Durbar Square Part II

Close to the furious-looking Kal Bhairab, some of the Kathmanduettes had a thangka suki who had a very small stall. He would drag his four battered tin trunks out in the sun to show us his ware. We purchased a number of thangkas from him, as his prices were right and had smaller sizes that make perfect presents. This suki also had good brocade framing. We had kept two of these purchases, the larger ones. There were a number of sari shops in the area. I still have some muslin or organdy sari remnants in a box somewhere, but I have run out of ideas what to do with them after making scarves, skirts or whatever they were good for. But I guess the favorite shops were those along the main road, the gem shops. One tiny one, opposite Gem Palace, had a wooden stool by the entrance, perpetually occupied by a mustachioed long-term resident German chap with one leg, and dispensed his gem consultations to us for free. We had bought smoky topaz cut and polished stones for 4 rupees a carat, orange topaz for 20 rupees. Their silverwork was good too. Gem Palace did our silver wedding bands, with our names, date of marriage and “Kathmandu” inscribed in Nepalese in the inside of the bands.

And who can forget Hanuman Dhoka, the Hanuman statue draped in a red cloak as Protector of this very large royal palace dedicated to Hindu deities. Only with the Shahs did the Narayanhiti Palace began to be the royal residence. The Big Bell, Kumari House. And the Toothache Tree! For some reason the Tibetan shops are clustered here, selling maroon felt, narrow bands of backstrap loom woven cotton of many colors, brocades for making shirts worn inside men’s traditional robes and women’s dress (chubas), yak butter churners, coral and turquoise beads in long strings, colorful aprons (pangden).

For some reason the erotic carvings were not much of interest because there were a lot of other ancient, interesting and fine buildings built from the fifteenth century, and features to take in.

In the earlier days, you could bump into John Sanday and his associates, taking down notes and photographing the temples and other structures, for the Unesco Newari architectural restoration project. The three-roofed Taleju Temple was established in the 1500s, in a typical Newari architectural style and is elevated on platforms that form a pyramid-like structure. In one of our wedding pictures, we have a chap stroking a rooster at the second platform, blowing smoke into the eyes with his bidi cigarette, to make him braver and fluff his feathers, thus perhaps more saleable.

Well, Nepal Bank established a branch inside the new UN Building at Pulchowk when it was completed. It was much more efficient, but took out the great joy of our leisurely wanderings about.

I am sure you will enjoy viewing a 3-D model, graphic 9 minute 47 second film on YouTube, on Durbar Square, by a Nepalese architect, Bishnu K. Shrestha. He says: "I dream of a time, when Kathmandu Durbar Square will be clean and cared for. At night, carefully placed spotlights bring out of the beauty of the ancient temples.The vision is recreated here."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANrEJ-F2LYs&feature=related

Durbar Square Part I

In those days, we needed to go to the Nepal Bank office at the upper main road to do our banking transactions. One goes to the darkish corner of the Foreign Exchange counter, where your request slip is recorded painstakingly in longhand in an enormous ledger, its length the width of the counter. Then the ledger was sent to another counter where again some recording is done, and checked with the slip. These are sent by a topied messenger to the back of the bank, after which you would get your cash or slip after about 20 minutes or so. That would be an excellent space to go outside, turn right to go to the fresh produce market, buy giant cauliflower, beans, potatoes, naspati (a native pear, hard as a rock) or tired mangoes from the Terai. A couple of cows would slowly meander through the market, and are not shooed away by the vendors but are offered choice bits of vegetables, as they depart.

Or take in a pizza slice at California Pizza, with the large brick oven at the entrance (they have moved to Thamel since). Or perhaps stock up on fragrant Darjeeling tea or South Indian coffee beans from the Keralawallahs who specialize only in these beverages. Probably the Kathmandu Cold Storage would have some seafish from Calcutta (now Kolkata) but buyer beware: no one knows the condition of the well-travelled fish before these where placed on the long and short gauge train and truck. Their buff meat was good, and we chop it ourselves for making Bolognese sauce while the fat, gristle and bones were favorites of our Lhasas.

Or go on to the pocket sized park in front of the Bank, and read Rising Nepal with the pages stapled onto boards for everyone to view. The local version was also on boards side by side. I am sure the commentaries from the readers in the areas would be quite interesting except that my Nepali was so basic I could only judge them by their body language and the number of tsk tsks as they read articles, following their reading with their fingers.

The Chinese goods shop of National Trading was also situated here, with its stock of cotton and corduroy fabric, bicyles ("Phoenix" brand) and parts, the Everest of thermos jugs, blankets, harmonicas, white flower menthol liquid, rubber boots and white rabbit caramel candy.

