Kids Along the Road

Unlike in North America, Nepali children spend quite a lot of time outside. Outside of school hours, they can be found just about everywhere.
Some of the games played are just like those played by kids at home, like hopscotch and jump rope. Others are straight out of the early 20th century; a spinning top launched from a string, a rolling hoop controlled by a piece of bent wire, and marbles. Occasionally you will see a handheld gaming device, but not often at all, especially here in the country.
It's nice to see so many kids outside. Nepal doesn't have an obeisity problem, partly because the kids don't sit in front of the tv all the time. Partly also because everyone is much poorer.
There are often small children playing around one of the (yes there are two! how small village I've become) bus stops in Laxmi. One day one of the toddlers was given his first (slow!) ride on a motorcycle. An ear-to-ear grin and non-stop laughter means it probably won't be the last!
Walking to a from school, Caitlin and I often walk past some of the same groups of children on their way to school at Maha Laxmi. Most call out a greeting, either in English or Nepali. I've now perfected the motion of transferring my water bottle to being carried by my elbow and doing namaste without breaking stride!
The other, slightly less popular, salutation is 'good morning' delivered at any time of day. I've been told to have a good morning when it was 7 in the evening. Quite often the kids will do away with pleasantries altogether, and launch straight into questions. Mostly 'how are you?', 'where are you from?' and 'where are you going?' Once I answered where are you coming from as Gorkha, which brought out tons of laughter. Apparently that wasn't the answer they were looking for!
Sometims it's hard to know where the voices are coming from. It could be a balcony or roof, a parked vehicle, the side of the road, or 50ft up the mountain from the road, next to a goat. It's like the live version of Where's Waldo.
The kids in the cities, particularly in/near tourist areas, are less likely to call out friendly greetings, and more likely to ask you for something. Mostly money - 10 rupees, the price of a packet of biscuits- and chocolate or sweets. I say asking, but its really more of a demand, as please and thank-you are not commonly used in Nepali, and have been lost in translation. They are really quite unabashed about it, and will continue until you are several feet past.
There has been a difference in the children in Gorkha over the past few weeks. Tourist season is starting, so there have been an increasing number of foreigners in town. Clearly some have been giving in to the kids' demands, as they have grown ever-more insistent, even following you down the road. It was much nicer before!