Monday, June 29, 2009

Hello again!

So, if you're reading this, you're probably aware that I will soon be returning to lovely Kathmandu. As such, I will be returning to blogging as well. I've decided not to blog specifically about my internship, as I'm a bit worried about confidentiality rules, but please do not take this to mean that I'm not working hard. I suspect, in fact, that I will be working so hard as to make this blog less frequent and less interesting than last time, but que garne?

Anyways, for my return to blogging I thought I'd post some lists: top 5 things I miss about Nepal, and for my proud Canadians, top 5 things I missed about Canada when I was in Nepal.

Top 5 things I miss about Nepal (besides people):
1. The liveliness -- everyone seems to live life much more in the open than in Canada, hanging out on streetcorners and lounging on steps everywhere. Most people who are outside in Canada seem to be on their way somewhere.
2. The amazing food, and tea.
3. Feeling a little bit like a rock star walking down the street, with everyone wanting to smile and wave at the foreigner, and little kids calling out "ha-lo!" and giggling.
4. Motorbiking.
5. Pure novelty -- all the landmarks, music, holidays, etc. are new and exciting, and how often do we experience things for the first time past the age of 21 or so?

Top 5 things I miss about Canada when in Nepal (besides people and kitties):
1. Diet coke! Oh, sweet nectar of the gods, why are you not available there?!
2. Consistent electricity, hot water, and heat.
3. There is something to be said for familiarity and routine, and being able to do things such as grocery shopping easily.
4. Also, the flip side of the above rock star comment -- anonymity is also nice sometimes.
5. TV -- sad, but true, sometimes there is downtime that needs to be filled. Ditto, high-speed internet.