February 7, 2025

What to do while sitting in the Kathmandu Airport waiting for your flight?  Since I am in that position I thought I would develop a list.

 

1) Take a photo of the waiting area.  I never, and I mean never, use the camera in my iPad.  But with time on my hands – here’s the photo.

2)  Spend the last of your Nepal Rupees.  I had some yummy peanuts and also picked up a couple of great local color mouse pads.  Now I realize that no one uses mouse pads any more. But these had the “eyes” of the stupa and also Hindu gods.  Can’t get those in Kansas City folks.  Even if never used as mouse pads they will be colorful reminders of my journey and make rather unique gifts.

 

3) Try to understand the public address system as it announces flight boardings, departures, gate assignments, etc.  First of all these announcements are given in a variety of languages, most of which you can’t understand.  But occasionally a recognizable word will jump out.  Then you can try to guess what the rest of the message says.  Finally, they will deliver the message in English. That’s when you notice that even though this is your language, the message still remains mostly unintelligible.  Why?  I suspect that a requirement for employment as a  public address announcer in any transit hub (bus stations, train stations, airports, etc.) is the ability to talk so rapidly and so many marginal and blurred pronunciations that listeners are left to wonder just “what the h….” it was that was just said.  Anyway – even after the English announcement you can still play the “guess what I said” game.

Opps!  The person waiting next to me just told me they had announced our flight.  I wonder how she understood the announcement?

 

Oh well – off to Delhi.  The Journey Homeward has begun.

 

BWB – The Photo Trekker