Back to Nepal

So it's been an entire 2 months since I last blogged. So much for my New Year's resolution. What were we doing those 2 months? Traveling! Anusha and I made our first international flight where she had her own seat and it was wonderful. Anyone who is traveling with children who have their own seats, I highly recommend taking the "bulk head" seats (the ones where they usually seat people who have babies and want to use the bassinets). She had tons of space to move around, we could spread our things out, and I could lay her on the floor to sleep. The only drawback was that the arm rests don't go up, but it's a small price to pay.

July: Anusha and I recovered from jet lag in Goshen, IN for a few days before heading off to Harrisonburg where my mom helped my youngest sister with wedding prep, Anusha got in some quality "Nani and Aunt Carrie" time, and I got to visit friends. We headed back to Goshen and spent a week on our own, then welcomed Anuraj to the US for the first time since he left December '07. Our highlight was a weekend getaway (Anusha stayed with my folks) at our friend's lake house not far from Goshen. Anusha did great and we had a very relaxing time. Anuraj especially enjoyed the fishing and I enjoyed an early morning solo kayak ride and our canoe rides together.

Julie, my sister, and her daughter Adria came to Goshen for the last week of July and Adria and Anusha began their push-pull relationship. They really love each other, but hey, they're both 2!

August: My mom, sister Sallie, Julie and Adria, Anuraj, Anusha and I headed out to Harrisonburg once again for final week wedding preparations. My dad and Julie's husband joined us later on in the week. The week was hectic. I was able to get out a few times to see some people, and Carrie and Preston got married, Yea! It was of course fun to see family and enjoy the valley once again. My whole family (minus the honeymooners) took off to VA Beach after the wedding and enjoyed the sand and water . . . next time we have to spend more than one night there (and not leave our camera and ipod and docking station in the hotel ... my fault and yet to be found!). Anuraj, Anusha and I bid farewell to everyone else and we stayed back in the 'burg for the rest of the week to visit friends.

Back in Goshen for our final week: I don't think I adequately prepared myself for my last week in the U.S. When I was in Nepal, I was packed and ready to go literally 2 or 3 days before my flight left. I guess it was anticipation. Not the case on the return trip! Cousin Kirsten, who was our first visitor to Nepal last year, came to visit us in lovely Indiana . . . a breath of fresh air : ) . . . Anusha and Adria reconciled and are fast becoming non-bickering friends, and we had a teary goodbye with family.

September: We have been in Nepal for a week and the sadness was replaced with sickness. I'm feeling much better, but little Anusha is still not feeling well . . . I'm hoping the meds kick in and we notice a difference tomorrow.
I have managed to meet up or talk to a few friends already, which makes the transition back more manageable.

As for pics . . . my camera was stolen when our house was broken into in June (in Kathmandu) and Anuraj's camera is gone due to my forgetfulness.

If you are the blog-reading praying type . . . please pray for little Anusha and our health in general. She had super appetite the first 4 days we were here and since this sickness has wanted to eat nilch. I'm afraid all the weight she gained in the US over 2 months she lost in 5 days. And for our transition back . . . and friendships. (Can't live without 'em.)

Pull Goat's Tail and Other Funny Things

We spent two weeks at Anuraj's parent's home in Biratnagar. We survived the heat (it was 83*-95* in the house alone!), enjoyed the animals and being surrounded by all the green grass and trees, and even got to visit some of our Mennonite Central Committe friends, Charlotte and Micah Shristi, who are living just 30 minutes east of Biratnagar. Here are photos of some of Anusha's favorite activities and highlights from our vacation. The only thing that is missing are pictures from when she was holding Charlotte and Micah's new baby chicks. Here are some pics from the weeks:

Anusha riding a baby cow


Anusha's favorite activity, touching the goat's tail and watching it run (aka terrorizing the goat)


Anusha holding a little bird that someone caught (and tied on a string for her...don't tell PETA)


Anusha with Biratnagar Neighbor Kids


Anusha petting the cows . . . just her size!

