Bread-and-eggs lunch, pizza dinner at PN's [Wed 31]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had eggs and bread for lunch.

We were too tired and bored to make something for dinner at PN's, so we ordered in Pizza from Domino's. I'm glad I introduced PN to the pizza place because they really like it! And it was all veggies, so very kind of people to accommodate for me!

Not much else to write, your 8th day of stay at your friends' place does get into a routine after a while, and since you don't have the mobility and freedom to go anywhere without being driven, you can't get control over your timetable. That's the compromise one must make while staying at friends' and family's in the suburbs. They're absolutely impossible to get around without a motorized vehicle.

Egg bread and momo lunch, disappointing dinner at American-style travel with many-a-graduate [Tue 30]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had egg, bread and momo for lunch with the peruvian sauce described in the earlier journal.

For dinner we went to Sweetwater tavern, the place where P had wanted to go on for quite some time. It was American-style restaurant, and I bought in.

It was uhhh disappointing. I don't remember what we ate, and even if I have photographic evidence, don't really care for it. So many people of...whiteness there, the largest single concentration I'd seen recently even! And since it was graduation time for high-school kids, we saw like maybe 10 different graduation parties with parents, grandparents, balloons and kids with their friends getting early dinners.

Played taas marriage in the evening.

Various yummy lunch and dinner, pipe, the peruvian tomato sauce for everything, momo probably [Mon 29]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

By this point I was having so much momo (some of it porky, yes, but I make exceptions as I'm not religiously vegetarian) eggs, potatoes and other yummy things it's hard to keep track of and describe what I ate for every meal at PN's. To put it succinctly, various yummy lunch and dinner items were had. We used the peruvian sauce that N's coworker gave her, orange packet, on everything and it does really go well with all sorts of foods, particularly the momo.

Yeah, the momo was really really good. So very good. Yum.

Egg-potato-bread brunch, Shanendoah drive, vague memories [Sun 28]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

We had egg, sauteed potatoes and bread for lunch.

I got high.

We went on  drive to Shenandoah national park which I'd nagging the group about for days and days. Or maybe we just went as far as Clifton. I have very vague memories of the day, and obviously remember we went somewhere, and that I was too lazy to get out of the car, but no memories of why or how or when. I've asked relevant parties to corroborate on the missing information, will add when and if there's something worth adding.

Ikea trip! Meatball platter and mac n cheese, missed a major item in the cart, veggie kraut burger later [Sat 27]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

On this day PN and I went to Ikea. We had to get bedsheets for SP. We collected that but ultimately ended up missing it out from checkout for some reason.

Before we started shopping we had our lunch at their food court. I got the meatball platter with mac n cheese on the side. One's shopping experience gets elevated considerably when one is reasonably well-fed and hydrated.

After shopping I had a kraut burger because I was really tired and interested in seeing what it'd be like. It was alright.

Buckwheat pancake, fermented foods, eggs for lunch, momo-achar for dinner, brownies are dinner as we watch tv before bed [Fri 26]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had buckwheat pancake with fermented cabbage (or something, some achar from Nepal maybe), eggs, and momo achar. Which means I was write in my estimation that we made momos the day before.

For dinner we had momo and achar, and ate brownies as desserts while we watched pre-bed tv.

Relax and chill at PN's (I have no photos from this day) [Thu 25]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

I have no photos from this day. It was likely due to the fact that I was having a really good time, and things were not entirely in control so I wasn't in my regular timetable. Add to the fact that I was getting high after work a lot, and then other issues, and you come to an understanding that this would be the exact sort of situation where no photos would be taken.

If I had to make an educated guess on what we did on this day, I'd say we made momos because everybody was craving it and had been talking about it since I'd come but hadn't taken steps toward making it. 

That would make double sense because for the momos I'd have gotten high and then not been capable to process enough to take photos of the whole process.

Boiled eggs and bread brunch, chat and biryani from the indian dessert place, yummy yummy biryani dinner and cards [Wed 24]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had boiled eggs and bread for brunch.

For dinner we went to this nearby Indian dessert place I've been to on several occasions, I want to say it's Bombay something but don't want to sound like a fool. We got many different kinds of desserts, as well as yogurt pani puri and biryani. I loved the biryani, the yogurt panipuri I thought was overstated. The desserts including jalebi were really good but so sweet and heavy so they stayed around in the fridge for quite a few days. Every so often one of us would nibble at it, and it would keep going.

Ate our dinner and desserts while we played cards in the evenings.

Leftover pasta lunch, I get dropped at PN's, so many paintaings and changes, Paris baguette drive, desserts and tv in the evening [Tue 23]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had leftover pasta for lunch.

In the evening ED dropped me at PN's. Their house has changed considerably since I last saw it, more paintings, more art, and more of a cooler art musum lived in vibe. So very very cool.

We drove to paris baguette and got desserts.

Had a quick dinner, and had desserts in front of tv as we watched...Ted Lasso probably, since that's wht they were watching at the time.

Homemade pizza with ED, imperfect but incredible, all you need is oil [Mon 22]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

We had gotten the dough from TJ's to make pizza couple of days before, we used that to make homemade pizza. It was oily, cheese, full of vegetables and therefore turned out to be really good even though it looked very rustic, homemade and unprofessional. If you want to perfect something, get everything right, and reach the height of bestness in doing something I guess you need to work hard, the last 1% probably takes 20% of your energy, but if you just want to feed yourself and get by on a day to day basis, it's not that bad of an idea to just start making things because that's how things are done. By actually doing them instead of worrying how they might turn out, and that they look unprofessional.

At the Dulles town center mall with ED and niece, taco bell lunch, niece gets new dress [Sun 21]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

We went to the Dulles Town center mall, it was nice.

Children are in general quite difficult to go on shopping trips with because they will want everything I discovered.

I hung out with bhanji at the play-pen in the middle of the mall. ED got lunch at one of those Asian fast food stalls in the food court, I got at Taco Bell. Her stomach was messed up for days, I didn't have to think about my stomach at all, so I guess if this was a competition I'd be winning.

Bhanji tried the new dress bought in the evening.

Poets

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Kalidasa and the rest were poets,
poets too we are;
a mountain and an atom
are both substances.

- KrishnaBhatta, Vidhyakara's Anthology of Sanskrit Poetry (10th Century CE) edited by David HH Engalls.

Haka's recipe for the most dangerous dessert

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Recipe for the most dangerous dessert. 

Ingredients:
A vial of stolen toxin stolen from the veterinary clinic to trigger the target's heart issue
A vial of antidote against the above toxin
Access to the cooking area of the mithai pasal where the target goes to
Various savory and sweet dishes in breakfast

Steps:

1. Start working as a cook in the restaurant where the target goes for breakfast twice-weekly
   .
2. Having identified his heart issue, acquire the vile of cardio-toxin from Vet hospital, and its antidote.
   
   
3. Carefully dose the wholesale batch for the morning with the toxin. NEVER dose just the target. If it's targeted, you'll be the obvious suspect. If it's generalized, they'll suspect anybody but you.
   
   
4. Put the antidote dosage on everybody else's dish as a dressing, besides the target's.
   
   
5. Make sure the size of the dosed batch is small enough, or things might go out of control. You want to minimize collateral damage to avoid suspicion.
   
   
6. Serve the target the dish full of toxins, without the antidote. Wait carefully until he shows sign of distress.
   
   
7. Do not be nervous, do not be overly curious. Act like this is just another normal day at work.
   
   
8. When the victim starts having palpitations and visibly struggling, ask for help from the general public, making sure the coworker of yours whom you know to have an incorrect understanding of chest compressions volunteers to help.
   
   
9. Once they have taken the body away, start pointing fingers, and wait calmly until the management fires everybody the following day to avoid trouble.
   
