Third world democracy, as in not real democracy. As in not even close.Nepal is like a pressure cooker right now. The people are being pressurized by their defunct government, the scarcity of petrol, food and electricity, and the crumbling beams of democracy and peace. It feels like it is all going to bubble over any day now...
So.... how about we start a business here! Not exactly the ideal environment for two novices to begin a business. We have 8 hours of power outages a day. We have no petrol. We have no cooking gas. We have no hot water. We have no transportation. We have shotty internet and mobile service. We have riots in the street daily. We have bombs, burning tires and communist violence regularly.
With all this, I would not want to be anywhere else in the world. Either you adapt or you don't. I am comfortable and feel safe despite it all. The work we are doing here far exceeds the need for a hot shower. And what we do have is more than we probably need anyway.
It is pretty bad here right now, though. There is no petrol in the country because the Nepal Oil Cooperation is not paying their huge debt to India and therefore India has cut them off. They have been pocketing all the money- choosing not to pay the debt, but build their personal fortunes. At the end of the day, the people suffer, as always happens with corruption in developing countries. When I say no petrol, I mean no petrol. Most all pumps are closed lately and there are few vehicles on the road. People have to walk everywhere...it looks like a mass exodus on the highway- people everywhere. The petrol that is supposed to be delivered through the Indian border to the west can not reach the capital because their is an ethnic movement in the Terai region of Nepal. Some people create blockades so petrol tankers can't ply, accosting drivers and stopping them from entering the country. It is a mess at the border and people are being killed everyday in the streets.
There is also no electricity. We get maybe over 12 hours a day in Kathmandu. It cripples the capital. It stalls all development efforts and destroys the economy. At my office, it is impossible some days to work. That means our projects to help women in rural areas is halted, therefore impeding the national development of Nepal. It is an awful trickle down effect and one that is so frustrating at times, I want to scream.
Doing the business is very difficult with no access to power or internet during all times of night and day. We have to plan out our whole week according to the power cut schedule. Literally, plan every day, every hour. And sometimes, the power cuts off even when it is not scheduled. Another instance when I want to scream. The whole process of creating this thing in Nepal is quite a unique experience. I hope all of this craziness will seep into the life of global daughter and enhance it and give it its special place. It will only make things sweeter and more rewarding when we get everything up and running. I have gotten used to this unusual lifestyle, but my apartment walls are turning black from the flames of candles. You use candles here like they are a life force.
How is this for the irony of all ironies...Nepal is 2nd in the world, behind only Brazil, with hydro-power resources. How can a country, in the shadows of the most massive mountains on the planet, not create energy? It is crazy to me that this crew can't harness and bottle the energy/power capabilities of the Himalayas. Think how rich they could be if they could sell it too. China and India, the most powerful emerging countries in the world would pay, and pay big to get some of that energy. It is a sad reality that the government can't get their act together for the people.
No power+ no petrol= chaos. That is what is happening here now. I walk 7 miles to work because there is no transportation, but I know the women walking next to me might have to walk 14. She is adapting, like everyone else to all the shortages. While Nepal lacks a lot of things right now, they do have an amazing supply of hope- It is the one resource they can not afford lose right now. Let’s hope it is enough to see them through these volatile and unpredictable times.
There is also no electricity. We get maybe over 12 hours a day in Kathmandu. It cripples the capital. It stalls all development efforts and destroys the economy. At my office, it is impossible some days to work. That means our projects to help women in rural areas is halted, therefore impeding the national development of Nepal. It is an awful trickle down effect and one that is so frustrating at times, I want to scream.
Doing the business is very difficult with no access to power or internet during all times of night and day. We have to plan out our whole week according to the power cut schedule. Literally, plan every day, every hour. And sometimes, the power cuts off even when it is not scheduled. Another instance when I want to scream. The whole process of creating this thing in Nepal is quite a unique experience. I hope all of this craziness will seep into the life of global daughter and enhance it and give it its special place. It will only make things sweeter and more rewarding when we get everything up and running. I have gotten used to this unusual lifestyle, but my apartment walls are turning black from the flames of candles. You use candles here like they are a life force.
How is this for the irony of all ironies...Nepal is 2nd in the world, behind only Brazil, with hydro-power resources. How can a country, in the shadows of the most massive mountains on the planet, not create energy? It is crazy to me that this crew can't harness and bottle the energy/power capabilities of the Himalayas. Think how rich they could be if they could sell it too. China and India, the most powerful emerging countries in the world would pay, and pay big to get some of that energy. It is a sad reality that the government can't get their act together for the people.
No power+ no petrol= chaos. That is what is happening here now. I walk 7 miles to work because there is no transportation, but I know the women walking next to me might have to walk 14. She is adapting, like everyone else to all the shortages. While Nepal lacks a lot of things right now, they do have an amazing supply of hope- It is the one resource they can not afford lose right now. Let’s hope it is enough to see them through these volatile and unpredictable times.
1 comment:
John is looking at coming at a different time since there seems to difficulty getting anywhere. We admire you girls. Keep up the good work.
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