“Ngichithe izinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili ngonyaka odlule eNepal ohlelweni lwe-English Language Teaching Scholarship Programme. Inyanga yokuqala - ukuqeqeshwa eKathmandu, abayisikhombisa abasele - idolobhana elincane amahora angu-2 ukusuka enhloko-dolobha, lapho ngafundisa khona esikoleni sendawo.
Umkhaya engangihlala nawo wawuphana ngendlela emangalisayo futhi unomoya wokungenisa izihambi. “Ubaba wami waseNepal” wayeyisisebenzi sikahulumeni, futhi umama wayengumama wekhaya owayenakekela amadodakazi amabili abukekayo kanye nogogo osekhulile. Nginenhlanhla yokuthi ngagcina ngisemkhayeni odla inyama encane kakhulu! Naphezu kokuthi inkomo iyisilwane esingcwele lapha, ubisi lwayo lubhekwa njengento ebalulekile kokubili abadala kanye nezingane. Imindeni eminingi yaseNepal inenkunzi okungenani eyodwa nenkomo eyodwa epulazini layo. Lo mndeni, wawungenayo imfuyo, wathenga ubisi neyogathi kubahlinzeki.
Abazali bami baseNepal babeqonda kakhulu lapho ngibachazela incazelo yegama elithi “vegan”, nakuba izihlobo, omakhelwane nogogo osekhulile babebheka ukudla kwami njengokungenampilo ngokwedlulele. Abantu abadla imifino bagcwele yonke indawo lapha, kodwa ukukhishwa komkhiqizo wobisi kuyiphupho kwabaningi. “Umama” wami wazama ukungiqinisekisa ukuthi ubisi lwenkomo luyadingeka ukuze kuthuthukiswe (i-calcium nakho konke), inkolelo efanayo itholakala yonke indawo kubantu baseMelika.
Ekuseni nakusihlwa ngadla isidlo sesintu (isitshulu sikadali, i-side dish ebabayo, ukhari wemifino nelayisi elimhlophe), futhi ngihambe nesidlo sasemini kanye nami esikoleni. I-hostess iyisiko kakhulu futhi ayizange ingivumele ukuthi ngipheke kuphela, kodwa ngisho nokuthinta noma yini ekhishini. Ikhari yemifino ngokuvamile yayihlanganisa ulethisi omisiwe, amazambane, ubhontshisi oluhlaza, ubhontshisi, ukholifulawa, amakhowe, neminye imifino eminingi. Cishe yonke into iyatshalwa kuleli zwe, ngakho imifino ehlukahlukene ihlale ikhona lapha. Ngake ngavunyelwa ukupheka umndeni wonke: kwenzeka lapho umnikazi evuna ama-avocados, kodwa engazi ukuthi angawapheka kanjani. Ngaphatha wonke umndeni nge-guacamole eyenziwe ngokwatapheya! Abanye bozakwethu abangama-vegan babengenanhlanhla kangako: imindeni yabo yayidla inkukhu, inyathi noma imbuzi kukho konke ukudla!
UKathmandu wayekude nathi futhi lokho kwakubaluleke ngempela, ikakhulukazi lapho nginoshevu wokudla (izikhathi ezintathu) kanye ne-gastroenteritis. I-Kathmandu ineRestaurant ye-1905 enikeza izithelo nemifino ephilayo, i-falafel, ubhontshisi wesoya ogazingiwe, i-hummus nesinkwa saseJalimane se-vegan. Irayisi elinsundu, elibomvu nelinsomi nalo liyatholakala.
Kukhona neGreen Organic Café - ebiza kakhulu, inikeza yonke into entsha nephilayo, unga-oda i-vegan pizza ngaphandle koshizi. Isobho, irayisi elinsundu, i-buckwheat momo (amadombolo), imifino kanye nama-tofu cutlets. Nakuba okunye okuhlukile kobisi lwenkomo kuyivelakancane eNepal, kunezindawo ezimbalwa eThameli (indawo yezivakashi eKathmandu) ezinikeza ubisi lwesoya.
Manje ngingathanda ukwabelana ngeresiphi yesiphuzo esilula nesijabulisayo sase-Nepal - ummbila ogazingiwe noma ama-popcorn. Lesi sidlo sithandwa phakathi kwamaNepali ikakhulukazi ngoSepthemba-Okthoba, ngesikhathi sokuvuna. Ukuze ulungise i-bhuteko makai, gcoba izinhlangothi zebhodwe ngamafutha bese uthela phansi ngamafutha. Beka izinhlamvu zommbila, usawoti. Lapho okusanhlamvu kuqala ukuqhekeka, gubungula ngesipuni, uvale ngokuqinile ngesembozo. Ngemuva kwemizuzu embalwa, xuba nobhontshisi wesoya noma amantongomane, usebenze njenge-snack.
Ngokuvamile, abantu baseMelika abapheki ulethisi, kodwa bawufaka kumasemishi noma kwezinye izitsha eziluhlaza. Abantu baseNepal bavame ukulungisa isaladi bese beyiphakela kushisa noma kubanda ngesinkwa noma nelayisi.