I wrote this post accompanied by my first heavy rain and strong wind in Tulsipur. The monsoon period has not came yet, but we’ve had several heavy rains. It’s strange. Anyway, I’m glad for my first tropical rain after more than 8 months in the subtropics area. I enjoy the view of water pouring down, the feeling of temperature going down, the sound of water touching the ground while thunders interrupt, and the fresh smell of wet soil and grass.

I usually spend my day at BASE office, planning, organizing, researching, writing, etc. BASE will have a new office. Its own office,  not a lease anymore. We will be moving in soon.

The office might look pretty small and casual. But, the heart of BASE people are extra-ordinarily big to struggle for their community.

I stay not far from the office, only 3-5 minutes by walk. This so called ‘guest house’ is simple and basic. It lies on the second floor. My room is big enough to be occupied by a person. So far, I haven’t shared the room with anyone, but maybe soon I will have roommate, as BASE has many visitors with various purposes.

I was hesitant to enter the food stalls here. Seriously, it’s not the type of food stall you might want to visit. But then, I get used to it. As the quote says, “don’t judge a book by its cover”, some of them do serve good foods. Well, I know a bit more lavish one at ‘The Green Peace Hotel’. Note, it has nothing to do with an environmental INGO.

Now, I can proudly say I know some Nepali foods, struggling to remember their names though.

Rice or Roti?

Plus drink and dessert.

And, the sweets.

Some foods and sweets are adopted from India, not to mention the music and movies as well. But, chowmein is definitely adopted from China. What about Momo? Hmm…

Some more interesting sights

The women march along the road. I don’t know what do they carry on top of their head, something like pipe, some other stuffs covered by white fabric. All I can see is it looks heavy.

Who says that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) only for big corporations?

In the middle of a busy shopping street as well as one of the main road in Tulsipur, there is a small tent with a big tank and the crowd. They line up to get a big cup of fresh drinking water. An owner of an hotel in Tulsipur provides drinking water for everyone.

What about these children?

I saw this boy when I visited a restaurant for lunch. He washed dishes, served meals, cleaned up the tables.

These children and women carry rocks for the road construction.

Yes, these children are working children. I’m not sure about their age, family and education. For sure, BASE has tried to talk to the employer. I hope it will work.