Sorry, Did I Not Mention... Also Holi Approaches.

Looking back through my previous posts I realise there are a few everyday occurances that I haven't really written about but are important pieces of life in Kathmandu.

Simple things like shopkeepers throwing water onto the streets in front of their stores to keep the dust off of their merchandise.  They generally do this without paying any attention to what or who is passing by, I have had to jump out of the way on a couple of occasions.  Still it is better than being gobbed on.

Also there is only ten hours of electricity a day from the main grid.  A good portion of this seems to come on in the middle of the night so people can charge their back-up batteries for the daytime.  When the power is off they call it load-shedding.  This means that people are very frugal with power and it also means that you have to get used to the sound of generators trundling away at all hours.  The hotel I am at has a generator but it only powers the lights so I cannot watch TV or charge anything at these times.  I have been leaving whatever it is that I need to charge  plugged in over night this seems to do the trick.  Because of all this I am getting a lot of reading and writing done which is no bad thing.  I think I am correct in saying that all of Nepal's electricity comes from either hydro or solar power which of course is fantastic, there just isn't enough of it.

You are never more than a few steps away from a temple or shrine or stupa.  They are everywhere on main roads down little side streets and in the middle of road works.  Half of the city feels like it is being re-built.  Unlike in the UK where large sheets of tarpaulin cover up whatever work is going on here it is out in the open for everyone to see.  The tools are basic the scaffolding mostly bamboo, a huge amount of houses look half finished especially outside of the centre, it can be hard to tell what is falling down and what is being built.

Lately I have also seen a lot of women carrying massive cupboards and wardrobes on their backs.  Something to think about next time your having a moan about Ikea's delivery service.  Strap it to your head and carry it on your back.

The children of this city love saying hello.  I know assume if I hear a hello that it is directed at em it normally is. Most are happy with a cheery hello back but some are a bit more demanding.  I had a lad run up to me the other day yelling "Chocolate!, Chocolate!, Chocolate!  I had no chocolate and when this became obvious he demanded one hundred rupees.  They always want one hundred rupees.   Some of these children have real chutzpah!

It isn't only shopkeepers that throw water.  This Sunday is Holi the Hindu festival of colour.  In the build up to this itis traditional for children to throw water at balloons at people especially westerners.  I am yet to be hit but there have been a couple of close calls.  Come Sunday I fully expect to be covered head to toe in paint as the children roam the streets with balloons and water pistols full of colourful paint, keeping an eye open for easy targets.  Despite not standing out in a crowd unless I stay indoors all day Sunday I am getting splatted.