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Published: June 12th 2006
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This is now my number one favourite Asia saying, spouted by any tradesman/vendor who thinks he can pass off any old rubbish as the stuff you are looking for....the 'but different' clause is often added by myself when it becomes obvious the black-and-2-sizes-larger equivalent of the red top one's looking for isn't quite the same. Nevertheless, the sellers look truly confused and affronted when you don't want the totally inappropriate product they are touting, as if you are mad for not wanting to wear a tent in the wrong colour!!!'Good price, good price', they mutter. 'I no want- it not right', I mutter' . 'Ok - I give you discount...how much you want pay?',...is the normal response. 'No, no, I really no want', I struggle, staring defeat in the face. 'But madam, I give you very good price......'
....And so it goes. On a very lucky day, you find a product which is 'same, same...but same!'. Myself and Alia made that one up, just an 'in' joke, I guess.....!! Alia is my 'monastery' friend- will write about my 4 days spent in a monastery later....needless to say we were a distraction. Buying clothes for 'nunning it' was a challenge- I thought
I'd done really well with my long-sleeved cotton top until I realised in certain lights ( and only when there!!) it was see- through.....eeeek!!!!! Going back to the monastery on 14th June for a week to do an intensive/no escape Buddhist philosophy course, then flying on to India where....fingers crossed.... I will be back in mobile phone contact!
You kinda know that you've been in a place too long when you get back to your hotel and there's a journo waiting to take your picture, street boys wander into the internet caff to chat to you , strangers approach you on the street (and in the bar) to ask if your foot is better, the drug pushers now don't bother as they know they're wasting their breath, and you start to sit and study the interactions of the Nepalis who were originally studying you ...oh and you wander into a caff several miles away and they ask where your crutches are...... I am now officially MISS KATHMANDU GURU!
All the above is happening, and more..... Little children come up and kiss my hand ,people who I thought had long passed by keep on returning, I am continually asked
Who's got the cooler hat??
Yes, I know, I look like the typical traveller with my prayer beads and bandana.... if i want a Nepali boyfriend ( answer- NO!) and I have several Nepalis whose offices I stop by and chat with each day. I finally feel I'm getting under the skin of the place, and getting real opinions from real people, NOT just those in the toursist trade- it's really fascinating!!
Those last two paragraphs were written 10days and now I'm getting sick of the hassle. Theres not many tourists here so you are seen purely as a walking ATM and get swamped every time you venture outside. Everybody wants to talk to you but it's the same rubbish every day so you get nowhere fast... and I'm too nice to be rude(although patience skills getting severely tested!) I'm now hissing and spitting in areas where I don't know the locals- there is no peace to be had and everybody is on your back! Plus the temperature has rocketed and am now sweating more than a hot chilli in a sauna!
More worryingly, I am now picking up some local habits. The famous Nepali/Indian head wobble has been mastered, it's a kinda side to side wobble as though your neck is jelly. It means ( depending on
Clothes washing in river - Dhulikel, Nepal
Now I'm running out of money may have to take a few tips on how to do it! situation) yes, no and maybe...sometimes all simultaneously!! Having spent weeks perplexed by this action, I now find I am doing myself when locals ask if I will come back later. It's a great cop out and the perfect solution to that awkward situation. Try it out at home and see just how much you annoy others!
Grumpy rumball left two weeks ago now, and in usual Kathmandu style he walked out....then the next day a member of my China/Tibet group walked in, and several others I'd seen before. At breakfast I was alone and by teatime there were 6 of us sitting around chatting. Fully mobile again, we went to Bouddinath ( largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal), visited Kopan monastery ( stunning!), and braved the Maoist demo ( ok, well I skirted it, whizzed off a few shots then got the hell outta there if the truth be known!) . Sadly, that group has split now, as so many people just stop by for a few days.
Ok, better shoot, things to do, people to see/avoid!! Will try to do monastery blog tomorrow if time, if not will be in a week or so when I've been kicked
out of the monastery.....
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