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I like to plan ahead. I try to schedule work and play for the coming week, or even further ahead. Frequently this doesn’t work out. Nepal has a very different sense of planning from me. In fact, it seems to run on a different clock than me. Forget that 15 minutes ahead of India, Nepalis seem to be at least 30 minutes behind Scottish time! Indeed, sometimes Nepal is days behind Scotland. So that’s why I find myself sitting here on a Wednesday afternoon completely caught up. I have been running around like a headless chicken for the past two weeks, as everything is ‘urgent’. And had expected to continue to be frantic for the rest of the month. But here I am, up-to-date. Or should I say, here I am waiting. And I am not very good at waiting.

For example, while I had nothing to do over the Dashain/Tihar period except hang around the gym, pool and at my ‘local’ 5 star hotel bar (friends know what I’m talking about) I could have been more productive if others had planned ahead for more than just their Dashain shopping before the festivities began. You would think I would be used to this by now, but nope. Somehow I always believe that the phrase “I will get it to you tomorrow”. And I forget to ask, “which tomorrow exactly?”

Then there are the events that never start on time. So by now I have come to realise that the advertised time, even if printed on an invitation, is not the real starting time. Even I have learned not to arrive at the given time. But still I seem to arrive first. Or because I am busy at another event I assume I will be too late for something that starts at 8pm. Its only later, I see the live feed on Facebook, where introductions are taking place at 10pm! And then I think I could have been there after all.  

I have been brought up to think it rude and impolite to be late. I would never dream of turning up two hours late to anything without a very valid excuse. It annoys me still when others do this. And as for the ‘too much traffic’ excuse, well excuse me, when is there no traffic? How difficult is it to start off earlier when you know full well the traffic will be heavy? Do you think there are no rush hours in other countries? Yes there are, and the commuters build in extra travel time at peak times. That is called forward planning. I know these words are very unfamiliar so let’s all say them together—“forward planning”. 

Recently however there has been glimmers of hope. Plane passengers get annoyed having to wait on the tarmac for a VIP to arrive. Drivers also now get impatient having to stop for a cavalcade driving through town. Bike riders have been seen to just push on through regardless.  

And what about places like the yoga studio I (infrequently) attend? Classes start and end on time, even with the majority of the attendees being Nepali. Are they a different breed then? I have to admit I am now sitting here looking out of the window trying to think of other places and situations where things start on time. I am failing to come up with anything. Cinema? Well the pre-show adverts might start on time but there are still those dozen or so people who come in just as the main show is starting. Public transport?  Don’t make me laugh! Private offices? Recently I was in my bank at 9.55 and the tellers were not at their positions, despite the fact the bank opens at 9.45. So probably not. 

Anyway, I’m heading out in two hours, so I had better start to plan my preparations…

Last year my summary of the Christmas bazaars around town was so popular I thought to do it again this year. So here you go. The best places, many of them featuring fair-trade and ethical producers, to do your shopping. As more and more of these markets and bazaars are popping up so please excuse me if your event is not here.  

Ecole Française International de Katmandou (the French School)

This is the second year the French School has run a Christmas market. Apart from the obvious wonderful stalls, last year children were having a ball playing on the playground items in the school. So it’s a great market to shop in peace while your children are fully occupied. And of course, it is French themed with a host of French vendors. 

What to expect: French and local produce, including gifts, children’s toys, jewelry, leather craft, etc. Face painting, bouncy castle, and other activities and games for the children. Food and drink will have a French theme with Chez Caroline, among others, being there.  

The details: Saturday 30 November, 10am to 4pm at the school premises, Lazimpat. Free entrance.

Awon Christmas Bazaar

Awon, or Active Women of Nepal, is a non-profit organization that aims to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged women and children.  

What to Expect: Goods on display include a range of items mainly from not-for-profit vendors. Food stalls have been a feature in the past. 

The details: Saturday 30 December, 10am till dusk at the Soaltee Crown Plaza. Rs 100 for adults, Rs 50 for children was charged last year, so expect the same. 

GIZ Fair Trade Christmas Bazaar

At the GTZ Christmas Bazaar you can purchase goods from fair trade vendors, so you know your money is well spent. On sale are lots of goodies for the home and family.  