   
10. Confirm it worked in the newspaper a week later.
    

The moon should just give up

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

That the moon,
weighted in comparison with your face, should rise,
makes clear, my lady of downcast countenance,
how light it has proved on balance.

- Rajashekhara, Vidhyakara's Anthology of Sanskrit Poetry (10th Century CE) edited by David HH Engalls

Haka's list of rules

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

He had figured out a list of thirteen things one must keep track to completely overwhelm the victim, to ascertain that the world never found out that they didn't meet their end in an unfortunate accident.

1. The morning plan and routine, any deviation from that would raise suspicion, unless one meant to make it look like a suicide.
   
   
2. The food the target ate, they would quickly be suspicious of new dishes or old dishes with new flavors, nothing should be unexpected.
   
   
3. The people they met everyday, so the daily routine didn't seem overly disrupted, to take suspicion away from the acquaintances
   
   
4. Local shopkeepers with keen eyes and easy lips, who spread gossip quicker than fire in a dry forest, a stranger in a new neighborhood would be quickly talked about
   
   
5. Any signs of health or discomfort in the target, should they be suspicious and seek medical help, the entire plan could come tumbling down due to the blood tests, unless that was the goal
   
   
6. The mode of one's travel. Somebody who traveled on their private car would be unlikely to fall from a public bus into the incoming traffic. A reckless motorbiker would be more likely to encounter a crash.
   
   
7. The sense of one's smell. Some people were quick to smell out toxins, new people and even ill-intentions, right through their nose holes. Others couldn't make out a pile of dung next to them. The effort needed to put into these different kinds of victims was very different.
   
   
8. How well they say in the dark. Some people were night-blind, some had the sight of the owl, that would help identify how suspicious a night-operation might end up being.
   
   
9. How attuned they were into unknown sounds, and if they could be easily bothered. Sensitivity to sounds wasn't necessarily a disadvantage, the victims could  be lured into their demise by sounds nobody else had heard and would report to the police, but care was warranted.
   
   
10. Hidden fears. The rich liked to hide their deepest fears from the world. The trick was identifying those somehow and using that against them.
    

Tryambaka's plea

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Must the grounds shake, every time I awake
To go to my bio-informatics class,
Must the Universe and all creation, wait for my decision
While I'm otherwise occupied, just living my own life?
I, the three-eyed one, the one with dreadlocks
Am I not greater than all the building blocks
That make up the Universe,
Greater than the sum of all of my parts?
Why then, must I
Micromanage it all?

Why must the ganas and the bhutas and pretas
Tremble when I toke out of a strong bowl or pipe
Or my words considered the last word, the end-all of the Universe
Even when I'm not always in the best of my senses?
If I am the one, and all, and I am everything,
What is it that gives me an independent separate meaning?

I, the lord of Animals, the herdsmen, the hunter,
For these ages, eons over eons I watched over them
Went down to live together, when they needed me the most
Now that they have hold of things, why might I not do it again?
Live like them, made of flesh and blood, earth and fire
Feel all the emotions of the mortal world, the pain and the fear
If I am the ultimate, the end, the end of end,
the nothingness beyond the nothing, the void that holds emptiness within
Then I must be able to do this,
To live among my people, to see them in happiness and pain
To celebrate their happiness and agonize over their sin
Be with them in happiness or in pain!

I must go, this is my time,
Be with those children of mine!

Out in the park with ED and niece, long drive with a brother, kite-flying, playing soccer with niece, going to the children's playpark, parks are fun(!), tired out, McDonald's snacks and child ravages [Sat 20]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

This was a day full of activities, out in the Sun.

In the morning we went to this park where all the kiddos played soccer and ran around with their dads. I didn't want to be out in the sun so just got drinks with ED. Some bro left something at home and also needed to get his kite, so I drove with him to the same place ED lives in (same community) and back. So hot.

They flew kite, chilled, I ran around with Bhanji, taught her to play soccer, lots of fun. After we were all tired, we went with the kids, drove to the nearby play park, where they had slices etcetera. Bhanji was really hard to control and she would run around and jump from everywhere and all other kids were full of energy too, way more than the parents. After spending an hour or so at the play park, we drove to McDonald's (after discovering wendy's or other fast food was closed) and got fries. Bhanji was really really hard to control there too cos' she was so full of energy, and really intent on trying to clean all the tables. It was hella funny.

Picking niece from school early, roadtrip to family friends in Maryland with another kid, playing with kids, learning about relationships and Nepalis and mothers and so much good food [Fri 19]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

We picked up bhanji from the daycare early.

Then we started our drive to Maryland, near Silver Spring. It was technically not a faraway place but because of traffic it took us a really long time to get there.

There I met the dai-didi, they were AD's friend from childhood and his partner. His mother-in-law was also there, and so was their 4-yearold daughter. We spent time chilling on their balcony, talking about Nepal, children, good places to hang out and enjoy and eating a lot. Aunty was super helpful and kind.

The dinner was extravagant, so much food my stomach couldn't handle it.

I had heard about these friends of theirs for years and years, it was nice to meet them finally. They live in a really convenient location too, so close to the train station!

Yum yum lunch from Subway, a confusion between various subways, drivin with AD, subway for lunch and dinner, playing with niece and early to bed [Thu 18]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

AD and I got lunch from Subway. I got the 2-for-1 order, so we got two footlongs for less than ten dollars. Turns out there's two subways nearby and we went to the wrong one first, I asked them for my order and realized it was the wrong one. no wories we went to the other one.

Had the footlong for lunch and then the leftovers for dinner.

In the evening played with niece a bunch, watched tv with family and went to bed early.

Work starts after a month, dropping niece at school [Wed 17]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Work started after a month. It was slow to catch up. Boring, nothing exciting happened.

Dropped and picked up niece from her daycare. She kinda' started expecting me to do it everyday.

Uneventful flight to USofA, back in the country after FOUR MONTHS, ED comes to pick me up, at my family's, chilling and relaxing [Tue 16]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

The flight to Dulles was uneventful. Don't remember anything remarkable, didn't take any pictures or anything. I think I did some reading? But can't be sure.

ED and AD and bhanji came to pick me up, went to their place, chilled, caught up relaxed, played with bhanji and had a good dinner. Good times, nothing eventful.

Bhat-dal-tarkari lunch, capshopping with dad in Thamel, dad enjoys wood-fired pizza and I love it all, biryani achar for dinner, all packed up for flight, in airport at midnight [Mon 15]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had bhat dal tarkari for lunch.

Went to shop for caps with dad to Thamel. We went to Kalapatthar and they showed us a different location. We got like seven different caps and other athletic wear. Dad wanted to buy things for himself too, but he controlled himself. The place was really good, I'm really glad I have all the caps I have now because I'm super duper prepared for summer head-gear wise.

We then went to my favourite pizza place in Kathmandu, what one random Google reviewer described as the second-best Pizza place in South Asia, he wood-fired pizza place in SatGhumti. Dad and I shared a pizza and he was content, I liked it too. We saw a guy eat two pizzas, of the kind we shared among the two of us, all by himself. Man he must have loved that pizza!

For dinner I had biryani and achar.

I changed, showered, got everything in order and ready for flight.

We headed out to the airport a bit before midnight.

At the airport nothing special happened except the people at immigration told me they'd not let me leave the country the next time if I didn't have my worker permit to leave the country. I thought about it, the next time I'd probably be in GC so I didn't care much.

The rest of the journey was mostly uneventful. Great fuckin' food by the way, unlike the journey to Nepal when it was disgusto.

Last-moment Bhat-Bhateni shopping, new road shopping, Patan Durbar with dad, I buy books dad eats newari food, MALDING at local sekuwa all by myself for dinner [Sun 14]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Dad and I went to BhatBhateni to shop for trousers but because they carried only summer clothe they didn't have what I needed: courduroy pants. So we went to khichapokhari, bought my trousers from several different places, got them to tailor it for me as we waited and walked around, and picked them up. From there we went to Patan durbar square, I showed my dad the newari place Honacha where he went to have authentic newari khaja and I went to the Patan Durbar Square museum book shop. Bought myself a couple of good books, including gods goddesses and religious symbols of hinduism buddhism and tantrism and Singha Durbar which is a history of Rana Regime in Nepal.

