Mhanegang

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We spent last week in a rural village outside of the Kathmandu Valley. Mhanegang, as it is called, is a Tamang (name of a group of people) community where two of our Cornell professors completed their PhD field research in Anthropology and subsequently have returned time and time again to remain active in community activities and development. Though the village is only about 35 miles from Kathmandu, the bus ride takes about 5 hours. You gain and lose thousands and thousands of vertical feet in that space and of course you also lose control over your bowels at each corner. After the bus ride, we strapped on our packs and hiked to the village, which was located at about an hour and a half’s walk up a steep hillside. From there it was village time. We did so many things during the week that I think I will just give you the highlight reel.

In the village, we lived with host families, which proved very helpful for my Nepali language skills. The Tamang speak their own language, for them Nepali is also a second language, so simple communication was definitely our MO. During the time, we witnessed a large mortuary rite called a gral, hiked, husked rice, learned how to make leaf plates, weave mats, visited a blacksmith, taught school children how to sing “head and shoulders, knees and toes”, enjoyed the fine art of animal husbandry (sorry, no pics), feasted, feasted, feasted and much more. Like all of my experiences in Nepal, I will certainly regale you all with more of Mhanegang in much richer detail upon my return.

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Comments

[Carrie]

Your trip to Mhanegang sounds a lot like getting to the rice terraces in China! Did the bus have mini seats? What do the villagers eat for breakfast?

[Adam]

whatever
I could kick Sohan's ass

[kimp]

f that
after bus-cornering cliffs on rails, maybe my driving will not seem so scary to you. i believe that may not be my first comment in that vein, and if not, sorry. anyway, i wonder what would happen if tamar dropped that giant thing of rice while she was messing around with it, like would the people be pissed off enough to yell at you or would they just let it go because you are a bunch of city slickers who can't even tie your own shoes, let alone weave leaf plates. --hey listen, if you could bring back some rare wild-caught aquarium fish for me and a young child for sonal, that would be the bomb. thanks.