What to Expect: Again artisans will be on hand with live demonstrations for the whole family. Food and drink is available, including Gluhwein (hot, spiced wine) and other German delicacies. 

The details: Saturday 7 December, 11am to 6pm, at Hotel Yellow Durbar (previously known as the International Club), Sanepa. Entrance free.  

Summit Hotel Christmas Bazaar

This is the one I look forward to every year for its fabulous Christmas ambiance. Most of the items on sale are from non-profit vendors but there is a wide range of other goods such as silver jewelry, face and body products. Homemade cakes and pastries will also be available.   

What to expect: Come in daylight hours when it’s warmer or after dark when the twinkling lights and the sound of the Kathmandu Choral singing fills the air. There are dozens of stalls selling everything one would want to make Christmas special if staying in Kathmandu, or take a few gift items back to your own country. Plenty of food and drink is available in the garden or in the hotel’s warm bar and restaurant.

The details: Sunday 8 December, 10am to 6pm seems to be the new time, at the Summit Hotel, Sanepa. Free entrance.

Le Sherpa 

Once again Le Sherpa will add additional Christmas themed gift stalls to their usual Saturday market so we can enjoy doing our organic veggie shopping, eating at our favorite stalls and thinking ahead about Christmas gifts. 

What to expect: Christmas inspired gift stalls, and some of their food stalls should be producing Christmas inspired foods. Plenty for the kids to do there also while parents might sip on a glass of wine over lunch at Le Sherpa. 

The details: Saturdays, 1, 8 and 15 December, 8.30am till 12.30pm, Le Sherpa premises, Panipokhari. Free entrance.

New This Year
Timro and the Hub Christmas Market at the Hub

Timro Concept Store and the Hub are joining hands to bring you handmade gift items from local artisans, bakes and mulled wine, in a warm setting in the heart of Thamel. As it runs into the evening, maybe this is our more adult choice of Christmas market! 

When and where: Saturday 30 November, 1-8pm, at the Hub. Free entrance.

The Local Project and Astrek Park Thamel

This year The Local Project will be in collaboration with the Astrek Park Bazaar where they will be displaying Nepal made, classy and unique products that we know and love.

When and where: Sunday 8 December, Astrek Park, Thamel.

Solis Performing Arts

For the first time Solis Performing Arts is hosting a Christmas market. 

When and where: Saturday 14 December, 12- 4pm, Ullens School.  

Christmas Mart at the Chhaya Centre

This year sees the Chhaya Centre getting in on the act, with stalls, food stalls, games live music, Santa Claus and a kids zone up and running over three days. Christmas lights and decorations and a fun time to be had, particularly by the children. 

When and where: Friday 13 December till Sunday 15th. At the Chhaya Centre in Thamel. Free entrance.

Shop for Christmas Food Too

What’s a festival without some sweet treats? Once again it’s time to check out what the big hotels and local bakeries have in store for us. Try the Annapurna Hotel, Shangri-la Hotel and the Radisson Hotel cake shops for Christmas inspired cookies and cakes. We expect that the Kathmandu Marriott’s Kathmandu Bakery Co. will have something sweet for us too! Lakuri Bakery (Soma Café, Baluwatar) will be making their Christmas cupcakes, chocolate Yule logs and iced Christmas cookies. Check out Hermans Bakery in Sanepa. There are many more outlets so go take a walk round your neighborhood! On the savory side, check out Flat Iron Grill (Ambassador Hotel) for a range of pre-ordered Christmas hams and other meats.

Driving along the duel carriageway from Kathmandu to Banepa last week I mentioned to my friend that on my first visit to Nepal that area was completely fields. We started to talk about the trolley bus on that route and my friend said, as a teenager, he would get on the trolley bus at its starting point in Kathmandu and ride it to Bhaktapur, turn around, and come back on the next one. Just for fun. For ‘timepass’ as they say here. That got me thinking of ways we used to ‘timepass’ when I was young.

I’m not so old that aeroplanes were a new thing when I was young! But when I was a pre-teen one of the things we used to do as a family on a Sunday was drive to Prestwick Airport, at that time Scotland’s only international airport. So on a Sunday we would get into the family car and drive the three hours or so to get there to go up to the viewing platform and watch planes take off and land! No doubt we had a picnic lunch on the way. We had a lot of picnic lunches in those days cheaper than taking us all to cafes and restaurants!  

I could equate this to people in mountain areas (with the exception of busy airports like Lukla) where the arrival of a plane is quite an exciting thing! We still see locals who have perhaps come from a couple of days walk away from the district HQ where the airport is located, pressing themselves against the fence to watch the planes arrive. I can’t imagine anyone in the West now managing to cajole their protesting teenager to a family outing of a picnic and plane spotting.

Playing outside was another thing that we used to do in my childhood. It was what we did. What our parents did. What our grandparents did. But unfortunately today it’s not what kids do. This practice of playing outside seemed to have stopped a couple of decades ago when people became very security conscious in the West. I remember my aunt coming to visit me in Bardia in 1998, where I used to live. She loved to play with the local kids and they would all hold hands, as kids do. She said that there was no way she would ever contemplate holding a child’s hand in Canada where she stays. If a parent was not present she could not even talk to an unknown child in case it was misinterpreted. This is extremely sad. Especially when you think how babies and children are passed around here and thus grow up without a fear of strangers.  

‘Stranger danger’ aside, my little gang would be found playing outside until dusk. And then up again early to get another round of play in before school. I used to go over to a deserted old house later converted into a country club-so it was a big place where a horse was kept on the grounds. I used to pet and feed carrots to the horse before school. In a deserted field, near a deserted building. With health and safety not such an issue as it is today, I also used to play in half constructed houses. The first two houses we lived in were newly built and situated in housing estates still under construction.  Playing in, under and around half-built houses and on machinery was just part of the game! 

Today’s kids, as well as the safety factor, real or imagined, probably couldn’t be dragged away from their phones, ipad or laptop long enough to get out into the street to play or gossip under the light of a street lamp. They are missing so much! 

We are always looking for something a little different. Whether it’s in our choice of clothes, art or furniture. Food is no different. We like variety and like to see the creative on the plate. As eating out becomes more a way of life in Kathmandu many diners are looking towards food that appeals to them; not too unfamiliar and yet diverse enough to make them part with their money.

With its blend of flavors and cultures, Pan-Asian cuisine can do just that! A Pan-Asian menu consists of dishes from different countries from the whole of Asia. Whether it’s from China, Thailand, Indonesia, or Japan, if it appears on one menu, chances are you are in a Pan-Asian restaurant. In Kathmandu there are a few Pan-Asian restaurants opening up as people venture overseas on holiday and want to recall those memories by eating the same food. Or, for those who don’t get the opportunity to travel, eating Japanese or Thai food might be the next best thing to being there. 

This week I looked at just two Pan-Asian restaurants: Mamagoto, a franchise out of India, and Edamame in the Marriott Kathmandu Hotel. While we all like to get value for our money, sometimes it is better to pay a bit extra and upgrade in terms of experience… 

Mamagoto

Mamagoto: Japanese for “playing house” or “play with food” Having opened in Pani Pokhari earlier this year, Mamagoto is an amazing restaurant in terms of style. Its look is funky, quirky and fun with huge cartoon like posters on the walls and ceiling. This casual dining restaurant states it is a ‘fusion of inspiration from Asian street hawkers, our extensive travels, mad experiences and … secret kitchens…’ With three different seating areas, the restaurant can sit around 50 diners at a time. I’ve been here twice. Both times for lunch. Both times the restaurant was empty except for me.  

Photo: Mahendra Khadka

Luckily the first time I had a friend with me and we made our own fun, taking photographs of the décor and ourselves. Service was slow but we hardly noticed. We wanted the platter to try out the different items on it. This was unavailable. We instead chose Thai Som Tam Salad (Rs 329), Street Chicken Satay (Indonesia, Rs 629), Gado Gado Salad (Indonesia, Rs 429) and Laksa Tribute (Rs 749/ 949/1399). Certainly everything tasted quite authentic, and I was more than happy with the Laksa which took me back to when I worked in Singapore. We tried some of the mocktails, Kiwi and Mint Collins (Rs 240), and Cranberry and Kaffir Lime Punch (Rs240). Pretty tasty too. After the salty and spicy we wanted something sweet. Unfortunately there was only Thai Sticky Rice and Mango and Ice Cream on the menu, both disappointingly small in size.

