In past couple of years the life in Kathmandu has become busy and has changed a lot. Everyone is trying to work their @rse off to meet up their requirements. Last month when my friend came down from USA, she commented that having a decent life in Ktm is similar to having a life in out there. Everyone who lives in Kathmandu and who doesn’t as well claims that it is one expensive city. I will second that. With a decent job and decent salary, you can just meet your basic requirements. Now the question is how much is a decent Salary? I will leave it to you to decide.

I love my work, even if the pay is not so decent according to us who work there (LOL). Frankly, I am a much budgeted person and I really feel taking a cab in Ktm is knowingly going for a rip off. I like to commute in a public vehicle. One is its economical and for an aspiring write, there are a lot of stories and characters you meet every time you hop into one!

I have odd timing on some days at work (There is this so called very important department meeting which are so unimportant). Almost every day I take safa tempo to work, unless I get lucky and dad gives me a lift. So those days when I go early to work, there is this lady I meet. Normally you meet the same set of people if you commute in the same time, same route. Aunty jee and I share the tempo on some given days. She must be only couple of years elder to me. Since day one she stares at me in a very odd manner. No I don’t think she swings in the other side. I think she checks me out…no no still not in that manner.

Today I made it a point, that I ll swing the story the other way round. I ll check every detail of her and I will find out what she looks at. The last time when we crossed our path, the whole time she stared at my nails which had French Manicure (the boys can google it if you don’t know what exactly it is :P). My guess is she is a private company employee. What did I notice today? She has been carrying the same bag everyday whereas I change it and try to match it with my attire. She has this smaller tote which shapes as if it got a lunchbox inside it. She got a polyphonic phone where I am always fiddling with my smartarse phone and listening to music. I love to paint my nails and it’s mostly maintained because I don’t have to do dishes. She had chipped nails with faded nail polish. She wore the same jacket entire winter whereas I think I had three different coats and one jacket.

Why am I sharing all this with you? Because today again I realized how lucky and privileged I am. She is not jealous. She doesn’t hates me. But she looks at me with the admiration that I have things and I enjoy it. She wishes to have things like I do. She wishes she doesn’t have to wash clothes and dishes so she can have nails like mine. I am her eye candy. She looks at me coz it fancies her. This is what I feel. I thanked god for the life I have, maybe not perfect but its better than a lot of others. This is a very trivial thing but it just made me a little more positive. I have never spoken to her, but from next time I will definitely gesture a smile towards “The aunty jee from Safa Tempo”.

Ho ni Mr. Ptesident

I see one Aunty jee from micro-bus too and she drives like crazy....took a micro-bus last time and the driver happen to be a lady...never seen before kinda stuff...and she drives like hell in the polka dot roads of our own ktm..cruising and cursing with FM music on the background....fun to see most passengers opening their mouth in disbelief and closing their eyes in every turn...lol...very inspiring stuff I must say.

Hahahaa but this aunty jee is not a driver but a fellow passenger.... but micro buses are better than rollercoasters lol for the rush lol

What you're sharing is awesome..but I wish this was a profitable idea you shared so I could eat more pizza

You dont need my thread to buy pizza.....just go out and buy it...simple

No problem. Take care

Sorry to say that sometimes somethings in life is more than the balance sheet and profit and loss account.....

May be..coz I've experienced what you have experienced and I think many others have done the same..but I'd like to profit as well and that pays my bills than sharing the same usual experience. People can't express..but been there done that..but not profit making..my opinion only. no bad feelings..just thinking out of the box

Having everything may or may not be same as having all the happiness in your life. Yes I agree with u that we should realize how lucky you are with everything that u have. But we should also realize that there are so many people who do not have materialistic life but way happier than affluent people. Just a thought.
Anyways I like the way you wrote. Very interesting.

Maila jee,
I know materialistic things not always brings happiness but most of the times we complain of such things.....i dont have this i dont have that.....but you are correct happiness is not always the nailpolish and the bags:)

Very nicely written, enjoyed it very much with my afternoon coffee :-)

Why am I sharing all this with you? Because today again I realized how lucky and privileged I am. She is not jealous. She doesn’t hates me. But she looks at me with the admiration that I have things and I enjoy it.

Very well narrated..

We are all different, one from another, and with age, priorities change. 

I agree with Sexy in sari's argument. It is Ambrosia's opinion or perception about that auntiji's staring at her. It is just her assumption that auntiji stared at her because she was feeling less fortunate than herself. She might be staring at the writer merely in admiration for her ability/ energy to keep up with latest fashion and thinking about her own past glorious days. But she might not be the less fortunate one as the writer assumed. Who knows may be her bank balance is fatter than that of the writer's. We should not judge the people from their outer appearance. It is all about interest and priorities.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading this thread. The writer has very good skill to put her thoughts in the words. Keep it up.

Thank you everyone for commenting,
I just wanna clear it out that i didnt mean to judge this aunty less fortunate than me..... but she has a difficult life that i can feel....i could be wrong....
Here I was kust trying to count my blessings:)

If you want to extend this thread then I have another opinion...as people get older they tend to be less fashionable...may be aunty jee falls in that category...besides that you and her are travelling on the same safa tempo...i would not discount her as less fortunate just based on your observation on safa tempo..may be she has other priorities and invests heavily in those things...do not judge a book by its cover..

I totally feel that she has a lot of responsibility...a lot more than mine. My whole point here is I think initially when she stared at me....I was very uncomfortable.... but since I have changed my perspective... It feels a little easy.
Again I ll say I dont mean to judge anyone by the cover!

Amby, i got yr back !!!! Cut her some slack my fellow sajhaites, pls :)

Everybody back down; Obama's got Ambrosia's back!! Unless somebody is trying to be Putin!!

hahahaha.... Mr. President....pls stop that.....People will stop reading my threads....and absolutely that is not what I want !

As u wish amby ;)