Got home in the afternoon, chilled, and I realized I wanted to go to Local Sekuwa, so I did. I ate a lot of, and  mean lot lot lot of unhealthy non-veg items, to my heart's content. So much food, and definitely knew for sure I wasn't missing out on anything.

Bhat-dal-tarkari lunch, juju shopping, delaying flight by 8 hours, RD family comes over and we have a grand feast (so many things!), bhat-dal-tarkari dinner [Sat 13]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had bhat-dal-tarkari for lunch, then went to Juju for shopping t-shirts since I had only two days before my US return trip. Spent about 15k in there, it's shocking how common $30 t-shirts have been in Nepal. At least I knew I was getting a good brand with good quality.

Also made changes to my flight so instead of heading out in the afternoon we'd have to head out at wee hours in the morning.

RD and bhinaju came to our place in the afternoon and once again we had many many many things to eat and relax and have lots of fun. I don't have exact memory of the time or the photos but it's possible the whole maligaun gang may have been there, but there's no photographic or memory evidence.

Had bhat-dal-tarkari for dinner.

Dusty drive to kakani and back, we don't appreciate the whole thing a lot, tea's and other things, alright lunch at Lama uncle's resort, dinner @ Sanepa delights with PU, HS friends at Chiyawala, late home [Fri 12]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

In the morning we started our drive to Kakani. It was amazing, the scenery was pretty great, we stopped by some place for dad to meet somebody, and kept going all the way to the tower. It was so dirty and noisy and kinda' gross so we skidaddled out right away. ON the way back we stopped by a teashop and got light snacks, dad got talking to the shopkeeper and turns out she was the sister of the guy he had been talking to earlier.

We then stayed at Lama uncle's resort, it was cool, the scenery was beautiful, there were many photo opportunities. We spent several hours there relaxing and doing nothing. Had a big reasonably-priced meal, the wild saag we tried and were excited about was...just okay.

Drove down from Kakani, terrible awful roads, then the tire went out, dad changed it real quick in ten minutes, and later we got it repaired in another ten minutes.

Back home I chilled for a bit then PU asked if I wanted to hangout and I said yes, so she came to pick me up and we went to Sanepa Delights which is this Japanese place. We tried a bunch of different japanese items and it wasn't half-bad. The only problem was mosquitoes and my shorts. Even the coil under our table didn't help that much. PU was talking about how one of her friends was dating a former miss Nepal (recent) and still hit on her and tell her he'd dump her if only she'd start dating him etcetera.

She was talking to other people and turns out SD was nearby, so we drove over to where they were (near Chabahil) and we met SD and DD. DD is the brother of DD also who's friends with NG and they all used to be my uncle's patients. We chilled out at this tea place called Chiyawala, which was right next to a wedding venue with extremely annoying lights that just wouldn't shut down.

Interesting as to how late tea places are open these days I wonder what's happening in the country.

We dropped SD near Guheshwari, PU dropped me off after. It was 10.30 in the evening.

Egg and bhujia khaja, drive to Nagarkot, Mystic Mountain magic, to the long house and mother-son napping in the extreme cold, fun times, bara potato achar soy peanut dinner, back home [Thu 11]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

For morning khaja I had egg and bhujia, strange combo but it worked!

We drove to Nagarkot and chilled at Mystic Mountain resort. So nice, I'd like to stay there and eat there food and relax for a couple of days independently from extended family too!

From there we drove to the other place, the uncle's place in Nagarkot. We had bara potato achar soy and peanut for dinner. The menfolk all talked and got drunk and blah blah, mom and I chilled, took photos, looked at the goats eat massive marijuana plant leaves, and because it was so chilly in the evening, something we'd not anticipated at prepared for, went to nap in one of the BnB's rooms. We got up when it was time to drive home.

Shiva tells Parvati about her finding him

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

One cannot see, one cannot find
the man whom you would like to seek.
How can it be that one you want
escapes so easily?

- Kalidasa (from God Inside Out Shiva's Game of Dice, Handelman et al, page 170)

The senior maintainer is worried about consequences

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

How they couldn't be bothered to deal with such a big matter he didn't understand, it was not just a technical issue that could be swept under the rugs, ask a few mid-level technicians to look at the matter and forget it, no the Gods of the highest level had to be engaged could be arsed but that was the problem, wasn't it, everybody was so very afraid of the Gods and the things they could do, oh their anger, their mythological anger put everybody on their toes, and the demigods feared them just as much which meant the people everyone could talk to weren't of much help, and now everyone was stuck in this weird limbo where the entire creation could come to a creaking halt, with nobody nowhere, and that meant absolutely nowhere in the entirety of everything, knowing how things worked, which was probably the worst thing to  have occurred in all eternity, ever and ever, but what could he do, he was just a lowly reporter, a maintainer of some repute yes but those powerful beings didn't care for that did they, for them he was just like everybody else, a person who works in the background who ideally should never be heard or seen and their very sight cause consternation among the immortals, which was a problem because he was not the one creating issues, he was the reporter and the fixer, but they feared and despised him as if he were always responsible for everything that went wrong, which meant he had little political power, no calling it a 'little bit' was an understatement...he had negative political power for the higher-ups loathed his presence so much, they probably felt that if he said something needed to be done, they probably thought his intention was to create a problem and not to fix it, and would probably do the opposite of it, not that he had any evidence for this specific matter but that was the general sense he had gotten, and it was not just him either, his coworkers had teased him about being fearsome to the most fearsome gods and entities in all of eternity, at that time he had taken it rather lightly, but there was definitely a morsel of truth in that, an unfortunate fact because the way things were going, nothing might end up mattering anyway. He sighed. This was not right. He would go talk.

Oh the winter days, or Monsson in the Bay of Bengal

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

There is no moon;
the sun has left for lands unknown;
the circle of the stars and planets
has been erased from heaven.
Of day and night
all distinction is obscured.
What is this crime
committed by the serried ranks of clouds!

- Yogeshvara, from  Anthology of Sanksrit Court Poetry by Vidhyakara

Taco Chukis Broadway

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Taco Chukis on Broadway in Seattle is a welcome oasis of reasonably-priced and yummy food with great ambience. They are high-tech with their screens, have ample seating space, and the two floors are a welcome reminder of the 'cabin in the woods' chic, the ability to buy liquor there means it can be a group's night out spot, a place to play board games, get dinner and drinks and spend a few fun hours, at a very reasonable rate. I've had burritos and quesadillas there, all vegetarian, and only have good things to say about them. The ambiance is as good as it gets for a place like this, the prices are reasonable, the location perfect for a meetup with friends. Plus the ability to buy drinks means one does not need worry about finding a second spot for getting drunk.

I like this location of the outlet way more than the Broadway one, due to cooler ambiance, the 2 floors, and the general aesthetic. I'm guessing the food is the same, but it felt better here, must have been the other senses influencing my buds.

8 out of ten, I consider this high regards for a quick-serve fast-casual restaurant. Recommend it over the chipotle that's a couple of blocks down the road.

Jheer restaurant a review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

There's a chain of sekuwa restaurants in Kathmandu (and possibly in the mofasal) called Jheer whose major selling point is decent grilled and fried meat, a reasonably family-friendly environment, and oh, beer sold at maximum retail price, with no markup over that. The third point is their strongest suit, but let's move on.

