Foreign aid in nepal

I used to wonder how foreign aid starts to proliferate in Nepal. Well Nepal received aid for the first time from US in 1950s, when China invaded Tibet - a gesture to ensure that communism didn't penetrate Nepal. Similarly India also started development programs in Nepal - building Tribhuvan highway and Tribhuvan International Airport - to make Nepal more and more dependent on them. See everyone has a motive - "money for nothing" doesn't apply in this practical world.

It's been more than 50 years and still aid is coming. People argue that aid is an attempt to influence the receiver - us in our case. Maybe a bit of truth. There's also an argument that foreign aid is creating jobs for the donor countries. More than 60% of total aid is taken back by themselves in the form of salary, travel and god knows what else. And yes there will also be local employees and another 20% goes to them. Now the remaining less than 20% goes to the actual development work. This may not be true in all the cases. People again justify that something is better than nothing - atleast 20% goes to development work. They are also right.

There's also a lot of debates on "Whether foreign aid is doing more harm than good in Africa". They are saying that they need capital and investments, not foreign aid.

I wonder if there's going to be any similar debate in Nepal where foreign aid fills large percentage of annual budget. I hardly see any.

big blunder from the leading bank: US$ at whopping Rs. 95.35 selling price

"We started banking in Nepal...
still we are leading way"

The slogan at the banner of Nepal Bank Ltd's website is very inspiring, despite the fact that foreign management team of ICC are looking after the bank's management for the past 5 years and God knows at what cost. Now ICC team is withdrawing.

Another interesting happening at the website is the exchange rate of US$ at Rs. 64.35 buying price and whopping Rs. 95.35 selling price. I did not recreate the image below but just took screenshot of the exchange rate page.

I hope the rate is amended by the time you look there. Who's to blame here? The leaving ICC management team or just ignorance from the web people or we take it as a typo or we look 9 upside-down. Big blunder from the so-called banking leaders, starters or whatever...

Mind game with time

Since starting 4 weeks course on Immersion course at Social Science Baha last week, I thought that I wouldn't get time to update my blogs; guess what? I was right. My mind was filled with the no-time trivia. But today I told myself that I would write no matter what and I managed time. Mind game is very interesting to play. Try with yours too but positively; it's not to be messed with.

maoists have become a joke

Everyday I skimmed through online news to find atleast one ridiculous news on maoists. Some of my past posts on them -
How do we define terrorists?
'Crime against Humanity': Are there still humans?
Can I also get nominated for the ambassador?

And another joke of the day: Include YCL in polls security plan: Prachanda - security plan for CA election. Huh!! If that is allowed, then all the parties will also ask for their student league or newly formed league for the security purpose. I wonder if Prachanda means security of their win in CA election.

"[...]The Maoist supremo also claimed that the former US president Jimmy Carter had given a written suggestion to them that the elections was not possible without the coordination between the YCL and the Police administration.[..]"

I am sure coordination doesn't mean including YCL in the security plan, even if Carter had said or written that. Com'on Prachanda, YCL threw stones at US Ambassador's vehicle.

I have no doubt that they did spend their 10 years in the jungle.

How do we define terrorists?

There's a funny opinion from the maoist leader.

"The government should not hold dialogue with parties that want to split the country. They should be termed terrorists and strong action taken against them"

Terai extremists are terrorists: Maoist leader

Terrorists = those who want to split the country

Didn't he mean that?

According to Wikipedia, terroists or terrorism has the following key criteria

• Violence
• Psychological impact and fear
• Perpetrated for a Political Goal
• Unlawfulness or illegitimacy

Following that criteria, can somebody tell me why maoists shouldn't be put in that category? Or else we redefine the terrorist and terrorism, in Nepal's context. Why do people give their opinions without even going through the dictionary? Maybe they were never taught to.

Being sick is sick...

Just got ok from flu. The last three days were passed almost entirely in bed. On Friday, the fever day, I was sleeping entire day except for 4 hours and food-breaks in between. Wow! I never knew I could sleep that long. But got bad back-ache the next day when fever worn out. Man... being sick is sick.

