Dinner, Nepali style

Tonight I had dinner at my house helper's home, along with the couple that lives in the flat above me. (Because I am house-sitting for a family who has lived here for the past 2 years, I have the benefit, not only of the use of their furniture and household items, but also a fully trained house-helper, or didi) Trying to communicate with her about our plans was a challenge, since she hardly speaks any English and I speak VERY little Nepali. It started on Sunday, when my didi was talking to me to invite me to her home. What I understood at the end of it all was that I was to go to her home on Wednesday for dinner. I was pretty sure Jodi and Matt upstairs were also invited, but not entirely sure. I knew in general the area where she lived, but had no idea how to get there, except that there was some bus you could take. And I think the conclusion was that we would touch base by phone to firm up the plans, and that her 12-year-old son could help, because he speaks English. So I talked to Jodi and asked if she could call her, which she did. During the first phone conversation, Jodi apparently kept telling her we'd come at 4:00, when she actually meant 6:00 (the 2 numbers are said very similarly), and she didn't realize it until she hung up the phone. So she called her back, and said that actually she had meant 6:00. Jodi thought all was clear, but today at 4:15, she got a call from our didi, wondering where we were! Ah, the joys...

Anyways, we arrived at 6, and our didi met us by the main road and then took us to her home. As always, we took our shoes off at the door. Her 2 sons, who were seated on the bed watching TV, were told to get off the bed, and that's where we sat. For the next 45 minutes or so, we sat and tried to have conversation. Thankfully, her 12-year-old son really does speak pretty good English, so that helped. And, also thankfully, our didi is an absolutely lovely woman (seems to be a theme that Nepali people are lovely!), and so it was pleasant, even though it was awkward given the language challenges.

The Nepali custom is to sit and talk before the meal. You don't really talk during the meal, and then when the meal is over it means that the visit is also over. So we sat and talked for awhile, and then we had dinner. It was dal bhat - lentils and cooked rice (the Nepali word for uncooked rice is different). Most people in Nepal eat dal bhat twice a day. As a side note, most Nepalis only eat 2 meals a day - one in the mid-ish morning, and then one in the evening. And they might have tea or a snack in between. Along with the dal bhat you also have some kind of curried vegetable dish (known as tarkari), and since today was special we actually had 2 vegetable dishes, and one meat dish (curried chicken). It was yummy! Most Nepalis eat with their hands, but we had spoons today. My guess is that that's because we are bideshi (foreign) guests.

Eating with your hands is not as easy as it sounds. When I was in India in 2003, I tried it, and they just laughed at me and told me I wasn't doing it right. What can be so difficult about eating with one's hands? Well, I guess there's a technique. I must have figured it out, though, because I did eat with my hands at the children's home on the weekend. They gave me a spoon, but I felt funny using it when everyone around me was eating with their hands...right hand only, really. They were happy to see that I could eat with my hands, and they told me I was doing it right. So either I've mastered it, or Nepalis are just too diplomatic to laugh at you (which is certainly possible, as they are VERY polite and don't want to offend you or hurt your feelings).

Anyways, we had our dinner, with second helpings (it would have been rude not to take seconds). And I am very full now! And then that was the end. We said our thank-yous, and walked home. It was a nice experience, and good to get into a Nepali home.

I started into my more intensive language lessons today. Had 2 hours today, and starting tomorrow it'll be 3 hours a day. I learned the remaining 20 consonants today, and now am trying to keep track of them all. Better go practice a bit before I go to bed...