Random hits on the keyboard

Travel has been much harder due to the covid. The hardly owned covid negative report was not even checked thoroughly. The transit is via Dubai. My departure to Kathmandu is from terminal 2, which is not a great terminal. This terminal is for budget airlines. It is small with limited shopping choices and crowded. It's like a stepson of Dubai airport. As I landed at Terminal 3, I was worried that I will be directly transferred to terminal 2. But, before that, the transfer was through grand terminal 3. It is good to see a bit of 'life', but 15 hours is too long and difficult. It's just 0300 hrs local time and I have 9 more hours to spend. I am sleepy and tired. When I was working in Afghanistan, sometimes I travel via Dubai terminal 2. Back then, I wished to pass through other terminals. Now the wish has come true but a bit too much. 15 long hours.

छ हप्ता त हो नि भन्छु म छ - छ हप्ता ? भन्छौ तिमी शब्द मात्र होइन रैछ  कसैलाई छोटो, त कसैलाई भयानक लामो  सापेक्ष समय, मनुष्य मात्र पात्र, मेरो पालो, तिम्राे पालो, हाम्रो पालो अभिनयको, अनि नेपथ्यमा बिलाउने । पालो कुर्ने र पुन: छ हप्ताकाे चक्रमा लामबद्ध हुने । फेरि तिमी भन्छौ - छ छ हप्ता? विती त हाल्छ, म भन्छु ।  हो ! छ हप्ता त के , छ वर्ष पनि बित्छ, तर के म पर्खन मात्र हो मेरो समय? तिमी सोध्छौ । न म सँग उत्तर छ, न त म संग समाधान नै । अनि मेरो प्रति प्रश्न तिमीलाई, के तिमी म मा  दार्शनिक देख्छौ? म जिवनको परिभाषा जान्दिन , र जिवनको मार्गदर्शन मेरो विज्ञताको विषय होइन् । बस्, म यति कुरा जान्दछु, म हरेक छ हप्तामा प्रकट हुने र हप्तादिनमा विलय हुने म "ओ मान्छे" । 😍

I had a visit once again this week, to the mountains, not hills, real mountains. I enjoyed the mountains, we went around many mountain ranges - from chilling uphill to warm and windy downhills. The green grasslands are special. I imagined how my kids would enjoy it if they ever get a chance to run and roll on those grasslands. My hometown lacks open space. Here, space is not an issue. The horses and sheep are grazing, and farmers are busy plowing the field - rain is expected soon and it will be a festival for farmers. The more I explore the new world, the more I'm followed by Tuktuk. They are everywhere, from the deserted highway in Ethiopia to busy city roads in Butwal.  And Happy New Year 2078. Today is one of the new years that Nepal celebrates. It's the first day of the National calendar. This calendar follows no logic. It is not based on solar nor lunar. It's confusing when festivals move a month backward and forward. Kid...

The recent few visits have been amazing. The vast dry land, bare, a very little vegetation, they are the wonders of nature - but the life here is certainly very difficult. There is not much water, some small borings holes downhills, and an oasis. Though the beauty of nature is priceless, the beauty of nature has its price. The beauty explained by a 'tourist' is not necessarily true for the locals, and the smile on the face of locals do not say much about the harsh living conditions. I feel as a tourist. I am being selfish to enjoy the views, the scenery - and I say they are majestic. I forget about the heated sun, dry air, and skin scale. I continued,  "The never-ending plateau, the vast open land, and the  hills are rocky." and  Suddenly, I am stopped by my Ethiopian Friends, 'My friend! they are mountains, not hills.' Ops! my apology, I am being a tourist. I have to leave my Nepal hangover. I correct myself, "Sorry, right! they are mountains. The mounta...

सानाे ठाउँ, कम सुविधा, त्यस माथि अहिलेको बिग्रँदो सुरक्षा अवस्थाको कारण इन्टरनेट छैन । बिजुली काटिएको छ - सरकार भन्छ मर्मत हुँदैछ , तर जनता विश्वास गर्ने पक्षमा छैन । यी समसमाहिक विषयलाई मध्येनजर गर्दै म आजको दिउँसोको कफी खान हिँडे ।  खाना खाना अनि कफी पसलमा समय रोकिन्छ । कसैलाई हतारो छैन - किन हुनु पर्यो त ? विद्यालय बन्द छन् । सबै व्यापार प्रायः ठप्प छन् । निर्माण कार्य बन्द छ । कफी पसलमा युवाको ठूलो जमात देखिन्छ । यता मेरो होटलमा पनि दिउँसै मादकपदार्थ खानेको हुल छ - मोबाइल त चार्ज गर्नु पर्यो - सहरमा बिजुली छैन, मात्र ठूला होटलमा केहि घण्टा जेनेरेटर बालिन्छ । म कफी खान बसे । मेरो पालो, मैले पनि समय रोकिदिए । अनि कडा कफीको स्वाद लिँदै एकछिन आरामले बसे । 

It has been 35 days without tea, I mean a real tea. I am now craving a strongly brewed milk tea. Obvious and easily available items, once upon a time, is now recherché. A list of rare elements is long, and I miss those things one day. Today it is a cup of tea. Hot milk and water with a bit of sugar and tea - brew it. This is the simplest recipe in the world. And I could not find it here. How come there are places in the world that do not have tea? The tea that comes with the tea bag is half tea. but the real Chiya in a big mug is 😍😍 You may say that I loved coffee here. Yes, I do. Coffee is super but Chya is also a drink to die for.

This weekend is full of 'good time'. Having a good time is a relative term, what is a good time? When we are home, the threshold is high. Being here, the good time is having internet, and having uninterrupted internet to have a video call is an 'oh my god' moment. :) I moved from one hotel to another, and today, I had to move from one room to another to have a shower, because the shower in my room was broken. So, having two rooms is a 'good time' and I felt having an apartment. This day went by - and it is almost the evening. I going to have a coffee and a local beer to celebrate the day. I had rice today, with vegetables. There is no meat - due to the 'fasting month'. And having meat is a 'good time' sometime. There is no electricity in the town for the last three days. So, the mobile network is very poor and now electricity has also been a luxury. I see many colleagues are in the office - work pressure plus internet. The work-life balance is a ...

प्रतिकूल मौसम, सुख्खा जमीन कठोर जीवन - किन सिकायत मात्रै हौं ?  फुल्न त सकिन्छ है , रमाउन त सकिन्छ है ।