I found this interesting uses of food items (ginger, garlic, onion, honey...) normally would-be-present in kitchen, that would have saved my time from getting bedridden, had I found it before. Nevertheless, its worth a look.
You can be a doctor in your kitchen

No water, no electricity, no fuel and now no banknotes

No water and no electricity has been with us for quite a sometime and has become an integral part of day-to-day lives. We don't talk about water and electricity scarcity any more. Then came another blow - no fuels. Man! that was harsh - I was in a queue for 3 hours to get 3 litres of petrol, under the scorching sun. It's been months since fuel crisis - even government said that scarcity will be over in 2 days almost 4 days back. But still the same.

Banknotes likely to be in short supply after Dashain

Now another crisis is about to be revealed. No more notes. Now people would be queuing up in completely different line to convert their cheques into notes. How's that?

Can money buy money? Cheque is a kind of money. If your cheque is worth Rs. 10000, then black market will pay you Rs. 9000 for your cheque. You have no choice. You can't buy food with cheques.

I am wondering about ATM. Will I have to stay in queue for hours to get money? Here's my money strategy. I am going to cash in all my money from the bank and keep stock at home just like fuels, but with less risk of having my house burned unlike insecure fuels stock at home.

Is there going to be any quota for debit card just like fuels (everyone will get petrol worth Rs 200)? You can't withdraw more than Rs.1000. I can't wait that day. I am sure Nepal is going to put its name in Guinness World Records as the "The Country of extreme quotas".

MS Windows match-boxes... what??

Would you believe if I say Microsoft started a new product - the Windows match boxes. I wouldn't myself but Microsoft Nepal has done that. I wonder when Microsoft established it's office here at Nepal but it sure is a wonder to see Microsoft Windows match boxes in a small restaurant in Kathmandu. Don't believe me - take a look.

Back of Windows matchbox

Front side of Windows matchbox

I don't understand why would people do that? Don't they know that the giant would sue them, causing them billions of rupees, on copyright issues? I doubt that they ever informed Microsoft.

My version of what would happen if Microsoft sees it's new product in the market without it's knowledge let alone approval.

Microsoft would come to Nepal and first see me (they have to - who's going to take them to that shop). Then they would ask for the matchbox - I wonder if the match sticks would still be present in that particular box; chances are they would have another box. Unfortunately there is no mention of where, when and by whom it was manufactured in the box - well I had checked that. It ain't gonna make any difference to the giant Microsoft - they would develop a program,which would allow them to enter ..... ok i am digressing. Let's come to an end ... Finally they would be able to catch the local manufacturer, who couldn't even hire a designer to make a logo let alone billions. The giant's dream would shatter :( but with a new hope that now their reach and name will span to the rural people also - unfortunately not as a OS. Rural people would sure laugh when they would see Windows logo in a computer, "he he... we used them to burn."

ICT opportunites in Nepal

Today my cousin brother, who runs a lucrative jewellery business, asked me about the accounting software, internet presence, how to start a website, online business. I was happy to answer him. A year ago, I remember asking him whether he would like to have a website of his own with some of jewelleries designs, people might contact him through the website and it's high time to start before anyone does. He disapproved the idea saying it's not time yet - maybe hasn't understood the power of internet. Now he came across few people who started websites, got jewellery orders from there; and he got interested in having his online identity - that's business mind.

The power of ICT is yet to be realized in Nepal. Who says there are not opportunities in Nepal?

King's Bday: why so much news?

Our-still King's birthday made lots of news this week - it has to, afterall he is still king. Unfortunately the news are not welcoming. See some of the news made to the headlines...

Palace requests additional security for king’s birthday celebrations

Attending king’s birthday will not be useful: Moriarty

Attending king's b'day bash an individual choice: RPP, RJP

King's birthday proceeds amid protests

Monarchists not to change their party plan [to gather and go to the palace to greet the King]

Another interesting news covered in front page of most daily newspapers last week was rejection of the King's invitation by the various ambassadors including Moriarty of US. That was ok so far, but now another news, quoted Dr. Durga Pokharel, says "Nobody has sent invitations to them".

Does that mean that the shrewd ambassadors were rejecting the invitations they never received?

Is that they gave their rejection views considering the fact that they would be invited? Or is that they gave their rejection views out of anger because they were not invited? Or is that the King thought these foreigners are of no use to him at all as he has to do everything by himself? Or is that the King wants to cut off some extra expenses? ........ I wish government formed a committee to solve this issue. We have rights to right information.

