Hello Blogosphere!

 I apologize for being a terrible blogger. I was so into it this summer and had lots of time to write (not to mention my summer was way more adventurous)! However, I have finally regained the enthusiasm to get back on the blogosphere.


I've actually had an amazing September + beginning of October...and cannot wait for what's next. Here are some highlights: 



1. I was so inspired by Matt Cutts' "Try Something new for 30 days" video when I attended TedXKTM so I decided to do the same in order to keep myself motivated and follow through with my goals. Sometimes life does get a little mundane so why not work on goals for 30 days or something you've always wanted to do. It will definitely be rewarding!


My goals for October:
1) Go to the gym 3 times a week         2) Read the news for 30 minutes everyday. 


You should definitely check out the video -very inspiring:
http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

2. I went to Steve Aoki's concert at the Pit (i don't understand why it was at the Pit) and it was absolutely nuts (in a good way of course!) So much energy and craziness. Best workout music -gets me going and gives me so much energy. 

Craziness that was + Steve Aoki

This one is my favorite -We hit turbulenceeeee

3. I'm back into Salsa Dancing and it's just so nice to just dance and forget everything else for a while. It's the perfect stress reliever (except when you get a terrible male lead and blames you for turning the wrong way haha).


4. I'm really missing home because it's Dashain. Oh that craziness in New Road and shopping malls. the music. the tika. jamara taas. naya paisa (new money). newari bhoj. and the list will go on. HAPPY DASHAIN to you all!

5. Kesler had a godly photo for the ESPN magazine and I'm still all over it. 


6. I'm planning out what's next for me....grad school or work. Grad school here or elsewhere or stay here or Nepal. so many decisions but I think I kind of found a solution at the same time....

That's all for now. Will update you soon-ish.

On the way to Gambier Island :)

Much Love,
C

Back to Vancouver...

First of all, It was heart-warming and lightened up my mood to walk into my room ( that needed some serious decoration) and find a sunflower and a note from my room-mate, Robyn, saying "welcome home sunshine". 

I was extremely tired with painful knees and a sore neck after sitting in the plane for around 18 hours and 17 hours in transit (total). It was a weird field getting out of airport -let's just say stepping off of the plane. It was so clean, quiet, organized -so orderly. Everything all of a sudden was about being independent, making your own meals, no more pampering by my mother, no more work from 9-5pm for the first couple weeks, no more relatives to visit -yes, I was alone at my own house. I was so used to seeing my mom and relatives and people at all times. Trust me, I was always surrounded by people in Nepal. 
I was struck and felt home sick for the first week and missed my mom and Nepal. You would think that you'd get used to it by the third time you're going home and coming back but no, it feels like that every year. (However, I have to say that I was so over the j-lag shabang the day I got here. I trained myself well. hooray!) 


It's so easy to say what you look forward to rather than say what you are going to miss. I guess it makes sense to say that the "grass is greener on the other side." I was so excited to do this and that before I came here but for the first few days, I just missed Nepal and didn't really care about what I had initially wanted to do. To make things worse, my room was so depressing. I have a tiny window which hardly emits any light and to top that off, the lights in my room were so dim. The carpet was ugly and and nothing seemed right even after organizing my room in several different ways. I  can't say I disapproved EVERYTHING... I spent time with Nova and Jordan which definitely helped me get over this home-sickness -shopping for furniture, went for dimsum, sushi & Vietnamese food, got our nails did. I think it was just a matter of time...


On my 11th day, however, I feel well-adjusted and finally digging Vancouver. I'm getting used to my independent life and making the most out of my free time before school starts. After the 3rd arrangement, this is what my room finally looks like and I have to say it feels like mi casa now with two 100 watt light bulbs! 

don't ask. I've accrued so much in 4 years.