The second time I went was in order to write this review. After being given the menu it took a further 15 minutes for any waiter to come to ask if I wanted anything. I had previously asked for the lights to be turned on as well as the AC. The lights worked, the AC did not. It was stifling and airless inside. There was no music; no ambiance at all. The open kitchen echoed with the loud chatter of the staff. I guess no one had told the staff it’s supposed to be a fun experience restaurant. Yes, the décor is beautiful, and the food that I have tried was tasty and, to me, authentic, but if they want repeat customers the staff need to live up to the funky, bright, larger than life décor! Call 9810076824 for reservations.

Edamame by Marriott Kathmandu

Edamame: Japanese green soyabeans
Executive Chef Sanjeev Ranjan took us on a culinary tour of Asia in Marriott Kathmandu’s Pan-Asian restaurant, Edamame. And what a tour it turned out to be! We were greeted by smiling staff who settled us at our table. To identify each table, a small wooden log had its own unique spice name engraved in it. 

Photo: Mahendra Khadka

We were seated at table Star Anise before being transferred to the private room which seats 10-12 diners. “Everything in Edamame is unique. From the spice table names, to the local looking place mats, the locally sourced tiger chopstick holders, to the imported chinaware,” explained Chef Ranjan.  

Straight away we were served jasmine tea, water and an amuse bouche (French for a complimentary bite-sized hors d’œuvre). This was a wonderful sushi with delicate plating. Looking around the 56 seat room, I noticed each table was discreetly separated from the next for privacy. 

There is also a live station which you would see in any sushi restaurant, where diners can sit around on very comfortable (and large, thank goodness!) high chairs/ stools.

Focusing on Thai and Japanese food, we were also introduced to Chef Somryethai Syksamai from Thailand (fondly know as Chef Ninja) and Krishna Dhungana, a Nepali who worked in Japan as a sushi chef for 19 years. Chinese style dim sum is also served. In fact we were told starting soon would be a dim sum set lunch menu at the weekends. Dinner is only served from 6.30pm onwards.

Between the dim sum, yakatori, sushi, soups, salads, main courses and desserts it was hard to know what to choose. But thankfully the menu is marked with the chef’s recommendations so we went for those. One of the highlights was the Flaming Salmon. And flaming it was, live at our table! Not a fish eater, I actually did enjoy the salmon, cut thinly as smoked salmon would be. The dim sum consisted of several different kinds ranging from Edamame and Truffle to Chicken Sui Mai (infused with beetroot to give it a bright red color). The Asian Mushroom dim sum was intriguingly black. 

Having lived in Hong Kong and Singapore where dim sum is king, I thought these were outstanding in their lightness of taste and modern appearance. Next we were transported to Thailand with yakitori style Bangkok Street Flair. Oh my, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Skewers of chicken, prawns, tenderloin and pork each had their own individual spices and sauce cooked through them.  Nestled on a bed of mushrooms, ginger, red chilies and other spices I wanted to eat the whole lot myself! 

But luckily I did not as the next course (under the mains) was Tamarind Sesame Duck Breast.  Served with a duck mince filled bao with sesame seed snaps and a plum glaze this was duck breast taken to the next level! 

Photo: Mahendra Khadka

Meantime, the Som Tam (green papaya salad) cleansed the palate while the Gang Khew Whan (homemade green curry) transported us to the Land of Smiles. The small selection of desserts includes Exotic Asian Fruits, Tab Pim Krob, or chestnut jelly with coconut milk, and Japanese Pancakes with bamboo ice cream. We settled for the Sangkaya Ob or baked coconut caramel custard. According to my dining companion, this can be found all over Bangkok. Somehow I have managed to miss it. It is very similar to a crème caramel, but with the Asian addition of coconut.  I will not miss it next time! 

We only took water and jasmine tea with our meal but there is a drinks menu, heavily focusing on Sake and Japanese whisky, but cocktails and mocktails are also available. At a price! In fact, overall, the menu prices were much lower than I anticipated. Except for the drinks. I haven’t mentioned food prices here as a new menu is due out within the next few days (with the same chef specials mentioned here), but as a rough guide expect to pay around Rs 2,500 for the meat and seafood dishes. With the exception of the lobster, which is much more. 

