I cannot believe we left San Francisco just one week ago today! It feels like we have been gone for so much longer. Boulder feels very far away.
Yesterday we were walking through Durbar Square in Kathmandu with Pasang and her father (also named Pasang) when Kai said, “Mom, I want to go home now.” Gulp. I thought to myself that it’s going to be a long time before we head home. Like 51 weeks longer.
“Which home, Kai?”
“Our Kathmandu home, mom. I want to go back and play soccer with Kelsang on the roof.” Phew!
And so we soon did go home to our very comfortable, quiet home with our extended Sherpa – Nepali family. By “family” I mean that Pasang (jr.) has been living with us for more than a year and a half in Boulder and we all consider her a member of our family. So here, by extension, we are being met as family in this wonderful Sherpa home. Pasang’s younger brother, Kelsang, was quickly idolized by Kai who got to watch Kelsang’s six scoring goals at a soccer game. We are living like travelers, not tourists.
Kathmandu feels so different from the last time I was here seventeen years ago. That was before the earthquake, selfie sticks, pollution masks and cell phones. I notice many more cars, therefore traffic, on the road. Many more women are wearing Western clothing rather than the traditional. In addition to the increased road traffic, there’s lots of construction happening around the city which exacerbates the air quality.
Hmmm. This electrical grid seems a bit overloaded.
There’s also an organic farmer’s market happening each Saturday, a morning Vinyasa yoga class a block away and (much to Pasang’s delight) a New York style bagel shop.
Our days here have been dictated a lot by the weather. It’s monsoon now and we try to homeschool a bit each day and zip out to see some sights when there’s a break in the weather. Our first day, we went to Boudanath Stupa, then got caught in a downpour, followed by a muddy rush hour traffic. With no lane lines or stop lights, it’s a cross between a rugby scrum and a game of chicken. Experiences like that make you believe there’s a God. Cars were so close to us that Will said he could button the cuffs of the drivers in the other cars. As chaotic as it is, we didn’t see any accidents. American temperament in that situation would result in a lot of crashes. Kai said something like, “who needs an amusement park, when you can just do this?” Indeed the fear / thrill of that jam was just as exciting as a roller coaster. But it’s real.
Bouddhanath Stupa
First observations by the kids:
Lucy: Why are some countries so rich and others so poor, Mommy?
Lorna: I know I lived here in a past life…. (said wistfully from the balcony)
Kai: Mom, there’s a cow on the sidewalk. Can I pet it?