THE NEPALI TOUCH

I'll try to make my posts as interesting as I can but I promise you it won't be as random and crazy as the ones from Nepal (I mean Nepal is that GREAT). I mean I'm not saving children any more so...ok people, I know SAVE THE CHILDREN sounds all cliché but quit the "did you save any children" jokes. you know who you are. It's old news. 


Anyway, Vancouver definitely has a record for sunshine 12 days consecutively -oh wait, it rained in the middle for one day. Nevermind. However, it has still been gorgeous after that I'm definitely loving the summery-ness. It's not disgustingly hot, it's just perfect to sit in my back yard or walk 10 blocks down the beach to tan. 

In the midst of planning, organizing, I slipped in some light parting as well ;) My darling Shivani headed off to Dominica for med school. If I hear her complain about the place, I think I might hang up on her. 

Result of p-drinks on MY floor. It was brown btw. Ice cap anyone? 

Good-bye cake for Shiv. Punturey feet=small feet=size 5=Pallavi

At Las Margaritas

The Nepali Trio

Night out at the Backstage Lounge...so diverse!

Roomies for life. Picture for our fridge. lol

Year 5 here I come!

xx

Chandni

Vancouver Anticipations

It has been a while since I've written anything. I've been busy finishing up my final report and preparing for my presentations. So I leave for Vancouver next Tuesday (Aug 16) and feel quite accomplished since I've finished my final report at Save the Children, giving a presentation tomorrow and got to travel to places around Nepal I've never traveled. I trekked the Annapurna Base Camp and explored the villages of Banke and Rukum which was a completely different experience. Speaking of accomplishments, I've managed to stock up on my wai-wai, masalas, titaura to take back with me to Vancouver for at least a year. It seriously amazes me that I manage to bring and take back 2 X 23 kilos of luggage every year. It's never lower than than or more (well I'm not allowed but still) Clearly, I'm not a light packer but that's okay because at least I'm prepared for whatever. Oh by the way, it's not all for me. I've got gifts for some of you :) yay!!! 

It's always such a strange feeling leaving Kathmandu. I'm looking forward to all these things in Kathmandu yet there's this other part of me saying oh i'm going to miss this and this and this... However, let's focus on the positives and let you know what i'm looking forward to....(yes, there's a list) 

1. Can't wait to walk into my new home and see my bestie Robyn :) I know she has already planned me a meal (I'm sorry FEAST) for that night I get in (Wednesday Aug 17) :P
2. YES, i'm looking forward to unpacking, organizing and arranging my room. For those of you who don't know me, I'm super into the organizing and arranging part.
3. VISITING all my friends-you know who you are (you're not allowed to say "omg you're so tanned or that I gained weight....just be jealous and know that my mother and relatives love me lots)
4. Chilling at the beach in the sunshine...
5. RUNNING!!!! I cannot stress how much I need and want to do this. Running outside in the fresh air or running to the beach. 
6. Starting the INSANITY program. 
7. Using my magic bullet and sip on my home-made margaritas. ( I know #6 and #7 are sort of conflicting) 
8. Pampering my taste buds --> definitely headed to noodle box and kitstaya sushi. I also missed my salt n vinegar chips. I never managed to find this in KTM.
9. As much as I enjoyed my mom's food and the luxury of not cooking, I have missed cooking by myself and doing my own groceries. 
10. Wine Tour at Pacific Breeze Winery
11. Organizing my schedule and running on my own time.
12. 4 day weekend :)
13. Being a 5th year student at UBC and figuring out where my life is headed after that. 
14. Seeing my mum, Su and Linda for my grad in MAY! 

5 days to go......

xoxo

CK

12 out of 75!

I was just making a list of districts I've been to in Nepal. Out of 75 and only been to 12 (wow, not even close to half!). Hopefully, I'll be able to travel around later :) Places I definitely want to go are: Solukhumbu, Manang, Mustang, Dolpa & Bardiya. 

'Tis all for now...flying back to ktm tomorrow. woot woot.

