Puja

In the last few weeks I’ve had the special and insightful opportunity to witness and partake in several local festivals and a day of family worship called Puja. I thought you might enjoy a wee insight into my Puja experience ….

So to start with, Puja is a form of Hindu worship which can be performed in various ways and at different times of year. Muna wasn’t able to explain (or at least in a way I could understand) exactly what it meant and why the family was performing it now, but I gathered that it was generally intended to bring the family good luck through their giving of symbolic gifts (lots of food which I quite fancied eating, especially since we fasted from the previous night until 3pm the next day!)

The preparations for the day of worship reminded me of Christmas. Lots of people in the house and LOTS of food being prepared. At about 5.30am the morning before I was rudely awoken by the chatter of women below my window. Didi’s (the mother) friends had arrived to help in the preparations. A rather impressive operation followed: 6 women sat crossed-legged on a mat, either kneeding dough or rolling it into neat circles, to make pourri. Pourri is a type of fried bread, a wee bit like poppadoms but more greasy and softer.

During the preparations, I felt the most isolated I have felt so far - language barriers can be a difficult thing. As I tried to include myself by sitting outside, the women would look at me, say something and then enjoy a wee giggle. They didn’t speak English and I certainly don’t speak enough Nepali to worth mentioning. Having persevered for a good hour, I gave up and went to my room, where Muna found me. She was very sweet after I had explained to her what the matter was. She obviously told everyone that they were to make an effort to include me and for the rest of the day and the following day, I was continuously motioned to sit down in different groups preparing different things. The mother, who speaks no English at all, was particularly attentive apparently having been very sad to think I was feeling lonely!

The morning of Puja was spent in the garden surrounded by vast numbers of different family members and close friends. Typically, the men were inside while the women sat busily chopping veg and making sure everyone had enough tea to see them through the fasting period. (I’m sure they were adding extra sugar in an attempt to increase their calorie intake) Although it was the women who prepared the veg etc, it was the men who would cook it while only the women went to the temple. They apparently cook only for Puja and weddings.

At 11am, we made our way up the hill to the temple. Some of the older women were already there, having started their part of the ceremony with the 5 priests earlier in the morning. They had built a fire and drawn special shapes around it in colourful chalk. As the priests chanted, they threw seeds into the flames. Each woman had a tray with certain items on it: bananas, coloured powder, flowers, a special doughnut thing, incense sticks … Yup, a fairly random collection! When it was their turn, the women placed these objects on an ever increasing pile beside the fireplace.

The action was then taken into the temple itself where all the women gathered and the priests continued to chant … Five bowls of waxed rope (which I’d help to prepare) were set alight, coins were dropped into them, and they were carried by five women who walked round the central shrine in a circle. At this point, with the heat of the fires and the lack of food, I started to feel rather faint so I had to go and sit in the shade. Unfortunately, I thus can’t tell you how the ceremony continued but at the end they all came out with very red faces, carrying charcoal covered bamboo canes …

We finally got back to the house at about 3pm and spent the rest of the afternoon eating. The men had been rather enthusiastic with the spices and chillies because everyone was having difficulty finishing their food without the help of gallons of water! (Yes yes, I know that some of the men out there are thinking that maybe cooking should be left to the women …)

All in all it was a very interesting day to be part of and definitely added to my understanding of Hindu culture in Nepal, especially the importance and extent of the extended family! All the connections of “this is my mother’s brother’s wife’s brother’s cousin” were lost on me …

Tomorrow I’m leaving here for 3 weeks to go trekking and travelling with Sarah. I’m having mixed emotions about it because I’ll miss the family etc but I’m also looking forward to seeing other parts of Nepal, and being in Western company for a while … A good beer or two (or maybe even a glass of wine!) will also be greatly appreciated 

Photos

Here are a few photos to give you a taster of where I am and what I'm doing :)


Left: Me and Sarah with a bird-poo covered statue at a Hindu temple


Left: Me and Sarah on our adventurous walk from Nagarkot

Above: a typical terraced hill side farm.