Thinking about the ambiance of the restaurant I was pleasantly surprised to see that although I had thought Edamame would be ‘a bit posh’, it is in fact very relaxed and laid back. You could come for a business dinner or a family gathering, so flexible is the style. My only (and only) ‘constructive criticism’ is over the music they played. Definitely not very Asian, not even ‘modern Asian’ or in keeping with the overall feel of the place. Someone needs to look at that—please! A shout out to our wonderful waiter, Prakash Paudel, who made the evening even more enjoyable. For reservations call 01-4443040.

Last week saw ghostly figures walking the streets of Kathmandu. Not the demons and gods you might expect to be wandering the Kathmandu Valley of old, whose images are seen still on every temple and sacred site. No, most of these figures dressed in ghoulish attires were headed to bars and clubs to celebrate Halloween.

Festivals more normally found in Western countries such as Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Christmas are now celebrated widely across Kathmandu. This is a relatively new phenomena. In my opinion this has come about because Nepal now has access to cable TV and internet and can see what the rest of the world is doing. What will maintain these new traditions, however, is the fact that bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels and the like are making oodles of money out of these festivals.

But do you actually know where these traditions come from? Perhaps you think Halloween and Valentine’s Day come from America. Certainly Hollywood films and American TV are full of images of children ‘trick and treating’ and of young adults giving Valentine’s gifts. Well, what are new traditions in Kathmandu were once new traditions in the West also. Did you know these festivals have their origins in the distant past?

For example, Halloween goes back around 2,000 years to an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain which marked the end of summer and the harvest. It was believed that on this night the line between the world of the living and the world of the dead was very thin, allowing ghosts to come to earth. I should add here that the Celts were tribes which inhabited Ireland, Scotland, and some of Spain and France (and which includes this writer!)

By the time the Roman Empire conquered most of Celtic lands (except Scotland where the Romans even built a wall to keep us out as we were so wild) the festival of Samhain was incorporated into a Roman festival which also commemorated the dead. Later still a Catholic Pope incorporated All Saints Day (again commemorating the dead) into these traditions. And the evening became known as All Hallows Eve. You can see where the word Halloween came from. So next year when you are dressing your children up and handing out candy, remember, this is a not so sweet ancient pagan tradition.

And some of you reading this might be surprised to know that Christmas, the biggest holiday in the Christian calendar, was not originally a Christian festival at all. Early Christians simply adopted a Roman festival which celebrated the coming new year on 25 December. This, together with rituals (known as Yule) from Nordic countries were rolled into one celebration. 

Perhaps as people converted to Christianity they still wanted to appease old gods and neighbors who were non-Christian by celebrating with them.  Okay so this is a very simplified version of how Christmas came about and I suggest you research more yourself if you are interested!  And, you might even come across the fact Jesus was not born on 25 December—his birth date was conveniently moved as well to fit into these older festivals!

Valentine’s Day—yes, you know where this is going—is not in fact a modern celebration of love. It has its roots in a Roman festival celebrating spring and which included fertility rites. In the 5th century another Catholic Pope replaced this festival (known as Lupercalia) with St. Valentine’s Day. But it was not until about 900 years later that the day was celebrated as a day of romance. Gosh, these ancient Romans have had a lot of influence on our modern calendar!

So, while Nepal is celebrating these ‘modern and Western’ festivals, it’s good to remember they are based on rituals of ancient warrior peoples, from way before American was discovered. Indeed many are dark rites which have developed over the centuries into the innocuous festivals we celebrate with so much joy today. Blood curdling or what? 

I hope you all had a wonderful, peaceful, light, and musical Tihar. For me, during Tihar, the Kathmandu Valley somehow reverts to an earlier time. With oil lamps and orange marigold garlands, juxtaposed with electrical lights over tall buildings, the crisp evening air is almost glowing. While the youngsters now coming round singing deusi-bhailo may be equipped with speakers, guitars and the latest rock numbers, to me Tihar is a time of music which also reflects times gone by. Which brings me to a band that blends Nepali and world music into a fusion of unique compositions, Trikaal.

