Is it just me…?

So what is Christmas like in a predominately Hindu country? Pretty much like every other day of the year. In a town like Sauraha a few of the local restaurants will put up some interesting takes on decorations and offer “specials” like roast pork and roast duck. The specials are standard on the menu anyway but for that one day they are slightly cheaper. Other than that there is really nothing to mark it as the special day it is for so many in the west.

For me it was just another day at the orphanage, with a slight twist.

When I got there it was mass activity at the table in the study room and I wasn’t allowed in until everyone had finished. I must have rocked up a little earlier than they expected because it was a little while before they presented me with hand drawn Christmas cards. I couldn’t help but notice the “Your first ABC’s” book that was open in the middle of the table to the letter X for xmas tree. All of the cards were variations on that theme but the idea that they had put some research into what was supposed to be on the card was touching. The other touching thing was the fact that blank paper is at such a premium for these kids that they had made them out of previously completed artwork, textbook pages and anything else they could get their hands on. Bless their little Hindu hearts.

Fortunately for me I had a pocket full of cash that I was going to give to them and, as it was my second last day anyway, I made it a Christmas present. From the reactions I wonder if it wasn’t more money than some of them had ever held in their hands in their lives. Exactly what each of them is going  to do with their stash I don’t know but one boy went straight out and got himself two new pairs of shoes and a belt buckle that was a dollar sign the size of a dinner plate that spun around. Obviously the height of fashion for young Nepali boys and sure to be a hit.

Later in the day I had a conversation with a waiter in the restaurant I frequented where I confirmed that Christmas is all about some fat guy with a beard and red clothes. Some may think I’m going to hell for doing it but he was happy that he was right.

The next day was my last day and I wasn’t too sure what my reaction was going to be. The “hard hearted bast**d” image was in danger of taking a battering. In fact it did take a battering.

We watched a last movie on my laptop and then all the girls sat and made me a flower garland. I was decorated with a thika and they all gave me going away cards. I was hugged by all the boys and even managed to get a hug from the two youngest girls. Not a small accomplishment where they hide their eyes if two cartoon characters kiss on screen. I walked away with the entire troop waving furiously until I couldn’t see them anymore. It was a long slow walk back to the hotel after that.

I’m not sure what I can say here without it sounding really corny. I’ve never really thought of myself as a kid person but they got to me. They got to me with their grubby little faces, permanently runny noses, near permanent happiness and their pure joy and affection every time they saw me. Damned if I’m not going to miss them.

What I would really like to do is go back in a few years and see how they are all doing.

But I also managed to survive Nepal. I made it through those permanently runny noses, eating dal bhat with the kids on the floor of their kitchen and drinking the water out of the well. I swallowed enough dust to actually do that thing that you do with bricks when you’re scared. I didn’t get swine flu, bird flu, mange, rabies or trodden on by an elephant. All in all I’m pretty impressed with myself.

Now, as I sit here in the airport in Bangkok, I have Japan to look forward to. I’m about 12 hours into a 40 hour day which is bound to test my stamina but I also have electricity, hot water and a real mattress to look forward to. What a treat that is going to be.

Change of scene!

I am now in a hotel in Japan!

I have a nice room and have spent the day out tasting the sights of downtown Narita.

First the room. The bed is sooo soft and even comes with 5 different pillows to enable a proper choice for a comfortable night’s sleep. Having been awake for a day and a half I am looking forward to trying them out. The toilet is something that has to be seen to be believed since it has almost as many buttons as this laptop. The warm seat is still making me go ooohhh every time and I’m a little afraid to try all the buttons as the looks on some of the cartoon characters faces make me wonder what might happen. The bathroom also comes equipped with a dazzling array of toiletries and a couple of Japanese bathrobes. So far I’m pretty happy with the room.

But now for the really good news. Once I’d settled into the room, getting here at about 7am, I got the free bus into downtown Narita and had a good look around. While I was there I ducked into the railroad office where I knew that they sold Disneyland tickets. A nice young girl fixed me up with a ticket and I am on the bus there first thing in the morning. Woohoo!

Having the ticket arranged and being in a much better mood I had a walk around. Unfortunately I didn’t have too much of an idea of where I was going and the information office, which had been my first planned port of call, is closed for almost exactly the days that I am here. Undaunted by my lack of knowledge, not the first time I haven’t known what I was doing, I started walking.

The travel gods were on my side because I found myself walking down streets that were my ideal image of how a suburban Japanese street should look. Lots of little wooden shop fronts with curtains instead of doors and weird and wonderful things in the windows. Hello Kitties abounded along with scary variations on it. Restaurants had displays of plastic versions of their dishes and little labels that were completely in Japanese and of no use to me at all.

I started by trying a purple drink from a vending machine. I’m still not sure what it was, the flavour was okay but the consistency was a bit like cottage cheese. From that I moved on to some brown stuff in a sort of pastry shell and then some white stuff in a sort of pastry shell. They were okay but not something I would try again. I had green tea and soup and honey flavoured ice cream and tiny little fish and shrimps that appeared to have been barbequed but the best thing was the eels.

I don’t know if this is the eel capital of Japan or if it’s a common thing to see in suburban streets but there were a lot of restaurants gutting eels on the footpath outside their establishments. The first place I saw it being done it was two old men. The first one would reach into a wooden barrel beside him and pull out a live eel. One quick slice and the head was severed and then the guts were removed. The eel was filleted and then passed to the second guy who threaded the fillets onto long skewers. The eels ended up being grilled and served with rice. And not too bad either I have to say.

The entire distance I walked I think I only saw one other western face. I was on smiling and pointing in most of the places and impressed one woman when I passed up the fork and ate the eels with chop sticks. Tomorrow is Disneyland and the next day I intend to get into Tokyo proper, but right now I really need to put my feet up and asleep for about 11 hours. Stay tuned for a Japanese take on an American theme park.