Anusha-isms

So the two year old is quickly developing her vocabulary. Much more quickly than I could have imagined. Here are a few of the funny and quirky "Anusha-isms" that we hear nearly every day!

+ Holdu . . . translation: Hold me. Taken from my questions: "Anusha do you want me to hold you?" She applies this to anything. "Holdu baby." "Mommy holdu."

+ Ingether . . . transaltion: Together. I have to say I'm impressed with the interchange of, what is that a pronoun, an adverb, I'm rusty on my grammar rules. She uses this when she wants us all to do something together. Yesterday it was blowing bubbles in our water glasses at Fire and Ice. "Mommy, blow ingether." (We did!)

+ Having Fun . . . this is just something that she periodically says to inform us that she is indeed having fun. Like when we're walking down the road with her, both holding her hands, and swinging her, out will pop, "Having Fun!!!"

+ Ghee-dad: This is her word for Grandad and we just think it's cute. It might even stick!

+ Nanan: This is the name Anusha calls herself. She actually did say her name the other day when someone asked her something, but otherwise, it's just "Nanan take nap," "Nanan" do this or that!

+ Very Good . . . she has used this twice with Sabina's burritos.

+ Very . . . She really likes to emphasize things with "very". "Very heavy" . . . when she's lifting her chair or a back pack or a book. "Very cute" referring to the little puppy or baby we saw.

+ Awesome. This was a brand new one, used today. We were sitting on the bed and suddenly out popped this word. Followed by all those she must think is awesome, starting with: "awesome Papa," "awesome Nanan (her name for herself)," "awesome Happy (cousin)," "awesome Shilpi (aunt)". There were a few others on the list and I think I even made the cut.

+ Pink Eye: So Anusha had pink eye the other month and I had no idea a little kid could squeeze their eyes shut so tight (tight enough it made it nearly impossible to give her the drops or cream we were supposed to give). Since then, if her eye hurts or someone else is rubbing their eye, she quickly diagnoses it as "pink eye."

+ Towel: Anusha's favorite medical relief. When she had pink eye we had to clean her eyes with a washcloth every morning (especially to remove the crust that once or twice sealed her eyes shut...yes she was very brave!). Since then, when anyone is "hurt" she asks for a "towel" to place on the point of pain! This seems to work with her at least!

+ Hurt: This is a big thing. She learned what "hurt" means the other month and isn't afraid to use it. One of the surprising things that "hurts" or she thinks "hurts" are these temporary tattoos that my mom sent her. We put it on her and she cried and said "hurt" and cried some more. We put it on ourselves just to show that it didn't hurt but she was not convinced. We finally took it off her, and she would ask us if it hurt us...convinced that it did! She likes to use this and actually cried the first time she watched "Curious George" because there were so many times she thought that he was "hurt."

I finally thought of the phrase to describe this little kid: matter of fact. Maybe it's just the age. But it's funny to hear how literally she takes things . . . not so much serious, just, well, matter of fact!

So . . . perhaps this will inspire you to create your own -isms. They are great fun to use, with or without a 2 year old!

the other side

Straight ahead
I see the little boy -
the one that holds his tin bowl
and wears his shabby clothes
and an unconvincing forlorn face.
I see his mother -
the one who holds his little sister
and holds out her bowl
and prods the boy to follow people
who might make a donation.
And I think about the Good Samaritan
who didn't cross to the other side
who didn't harbor feelings of angst
and confusion
and annoyance.
I think about the priest
who probably did harbor those things.
And today I confess I feel like the priest
and I aptly follow him
and cross the street
to the other side.

Anusha Turns 2!

