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.