prisons, where they are raped many times every day. They get beaten and some even gets killed.
They run seven orphanages and a school here in Nepal.
They are especially focusing on the Badi people that are untouchable in Nepal. Read more about the Badi people here. Their website is in Swedish, but please take a look here.
I was just going to publish a heartbreaking photo of a dirty little girl, sitting all by herself, but I decided to publish a photo of something positive from the work of LoveNepal instead.
5/29/2016
Cinema
What amazes me here in Nepal is the cinema.
They show Hollywood movies just days after the world premiere, sometimes even before India and definitely before they are shown in Sweden.
Yesterday we went to see Alice through the looking glass, an adventure in 3D and it's nothing like sitting down in the hyper modern cinema with a bucket of popcorn.
It feels like you can be anywhere in the world.
They show Hollywood movies just days after the world premiere, sometimes even before India and definitely before they are shown in Sweden.
Yesterday we went to see Alice through the looking glass, an adventure in 3D and it's nothing like sitting down in the hyper modern cinema with a bucket of popcorn.
It feels like you can be anywhere in the world.
5/26/2016
The boy who would love to go to school
Yesterday I sat at my usual shop when the dogs sniffed around a big field.
In the field there were six cows eating grass and there was this little boy guarding them.
After a while he sat down and I bought him some juice and cookies since I realized that he probably didn't get any of that at home.
We started talking and it turned out he spoke English really well.
I asked if he went to school and he told me that his mother couldn't afford that since he had three sisters and three brothers.
I was curious to know how he learnt to speak such good English and he said he learnt it from reading.
After a while he told me he only owns one book, so I went home and gathered some of Leya's old school books and gave him.
I will also buy some stationary, like pencils and copies.
Even though the government schools are almost free they have to pay for books, uniforms, shoes and a small monthly fee and because of that this bright 12 year old can't go to school.
It's a real shame since the cost per year would only be like 150 USD, 1200 skr.
Not a lot for most people, but a fortune for someone who can't afford it.
In the field there were six cows eating grass and there was this little boy guarding them.
After a while he sat down and I bought him some juice and cookies since I realized that he probably didn't get any of that at home.
We started talking and it turned out he spoke English really well.
I asked if he went to school and he told me that his mother couldn't afford that since he had three sisters and three brothers.
I was curious to know how he learnt to speak such good English and he said he learnt it from reading.
I will also buy some stationary, like pencils and copies.
It's a real shame since the cost per year would only be like 150 USD, 1200 skr.
Not a lot for most people, but a fortune for someone who can't afford it.
5/24/2016
James, a Buddhist in Essex, UK
One of our sweet customers in UK is James and he has been practicing meditation and reiki for many, many years and in -98, after a 10 hours open heart surgery he met a Buddhist master from a Chinese lineage.
Now they have five temples set up around Essex and a few months back he built his own heaven.
A cottage in the garden is their own sacred place for ceremonies and meditation.
Now they have five temples set up around Essex and a few months back he built his own heaven.
A cottage in the garden is their own sacred place for ceremonies and meditation.
5/14/2016
Khumjung village
One thing I love about living here is when you go to one of the local shops, I'd say there are about 10 of them in our neighborhood, you can sit down and talk to other customers.
Today I spoke with a man who was in Kathmandu to visit his son, he lives in the village Khumjung far up the Himalayas.
Read more about Khumjung here.
It's always interesting to start Googling on different subjects since you end up leaning a bunch of new things and today I learnt that in the Khumjung monestary they have a yeti scalp. Or an alleged scalp of a yeti, that is.
How to get to Khumjung:
Step 1: Take the plane to Lukla airport, one of the most dangerous airports in the world.
Watch a landing here and a take-off here, and you'll understand why I said to the man that I thought he was really brave.
Step 2: Walk 8 hours up the mountains. I've made an illustration how it might look like.
As you can see the village is not that far away from Mount Everest.
But on the bright side they have lots of fresh air, always electricity and clean water.
Today I spoke with a man who was in Kathmandu to visit his son, he lives in the village Khumjung far up the Himalayas.
Read more about Khumjung here.
It's always interesting to start Googling on different subjects since you end up leaning a bunch of new things and today I learnt that in the Khumjung monestary they have a yeti scalp. Or an alleged scalp of a yeti, that is.
Step 1: Take the plane to Lukla airport, one of the most dangerous airports in the world.
