I’m not a tourist. No, really, I’m not. - Guest blogger, Save the World Sister

Magnet #895 - Patan Durbar Square

Whether it's me missing stuff in Dublin, or my mom not feeling like seeing that David thing, it seems that the "visit somewhere and miss a big thing" thing is hereditary.

In this case, it's STWsister being in Nepal for eight months, and not visiting their big museum. Sigh. It was only a dollar!

- joy

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I lived in Nepal for eight months. Was I trekking the whole time? No (though I’m sure my parents thought I was). I was there to do research for my master’s thesis. But really… I was just living in Nepal. And it was fun.

I lived down the road from Patan Durbar Square. There are three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu area – Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. These were the three main cities in the old days. Each of the squares are surrounded by old temples and filled with tons of people – Nepalis and tourists. And because they are big tourist attractions, you have to pay to enter the square… if you’re a tourist.

When I was in Nepal, I tried learning the language if only to talk to taxi drivers and shopkeepers. I found that being Asian (read: brown), I was often confused for being Nepali. It was nice. Throw on a kurta (a longish tunic) over pants and all of a sudden I’m Nepali.

Since I lived close to Patan Durbar Square, I liked to visit it a lot – just to sit and people watch and because my favorite supplier of bangles (I developed an addiction to the shiny bracelets - [note: this is true, we all benefited from this addiction, as she unearthed box upon box of bangles from her suitcases - joy]) had her shop in the square. Getting to the square was always an adventure because I managed to get lost ALL the time no matter how many times I went. The streets are just THAT small and twisty.

Once I got to the square, however, I would just walk past the tourist ticket booths and ignore the ticket takers. Sometimes they would stop me and ask for my ticket and I would look at them, laugh and say “Nepali ho” (I’m Nepali). And they’d believe me! HA! I don’t feel bad about it either because TONS of tourists come through and do pay the entrance fee (at one of the other Durbar Squares, it’s almost $10!).

I really love Patan Durbar Square, though. Like all places in Nepal, this square is constantly crawling with young people all looking for a quiet spot. You’d think they’d find less public places to go hold hands, but they don’t.

Along one side of it is the Patan Museum (which apparently has an intriguing collection). Now, I never really went to look in the museum, but I did go to a benefit concert there in which Kutumba did an awesome show and won me over as a fan.

Patan Durbar Square is where things happen. I’d say it is the best of the three Durbar Squares.

Kathmandu Durbar Square is overcrowded, though the night market is cool. Too many demonstrations happen around there. And sometimes the Kumari Devi (living goddess) shows up there and causes massive crowds and confusion.

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is more geared for tourists, so it’s in better shape. It’s quieter and cleaner, but doesn’t seem as alive as the other two.

Patan Durbar Square is more real to me, I guess, because that’s where my Nepal was. I miss that Nepal… all the people, all the food...and all the bangles.

Change of summits

Magnet #450 - Mount Everest, Nepal

Remember I went on that rant about how my sister was planning on visiting Base Camp? Of Mount Everest? Without telling our parents before she was planning to face possible death?

Turns out that even Mother Nature was against her, as all the flights (that were going to take her to where she'd be about a 14-day hike away from base camp), were grounded. So, (she says), she booked a fly-by of the mountain.

If you've read any number of posts here on joy magnetism - you know that's how we often roll - flying right by it Of course, I've never done a literal fly-by, so that's kinda cool.

I haven't a clue where she picked this magnet up, but yay for a Mount Everest magnet!

Today, she graduates from grad school, getting her Masters in Saving the World. Or, rather, her MA in Sustainable International Development, which means she'll be explaining to regular folk what that means for a good part of her life.

Well, you may not have gotten to climb the actual mountain, kid, but congrats on reaching several summits this year: Confirmation (oh, yes, there's a magnet for that one), grad school graduation (now I have to figure out when to use your alma mater's magnet), and then later on this year, a wedding (oddly, there's already a magnet for that one).

A daughter all of her life*

Magnet #407 - Cockney Rhyming Slang for Mum and Dad

Me friend bought me this supercool magnet down Londontown, and we had a good giggle over Cockney slang, where saying "I think I'm going a bit Mum and Dad" really means, "I'm going a bit mad."

But, I'm going to be a bit literal in my usage of this magnet for today, because frankly, I can't Adam and Eve what I just heard not an hour ago, and I know me Mum and Dad would be mad as well. Mad, mad.

There we were - the sister in DC, the Save the World sister in Nepal and her fiance - all Skyping away, havin' a giraffe or two, just larkin' about. We spoke for a good long while, because STWsister is leaving at six on Sunday morning to go to South Base Camp. Of Mount Everest.

Yes. That Mount Everest.

Apparently, a bit of dosh will get you and your sherpa up there, and she has to fly in to the closest airport, and then will do 14 days of walking - just to get to Base Camp. She's not going farther up, but it's something she's always wanted to do - go to Everest.

And, that's something I understand. Everyone has things they want to see, do, experience before they die. Of course. And, it's not like thousands of people don't do this exact trek every year. Plus, she's in the neighborhood, so yeah, I totally get it.

But how you gonna go visit the highest mountain in the world and not call your parents before you leave? How you gonna go trekking for days and days through some of the toughest climes (and probably climbs) in the world, and send only an email to your parents, leaving your two sisters holding the bag? How? In what world is that ok?

Two words: It's not.

She better bring back a damn magnet, that's all I'm sayin'.

Anyway. To bring this back to me, because after all it's not called joy magnetism for nothing...

How come I'm the only one who got the 50-mile radius rule handed down to them in college?

Don't know it?

After my parents found out that I drove from Chapel Hill to Western Carolina University for my best friend's 21st birthday party, they laid down the law:

It's ok if you go places, that's fine. But, please, if you go outside the 50-mile radius, just call us and let us know. That way, we know where to pick up the body.

So tonight, I mentioned that parental law to both my sisters (one's five years younger, the other is eight years younger), and shine a damn light, neither one of them have ever heard that rule!!!! Bah.

This weekend, someone's gonna be going a bit Mum and Dad, but me, I'm just thinking about how the life of the oldest of three daughters is so vastly different than the lives of those that come after. I mean, it's close to two decades later, and I'm still quoting the parental rules...but that's what I've heard the Irish say: *A son is a son till he takes him a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life.

Saving the world

Magnet #188 - Peace Corps

Growing up, my only exposure to the Peace Corps was really Steven and Elyse Keaton on Family Ties, two hippie Peace Corps volunteers, settled down to raise their three kids somewhere in Ohio.

So when my baby sister decided she wanted to volunteer for the Peace Corps, it took me a bit to realize she was serious.

She ended up going to Uzbekistan, for several months, but the Corps got evac'd in short order. While she was sad to come home, the entire family breathed a sigh of relief that she was actually coming back. I don't think my parents actually slept easy the whole time she was away.

Last Saturday, we saw her off again, our little rolling stone. Off to save the world in another capacity - an internship in Nepal, as part of her second year of grad school to get her MSW - Masters of Saving the World. Ok, really, it's Sustainable Development - basically teaching third world countries to help themselves.

Where all this very admirable do-gooding came from, I haven't a clue. I kinda blame my mom, though. When we were little, every time she'd ask us to do something, we'd all complain and she'd yell at us, and say, "I'm not asking you to save the world!"

Happy birthday, Julie!