After the water lilies are gone

Bardiya district is greying. Drying. The monsoon, late as it was with fewer days of rain than needed is long gone. The field officers from colder countries can breath a little easier and are now enjoying the cool evenings and nights.

Meetings on the roof are a nice change, with or without green parrotts flying by.

And we did spent the better part of our working day on the roof today, before me and J went out to SanosShree to do an introdution meeting with a political party representative. We were well received, partly I am sure because we are white and represent an INGO but probably also because going into the so-called remote areas(in our case the Midwest of Nepal) we are hardly in majority in the NGO world. Showing face and all that. It was a very visibly open meeting, plastic chairs were pulled up outside a shop and many local people showed up to listen and have a cup of chia. And this is very good for us. We do come here on invitation from the local human rights defenders, and sometimes it is just plain slow persistant work that change any human rights violations. People knowing about us helps, it is as simple as that.

Other highlights of my day included "getting Junior in shape" activities. Junior is the neighborhood dog that somehow nesteled himself into my heart. But we take it slow, building up the relationship. Washing his ears(todays project)does not come under his favorite actitities. Generally we do do things that he likes, which is basically chasing anything fun, like buffalo, goats(the smaller are more fun), other dogs, a horse if it is not too scary, hens or the odd scared human without a stone in his hand. Cats would be great but there are very few of them so we have to make do with what there is.

And yes, the water lilies are now gone. The wetland that we use to pass on the mornings are now drying up and will shortly be planted on. And the cycle continues.

Communication is the key

The verb for want and need is the same in Nepali. There are ways around it but generally this creates confusion, especially for me as a bideshi(foreigner). Do you need to go see your sister and Do you want want to go see you sister might mean different things where I come from but I am beginning to see that there are situations here when the same two headed verb can be used. I find it interesting that the question are you married should be answered with "not yet" in order not be impolite and that do you want/need to get married is not really a very interesting question here. As almost everybody gets married and stay married for life.

These things were contemplated by me, J and S when we sat in the sun outside the DAFUO(Dalit Women Upliftment Center) office early this morning, eager to have a first language exchange with the Dalit women. We were joined by a guy/third gender s/he from the Blue Diamond Society. I am not intentionally trying to either make fun of an identity nor be funny but I honestly don't know what is a proper term for the members of BDS. Being referred to as her or didi(sister)often seem to be insulting. Probably because defining yourself in this manner means exactely what it says, nor man nor female. Or both. Or queer. Or whatever. Either way we were handed some information about BDS, including a small leaflet with very nice colour photos of what a STD can look like. Up close. Surely very....effective for its purposes but maybe not the best way to learn Nepali.

In the end the DAFUO women did not turn up but we had a nice cup up tea, and we did opened our books but decided after a while that the office probably needed us more and walked back through town. Found out later that the president had tried to get a hold of us but not suceeded. And we were told in a stern Nepali phone voice that her phone was switched off. Which may or may not be true. What is true is that mobile coverage is a constant struggle here, I am so use to it by now that I don't even think twice about having to call a person 15 times before I actually get through. I am also use to all kinds of interference on the line, hearing other people talking and receiving interesting messages such as "result unknown" when I send a sms. A part of me always wonder where these messages end up. The internet comes and goes, last week my computer told me it would take 21 days to down load a season of True Blood. :)

03:24 year 2068 in a country far away

Now I have two followers, a 100 % improvement in just on day :)

Slow day in our town. Year 2068 drags on. The Nepali calender is different, have to find out why this is. Different times of year also means different recommended auspicious activities. Getting married during the monsoon is for example not recommended but there are two other times during the year when the astrologer have decided are good, and a number of marriages taking place during this time. Sometimes they start during the night. Or at 03:24 if the stars indicated that this would give you a good start of your marriage.

Or didi(chef and cleaning lady that likes to boss us around)is from the Tharu community, a large ethnic group here in the south of Nepal. She probably did not have much to say about the time of her marriage because when we asked her if she wanted children she only said that she had her first child at fifteen because her husband wanted it. Now, a grandmother before she has reached 40 I wonder about her younger 13 year old daugher and her future. How different from the young kids running around back home in Sweden.

Calling Goddess Laxmi at 2 am

I have one follower.

It is hardy inspiring but I am guessing that more people read my blog as I am getting small proof of feed back. Maybe my blog is not as interesting as one of them fashion blogs. The ones that gets updated a couple of times a day when a famous person drinks another latte.