We celebrated Anusha's 2nd birthday on April 25 with two of her cousins, her aunt, uncle, grandfather and our landlords (she calls them "Minner Tater" as in Mr./Mrs. Tater or "Dada/Dadi" which is Nepali for grandpa/grandma). I posted pictures from her party and the a few other random pics from the past few weeks.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=256007&id=586180321&l=91b4d2dfb0

What you can do when you're 2 (or at least Anusha can):
- Watch Elmo (and maybe even NOT cry when it's turned off)
- Practice Jumping (and practice and practice and practice) until you can get both feet an inch off the ground simultaneously.
- Help wash dishes
- Tell your mom when you're pooping (in the diaper...)
- Scream when attempting to be potty trained
- Forgot that you've turned 2 and answer "1" when asked how old you are
- Hold up half of your fingers when asked how old you are because, for some reason, 2 fingers just don't seem to want to stay up by themselves (1 was much easier!)
- Finish the sentences of favorite story books
- Have a strong opinion about which clothes to wear (which happen to be the same pair of pants and shirts...what about those other 20 outfits!!)
- Still manage to sooth a rising BP with a sweet smile

That's Anusha for now! Enjoy the latest pics.
-

Happy Mother's Day!

This is dedicated to Nani (Anusha's grandma Landis) and Aunt Julie on the occasion of American Mother's Day! Anusha would call you if she knew the right buttons to push! Wish we were there to hug you in person!

Anusha Spotting

This basically sums up a few activities from the last few weeks. Playing and spending time at the pool on Nepali New Year.


Ironically enough, this water was as cold as the pool, but did she mind? Noooo! She was entertained for quite a while.



Anusha's new do


Anusha at the pool...the water was cold and she didn't want to go in. So she had fun pushing our heads under water and telling us to swim! (She'll make a great coach!)

Second Installment: Kathmandu

Okay, so this will be the last time I hack into Jill’s blog. My last post was all about everyone’s favorite little monkey-toucher—Anusha—but this one is my official Tourist Bureau Kathmandu plug.

First I need to say warmest thanks to Jill, Anuraj and Anusha for letting me shack up with them for a couple of weeks. (Anusha probably took it the roughest because I was constantly diverting Mom’s attention.) Unfortunately Anuraj was in Vienna most of the time I was there—but then, I was able to keep Jill company. Jill was a wonderful host, hailing public transportation for me (before I had the confidence to do it myself), introducing me to new foods (and shielding me from new foods), keeping my room stocked with candles, henna tattooing my feet, and exploring new territory with a two year old strapped to her back.

It is a very different kind of experience to be the guest in a foreign land as opposed to a typical tourist. I am always curious about how my friends live—the lifestyles they’ve chosen, the way they engage with their community and their physical world, and the simple joys that they’ve discovered and claimed.

Jill has many beautiful, wondrous things around her—the sound of street peddlers selling their wares in the alley outside her door; a rich and vibrant street life that makes a Richard Scarry village look dull; gorgeous Nepali flowers (freesia and jasmine and rhododendrons and marigolds), epic rain storms, exhilarating public transportation, dhosas, dal bhat, panipuris, gulab jamuns; hilarious malaprops printed everywhere (please someone try to decipher the shirt above), creepy baby posters, access to exquisite Hindu and Buddhist shrines, not to mention, some of the most stunning scenery in the world. My time with Jill has encouraged me to cook simpler dishes, walk more, eat more baked oatmeal, and light more candles.


Highlights of my time in the Kathmandu Valley:

Our first night’s walk to Durbar Square at dusk—sitting on the temple steps, watching the light seep out of the sky and into the street lights, headlights, and candles—sidewalk vendors selling pyramids of strawberries by candlelight, beside wandering cows.

Cutting tomatoes for a pasta sauce in Jill’s kitchen, by candlelight, during a rainstorm.

Dinner at Anuraj’s sister’s house—fresh puris, curd, and mutter paneer. Oh, sweet, greasy-spoon, Northern Indian home-cooking.

