Nepal… what to say about “poor” Nepal? I could never live here, I know that much. This country infuriates me, stuns me with its beauty, enrages me with its poverty, entrances me with its food, embitters me with its greed, thrills me with its industriousness, annoys me with its laziness, delights me with its generosity, saddens me with its cruelty. I can see how many people do come here and decide to stay forever, totally unexpectedly. I can also see how some decide never to return. I have had a tattoo made for every country I’ve been to: Singapore, Malaysia, India, and will be doing one in Thailand (been saving the elephant for that one!). But I still have not wrapped my mind around one for Nepal. And I only have 3 ½ days left. Yay…. Boohoo. Because there is not “One Nepal”, but any means. Just here in Kathmandu the influx in the last few days of Tibetans, given the upcoming Tibetan New Year festivities (on February 12th I believe), has been incredible and the streets are so crowded with them, especially around the Boudha Stupa, that I feel as if I must be in Llasa rather than Kat. Their dress is spectacular, both men and women, young and old and I have a strong desire to “dress up like them”! They wear beautiful fabrics, woven on looms, very colorful front panels, belts, against backgrounds of woven wool dresses and skirts, red boiled wool hand-sewn boots with bells and tassels, silk brocade jackets lined in yak fur, colorful yarns woven into their long jet black hair, high cheekbones, wide spaced beautiful eyes and nut brown skin. And the “local” Nepali people are feeling resentful, and crowded out, although happy for the added commerce, since Tibetans are comparatively wealthy. The Chino-Tibetan restaurants are doing a booming business. These Tibetans are NOT vegetarians, I can say that much, and eat tons of pork and buffalo… they are also great business people apparently and many of the stores are owned by them. I’m going to look at a Tibetan rug that’s being made in a dark, dank “factory” around the corner that I’ve spied during my walks with “Biscuit” the dog from the house where I’m staying.
Anyway, perhaps the tattoo will be the sign signifying “Om” requiring contemplation of one’s inner spirit, instead of looking at the outside for it… perhaps that is the lesson of Nepal…. for me.
I'm ready for Thailand and the elephants and Thai cooking school...