Kathmandu itself is said to be named after Kasthamandap, an imposing pagoda near Hanuman Dhoka Palace. One is never jaded with the overwhelming monuments in the area, falling under the spell of the religious and cultural life of the area, as well as its commercial aspects. (end of Part I)

From Sirnach

Thank you Jama, thank you Kurt for your nice photos on Picasa! Our best regards and kisses to Carmensita.
Happy viewing, and come and visit the photos again and again!

http://picasaweb.google.ch/kurtkuenzle/Kathmanduettes2010Massachusetts?feat=email#

Kathmanduettes in Massachusetts 2010 Part III

Kathmanduettes in Massachusetts 2010-B

Kathmanduettes in Massachusetts 2010

Jan Didi wins Extraordinary Commitment and Achievement Award

Rupinder sent this article about Jan Salter, through Ching. Congratulations, Jan Didi, from the Kathmanduettes!!

http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2010/06/11/nation/award-for-kat-centre-founder/209289/

KATHMANDU, JUN 11 -
Humane Society International has provided Jan Salter, Founder of Kathmandu Animal Treatment (KAT) Centre, with “Extraordinary Commitment and Achievement Award”. Salter received the award at the United States Animal Care Expo in Nashville, TN at a gathering of nearly 2,000 animal protectionists from the world over. The award is given to individual animal protectionists from all over the world whose sensitivity and compassion have led them to exceptional levels of bravery and self-sacrifice as they strive to mitigate and prevent animal suffering due to neglect, cruelty, and exploitation. “We are proud that the founder of KAT Centre has been recognised for her work with the dogs in Nepal,” said actor Hari Bamsha Acharya, who is also the chairman of animal welfare centre. (PR)

‘WE LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE”

Many thanks for voicing your concern about our safety here in Bangkok. The Red Shirt protesters have been disbanded although there are still a few pockets of violence, arson and destroying property, perhaps fuelled by the more militants among them or perhaps by frustration that they have been asked by their leaders to disperse and go home.

We still do not venture out from our safe perimeter of the Dusit area: there are enough shops, restaurants and services here that we can have access to without really having to go into the business district. This is the old genteel (relatively) part of town where the Chitralada Palace and the Zoo and some other palaces converted into government buildings and schools are located.

True, the damage has been extremely high, estimated to over 1 million dollars: some buildings, the metro and subway were also trashed, as with the roads and shop houses surrounding the main demo area.

This comes as a surprise to most foreigners: the Thais are always conciliatory, smiling, and no conflict fazes them: but when they vent their frustrations – watch out. The Reds started off with their support for the foreign Prime Minister who was convicted of white collar crimes in the billions at the cost of the country, but they view him as a benevolent PM who brought in medical care at 30 baht, and widely projected as being pro-poor. The current PM is British-educated and pigeon-holed into the Elites box. The Reds say he was unlawfully made into PM although the process was a choice of parliament with elections to be held: they were restless and wanted earlier elections.

They were funded mostly and goaded on by Thaksin although he denies this, despite lots of evidence to the contrary. Then the Reds had some militant elements and they started shooting back at the military, with collateral deaths ensuing. They were also responsible for the burning of tires, a telegenic way of showing their protest on TV. This is said to be the most violent day in Thai history. Then the mob took over. The military had no choice but to choke them off in their area, despite asking them to leave, repeatedly, the area. We feel that a lot of the violence and deaths (about 73) could have been prevented while the road map (peace plan of the government) was accepted by the Reds and they could have attributed that as one of their victories. With the violence, most Thais have blamed the Reds for this, and a black mark on their organization.

The King, as a constitutional monarch, is ill and in hospital and unable to intervene. He had a public appearance at a function a few weeks back and advised people to be cautionary and be peaceful.

One thing, as farang residents, that we are thankful for: this was an internal Thai matter, and did not involve any foreign intervention or interests. They have survived a devastating natural tsunami, they will survive this political tsunami too.

Thr reconstruction and reconciliation will take some time: they have moved the clock back and no longer known as one of Asia’s most vibrant economies: foreign investors are re-thinking about coming in or expanding. On Thai TV yesterday as he announced that order had been restored, the PM said he was taking the country on a path of national reconciliation. “We are living in the same house,” he said. “I invite all of you to join the reconciliation process.” May 2010

Boston: Places to go, Things to do

Lexington, Concord, Walden Pond. National Historic Park on the beginning of American Revolution; interesting exhibits along route between them. Visitor centers, gift shops. Concord also a cultural center and the home of many authors – Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – exhibits/museums . Walden Pond made famous by Henry David Thoreau- a pleasant, relaxing park, with a path around the pond.

Wayside Inn/Grist Mill, DeCordova Museum Purchased by Henry Ford for restoration, picturesque Grist Mill, the school where Mary had her little lamb, chapel. The Wayside Inn continues to be an excellent restaurant – where we will have lunch one day

DeCordova Museum, in the town of Lincoln ten minutes from Sudbury, is a top-quality art museum that specializes in large outdoor sculptures

Boat trip to Provincetown, Cape swim? From Boston, there is a regular passenger ferry to the tip of Cape Cod. We could take the ferry, then spend the day on the cape. Or a whale watch trip from Boston or from Newburyport or Gloucester

Boston (2 days): a show, walking tour, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, New England Aquarium, Quincy Market, Harvard campus. There are numerous things to see and do in Boston and – across the Charles River – Cambridge. On Saturday, we could take in a matinee in the theater district. The top museums are the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, and the New England Aquarium. Each is world quality (admission fees)

There is a well-marked walking tour of Boston that highlights the many historical sites (including cemeteries). Along it are Quincy Market (where we can have lunch), with lots of nice shops and Faneuil Hall (where the Boston Tea Party was hatched)

Salem, Newburyport, Plum Island. Famous for its witch trials in the 1600s. National wildlife refuge on Plum Island