...sing to yourself the Monty Python song "Always look on the bright side of life."
This is the festival season in Nepal (See this previous post to learn more). Think of the time between Thanksgiving and New Years in the West. The next festival is Tihar, the festival of lights.
However, we are in the same fuel crisis that started in the third week of September.
Linda and I are fine. But it did get more personal today. Our housekeeper, Indira, has been showing up and doing her job each day at the house. Besides the cleaning, washing and ironing, Indira takes care of us. She pays our local bills, commandeers water trucks when needed, and makes sure all of the delivery people are paid, and happy. She usually takes a bus, but the bus service is not available. Her next method for getting here is on the back of her son's motorcycle. He is out of gas. So she walks. She walks one hour each way to our house.
Indira's story is repeated in a thousand households in this city. Indira takes the hardship as Nepalis do, "I will get thin with exercise!"
Note to Readers: At this time it is OK to sing to yourself the Monty Python song "Always look on the bright side of life." Maybe it will make you a little more Nepali.
September 27th was the last time private cars and motorcycles could get fuel. Today the pumps open up again for three days. There is a schedule of when you can go, based on our license plate.
There is a cascade of bad headlines that seem to be the new normal such as: Business closed and hotels running at less than 20% capacity. The irony is that it is a great time to visit Nepal. Because travel to Nepal is not just about temples and mountains, it is about the Nepali people.
Next week is the celebration of Tihar. It is a festival of lights in which small oil cups burn inside and outside of houses. We had an early celebration at work, honoring all of our staff during this difficult time. One of the local staff said to the assembled group a simple sentence that both humbled me, and brought a tear to my eye:
However, we are in the same fuel crisis that started in the third week of September.
Linda and I are fine. But it did get more personal today. Our housekeeper, Indira, has been showing up and doing her job each day at the house. Besides the cleaning, washing and ironing, Indira takes care of us. She pays our local bills, commandeers water trucks when needed, and makes sure all of the delivery people are paid, and happy. She usually takes a bus, but the bus service is not available. Her next method for getting here is on the back of her son's motorcycle. He is out of gas. So she walks. She walks one hour each way to our house.
Indira's story is repeated in a thousand households in this city. Indira takes the hardship as Nepalis do, "I will get thin with exercise!"
Note to Readers: At this time it is OK to sing to yourself the Monty Python song "Always look on the bright side of life." Maybe it will make you a little more Nepali.
September 27th was the last time private cars and motorcycles could get fuel. Today the pumps open up again for three days. There is a schedule of when you can go, based on our license plate.
 |
| NOC=Nepal Oil Corporation |
Next week is the celebration of Tihar. It is a festival of lights in which small oil cups burn inside and outside of houses. We had an early celebration at work, honoring all of our staff during this difficult time. One of the local staff said to the assembled group a simple sentence that both humbled me, and brought a tear to my eye:
"We can not illuminate our houses but we can illuminate our hearts"
Are you still singing the song?
COMMENTS