Twelve Going Onto Seventy

I woke up early and was in resistance to getting up but I was clear I had to be out of the hotel by 6:45am for the 8am flight in the airport back to Kathmandu. That I had to take the plane and not the bus. Well, I don't have a plane ticket and I decided I would just pick one up at the airport. There was no time to meet up with Li Wei, Nassir, or Shabhil to part. In fact I would be missing my day with Shabhil. Oh well, just how it goes.

I made it to the airport in a few minutes. It's a really small town. There was fog this morning. All planes were grounded until the fog lifted a few hours later. Now I understood why I had to be here at 8am. Because I didn't have a plane ticket I had to get the first flight out. When the plane was able to take off hours later in the afternoon I would be one of the first ones on. If I was in the later flight, my flight would not take off till the evening. So it goes to follow good intuition at times.

While sitting outside by the runway with tea, I met Deepitka and her husband at the aiport. I first met her husband who walked by and spot me sitting and enjoying the view of the fog. He asked me, "Do I know you?" I smiled back, replying in my mind, not yet from this life time. I waited for more response from him before I spoke. He then asked me straight out if I was born on Dec. 8th. At this time I verbally replied and said, "Yes." He asked me if I was into numerology. I told him I'm into a whole bunch of things. He gave me information on all sorts of divination friends he had who were accurate but are in the closet about it in terms of identity. That if I was to ever visit Kolcatta, I should look him up and he would connect me. He is a lawyer who works with non-profit organizations in legality of finance and endowments, etc... He has two offices, one in Kolcatta and one in Delhi.

Deepitka works for Citi Bank. While her husband took a smoke break to digest our encounter, she shared her private thoughts with me. I learned that she is a Soto Zen Student and she is actually on her way to visit a Hindu Guru in the Mountains to heal her relationship with her husband. They have been in distress over in-law issues. I see that they have a beautiful relationsip and they love each other very much, but the strains that are put in their relationship makes it very difficult to continue to stay happy together. I have a feeling that I came to Pokhara to meet them fog and to have this chat with them. By the time we were done, the fog lifted and they walked away feeling better about each other.

My affinity with Deepitka had to do with similar experiences. At age twelve, we both became our mother's mother. We took a jump from being a child to parenthood, from twelve to Seventy. There was a strong absence of nurturing and support during both our critical developmental stages. Maybe that is why I don't feel like an adult and have trouble assimilating myself. There is a whole chunck of my life missing and until it is filled, there is always going to be a kind of strange awkwardness within.

While lining up at the gate when the fog lifted, there were many tour groups present. I think people are funny at times and all deportment goes away with people during a line or traffic on the highway. The kinds of people you think wouldn't cheat and cut in line or bump you out etc... does it all. What an ugly sight.

For the flight, I got to sit on the left side of the plane with window seat. Ah.....once again, the views of the Himalayian Peaks. This makes the entire trip to Pokhara worth it and the plane ticket too. So majestically beautiful!

The Rise of Christianity and Buddhism in China

I woke up this morning around 5:15am. I checked out the weather outside from the roof and it was foggy with no visibility. So my early morning sunrise hike to the mountains to watch the Annapurna Mountain Peaks were cancelled. I could still walk but there wouldn't be anything to look at. I could have done my tai chi set on the roof but I decided to just go back to bed. I stayed in be till 10am.

After finishing my meditation, Li Wei knocked on my door to invite me to join him on his bus tour and then boat ride. He was the only left from his tour group. The rest of the group abandoned the tour. That should have clued me in on some things. We went to check out Devi Falls, a Hindu Temple, a Tibetan monastery, another Hindu temple and then a boat ride. None of the sights were worth seeing in my opinion. The boat ride is, well on a lake with low visibility.

Li Wei was pretty into talking about business ventures. Honestly, I was pretty out of it. It's really not my field of interest even though I was able to give him plenty of good contributions to his many business ideas. But just because I can do something, it doesn't necessarily reflect where my heart is.


We also chatted about the rise of Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism in China. Li Wei said the young generation of youths like the aspect of personal connection with God, forgiveness, and grace. Pureland School of Buddhism came from Taiwan back to China and appeal to currrent population due to the similarity of idea of Heaven and prayer. He said he believes in nothing and said this is the flavor of China, to not believe in anything.

Went back to Shabhil's and hung out at his shop. He has two shops. He ordered tea and was ready to order snacks too. His hopitality was good. He insisted on paying for everything. I ended up spending another few hour there. It just ends up like that here in Nepal. Time gone by, gone no where, but gone.

Towards the end of the night, Li Wei wanted to hang out some more but I was tired and we agreed to dessert. He likes western desserts. I wasn't really all that interested in desserts that had been sitting out all day for over 12 hours. He talked more about India and the more he talked the more scared I got about travels in India. I was more than ready to call it a night.

Sleeping to Dream to Dream About Sleeping

This morning in my sleep during my dreams, I dreamed I was sleeping. It was like a Twilight Zone moment. Sleeping to dream, dreaming I was sleeping.

Korean Christian Ministry in Chitwan National Park

I came across two Korean Christian Ministry volunteer workers at the shop. They told me about their group of young adults who volunteered a week in Nepal at an orphanage in Chitwan National Park. Their ministry trip included the volunteer work for 5 days, a safari at the park, then a trekking expedition from Pokhara to Annapurna to see the Himalyan Peaks. They gave me the card of contact if I wanted to go and volunteer their. Chitwan National Park charged western tourist price for the entrance fee and everything else. It's quite the safari of the east there. They invited me to gather at their hotel to meet with their group and chat some more.

