So this is where I work (G)...looks alright from the outside but then looks can be deceiving. Most of the building's in the big government compound Singha Durbar are all part of an old Rana palace, one of the biggest and flashest in Asia in it's day but that day has passed and they're a bit faded, creaky and leaky now. We'll stick a picture of the inside of my office on the blog soon. It's quite flash really, especially in volunteer terms...I often sit with the shutters open and listen to the military brass bands that are based in the compound practicing their marches which is nice, helps you relax and think at work I find.

Anyway, it's my turn on the blog this week, so what have we been up to.

Well we went to visit my colleague Arjun at his house the other Saturday. It was nice of him to ask us round and we had a lovely meal with him and his family, rice, vegetables and goat meat for main course all washed down with a nice glass of curd at the end. I say a meal with Arjun and family, it was only really with him, as they did the traditional Nepali thing of guests and menfolk eating first and then everyone else eating afterwards. Still the family did keep us company while we ate and they seemed to enjoy staring and taking photos of us throughout the meal. Nepalis love taking photos and looking at them so it was quite normal to them and we've been here long enough now that we weren't bothered either. We also got the usual interrogation from about why we don't have any kids...Nepalis always ask this question. Arjun's got two and he asked us while he was bouncing his 9 month old daughter on his knee. She then proceeded to wee on him, so we told him that pretty much answered the question.

It's amazing how much food features in our life here. This is because Nepali people are obsessed by food and eating. They just can't leave it alone. You can almost guarantee that at some point in the day someone will ask you either what you ate for breakfast or what you're going to eat later. Certainly the most useful Nepali language we learnt is the stuff to do with eating and food, you use it all the time. It's not just talking about food, they do eat a lot of the time too and every event usually involves food somehow. Some Nepalis won't even attend certain functions unless there is food laid on and they are happy to eat anytime / anyplace. Take this week for example. On Wednesday I'd just come back from lunch when Tanka, one of the guys in my section of the ministry comes into my office and says "Gordon we're having snacks you must come", so I say "Tanka I've just had lunch I'm not hungry", he then looks really disappointed and says "but I'm inviting you". There's nothing for it at this point...you have to go. So off we trot upstairs for "snacks". Of course it's more like a whole meal, chura (beaten rice), aloo (potato), ajar (pickle) and the main event special yogurt from Bhaktapur. The whole thing was laid on by one of the top civil servants because it was the end of the financial year apparently. My colleague explained to me that it's one of the reasons nothing gets done in Nepal because they spend so much time thinking about food and preparing meals, buying ingredients and then cooking them up. I don't get it myself because they eat the same thing all the time. Rice, lentils and vegetables (dhal bhat and tarkari)...twice a day morning and night every single day...so you think by now they'd be able to make it really fast, still that's what he told me. Anyway enough rambling about food.

We also had our first visitor from the UK to Nepal. Rowena a friend in the army flew out the other week for a 2 day visit to the British Army (Gurkha) base in Kathmandu. She's coming to stay for 2 years in August but had to come for some business at the end of June. It was really great to meet up with her and catch up on gossip from home. We gave her a quick tour of Patan and just managed a quick bite to eat before the jet lag kicked in and she got sleepy !

On the home front, although the table's arrived we're still lacking chairs. "Chair man" as we call him was round at our house this week fitting new screen doors for the landlady. It was a good opportunity for her and Miranda "to discuss" with him the chair situation and when they would be making an appearance. This involved our landlady shouting at him for about twenty minutes in Nepali, while he tried to get a word in and explain himself. Another five days was the conclusion...we're now at four days and counting. It rained today so I personally think that will result in further delay...watch this space.