Actually, let's hold the review here and talk about Crunchy Chicken and Burger house, where I was a regular in 2017, the original one in the oraalo past New Baneshwar. It was my favourite spot because the stick food was cheap, and the drinks were sold at MRP. Then they got big, the food got very expensive, the drinks weren't sold at MRP anymore, and finally the quality of food went down. Now it's a shittier version of...how Americans feels about McD, but not so respected, and way way pricey. A kind of place one would go to if one was stuck in the world of 2018. There were 300 of them across the country at one point, wouldn't be surprised if they're decreasing in number.

Regardless. Jheer. It's not a good place for vegetarians, as the only items one can find here are chatpatey, roasted garlic and boiled potatoes. Those are the only items I've had there, but I'm told on good authority the food is pretty good, the service is decent, specially the one in mid-Baneshwar, and for a 'homely' environment, which is not available in such restaurants, this brings a decent amount of heat. This is where couples might go on evening dates, or friends to hang out, or families out with their kids.

Eight out of ten stars.

GrainHouse review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

The problem is one of memory. Not of location or ambience, or one's company, or the quality of ingredients or of methods of preparation. Rarely is it one of price either. Over the course of days and months, events start layering up, what happened last week gets muddled up with what happened the week before and so forth. And in the end you're left like a man feeling his way through the world using his hands.

I went to GrainHouse which isn't too far away from my place but was never on my scope because it seemed like yet another mediocre lunch bowl place, when friend SS from Boston came over in Sept 2023. She suggested the place and I was agreeable.

Here's what I remember about my order: I added tonnes and tonnes of spices. And it's possible after adding the spices, it was decent-tasting. That's all. It must have cost what, 12-14 bucks, and what did I order, a banh mih or an Asian bowl? Who remembers. But this is not the fault of one's memory, it's that one of mediocrity. One only remembers an object that distinguishes itself from the background. Something that blends in with the background humdrum of everyday life is impossible to distinguish.

It's what it is: yet another Asian bowl place, not specially expensive, decent sitting, much like that of the nicer Chipotles, and their food is decent. I didn't have problems with it anyway. If you're looking for a place to eat out for lunch, this is as good as any.

7 out of ten stars.

Next level burger Roosevelt: review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Next Level Burger is a vegan/vegetarian burger place inside the Whole Foods in Roosevelt.

It's a fast food place, that's what one must understand above everything else. What that entails: there is no table service, there is rarely any bussing or table clearance, the food is bound to be on the unhealthier side of things no matter what the vegan/eaterian crowd will tell you, and it'll never be enough to feel you more than content. Also you should check your blood pressure after eating and don't do it every day if you can avoid it. Kind of like opposite of sex in some ways then.

What one can't expect out of a fast food place as a guarantee, it turns out: that you'll get your food quickly, or in a 'fast' manner. I don't know if I waited for 20 minutes or 30, but it was a very.long.time. So long that I began questioning if they'd forgotten my order. Then they called my number and I picked it up, and was done in like five minutes, end of the story.

The food wasn't bad, I'd happily eat again if I were in the neighborhood and in need of sustenance, but I could make better and have done so, I've talked about Chik'n burgers from Costco and how much I enjoyed those, and these weren't much better than what I made. My was possibly better.

This was a very slow takeout fast food, I don't know what to say. Yeah the branding is premium, and the products may be pricey, but a premium experience this certainly is not.

7.5 out of ten, I'd go again but not enthusiastically.

Indrive Vs Pathao

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Everything was Pathao, pathao is the generalized name for online rideshares in Nepal. But everything is technically not indrive or pathao, there's other apps.

Indrive is often cheaper because you can negotiate. Indrive is better because there are more bikes available, and the riders will ride on for longer distances to get you.

But Pathao has insurance. Pathao riders are safer, more reliable, and more responsible. Pathao is expensive and in the evenings or in places that are not red-hot crowded, the rides are harder to come by.

Most riders use both the apps most times, but Indrive is more preferable if you're going to be on a bike and can clearly communicate with the rider that you would rather not rush your ride.

Entertainment girls at Sukute resort

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

It's getting late and I've wasted the last two hours not writing and doing everything but.

When we were at Sukute beach, we, by which I mean my family and everybody besides me since I was in the room working and sleeping, noticed that the evening party had some girls who were quite eager to dance with young men and encourage everybody to get in on the act and have fun. Like suspiciously so. And the next morning we find they're all friends, sitting near us and talking as if it's a regular workday. This is how we discovered they were entertainment girls, don't know the technical word, but hired party girls expected to fluff up the crowd and get the party started.

I have several different thoughts on the matter, quite revealing, and related to class bifurcations. First, it's a bit weird no, like having a staff of girls whose job is to dance and dance with men etcetera, specially since it's a family-oriented resort? Second, my complaints aren't really about existence, but hmm about the 'valence' of the situation...while the resort had maybe correctly identified its target customer base and gotten the entertainers targeted to them, it made me realize, maybe the next time I go to these resorts I'll spend more money and stay at a better place. Not like I'm made of money, and thriftiness is what everybody teases me about all the time, but if something's not your vibe it's not your vibe, and it's no fun to have no fun to save some money. Rather spend a bit more money and have actual fun, according one's desires! And thirdly, there's no doubt clubs in the US and elsewhere do that too, it's just good business sense -- plus I've talked about that audio-based app that was hiring groups of young women to rile up groups of people, so clearly it's a Nepali tradition as well -- but maybe hmm targeting a higher shelf than your customer base mind consider to look for could make more sense? Don't know, I'm no businessman, it's nice that those ladies get to make money out of what they hopefully enjoy. Just...a bit..left field.

Returning to the U.S.A

I'm killing time at the nicer lounge In TIA, avoiding going through the security lines and on to the terminal because it's a rather sad situation in there. I'll be back in the USA in about 26 hours. Sad, pathetic that I didn't write anything for the past four months yeah but it was not unanticipated. One needs to be in control of one's surroundings to do as one wishes and this journey has been all about a total and complete surrender of one's control and agency over one's life. Not in a particularly good way either.

Either way, more stable, controlled times are ahead!

Cloud messenger

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Looking face upwards at the clouds
That fill the monsoon sky,
the traveler transfers their burden
of water to his eyes

- Jayika, Vidhyakara's Anthology of Sanskrit Poetry (10th Century CE) edited by David HH Engalls.

TU Central Canteen review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

I must have eaten about a dozen times at the TU Central Canteen. Samosa, jerri, selroti, boiled eggs, achar, they were my standard fare, quite often I'd go on the 'more is more' side of things, which gained me a few extra pounds. This place is to blame for a large part of that.

The price is set, in agreement with the University, which means you know that's as cheap as you can reasonably find without a big compromise on the quality.

In terms of the order experience, it's always a rush, a long line of people impatient and unwilling to wait for their turn. If they improved the way orders are made, which currently involve shouting at the shopkeeper didi, everybody would have a significantly elevated experience.

The ambiance is...it's a shed with benches and basic tables, the inside room is dirtier than the outside, some flies around, a standard canteen that I would be surprised if it was any better than this.

The taste is quite good, never have complaints about anything, there's lots of consistency on the taste, and high variability on the time the dishes take to be delivered.

I had good times here, talked to some serious people, and if I were a student at TU, I'd quite appreciate the canteen and the wide variety of tasty yet healthy grubs they offer.

Eight out of ten, with proper expectations in place. I'd eat out of here everyday, no problem.

Chiya Adda chitwan

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Chiya adda in Chitwan was the place where I met up with PB in April to gossip and catch up. It's a surprisingly bougie place in the middle of nowhere. The variety in their offerings is suspicious, the quality of their output is reasonable for a place in their location. Their prices are absurd, but then it's the old supply-and-demand story, I'm guessing once more of these fancy-looking places pop up, that's going to seem more reasonable. The flavor of the ordered items was alright, I remember ordering some smoothie or juice of sorts, and it was a bit stringy, but nothing that was easy to deal with, it wasn't too different from something one might find in Thamel.

