The Village

Our first attempt to go to Chitwan brought us to a little village. It was on the way to Chitwan and near where Axel had repelled while we were in Dubai. The place was in the middle of nowhere. After a 3 hour drive, we piled the kids out of the van and made the trek uphill. As we walked, we seemed to gather more and more Nepalese kids along the way. They were all pointing and smiling and they seemed to want to make friends.





The little village had small huts made of bamboo and grass along with some livestock and fields of corn. When we finally reached the place where Axel repelled, the kids sat around just staring at each other. The local kids had nothing and I wished our stink'n stuff had showed up sooner from Dubai so I could have given them some decent clothes to have. Their clothing were rags and some of them didn't have any shoes.






The next stop we made was at a little hut restaurant on the river. It was a place where most white water rapid riders stop for a meal to eat and a book to read. They had a great selection of books and I was able to take in a couple of chapters of The Map of the World while Axel collected rocks for his Japanese garden. The kids were plenty entertained with the dog the owner had named 'Rapid' or 'Rapieeed' as they pronounced it. While there, it thundered and rained a bit, just enough to set the perfect mood. We then left and spent the night in a resort nearby. The next morning we found out that Chitwan was on strike. As a result, we headed home.

Dona chill'n at the restaurant

Axel gathering his many rocks for his garden


My kids having WAY more fun than they could handle

On our way back, Axel remembered that he had noticed some small trees in the village that had been chopped down so many times that they made perfect bonsais. He decided that we would make a stop there again before heading home.

The local people were again delighted to see us and one of the boys there, who spoke English, said that this was the first time they had seen white people. They watched our every move and enjoyed laughing at Axel for digging up a useless root. I am pretty sure I now know the word for 'crazy man' in Nepali.








When we were done, Axel gave them some money for our disturbance and we were on our way home. The entire village came to send us off and we were glad we made the detour. So, even though we never made it to Chitwan on our first attempt, the trip was fruitful (bonsais, orchids, river rocks) and the kids had a blast.

Xay showing off his bug

Patan

Axel came home from work yesterday saying, "You'll never guess what is right around the corner from my work." As it turns out, there is this sweet old city just a very short drive/walk away. It is one of the 3 old Royal cities in the Kathmandu valley. The city itself was founded in the 3rd century B.C. and it contains more than 1,200 Buddhist monuments. The next day I took Sedona to daddy's work for lunch so we could explore the ancient city.

Ganesh or the 'Elephant Guy' according to my kids

Dona not too sure about being placed in a strange woman's arms



The place is a shopper's heaven! It seemed everywhere you turned there was an elderly woman or child ready to sell their goods. It was hard to explain that I wasn't a tourist and really I just wanted to find a restaurant and eat lunch. They were so desperate to sell me a trinket that they all sat outside, waiting for me to finish my food. The second we paid the bill, they were glued to me again. It wasn't until Axel passed out a few 20 Rupees they they finally left us alone. Ah, ha, it never occurred to me that a simple handout of .35 cents could end the harassment once and for all.

She had some really cute necklaces for about 5 bucks

A little man really happy to be in a photo with us

What I especially loved about Patan were the Hindu carvings and statues. You gotta love the Hindus, they can come up with some crazyass stuff! I love it. I mean, is that really a psycho looking dragon eating two snakes??? And do they really believe that that Narasimha, the Man-Lion, will help them not be a pig in the next life? Whatever they think, it makes for some interesting pictures and fun souvenirs.

Check out this guy...he's just spewing some guts

Kathmandu K-9s

I just read that there is a new outbreak of TB on the eastern side of Kathmandu. Hard to believe, and a little scary. Almost as scary as the dogs in this city. Apparently, before the Maoists took office, security was a big issue (not that it still isn’t, just now the rebels are running the government, comforting, I know). As a result, every Arun, Rajev, and Ramus had a dog. Since it has calmed down, many of the Nepalese people have freed their once ferocious beast onto the city streets. They are EVERYWHERE and they scavenge every garbage pile they can find. They are so frightening because their disease just stares at you straight in the face whenever you encounter one.

Here are some visuals for you...