'Crime against Humanity': Are there still humans?

The literal meaning of human is
1. of or characteristic of man
2. having or showing the better qualities of man; kind; good;

"Humane", the adjective form of human means having or showing sympathy, kindness, and understanding.

The maoists filed a case against the army officials saying they did the 'Crime against Humanity' to their cadres and that army officials should be punished. Ofcourse they should be, no body is allowed to behave unhumanely to other humans. How of us agree that the moaists are human? Take a second look at the meaning again. Maoist victims have given and will give barbaric account of moaists so called humanity. And still citizens are being victimized now.

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2007/jul/jul03/news11.php

We have lost the value of humanity. The greed for money, power, fame has made us uncivilized, selfish animals. 'Humanity', 'Human rights' don't make any sense in this 21st century unless everyone understands and abides by the meaning of humane.

Those who are ranting 'Crime against Humanity' are doing the same, those who are advocating 'Human rights' are not aware of human rights violence in their home and their neighbourhoods. Don't you think that everything is revolving around money, power and fame? Take a look around the world. And do you still think that we are humans?

SLC results out but ekantipur not working

The SLC results were out at 11:40 at night. I got a call from my cousin sister to help her look up her number in the "Ekantipur" website. I have been awake since half an hour, trying to figure out how to see the results; it's already 1:15AM now. These people have already setup their google adsense in the SLC results page but the results were yet to be displayed. I can't click "find" button. Fortunately "Enter" key works, but again search leads me to nowhere - same page without any results. Com'on kantipur guys - you should have been prepared before. At one point, I even got mysql error. I wonder if they are prepared to get a huge spike in their server.

Should we? Yes! Will we? Not sure!

Just imagine this ...
A woman, left by her husband, works from 6 in the morning then walks for more than an hour to reach her second work-place and then walks back to her rented room, with her two daughters to feed. The same woman fasts twice a week. She faints one day and is taken to her room by her colleagues. The next day, she is diagnosed with jaundice. She still insists on working....

This is not a story but rather life of a cleaner at Tribhuvan International Airport. My mom, who is in-charge of the cleaning project of airport, but also an employee, had to hear such disheartening stories every now and then. Just comparing our day-to-day lives with theirs, we are in heaven - all of you who are reading this blog. Computer/internet is a luxury though we say we can't do anything without computers/internet. The world has become mean - in the road to development, billions of people are neglected and left behind on their own. I asked mom to give her a thousand rupee, from her own pocket, and ask her to take leaves for another two weeks. Jaundice can get very complicated and may even take life if neglected.

The same story may be lived by lots of people all around the world - mostly concentrated in developing countries. Most of us may never come across such stories - I wouldn't myself if my mom didn't tell me. Can we do anything to help them? I hear you saying "Yes we can (if not all) and we should." But will we? I don't know. It's hard because we all have our own problems - and sorting out problems of others, whom we don't know at all - is definitely to be pondered over.

Though our individual effort may not bring drastic change in this selfish world but it definitely helps those who are being helped.

I remember a nice story of a small boy, who is throwing the starfishes to the sea one by one, from the beach where these starfishes are being washed away due to tide. The grown-up person, seeing the futile effort of that boy, approaches him and says, "There are thousands of starfishes here, you are not going to make any difference." The boy picks up a starfish and says "I know, but I made a difference to this one", and throws it back to the sea.

How do people fantasize others garbage?

Can you imagine paying $305 for a used toothpaste, trashed coke can for $51? Some crazy people did that. I forgot to mention that those trash belonged to Paris Hilton.

yahoo news

What are you going to do with someone elses used toothbrush? Yucks! I can't see any use except throw it back to the trash.

Can I also get nominated for the ambassador?

Once I used to hear that to be an ambassador is not an easy job, you need to be qualifed in every way, afterall you will be representing your country. But it doesn't sound that difficult these days. There are 14 vacant ambassadorial posts that haven't been filled for over a year.