Watch a landing here and a take-off here, and you'll understand why I said to the man that I thought he was really brave.
Step 2: Walk 8 hours up the mountains. I've made an illustration how it might look like.
As you can see the village is not that far away from Mount Everest.
5/12/2016
Water
This time of year it's a huge lack of water here in Kathmandu.
Yesterday Nicholas spoke to someone who is only relying on the government supply and they turn on the water every 10:th day for four hours, so they can refill their tank.
I know it's not like living in the desert, but it's hard to understand when you come from a privileged country and used to fresh water just pouring out from the tap every time you turn it on.
We are lucky since our house has a well under the parking spot, so the landlord is busy at night refilling the tanks on the roof with a pump, whenever there is electricity.
This is a short term problem though. Thanks to the warm weather the snow and ice on the mountains will melt and it seems as the monsoon has sneak started, or how you say it in English, a month early and that helps a lot.
This is the dry river bed at the famous Pashupatinath temple where the Hindus cremate their dead loved ones.
There a something we have wondered ever since we moved to India.
Why are there no water towers? I mean, it's a natural way to elevate the water instead of using pumps and put a strain on the already fragile power systems in these countries.
Read more about water towers here.
I'm especially aware of the phenomenon since I grew up near the town Örebro, that has an extraordinary water tower that is called Svampen, the Mushroom, that is a landmark every Swede knows about.
Svampen is not a particularly pretty building, but it is functional and you can go up with the elevator to the top so see the whole town and have a meal in the restaurant.
Yesterday Nicholas spoke to someone who is only relying on the government supply and they turn on the water every 10:th day for four hours, so they can refill their tank.
I know it's not like living in the desert, but it's hard to understand when you come from a privileged country and used to fresh water just pouring out from the tap every time you turn it on.
We are lucky since our house has a well under the parking spot, so the landlord is busy at night refilling the tanks on the roof with a pump, whenever there is electricity.
This is a short term problem though. Thanks to the warm weather the snow and ice on the mountains will melt and it seems as the monsoon has sneak started, or how you say it in English, a month early and that helps a lot.
This is the dry river bed at the famous Pashupatinath temple where the Hindus cremate their dead loved ones.
Why are there no water towers? I mean, it's a natural way to elevate the water instead of using pumps and put a strain on the already fragile power systems in these countries.
Read more about water towers here.
I'm especially aware of the phenomenon since I grew up near the town Örebro, that has an extraordinary water tower that is called Svampen, the Mushroom, that is a landmark every Swede knows about.
4/28/2016
Wedding surprise dance show
Our landlord's son's best friend got married a few days ago and for weeks they had been practicing a surprise dance show for him and his bride.
Leya was asked to participate and since she loves to dance there was no question about it.
The whole family has been under the weather the last week because of a stubborn fever, but Leya went all in, as the brave girl she is.
Here are Nicholas and I with the happily married couple at the Military Club in Kathmandu.
It was a party we'll all remember for it's excellent food.
Leya wasn't well, but she was determent to perform.
Leya and friends.
Here you can watch the whole show.
Leya was asked to participate and since she loves to dance there was no question about it.
The whole family has been under the weather the last week because of a stubborn fever, but Leya went all in, as the brave girl she is.
Here are Nicholas and I with the happily married couple at the Military Club in Kathmandu.
It was a party we'll all remember for it's excellent food.
4/16/2016
Noel's Bartabanda
The second most important event in a Hindu man's life, after the marriage, is the Bartabanda.
The boy goes through lots of rituals and it all ends up with a huge party.
He shaves his head and leaves a small tuft of hair on the top-back of his head.
After this celebration the boy is allowed to get married. That's what it's basically about.
Adorable girls! Leya is wearing a traditional Sherpa dress.
Here is Noel, the man of the hour.
They even had face painting for the kids.
The food was amazing! First we eat snacks for three hours and then we had the actually dinner. We were so full we rolled home (in a taxi).
We brought our new friend Cata from Costa Rica to experience a real Nepalese party with 700 guests.
The boy goes through lots of rituals and it all ends up with a huge party.
He shaves his head and leaves a small tuft of hair on the top-back of his head.
After this celebration the boy is allowed to get married. That's what it's basically about.
Adorable girls! Leya is wearing a traditional Sherpa dress.
We brought our new friend Cata from Costa Rica to experience a real Nepalese party with 700 guests.
