There’s a story about a goat.
But we’ll get to that later. It’s best to start at the beginning of the day.
A new guest arrived from Germany. We’ve forgotten his name already. He’s a nurse, and a very nice fellow. And just completed a lengthy Himalayan trek. Oh to be young again.
Anyway, at breakfast, Sugat, the German, Pa and I had a stimulating conversation, most of it centering on death and dying. The German knows a lot about both, having spent a long time as a hospice nurse. I shared Karen’s story, how she chose the date and time to move on with the aid of a medication prescribed by her physician. Germany isn’t there yet and Nepal is years away. Sugat says the funeral industry is a huge obstacle.
So we talked about death, how the elderly are treated, mistreated, how they’re isolated, and how there was a time when generations lived under the same roof. We talked about the passing on of real estate and the archaic laws that often result in unfairness.
It was a good conversation.
After breakfast, Rama picked me up.
Rama is one of Sugat’s trusted taxi drivers. I’ve ridden with him on four occasions, always arriving at my destination unscathed. Rama is fearless, navigating the Kathmandu traffic with great courage. I have a 15 minute video from yesterday’s adventure, but hesitate to share it.
Anyway, we arrived unscathed, although Pa confided later there was a time or two when he thought he might be returning home earlier than planned.
Our meeting was with Sugat’s brother-in-law, Ujjwal Amatya.
Ujjwal is the country representative for Mission East. Tomorrow we’ll talk about his work.
On the drive back we stopped at the river’s edge,
across from which is a slum that stretches up and down the opposite bank.
The land is owned by the government and five thousand live there at any one time. There are rich that have land there, too. Just to have it. And somehow the Nepalese Mafia is involved. Ujjwal clued us in on that.
The Mafia’s principal activity is corrupt land deals but it engages in sex trafficking as well, taking young girls from the mountains and selling them in Dubai. Having been there, we weren’t surprised to learn that.
By the way, the Nepalese Community Party is in control now, although tenuously, having barely defeated the Congress Party in the last election. And there are Chinese spies in Dunbar Square. We’ll be going there today.
After returning to Sugat’s place, Pa and I left to do some banking. Twice the ATM machine malfunctioned. A nice young man did his best to fix it. Unsuccessful, he gave us directions to Citizens Bank where we withdrew 25,000 rupees - 189.399 in US currency at the time of the transaction.
Next to Citizens is the British Coffee School
which we’d visited earlier in the week. Saru, the senior student, was our server.
We talked about Saru’s dream to go to the United States and work for Starbucks. He asked our opinion on whether it’s best to use slang or formal English. We had a good conversation about that. Afterwords, we met with the other students.
Pa and I enjoyed the visit very much.
Early evening we went looking for dinner, deciding on a little Indian place a mile or so from home.
There was a menu, but yesterday just two items were being served - Chicken Biryani and Goat Biryani. We almost went with the goat, then remembered the story.
But first, the Chicken Biryani was wonderful.
And the sweet desert served with it. Oh my.
All for $3.18, a bottle of water included.
So the goat story.
Sugat was telling us the other day about a guest he’d had a year ago from Austria. “The kindest man I’ve ever me.” One day the kind man showed up with a goat wearing a jacket. Sugat asked questions. Turns out the Austrian happened on a butcher shop where the goat was about to be executed. That couldn’t happen, so the goat was purchased for 300 euros. The jacket came later.
So goat and kind man arrive at Swagat Home Stay. Sugat tells them, as much as he’d like to help, there’s no room in the inn. But Sugat has a friend who’s a very conscientious farmer, and agrees to take the goat in.
In the meantime Evan, Sugat and Roshani’s little boy, becomes very attached to the goat.
And the goat to Evan.
The next day Rama arrived and the Austrian and goat get in. There were tears but mom and dad assured Evan that the goat was going to a very good home.
And that’s the only goat story I know.
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