Same same but different

I'm reading Midnight's Children right now and Rushdie mentions something about how time is a made up concept because India decides to be thrity mintues ahead on G.M.T. He mentions this is to separate it from Pakistan. Nepal is an extra fifteen minutes ahead of G.M.T. to separtate themselves from India. In that case it's 4:20 all the time.

I'm heading to Pokhara tomorrow to start my twelve day trek to the Annapurna base camp. Deven and his cousin Bim (sp?) thought I should go for a lower altitude trek instead going right for the Everest base camp. I'll save that for next time. I'm a little concerned about my shoes because they aren't waterproof and it's still raining on and off here. Also my pack isn't really made for trekking, but I'm going to take very bare essentials so it shouldn't be too heavy. Physically I feel good but I had some problems with my IT band in my right knee again recently. If that bothers me on the trek walking on a downward slope is going to be a problem. I was planning on going alone but now I'm glad Bim is guiding me because if something happens he'll bail me out.

Last night Deven invited me to his house for dinner. It was also a birthday of a young relative of his. I didn't get their exact relationship, but the boy turned ten. Instead of ten cnadles on his cake he had nine, because he's saying goodbye to his ninth year. Interesting. After blowing out his candles the boy (I don't remember his name) cut a small piece of cake off and gave a bite first to his mother, then father, and finished the piece himself.

Next the ceremony of the presents. Each person in turn stuck a bit of red stuff (crushed flowers or something) to his forehead near the hairline and threw whatever didn't stick on top of his head, then ripped a petal off a flower and handed him his gift. I asked Deven if I could do the same and felt a little nervous when I was pushing the red stuff on the already huge glob of his forehead. The glob didn't fall off and I handed him some money. Later on I felt bad for only giving 10 rupees because it's not much. I'm still thinking in terms of Indian rupees.

I'm blending in here more than I did in india. Everyone thinks I'm Nepalese. This is usually fine by me because no one bothers me on the street. When I walk into a shop the people start speaking to me in Nepali and I have to tell them I'm from the states. Everyone at Deven's last night thought I was from Nepal. I'm sure I'll get the same in south east asia.

I'll probably be out of touch until the 18th.