3/29/2016
Foodmandu
We have just discovered Foodmandu and we just love it!
You can choose any restaurant from their list, order and they will deliver the food to your doorstep within an hour.
Tonight we will have Afghani chicken, butter chicken, rice and garlic naan. Yummy!
Here you can see the website and order. If you live in Kathmandu, that is.
You can choose any restaurant from their list, order and they will deliver the food to your doorstep within an hour.
Tonight we will have Afghani chicken, butter chicken, rice and garlic naan. Yummy!
Here you can see the website and order. If you live in Kathmandu, that is.
3/27/2016
Happy Easter!
As usual we did some Swedish traditional things to keep Leya connected to her Swedish heritage.
This year we were happy to invite our darling Kochan from downstairs.
My mother is born in the district Småland, directly translated to Small land, even though it is a pretty big district, and when she grew up the crane came with candy.
Of course they never actually saw the crane.
It's like the tooth fairy leaving money under the pillow at night when you lost a tooth.
As a kid you believe they exists to a certain age or til your elder sibling tell you that it's all a lie and your whole world falls apart.
I think the crane bringing candy is a local tradition, for example has Nicholas never heard about it.
I believe the Easter bunny is more common, but I like to hold on to these old traditions that makes the kids happy.
Watch the candy and gift hunt here.
We have a lot of cranes in Sweden and it's a special time at spring every year for bird watchers and other bird interested people to go to Hornborgasjön, directly translated to Horn castle (the medieval kind of castle) lake, when the cranes arrive from warmer regions.
The record is more than 26 000 cranes.
My parents has a couple, they live in couples, that comes every year.
You can recognize the male crane since one of his legs is dipping when he is flying. His is named Tom and we have been able to follow him every year from when he was single, got married and had a kid.
One year he was insane coming to my parents' house pecking on the windows and cars really early in the morning.
They filmed it and my dad was on the local news.
Not everyone can be proud to have an annoying crane waking you up every morning.
Painting eggs is another tradition and I must say it's much easier in Sweden since almost all eggs are white, so you can see what you have painted more clearly.
Apparently the Christians were fasting for 40 days, maybe some are still doing that and when they were allowed to eat again, at Easter, they had a lot of eggs saved.
Here the girls are painting eggs.
This year we were happy to invite our darling Kochan from downstairs.
My mother is born in the district Småland, directly translated to Small land, even though it is a pretty big district, and when she grew up the crane came with candy.
Of course they never actually saw the crane.
It's like the tooth fairy leaving money under the pillow at night when you lost a tooth.
As a kid you believe they exists to a certain age or til your elder sibling tell you that it's all a lie and your whole world falls apart.
I think the crane bringing candy is a local tradition, for example has Nicholas never heard about it.
I believe the Easter bunny is more common, but I like to hold on to these old traditions that makes the kids happy.
Watch the candy and gift hunt here.
We have a lot of cranes in Sweden and it's a special time at spring every year for bird watchers and other bird interested people to go to Hornborgasjön, directly translated to Horn castle (the medieval kind of castle) lake, when the cranes arrive from warmer regions.
The record is more than 26 000 cranes.
You can recognize the male crane since one of his legs is dipping when he is flying. His is named Tom and we have been able to follow him every year from when he was single, got married and had a kid.
One year he was insane coming to my parents' house pecking on the windows and cars really early in the morning.
They filmed it and my dad was on the local news.
Not everyone can be proud to have an annoying crane waking you up every morning.
Painting eggs is another tradition and I must say it's much easier in Sweden since almost all eggs are white, so you can see what you have painted more clearly.
Apparently the Christians were fasting for 40 days, maybe some are still doing that and when they were allowed to eat again, at Easter, they had a lot of eggs saved.
Here the girls are painting eggs.
3/22/2016
Happy Holi!
Today we are celebrating the festival Holi and, as usual, we are hiding indoors.
Holi is the festival of colors, but in our neighborhood it's more like a color and water war between kids and teenagers and I've never liked those kind of surprise, splash games.
Leya celebrated Holi in school yesterday, since it's holiday today, with a water war and face painting.
She loved it!
Today we did some color experiments and you can watch one here.
Holi is the festival of colors, but in our neighborhood it's more like a color and water war between kids and teenagers and I've never liked those kind of surprise, splash games.
Leya celebrated Holi in school yesterday, since it's holiday today, with a water war and face painting.
