The shortest day of the year has passed, and now comes the shortest night, and I am reminiscing about our amazing Christmas in Nepal. I recently baked a chocolate and rum fruit cake filled with almonds and dried fruit. I wish I could share it with you, along with the hot coffee!
The journey that led people to a new chapter in their lives was very significant. Anil, a great friend from Nepal pursued his passion for classical Kathak dancing in Nepal, Mumbai, and Jaipur. When the chance occurred for him to visit America for performances and dance instruction at the Smithsonian Institution. After working hard so many years in America finally, he is going to buy a new house with his dearest friend. In all these years not he only performed on stage but also in driving taxis, and other works. Now he is very excited about his new house. It was a heartfelt gesture that represented the strong relationships formed over years of friendship and mutual support.
They've been working on the new house all week - they just returned this evening - painting, ripping up old carpet, and preparing to lay vinyl tile [the beautiful ceramic tile in their new house is prohibitively expensive here], as well as getting the electricity turned on, waiting for the gas company to arrive, and applying to Infinity for an internet connection. Anil and his family will move in next Friday, and his friends also packing his belongings; it will take several trips to get everything into the new house and set up.
As the days passed, Anil and his friend became engaged in the frenzy of changing their new property into a warm and welcoming home. Thursdays and Fridays became their dedicated renovation days, which coincided wonderfully with Anil's time off work. With paintbrushes in hand and resolve in their hearts, they drove out every challenge with zeal.
They experienced unanticipated problems while they worked, such as the necessity to perform external house maintenance. During strong rainstorms, overhanging branches threatened to clog the gutters and cause damage. Anil took control, expertly cutting the branches and clearing away rubbish, allowing sunlight to stream through and nourish the growing flowers in our garden. It was a labor of love, motivated by a sense of stewardship for our new house.
Anil and his family live on the top floor, while his friend lives on the bottom floor in a large studio with a bathroom and workroom. They share the hall, kitchen, and living room on the middle floor. Everything looks nice & perfect- he has a large painting hanging in the living room, as well as a magnificent lantern from Udaipur.
They have already planted so many things including small butterfly bushes and lilacs that with grow to be up to 8 or so feet high and their beautiful and scented flowers will attract many butterflies! This is the front of the house the day they first went to see it. It is the end unit of a street of row houses, which is just what they were looking for as it has twice the amount of garden area as the houses in the middle. I am glad that finally, his dream came true; best wishes for him and his family. In the midst of our endeavors, I couldn't help but reflect on the journey that had brought him to this point—a trip distinguished by camaraderie, resilience, and the promise of new opportunities.