Santoshi, Rabin and Mira

Santoshi, Rabin and Mira
Manamaiju, Kathmandu, Friday, January 17th, 2003

Walking home one day through Manamaiju, I noticed of a house a bit off of the path, but partially-hidden behind a tall hedge of foliage. I investigated by taking a few steps off of the main path. There I met Mira, 9, her little brother Rabin, 8, and their friend Santoshi, 14.

You can tell that it’s January and the cold is still hiding in the air; 
Santoshi wearing her winter coat over her kurta,
Mira with the flaps of her warm cholo over-shirt tied tight.

I love Rabin’s easy pose in this photo; he’s all business.

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Kalpana

Kalpana
Between Manamaiju and Shrijana Nagar, Kathmandu, December 2002

Six-year-old Kalpana had fashioned a head-band out of a strip of metal and was wearing it proudly when I met her. 

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Rabita

Rabita
Between Manamaiju and Shrijana Nagar, Kathmandu, December 2002

Seventeen-year-old Rabita, holding a pen. 
This photo was taken just on the edge of the community I spoke of in last Friday’s post.

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Birendra

Birendra
Between Manamaiju and Shrijana Nagar, Kathmandu, January 2003

Twelve-year-old Birendra. This photo was taken just outside of his home, in the community that I spoke of in last Friday’s post.

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Sabita

Sabita
Between Manamaiju and Shrijana Nagar, Kathmandu, January 2003

Eight-year-old Sabita—in the community that I spoke of in Friday’s post.

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Sankar

Sankar
Between Manamaiju and Shrijana Nagar, Kathmandu, January 2003

Twelve-year-old Sankar—in the community that I spoke of in Friday’s post.

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Sanu, Bemala, and Prakash

Sanu, Bemala, and Prakash
Between Manamaiju and Shrijana Nagar, Kathmandu, January 2003

Three siblings—Sanu, 13, Bemala, 10, and Prakash, 5—in the community that I spoke of in yesterday's post.

(Prakash could be seen in yesterday's photo, just to the left of his friend Sarod.)

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Prakash, Sarod and Sudib

Prakash, Sarod and Sudib
Between Manamaiju and Shrijana Nagar, Kathmandu, January 2003

One day I followed a wide dirt path, passing tall bluffs of sand that were slowly being scraped into trucks by construction crews wanting sand. I passed a large tractor on my right, parked outside of a low building roughly the size of a bus. The path got thinner then, and a bit bumpier as it snaked along. The steep bluffs on my left turned into more gradual hills.

Finally the path ended, and I found myself at the entrance of a small community—perhaps sixteen houses total. Children of varying ages came out to say hello to me.

I took photos of each child that I met there, and returned a couple of days later with copies for their families.

This photo of Sarod (with his friends Prakash and Subib next to him) was one of the first that I took. Looking at the photos now, I can see how bright the winter sun was that day.

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Susila, Sabatri, and Sujana

Susila, Sabatri, and Sujana
Manamaiju, Kathmandu, 2002

I love walking through Manamaiju. The regal old buildings, here a busy courtyard off the main thoroughfare, there a small colorful door contained in a nook.

Before walking through, there's one last right-turn you can take that leads you past a few houses and a small shop. Further on and you reach the fields that lay atop the bluffs that separate the area from the valley close below.

It is among this widely-spaced bluff-top clutch of houses that I took a good many photos, one of which is this one of three friends. 

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Bhai

Bhai (younger brother)
Balaju, Kathmandu, 2002

Kiran and Jyoti’s uncle Arjun worked one floor down, in a small office that offered driving instruction. It was there that I’d sometimes drink tea with Arjun and his officemate—the tea was delivered by this young man.

The shop where he worked served three kinds of tea—milk tea, lemon, and black—all in small, piping hot glasses. 

To allow him to carry multiple glasses, up and down stairs, or across a busy highway, he had a small circular carrier made from wire. He’d bring the tea and then return at a later time to pick up the empty glasses.

I would sometimes get lemon tea directly from his shop, so on this day I asked him if he’d like his photo taken. The tea shop where he works is unseen in the background—the man in the background who can be seen sitting is right in front of it.

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The three variants of tea served, all quite sweet.

Several blue Tata-brand trucks are parked in the background. Out of frame on the right is a small corner pharmacy, next to which is a large wall that is always covered by large wheat-pasted posters of the latest Bollywood and Kollywood movies that are playing in town.