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2007/jun/jun28/news14.php

Why is this? It's not because of the lack of qualified people - every political party has tremendously qualified people and they can't reach consensus on who is the most qualified. The most qualified people involved party, the Moaists, are very difficult to convince, they are so qualified that they don't understand anybody else, besides them, can do the job properly. Indeed they have lots of experience - I mean in jungle - and they are demanding the 'A' category nations like India, Russia, US and China. Do they think that it's like hide and seek game? Infact it's nothing like that - but they are built to be rebellious - "Always be negative - no matter how good the result is". Offer them the ambassadorial post in 'A' category nations, I bet they would say "Nah! we won't take, we know why you are giving those nations to us." Afterall they are rebelliously qualified.

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2007/jul/jul02/news12.php

Fuel crisis: who cares?

It's been months since we are facing fuel crisis. And today not a single petrol pump was opened. It's pity to see people queuing up for the fuel outside the closed, fensed bar of the secured pump station. There was even scuffle for a moment by the agitated people, queuing for a line. Who wouldn't? Waiting under
scorching sun - just to find out that there's no more fuel. That's not a new problem. If people get angry, charge on them. If the same thing had happened in King's regime, that would have been suppression; then, no more king, Nepal should be declared republic, the great Prachanda, the president - that scum-bag is somewhere in Switzerland.

I am sure the officials of police, army, government, diplomates have their high fuel quotas, no matter what's happening to the rest of the country. Afterall citizens have never been in their list of agendas. They are just scapegoats - we will do this and that - when it comes to actual problem, not a single so-called leader spoke on this issue and said that this problem should be solved ASAP.

Another funny thing is there's not any coverage in any news site, except that of the small scuffle. It's not news anymore - afterall media needs new stuffs - who will pay to read the stale,stinky news. Let people die, then news comes, let some petrol pump gets burned, then media will cover.

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2007/jul/jul02/news07.php

It's the same old reason "The Indian Oil Corporation has decreased the supply of POL asking the Nepal Oil Corporation to pay the dues."

Why isn't this solved even after months of crisis?

The fate of my internet existence

My internet existence may be known to even hardly 10 people, besides those who already know me personally. I have blogs, have couple of email accounts, have profiles in several social networking sites like hi5, linkedin. Not much of an existence compared to those already established in the internet world. I am just another so and so. If I stop blogging, neglect hi5 comments, requests from friends, stopped checking my gmails, will there be anyone who will query about my status - what happened to me, whether I got lost in the jungle, whether I exist. I doubt that. There are people dying every day and so - of all ages. They sure may have their own existence in the internet. Now what, nobody cares.

Is my blog going to exist 50 years from now? How would I feel when I go through my posts then? I would be laughing at myself. Wow! Sounds pretty exciting!!

Prachanda and Baburam on trip

Prachanda is sure going to enjoy his first trip to Switzerland, not to forget, it's his first trip to Europe. He must be elated and excited to enjoy his holidays there. You know the reasons for his trip. Yeah.. it's about discussing the peace process, constituent assembly, feudalism and so on. Isn't that exciting? Is Prachanda going to obey the outcomes of the discussion, "Prachanda, give up your YCL wings, shake hands with Girisha, don't do any more bandhs, and ...". Prachanda would then come back to Nepal and do whatever the Swiss guys told him. I can't even imagine this in dreams. Then why on world is he going? Oh... it must be a free ticket and we must be paying for his trip, unknowingly and he must have been bored with everyday talkings of the same ol' things. Is there any mention of his comrades accompanying him? I doubt him going alone, and he doesn't have to worry about money. That's life. After all, his years of staying underground has paid off.

http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2007/jun/jun30/news14.php

Baburam is expected to join him. Don't laugh, he is in Norway for conflict resolution conference.
Damn! I should also start getting underground, who knows one day it gets paid off.

According to Prachanda, his visit will be helpful in developing international relations of the Moaists. And what about the national relations? Don't worry, let your guns do the job.

"Once in a blue moon" was here

Blue moon caught my eyes when skimming through the news at the Himalayantimes online. 31st June was the blue moon day and it is watched and loved by the lovers and is taken as a herald of good time - that was really new for me!

I was wondering if the blue moon was really blue. If it were then there would certainly have been lots of talkings. To my amazement, i didn't hear anything. Searching for blue moon reveals some interesting details and why there's a saying "Once in a blue moon". If there's an extra full moon besides 3, in any quarter of a year, then that extra one is considered the blue moon. That's all and is a part of solar system phenomenon.