Petrol problems

Petrol, among many other items that Nepal gets from India, has become scarce. With a newly adopted constitution that has been in the works for a long time, some things have gotten complicated in the relationship between Nepal and India.

Taxis line the roads waiting for gas stations to get gas; most of these cars were sitting parked with no drivers. The roads are very empty. The news reports small batches of tankers with gas have been allowed through the border, but it's not enough to fill the need. Cylinders of gas for cooking are also in short supply.

We are hoping for a quick resolution. The people of Nepal are still recovering from the earthquake in April, these shortages make day-to-day life very hard for many.

The Kathmandu cab experience

"You know Rabi Bhawan? Yeah? How much?"

"500 rupees"

We walk away. "Ok sir, how much you pay?"

And the bargaining begins. I hate bargaining but even I will almost never pay the starting price a cab driver gives me. Phrases like "that's good price," night price," "I lived here," and "it's so close" follow. Walking away really seems to be the key.

Kathmandu's cabs are small (even my knees hit the seat in front of me), white, the inside often looks like the cars been partially stripped, and each backseat comes complete with a rug of sorts - the function of which I am unsure (comfort? - no, they are scratchy and always bunch up; cleanliness? - perhaps some desperate attempt to either prevent more dirt or a way to spiff up the environment a bit). Often the driver has added his own touches to the dash: a statue of a god, some solar-powered tchotchke, burning incense (my least favorite) and one even had grass growing! These cabs are anything but nice. Ironically cab drivers while waiting for customers are often wiping off the dust from their cars.

Added to the lack of comfort in the car itself is the condition of the roads. Bumpy is putting it mildly. Roads are torn up, ridiculous speed bumps everywhere and many roads just aren't paved. I hit my head on the roof and sides of the car regularly.

And the pièce de résistance of the Kathmandu cab experience: the horn. Basically it doesn't stop. It's used to communicate "move out of my way," "I'm coming through," "passing on the left," "passing on the right," and sometimes I think maybe the cab drivers just like the sound of it.

The upside of cabbing it in Kathmandu is when you then get in a car in another country you really appreciate it.

 

Posted with Blogsy

New Hampshire

We finished our east coast trip in New Hampshire, and like our trip 2 years ago, visited Kate and Jeff's farm as well as Jeremiah's aunt and uncle's lake house.  In contrast to the first part of our trip this was considerably slower paced, a nice way to end our time there.  And to round out our modes of transportation for the trip (plane, train, bus, subway, car, taxi, and boat) Tegan added tractor (ok, it was stationary but that didn't seem to bother her).

Feeding chickens

Helping wash purple and red radishes for farmer's market

More veggie washing

Adult and toddler food

Work travel

I'm in Bangkok for work this week and while I've only been to Bangkok a few times before, some of it is oddly comforting and familiar after being out of Taiwan for awhile.  Streets lined with food carts, 7-11s on every block, good fruit all over the place.  Anyway, so far I've mostly seen the inside of meeting rooms, but did get a chance to walk around a bit.  Here's some of what I saw:

Bandh day

Today, Wednesday, we -
went for a walk...

played some basketball...

had a snack...

...because school was called off for a "bandh" day.  I think it's our 3rd bandh day since we've been here (there have been more bandhs but they have not been big enough to call off school).  Bandhs are days when strikes are called and much of the city is shut down.  Protests happen around the city, but as you can see from our pictures we have not really been affected other than we can't go far because taxis aren't running.  In fact, no transportation was going today aside from the odd tourist shuttle and army trucks (and some on foot like the guy below).

We enjoyed our surprise time off today and may have another day off tomorrow as well, though it's always a toss up whether the rumors and talk of bandhs will come to fruition.  

International flying with an infant

With two long international flights under our belts, and a few domestic ones also, I feel like we may have some advice to offer those who are about to undertake it.  None of this is new information, it's spattered all over the internet, but here you go just the same:


1. Bassinet seats - they didn't work for us since Tegan is not a great sleeper and was pretty big by the time we flew back to the states.  If your little one can sleep on their own in new places though, make sure to reserve a bulkhead bassinet seat!  Airlines vary in their bassinet reservation practices.

2. Get a seat for the baby if you can, the extra space is invaluable.

3. We packed 2 diaper bags, one we kept at our feet and the other in the overhead as back up.  During layovers I restocked and rotated out toys.

4. Bring some favorite toys and some new ones to entertain.  Also, the seatbelt or safety card can be fascinating new objects to explore (side note: some safety cards are better laminated than others, check yours before your sweet one eats the corner off the first page).

5. Pre-boarding is great for getting your stuff on the plane without everyone breathing down your neck to get past you, but not an easy time to sit on the hot plane with baby waiting for takeoff.  If there are 2 of you, have 1 pre-board with all of the stuff and the other hang out with your tot and board towards the end.

6. Nurse, bottle, or pacifier on take-off and landing to help their ears.  We also used a straw sippy cup when Tegan wasn't into nursing.  I recommend waiting until the plane is speeding down the runway to take off before starting any of these otherwise they are done before you are in the air.  Nursing is tricky in those tight spaces - watch their head sticking out into the aisle!  Bonus - sometimes these things combined with the rumble of take off will put them to sleep.  On the way down we started once we noticed our own ears popping.

7. Those things you don't want them to do on a regular basis at home (watch TV, play with your phone, eat sweet puff finger foods)?  I say go for it on the plane!

8. When the seatbelt sign is off walk and stretch as much as you can - you never know when you will be in turbulence and for how long.

9.  Your baby will cry, it's ok.  Most people we've talked to say they feel for the parents more than anything else.

10. Some immigration/passport checks have special lines for pregnant women, families with children and elderly - look for them (Taiwan and Bangkok both have them).

11.  Bring a blanket to lay out and play on during layovers.

12. Find the other babies/kids on the flight.  Let the kids check each other out; commiserate with fellow parents.

13. High fives all around when you land - you made it!

Safety first

It's amazing how much of a different feel you get of the city when you see it from a scooter rather than a car.

Sometimes I get moments of panic when holding onto Jeremiah though. I wish I was one of those kids with the super over-protective parents riding their bikes with full gear - helmet, knee and elbow pads, and wrist guards. But I think maybe I could also use shin guards on my legs and some for my forearms too. Just in case.

For now I'll hold back on the excessive protective measures and stick to my helmet (plus sunscreen).

The wheels on the bus

I knew that bus travel can vary significantly depending on country, city, cost, etc. but I never really thought about differences in school buses.  The buses I took to school were complete with uncomfortable bench seats, no AC and bus drivers yelling "quiet" and assumed that was every kids' experience with getting to school.

The school bus I was on this weekend for a volleyball trip is not even in the same ballpark as those yellow buses.  School trips have a whole new meaning when the buses have reclining seats, DVD players, karaoke and multi-colored disco lights.

And in case you are thinking this is far too much like a party bus, please note the grandma-inspired doily head rest protectors.