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
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
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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Kanche
Betrawati, November 2002
A closeup of Kanche, as seen in yesterday's post with her friend Sarita.
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Kanche and Sarita
Betrawati, November 2002
Going home means walking up the gentle slope of a dusty, rocky road.
Along the left side, there is a long fence made from welded strips of corner-iron.
If you stand by the fence, you can look down upon the corrugated roof of the long building below. In between some of the old tires—used to help hold the roof steady in high winds—there are piles of what look like husks of rice. I think this building may process rice in some manner, but I never really checked.
Beyond this building, you can see a couple of kidney-shaped rice fields and then the Falakhu river as it feeds into the Trishuli.
I came across these two friends on my walk—perhaps walking home like me, perhaps just passing their time and enjoying each other's company.
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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 (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.
Parvati, now and then
Betrawati, 2011 and 2000
Parvati, who lives next door. Coincidentally, the two photos—taken 11 years apart—were taken in the same exact place.
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Sunil shares a bench
Betrawati, 2002
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Four friends on their day off
Manamaiju, Kathmandu, January 7th, 2003
On my way back from Manamaiju, I met these four students who were enjoying their day off.
They are, from left-to-right, Kamala, Sumitra, Roshni and Rojina—all from Shree Ganesh Himal Boarding School.
I wrote down the name of their school, and after a bit of looking a few days later, I finally found it and was able to give them their photo.
Now they are all 25 and 26, and I'm sure they are doing great things.
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