Wednesday: Cold and Damp in Dhulikhel

 I awoke to a cool morning overcast with clouds and a light sprinkling rain. Without sunshine it was a cold day. The temperature barely reached 60 degrees.

I have noticed my waist size shrinking over the past 4 months. Today I found a scale in the orthodontic department and I was able to weigh myself. When I left the U.S. in November, I weighed 188#. Today I am around 173# -- so I have I maybe shed 15#! Interestingly, my BMI still exceeds 25 -- which labels me as "Overweight." Regardless, I feel good -- healthy.

I watched Manisha complete this root canal treatment.

I was under-dressed for the coolness of the day and consequently, I left school early and returned to my apartment to add some layers.

In the evening I had made plans to meet the German dental students, Julia and Paula, for dinner. I saw this sunset as I was walking to meet them.

We met for dinner at a new restaurant in Dhulikhel" "YUMMY De RESTRO." Julia and Paula had enjoyed tea here a few days ago, and wanted to try the momos.

The restaurant patio has great views over the valley to the North.

The girls ordered veg "crispy" momos and some veg pakodas (fritters). The menus of all of the restaurants here are remarkably similar. I have seen "American Chop Suey" and "Chinese Chop Suey" on many menus. I have asked what the distinction is between the two versions and no one has been able to offer an explanation. Tonight's waiter was no different. However, he said that "most people order the 'American chop suey.'" So that is what I ordered.  

It was nasty, not living up to the "yummy" name of this restaurant. It was crispy noodles topped with a mix of chicken, water buffalo (tough as shoe leather) and veg. It was sauced with something resembling ketchup. I ate the egg, two pieces of chicken and one piece of "buff."

I saw the moon rise over the Himalayas between Julia and Paula.

A cat approached the table and specifically approached me. Could it tell that I am a "cat person?" This is only the 4th cat I have seen in Nepal and the only one I have been able to pet. This cat was super friendly and climbed up into my lap and purred. In offered it my chop suey and she also refused it.

Dinner with the Germans and this affectionate cat made for a delightful evening. These girls are leaving this weekend and then traveling to Vietnam for another week of adventure with their boyfriends. On my walk home, I stopped and picked up some bottled water. The wifi wasn't working in my room, so I couldn't post this blog until Thursday morning using the school's wifi.