Above right: enjoying a refreshing drink and the views of the Himalya from Nagarkot


Left: Me with the female members of the KC family on Muna's birthday

Below: Me and Muna on our boat at Serpent Lake

Below: Serpent Lake where Muna and I went "boating"

Below: Muna at Serpent Lake

Left: Me just near the house




Below: Patan Durbhar Square with the typical Hindu temples.

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Left: The view from my balcony

I'm going to do a written update this afternoon or tomorrow :) XXxx

A few photos

I thought I'd treat you to a few photos. They're pretty difficult to upload with such slow internet so these are only a taster. A wee landscape shot, one of me and Sarah at a temple, and one of me with some of the KC family members on Muna's birthday :)

Smile :)

Walking along this morning, I was puzzling over various cultural habits inherent in Nepal. Coming from Scotland, and having experienced the welcoming shouts (or at least the continuous cries from groups of children of, “Teacher, give money”) in Tanzania, I find the total lack of recognition of my presence quite surprising. I’m not saying that I expect people to pay me huge amounts of attention, but you would think that, considering I am the only white person for miles around, in an area of Nepal where tourists and volunteers aren’t an everyday occurrence, people might offer a friendly smile or at least a questioning look of “Why on earth are you here in my village”?

But no. For the large part, I wander through the village each morning on my way to the temple and I’m completely left to my own thoughts. I’m not really complaining because I do like a good pondering-session in the morning, its just not what I was expecting.

Stemming from this, I’ve concluded that the smile is not a forte of Nepal. Think about the role of the smile in Scotland (and in most countries bar Nepal). We use it to indicate happiness and pleasure. It is used as a form of welcome, and also as a subtle acknowledgement of someone’s presence in a situation where an open “Hello” might not seem entirely appropriate. With this background, I continually offer my most appealing smile to people I pass, but I am rarely rewarded with a smile in return. Initially I was worried by my low ‘smile-back’ success rate but I have learnt now that it is simply not a cultural habit out here. I don’t think its that people are unhappy or that they don’t like me (at least I hope this is the case), and saying that, I do see people smiling in a more general way. Relating to the famous smile, what I find most amusing is their universal determination to look as miserable as possible in photos! Of the many family photos I’ve been shown (of which everyone is very proud, and as soon as you enter their house, they sit you down to show you their album), I have seen not one single smile. On Muna’s birthday, I took a photo of me and the family, in which I am beaming away in my usual photo pose, while everyone else has their mouth firmly shut and their face set in the most stern expression!

Relating to linguistic habits, I am still getting used to the lack of courteousy in Nepali. Muna told me off last night for always trying to translate “please” and “thank-you” in my limited efforts at Nepali. Instead she told me that you just say “Give me” etc, and that it is only foreigners who use “Namaste” (what we are told is the equivalent to “hello”) on a regular basis. Apparently they never say “good morning” to each other, nor do they offer any formal acknowledgement of one’s presence or their thanks in relation to someone else’s kindness. It all seems rather bizarre to me and I find that it further inhibits my attempts at communication and interaction with the locals because I don’t want to use unusual courteousy but yet, I don’t know what else to say to someone!

I’m finding all of these cultural insights very interesting and rather amusing at points, as I allow myself a little chuckle at the subtle differences between national cultures. Please don’t get me wrong concerning my insights. I am not saying that the Nepali people are unwelcoming or unfriendly, but simply that they don’t express their feelings towards me as a foreigner in the way I might have expected! Indeed, the family and Krishna, as well as various other contacts in the village, have been incredibly welcoming, and it is through them that I have slowly come to understand more about Nepalese habits.

SHEWD work

My daily work routine is pretty much governed by the load-shedding timetable which dictates what time we will have electricity … Thankfully I have a laptop (very kindly donated to me by my good friend Natasha) so I can work for a few extra hours when there is no electricity.

I have two big projects at the moment for SHEWD. The first is trying to establish it as a Charitable Trust in Scotland. Why, I hear you ask? Well, first of all, I think it will give it some sort of credibility in the West. During my research into which organisation I would volunteer with, I was always trying to figure out if the NGOs were real, reputable and whether they would provide a safe environment for me, a single young white girl, to work in. Personally, I had seen that one of them was a registered charity in the West, it would have given me a degree of assurance! (Arguably a rather superficial assurance but those were my thoughts at the time …)

Secondly, being a Scottish charity will allow for easier fundraising in the West. It will mean that I (and any other interested and willing people … hint hint) will find it much easier to raise money, especially in the modern day when sites such as justgiving.com are so important to raising money. It will also allow a certain amount of tax relief, including the possibility of GiftAid on any kind donations made.