CK

Adventures in Rukum...Part 2

Hope you enjoyed the previous read...here's part II.

1) Now let’s talk about how they treated me. This will never cease to amaze me because I have never met people that were so hospitable. When we got to the homes, the first thing that they would say is “you must be tired. Go get some rest.” They would take us to their rooms and tell us to rest on the bed. This amazes me because in Kathmandu and in the Western world, you would probably not like it if some stranger rested in your bed. I have to say I’m not entirely comfortable with this. At first, I sat on the floor but they insisted that I relaxed on the bed. In Nepal, guests are treated like gods (“atithee deva bhawa”) but in the villages it was definitely grander than the traditions of Kathmandu.

2) Then they brought us cold jug of water with some peaches or pears that were freshly picked off the tree. I swear the taste of something that’s freshly picked off the tree is way better. It will definitely suck big time when I go back to Vancouver where almost every fruit and vegetable is imported from California or Mexico. Part of this FSI project involved providing seeds for local and in-season vegetables and fruits and giving them the technical background as well. I wish I was there to learn all this as well. I told the villagers how fortunate they were to have their own kitchen garden and that lots of the fruits and vegetables in KTM are injected with all sorts of things to make them look bigger and better.

Banana Tree

Kitchen Garden

Egg Plant and Corn

3) Then the food just kept coming. They brought us tea and when we told them it was time to leave for the next village after the FGDs and questionnaires, they would not consent. They would say “nashta garera janus” (have a light meal before you go). Yes, nashta=light meal but was it really a light meal? A BIG FAT N-O! There were lots of items: rice and lentils (dalbhat), several different vegetables from their kitchen garden (beans, eggplant, potatoes), chicken curry (the chicken was just killed for us...no big deal). On top of that, they provided us with home-made yoghurt. This is all happening at around 2 pm after lunch. Let’s just say this was lunch #2 and not a light meal whatsoever. It was like this pretty much in every village we went to. So yes, my plan for losing some weight by walking those hills on this trip didn’t quite work out because it was obviously cancelled out by all these feasts. I’m just going to have to postpone working out and weight-loss to when I get back to Vancouver.

Don't worry, this wasn't the chicken that was made for us :)

Some beans for our meal

I’m just amazed at how selfless these people are and how much they provide guests regardless of the situation they’re in. They’re in debt, have to walk an hour or two sometimes to get water or send their kids to school yet they treat you like they have everything. Also, they seem so content and satisfied with their way of life. The children there just eat what they’re given and don’t even have to be force fed by their mothers as opposed to my cousins who are constantly being pampered at to eat the food otherwise they won’t get the chocolate or the game they’ve been promised. So strange. 

4) I could really go on and on about how hospitable they were because that was one of the things that amazed me the most. However, I do have to mention the good-byes. First, they made me dance to some Nepali songs while they sang and played the madal. Then each of them performed their dance. Then the funniest part came. They asked me to dance to my type of dance in ktm or Canada. Someone had Akon’s “smack that” on their cell phone and a bunch of these other ones which I refused to dance to so instead I danced to some old hindi song and I was probably cracking up 1/2  of it. Apparently they enjoyed it and I’m glad I could do something for them.

Dancing...

FGD

Singing and playing the madal

Then they put tika (red powder on forehead) on us and made these beautiful flower garlands. It was a sad moment for me because I felt like they did so much for me yet I was unable to provide them with anything. Seeing the conditions they live in, such as kids with diarrhea having to walk an hour before reaching the clinic, women having to fetch water which is at least an hour away and knowing that a lot of the women have husbands in India and Saudi Arabia to earn money (to name a few), has inspired and motivated me. Hearing such things in the news makes me feel sorry but it's passive. However, being there and seeing it has really fueled the motivation in me to help in some ways when I return. I may not be able to provide immediate solutions to these issues but I know for a fact that I would definitely like to come back to Nepal and alleviate these situations.