The ambiance was great, the inside had cute modern artsy decoration, the outside was a cute contained balcony with tables and plants. Nice place for friends to catch up, clearly targeted at teenagers and young adults who might want to align their standards with the global ones.

Nine out of ten stars, for the sort of place it is, and the location.

Honacha bhimsen

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

My Honacha Bhimsen trip was a couple of weeks ago in April, all by myself.

It's exactly like the other traditional Nepali eateries that are nearby, like honacha, and honacha 3g which has become my favourite in recent times. It offered a slightly wider variety of organ meats and innards than 3g, which was a plus in my book, though the thwo was weaker here. Their prices are about 15-20% higher than 3g for similar, maybe smaller serving sizes which was a bit of a bummer.

The most disappointing thing was the smell, I sat on the second floor and there was a strong smell of the toilets, which was not preferable. Besides that, this does happen to be in a more central place, and offers floor seating unlike 3g, which is my standard of comparison.

7.5 out of ten, I'd go here if 3g was unavailable, love the extra choice of innards.

Fire pizza Thamel: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Fire Pizza in Thamel, next to Samurai Chicken and across the street from the back-end of Kathmandu Guest House complex is the best pizza I've had in Nepal. That's it. The prices aren't too unreasonable, the pies aren't exactly New York style, but who cares, they're yummy and full of toppings and well-baked in the oven right in the restaurant. They give a couple of sauces and dips to dip the bare crust into which elevates the experience. I've seen European tourists eat two of their pizzas in a sitting, which is a tribute to their taste and not a slight to their size, which is decent: I can easily finish a pie if I'm hungry, but I've shared one with others and felt pretty full too.

A google review for the place claims this is the second-best Pizza in South Asia, the first one being a parlor across the street from the Italian Embassy in Delhi. I don't have the intel on that, but I'll tell you this, it is the best pizza I've had in Kathmandu, and in Nepal. All the pricier pizzas from Fire and Ice and Roadhouse etcetera don't even come close. And you can get all that at half the price. What. A. Deal.

Electric Pagoda bar and cafe

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

I have been to this place once, a couple of 'weeks ago' in late April, when TD's friends were about to leave Nepal, this was the place for our last hangout.

Let's start with the good parts. The ambiance is what people come here for. It's a garden restaurant, more focus on the garden. Lots of trees, bamboo cladding on the buildings, wooden chairs and tables, gravel and stone footpath, a couple of water fountains, statues of buddha and so forth. Chill relaxing hippie music plays throughout. .Either that or buddhist chants, which...yeah we went there early in the evening, it's possible the vibe changes throughout the day and it gets more raucous in the evenings, but that wasn't my experience. A solid 10 out of 10 for ambiance.

The food was decent. Nothing outrageously good, but slightly above average. As in, if somebody told me to meetup at this place explicitly for their quality food, I wouldn't be disappointed by their choice. It fills the tummy and excites the senses slightly, that's more than one can ask from most places at a reasonable price.

The service was decently prompt, the servers well-trained and professional.

Prices were on the higher side, even for Thamel's nicer places, which is saying a lot, but then it's the entire package one is paying for including the cost of renting the free treed land, probably. And peace is hard to come by in these areas after all. I would definitely feel a little weird coming here all by myself in the afternoon, but that could just be me.

It's a pretty great place, decent food and service, a great area to come for a tea or a drink, read and chilled hang with friends on lazy Sunday mornings.

Review: Yala cafe and coffee shop

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

I've been to this place twice, once with TD and all her friends, all fourteen of us, and later with ND and bhauju. On both the occasions I found the food to be decent, the service to be pretty great, and the prices to be excellent. In terms of ambiance, it's a nice peaceful restaurant away from the hustle and bustle of Thamel streets on an alley, and you can definitely find a corner to sneak to, to smoke a doobie if you so desire without the staff giving you much trouble. It's clearly quite popular with European tourists as we found it to be in high demand on both the trips.

The prices are outrageously good. TD expected to pay around 30k for a dinner-and-drinks for a group of 14 people, and the final bill came to the rune of 12k I believe. She was confused for a moment because it didn't make sense.

This is probably a better place for large groups and couples hoping to hide from the world than a lone traveler or a small rowdy group of friends as the vibe is more peaceful and respecting, and a bit too 'cold' to be fun in a loud way.

10/10 for the prices, 8/10 for the food, always a good option if you want a decent place in Thamel to meet a decent-sized group.

There's a shop next door that sells mad honey, I can't vouch for the authenticity of those honeys.

Boomerang restaurant and bar: review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Lets cut to the chase here, the Boomerang restaurant and bar, which lies by the bank of Fewa Lake in Pokhara, and which has been there for at least three decades, can be summed up in one word: 'mediocre', if you give me a second one I'll add 'disappointing'. A third word would be: 'overpriced'.

My family had a thing for Boomerang back in the day, their cultural dances and so on, and we've been here before on many occasions, though the most latest trip was in April with my parents. I looked at the menu and was awed by the insane, incredibly unbelievable prices, particularly for a place that didn't look specially good. Perhaps, I thought, the quality or service is going to be impeccable and that's what we're paying for. Not so. I ordered katti rolls and they brought me roti and takari. Fucking roti and tarkari for fifteen hundred buckaroos. So massively disappointing.

The only thing this place has for itself is the location, which isn't much as there are dozens of better-served places with better food nearby. Their prices are insane, the service is extremely mediocre, the food is a big ball of disappointment, the ambiance is nothing to write home about specially considering the prices. And the cultural program is just okay. If you were visiting Nepal for the first time, had no idea about Nepali culture or tradition and made it a point to not see cultural dances anywhere else to the point of absurdity, maybe this place would be right for you.

If not, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, under any circumstance whatsoever.

Swapna Bagh hotel and resort pokhara: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

My parents and I stayed in this resort a couple of weeks ago in April. We chose this hotel because as we were driving by the streets this seemed to be the closest to the lake and looked decent. We walked in, asked if they had a room and went upstairs. That was it.

This is a very average hotel targeted at Indian tourists. They have a small swimming pool, their Indian breakfast buffet is decent, their rooms smell a bit like chlorine, or bleach of some sort, and there's literally zero views, all the rooms are inward-facing. Perhaps because of the swimming pool or due to leakage in the plumbing system we found the place to have confusingly high levels of humidity versus the outside regular world. What a situation.

Would I go there again? Not at all. With my partner? Likely not. Unless they gave it to us for unreasonably cheap prices, even then one would have to consider other options, which could be much more expensive. This is a place to stay in Pokhara, reasonably priced, and isn't disgusting. That's enough for many people. Nuff said.

CG landmark mall food court review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Just completed writing about the CG mall a few posts ago, and here we are writing about the food on the ground floor of the building.

This is buy far the most successful part of the building, it's not even a debate. The businesses are in various states of failing elsewhere in the mall, but the food outlets always have some business going on. The seating area has people sipping on their overpriced coffees and slurping their terrible-tasting momo ko jhol.

I had mustang alu, a sandwich, and momo in the food court. The alu was decent, if unconventional, the sandwich reminded me why I should never get sammiches in Nepal due to the disagreeable mayo, and the momo was...just okay, I'll admit it wasn't any worse than an average vegetable momo in Kathmandu. But still, yet another reminder to oneself to not trust anybody on momos but people of the capital, particularly the newars.

Again, lots of young guys and girls who'd finished their SLC exams or +2 exams meeting friends, figuring out the future and stewing in the luxury they hope to find themselves in after they escape the country in foreseeable future. Most conversations were around that as well, but that's neither novel nor interesting. What I did find curious was the presence of a couple of restaurant chains that appeared to have branches all over the country except in Kathmandu. They were decent.

What's the verdict: go here for food, or the movies. The shops are a bad idea.

