Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Life in Nepal

Yesterday we had an easier day. The apartment kitchen needed new lino
as it was in tatters so we went into Patan which is a short ride in a
tempo, a three wheeled vehicle with as many people as can be squeezed
inside with some hanging off the back. Cost only ten rupees about 12
cents. We purchased the best quality in the shop for a cost of $60
and to my surprise the man said that included installation and it
would be done by 5 pm today and it was now early afternoon. How is
that for service? It looks very nice and so much cleaner. We had
lunch in a local restaurant of coffee and chips. I do not like french
fries in Canada but here in Nepal they call them finger chips and they
are delicious and the coffee is a milk coffee like my mother used to
make years ago. I suppose a true coffee drinker would not like it but
we do. Mann delivered some wedding invitations for their wedding in
two week's time.

Life here in Nepal is getting tougher with the rising prices
everywhere. We never eat in the tourist area or restaurants as the
prices have risen so much so when out we use Nepali restaurants for
half the price. Jobs for unskilled persons are very hard to find.
Mann's brother-in-law, Mohan, leaves for Qatar today to work in a
dairy and will be earning only $80 per week and he also has to pay
back his agent fee and airplane ticket over the next months. They
work long hours six days per week but he says it is better than not
working at all.

Uma, who I wrote about earlier here, has nearly finished her sewing
course and has also now got a job in the passport office as a cook.
Mann tells me that the sewing course really changed her and she became
a responsible young woman. So now she has a job and her sewing as
well. I am going to visit her home today. Uma gave us a lot of
frustration over the years but our patience and belief in her has paid
off and many thanks to her sponsor who never gave up on her either.

Now we are going to visit some children and will have more photos tomorrow.



No comments: