shout out

above: the omnivorous Mr. Alden Towler

I thought I'd post this excerpt from my compatriot (and co ex-patriate) Alden Towler's blog, the matter-of-factly titled Alden in Nepal. Find it at http://aldeninnepal.blogspot.com We've shared much of our Nepali experience, so it seems fitting to invite my readers to check out his thoughtful and earnest perspective. The following bit dates back to the Dashain festival in October:

During festival time I had been noticing so much alcohol drinking and meat eating in the Buddhist community. Every house we went to they were offered. Even Maama [=maternal uncle -Jon] invited us to enjoy Jard and roksi (corn wine and distilled corn wine) as is the custom to please guests. I couldn’t help but ask the alcohol-avoiding, meat-eating, middle-aged married monk with a family a few questions.

“Can you tell me what you think about alcohol?” I asked.

“Its no good” Maama replied.

“But why? What does it do?” I said searching for a more full answer.

“Well” Maama began, “It ruins your heart, darkens your soul, spoils your mind, and destroys your relationship with god” he said in a very matter of fact yet heart felt way.

This definitely left me in a doubting and contemplative mindset. Nepalis are aimed at pleasing their guests, it is hard to refuse something without offending the host, finishing your mountain of rice is just about the only way to say thank you, not finishing it is a horrible insult to the woman’s cooking- ‘miTho bhayena?’ would be implied, ‘it wasn’t tasty?’

The conversation took another direction with Maama and it wasn’t long until he offered Jon and I some roksi. What! Jon and I looked at each other biting our lips to keep back the laughter, had this monk not just told us that alcohol is a horrible substance that ruins your heart, darkens your soul, spoils your mind, and destroys your relationship with god?!

“No, thanks” we said.

“Oh come on, just a little” he encouraged.

Saying no is just about the hardest thing to do in this culture. . .