Adjusting

I have to admit to having a bit of a hard time settling in to Kathmandu. One reason is that, from the moment you are cogent enough to remember in actually speaking to anyone after a jet-lagged arrival, everyone at this very friendly post asks, "So how are you settling in?" You don't really know these people, so you say what is expected. It's going well, of course.

But in truth, I feel like we are having difficulty finding the ending to the phrase "home is where the...".  Our household effects seem to be taking their sweet time getting here. We don't have our car, and won't for a while because somehow it didn't get put on the manufacturing list for August, and will be manufactured this month. Supposedly. And life at the French school has proven to be a real challenge for the little one. Just about every blessed thing is in French, unlike the 50/50 plan they had when we enrolled. Mixed in with dual culture shock (Nepali and French), my little type A is finding it very difficult to cope. The advantages of gaining a second language and having a short commute to school are starting to lose weight.

We are also in "Daishan" season in Nepal. This is a huge family holiday - the Nepali equivalent of Christmas. Everything closes and everyone goes back to their home, be it city or village. There is music, lights, lots of marigolds and people dressed in amazing fancy saris. It feels very festive. Which makes me a little sad. We haven't been here long enough to have "people", we can't get around to go anywhere, we quickly tire of the near-falling-apart taxis in the insane traffic, and the kiddo is terrified of walking, on account of the motorbikes buzzing and constant honking used as a form of traffic communication.

But today I saw 3 kites being flown from rooftops. Apparently kite flying also goes with the season. Made me smile. We'll see how tomorrow goes.