Hey, I am a dog lover but it is hard to even put these guys in the same genetic pool as my little Yorkie (who is probably the most pampered dog in all of Kathmandu). In fact, Yorkies were bred to catch rats but Shylock can't even take on the cockroaches they have here.

Tattling

Tattling has been going strong in the Bromley household these days. Heavah seems to be the master tattler and poor Xavier doesn't seem to have that great talent. Despite my consistent response of "Solve it yourselves, kids" I hear "Mooooooom!!!! Xavier blah, blah, blah." several times a day.

Yesterday Xavier came running in the house yelling "Moooooom...." Although I usually ignore it, this time I was listening. Then he said, "Moooooooom, Heavah, ug, Heavah, ug....um...." Then I heard him turn to Heavah and say, "Ah, Heavah, what did you do again?"

Looks like he needs to take some lessons from his big sister.

Ode to Dad

If it wasn't for my kids bringing me a card for their dad for Father's Day, I would have totally forgotten all about this most special day. I'm so glad they did cause no one deserves a little recognition like my dad.

Here are just a very small sample of why I adore my dad...


Sedona's Blessing

1. He never takes himself too seriously - My dad is always up for a good laugh. I have so many memories of my dad pulling a prank of some kind. Whether it is as extreme as doing a fake drug bust on a new missionary in the ward, or as simple as pulling his shirt through his fly just to see people's reactions, he is never embarrassed or afraid to shock others. It didn't help as a shy child to have my dad find ways of making me blush. But now that I am older, I am thankful for the fun times he forced on me cause now I can laugh off situations that otherwise would kill me with embarrassment.


One of the billion tickles my dad has given me as a child

2. He is fearless - I can't recall a time when I saw my dad scared. He has been put in some pretty freaky situations and yet, he is always cool and calm. I remember when my mom said, 'Your dad is in prison for a while.' He went undercover as a murderer to gain some inside information. I remember my dad coming home from being gone (for I don't know how long) and he was the same old guy, not shaken for a moment. I also remember the time some rough character was following my dad's car after he picked me up from school. He drove all over trying to make sure this guy didn't know where we lived. And there he was, just chatting with me about my day, life as usual. I never knew of all the scary situations my dad had been in because he maintained such normalcy in the home. It wasn't until after, when he was relaxed, talking with friends that the true stories came out. I always LOVED overhearing my dad talk about those stories because otherwise, I would have thought my family life as pretty boring.


With a Buddhist prayer wheel in the Himalayan mountains

3. He is willing to take big risks for some fun - I am sure after reading my blog, you can see why my parents have been married for 45 plus years, they share a lot in common. Mainly, they share is a great zest for life and unusual experiences. My dad has always been willing to go anywhere and do almost anything, especially if there is some danger in the mix. Every time Axel and I wonder where we will move next, we know the more dangerous or newsworthy the country is, the more willing my dad is to come. He has been in the Israeli army, to a South African prison, and the border of Iraq just last year. I am so thankful that Nepal is a hot spot right now because it gives my dad more of an incentive to visit.


At the Dubai Museum

4. He is dedicated and trustworthy – If my dad says he will do it, you can bet it will get done. It doesn’t matter if it is 9 years as bishop or as a Boy Scout Leader. He is always there to not only do the job, but do it really, really well. During all my years growing up, I knew when my dad had a talk to give or a lesson to teach because he would lock himself in a room for hours researching and praying over whatever he was doing. It taught me great discipline and dedication to what I am doing. Even the smallest assignment causes my dad to put forth great effort and thought. Trust me, if you leave a telephone message with my dad to have me call you back, he will remind me so many times that I will call you back just so he will leave me alone. But I think the biggest sign of dedication is his love to my mother. My father's love and devotion seems to grow each year they are married. I can only hope I can do the same.


In the Palmyra Pageant

5. He is the cleanest man I know – I know when my dad comes to visit because the kids diapers are always changed the second their dirty and the trash can never quite makes it to the top. He is such a clean freak that he knows every dumpster in Brantford just so he can dispose of his garbage on a daily basis instead of waiting for the weekly trash pick up. Any time he is out and about, he plans his route according to where he can drop off his garbage. It definitely borderlines obsessive compulsive! My maid is never quite sure what to do around my dad because he is always one step ahead of her. Also, oddly, a lot of my memories were of my dad washing dishes and folding laundry.


