Valley of the Newars

A view of Kathmandu, Nepal from the Swayambhunath Stupa

Wow, time flies! I’m intent on squeezing 1 or 2 posts in before the end of the month (which is today)! This post on Kathmandu has been in my mind since last Jan, right after my post on Nepal some time after New Year last year. (Somehow, New Year always brings back memories of Nepal since we spent the New Year there in 2011).


Around Kathmandu’s Durbar Square

Anyway, Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is traditionally inhabited by the Newa people. The Kathmandu valley used to be the base for 3 Newari Kingdoms, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur until the Gorkha Shah Dynasty (last ruling dynasty of Nepal) defeated the Newars in the mid eighteenth century.




Patan’s (aka Lalitpur) Durbar Square, note the Newari multi-tiered pagodas

The Newars are a mixed race. They were said to be originally of Tibeto-Burman ethnicity but have somehow evolved into a mixed race due to intermingling with the Nepalis of Indo-Aryan descent over the past few centuries. The most unique aspect of the Newars to me, is that they seemed to have developed an entirely separate architectural and art style. So much so that some people say, its influence is actually the basis for the multi-tiered pagodas that we see in so many East Asian countries like China, Korea and Japan today.


Bhaktapur’s (aka Bhadgaon) Durbar Square, Nepal


Somewhere in Bhaktapur, if I’m not mistaken, this is the Dattatreya Temple

The Newars, who are mostly Hindus, are surprisingly crazy about buffalo meat (or buff as it’s known in Kathmandu). While the Hindus in India are completely shocked at this idea (buffalos, cows, they’re the same aren’t they?), the Newars are openly proud about their love for buff. Our taxi driver who took us on a tour of the 3 Newari ancient capitals told us that they slaughter 2000 buffalos per day in the Kathmandu valley! I dunno how true that is, but the buffaloes should seriously think about migrating to India.


The Svayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu


The Bodhnath Stupa (aka Boudha)


Walking around Boudha


Shrines near the Pashupatinath Temple (the two-tiered pagoda behind), the main Hindu temple in Kathmandu, Nepal

Justin’s Other Vocabulary

Celebrating Justin’s third birthday, with his favourite jellies in place of a cake (which he absolutely dislikes by the way)

Before it is erased from our memory for good, here’s more of Justin’s current vocabulary – Maya, Ofa, Pamphoon, Lolo, Tractra, Obody, Gether, Pam-Pam, Blathoon, Cummer, Popai, Barm-Barm, Chicken (respectively Mommy, Sofa, Perfume, Roller (and all construction equipment), Tractor, Everybody, Together, Pampers, Bathroom, Cucumber, common word for Tomato and Potato, Donkey (from the word Big Barn Farm, which used to air on TV), Kitchen)

His extinct vocabulary includes – Bainya, Shwight, Fweet, Cow, Torchai, Cockoch (respectively Banana, Light, Sweet, Elephant (which he insisted on calling Cow previously), button or beads (from the Cantonese word for belly button), Chocolate (and also cockroach)


Justin, the artist


Justin with my PD, Warren at Pune

We Survived!

A scene from the recent apocalypse, ...just kidding hehe, this is I think the Christmas decorations in 1 Utama Shopping Mall, PJ, Malaysia in 2007 (yeah, a long time back!)

Looks like we had a pretty peaceful apocalypse this time round. On that particular day (21/12/12), there was hardly any breeze in our area, it was not too cold, not hot. There were no tsunamis, earthquakes, or volcano eruptions in the world as far as I know. There were no accidents in our stretch of road that day. A few dogs might have died, which is more or less a daily event.

Anyway, congratulations to all of mankind! Let’s try to make this world a better place so that Armageddon will give us a miss for a few more millenniums to come.

Leaving some photos of Christmas past to reflect the festive mood of the season (because, as usual, the photos of our post-apocalypse Christmas, are still in our trusty camera).


Our little Christmas tree in our living room, Daund 2011


A picture of our neighbourhood church, the Disciple Church of Daund where we spent the Christmases of 2011 and 2012 in. This particular picture was taken not on Christmas itself (as yours truly forgot to bring the trusty ol camera on both times), but on one of the normal Sundays when we decided to pop by


Christmas season at the Four Squares Hotel, Pune 2011


Another Christmas picture from Malaysia in 2007 (the decorations in India ain’t much to shout about). This one’s from the Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, I think...

