Although I did not travel outside of Kathmandu much, in my last weeks I enjoyed just spending quality time with M. He had finished his contract at work a bit earlier in order to prepare for a conference he was presenting a paper at and getting ready to come back to London.So a lot of the time he was at home studying and working on his computer. Many of the days I would spend by his side trying to help him out (much to his annoyance of being pestered) or just doing my own thing preparing to come back to UK. I am happy that I spent this time at home as we did have a lot of fun and there is something very special about just doing your own thing sat next to the one you love. I really missed spending this precious time with him whilst we were long distance.
After all his preparation, M presented his paper he had co-written at the Nepal and Himalaya conference in Kathmandu. The whole time leading up to this conference I was begging him to let me watch, finally he agreed – on his condition as long as I did not sit at the front! Just being able to go and support him at the conference was enough, I was so proud of him giving such n impressie presentation and being able to handle tricky critiques and questions without even being phased. The plan is that M will be coming to London to complete his Masters which will start in October. After watching him at the conference I was confident he would come back and excel at his studies. He really is very clever.
Supporting M!
But that just runs in his family. His bahini S also finished her exams for her bachelors and completed her last assignments and sent them all in. She was very stressed and tired throughout the exam period but both M and I tried to help her, although I couldn’t be of much help as she is very clever and studies Business – something I really do not know much about. Now that I have left, she will be working at an internship before progressing to do her Masters as well. M’s family really is so academic and hard working. I feel the need to be as academic as them to keep up!
Also, It was baba’s birthday and the same day he would have to retire from his work. Baba had been working in a promoted position for the weeks leading up to his birthday, we were all just waiting for him to be officially promoted by title before he retired. I had no doubt that he might not be promoted at all, but with the arrival of the Indian Prime Minister, Nepal completely slowed to a stand still. The meetings that should have been called to discuss baba, were discussing the Prime Minister’s trip instead. It was a tense time at the house as baba’s birthday drew closer with no update or promotion in sight.
M accompanied me to some of the temples in Kathmandu and near the house and we performed pujas and prayed for baba and everyone else in the family. It definitely worked as the day before his birthday he received a phone call congratulating him on his new official position! Everyone was so happy as baba had been working his whole life towards that position! The next day, mamu cooked a feast and we all celebrated with a delicious cake! We all joked that he should have had three cakes though or at least a long message: “Happy Birthday/Retirement/Promotion Baba”.
I was so happy to spend my last weeks celebrating all of his family’s achievements. Although most of the time was at home, I would not have changed it in anyway as it was so special being part of the celebrations and achievements. I hope that I will be able have some achievements and celebrations to tell them soon so that I can make them as proud as they made me.