Tramping around the alleys of Bhaktapur with Jill in search of King Curd (the locally proclaimed “King of Yogurts”, which we decided was actually probably the “Sheikh of Yogurts” or perhaps the “Military Dictator of Yogurts,” at best.)

The horizontal cliff dive of walking across six lanes of traffic (not that they have delineated lanes) without a scratch. I am not kidding when I say this was a thrill non pareil. Even paragliding in the Himalayas did not compare.

Watching Anusha hang from ledges.

Reading bizarre and confusing newspaper articles to each other each morning over tea.

Our entire weekend in Dhulikhel.

Anuraj sharing his Viennese Imperial Torte with us.

Wandering, and wandering, and wandering; and talking, talking, and talking—those twin modes of discovery.

My Blogger knowledge is bare bones—I don’t know how to embed pictures. So I’ll just lump them all together at the top. If this testimonial isn't enough to get you web searching tickets to Kathmandu, well...I've done all I could.

The Global and the Local

Thought I would share my favorite Nepali author with you. She has penned a short stories book, edited a short stories book, and writes a column in the Kathmandu Post, "The Global and the Local" every Saturday. I first noticed her in the Kathmandu Post . . . it was the first article I had read that had perfect grammar/writing/spelling, plus it was interesting! Anyways, I met my fave Nepali writer, as fate would have it, on Nepali New Years at the swimming pool. I was coming back from the bathroom, saw a woman sitting in her salwar kurta, reading a book, and I went back and said to Anuraj, "I think I just saw Sushma Joshi!" He told me to go back and see . . . so I did and it was her! So, it's not quite the same as meeting Cher at Bhat Bhateni SuperStore, but pretty darn close. Anyways, for those of you interested in a thoughtful reflection of life in Nepal, you can check out her blog, which is mostly articles from her weekly column, "the global and the local.

http://www.sushma.blogspot.com/

New Pics on Facebook

I just posted some new pictures on Facebook. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera when Gail and Steve were visiting (Anuraj took it to Vienna with him) so hopefully Gail will post a pic of them/us on one of her upcoming posts. You don't have to be a member of Facebook to view these, just copy and paste these into your browser and it should work!

Anusha March/April:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=245893&id=586180321&l=63a20803f1

Worms and Easter:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=245919&id=586180321&l=684e9d6735

Hope it works!!

Touch Monkey-First Installment

Okay, Jill-fans, I have finally recovered from the circadian cliff dive that is jetlag and am fulfilling Jill's request to post a few words about my visit to Nepal.

Allow me introduce myself--I have not hacked in to Jill's blog. She gave me the secret password to post under her name. My name is Gail, I'm a friend, travel companion, and former housemate of Jill's. I just spent the last two weeks of March inhabiting her & Anuraj's guest room in Bansbari, Kathmandu. Anuraj was gone most of that time on a business trip to Vienna. In the meantime, Jill, Anusha and I blazed a trail of glorious success through the Kathmandu Valley (see slogan above.)

I think Jill was hoping my post read as copy for a holiday brochure to lure all of her friends and family onto the nearest 747: Visit Beautiful Nepal: Himalayan Dreamscape! Yes, there will be some of that—because Nepal is indeed a world class tourist destination, but I also know some of you care more about the pint-sized international wonder named Anusha than Mt Everest. So this entry will be mostly about the “turtle-monkey” as Steve nicknamed her. Then with Jill’s permission, I’ll post one or two more blogs about the other highlights of my visit.

Since you are all Jill-fans and by extension Anusha-fans (come to think of it, this is an Anusha fansite, isn't it?), you have seen the pictures of Anusha looking curiously at the business end of a water hose, you have seen her mussed little brown head and skinny limbs, and heard a few anecdotes. But here is something maybe you don’t know about her—Anusha’s primarly objective in life is to touch monkeys. A lofty goal, considering Jill will not let her within five feet of one. “Touch monkey” is her catch phrase. She says it in a breathy, plaintive, wistful voice--the voice of unfulfilled fantasy.