Bhat Bhateni Chitwan: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Chitwan, despite being the second city of Nepal, always felt like a faraway place, disconnected from the hustle and bustle of the Capital. Yeah there are many shops and stalls and 'malls' as such in Bharatpur, but never did one feel connected to the same cosmopolitan vibe as one does in  Kathmandu.

So when I went to the Department store during my stay in Chitwan in April, I felt at home, a bit. It's got the same floors, mostly the same wares, and much of the same vibe as stores in Kathmandu. I am connected to civilization, I thought, and even though I might not like the store back home, here it's my link to the rest of the world, this isn't a small town or city anymore, it's a metropolis.

Well that's it. It's a goddamn department store people, what more do you want, they've got all the various things, mostly imported from India and China and marked up hugely without the proper quality control as they have in Kathmandu. They're probably too pricey for Chitwan but surely everyone feels that it's the price one pays for civilization. The clientele of the people visiting here is different from Kathmandu, but I sensed a lot of aspirational cosmopolitanism particularly among the young crowd (here and in CG mall, posted about on the same day). We may not be in Kathmandu, they say, but so what we have CG mall and BBDS, and this is all we need, what is there in the whole wide world that we can't buy here?

And they're right, for the most part.

I don't know, after spending a couple of hours in here because I didn't want to watch the movie my parents had gone to see, I didn't feel at home anymore, I wanted to go to the cowshed basically that was my room. These people were different, their dreams and aspirations were different from mine, and maybe I could see some part of me, from way back in their eyes, but I was never into this, you know? These things are never just functional, they're also political, and I got unsure on where I lie politically on the particular situation of Bhat Bhateni department store.

Because I have this as a review, I'll give it a very unsettling, confused, and desiring-for-more 8. Not the store's fault, it's just the vibe I got.

CG landmark mall Chitwan: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

I jut finished writing about Bhat Bhateni Chitwan, and here we are with CG Landmark mall.

Visited here a couple of weeks ago when I visited Chitwan with my parents. As they watched a movie in the cinema hall on the top, I took a couple of rounds of the building and ate at the food court.

I talk about the aspirational nature of malls and department stores in the next post, but that doesn't necessarily apply here. Because there is no goddamn way Chaudhary group is making money on this mall, this is surely the largest and most expensive billboard they could have constructed for "CG Group" to remind people they are involved in many projects including a massive temple an hour away. For half the stores here were either shutting down or in the process of doing so. The ones that were open were selling cheap Chinese knockoff products, but with expensive branding, hoping to lure unsuspecting buyers -- would anybody even get tricked with such halfassed fooling -- with the aura of wealth and glam and convince them they are the real deal.

Again, there is no goddamn way this mall is in any shape or form financially viable, or will ever be. It'll be a big red mark on the company's balance sheet for a long time. Perhaps it's the fact that the target audience for this sort of place would rather just buy in Kathmandu? Or maybe they're smart enough to buy in Bharatpur? It's also possible they don't have enough critical mass of population to sustain the surely egregious rents, even if they did end up paying real-deal prices for knockoff products. Or maybe this is all some absurdist drama, where the builders pretend this will work, the shops pretend they're real and the shoppers pretend they're really interested in buying the wares, and nothing comes off it.

Really bizarre place, this. I have a piece I'll be writing soon about the food court, that's the only part of the building, besides the movie theater (more problems with that as well, apparently they cancel a lot of showings due to the lack of a minimum number, 15, of audience members) and the food court.

How do I score it? I don't know. My rating is: good luck!

Cafe Shilpee: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Cafe Shilpee isn't really a restaurant. Scratch that, wasn't really a restaurant in April/May, but later they started professionalizing it and turning it into a 'real' restaurant.

What it was is a canteen for the staff of Shilpee theater, then somebody decided if they created a cheap temporary structure, they could use existing manpower and kitchen resources to make some money, and that's how the place came to be about. When I first started going to the place in early 2023, it was highly affordable although not fully professionalized, and the menu was a threadbare collection of whatever was available and the cook was in the mood to cook. It wasn't a place to go for food, it was somewhere you went while you waited for a friend, or to read a book while waiting for a theater show to begin, or to sneak some doobies in relative openness. The food wasn't the top class, but one couldn't expect it out of an establishment of this sort either.

Then within the matter of months, the prices almost doubled, without corresponding increase in quality or service. Surely there's a segment of the population that is happy to pay and enjoys the service, or perhaps they want to create a distinction between canteen services and restaurant services, but it's unclear to me what the final goal is, because...it's not worth the money. Nuh uh. For their new prices, one can go to real, professional kitchen restaurants and have food made for you, in a competitive sense.

Not going to give a rating here because I'm curious what comes of it in the future.

Mithai Pasal review: Battisputali road towards Purano Baneshwar chowk

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

As you walk from Battisputali towards Purano baneshwar, the last mithai passal on the right is the one we're talking about. There's a couple of nice, high-end mithai pasals on the left, I'm aware, those are not the ones in the current review.

The pasal has two floors and focuses just as much on the savory as on the sweet. The couple of times we went, we tried their sweets, but also samosas, veggie momos, kachauris and tarkaries. Had we been in the mood, I'm sure we could have ordered a half-dozen other savoury items and been satisfied with them just as much.

Compared to the first mithai pasal, this one has two floors which is a big plus in my book because more privacy from the prying eyes of the society. And a sense of calmness from the noise of the traffic. They have more savory foods as they claim in the menu, unlike the first place which somehow is always out of kachouris and the good stuff every time we ask. The service of the staff is lacking, and it did look maybe not as hygienic as the first one, but besides that, it's a pretty decent place. The sweets were sweet, didn't make me sick, what else can you ask for?

Seven out of ten. If I'm around and asked here for a meet, I'd happily go.

Bhat-dal-karela-sag lunch, recovering from illness, at Kirtipur for the last time, fairwells, yummy alu-roti for khaja, roti dinner [Wed 10]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had bhat-dal-karela and sag for lunch. Wasn't feeling well since I'd just started taking medication for the cough and fever I'd been having.

Went to Kirtipur for the last time, said farewell to all and came back pretty early on because I was sick.

Had yummy alu roti for khaja and sukkha roti for dinner.

Broker and bank work all day long, my national ID is made, I finally get my Nepali PAN card, rameshwaram khaja, peanut pulau dinner [Tue 9]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Went with dad around town to complete the broker, bank and demat work. I think it's all done, but I'm not sure. It's 99% done at least.

Got my national ID made.

Also had my Pan card made in the government office.

Dad and I went to Rameshwaram for khaja, forgot what I ate there, probably veggie momo, and took some for mom too.

Had peanut pulau for dinner.

Bhat lunch, very oil roti dinner, I get very sick once again, on antibiotics [Mon 8]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

I was starting to cough and get feverish from the day before, and this day it got out of hand. Like quite bad bad. Had to go see the doctor and was prescribed a veritable list of medications to take to fix myself. Their theory was that the infection I had had earlier in the stomach hadn't been dealt with by antibiotics, so the teeny tinies were still in my body messing with whatever organ they could find to infect and give me trouble.

Which is why the day before and today and possibly the next couple of days are not going to be as eventful as before.

BS bank and broker work, dropping sister at the airport [Sun 7]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

During the day did some bank work that I should have done a long time ago, it was annoying.

Dropped sister at the airport in the afternoon, she was going back to the Netherlands after staying in Nepal for three weeks.

Rajma bhat yummie veggies for lunch, drive to budhanilkantha, grand feast at aun't place [Sat 6]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Had rajma and bhat for lunch.

In the afternoon we went to RD's place, stayed there for several hours, ate a lot, joked a lot, RB was out and about and talked to him about future plans, talked to everybody about their US plans and so forth. So much eating, it was a grand grand feast, always have an amazing time at their place.

Got home pretty decently late.

