"World Stunned"

This was the Kathmandu Post's headline regarding yesterday's relatively peaceful polling. I'm not sure much of the world was watching honestly, but for those of you who were - it was indeed stunning and moving. Many in this country where 60% of the population is under 35 have never had the opportunity to vote. Many risked their lives to do so. The outcome will tell the tale of course and I promise a break from Nepal politics in this space. If you happened to see any of the online/print coverage, a friend of mine was covering the Maoists for the New York Times and took some fabulous shots.

The kids are missing Daddy who is understandably doing a fair bit of election observing/monitoring these days. This too shall pass!

More later when I'm awake ....

Grace,
Laurel

Tomorrow ... E-Day

You think the US election has been eternal? We hope the third time is a charm as Nepal heads to the polls tomorrow. The border is closed, no travel will be allowed after midnight and the roads are already eerily empty. Save a few "explosions" here and there over the past week things have been remarkably quiet. The calm before the storm? We are about to find out.

I just wished some Nepali friends well as they travel to their village to exercise their franchise tomorrow. It is an exciting time and an anxious time!

My three lovable tyrants beckon.

Laurel

Holi and Holy

Today the streets were somewhat empty in terms of vehicular traffic but full of young people up to Holi Hijinks. Holi is a water festival held during the full moon to celebrate the beginning of spring. What this translates into is a lot of inebriated hooligans having water balloon wars across roads and across rooftops. "Bhang", or marijuana is legal during this holiday (as well as during Shiva Ratri - another post to come - I'm behind) and people lace sweets and drinks with it. Oooohwheee. While many an innocent bystander will get hit with water bombs full of water, vermilion dye or paint - most of the younger boys just put the war paint on up front. Faces of silver, red, purple and white stalk the streets, balloons in hand. People walk defensively, necks craning to see if they can avoid an incoming bomb from the roofs above. The kids love it. Adults seem to stay off of the streets. We were in a car and I was dying to get better shots, but kept the windows closed for the most part for fear of getting my camera trashed. Quite the spectacle!

Today may be Holi - but for us it is Holy. The service for Good Friday in the Book of Common Prayer ends with this:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, we pray you to set your passion, cross , and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy and grace to the living; pardon and rest to the dead; to your holy Church peace and concord ; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Blessed Easter to you,

Laurel

It's over!

The Bandh is over. The fuel lines (think 70's but worse) linger but I think that both food and fuel are starting to make their way back into the city. The kids' school schedules are normal this week. Alleluia! Can you tell I'm feeling a little giddy?

And now we turn our attention to the upcoming "Constituent Assembly Poll" - that would the elections. We feel a bit schitzophrenic in our household as we pay rapt attention to the political news from both the US and Nepal. When your superduperTuesday ends and you are either awake but bleary eyed or have decided to can it and go to sleep, we are waking up and watching CNN with a cup of Chai to take in the results. It is kind of nice.

This is my second time composing this entry as the computer was ceremonially turned off by a certain two year old last time. I think I'm going to make it but better not press my luck.

Distracted but delighted,
Laurel

Attention All Stations ...

This is the call we hear from the Marine Guards alerting us to activity around the valley that we should avoid; burning tires, brick throwing or demonstrators just blocking traffic. The calls are coming more often. Political unrest in the Terai has meant little fuel and food for the rest of the country, particularly the capital. We are not using our generators during the day anymore in order to conserve fuel. In a very, very small way living without electricity for blocks of time makes us feel like we are identifying with the sufferings of the Nepalis. But it doesn't remotely begin to compare. Even to say so seems ludicrous. It appears that the agitating groups have opted out of the upcoming - desperately needed - elections. Law and order are disintegrating and we don't really know how it will play out. We are ready to evacuate but hope we don't have to.

Yet today, under a glorious sky, a dozen children with their mothers and didis played in a manicured garden, oblivious to what is going on beyond the compound walls. As it should be.

Peace, Laurel

Lhosar and Love

Oh someone has to stop me with the titles.

Tashi Ta Le!! Happy Tibetan New Year (Lhosar) a few weeks late. Another colorful holiday in Nepal! Our anemic pastels of spring might need an overhaul. Being just over the Himalayas from Tibet there is a huge population of Tibetan exiles in Nepal. Those in Kathmandu tend to live near one of the large Stupas - the most notable being Boudanath Stupa. So our little family decided to head over to the celebration just to check it out. We joined the throng and watched as the Tibetans circumambulated the Stupa, threw fresh lime (not as in a citrus fruit - as in powdered limestone - although that would be funny - well, not to them I suppose) on it, put up new prayer flags and celebrated together in traditional Tibetan clothing. We climbed onto the Stupa with the masses and tried to keep Swift from taking a dive off of it (no railings). I'll state the obvious - we don't blend. Our three blond headed children generally draw a little attention and families kept stealing one or another of them for their family pictures. Elderly women wanted to hold their hand. It is all quite sweet but how one teaches "stranger danger" in this context is a bit beyond me at the moment.

A few days before this Kit's class went to see the Lama Dancing at one of the Tibetan Monasteries where some of these pictures were taken. The fabrics used in the robes were incredible. The masks were scary looking. The teacher took all the kids around to meet the big kahuna lama and get katahs put around their necks (white scarves). These are the moments I miss our sweet church preschool. Lent is not exactly being covered in the same fashion at school. But that is our job and I digress.

Oh - the Love part. Congratulations to Daniel and Dolkar (no picture of the two of them together - oops). Daniel is Bill's colleague who arrived at post 18 months ago a single man and fell in love with his Tibetan teacher, Dolkar. They celebrated their marriage at the end of Lhosar. Theirs is a lovely story and we wish them every happiness!

Cheers,

Laurel

Bandh Day Bandh Day ...

Sung to the tune of "Monday, Monday" which I vaguely recall being a 60's ditty but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Bandhs. Pronounced "bunds". These are strikes or closures and usually mean that all major businesses and transportation wherever the bandh is called close/cease. Any group can call a bandh and it is usually called in protest and is increasingly accompanied by angry people burning tires and blocking roads to enforce their call for closure and bring attention to whatever issue they might be protesting about that day. These tend to be incredibly successful here which is why people persist in calling them. Living with them is a Pain In The Rear End. Can I rant a little?

If a valleywide bandh is called, people can't get to work and don't get paid. Here that means that they might not eat that day. If a nationwide bandh is called - goods that should be making their way across the Terai from India will sit and rot - not a good scenario. It makes me crazy.

What does it mean for the pampered expat set like us? Inconvenience and annoyance yes - danger possibly - hunger, not yet. When people complain I just feel like walloping them and saying "get some perspective!!!" It is completely humbling to live the way we do when so many have so little.

Last year we had lots of bandhs but last week was a first for many new arrivals. It started earlier and ended later and we did not venture out at all. In the past blue plated vehicles may have been allowed to pass - not last week. The kids were at school when some of the tire burning and road blocks started so the school kept them on campus until 6:30 that night. I knew they were safe but was not exactly sans anxiety. They are only 4 and 6 years old! They got home after 7 pm pretty darn excited about the extended day - "we almost had a sleepover Mom!!". Geez.

I can think of one benefit to a bandh. It has to be good for the environment to have all the vehicles off of the road for a day. The quiet roads with only walkers, bycyclists and rickshaw drivers are actually nice - as long as you really don't need to get anywhere. I have to get a before and after photo of this at some point.

Punchy incoherent tired ... but I've been meaning to put this down for over a week so thought I should seize the moment.

Peace. L