The life I currently lead lends itself to flexibility. The lure of the warm tropical beaches of Kerala has been outweighed by the practical considerations of how much more productive I can be if I stay in Nepal. Aside from having easier access to translators, I am very much enjoying my living situation and appreciating being in one place for more than ten days - something which hasn't happened much in the past two years. Thanks to the gracious hospitality of my host, Dries, I am given the luxury of having the choice to stay in a place where I can continue my work until Sophie comes back in March for the second shoot.
So, I have decided to tough out the Kathmandu winter - although as I write, I am in Jhapa for a few days visiting Nisha who is here over the winter, warming myself in the milder Terai climate of south eastern Nepal (near the Indian border of Darjeeling).
Winter in Kathmandu is actually not as bad as it might sound (and certainly no where near as cold as Jumla which is now covered in snow), for although it is very cold at night and in the morning (I can see my breath when I wake up) and we don't have heating, the days are usually bright and sunny and surprisingly warm in the sun. It makes such a difference to be able to walk out in the sunshine and feel the warmth on your face.
And the longer you stay in a place, of course, the more you see and find out about it. I plan to write more about living in this magical, manic city as I learn more myself, seeing it through the eyes of a semi-resident as opposed to tourist or traveller. I am sad that I won't be making my journey to south India, a place I still feel so strongly compelled to continue exploring (as well as seeing friends there) but I am accepting that you can't do everything all at once. Not if you want to do it well.
Posted some photos from November's shoot in Jumla on the Shakti blog:
Images of Urthu-Chautara
Images of Ghodasin
Images of Tatopani
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