Anywho...Dasain, the long(8 days)hindu holiday worshipping(and fearing)the Godess of death, destruction but also creation has passed and three days ago we entered the Tihar holiday that I in my naivity thought would be a little bit quieter.
No such luck.
During Dasain the tradition(modern version)is to not only have music playing around the clock from the temples but also to loop a Hindi movie around the clock, full volume. Yes, the place of worship thus also serves as a semi-outdoorsy kind of movie hall where you can hang around with your friends. Let's just say that the sound got to me after 8 days in a row. There is a lot of crying and drama going on in Bollywood productions.

Tihar is a different animal altogether. Laxmi, the Godess of wealth is invited into peoples houses by different means and coaxing. She is lured by sweets and the inhabitants of the house paints a red mud path to the goodies(fruit, food, candy etc)outside and thereby inviting wealth to enter the house and stay.

Tihar also offers a chance to worship(in order):the crow, the cow, the dog and yesterday was "young brother day" or Tikka day(tikka is the word for the red blobby thing of rice, red paint and a blessing to be stuck in between your eye brows in a ceremonial way). During young brother day, older sisters give tikkas to their brothers and the brothers give the sisters presents, money or things.
This is all good. The not so good thing is the custum of kids roaming around at night, going from house to house, singing and often bringing a Boom Box to accompany them. VERY LOUD. Very loud at 2 pm indeed. And honestly guys, Laxmi probably hear you anyway, even if you are not making the rest of the neighbourhood deaf.

Bardiya National Park

For men: what not to wear

It is good to know that Nepali men are interested in fashion!

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REPUBLICA KATHMANDU, Oct 3: Though on a small scale, men’s fashion is surely going through an evolution. Additionally, stepping into the color zone also has provided guys with more choices. And every season brings a list of must-haves.

But no matter at what rate the evolution is taking place, dressing right is unattainable unless you don’t know where you are going wrong. Apart from ill-fitted clothes and too skinny or too baggy trousers, Republica lists down a few trends that you should avoid in coming days.


Belts with dramatic buckles

A belt being just a pant holder is a story of once upon a time. A nice leather belt adds character to a man’s wardrobe. However, lately, a lot of embellished belts have started appearing in the market. Bullets, guns, bull heads—these are only a few examples of how today’s belt buckles look like. Rather than contributing in enhancing your look, it just adds a funny element to your ensemble.

Shapeless coats

Be it trench coat or any other type, keep this winter apparel of yours trim and slim sleeved. Never let your clothes envelope your body, and that is what an ill-fitted coat does. The common misconception we have about overcoat or trench is that it should be big enough to hide our winter layering. Yes, it should to some extent, but one sweater space is enough. Even while we tailor it, we tend to make it two/three times bigger than our normal clothing. Let your coats cut close to the body and cropped at the waist. This will save you from looking like a villain from the 90s’ Bollywood movies.



Floral patterned shirt

As long as it was sported by just a few men, the trend was digestible. But this year, we saw a pool of men donning floral patterned shirts. Donned by politicians to almost everyone on the streets, such motifs were liked by the country’s film fraternity too. Not to miss was the overdose of such shirts in the latest Nepali movie Kohi Mero. Decked up in such shirts, the actors danced in front of floral parks. Thus, it’s high time we get over this trend.

Pointy and Square toed shoes

Not only do those abnormally pointed shoes look weird, they are also a big turn off. On top of it, if they are skin-embossed, it’s wise to dump them off. It’s not a written rule, as there is none in fashion, but shoes have to be proportionate with trousers’ hems, otherwise you will end up with clown feet. Don’t ruin the ensemble by opting too pointed or massive shoes. Slightly pointed pair of shoes is good enough. One of the common mismatches that guys often commit is wearing their denims with black leather dress shoes. Wearing a pair of suede desert boots or brogues is chicer. Pairing your jeans with square-toed shoes is also not recommended; those shoes are meant for school days.

Light-wash jeans

Light-wash jeans is a risky business; only a handful of men can pull it off. And even if you do the comparison, dark denims are a better option if you want to dress up your jeans with the help of a blazer or coat. Corduroy trousers and chinos can be a good alternative for light-wash jeans.

