Reunion in Katmandu

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I first met Shiva Shrestra in 2000 when he was attending a two-month study program at Boy's Town in Omaha, Nebraska. I remembered that he was a very effusive guy with a big smile. He spent a week with me while Marie was away on a business trip. We hit it off very well. We had long discussions about social issues around the world and his Save The Worldorganization. Before he left we hosted a gathering of David City friends at our home and helped him sell Nepali handicrafts to raise funds for STW.

Over the years since our meeting we would periodically email each other he would often end his messages with "You must come visit me in my home!". When he saw on my facebook page and travel blog that we would be in India he started "magnetizing" me as he puts it to visit him in Katmandu. Well, it seems his "magnetizing" worked, so we booked flights for a four-day visit. His email messages then began ending with closings like "My heart is soaring that you are coming to my country".

We arrived in Katmandu about 2:30 PM Monday afternoon and got out of the airport about 4:30 PM (see "Gotta' Love Beauraucracy" blog. Shiva had been holding a "Bill & Marie Welcome to Nepal" sign but after two hours of waiting for us to exit customs he was just walking around with the sign dragging along after him. We finally bumped into each other outside the terminal. Hugs and smiles were punctuated with "My heart is happy that you are coming to my country." We walked arms etwined to find a taxi.

The taxi ride to Shiva's home was quite an experience (see my "Katmandu") blog. When we arrived at Shiva's house we were greeted by his wife, Maya, and son, Change. Maya is a trim woman with wonderful twinkly eyes and warm smile. She is a Sherpa with that wizend look of mountain people, similar to Tibetans. Their son Change was born when Shiva was visiting us in Nebraska. He was named Change after Shiva and Maya's desire to see change come to Nepal.

Shiva is an attorney by profession, but he only acts as an attorney when occasional foreign interests want a savvy Nepali attorney to help them negotiate the labyrinth of nepali law and customs. His real interest is social activisim, and he only practices law to support STW and basic family needs. The foreigners cases provide income to do that and still leave time to work on village related projects.

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Photos

Shiva, Bill & Maya
In Shiva & Maya's livingroom

View from Shiva's balcony
Shiva & Maya have a nice three story home in a newer part of Katmandu

Comments

[Peggy]

Love your entries
Robert and I love both your and Marie's entries. They truly form a window into Indian-Napalese culture. Thank you for including us. This one is particularly interesting.

[brittany]

Reunion in Katmandu
Thank you , to explain all this to people. It is a great help! A big thank you for this post and to your website at all. I just loved.