Trikaal started out with three members back in 2002. This was the time I was first introduced to their music and to one of the founding members, Santosh Bhakta Shrestha, who plays the israj. At that time Trikaal, Sur Sudha and Vajra were the big three names in classical fusion music. And their music seemed to permeate the air and bring the spirit of the Kathmandu Valley to life. Disappearing from the scene around 2013, I was pleasantly surprised to see Trikaal back together and performing last month. Having kept in touch with Shrestha over the years through other musical contexts I ask him to explain why the reappearance now.

“In the early days we played mainly for tourists and a select audience who appreciated our music. In order to widen the audience base to include more Nepalis we created a space for other musicians to come and join us, the original three members,” says Shrestha. He goes on to explain that with a total nine band members of equal standing and who also worked with other bands/sectors it became difficult to manage rehearsal time. So despite them opening up their music to a wider Nepali audience and with three albums under their belt, the band dissolved in 2013. 

Stating a lack of motivation as well as other commitments as the main reasons behind the disbanding, Navaraj Gurung (tabala) says there was a lack of continuity in those days, but which is now a key element in the band’s revival. And the revival comes not a moment too soon: I was talking to a young, ‘fusion’ musician just before Tihar and mentioned Trikaal. “Who?” he asked.  When I played one of their tracks he did recognize it from his teenage days, but was unaware of the band’s name.  

So what motivated Trikaal to reform in 2019? A recent CD and book launch by Aman Shahi (CD) and Salil Subedi (book, relating to singing bowl sound healing as performed by Shahi) brought the current five members together. “Aman insisted Trikaal perform at his launch,” says Nikhil Tuladhar (percussion).  The band’s performance, blending perfectly with the melodious, soothing sounds of the singing bowls, was received so well by the audience and press, Tuladhar thought ‘why not continue together and relaunch Trikaal?’ So this is exactly what they did: Shrestha and Gurung from the original band and both Eastern classical music trained, were joined by Tuladhar, Nagendra Rai (flute) and Suren Lama (guitar).  

With a wide range of experience between them from blues, rock and folk to studio work these five members have come up with a unique sound that incorporates the classical fusion of the original Trikaal (and the spirit of the Kathmandu Valley) with a fresh and modern approach to Nepali classical music. To quote the band, “Trikaal blends each member’s background to create soulful themes and improvised musicality.”  Further, Shrestha describes the current line-up as a ‘balanced team’. Indeed with a potential Pokhara tour coming up and plans underway to record one or two original tracks this ‘team’ seems set to create a new audience of listeners as well as bringing nostalgia to the older crowd.

Keep an eye on Trikaal’s Facebook (Trikaal Tantriks) page for upcoming events, gigs and music tracks. 
 

Dashain is not a very exciting festival. For us without Nepali families that is. While the majority of the country is feasting on goat and raksi, well deserved after a perhaps harrowing bus journey to their village home, what are the rest of us doing? Many expats head off trekking at this time as most international offic­es are closed. Others, like me, enjoy the peace and quiet of a Kathmandu sans traffic. Finding one of the few restaurants open is part of the enjoy­ment, as is walking everywhere as little public transport is available. And walking around town at this time is pleasant; taking us back to an earlier time when there were less motorbikes and cars on the roads. Thankfully there is a good sprinkling of large hotels in town now. So no need to go hungry if you don’t want to cook at home!

If I look back, there was a time when you couldn’t even get bread during the Dashain period, never mind finding a coffee shop open! But now, I must admit, I spent a couple of nights propping up the bar in a 5-star hotel. I also saw that the food delivery people were fully occupied as local tastes have changed over the years too. But I’m sure the most fun was still had by those sitting round reminiscing and playing cards with their family in the countryside.

And no one needed to rush back to town as this year we got an extended public holiday with the arrival of the President of a neighbouring country. We also got a good sprinkling of pot­ted plants, freshly painted railings, and a reduction in the tangle of electric wires we all know and love.

So now that Dashain is done and dusted we can look forward to other festivals, traditional and non-traditional, events, markets and parties right through to the middle of December. When many expats will be heading out of the country to their own villages around the world.