Monkeys are literally crawling, dangling, and swinging from shrines all over the city. Outside the temple of Swayambunath, we saw about eight of them swinging from telephone poles into the top story window of a house. That was slightly disturbing—if I saw a monkey trying to swing in my window, I would purchase some serious firearms. From Pakistan perhaps.

But Anusha is imperturbable when it comes to animals. I was looking at a magazine with her that featured several photos of taxidermic stuffed animals—vicious wildcats with exposed fangs, angry black bears, etc. Anusha sees the cougar and says, “Cat!’ with dewy-eyed delight. Anusha loves cats, dogs and turtles. (She spent several minutes looking for a non-existent turtle in a well one evening—just staring into the water, trying to summon it.) But especially monkeys. I imagine her dreams are full of them.

She has taken to mimicking monkeys, hanging from any ledge or bar that she can get her straw-thin fingers around. She curls her knees up and just hangs with as much thrill as if she were paragliding (which Steve & I did, by the way, in the Himalayas).

Here is a list of some of Anusha’s favorite words: (Notice how different this list is from the typical American-bred child’s.)

Touch monkey
Monkey temple
Golden Buddha
Touch Buddha
Touch doggie
Doggie come
Moong dal
Taxi car
Barack Obama

How I miss these words spilling lyrically from those tiny lips.

Until my next installment...

--Gail

What to Say Today

Without pictures, it's hard to know what to say sometimes. Anusha is really chatting up a storm. Today I was in another room and listened to her out in the living room for almost 5 minutes talking about putting on her socks and shoes, going to Bhat Bhateni (my life-saver and, as Anuraj aptly calls it, Wal-Mart), and "touching dog" at Bhat Bhateni (the 3 dog statues that have yet to be sold . . . good thing for Anusha!).

I got a membership to the British Embassy's Sterling Club. It's very inexpensive, relatively close (a 15-30 minute bus ride, depending on the traffic) and a wonderful oasis . . . large green lawn, lots of trees and flowers, a small playground for Anusha, a cafe, pool table and big screen TV. Anusha and I went there with Gail once when she was here and I stopped by today after our time at the Nepal/Japan Children's Library (there's a group of parents/kids who go to the embassy to play and to the library for books and songs on Tuesdays).

Gail and I had a wonderful time together and I really do miss her. Anuraj had a great time in Vienna and Gail and I enjoyed the Imperial Torte that he brought back. It's almost as good as the Chocolate Ganash cake that Candace Willis made for me (kudos to Trina for that suprise) for my 29th(?) birthday. The Torte lasts for 6-8 weeks in the fridge, so we're savoring it!

Anusha fell and needs to comfort, so that's it for now! Thanks for the comments folks! It's good for me to know who's out there!

Wanderin' with Gail

Anusha is sitting on my lap waiting to watch Elmo while I type this quick, pictureless update. After Cara and Andrew left, we had our nephew stay with us for a week while his parents were at a funeral, then picked up Gail and Steve Miller, friends from college. A day after their arrival, we put them on a bus to Pokhara where they embarked on a 6 day trek. They were sold and think everyone should come and do it. We've been conspiring who's on our hit list for coaxing to come to Nepal!

We had a few days in Kathmandu with Steve before he headed back to Albuquerque for that evil thing called work. Anuraj left for Vienna, Austria for a work meeting (I'd be jealous if Gail weren't here with me!). He must be staying outside of Vienna because he just wrote and said that he is staying in a 13th Century castle! I'll give him points for saying that he would if he could send me to the US on business class (that's how he flew to Vienna).

So, Gail and I are here hanging out, wandering around Kathmandu. We're trying to get a discount on a beautiful hotel in Dhulikhel where we can get out of the city for a day or two. Otherwise, we're walking, riding micro buses/tempos/taxis, and enjoying each others company.