My plants grow massive but sad, bhat rajma sag lunch, dijju's in laws show up before their flight, meeting multiple friends at Tama, chhaya center, dalle, pilgrims gift with YKD, sad veg dnner with ykd couple at Jheer [Fri 5]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

For being so soon after the major illness, this was a massively happening day.

In the morning I checked up on my plants on the rooftop. They'd grown massive but because we hadn't separated them out earlier, they looked sad.

Lunch was bhat rajma and sag.

After lunch TD's in-laws came to hang before their flight out of the country, and we entertained them.

I took pathao to Tama and discussed business things with NIC bro. Intense conversations, I hope he benefited because he was on the path to multiple big deals.

Then AD came over, we had planned, and we talked for a couple of hours as well. I asked YKD to come and she said she was almost there, but I had to wait for two hours in Tama all by myself. Whatever.

We went to Thamel chhaya center, parked there, and walked around Thamel. We went to Dalle, Blackbird drinks where she got some drinks, then sam's bar or whatever the mexican place where she got more drinks, and in the end we went to Pilgrims where I bought and gifted her Hindus an Alternative History on the condition that she absolutely read it at any cost.

We then went out to pick up her husband, the couple wanted to eat at Jheer and what a co-incidence there was one right by our place. So they drove two houses from my place, we chilled there for a couple of hours, my food was so bad, so terrible ugh, Jheer is not a place for vegetarians.

I went home, they too drove home, 10 minute drive in the evening.

Very sick, lots of meds, time with parents, sister, bro and sis-in-law and thulomamu [Thu 4]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

I was very sick, recovering from the illness from the night before.

Spent time with ND, bhauju, sister, thulomamu and parents, eating chilling relaxing as ND and bhauju prepared to head out for NZ.

Mushroom dal-bhat-tarkari at Chitwan place, so much sugarcane juice, uh oh I don't feel well, satanic burps, antacid makes me feel worse, I get very very ill, hospitalized until 4am [Wed 3]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

Dad picked us up in the morning, bit after we had our long and lazy breakfast by the river. We went to aaptari where we had mushroom and bhat-dal-tarkari waiting for us. Spent a few hours there, ate to heart's content, and we were on our way to Kthmandu.

Couple of hours later we stopped by this place to get sugarcane juice. I drank at least two litres of it. Don't know if I should have.

I started feeling unwell. On the road it was just satanic sulfuric burps, and went home to try to fix it with antacid. Unfortunately I think the antacid was infected with weird-looking fungi because then I got really really really bad started pking with great power and gusto and couldn't keep anything inside my stomach.

Had to be rushed to the emergency room, my dad sister and mom took me there, and I got saline. Stayed in the hospital emergency room until 4 in the morning. I was very very very weak when I got back.

Dad drives us kids to Chitwan, new way wild way through way of KotDada, mountains and the rest, wild road, berries, wild rain in hetauda, family eats fish-bhat at old place, jungle safari, dropped by dad, Sbk shows up, much work to clean leaves, hang, too high to chill, townwalk and return [Tue 2]

 Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

 We knew the way to Chitwan was blocked because of a landslide, so dad decided to take us an alternative route. The oldest highway route, I forget what it was. Loved the way, so much scenery, not much traffic, very adorable. It passed through the town of KotDada and the way Bagmati river flows.

Certain sections of the road were really really bad, and it's not a good idea for small vehicles to use this way, but if that was fixed, this could legit be a good way to get to Hetauda and beyond, even come back to Chitwan with some scenery done on the way.

We got kafal and aisenlu on the way, I ate a lot this day and the following day. Including the seeds. It'll be relevant later I promise.

The group was me, sister, dad, ND and bhauju.

It rained very very heavily in Hetauda, kinda scary, but nothing untoward happened.

At Manohara everybody ate the macha-bhat meal at Bhaicha's, I got the veg meal. Dad's been going to that place for the last...thirty years, jeez long time man, since almost when he was as young as I am now.

We enquired about jungle safari and discovered they'd wait for us, so we got the tickets first, unpacked in our resort, and waited for the jeep to pick us up. Then the five of us, just us, went to see the safari. Saw many rhinos and antelops and various kinds of deer, gharial and crocodile and birds and monkey but no tigers unfortunately.

 In the evening I spent a ridiculous amount of time kelaaoing/cleaning up the leaves and the seeds. Even designed a method to speed up the separation. SBK showed up, we talked and hung out a bunch then when he was heading out he dropped us at Sauraha bajaar. We walked around but didn't go anywhere, just walked home, smoked some more and went to bed because we didn't feel like doing anything. Also we were super duper tired.

Mamaghar in the morning, anda-chiura lunch at home, Pathao to NIC until 4, work and momo-chauchau at De Matka, home in the evening [Mon 1]

Standard disclaimer: This is being written in mid-July, because that's how things came out to be. Oops.

 I was at mamaghar in the morning, hanging out with folks and having a good time.

Back home I had anda-chiura for lunch.

Went to NIC and back in pathao, back at 4.

Workd on my laptop, ordered their veggie kothey and chau chau at De Matka. This was likely the last time I went to that place, because I have no photographic evidence of it happening later, and also no reason to go there since I didn't have class (ugh) and didn't have work.

Got home at around 6 in the evening.

Could have been the time I got locked out so had to wait for parents. Dunno, maybe. It's possible.

De Matka: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Have I written a formal review of De Matka, where I spend my day writing in reading when in Nepal. There's an urgent need of posts that need to be written, so here we are.

The ambiance is pretty decent, except for some assholes that smoke inside the restaurants. It can get noisy at certain times, but it's not a big problem if you put on headphones as you work. The tables and benches are cute.

The prices are extremely reasonable, one of the reasons I prefer this place over others: one can easily get a plate of momo and a drink, plus maybe a cup of tea for less than 200 rupees, a feat in our times.

The service can be prompt if one orders a regularly ordered item, or it can take hours, as I had to experience once when I ordered one of those spiral potatoes which took an hour and a half. It's unclear to me what exactly happens in the kitchen.

Their menu is not very extensive, it is after all a khaja place, a place for tea and talks and light snacks after college and before heading out home.

Having said all of that, I'll still give this place an 8.5 out of ten because it's so dang convenient.

The first mithai pasal on the right between purano baneshwar and sinamangal: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

We're talking about the first mithai pasal you're encounter on your right, as you walk from Purano baneshwar chowk toward Sinamangal. You'll see it, it's right there.

The number of trips that were made during my 4 month-trip in Nepal with AA must have been in the dozens. We ordered a couple of mithais, split each one, ordered a puri tarkari and a samosa or two, split those, and a drink or an ice cream to end it. This was how I gained all those chin pounds in less than four months. Terrible for diabetes, awful for cholesterol and trigyceraides, but oh the tongue, what a treat for tongue and the uncontrolled heart it was!

They never had the savory items we wanted, kachaouris were often unavailable, even puri  tarkaris and samosas on certain days, or any non-sweet item, without a clear pattern. It was enver clear to us if it was a dessert trip or a full-on meal.

Their mithais were fine, pretty good, not very expensive. They were sweet, and we never got sick, and kept going back every day. What can one ask for really beyond that from a humble mithai shop.

Seven point five out of ten, more if you've got somebody to go with you every morning when you should be on a morning walk.

Nice bakery Purano Baneshwar: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Nice bakery doesn't sell tea or coffee and they don't sell cigarettes. That's because they're meant to be a family-friendly destination where young school kids can sit down with their mothers, where grandmothers can talk and gossip over khaja. A place for 'chiya and churot' gang, this certainly is not.

This is my family's favourite place to pick up momos. The veggie momos are really good, all the achaars are excellent, and the chicken momo has the requisite doughey-meaty smell that most places these days can't impart on their dumplings. They are extremely reasonably priced, and their menu has a variety of options but in a limited manner. Everything they do, they do excellently. This is a place where girls in their mid-twenties who are studying and working and living in hostels meet their friends and get lunch and khaja and get flirted at by losers who don't have the balls to ask for their numbers.

