Bartabanda

Here in Nepal it is a custom to celibrate when the son in the family reach the age of a teenager. It is called bartabanda.

Yesterday we were invited to such a party. It was Nicholas and Ani´s lawer´s son who became a teenager.

The party was held at a Party Palace named Sasa Banquet, a very big and beautiful place.

All friends and reletives of the family has to be invited. You also have to give the son gifts, mostly money. A lot of people had come to celibrate the boy. I think it must have been almost 1000 people.
The party starts with "snacks" as they call it. Chicken, fish, potatoes, mushrooms and vegetables, all fried. They also had a barbeque with chicken and lamb. A whole lamb was hanging above and they cut bits of it to barbeque.

The drinks was beer, wine, whiskey, coke and lemonade. You could eat and drink as much as you want and after all that the dinner was served.

It was a buffê of Dal Bath (National dish of Nepal) chicken, sallad, vegetables and rice. To drink it was just water. For dessert ice creame.
It was the first time I went to this kind of party and it was a nice experience.

Britt

Allister

The last week we've had a visit from our customer Allister from USA.
His companies sell very edgy clothes as you can see here and here.
Here he is discussing details with one of our suppliers on samples we are making for him.

Ani

At the hairdresser

For some weeks ago I went to the hairdresser for a hair cut and to make some blond highlights. As it was the first time for me doing highlights in Nepal it was very exiting. The last time I was here a hairdresser told me they don't do blond highlights in Nepal but apparently it has been changed.

Well, I went to the salon called Neeldavid's Unisex Salon, where I had cut my hair last time and this time I got the hairdresser I wanted.

The procedure was almost the same as in Sweden with aluminum foil paper and stuff so I was hopeful.

The result was OK, maybe the highlights could have been a little moore blond and some more of them, but I will tell them next time.

So now I know that blond highlights can be done in Kathmandu.

Britt

Pokhara

A couple of weeks ago when Leya had winter holidays we went to Pokhara for a few days. Leya's best friend Eva was also with us. The trip is quite long and take about 6-7 hours up and down the mountains in a "micro", but when you get there it`s worth it.

We arrived about 6 o'clock in the evening and went to the hotel Be Happy, where we have stayed many times before. It is at the lakeside of Pokhara. The name of the lake is Phewa lake. We had dinner at the hotel and everyone was so tired after the trip so we went early to bed.

The days in Pokhara we spent strolling along the boardwalk, eating, had some drinks, shopping and just relaxing and one day we also went for bowling. In the evenings we went to different restaurants for a good dinner. Leya and Eva also played with their friend Niki who lives in Pokhara.

One day we saw the cow with 3 legs, the same cow we saw for more than 3 years ago. It is amazing that she can survive. It must be very tough for her.

We also met the two Tibetan ladies whom we always meet when we are in Pokhara. We buy many jewelries from them but they also insist to give us many presents. They are so sweet!!

The weather in Pokhara was very nice and warm in the sun but very cold otherwise, especially in the mornings and evenings.

After 5 days we returned to Kathmandu after some lovely days in Pokhara.

Britt

Road work

For the last month they've been digging up the roads all over town and the road near our house has been dug up and filled again at least five times.
It is a mystery what they are doing really and why they don't coordinate between different departments.
To get out from our small one way street we have to climb these high soil-sand walls.
I like the lady sitting on a chair on the top. That shows humor!

I'm sure these guys know what they are doing, even though the spectators have opinions about how to do things the right way.

Ani

Christmas

My first Christmas in Nepal was almost like a Christmas is ment to be.
The most people in Nepal don't celebrate Christmas but they celebrate anyway because they like to have a lot of festivals. In the supermarket they were playing Christmas carols and outside the store there was a Christmas tree. Many stores here are selling Christmas decorations and Santa Claus figures and clothes.

We had a wonderful Christmas eve with a lot of food and the menu almost looked like a swedish Christmas menu. One difference was the pickled herring. In Nepal you can't get herring so instead we used aubergine (egg plant), a vegetarien recipe. It tasted just like herring and was very good!

We also made "glögg", red sweet wine with sugar and spices. Very good and warm!

Our good friend Suresh, his whife Muna and their son Supreme, was here for dinner and tasted a lot of new food.

Leyas best friend Eva was also here for Christmas.

After dinner we saw Kalle Ankas Jul (Donald Duck) and then it was time to share Christmas presents, many, many parcels. We saw some traditional swedish Christmas moovies and after that everybody was tired after a long exciting day and went to bed.

We whish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Britt

Merry Christmas from Nepal!

Leya, Eva and sweet little Supreme.

Lizzie, the spoiled adopted street dog.

Electricity

Something huge has happened here in Kathmandu! Since two months back we have full power.
We haven't really believed it would last, and honestly we still don't. Hopefully I will not jinx it by writing about it here.
Some background information is needed.
Since we moved here 5 years ago we have lived our lives around the load shedding.
During the summers we only had four hours scheduled power cuts, two hours in the morning and two in the evening, but during the cold, dark winter we had up to 16 hours and it was really, really horrible.
It was so horrible for us, spoiled Swedes, that we invested in a car battery and an inverter so we at least could recharge the phones and computers and have some light.

We asked our friends why there wasn't full power and they had many theories.

Let me explain the three most credible ones:
1. The Nepalese government sold most of the power to India, that has huge problems with the power in some districts, and we got the leftovers.
Thanks to the Himalayas and the rivers Nepal has a lot of fast running fresh water.
2. During the civil war between the government and the Maoists, 1996 - 2006, the Maoists bombed hydro power stations, so there was simply not enough to cover the need of electricity.
We heard about different projects carried out by foreign countries, for example Norway, that wanted to build new hydro power plants, but everything was stalled due to political decisions.
Many countries want to help Nepal, since Nepal is considered to be one of the poorest countries in the world.
3. Corrupt politicians got bribes from the battery companies.

Guess which one was the biggest issue?
The corrupt politicians, to no surprise really.
One day the new Minister of Energy declared, just like that, that from now on it would be power day and night, at least in Kathmandu.
There was enough power after all. They even had a full functioning power plant just standing there in case of emergency.
What amazes me the most is that the corrupt politicians don't seem to get any punishment and the Nepalese people just carry on like nothing has happened.
In Sweden we have an expression that you "tighten your fist in the pocket". That means that you don't show your anger or frustration. You keep it inside.
I'm not clear about the Nepalese people's reaction in this case. Are they angry inside or just happy and forgiving? Maybe a confusing combination of all available feelings?
I can tell you that I'm both happy and angry and I'd like to see the gangsters who did this behind bars for a long time.
The load shedding has created so much problems for people, especially for companies that had to think more about keeping the generators running than planning to grow and employ more people.
People who had to leave their families for years to go to the middle East to work like slaves.
Kali Gandaki hydro power plant.

Ani

To go to the tailor in Nepal!

Last week I went to the tailor to make a pair of jeans shorts. It is very cheap here in Nepal. 1000 rupies (70 sek) fabric included.
After 10 days I could pick it up. I went to the tailor after 10 days and he said 3 more days. After 3 days there was 2 days, 1 day and then 2 hours. So after 16 days and 2 hours I finally got my jeans shorts. Very nice and fit really good.

Thats how the life is here and you get use to it. And it has it's charm!

Britt

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!

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!

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.