The first official Podcast of Kopila Buds. Stay tuned for more in the near future!

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“They” say that after 6 weeks abroad, ex-pats start having cravings for familiar foods and creature comforts. However, given the wide variety of items that I can purchase in Surkhet (or through Daraz online) I feel pretty comforted.

Chocolate, peanut butter, and good coffee are all available at Karnali Super Mart in Surkhet, a two-isle store complete with a meat section that caters to foreigners’ cravings.

While I’m not a meat-eating guy and I don’t miss hamburgers, I really like taking these British crackers, squishing peanut butter on them, and turning them into the Lance Peanut Butter junk food crackers that I love from home.

Coke is available at all of the corner Bodega’s in Sukhet (though I really miss Coke Zero which I can’t find) and most streets also have stands that carry a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables.

So, I was surprised that during week seven I was struck with cravings for good Italian food. Mind you, Surkhet has pizzerias and Italian food, but this is coming from a guy who has settled into NJ (Home of The Soporanos) which is known for great Italian food and pizza, and at our house we generally prepare these Italian dishes from fresh Roma tomatoes, oregano, and basil from our garden. Before continuing, I need to stress that  I really like the daily Nepali Dal Bhat with Nepali herbs and a bit of spicy hot pepper.

I think my daily enjoyment of this food shows, as my Nepali friends watch me ravenously consume plates of Dal bhat, and curiously ask “Do you really like Nepali food?” as they’ve apparently only experienced years of ex-pats trying to surreptitiously discard this traditional meal.

Dal bhat, like most traditional Nepali dishes, is made with a set of 12 common spices: salt, ginger, garlic, turmeric, fenugreek, cilantro, cumin, Szechwan pepper, Asafoetida, green chilies, thyme, and Himalayan aromatic leaf garlic. See:

https://nepalrestaurant.co.uk/nepali-spices-and-their-health-benefits/

So, when I picked up some fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic to make spaghetti sauce I over-optimistically assumed that I’d find oregano and basil as well. Seven bodegas – including the store in front of my house – later, taught me otherwise.

Yet with a bit of patience and persistence, I found some Oregano and Basil herb shakers tucked away at the Karnali Mart.

After parboiling the tomatoes, and cooking (lots of) onions and garlic, presto - Spaghetti Sauce with oregano and basil! I made a side of brown toast with garlic butter to complete the dish and my cravings vanished.

Next up? Chips and salsa! Tomatoes, check. Onions, check. Cilantro, check, Peppers, check. Limes, check. Uh-oh, . . .PLEASE, if you have a magic makeover for turning Naan into crispy corn tortilla chips, please let me know!

May 18, 2024

Roads and Traffic in Nepal are just confounding.

Traffic Rule #1 - There are no traffic signs or signals in Surkeht, Nepal - NONE!, Did I say NONE?

Traffic Rule #2 - People drive on the left side of the road, or they attempt to.

Traffic Rule #3 - Animals don’t pay attention to traffic as they can’t read the non-existent signs.

So, while every neuron in my brain is firing off to say “you’re friggin’ driving on the wrong side of the road,” remaining brain power is directed at dodging people, cows, dogs, goats, bicycles, scooters, and Tuk-Tuks (auto rickshaws) in that order. Here as an example, was my first ride through Surkhet on the back of a friend’s scooter (typical mode of transportation). See this movie! 

Dogs are always near, or on the road, frequently sleeping, see photos below.

We all know about Pavlov’s dogs, so I’m scratching my head trying to figure out the training mechanism, and behavioral reward that evolved these dogs to this level of self-peril.

Cows follow suit, having parties by the side of, and in the road.

For example, this group of bulls headed at me, apparently because they didn’t want to miss out on Friendsgiving.

Unusual vehicles add a bit to this game of Mario Cart, MadMax (video snippet), and Chicken. Most importantly, however, unlike in America where you have to sit for an entire course to learn about traffic signals and traffic literacy, to my delight without signs and signals, no one, or thing, has a traffic literacy issue. Dogs, cows, people, bicycles, scooters, mopeds, tuk-tuks - not a single literacy issue, as witnessed in this video from my bicycle this past week.

April 16, 2024

A Taste of Graduation!

It took me a bit of time to edit these down, but it was a labor of love. Reviewing the movies brings me such joy! I am as thrilled by watching these young adults express themselves through music and dance as I was last month when I was present to watch Randolph High School students express themselves through song and dance. Yet, these Kopila Valley Seniors are provided with this privilege only through the exhaustively hard work of BlinkNow, Maggie Doyne, and her team. They’re kinda playing the backup vocals that you don’t see or hear, but their perseverance is what makes this awe-inspiring celebration that much more joyous.

April 16, 2024

And the Clothes Are In! At long last, the tailor for Munna Bastralaya, the fabric store in Surkhet, Nepal, delivered the outfits in person. Dad used to get hand-made suits by Chinese craftsmen, but as I've never had tailored clothes, this seems pretty indulgent. Maggie says the outfits make me look totally "profesh," and ready to take on Teacher's Training Week. Anyhew, two made-to-fit, tailored pants, two button-down shirts, and one Nepali quasi-Hilfiger customized Henley, for the outrageous price of about $18.50. Thank you Mohammad Arif, I'll be back!

April 15

Thank you all for being so patient with my posts. Soooo much to share. I'm going to start editing Maggie's Podcast interview tomorrow (It's a holiday), and I've been working non-stop on creating a successful Teacher Training Week opening - and it worked! Lots of wonderful teaching professionals here at the Kopila Valley School. I'll share more in the near future!