Kuala Lumpur for the Tourists

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building (which used to house the Federal Court of Malaysia), at the Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), Kuala Lumpur

Being Malaysians, these are places that we don’t really bother to visit or photograph, but act like a tourist, and Kuala Lumpur can actually be quite fun, ...if not for the crooked cab drivers, and some dishonest shopkeepers, that is.


Tugu Kebangsaan (National Monument), Kuala Lumpur, I betcha there’re many Malaysians who’ve never visited the place


Anu, near the National Mosque (Masjid Negara) with a view of the Railway Station buildings


The spanking new Pavilion Shopping Mall, Bukit Bintang at the heart of Kuala Lumpur


Just outside the Sungai Wang Plaza, Anu’s favourite shopping place in Malaysia, at Bukit Bintang


The Petronas Twin Towers (how can you not have a picture of this when doing a post on KL? ...but the view's nicer at night, check out my old post)


Another view of the Twin Towers, from the exit of the Aquaria at the KLCC Convention Centre


Jalan Alor, rejuvenated and jam packed with restaurants. In my personal view, this is a better bet now than the gangster den called Chinatown (Petaling Street). Don’t believe me? Go see for yourself

Anyway, today's supposed to be the last day before the end of the world (according to 2012 Doomsday followers), so let's see...

The Adventures of Justin - Year 3

Taking after his mommy, cooking up something at our kitchen in Daund

Justin’s 3 years old now, time flies huh? Leaving a few photos of his adventures of the past year: -


Justin at his second birthday, in Daund, with a horde of neighbourhood kids. Successfully made the house into a complete mess. Helluva time cleaning up for his poppa and momma, sorta made our minds up then, not to hold a similar birthday party this year. That explains the lack of pictures this year. We just took him to the local market for a walkabout and back to the house with a bonus 3 jelly sweets (his favourite, for the time being) as his birthday cake.


Posing with the Bear Man, and the ...God knows what that is, at the Phoenix Mall in Pune. That flower bedecked thing is an Indian rickshaw, decorated to mimic a Malaysian one (thanks to the Malaysian themed restaurant Malaka Street, whose Malaysian food is only as close to the real thing as how the rickshaw is... nuff said)


A cold spell during winter, in front of our Silchar home, Assam


Chinese New Year in Silchar, complete with Chinese attire


Justin’s imitation of a crocodile (or 'die', as Justin calls it), at Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur. 'Die' also refers to monsters, dinosaurs, zombies and things of that ilk. His vocabulary now includes Ophant, Oplane, Oly, Funner, Pamer, Popai, Duntin, Kly, Cared, Pysi, Levav, Dikar and Umplet. (elephant, aeroplane, already, thunder, power, potato, Justin, cry, scared, spicy, giraffe, guitar and trumpet respectively)


Justin and his Ji-pek-kong, Ipoh Swimming Club


Having a swim, Ipoh Swimming Club


Justin and his ‘child-bride’ Purva, just kidding. It's our neighbour's kid and one of his closest friends for now


At the Manipuri Shiv Temple opposite his grandmother’s house in Fulertal, Assam


Nepali Temple, Silchar


Having a cup of chai (tea) with our driver Pawan, at a ramshackle roadside stall at Sinhagad, a hilltop fortress near Pune


Enjoying a doughnut, one of the few foods he’ll take, at the Kumar Pacific Mall, Pune


On his way to becoming a connoisseur, wine tasting at a local winery at Roti, about 5km off our Project road


Justin in a choo-choo train, Phoenix Mall, Pune, till we meet again, Ta for the time being!

Two Deaths about Mumbai

The Bombay High Court

After staying in Maharashtra for some time, I can’t help but feel compelled to write something on two major events that happened this month regarding Mumbai.

The more prominent event would be the passing away of a controversial political leader of Maharashtra, and mainly Mumbai for the last 40 odd years, named Bal Thackeray, aged 86, on 17th November 2012. Bal Thackeray, the chief of the Shiv Sena party, is a larger than life character, interesting in the way that he was, at one time, the de facto ‘ruler’ of Mumbai, who can with one command, bring the largest city in India to a complete halt.

