The Blessing

Sunday morning we woke up extra early.  I spent ten minutes trying to remember which adapter to plug my hair straightener in to and finally my hair looked perfect.  This was important because we had an outing planned.  It was also important because my vanity can't afford too many bad hair days.

Jess' staff invited him to watch the Blessing of the Tools.  Every year they do a ceremony celebrating the god of craftsmanship and asking a blessing on the tools in order to insure productive accident free work.  The ceremony is followed by feasting and wine.  Luckily we got out of downing extra strong Nepali wine at 9 in the morning.  Our ride showed up and took us to church, but just in case I made sure we had eaten a huge breakfast.  I didn't want to show up to church slurring our words.

Here are a few pictures.  One of Jess' foremen is also a Brahman and presided over the ceremony.  Some guide books suggest that the caste system doesn't matter in Nepal but most Nepalis seem well aware of each others caste.