April 10, 2024

Having an internationally curious palate, I'm finding it really hard to lessen this entry.

Mornings start with the 5:30 am milk delivery. I have fond memories of these same amazing, wonderful morning deliveries from my childhood in Colorado in the 60's. The milk is fresh and warm, as it comes from the cows just about a block away on the KVS property. After boiling, I use it for my morning coffee and muesli cereal, adding locally grown yellow raisins and walnuts, and a bit of delicious tangy-flowery honey sourced from the KVS hives. 

Throughout the morning, the women chefs peel and cut locally sourced vegetables to make fresh lunches consisting of various mixes of Dal Bhat (literally lentil soup and boiled rice) accompanied by amazing chutneys.

My mind whirls at the comparison of this freshly prepared, locally sourced, plant-based lunch entrée to what our K-12, US school lunches consist t of these days; mostly Pizza and fries.

In the afternoon, as I sit at my desk, my chai (milk tea) which has the perfect mix of cardamon and spices, is constantly refilled by one of the local Didi’s, as is the fruit on my desk.

Later, dinner is generally a paneer or another variation of Dal Bhat.

This is day 6 for me in Nepal, and while I had been forewarned not to drink local water (as it’s generally polluted with viruses and bacteria), and to avoid eating salads or fruit without a peel (as there are so many ways that they can get contaminated), I had not been forewarned that if one abides by strict sanitary practices, the abundance of these amazing gastronomic delights will ultimately result in unexpected and surprising weight gain.

April 9, 2024

Sunday is the first day of a 6-day work week in Nepal. This was a day of introductions, meetings, and setting up my workspace. The day started with a meeting at the Kopila Valley School (KVS), presided over by Top Malla, Maggie’s co-founder of BlinkNow and KVS. Principals, vice-principals, school directors, and representatives of the local municipal education authority met to review issues for the opening of the school. Next was the daily occurrence of lunch with the team, followed by setting up my new office which is graciously shared with Pratigya Dhungel the VP of KVS. At the end of this long day, Sachyam (already a favored friend) took me down to the Kopila Valley Children’s Home (over a mile from KVS) to have dinner and view the beautiful Surkhet sunset from the 4th floor of the downtown Children’s Home.

BlinkNow Maggie Doyne Ruth Philipson Dekker

Pratigya Rajya Laxmi Rana

April 7, 2024

Friday was a day of explorations in Surkhet with @Maggie Doyne. We started out by having lunch with some of the children at the Kopila Valley Children’s Home.

Then, recognizing that I had packed my 4 suitcases with podcasting equipment, medicines, and other geeky necessities - wait, where are your clothes?, Maggie discovered I had forgotten to pack clothes. I profess that I have specialized priorities. Somehow Maggie noticed this and diplomatically suggested that a shopping spree was warranted. So, after a stop at the fabric store to choose materials for shirts and pants, we landed at the tailors for a lively discussion on my “old man” shirt style. While I like the term “strategic upgrades” for curriculum materials, here the tailor assumed that I was worthy of a strategic upgrade to a more youthful shirt style. So, next week I look forward to taking delivery of these new outfits to abate my antiquated appearance; I’ll keep you posted. We ended our jaunt at the new grocery store. They were fully stocked with dry goods and sweet snacks, and, hold on, Peanut Butter? Really? I was warned that I wouldn’t be able to find this crave-worthy Western delicacy in Nepal, but there it was. We bought 2 jars.

April 6, 2024

Hey Everyone! I am so appreciative and filled with gratitude for all of you who donated to support the @BlinkNow Podcasting Equipment initiative for the kiddos of the Kopila Valley School (KVS) – THANK YOU! It was a 3-day journey, but I was able to shepherd all of the equipment safely from NJ to my new apartment in Surkhet, Nepal, which is just about 2 blocks from KVS!

Shown here, the podcasting package which includes 4 podcasting stations, and the RodeCaster Pro podcasting mixing board. I also brought and will be donating a solar panel backup battery station t  o allow KVS to take podcasting on the road, along with the roller-board, and traveling backpack.

Finally, the last photo shows my computer in my new apartment/office here in Surkhet. Of course, I had to bring along a portable triple-screen extender for my laptop. I simply can’t work without THREE screens! I know most of you don’t think of me as geeky, but I have my moments.

Finally, there’s still time to give to our Curriculum Resources initiative here in Surkhet. Click on this link to open the BlinkNow website for Curriculum & Instruction.

https://blinknow.org/?form=FUNXZUGKCRC...

If you want to see the beginnings of the KVS podcasting initiative, click here:

https://drive.google.com/.../1HvzByIyOvbohtRuvARdzEC.../view

BlinkNowMaggie DoyneMaggie DoyneRuth Philipson Dekker

April 5, 2024

So, I’m in a taxi, on the last leg of my trip to the Kopila Valley School (KVS). Kathmandu has been AMAZING. It will be another 2-hour plane ride to Surkhet, Nepal and KVS. Shown here, the podcasting equipment for the kids, traveling well and safely. My room and view at the Kathmandu Guest House - wonderful and stunningly beautiful l, and a new friend, Gorav at the Pilgrims Bookstore in Thamel, Kathmandu. A wonderful helper, son of the bookstore owner, and possesses an encyclopedic memory for children’s books!

April 4, 2024

Istanbul, 2/3 of the way there!