By the time you read this Jazz­mandu will be underway. Long established, this is a major event on the music calendar of Kath­mandu. A newcomer to the festival scene, following close on the heels of Jazzmandu, is ‘Seashells on the Mountains’. This festival will feature music from art pop and experimen­tal rock to indie singer songwriters and everything in between. With food and market stalls, I’m excited about this two-day event.

With these music events under our belt we can then turn to the Festival of Lights. Tihar is the one Hindu festival I really enjoy. I can hang my own strands of marigolds around the house, light lamps and welcome Laxmi. Since my local fam­ily is Tibetan Buddhist they don’t do any of these things but the children just love to come with me to the Garden of Dreams to light the lamps there, play on the Ping and generally soak up the atmosphere. Followed by a now traditional feast of pizza and ice cream across the road!

November seems a little quieter on the festival front; but of course there is time to organise a few things between now and then! Then we are hurled straight into a round of Christmas bazaars, lunches and concerts which take place at the beginning of December. Everyone can enjoy these events—from chil­dren working on Santa’s shopping list, to parents enjoying a glass of mulled-wine. Then, for those who prefer something perhaps a little more stimulating, the Kathmandu International Film Festival (KIMFF) joins the celebrations around the middle of December.

Phew! Did I say ‘done and dusted’? No way! The festivities in Kathman­du have just begun!

We like to romanticize things. Maybe our daily lives feel so boring that we pickup on the lives of others and view them through rose-colored glasses. I almost called this piece, ‘Into the Wild’. Why? Well, if you ask young travelers what inspired them they often reply the book by Jon Krakauer who retraced the steps of and then wrote about Christopher McCandless.

McCandless began travelling across the US in April 1992. By August of that year he was trapped due to high rivers, and eventually died after eating a poisonous plant trying to stave off starvation. During this time McCandless kept a journal of his travels and thoughts which was the basis of Krakauer’s later book. This has inspired countless people to travel. Despite the fact he did not complete his journey. Despite the fact he died alone and in agony. I question, how can we romanticize that journey?

Last week I went to a showing of the film ‘The Last Honey Hunter’. It depicts the life of Maule Dhan Rai, the last in a line of harvesters of hallucinogenic honey in the hills of the Hong Valley in Eastern Nepal. The film has achieved well deserved accolades around the world for its cinematography and topic. Just as interesting was a short film about the making of The Last Honey Hunter. Here we got to remove our rose-tinted glasses as professional mountaineers on the technical/camera crew fixed their own ropes, and attempted to follow Rai up the cliffs. While Rai looks mesmerizing on hand-made bamboo ropes stretching up into the mist, the camera crew look terrified and somewhat comic as they struggle to keep balance on their modern equipment. 

So why do we like to romanticize things? We can be pretty certain that if McCandless lived we would have never heard of him. If the honey collected by Rai wasn’t known for its hallucinogenic properties, would we have bothered to watch a film about him? (In fact this film was inspired by the earlier Eric Valli work ‘The Honey Hunters of Nepal’.)  Ben Ayers, one of the producers and the driving force behind The Last Honey Hunter, explained that it took him 10 years of annually visiting the community to gain enough trust to be allowed to film Rai during a harvest. It is clear that Ayers has a deep respect for Rai and the community. No rose-tinted glasses there. Ayers knows the stark reality of life in these hills.

But many people do not see the hardships of others! We unwittingly put pressure on those whose lives are equally as hard, or harder than, ours, by mystifying and romanticizing them.  And when they can’t live up to our expectations… then what? Maule Dhan Rai took his own life not long after coming to Kathmandu for the Nepal premier of the film. We cannot speculate why. Perhaps the god his community worships, Rongkemi, was displeased Rai left even for a short time. We may even romanticize his death, saying that his strong belief in his local deity somehow impacted him enormously. But, again, how can we romanticize someone’s death? This is not Romeo and Juliet. Rai believed and indeed stated in the film that he felt cursed due to the nature of his work (taking from nature).  His life was hard both physically and emotionally.

Yet we have a tendency to dismiss these hardships by donning our rose-tinted glasses again when looking at the lives of others. Either we see them as doing things we would love but fear to do (as in the case of McCandless) or we see people as not being ‘like us’. We feel the latter’s lives are simple and un-complex. We do them an injustice with this thinking. So let’s throw away the glasses and let reality in!