Gail will be my first featured guestblogger, so stay tuned for her thoughts on Anusha and Nepal!

Cara and Andrew

Cara and Anusha looking at a book...(more pics to come)

So the highlight of last weekend was having Cara and Andrew Jeeves visit for the weekend. Cara and I are cousins and grew up down the street from each other. We went down to their pool almost every afternoon in the summers and I babysat Cara when I was about 6th grade and she was in 2nd? : )

We had a fabulous time having them and preparing for them! I spent the week spring cleaning the house and washing linens, and we cleared out the guest room/office/pile-it-there room and made it into a lovely guest room.

While we were most excited to see Cara and Andrew, of course we were excited about the large suitcase that occompanied them which was packed with stuff from my mom and sisters. Favorite items included: new doll stroller for Anusha, I just broke it out today and she loves it (she was happy to discover she can chase her cousin around with it!), new shoes for Anusha - which she enjoys putting on and off (this morning I had asked her to put on her shoes and socks and was shocked to find she had done it to her right foot...she has a little trouble with the left foot!), freeze dried apples, Anuraj's books, hand me down magazines, smelly Mary Kay lotions. So much more but we'll stop there.

Anusha loved having them. We have their picture on the fridge and the days leading up to their visit I was telling her they were coming and we were practicing their names ("Kiwa and Andu") and Anusha LOVED them! She was so excited she was showing them all sorts of things and playing and talking talking talking!

Cara, Andrew, Anusha and I spent Friday afternoon in Thamel where they found some bags for the backpacks and some pashmina scarves. We hung out in a nearby Garden then headed for pizza. Saturday they did a mountain flight and came back with lots of great shots. They napped, we chilled, did laundry, hand-rung their laundry because the electricity went off before the spin-cycle finished in the washing machine, stopped at one shop, then saw Patan at night...which means a whole lotta nothin'!!! We thought the lights would come on and we'd be able to see the temples, but no such luck. So we stopped at our favorite sweet/South Indian/snack place and got some delicious jaleby's (batter deep fried and soaked in syrup) -- Andrew even liked them! Sunday it was packing and Pashupati Temple (aptly known as Monkey Temple to Anusha) and off to the airport!

It was short but oh so sweet!!! We were all sad when they left and were glad that they cried too! We are so glad they made a stop in Kathmandu. They are traveling around India for another week and can't wait to hear about their adventures.

At home with Happy

Anusha with her cousin Parth

A few updates are in order. The first one related to the picture that cooperated with the uploading process...Anusha's cousin Parth (known as Happy to his family). He is staying with us this week while his parents and younger brother are away at funeral. Packing his lunch, getting him to school, enjoying the benefits of his dad's car (and driver) are just a few things that have affected our routine. All for the better. Anusha loves waking up knowing that her cousin is here and we're enjoying the additional company. If I were him, I would sight his highlights (thus far) as: skipping school on Sunday to see off Jill's cousins at the airport or go to Pashupati Temple, going to dinner at Roadhouse Cafe on Monday, getting a haircut (by Jill), trying out new foods (like hummus, burritos and the like), and getting a snack size Snickers bar in the lunch bag everyday. Parth is working really hard to lose his loose front tooth since the tooth fairy comes to our house!

Meanwhile, Anusha loves her cousin, but is having a hard time sharing things occasionally. It's not consistent, which is the funny thing. My friend just said that 2 year olds (which she is 2 months shy of) do not have the capacity to understand "sharing"...this gives me great relief.

Enjoy the pic! More to come!

Anusha watering plants

A few pics from the other week...


Anusha trying to coax the water back out after Conchi turned if off . . .


Anusha helping Conchi water plants.

Conchi works for our landlords upstairs.
Mrs. Tater, the landlady, taught Anusha to say "didi" (the word for older sister, what most people call their nanny/housecleaners/cooks around here). Anusha likes to say, "Didi, ah." (Didi, come)... Conchi always answers her but will Anusha go with her? Noooooo! You'd think after 5 months of living here and seeing Conchi almost every day, she'd go. Stinker!

