American Life

Yesterday, I may have been graced with one of the most awesome quotes in history:

“American Life
Japanese Wife
Chinese Food
Italian Shoes”

Meredith and I went to one of the three durbar (palace) squares in Kathmandu. We had yet to do anything tourtisty because we’ve mostly been hanging out with Nepali people. Foreigners have to pay 250 rupees to get into the square. Here’s me doing my best tourist impression:



Immediately, Nepalese people who wanted to give us a tour approached us. The first man that approached us told us that he loved Americans and hated French people. Then he said my favorite quote (above) and despite my affection for his clever rhyme, we said no to the tour. As we wandered around the square, I realized that we probably made a mistake by not agreeing to the tour. The next guy that came up to us spoke great English, so we agreed to pay him to show us around. Here’s Meredith eagerly learning something:



We saw a holy Brahmin talking on a cell phone as he received mourning women:



Sadhu’s are wandering holy men who give up all material possessions and travel around begging for alms. Meredith said that many people pretend to be Sadhus to get money. They are the kind of people that end up on the front of Lonely Planet guide books because of the dramatic make-up and garb. Our tour guide had a Sadhu came up to us and put a white dot on our foreheads and then pose for a picture. Clearly, all these “real” experiences are planned. It reminded me of when I went to New York for the first time and went to the tenements. Some actors re-enacted tenement life and although they interact with you, they never get out of character. This is how it was in the square, but everyone pretends that the Sadhu aren’t actors. Meredith and the zombie Sadhu:



Everytime I write on this travelogue, I’m reminded how my memory retains maybe 2% of what I learn. Anyhow, here’s the 2% I remember from this piece of information: Brahmins can’t eat off the same plate more than once because…of some reason. Therefore, they must use plates made of leaves so that after they eat they can give the food remainders and plate to animals and then nothing goes to waste. I’m bringing this all up because I took an awesome picture of a woman making these leave plates:



I’m sure every other human being alive has taken this picture and felt like they are Ansel Adams. I don’t care.

Here’s Meredith cheating on me with a mummified frog:




Here’s another choice photo of a man carrying birds around:



Here’s Meredith trying to fit in with her Punjabi suit:



Love.