Teaming up white belt with white footwear

Nepali film industry’s current favorite, Aryan Sigdel has been spotted teaming up his white belt with white slip-in shoes in quite a few movies. And there is a bunch of partners in crime walking down the streets of Kathmandu sporting a similar look. Why this team should not be sported anymore? Firstly, the items never made a good pair, and, inspite of them getting popularity, it’s already time to retire those white belts. This piece of item is no more a cool possession, and especially if you are matching them with your white shoes. Unless it’s basic colors like brown or black or if you’re in your teens, matching your colorful belts with your shoes is acceptable.

Govt foils voting for PM of Tibetan govt-in-exile

Opened todays Republica. Interesting news about the Tibetan community in Nepal trying to start an election process via the Tibetan government in exile. In other words, the Tibetan diaspora in Nepal is using the soverign state of Nepal to adress political issues in their occupied country(which China in claiming) through a government in exile which resides in yet another country, India.

In picture: Tibetan Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche (Center) leads a religious procession of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's portrait as part of the ceremonial opening of a six-day Tibetan National General Meeting in the Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe in the South Indian state of Karnataka, India, Thursday, August 26, 2010.

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KATHMANDU, Oct 4: Nepali authorities on Sunday foiled the primary polls organized by Tibetan refugees in various locations in Kathmandu Valley to nominate candidates for the post of prime minister and members of Tibetan government-in-exile.

Officials at the Home Ministry said police personnel were mobilized to foil the voting to nominate the successor of Samdhong Rimpoche and 44 other members of the Tibetan government-in-exile at Swaymbhu, Boudhha and Jawalakhel areas as ´it violated Nepal´s foreign policy and existing laws of the host country´.


Hundreds of Tibetan refugees living in Kathmandu Valley had gathered at Swaymbhu, Boudhha and Jawalakhel to take part in the voting that began at 9 am. While the voting in Swayambhu and Boudhha was halted after police seized the ballot boxes, the refugee leaders had agreed not to conduct voting in Jawalakhel following police intervention.

However, no arrests were made in connection with the incident.

According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Ramesh Kharel, chief of Metropolitan Police Range Office, Kathmandu, police seized 10 ballot boxes from Boudhha and eight others from Swaymbhu to foil the voting. The refugees had dispersed themselves after the seizure of the ballot boxes.

The Tibetan refugees gathered at Jawalakhel likewise halted their voting program after police personnel reached the venue, said Bikram Thapa, chief of Metropolitan Police Range Office, Lalitpur. “The refugees gathered dispersed on their own after police team reached there,” he said.

A text message received by this scribe from a Tibetan refugee leader in Kathmandu said that Tibetans were barred from going inside the election spot to cast their votes and ballot boxes were seized. “It is totally against human rights as we believe all people should be allowed to vote,” read the text message.

The Home Ministry in a statement Sunday evening said the voting act of Tibetan refugees to organize ´so-called election violating Nepal´s foreign policy and existing laws of the host country´ has drawn serious attention of the ministry.

The statement said Nepal always respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighboring countries and that it is committed not to allow any activities that are detrimental to their interests on its soil. “The ministry has already instructed local administrations to take action as per the laws of the land against those engaged in such activities,” added the statement.

According to the Election Commission of the Central Tibetan Administration, altogether 79,449 people registered to vote for the prime minister and members of the Tibetan government in exile. This includes some 20,000 Tibetan refugees living in various parts of Nepal.

The police crackdown on Tibetans comes amidst mounting pressure from China to curb ´anti-China activities´ perpetrated by Tibetan refugees living in Nepal. China has grown particularly sensitive over Tibetans´ activities especially after they launched anti-China demonstrations in Kathmandu in March, 2008 to mark 50th anniversary of their failed uprisings against Chinese rulers in 1959.

According to the Election Commission of the Central Tibetan Administration, there are over one dozen candidates including Harvard University Professor Lobsang Sangay, Tibetan diplomat Tenzin Tethong Namgyal, former President of Tibetan Youth Congress Tsetan Norbu, Speaker Pempa Tsering and Deputy- Speaker Dolma Gyari in the race for prime minister.

The Election Commission originally planned to compile the results of the preliminary rounds held on Sunday in a month from Tibetan settlements all over India, Bhutan, and Nepal and from North America. The 2011 general elections will decide the third directly elected Tibetan PM and members of the 15th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile.

The general election, according to Tibetan refugee leaders, attaches greater significance as it will elect new leadership that will have crucial responsibility to lead Tibetan movement, since aging Dalai Lama, 75, has already signaled his retirement anytime soon.