This is no easy feat. Just imagine, Mumbai, a city of over 20 million people, and the financial capital of India, closed! No taxis, no auto-rickshaws on the roads, no shops, malls or restaurants! And what’s more amazing is that he holds no official position in the government, never has, and has never been an elected member of parliament or the state assembly (according to the newspaper article I read). He is only a newspaper editor and political cartoonist, who founded his own local language newspaper and his own political party. Plus, he has a penchant for making controversial and derogatory remarks against all and sundry, mainly against the Muslims, and South Indians, and North Indians, and revellers of Valentine’s Day, and girls with a liberal (i.e. Western) outlook, against anyone who dares speak against him or his ideas!

Anyway, he was given a state funeral, with gun salutes and a public cremation in a Mumbai park, which was televised life on TV. Two million people attended the cremation, including the rich and famous of India like superstar Amitabh Bachchan and superrich Anil Ambani. Thanks to him, the entire state of Maharashtra, ground to a halt on 18th November, including our dear ol’ Project despite our client having scheduled an important handover inspection on the following day. Where else in this modern world, could this happen, but India??!

The second event, was the hanging of one Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani by nationality and the sole surviving Islamist militant of the 2008 Terrorist Strike of Mumbai where 164 people were killed in a 3-day bombing and shooting spree. He was hanged early morning on the 21st of November 2012, in a hushed up execution in a Pune Jail, 5 days before the 4th anniversary of the attacks.

I will say that this marks the close of two important chapters in the recent history of Mumbai. Anyway, here’re some photos of Mumbai taken last year. Do check back with our past photos of Mumbai taken when we were staying there in 2007.


The Victoria Terminus aka Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, where Kasab and an accomplice killed at least 58 people when they opened fire indiscriminately in the passenger hall in the 2008 Terrorist Attack of Mumbai


Antilia, the CD rack shaped home of the richest man in India, Mukesh Ambani. My then employer, Leighton was building it when we left Mumbai in 2007


The Bandra-Worli Sealink now opened; it was under construction when we were there in 2007

Pune Diary Chapter 1

A fashion show at a launch of a residential apartment project in Wakad, Pune – posting a picture of the lights, as the pictures of the models and celebrities suck, thanks to our cheapo camera (or more like our lousy photographer, ...namely yours truly, ahem)

What’s staying here without putting some photos of life in Pune huh? Pune is the closest city (and ‘sign of civilization’) to where we stay in Daund.

Pune’s a huge city, 5 - 6 million people. According to some people, this only happened in the last 10 years, i.e. the city grew 10-fold from 600,000 to 6 million in ten years (and so did the property prices). It is now a congested and expensive city, but it is our destination of choice on weekends because, ...there is just nowhere else to go.

Pune is only about 80km away from where we stay, but it takes 2 bloody hours to reach, thanks in part to our half-constructed highway, but mainly to the 6km stretch from the end of the 4-lane highway, into the city proper.

Pune is well-known in India for its vibrant night life and more liberal outlook, (which is kinda tame if compared to the variety in South East Asia, this is India after all)




Hanging out at a Shisha Cafe at ABC Farms, Pune


Getting the hookah ready


A life band at the Phoenix Mall, Pune


Papa John’s Pizza, Phoenix Mall, Pune where Amrita and Karishma, our niece, worked part-time while pursuing their course in aviation hospitality (air-hostesses)


Amrita, Karishma, Yogita (their friend) and Anu at Papa John’s, Pune


Phoenix Mall outing for the girls


Anu, with our anniversary cake at Phoenix Mall, Pune on the occasion of our 5th anniversary last year


Blue Nile restaurant, my personal favourite in Pune for its mutton biryani, seekh kebabs, Iranian-styled dishes and their efficiency but many (including Anu) aren’t really impressed, it’s a matter of taste after all...


Amrita and Karishma at Frankfinn Institute of Air-Hostess Training, Bund Garden, Pune


A fashion show by the students at Frankfinn, with a guest appearance of our little monster