With my total lack of experience in such projects, I have been a faithful reader of the very useful information provided on both the Scottish Charities Regulator and Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisation websites. I have been working my way through they guidance on writing a Trust Deed, and I am now waiting on a translation of our objects and main activities from Nepali into English so I can start writing our own deed. Good training for my future legal career!

My another current project is creating a brochure for future volunteers. Krishna is very keen to get a regular flow of volunteers to help with our work and I feel that a lack of concrete information on the website and from communication with Krishna, will put many volunteers off working with SHEWD. I’m going to write it in almost a question and answer style, based on my concerns and questions I had before coming out to Nepal.

Once I’ve completed the brochure, I am going to start approaching universities and volunteering organisations with the hope that they might be able to help in attracting regular volunteers. If any of you lovely readers have any ideas about suitable organisations please email me (eblackshaw_320@hotmail.com)

Apart from all this work, I am still enjoying Nepal enormously. Sarah and I have booked our trekking which will be 10 days (I know – eek!) in the Annapurna range, going to both Poon Hill and the Annapurna Base Camp. Very exciting!

Its also getting increasingly hot out here – about 30 C. Krishna says that by the time we go to Pokhra (from where we will start our trek) it will be about 40C! Ahh – I think I might melt. Oh well, maybe I’ll sweat off the HUGE quanities of rice they insist on feeding me!

Until next time … Take care XXxx

Contrasts

Something that keeps striking me quite profoundly in my day-to-day life in Nepal are the huge contrasts which exist in society. As part of my morning regime, I walk up to a Hindu temple which is among the trees at the top of a rather steep hill near the house. The first contrast I noticed was that between the different types of houses. At the posh end of the scale are houses like that in which I live: 3 or 4 storeys constructed from solid brick, very smart windows, solar powered electricity to bypass the 13 hours of no power each day, and often surrounded by slightly intimidating gates and walls. As it is with the KC family with whom I live, I’m sure they have some form of home-help/servant, enjoy good food, have an impressive TV by Blackshaw standards, are highly educated and probably have a father who works in either India or the West. Within a stone’s throw of these impressive mansions, are tiny shacks with mud floors, no form of electricity and with occupants who are entirely illiterate. Not much else really to say about it other than comment of its existence as so far, with my lack of Nepali and also due to the fact that I am still definitely an ill-informed newcomer, I can’t comment on how locals feel about it. Saying that, looking back to the UK, such massive contrasts also definitely exist there too.

Contrast number two is that between simple, agricultural based rural living and the heights of modernity. From my standpoint beside the temple in the mornings I look down across the beautiful valley below. My view is predominantly of terraced fields where the women usually work. Through these fields, the river glistens in the early morning sunshine, and I can see the women washing and bathing it the somewhat murky water. However, this rather idyllic view is interrupted by 5 massive chimneys which seem constantly to pump out black smoke, certainly contributing to the general smog which on many days, stops us seeing the mountains marking the boundary of the Kathmandu valley. These chimneys belong to factories, some of which produce pashminas for export (yes, don’t worry girls, you will all have beautiful pashminas …), others make bricks for the many houses which are currently under construction.

This second contrast struck me further yesterday when I went into Kathmandu with Krishna. As I sat on the back of his motorbike sitting in a ridiculous traffic jam (the type involving massive lurching trucks, little put-put scooters, a few jeeps, some brave cyclists and also several cows … yup only in Asia!), I took a look at the incredible country in which I’m currently living. There is certainly a lot of pollution (many locals wear face masks constantly) and definitely a problem with sewage which STINKS, and many faces who’s eyes tell a story of a difficult life. And yet suddenly, we turned a corner into the area called “New Road”, and we stepped right into the 21st Century as we know it in the UK … well, nearly …. The street was lined with shops brimming with the latest technological gadgets. I phones, the swishest laptops, top-end digital cameras, massive plasma Tvs, washing machines … you name it, you can get it in Kathmandu. And what’s more, all the shops seemed to be incredibly busy. I don’t know why it surprised me so much really. Maybe that I hadn’t really thought about that side of Nepal, instead thinking only of the less developed side, for which I have come out here in order to try and make a very small contribution to one small, individual project.