I met the gourp at Blue Heaven Hotel and there were 30 young koreans gathered there. Everyone had heard about me by then. They were very delighted to meet me. I me with their group leader Joseph who is also very young and he told me about volunteering in Kolcatta, India at the Mother Theresa House. He gave me instructions on which train station to take and where to get off and what street to go to for the tourist volunteer housing. It was all very exciting to me.

The group was heading to a private dinner party set up for them by their tour group. When we arrived at the doors of the restaurant the group was nice to ask me if I had eaten. I don't think they were going to include me if I could avoid it because everything we set up and paid in a package already. I don't my vegetarian diet would fly well with their pre-arranged nonvegetarian meals. Anyways, it was nice to think of me and be considerate.

I walked around the street that is set up like a fair for this week that proceeds the new years. It's a big deal. For me it wasn't that festive or interesting. I decided to head back to my room and do artwork instead.

Pashmina, Pashmina, and More Pashmina

During lunch break I met Nadine from England who has been traveling in India on her own for a few months and said I could join her on her train ride to Mumbai when we head back to Kathmandu via Darjeerling, where the tea is well known for.

Nassar helped me to search for a hotel room within 200-300 rupee range. I settled for 250 rupees a night. It's a room with two full size beds and a private shower bath in the room at Hotel Advocado. It's pretty bare in the room but it had the essentials and the price is good. I checked out Li Wei's place at Basecamp Resort. It is much nicer for sure but it was much more expensive and the hotel manager wasn't willing to negotiate for a lower price. I was willing to pay $10. a night, the local price but the manager wanted to charge me the tourist price of $30. per night. I didn't even want to fork out $30. in Phuket for a posh place with pools and jets, why would I here for less than that.

I then hung out at Nassir's friend's Pashmina Shop for 2 hours. I learned a lot about quality of pashmina. I felt after two hours I was well trained and qualified for the business. I learned that the machine manufactured ones were all from China. There are differences between 100% wool and mixed cotton and synthetic ratios. The machine sown ones have bigger loops than hand hand ones. Then there was the test on how the real wool burned, no fumes while the other ones had plastic smoky fumes.

Pashmina comes from mountain goats who live fourteen thousand feet above sea level. I saw photos of goats in a chain and I didn't want to buy any pashmina from that point on. Then I also learned the process to create wearable and desirable pashmina some how included the process of boiling the pashmina with an egg. The more I learn, the more I feel this is really not made for vegans to wear. It is not cruelty friendly.

I really like the needle work and artistry of the designs and really wanted to bring some home. He shop keeper insisting that he would give me a good exchange ratio of 71 rupees to a US dollar. While hanging out at the shop I met lots of tourists. I think I can get a part time job here translating and selling the products here. I also like some of the stone jewelry here. The price is also reasonable. Most people do not come here to buy jewelry here, it's more about Pashmina so the price for the gems are good and also not top rate quality.

Single Females Traveling in Foreign Lands

Li Wei also told me of another story as if the last one wasn't scary enough. He said a Taiwanese lady who was found dead by a crocodile place. It is unkown if the crocodiles got her or she was fed to the crocodiles.

Another one, as if the other two wasn't scary enough. A lady traveling by herself got off the wrong part of the town on the bus. She walked into a restricted area. She was told to stop but she didn't. It was possible she didn't understand the language and so she did not know she was asked to stop and she was shot dead on the spot.

I don't have the stomach for such stories. I can't even watch scary movies. I'm a whimp when it comes down to things like this. I don't even watch the news except to catch the weather. I don't even read the news except to look at pictures in the arts and entertainment section.

Did He or Didn't He?

With plenty of time on the bus to work on, Li Wei told me many stories from India. He said at least one foreigner is discovered in mysterious death or missing in India each week. A japanese 21 year old man who was a foreing exchange student was missing. He went on a trip with a tour group. People from the tour group saw him check out at the hotel during check out time but he never showed up at the meeting spot after that. And when people went to track him down, his hotel room door was found open with his things laid out. The seach went on for 2 months. The hotel insisted that he didn't check out.

When ever I hear stories like this, I count my blessings and all those who have been watching over me. Anything can go wrong traveling by myself, much the less traveling in an official tour group staying at a legitimate hotel.

Back Row Bus Seat Karma Again

Anar made me tea this morning and walked me out to the street to flag down a cab. It's amazing how busy the streets are this early in the morning. It wasn't easy getting a cab. There was also a lot of traffic. The cab driver drove fast and got me to exactly where I needed to go to for the bus.

It took me awhile to figure out which bus was mine, I kept walking back and forth. And when I did, the bus driver told me to sit in the back row on the right by the window. I guess this bus seat karma didn't end in China. I keep getting the same seat even though this ticket in my hand did not have seat numbers assigned to it. I really didn't want to sit in that seat again. I attempted to switch seats on my own and demanded the bus driver to show me the seat number and the seating chart.

To my left was Nassar a Kashimri business man who is taking shipments of shaws etc.. to Pokhara, a tourist destination. He is a distributor. To the left of Nassar is Li Wei from Shanghai who is doing graduate work in Agra, India and studying Hindi. He is a software engineer, IT web designer. He had tips on where to stay for cheap in Agra in case I wanted to visit the Taj Mahal. He invited me to visit his friends in Mumbai. So I guess my seat karma was relavant to these two people who I was suppose to meet and hang out with otherwise our paths would have crossed and we would have missed each other if I had gotten my way with a different seat.

During the first hour the bus went all over the place in attempt to pick up more passangers to fill up all the empty seats. It was going very slow at different stoppin points while the 2nd driver hung out the door to call out for passangers. The entire bus was full by 8am. The bus stopped for 2 breaks for breakfast and lunch. Toilet break stops are only when called for and it's just a pull over to the side of the road. There really isn't any toilets. It's really inconvenient for women in my case but I guess women don't really travel either. I am a minority here on buses.