The Christmas Frenzy

Before I start this ramble, I just wanted to follow up on my poop story. Only because the following day offered a new number-one experience with my travels and my pooh. The former number one was the Western Ghats, India and was a good story at that. However, with being pushed to the number two spot, congratulations Nepal, you are now at number one. Ahem...to keep whatever dignity I have left, I will keep this one in the closet for a while.

So, while all the westerners are frantically finding the perfect gift that will gain approval from a friend, daughter, son, father, mother, brother, sister, and whatever, I am enjoying the quiet walks around some of the most ancient grounds of Kathmandu. It's funny to think that back home, this time of year is about finishing work so that we can have time, but not necessary with family, but for shopping. This is my number one reason for not being home during the holidays and because I spent my day like this:

I woke up with a phone call from Kristy (It is so nice to hear a voice from back home). I go up for breaki then try and gather my thoughts for the day (I sit and read and stare out the window). Then off to do laundry, Nepalese style - this means 2 hours of manually washing with mama (Rabindra's mom). I now have a fantastic new appreciation for my oma and what she had to endure with 8 kids on the farm in the 1950's and I will never complain about doing laundry at home again. After a lunch filling me with more rice, potatoes, some spinach thing, lentils, and hot water, I head out the door for my daily walk.

My daily walk is anywhere from 2km to 8km and this is what I experience:
1. Skinned goat head on the open butcher table.
2. Stray puppies and hundreds of dogs.
3. Oranges, bananas, and apples every 20ft.
4. Old men yelling at a younger lady who is simply listening and smiling.
5. The real life version of the old game frogger - dodge the traffic game.
6. Super old brick buildings with building stone layouts.
7. The communal gold fountain where the community retrieves water.
8. The sound of stove carving by dozens of stone carvers (ages 6-35); sounds like a factory.
9. The blue uniformed military men and women who direct traffic or sit and do nothing.
10. The thousands of plastic bags and packaging materials from good ol' China but influenced by Western visitors.

There's so much more and I will try and capture as much as I can. As for Christmas day? Not really sure. I will mostly likely be with foreign friends, have a beautiful turkey meal, drinking Carlsberg beer, and enjoying a good old fashioned gift exchange. Plus, opening my package from co-workers in Canada. Thanks team...I look forward to it.

I hope time preparing for Christmas is all about making sure everyone gets together safely and is warm. That seems to be the key over here.