I am so thankful that I’ve been provided with this opportunity to explore my own country and learn about the people’s needs, ways and their culture. It has also made me realize where my passion lies -which is back in Nepal designing and implementing interventions to help the most vulnerable citizens. 


My 4 days in the villages were spent talking with the village locals, running FGDs, conducting questionnaires, eating all the delicious food they made me and observing. Here are two things I found fascinating other than the things I've already mentioned above and in my last post:


1) They never have to buy vegetables because their kitchen garden provides them veggies all 12 months! This is one of my goals for when I'm settled and have my own place. Local, organic and sustainable :) 


2) One of the questions for the survey involved asking for the costs of children's education.  It was really interesting because the women said education costs are the most expensive, similar to food, but "k garne (what to do) we have to educate our children even if it means taking a loan." This surprised me and made me happy at the same time because I always thought that education was not a priority for many families in the villages, however, it seems to have changed at least in the homes I went to. The fact that they said "have to educate" made me feel like there were changes taking places -thanks to many projects, t.v shows, community motivators etc. 

I guess this is it for now. I definitely encourage you all to travel and get involved and discover what it is that fuels you (you don't necessarily have to travel to the rural areas to discover your passion -it's really about trying out new things and meeting new people)


We will be in touch.


xoxo
Chandni

Adventures in Rukum...Part I

I know I haven't written in a while and have lost touch with blogosphere but it's because I've been travelling around in Rukum and here's a super long write for you all. There's Part 1 and Part 2 :)

THE LANDING 

The plane shakes and drops (I swear it could qualify to be in an amusement park!) It’s a 1 hr 15 minute flight from Kathmandu to Rukum. I swear, I got that adrenaline rush. As we’re landing, we’re pretty much surrounded by hills –so gorgeous yet scary at the same time. Never in my life have I prayed so much, while I was in the plane. to keep me alive. I can see some nervous passengers as the plane drops and gets closer to land –so not smooth! The plane lands and wow –hills pretty much everywhere and we just landed on this not-so-big grassy area. So many emotions –thrilled, amazed and oh shit, how in the world did he just land in this small area which was also a cliff.

Oh sorry, forgot to mention how I could see the pilot and the engine from where  I sat :)

People from KTM + hills = SLOW?  

As I’m confidently walking up the hills (not to mention going in front of my co-worker), people that pass me ask me where I’m from. They find out I’m from KTM and the first thing they say is “Bahini timlai hidna garo bhayena? Kasari etro pahad chadyo kathmandu ma basera?" (translation: Isn't it hard for you to walk? How did you climb the hills even though you're from Kathmandu). I pass more people and it’s the same story. I pat myself on the back for being able to walk (i'm sorry confidently walk) and kind of chuckle and realize that it’s probably true for some people but seriously, we have a stereotype that we need to get rid of. Anyways, we had to walk between 1-3 hrs to get to different villages and my favorite was definitely uphill :) 

How gorgeous is this? Rainbow against the hills!

Boo Rainy Season

Oh gosh, travelling in the rainy season is such a pain especially when you have to cross rivers that come up to my knees. I am such a newbie when it comes to crossing these rivers. Usually the villager held my hand and once, I got a piggy-back ride (don’t laugh). In addition to crossing rivers, the trails going downhill was another -"oh shit, I hope I survive and not slip off narrow trails and head down the cliffs." The trails were all muddy and were composed of red clay and the rain just made it super slippery and decided to give the new person in Rukum a little scare. My co-worker and the community motivator (someone from the community working for the project) are wearing slippers and walking the downhills so easily –no big deal. Then there’s me, wearing my waterproof trekking shoes, knees trembling as I take every step. The trails uphill were not a big issue but downhill was a real scare. I was literally sitting and descending while others laughed at me for being such a newbie. Mad respect to the locals who have to do their daily tasks (cutting grass far from home, fetching water, etc) regardless of the weather.