2 blogs in 1

Anuraj and Anusha at the "Unofficial Kathmandu Inaugural Ball of Barack Obama"

1st Blog
We shelled out a few bucks to go hang with other Americans and like minded foreigners and Nepali's for Obama's innaguration. It was late, but Anusha loved the dancing, and we enjoyed the snacks and running into some friends (and meeting some new people). It was well worth it (though we did discover later that our cable/tv/computer does work when there is no electricity...oh well, now we know for next time!).

2nd Blog
Last night I was laying in bed and remembered my New Year's Resolution: to post weekly on this blog! Since I decided it was a resolution, something I resolved to do, I must do it (for you my -- well maybe Anusha's -- adoring fans, right? : ) So, we were without internet for almost 2 weeks. I missed paying the bill by one day. The place is open from 10am-3pm. Monday's we have play group from 10-noon and then Anusha is down for a nap in the p.m. so Monday's are no-can-do types of days. Tuesday, I (semi-illegally, I admit) took Anuraj's scooter down to pay (he was home sick and stayed with Anusha. Oh what freedom! Alas, there was a festival and the offices were closed. Wednesday Anusha and I hung out with friends at Phora, the American Club, so Thursday Anusha and I ventured out again, this time on the micro's. We used up our last rupees going there (and eventually back) only to find out it was AGAIN closed for a festival. OMW (that's Oh my word).

We are officially stuck at 16 hours a day WITHOUT electricity which limits my internet use to oh, 1 hour per day, maybe. I have a 4 hour period to do laundry, use the microwave/oven (i.e. baking), anything on the computer, and oh, there is a one and a half year old wanting my attention too? There are days, like yesterday, where I really like I'm going to go insane.

So, that's the post for this week. I just downloaded some new pics of Anusha on the computer and will attempt to download those soon. Anuraj needs the computer now, while we still have 30 minutes of electricity, to do some work.

Coming up...My Birthday (January 29, 1976, the big 33) and pics of Anusha

The Roti Rollers

This is one of our occasional evening activities -- rolling out Roti (something similar to tortillas). Kumari, our housekeeper/cook makes the dough during the day (which consists of very fine wheat flour and water . . . no joke, that is all!). It softens up in the fridge all day, then we separate it out into little balls, roll it with our roller and cook it on our "tawa" (small round skillet with no edges). Anusha likes to play with the dough and flour and I have to make sure she doesn't steal too much! We've gotten pretty good at it, except that mine sometimes turn into the shape of states or countries rather than the typical circle. Oh well . . .

My repetoire of Nepali foods (I list this somewhat tongue and cheek since it's not very big!) now consists of Roti, Puri (smaller, deep fried roti-like bread), home-made yogurt, kitcheri (a pressure-cooked dish of lentils and moong dhal for Anusha) and variations to kitcheri. I am no longer afraid of the pressure cooker and think someone should come up with a "Pressure Cook and Forget It" type of cookbook. My landlady promises to teach me some other things, and I have yet to observe how Kumari makes her delicious saag (any type of greens cooked in oil with spices). Between Anuraj and I, by the time we come to the States this summer, should be able to concoct a pretty mean Nepali/Indian meal. Reservations Only Please : )

PS...You'll notice that the picture is well lit which means this was one of the evenings we were lucky enough to have electricity that evening and didn't have to roll our roti over candle light!

Yes Girl!

Today I've been greeted by a most pleasant surprise . . . "Yes!" One of Anusha's new words. Much to my delight, I've heard "yes" (prounounced "yesh") more than "no" today. Wow!

PS...I just tried about 6 times to post a pic and it's not happening..."I would if I could, I can't so I won't and please forgive me if I don't." Maybe soon.

