Home among the Himalayas

It has been a while since I posted on the blog, and I keep reminding myself to write something but than work and specially the laziness keeps creeping back at me like a shadow.

If you know me personally you probably know that I belong to one of the mountain indigenous ethnicity called the Thakalis. Other than our yummy food we are also known to have settled at one the most beautiful places in Nepal, around the Mustang area previously known as Thak Khola.

Jomsom Airport

This is my second time there, though I should be visiting it more frequently. I almost forgot how magical the place really is. Surrounded by the Nilgiri  range on one side and the Dhaulagiri range on the other, the view is just breath-taking.

Nilgiri and Thini

One of the reasons for my visit to Jomsom was because of the 12 years Mela. So by tradition, there is a Mela every 12 years and we are bestowed with homage to our otherwise hidden deities. The Mela goes for about 15 days and people from around the region, and Thakali families living all around come to Thini to be a part of it. This is my second time visiting the Mela, and they say that these deities fulfills 1 wish among the 3 grants, that is longevity, family/child or wealth. Along with this religious function there are also other programs that are organized by local youth clubs. 

Darbar Chowk, Thini - The Yak Dance

Visiting hometown always means family time and a lot, a lot of yummy meals. There is something about being home that makes you relaxed resulting in unfortunate weight gains, but the yak meat, the home grown potatoes and just grandma's food are the best. 

Thakali Breakfast

Being home made me learn a lot about my culture and being Thakali. Since I rarely visit Jomsom or Thini and coming from a mixed family I am hardly exposed to the Thakali side of me. Being raised in a family where my father is a Thakali, mother a Limbu and step-father a Tamang, it was hard to align myself with a cultural identity, but I have come to realize what makes me is a little bit of everything. This visit has strengthened my otherwise weaker Thakali side. 

There is so much more to this visit, more about it all on the next blog post. 

Embracing My Thakali Self

Until the next hometown adventure and until the next blog post.

To finding little adventures and making memories. 

SHEY