Don't judge. Because I know you are, that is why I didn't put up the picture of me getting a piggy-back across the river. 

Working for Save the Children for two months has allowed me to explore two districts of Nepal: Rukum and Banke. Although I didn’t get to stay with the local people in Banke, I got the opportunity to stay 3 nights with the locals in various VDCs of Rukum à Bhalakcha & Rhunga. It may not be enough to fully understand them, however, I did understand some aspects of their lives and culture. For me, this was a great start to something that will definitely continue after I finish my semester of Bachelor’s degree and my MPH degree.

I’m helping with some documentation of the outcomes of the FSI project. Similar to Banke, I ran focus group discussions (FGD) and conducted questionnaires with the help of my co-workers. The project aims to increase food production and household income and improve nutrition by executing various such as mobilizing and coaching vulnerable groups, increasing access to safety nets, increasing access to land and water, improving agricultural and nutritional practices, creating links to agricultural inputs, services and markets and providing opportunities for off-farm vocation and micro-enterprises. The villagers were so thankful for the project and you could really see the excitement and gratitude in their eyes and the way they treated us. Since the project was coming to an end, they were sad and hoped that such projects that focused on nutrition education and improvement in agricultural practices and income would continue. Do read my research paper later about the impact of the project which I will post later once I’m done. 

Here are some pictures of the kitchen garden...

corn field

Green chili peppers

Beans

Tomatoes

 Make sure you read my next blog post about my experience in the villages ;)

xoxo

C

few updates...

Sorry haven't had too many updates in a while. You know the deal with KTM.  Almost a week since I've been back from Nepalgunj and on Sunday, I'm heading to Rukum -a district in the mid-west of Nepal. I'm definitely really looking forward to this part of Nepal because it's more of a hilly and mountainous region as opposed to Banke which is pretty much no hills or mountains. It's just flat. So apparently Rukum is going to be a lot of walking which I'm excited about because I haven't had any exercise since my Annapurna trek. Let's just say I'm heavily breathing now when I climb two flights of stairs. I blame this on my mom and relatives for feeding me delicious and to P for always taking me to Vesper Cafe and feeding me the wood-fire pizza (soo good!). 


This week has been basically about eating because I'm catching up on the food that I missed out for 3 weeks :) I've also eaten Korean food already four times in 6 days that I've been here. DELISH! Also, I've been in Nepal for 2 months now and wow, that sped by pretty fast. Mum and I have a movie date tomorrow and I'm really hoping we'll get tickets for the show because it's a new hindi movie that's coming out tomm-Zindagi  Na Milegi Dobara. Alrighty, I should have some interesting updates later....for now, adios.

xoxo
C

Good-bye Nepalgunj

Geez, talk about time going by slow when you want it to go by fast. Yes, it's Friday (I know I know....R.B Rebecca Black...Friday is never gonna be just Friday--it will be associated with that song!) Anyways, the point is, I'm leaving for Kathmandu in several hours and takin' the last flight! I've been really really really  looking forward to going back and spending time with my mum and family and my friends that I haven't seen since I've come to KTM which was in May. Oh and I'm so ready to get out of this hot weather here. I mean I had a great time -learning about new culture in my own country, exploring other people's way of life, getting to know people from various communities and of course eating mangoes -but, home is where the heart is :) 


The flight is around an hour and I hope to catch some amazing views of the mountains like I did when I was flying to Nepalgunj. It's all clear and sunny now (geez what was with the weather two hours ago -it was pouring like no other!) Bipolar much?


These pictures are from when I flew to Nepalgunj...you could see so many mountain ranges!!! Definitely my first time seeing so many ranges in a single day! Definitely going to do a mountain flight soon-ish. 

Alrighty peeps, you enjoy your weekend and stay out of trouble :P 


Au revoir! xx
Much love,
C

For the Love of Food...

