Right after Christmas, Christophe, aka Sundar (Nepali for "The Beautiful"), came to visit us from Belgium. The two of us met in 2004 in Nepal where both of us were teaching and generally attending to about 50 (orphaned) children aged 2-18 years.
Work-wise we were a great team. Though having somewhat different personalities we basically shared the same ideals, both immensely enjoyed working with the kids (o.k. not every minute of it but at least most of the time) and complemented one another well regarding the skills needed for the job.
We also spent a lot of our spare time together which, among many other things, included having tea once a day at our favorite local tea shop, attending a big Nepali Scouts meeting, discovering the capital Kathmandu and its surroundings, trying to master some basic Nepali and trekking in the Solu-Khumbu region of Nepal (the homeland of the Sherpas and the world's highest mountain).
I also have to admit that it was nice to every now and then spend time with someone with a similar background to exchange thoughts and experiences, speak a language both of us were far more fluent in or simply rave about good chocolate (Nepali food is excellent but we couldn't find decent chocolate there. Sundar sometimes bought Mars bars as a substitute which I refused as this kind of chocolate bar simply isn't an acceptable replacement for the real thing).
Us much as both of us loved the country and the interaction with its people, at certain times we really appreciated having a fellow European around. (I guess you have to spend an extended time abroad to understand this part.)
It was also quite comforting to have a "personal protector" around in a country that at the time was very politically unstable. Nepal was in a state of war with several bombs going off a day and frequent Maoist-imposed multi-day strikes which completely paralyzed public life and made it rather unsafe to go anywhere. Also, during some nights, we could hear the Nepalese Army and the Maoists' gunfights in the nearby hills which doesn't exactly make for a peaceful night's sleep.
Because Sundar and I went through our pictures and his visit brought back so many great memories, I'm going to post some impressions of the time in Nepal. I guess I do this more for ourselves than for potential readers who can't really relate. Anyway, enjoy.
Sundar and I in front of our home in Bagdol just before my departure from Nepal.
Farewell ceremony arranged by colleagues and the kids
At the local tea shop which we frequented almost daily. The owner must have been one of the friendliest people we met there. I don't remember a single day he didn't have a smile on his face.
Our local fruit and vegetable vendor
Though as a teacher you aren't supposed to have a favorite child, sweet Basanti was #1 for both of us.
Teaching boys aged 9-11 on the rooftop since this was the warmest place of the whole building. We didn't have any kind of heating system and only concrete floors, so we tried to stay in the sun as much as we could.
Serving dinner. The local diet dhal bhaat (rice with lentils and vegetables) is pretty yummy and was basically the only thing we ate during those months.
The kids during dinner
and in the vegetable garden together with our goat.
Disco night. We didn't have indoor toilets, a heating system, warm water, enough beds or books, a varied diet or constant electricity supply but we did have one luxury item: an old tape player. So every Friday night the kids got out some funky Nepali tapes and we'd be dancing and singing for the next hour... (half of the time we had to sing ourselves as the power went off)
On the way to school
Teaching
All of our kids had lice so it was only a matter of time until we did too. The delicing is still being practiced in the way of our four-legged ancestors: my colleage is picking them out by hand and then, no not eating but squashing them.
Attending a national Scouts meeting in Nepal. Being a Scout leader himself this was one of Sundar's highlights.
The way we were treated at the Scouts meeting was another expression of the Nepalis' hospitality. We got to meet the national leaders who happily guided us around, we were served the best of foods and, as honored guests, we were also the first in line at any Scout activity there was (...and there were a lot of people attending this meeting).
Sadhus during Shiva ratri - the celebrations of the birth of Shiva
During Shiva ratri, Hindus from all over the Indian subcontinent flock to Kathmandu to visit one of the holiest temples. They patiently wait for hours to get inside and see a statue of a holy bull.
Boudhanath - one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal
Buddhist nuns circling the stupa in prayer.
Buddha statue in Kathmandu
Girl dressed up for a local Hindu festival
Peace demonstrations on Patan Durbar Square
Trekking in the Himalayas
At an altitude above 5000m, a headstand does become a physical challenge.
With Basti at Everest Base Camp
It doesn't get any more local and fresh than this: a Sherpa woman called Ang Daki milking her nak for the milk we had with our tea in the morning.
Inside Ang Daki's kitchen
In this part of the world, traditional plowing methods still prevail. The Sherpa grow potatoes at altitudes above 4000m.
View of Khumbu icefall winding down the slopes of Everest, Everest Base Camp, Lake Pumori
Well, I guess I've been going off a bit here with pictures. As you can probably tell now, yes, I did love my time there.Back to the actual topic of this post: My friend Sundar's visit to Dresden.
When Carsten and I picked him up at the airport it didn't feel like 5 years had passed since the last time we saw each other.
We spent the days here sightseeing, going through a million pictures of Nepal and our adventures that followed our stay there and generally catching up on our lives.
More pictures:
Hiking in the Sächsische Schweiz Nationalpark
Sightseeing by bike in Dresden
Sightseeing in Berlin:
Of course, the Wall was part of the day's itinerary
Holocaust Memorial
Considering all the attention the Berlin S-Bahn has received in the national media during the past months due to technical faults, constant delays and an overall disastrous management, riding their trains was a tourist attraction within itself (this one was working and on time - a rare occasion in Berlin these days).
The German Constitution engraved into a glass wall near Reichstag, the seat of the German Parliament
Exhibit in an outdoor gallery at Tacheles, an alternative arts and cultural center.
View of Berlin's TV Tower with the now world-reknown East German "Ampelmännchen" in the foreground.
Warming up inside a restaurant after a long and cold day of sightseeing in my former hometown.
Sundar, it was a pleasure to have you here! Bring Annemie next time. Though, first it's our turn to come to Belgium (it won't take us another 5 years again, we promise).
