Katmandu is a city of small shopkeepers. Most neighborhood streets are lined with small shops 6’x6’ with a pull down mental roller door. A family member works in these shops. Small children as young as 5 are sent with 10 to 100 rupees in their pockets to buy what their mother needs. Of course there are also the wooden two wheel push carts that the men push around going directly into the neighborhoods that can sell anything from fruits to greens but always always freshly gathered or cut.
However Khem told me that these small shop keepers are now under threat. There is a medium size store that is buying up space to build larger shop that can offer cheaper prices because of the scale. Capitalism is entering as more people amass money from primarily selling land or remittance money from abroad. The small shopkeeper in 10 years will be a thing of the past.
When I lived here, I would use my local shop to buy biscuits, a package of milk or sugar. There would always be an verbal exchange about the weather or their children. I loved this intimacy and belonging to the neighborhood. I was known and also protected by the shopkeepers if anyone ever bothered me. But now I am in a hotel and not cooking food so I don’t have the opportunity to shop. However, I am sure soon I will not be able to resist my favorite biscuits which used to be 20 rupees 15 cents a package. I have no idea what they cost now but I will find out soon and will be sure to take a picture.
In the two pictures below you can see the hanging packages of potato chips, the needed vegetables and fruit, laundry powder, and there is usually fingernail polish, combs, soap, and a bangle or two. These are small shops but so much a part of the fabric and culture of the neighborhoods.
As we drove home this evening the wooden carts were parked at the corners where we needed to turn, making it a tight turn and the children play in the street and slowly step out of way of an approaching car. Laundry was being collected from the balconies and empty lots as the sun was setting and the cold air moving in. There were many people on the streets at 6:00 pm I would say 2/3 motor bikes and 1/3 cars. They drive on both side of the road depending on which way is open. There are no continuous sidewalks so people walking from A to B generally walk in the street. As a driver you must avoid the carts, bikes, children and walkers. Never would I drive in this place.