Making a friend

6. He deeply loves his children and grandchildren – I never once wondered where I stood with my dad. I always knew he loved me and thought I was great. I know he feels that way about all of his kids, their spouses, and grandkids. He is always interested in what we are up to and how we are doing. My dad is my most devoted reader of my blog and if that wasn’t enough, he always sends me a daily email telling me what he thought of the blog and asking how I am doing. I have a countless number of letters from my dad from when I was on my mission, in collage, and 'just cause'.


On the job

7. He is humble – As cool as my dad is, he doesn’t show it in the least. He has done so many extraordinary things and seen so many unusual places (Tonga, Mozambique, Israel, South Africa, Namibia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Hungary, Oman, Croatia, Bosnia- to only name a few) but when you chat with him, he is so down to earth and not pretentious in the least. My dad accepts anyone and everyone and never seems to think he is any better. That is why he needs me around so I can brag, brag, and brag.


The puffer

8. He is musically talented – As much as my dad would deny it, he has got some great rhythm. He loves music and some of my favourite teenage memories are of my dad driving me to seminary with the music blasting. He would pound his hand on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song (specifically Fleetwood Mac). Whether it is a 60’s bebop song or a top 40, my dad knows every word. I love that about my dad and I am so thankful I got a little bit of love for the booty shak’n myself!


Spear'n

9. He always trusts me – My dad always emphasized certain things throughout my life (for example, ‘Life is not fair’). Many times, they were not the things I wanted to hear, but true nonetheless. But despite his general words of wisdom, my dad never really gave me advice, which often made me mad. I always expected my dad to tell me what to do and he never once did. Even when he knew I was about to do something that maybe he wouldn’t approve of, I knew he always expected me to make the right choices despite my rebellious heart. The cool thing was I knew that my dad trusted me and because of that, I did not want to disappoint him. It instilled a great confidence within me that made me the independent soul that I am today.


In Oman

10. He doesn’t just look young, he is young at heart too – Some people in this world just have 'it' and some don’t. I am here to tell you that my dad has the cool factor. He always knows the latest and greatest. He is always there to chat with about current news events and what so and so was wearing at the Oscars. That is why he was such a great bishop. Not one person could say, ‘You just don’t understand what it is like, Bishop’ because most likely, my dad was at a nighclub the night before teaching undercover cops how to buy drugs. He knows what it is all about, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And what is more amazing is he can hang with any crowd and yet never compromise his beliefs. How he does it, I don’t know. But honestly, my dad (who is 65 years old plus) is the hippest senior I know. On top of that, he looks like he is at least 20 years younger than he is. We joke that my dad is made of plastic cause he never ages. He barely has a grey hair on his head and he has been able to keep his baby face into his sixties! How he does it, baffles us all.


Spearing fish from the Gulf

Sadly, I have only scratched the surface and feel my literary ability (or lack thereof) does not do my dad justice. But in the end, I know my dad knows how I feel about him. He rocks! If you know him, I know you will agree. I am the luckiest daughter in the world, and I know it.


Doing yoga in India

Into Thin Air

I recently finished a book called, Into Thin Air. I knew very little about the climb up Everest and I thought I would read a personal account of the trek. It was a great read and I highly recommend it. I bought the book in Thamel, where the book begins, which is a cool place to visit if you want to see a real, live hard core trekker. They are everywhere in this small 'suburb' of Kathmandu.

Jon Krakauer provides a detailed description of his climb and a clear picture of what it takes to survive the mountain. His words are literally chilling at times and he provides vivid details of the journey to the top. In addition, he makes you intrigued to attempt the hike yourself, and at the same time, makes you believe that anyone who stepped foot on the mountain with the intent to reach the top is certifiably crazy. The book is intimate and methodical and it takes you up the mountain each step of the way.

I happened to watch Krakauer's Into the Wild movie and didn't care too much about a not-so-smart pothead who doesn't quite make it, but this book had skill, determination, and pure emotion all rolled into one. I believe it is worth the read, and I encourage anyone who has very little knowledge of the Sagarmatha ('goddess of the sky' in Nepali) ascend to give it a go...