The cakes are excellent too, 50% off after 7pm, they close bit too early before 9 but I am not out too often so no big deal.

9/10, our favourite place for a reason!

Project momo

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Project momo is one of the tightest business operations I have seen in Kathmandu. It would be so damn easy to franchise, and make money off of.

Here's the setting: the 'lobby' area has enough seating for maybe four people, there are bar chairs and tables, but you could squeeze six people at the most. Dining in is possible, but would you really want to? And within is a small kitchen that makes only one thing: momos. That's it. This is a momo place. As in, they sell momos, not just the steamed once that mass market places do, they will do C-momo, they will do szchuan momo, and jhol momo and many more, but just momo. From a very small space. And a staff of possibly one. The cook mans the phone, takes live orders, and cooks. It's self-serve if you want to dine in.

Their momos are good, I love their concept, the sauce is tangy, even their more experimental momos are laudable. I like the place, and while this is not the 'comfort momo' of many people's childhood, I could eat veggie ones from this place couple of times every week. That's a lot in my book.

9 out of ten stars for me, please!

You are a moon

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

If a lotus, how would it bloom at night;
if the moon, how shine by day?
The creator has shown great skillfulness
in fashioning your double - virtued face

- Kalidasa, Vidhyakara's Anthology of Sanskrit Poetry (10th Century CE) edited by David HH Engalls.

Mirabel Resort

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

This is a review of Mirabel Resort in Dhulikhel.

Their rooms are decent, their management is excellent. Their event organization is top-notch, catering is a solid 9/10. Food is pretty good too, and the location is excellent if one desires only to get away from the busy cacophony of the valley and escape to an area with peace and quiet with the family. Maybe an organizational outing, or a college tour perhaps. Indian tourists seem to like the place specifically. There's excellent view of the mountains when the Sun is out and the clouds are not. A solid place that our family really loves, it does what it's supposed to do, at very reasonable prices.

Sukute Beach Resort

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

I've been writing reviews all day long, it's getting tiring but for the project we must continue!

We went to Sukute Beach resort in early March, the entire extended family. We stayed a night, and everybody besides grandparents and RD did whitewater rafting.

What I liked: the vibe, the scene, the crowd, the energy, the night party, the music the beach. The rafting experience was not as amazing as I'd hoped, but that was due to the reduced flow of the water for seasonal reasons, so not their fault, really. Pretty good there as well.

What I didn't like: the flies, large and hungry that aggressively zoomed around you as you ate, the fucking flies were everywhere! The living situation wasn't the best, it was dormlike conditions for us, unless you wanted to live inside the tents next to the river. The food was just mediocre. The uhhh hired party-girls in the evening parties were a bit sketchy, though they did provide fodder for family conversation the following day.

We should have prepared for the swimming pools and used them more. The barbecuing experience was great, though because of seasonal matters it got cold far too early. Had I been a few years younger, my idea of heaven would have been to go to this place with a bunch of friends and their partners and spend a few days away from the world.

Now, this feels a bit much, too pedestrian, not enough privacy and exclusivity. If I could afford to, I'd do something else, or go to the mountains.

Having said that, 8 out of 10 stars. I wouldn't go out of choice, but I'd recommend it to the sort of people who might enjoy the experience.

Bajeko sekuwa

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Decades ago, when Bajeko sekuwa was just a small sekuwa place near airport, I went with my dad on weekends. The sekwa was good, but it always is, the ambiance was smokey and the customers drunk middle aged men escaping their workdays. I was never a big fan, it was just alright.

Now Bajeko has become an international brand, opened their branches in dozens of places, marketed themselves successfully as a wedding banquet hosting destination, and is suddenly talk of the down. Maybe not anymore, but it was a couple of years ago, and I still went to weddings hosted at Bajeko, so it must be a big deal at least a little bit. But the quality remains the same. It's just alright. The outrageous prices are definitely not justified. The reorientation to a more 'family-friendly, upscale' vibe is welcome in that they're trying to legitimize this type of cuisine, but it's a money grab, a masterclass in brand advertising and management, nothing to do with the food or management of the company.

I was not a fan then, and I'm not a fan now.

Great rebranding though, 10/10 for whoever was in change of brand management for the company, 7/10 for their restaurants.

The very disappointing Mayur Restaurant in Bhaktpur

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Friends Jd and Jbd were owed a treat, the memory of the reason behind it has been lost, but they were to be taken out for a nice lunch. We were in Bhaktapur durbar square, I offered a myriad of options among the traditional newari or nepali restaurants, but they wanted to go to Mayur restaurant.

The one thing this place has going for itself is the ambience: it is in the middle of the 'baithak' surrounded by four rooms on all sides, this is the courtyard. There's massive plants and ancient pottery surrounding the courtyard, the roof is of glass, so when it rains -- as it did when we were there -- it feels like one is in Nature. What a brilliant experience that is.

That's where the good part of the review ends.

The food was tasteless at best, offensively bad otherwise. It promises, rather pretends to serve international cuisine, Thai noodles and Korean soup and the sorts. They're just mild suggestions for a garnish here or there, anybody who's had food related to those regions will find not even an evocation of flavors and smells that are to be expected. We were so very fucking disappointed, all at the same time.

I don't want to seethe too much on this. Five out of ten stars, I'd have given them three if not for the amazing ambiance. If there's any restaurant that deserves to go out of business, it is this.

Pimbahal chips

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

Pimbahal chips is a network of local chips shops in Kathmandu that sells locally-made and flavored potato chips, the chips come in more than a dozen flavors, and are bought by weight from their big lose bags. You can get separate flavors on each bag, or pay for a single bag and have them mix up different flavors.

I got chips from different Pimbahal outlets across Kathmandu, and what a revelation this has been. Why do we still have those boring, preserved packets of chips with two or three flavors and not as much crispiness and strange textures when we can buy these chips for relatively chip in a myriad of flavors, I'll never understand! A revelation it was, truly.

Jd says the culture of chips (crisps) shops was common in Darjeeling, if that were to be the case, it's surprising they took so long to come to Kathmandu. I hope they displace all the kirana pasal chips, and start a multinational chain of homemade chips shops, like waiwai but healthier and more local.

Driving classes and Gym in Kathmandu

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

During the four-month stay in Kathmandu, two of the activities that helped me pass the time in t he mornings were going to the nearby gym, and learning to drive at the driving class. This is not really a review.

The gym was pretty great, a local instructor was helping everybody out with workout regimen and postures, tips and techniques. The people there were actually friends with each other, and there was a surprisingly large attendance of women. Other people commented and help me improve my form, though they weren't well-informed. For example that one time a well-meaning guy said my pushups were too splayed-out, I took it well and then got so disheartened I never went to the gym again. Despite that, the gym attendance helped me lose some weight and get my vitality back.

The driving classes were hectic, anxiety inducing but eventually useful. I didn't learn much in the 18 sessions I went to, and after an instructor told me it seemed I'd not learned anything, I never went again, disheartened. It wasn't too hard, but I'm just so nervous and don't need to learn, don't care for the fun of it, far too much for me. Maybe I'll never learn to drive, and it's okay. The world will keep turning, the sun will rise.

Purna's Museum Resort, Santaneshwar: A review

This is a part of 'project 110, going back and re-filling', writing is happening 8ish months after the date.

I've written about 25 reviews today, and this is the first time I'm putting the star ratings on the top. Ten out of ten stars.

Ten out of ten for ambiance. Little temples and chowks and bahals and dot the premises. This feels like an open museum, of the best kind.

Nine out of ten for food, we ordered teas and pizza, and they were both quite good.

Ten out of ten for the location, ten out of ten for the service.

I would like to go to this place again, please, and I strongly suggest you go there at least once!