She loved it!
3/18/2016
Me with hair
My friends here in Nepal are of course curious to see what I looked like with hair and my mom was kind enough to send me some old photos.
This is when I was 22 and was saying bye bye! to our puppies before I went on a five months trip to New Zealand on my own.
This is an old goody from about 25 years ago. It's my father, my 4 years younger sister Tess and me in our kitchen right before dinner.
I guess it's some kind of holiday since we have the party glasses on the table.
My parents went to Madras, as Chennai was called then, a long time ago and my mom brought home a sari that, I must say, suited me pretty well.
2003 Nicholas and I got married in Rome, Italy and by then I'd started to loose my lovely hair.
We found an amazing hairdresser that managed to cover the hairless spots with this creative hairstyle.
We were married in a small, very old chapel by a retired government representative and this place was like a walk-through-wedding place for Catholics who are not allowed to get remarried in church.
We were eight people in total celebrating our marriage and we had an amazing dinner at a local Italian restaurant.
It was the best wedding ever and I'm still in love with the gorgeous guy next to me!
(Well, not the guy next to me in this photo.)
This is when I was 22 and was saying bye bye! to our puppies before I went on a five months trip to New Zealand on my own.
I guess it's some kind of holiday since we have the party glasses on the table.
We found an amazing hairdresser that managed to cover the hairless spots with this creative hairstyle.
We were eight people in total celebrating our marriage and we had an amazing dinner at a local Italian restaurant.
It was the best wedding ever and I'm still in love with the gorgeous guy next to me!
(Well, not the guy next to me in this photo.)
3/09/2016
Happy Shivaratri and Women's day
Monday it was the festival Shivaratri, the celebration of the Hindu god Shiva and the only day each year when it's legal here in Nepal to smoke something heavier than tobacco.
One day I will go to the temple Pashupatinath and celebrate with all the other crazy people.
There are so many sadhus, holy men, gathering for this festivity.
I'm so proud to live in a country where the Women's day is a public holiday.
Not even in Sweden, that is supposed to be sort of equal, there is a special celebration for women the 8:th of March.
Here are women performing a dance dressed in Newari traditional clothes.
Read about the Newar people here.
One day I will go to the temple Pashupatinath and celebrate with all the other crazy people.
There are so many sadhus, holy men, gathering for this festivity.
Not even in Sweden, that is supposed to be sort of equal, there is a special celebration for women the 8:th of March.
Here are women performing a dance dressed in Newari traditional clothes.
Read about the Newar people here.
2/24/2016
Plane crash. Again...
Our thoughts and prayers go to the families who have lost their loved ones in today's plane crash.
You think about the two children who didn't get a chance to live a full life here on earth, the pilot who only had six months left to retirement and everyone in between who was in the middle of ... living.
It is always a huge tragedy when these accidents happen, but there is no other way to reach these remote areas, unless you want to spend weeks walking up and down the mountains.
The weather conditions are often hard and there is not enough space for emergency landings in the Himalayas.
The pilots have enough experience to fly these extraordinary routes, but I'm not so sure about the safety routines, as the EU has mentioned when they put Nepalese flights on the black list.
Read more about the crash here.
Only STOL, short takeoff and landing, aircrafts, like the Dornier 228 and Twin Otter, can land on airports like Jomsom.
These aircrafts are used all over the world and considered safe according to the number of flights in relatively to accidents.
Watch a landing at Jomsom airport here and you'll get an idea of why this airport is one of the most dangerous in the world.
You think about the two children who didn't get a chance to live a full life here on earth, the pilot who only had six months left to retirement and everyone in between who was in the middle of ... living.
It is always a huge tragedy when these accidents happen, but there is no other way to reach these remote areas, unless you want to spend weeks walking up and down the mountains.
The weather conditions are often hard and there is not enough space for emergency landings in the Himalayas.
The pilots have enough experience to fly these extraordinary routes, but I'm not so sure about the safety routines, as the EU has mentioned when they put Nepalese flights on the black list.
Read more about the crash here.
Only STOL, short takeoff and landing, aircrafts, like the Dornier 228 and Twin Otter, can land on airports like Jomsom.
These aircrafts are used all over the world and considered safe according to the number of flights in relatively to accidents.
Watch a landing at Jomsom airport here and you'll get an idea of why this airport is one of the most dangerous in the world.
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