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I have to say, this is a bit of a depressing country to live in. And I'm saying this with a full set of lights blazing over my head and a freshly filled hot water bottle in my lap so it's not like I'm exactly suffering from extenuating circumstances at this very second.
Maybe I should clarify. Visiting Nepal must be delightful. You get to stay in nice hotels with nice generators, you have all the taken for granted commodities ready at your service whether they be hot water, electricity or internet, you visit lovely restaurants with portable heaters quietly crackling away at your table, you can visit the buzzing markets in the heat of the sun and appreciate the vibrant colours of local handicrafts and exotic temples, then night falls and you fall to bed exhausted ready for the following day's first exhilarating steps on the skirts of the Himalayas...and when it's all over, you pack up your backpack and leave this beautiful country behind and head back to the comforts of your home with fond memories tucked away in the back pocket of your trousers.
But what happens to those people who on a daily basis have to deal with circumstances far from ideal in their home land, who after a hard day's work go home to watch their children struggling to read their homework by candlelight. What kind of future is that? An uneducated population because today's backwards leaders couldn't put their egos aside long enough to make a decision for the good of the country? All they have to do is ask for help and ensure full cooperation when the help is provided. Less than 50% of the population has access to electricity, and 90% of those live in Kathmandu. It is ranked 118th most corrupt land out of 160, has 6% female representation in parliament, and 4.37 computers to every 1 million people (2004).
It's just pretty frustrating I guess, when there are so many people, local and international, who are willing and able to provide the means, method and finance to move a country forward, but are simply met by a brick wall.
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Hi Ebany,
ReplyDeletegood for you! we had the luck to live for many years in the sister city of Kathmandu in Potosi, Bolivia where your description of life was and is still very similar; and this is where we found the most amazing people whose friendship we still keep as a hidden gem. Behind these difficult conditions you will soon find amazing qualities that people develop in this kind of environment and you will keep this as a lifetime inspiration. What amazes one is to figure out that this is a civilazation who has survived there for thousand of years, and its major lesson to us is that they have done it without the comfort we so much look for. You might think that my comment is harsh but trust me, everytime we have pushed things from the outside, we have destroyed many qualities that we do not always see at first look. When you share everydays life surrounded by no comfort at all, it is easier to share people's soul and sometimes get touched and transformed by it. anyway, i just wanted say Hi and tell you how much I envy you (if that word exist in English). Keep writing and questioning yourself and your environment; soon enough you wont have time to do it anymore when other aspects of life kick in.
Suerte
Yves