Delayed, But Full of Dashain!

Picture 1: Me with my tika - the red dot is the tika, made of red dye and rice powder; the black line symbolizes that is a special tika for Dashain; the red and white fabric around my neck is a malla (special gift with the tika); and although you can't see it, I have the special grasses and flowers tucked into my ponytail.

Picture 2: The Banepa temple. Beautiful location, but only for the very devout - HUGE hill to get up!

Picture 3: One of the last survivors of Dashain...

Picture 4: View of Banepa from the temple

Picture 5: This is one of the more creative ways that Nepalis keep people from tresspassing - I've also seen rusty nails, barbed wires...

Picture 6: What my feet looked like after walking maybe halfway to the village. The trail is NOT the way to go in the rain!

Picture 7: Why my feet looked so muddy...

Picture 8: Charlotte on the 'ping', the swing made specially for Dashain. You see them all over Nepal.

Picture 9: Ranuka (right), Unika (left), and Unik (front). They were so precious!

Picture 10: Not sure this picture does the crowdedness of the bus justice, but it was PACKED...that's why it's leaning precariously off the road.

I apologize for the delay in blog posts – I have been sick for the majority of the past week, and thus have had few interesting experiences to blog about. When I finally decided to go the doctor, it was discovered that I had the Nepali flu. Nasty stuff – in the US it would be closer to horrible cold/bronchitis I think! Fortunately it seems to be going away thanks to cough syrup and crazy amounts of vitamins. I am back in Banepa with my homestay family, and we are in the midst of the Dashain festival here in Nepal.

Bijaya Dashami (Durga’s Victory) celebrates just that – the goddess Durga’s victory over evil. It is a predominantly Hindu holiday, though like Christmas and Thanksgiving in the States, it has become a cultural holiday celebrated by everyone in some manner. They might as well – it lasts for 2 weeks! The last two days have been the most exciting of Dashain, as they involve massive amounts of slaughter (goats and water buffalo) and feasts. Nothing is wasted in Nepal. Yesterday was the day of the big nation-wide slaughter, so the families have been cooking and feasting like crazy. I avoided the streets, not wanting to see all the cute goats I’ve seen “mehhing” their way to slaughter actually killed. Besides being sick, it was also raining, so I stayed at the house with Charlotte (a Fulbrighter from last year who lived here and is back to visit) and we made bread - very poorly, given that we were not used to baking in Nepal - and hung out while the family feasted and partied elsewhere.
Today’s celebration was the Tika-celebration where everyone receives “tika” – red marks on their forehead made with a red powder mixed with rice – as well as a necklace made of red and white fabric that is given on special occasions (malla), apples, walnuts and pieces of coconut. Today the special part of the offering is called janai, a type of grass that is planted on the first day of Dashain on peoples’ altars and is given today for people to wear in their hair, around their necks, or tucked behind their ears. Also, in deference to the Dashain holiday, a black mark is made under the red tika. When everything is given (the food and flowers as well as tika) it is called “Prasad”. Left to our own devices today, Charlotte and I wandered Banepa (most things were closed) and went to see if one of the maamaa’s (mother’s brother’s) shop was open. When we arrived, we were swiftly ushered upstairs, given tika and Prasad and told to sit, drink raksi (Nepali moonshine, best I can tell), and given Newari food. The family is in the Newari (pronounced ney wari) caste, and are mostly merchants and shopkeepers. This caste was the first to settle the valley and is found all over Banepa and in Kathmandu. Also, a cultural note – it is considered rude to turn down what is offered to you to eat and drink (I catch a lot of flack for being a vegetarian here because my host family eats lots of meat, especially during Dashain!) and the raksi is especially important to partake in, because each family makes their own using a secret recipe never to be revealed to an outsider and are very proud of their raksi. After receiving tikas, food and raksi from the family (note that it was about 10am here), Charlotte and I went to find birthday presents for Tikaji (the host father – he was named after ‘tika’ day) and got him some apples and a coconut. When we had purchased the presents, we found ourselves locked out, so we walked to the Banepa temple – a beautiful temple set on top of a large hill that overlooks the valley surrounding it.

We then went to Shreekhandapur, a nearby village that Charlotte taught English in when she lived in Banepa last year. She had taught a girl named Unika in the village and had become very close to her family, so we decided to visit. The roads leading to the village were horrendous, and the pounding rain that has come back was very evident on the roads – ponds and mud abound! The family is compassionate and generous and was so welcoming to us despite living in extreme poverty. The house consisted of one room that served as bedroom/kitchen/living area and was approximately 10x18 square feet for 5 people and one are the way (there are four children, but one is married and lives elsewhere). Regardless, we were treated as honored guests and given preferential seating on the bed and fed a good lunch. The children then took us on a tour of the village and we were treated to a turn on the Dashami swing (ping) – a treat for the children (and adults!) consisting of a swing constructed of four bamboo rods. When we returned we chatted (well Charlotte chatted in Nepali, and I tried to discern what was going on!), taught the children some songs (Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes….), and gave them some stickers Charlotte had brought. Before we left, Unika (the youngest daughter) presented me with a lovely pink, glittery, plastic bracelet. I felt bad taking it, but the gift was given with love, and I look forward to visiting again and hopefully beginning to repay the family’s kindness. They were such a blessing to me today. I also hope to go back to check on the mother – she’s pregnant with her 5th child, not of age where the pregnancy is likely to be easy, and seems very ill. A new child will be very difficult for the family.

After our visit to Shreekhandapur, we went back to Banepa to the MaaMaa’s house, where, like Thanksgiving, the party was still raging, food and raksi was being provided liberally, and good cheer abounded. We were greeted with fresh cups of raksi and thanks to my lovely dai (big brother) who had told everyone that I play the guitar and sing, I was asked to sing for the group. A note to those who aren’t aware of this, I don’t sing in public! I can’t hear myself well enough to be confident in my voice. When I said no, that I couldn’t sing without my guitar, my oldest dai and his cousins begin playing air guitar in accompaniment. Aided by cheers and liquid courage thanks to the Nepali moonshine, I sang. Fortunately it wasn’t too horrible, because everyone clapped in a rather sincere manner when I finished! It was a fun evening, full of good food and company that ended late – 7pm – when we walked back to our own houses to play Uno and relax before it was time for bed.