Nepal Trip December 2000 - page 6
Bob Schmidt & Rupa Hamal
30 Dec 00 - Temple Tours
Today Rita had a day off from her clinic, so she and Astha took Rupa and me around to visit other temples in Kathmandu. Swayambhu temple is built on a hilltop at the edge of the city. Apart from the prayer flags and white-domed temple buildings, the most unusual feature was the troops of monkeys who roamed through the temple grounds, looking for food handouts.
One example of Nepali efficiency is the use of prayer wheels, both small and large. The wheel contains a prayer, which is "read" when the worshipper spins the wheel. Spin a small wheel to say a small prayer. Spin the large one for a really substantial prayer. Some temple buildings held so many candles and incense sticks they used fans in the ceiling to vent the smoke and heat.
Outside the main temple, we visited another temple run by a religious sect with Tibetan roots. The caretaker gave us a private tour of the prayer room, with padded benches for the monks to sit on and chant together, drums at the end of each row, and statues of Buddha at the front along with pictures of the Dalai Lama.
The Stupa
Our next trip was to a famous temple called the Stupa. This has a large gold top on a rounded white base, featuring the most recognized symbol of Nepal, the eyes of justice. We took plenty of pictures.
We stopped at a park on the way back for some tea.
31 Dec 00
I went jogging in the morning, and chased a 3 wheeled tuk-tuk up a hill. I tried to wear a surgical mask against the dust and smog, but ended up pulling it off because it was too difficult to use when I was breathing hard.
Rupa and I spent much of the day finishing our shopping in the Thamel area. We needed to finish shopping since another Bandh (general strike) had been called for New Year's day. We saw battered vehicles hired by the leftist political parties blaring messages telling everyone to close their business tomorrow.
We also walked by the old Durbar square, where the old temple is located.
Large Photos
New Year's Eve Barbeque
Rakesh had planned an outdoor barbeque for New Year's eve. We stopped at the butcher shop for some lamb, plus the ingredients to marinate it. The butcher shop lady chopped up the meat using a large cleaver and the stump of a large tree.
The servants helped build a fire outdoors but unfortunately it started raining and got cold. We moved the fire under the shelter of the roof outside the kitchen. Rakesh rigged up an extension cord with a "torch and coil" (light bulb and extension cord) so we could see what was cooking, and a fan to keep the coals glowing. He also supervised preparation of the meat.
Despite the cold weather, we had fun, grilling meat on the barbeque. Astha bought me a gift of a primary school book on the Nepali language - something I clearly needed. It was a nice barbeque.
World Culture
Much of the culture available on TV is similar to that available in USA, but sometimes with an Asian influence. Cable TV included the National Geographic channel, and we spent some time watching a show about fish and marine life in the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie and Ohio. There are Asian editions of CNN, MTV, ESPN, and others. One difference in sports was the extensive coverage of cricket matches, which go on for days at a time. Different kinds of European auto races are covered - Formula 1, and off-road rally races. I enjoyed some of the short races against the clock on a dirt track figure-8 course in France. Drivers did not get a special car; they had to pick from a common set of basically stock small cars. This put all the emphasis on driver skill and none on the pit crew or mechanics. NFL, NBA and college basketball news is available.
Sports memorabilia is commonplace. I was approached by a beggar wearing a Chicago Bulls cap. It was not uncommon to see NBA jackets, NHL, and WWF (World Wrestling Federation) T-shirts. T-shirts and caps from various US colleges are everywhere.
I think countries like Nepal will preserve certain elements of their culture, but it will increasingly come under pressure to mix with Western influence.
Computing
The overall level of computer literacy was impressive. Internet Cafe's abounded in the major cities. In fact there were so many the market seemed to be saturated. One cyber cafe owner spoke of his desire to get into computer software development business to avoid the low-margin Internet access. Also common were computer schools, language institutes, and English boarding schools. It is clear that education is very highly valued.
