My Dashain 2072 - Different Experience

This was my second Dashain away from home. Last year, we planned trip to South India, so we were engaged, but this time we were in hostel. We did not make any plans.

First because we had not saved enough, second we were lacking in attendance in our college, third our holidays were between exams.

Fine, still Dashain is Dashain. We had to do something for sure. Here is how we celebrated Dashain.

Fulpati

This was small plan hosted by Rusen, Susant and me, to treat our neighbors. We had neighbors from Uganda and Bhutan, who had been with us for more than a year now. Although, we don’t talk too much, we do shake hands when we meet, and ask how they are. We also rush to each other when water of our bathroom gets empty, or share something to eat when we make.

This was Nepalese festival, so we thought of treating them in Nepali style. We prepared chicken, less spicy, because they barely love spicy foods. We brought cold drinks, we prepared Wai Wai sadeko, Masu chiura, and treated them. They were happy with our hospitality, and thanked us. 

In order to make sure Nepalese music will be enjoyed by these foreign guests, we decided to play Kutumba. Yes, Kutuma was our musical partner. They need not to bother about lyrics here, just music. Nepali music with Nepali taste.

Our table arrangement for seven guests!

Patrick, aka, Pato from Uganda made most comedy jokes throughout. He himself used to laugh more than us, and we used to laugh seeing him laughing more than hearing his jokes.

Pato loves cracking jokes making funny jokes using stupid poses. It's good huh?

Good thing is he laughs more at his own joke like no one else.

Gyem, from Bhutan was shy enough to tell about his girlfriend. Choke, his roommate at least shared that his previous girlfriend was his school classmates. We all love Gyem talking in Nepali. He can do that so well, just that he sometimes say,

‘Dai bhat khais?’, he don’t know how to manage byakaran there, he sometimes uses ‘Khanu vayo?’. Just sometimes. We never mind.

He seems fed up with Pato's joke.

Geofry, he loves giving huge speeches, be it of thanks giving or anything. No one is interested to listen to his speech ;)

Astami

Suman came up early morning, if we are going to stay idle or doing something in this festival. How could I say No? Yes! We need to gear up something and prepare for Dashain after all. So this was mutton program. Estimation was done as per necessity, and I was sent to market with Biraj, Kundan and Roshan. We did our shopping, yes Dashain Shopping. 4 kgs of meat, almost 1 kg of mushroom, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber and everything.

That was my department, and those into cooking department prepared meat, mushroom, aalu kakra ko achar. We found an excuse in cooking in Pradeep’s room, because his room partner was away, not here. So, there we prepared our dinner! Masu! Mushroom! Achar! Chiura!

Biraj preparing mushroom, Rusen into meat, Kundan helping hand, and Pushpa giving guffs.

Pushpa joined the group seeing me holding camera!

 

Suman, the initiator loves serving.

Our plates were ready. I don't know why, but mutton for me smells bad here. I decided to go for mushroom.

Maha Navami and Dashami

Starting the event with crackers. We never did that in Nepal though.

We had to watch other’s post, in facebook, instagram and even in twitter during the time of sahit. We had nothing to do further. Life was amazing. However, evening time was good one. While people were all formal, we planned to go to college in half pant. I was in half pant and tees. Dashain is mine festival, I need not to show it to college after all. We decided.

So, after national anthem, there was tika ceremony. Senior students did the tika thing, I was much more concerned about sel roti. This happens to be my favorite dish, be it in any festival. I used to eat sel roti to my full, and also take as much as I could, because basi sel roti would taste much better when heated. But, Barada did not give me enough sel roti, I had to be with half. Had there been any guy at sel roti department, I'd surely take a full. It was foolish to discuss with girl after all. Fine! When I'm at home, I'll have as much as I want. Huh!!

Other things were normal, like we used to do during welcome and farewell events in Nepal. Songs, dances. However, it had been pretty long time, I had not been to such event, ever since my farewell in Shanker Dev?

Suman, after tika!

Dancing out of stage is a trend, in Nepal.

 

marshyangdi ma jaalai hanyo, majhi dai le aaja.. now figure out the song ;)

Best part was, encouraging Saroj with some stupid gazals. Suman and I, we prepared stupid gazals like,

तिम्रो ओठ र मेरो ओठ, संगै बस्दैन लाग्दैन चोट,

कति धाउछौ पिपल को बोट, माया गर्छु तिमीलाई, यो छ मेरो अठोट!

And,

कति खान्छौ मासुभात, सुनेर देउ मलाई साथ्,

आउ राख तिमी हात मा हात, अनि बन्छ यो दशैँ को सुनौलो रात!

We used to compose it there itself, and encourage Saroj, BBM Ist year junior, who wanted to be on stage, but didn’t know what to do, how to perform. He seriously is innocent one. Actually he was searching someone to guide him, and he found me. There he got support. When we laughed much more, he was sure that we were going to make fun out of him. Later with huge pressures, he went and spoke out those things. He got appreciations. Later he came again with us to prepare few more gazals.

We made 4 gazals on the spot. However, he did not gain time to present them. He however promised to narrate them in next year’s event. Maybe he’ll, we won’t be here then.

Okay, see our very own Saroj, about to start up gazals!

On seeing Suman dancing, I clicked the image. Suman was lost, but Rusen (in green) was caught at some funny step. Susant, me and Hari bhai tried to escape from everyone who'd drag us to stage.

Finally, we got to eat khasi ko masu, chicken roast, fruits, pulaw, achar. Oops! I did not like the taste of mutton. Maybe I have stopped liking mutton, or maybe the mutton of this place does not excite me at all. I find them so tasteless. I miss Nepal.  I miss Biratnagar. I miss home!