I love eating. Love trying out new restaurants. There aren't many food I don't like. I love collecting recipes. Love watching others cook and cooking for others. Love home-made food. I wasn't that much of a foodie before but ever since I've gone to university and met many new people, I've turned into a total foodie. I did not enjoy cooking before going off to college. I thought of it as a chore. But somehow, these fantastic roommates (Robyn and Julia) and my Canadian families (Oyas and Mathesons) have totally transformed me into someone who not only enjoys food, but someone who enjoys cooking it as well. It has become a hobby of mine.


Just thought I'd share some of my favorite places -will share recipes later!. (they're not in any special order) I'm probably just going to say they're all delicious or my favorite. Sorry, not good with descriptions that will make your mouth water. Just try out the restaurants.


1. The Noodle Box -SouthEast Asian noodle bar in Vancouver, Canada

I never get sick of this place even though I always get the Teriyaki Chicken/Shrimp Noodle Box and get the Hot. I've gone for Xtra Hot and yea, it was pretty much a bam! if you're looking for something spicy or not and craving south east asian food, definitely go here!
http://thenoodlebox.net/kits/ -The Menu


http://thenoodlebox.net/spice-guide/ --the spice guide







2. Vesper Cafe (Pulchowk, Nepal)       Definitely one of the best places for wood fire pizza and nachos in KTM. The pizza here beats any other pizza places including ones in Vancouver. I honestly haven't tried any other food here because I always end up getting the pizza here -choice of 4 topping pizza! I also like the garden atmosphere here. 

http://vespercafe.com/index.php?nav=menu#




3. Fire and Ice Pizzeria (Thamel, Nepal)



Another wood fire pizza restaurant owned by Italians. Vesper and Fire and Ice are my two favorite pizza places. HIGHLY recommended and gets 5 out of 5 pizza stars! http://www.fireandicepizzeria.com/in/kathmandu_menu.html









4. Kitstaya Sushi (Vancouver, Canada)
This place has some delicious sushi (*mouth waters already) and a wide variety as well. It's not that expensive and very close to UBC :) I usually end up getting a couple of these ones:  miso soup, gyoza, spicy tuna roll, smoked salmon roll, Philadelphia roll (smoked salmon +cream cheese), scallop roll...there's definitely more....I'm totally craving sushi right now. I miss it!


http://www.kitstayasushi.com/menu.html




5. East is East (Vancouver, BC)

The first thing I'll tell you is that I've had my birthday here twice (19st and 21st) because I LOVE (yes, capital letter LOVE) this place. When you go here, you'll first think it's an Indian restaurant and then Persian -you name it. This place has live music and food from the Silk Road (ancient trading route passing through northern China, Tibet, India, Persia, Turkey, North Africa, to Spain and Greece). If you like curry or food with lots of flavor and spice, then it's the place to be. You also get refills of food that you have not ordered before :) Oh and it's also atmosphere that makes me come back to these places -it's a fusion of India, Persia, Turkey as mentioned before. It's pretty hard to get seats on Fridays and Saturdays! So get there early or make reservations! Oh, it's a pretty good place for dates too :) I usually have the plate with rice, alu gobi, chicken curry and all the yummy salads.

http://www.eastiseast.ca/


6. Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant (Vancouver, Canada) 
These are the things that makes this restaurant to die for: elevator ride up to the top floor, the spectacular view from the restaurant, the class ambiance and of course, the delicious food. I might have to add that this one is on the pricier end and say save this restaurant for that special occasion or whenever your parents visit you :) When I was there, I had duck trio which is duck breast, duck confit, and duck confit risotto served in sour cherry, orange, red wine sauce....mmm your mouth watering already? MINE IS! 




So yes, these are the six restaurants that I would go to without any thinking! I hope I haven't forgotten any. Here are some different dishes that look amazing and make my mouth water...droool*** they're randomly off the website. 

Is your mouth drooling already? Bon apetit my friends!

xoxo

C