As you can see, I’m quickly discovering the reality of Nepal. Every insight adds to my enjoyment of my experience. Even sitting choking on traffic fumes yesterday, I was smiling inside, marvelling at the Nepali way of life, as everyone was endlessly tooting at each other, trying their hardest to squeeze through the smallest gap, in order to be ahead of one more motorbike in the seemingly endless jam.

Aside from these slightly more philosophic insights, I am beginning to get a better idea of how I will be able to contribute to SHEWD during my stay. I won’t bore you with the details right now because I’ll probably do a more specific post about is sometime next week. This weekend, I’m meeting Sarah in Kathmandu to organise our 3 weeks of travelling which will start in mid April, and then we’re going to Nagarkot, from where the sunrises over the Himalaya are meant to be fabulous. (Although with the current smog, I’m not sure how far we’ll see. Oh well, that’s life … Just been listening to Frank Sinatra, can you tell? …)

Thaiba and family living

Family living in Nepal is great, if rather slow moving, with many slightly awkward moments as I adapt to Nepali customs and try to understand the special language that is Nepali English! ("Pardon" and "I don't understand" are two very important phrases for me at the moment!) I have been trying to get to grips with some Nepali but I'm not getting on so well thus far ...

Muna, the eldest daughter (22) has adopted me, and is always telling me to "come" whether it be to her room, or to sit and watch her prepare dinner. That in itself is an interesting experience! We eat rice and various different curries for both breakfast and dinner, and for lunch we have some type of dry flakes (they almost look like flaked almonds) with curried chickpeas. (I think this delight is called ghram?) To start with, the spices and garlic are all crushed together, using a small stone against a big stone which is on the floor. Everything is then mixed together in a pan and somehow comes out tasting delicious, if rather spicy! On the first day I was slightly worried about how my stomach would cope with the food, especially the pickles which aren't cooked and use normal water ... All seems to be ok so far though!

Meal times aren't quite what I was expecting ... (only based on what I've read in my trusty "Rough Guide") A LOT of preparation goes into the meals but they are finished within 5 minutes as everyone literally shovels their food into their mouths with their fingers. I have started to get the hang of this suprisingly difficult technique. The key seems to be to mix everything together on your plate, make a wee ball in your fingers and quickly push it into your mouth with your thumb! I've not yet mastered the art of doing this in a neat fashion, with every mouthful involving various bits falling from my mouth, and me looking a complete mess! At this, I am rewarded with a knowing smile from the deaf grandfather, and a look of amusement from the three girls! When each person is finished, they get up and leave to do other things (usually involving riding their new bike round the garden). So far, I have been the last at every meal although at home, I am always finished first!

Yesterday was my first day "in the office", although I ended up spending most of it in my room because the laptop run out of battery, and there was no electricity during the day. The family, however, has a generator so I was able to go back there to try and do some internet based work. Talking to Krishna, it seems that he is very keen for me to do a lot of networking based work. My main aim is to try and raise awarness of our work in the UK, to help establish a regular flow of volunteers, and to try and make some commerical connections with shops and businesses who might like to import some of the knitted products. Raising money is of course another concern. The current aim is to raise the equivalent of 5000 pounds sterling, in order to build a guesthouse which would allow tourists to visit the projects through an eco-tourism programme. By setting this up, SHEWD will be able to raise much needed funds for their other micro-credit and healthcare projects! (If anyone has any ideas about any of these, please please let me know, as any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!)

After a few days in the village, I have come back to Bhaktapur for the week-end to see Sarah and Nathalie. Its nice just to be able to relax totally, not constantly worrying about what I should do and what to say! I will return to Thaiba tomorrow evening, and I hope that I will go to see some of the villages on Monday. Let the real fun and hopefully amazing insights begin!

Until next time,

ElsieXXxx