Anusha and her "Small Bebe"

Anusha loves taking care of her baby (a little doll given to her from a French friend in Nepalgunj). It's a recent thing, as in since we visited a friend in the hospital right after she had a baby in September. Ever since then Anusha is crazy about babies. She is the only one that pays attention to little 5 month old Aidan in our play group. And, as mentioned in the previous post, she loves to wrap her baby up in a little blanket. This morning she was "washing" it with wipes.

Cannot display...

So I've been trying to post pictures with no luck. I don't know what the deal is. Anyways, one new years resolution is to update the blog regularly...specifically with pictures for those fans of Anusha out there. Since I can't get the pics to work today, I'll tell you a few things about Anusha.

New words:
- two
- nice
- small (she loves saying this to indicate her "small" baby or "small" teddy -- since she has a small and a big one of each),
- Maya (dog that she played with the other night, she picked up this word in 3.5 hours flat)
- googly (as in the googly eyed monkey on a deck of cards we just got)
- Mogli (dog from Nepalgunj)
- mouse
- juice

She continues to use sign language and my favorite thing to watch is her sign "I Love You" (it has progressed to an "L"...not bad!)

Passions (in no particular order)...
1. Cows and dogs...the real ones. She still loves going out to find cows (we found 2 today...and she did say 2). Our neighbor dog is actually really nice and pet-able, which really satisfies this doggie lover.
2. Her "small bebe" . . . one of the pics I was going to post. Anusha is quite the little mommy. She likes to wrap her baby up in a blanket and have me feed and burp it.
3. Books . . . she can't get enough of them. How many do we read a day (and some repeatedly). I'm glad though!
4. Happy . . . her cousin. She has four boy cousins, and I don't know if that it's because Happy is the only name she can say, but she LOVES Happy. We're not sure what he thinks of all her attention. The other day she surprised us when she said, "Beya, car." About 15 minutes after we saw them off in a taxi. Beya means brother (Happy's mom and brother often call him "Happy Beya")

So that's a nutshell version of a few things in the life of Anusha. Hopefully pics will follow.

To be read in a candle-lit room

It’s the perfect atmosphere. Candles softly flickering all around the house. Music wafting, keeping the baby asleep. Necessitated by the government. This disappointing government. Electricity cuts are up to 12 hours per day: an even 6 hours rotation (2-8am off, 8am-2pm on, 2-8pm off, 8pm-2am on). Rumors have it that it will go up to 14, 16, maybe even 18 hours a day! But, my anger melts away, like the wax from the slowly dripping candles, when I bask in the softness, quietness, gentleness of these au-naturale evenings. No microwaves, no buzzing refrigerators, no painful incandescent lights. Some say we’re back in the stone age. I can’t help think that the stone agers must have been a much more relaxed group of people. Candles indeed produce a mood. The small, warm fire can’t help but soften the spirit of anyone inhabiting a room or house filled with their gentle glow. My computer is the only artificial light right now, and it’s music adds to the atmosphere. I’m always torn when the lights come on at night. Wanting to keep the atmosphere as it is and let it lull me to sleep like it did my daughter. Sometimes I solve the problem by going to bed before the lights return, turning in early, like I do so many nights.

Some of my friends have generators, keeping their lives “normal.” I’m not jealous. There is something about the forced solidarity: experiencing this part of life like everyone else in this country. There have been many newspaper articles written about the effects of this “load shedding” (the official term of the scheduled routine of getting your lights turned off and on by the electric company). Some people find it miserable, but many people say it forces them to spend quality time with their families. No television, no computers. My sister-in-law’s are happy for it, because it forces their kids to play. It does cause us to plan in advance a little more. “Is the electricity going to be on tomorrow morning? Better iron the clothes tonight.” Yes, sometimes it’s a pain, often it’s inconvenient. But I’ve learned the sometimes reheating food on the stove takes less time then reheating it in the microwave. And I’ve learned that there is something peaceful to closing the day surrounded by the flicker of a candle lit room.