Chapati Queens and Indian TV Stars

 During last Saturday evening’s power cut, the women of my family and I decided to play dress up – do not fear, all house chores were done with, we wouldn’t have dared distract ourselves otherwise! I have therefore worn my first saree!

A saree is a 5 meter long piece of fabric artistically folded around the body. A blouse is worn under . As my didi (elder sister) is half my size (I’m a giant in Nepal) and I was wearing her saree the blouse was slightly tight for me – ie. I didn’t really dare breathe..

As they are used to put the saree on themselves but not really on someone else they were a bit confused and it took my didi and her mother to fit me in the first saree. It was great fun!

But check me out! The result is worth it! I look like the girls on Indian TV series! Loving it!

Friday, 4 February 2011

Wednesday February 2nd was Chandeleur - French Crepe day. Tradition is to cook crepes and toss them while holding a gold coin in your hand. If the crepe lands back right in the pan it is good omen and the year will bring you good fortune.

This year I had to adapt the batter preparation to local ingredients. Buffalo milk (proper, fresh out of the animal), sugar, eggs and white wheat flour - my usual secret extra ingredients are not available. I added some cardamon while boiling the milk and cooked the crepes in oil or gee. No toppings available - the only possibility was lime and sugar but the corner shop had run out of lime that day... gutted!

I prepared a party for my family and some colleagues and it was great fun. We hold our gold coin - ie a 2 rupee coin - and the tossing was quite successful. Nothing stuck to the ceiling!

The crepes were yummy. I love cooking with buffalo milk as it has a great taste - plus I read on the Internet that it is low in cholesterol compared to cow milk!

Short note for my AFID readers: on the work front we are moving forward slowly but surely. We have created the Financial System in Excel and start entering January data. It takes a while due to staff availability (the accountant is currently very busy) and the state of current ledger. The first step is to understand each manual voucher before entering it in our system.

Monday, 31 January 2011

I have just made a big beginner's mistake! I watched some of friends' skiing holiday photos on Facebook. Raclette, fondue... I realised I have not eaten any cheese for more than two months!!! I could kill a cheese on toast right now! Or some warm Camember. Or just one cracker with a drop of cheese on! :)

Anyway... on the food subject: I am officially the chapati queen!

Once again I had a lovely week. On Saturday my family took me to an historical place on the outskirt of town called Krekar Vihear. 

It looks like Angkorian ruins. Nobody knows when it was built - or why and by whom - as no money is invested for archaeological purpose in the region - all funds go to touristic areas like Pokhara or Kathmandu. However carvings are beautiful and so delicate. One can see that it was built as an Hindu temple/palace before being turned into a Buddhist sanctuary. 

We then went to a beautiful park for a quick snack. This park has a natural source where people bath and do their washing. It also means that this park does not suffer from the dry weather and is always in bloom.