Bandhs: A New and Improved Formula

[b-awN-dh] adj.;
Bandh, also a Nepali word meaning 'closed', is a form of protest. While often means the closing down of markets of a city for the day, there have been instances of the entire nation coming to a standstill.
From www.nepalbandh.com
by Shraman and Saral.
[shraman]There was a time when people were people, bygons were bygons and bandhs were bandhs. If one wanted to elongate study leaves and project deadlines, bandhs were the answer. When was the last time you stayed home, relaxed and watched a whole innings of test match cricket? And before you know it, those leisurely times are long gone (sadly).

If history serves me correctly, it was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who started this method of protesting 'non-violently'. The old man inspired and captured the hearts of millions of people worldwide: even the great John Lennon wore the same spectacles that Gandhi wore. The protesters in Nepal needed a tool to fight with and Gandhi gave it to them by his means of 'non-violent' protest.

But if all I've said is nearly true then why the hell is everyone doing nothing? Nepal is going down a deeper and darker path than before. The country that I so dearly love is being run by dish washers and porters! This humble and honest writer isn't blindly being discriminant. But any sane person would agree with me when I say that the keys to the country should be held by people who are at least well educated, don't you think so? With that said and done, the fact still remains that www.nepalbandh.com 's visiting rate has plummeted drastically. (You must be thinking, what? Is there a website like that? Oh, yes there is. And its updated daily.)

This crap ain't cool. [saral] Especially if you have that hot date (not the same people like here, they have a different problem) and now, the date is bandhed! Not exactly the right grammar but it makes the point. So, why even after the horrid torture and the 'wooga booga', adverse effects, of bandhs, do we need them today?

The answer is simple, we need to keep ourselves warm in the winter, and burning tires does it best...Nope, that's not it. At least not entirely. The correct answer would be fuel; Yes, petrol, diesel, petrol + kerosene, and every expensive 'accessory' that goes into our vehicles. A change it vital my fellow brothers and sisters, we need to change our life styles. No more, racing that jaguar..car..., or going for long rides to the countryside. Save fuel save money, environment...

So, where does Bandhs come in all this mayhem, well let me do some maths;-

Nepal needs 126000 kiloliters, yes kiloliters, of petroleum products in a month! And the demand is rising.

So everyday, the demand in the market is 126000/30 = 4200 kilo liters everyday.

One day of bandh, we save 4200000 liters, 2 days 8400000 liters, 4 days of bandh? You do the math.

So bandh's not all, grumble grumble, uff uff, folks, a few here and there does help. Plus, think how we will be contributing to stop global warming...! Its a small effort but it is an effort.

Like always, you don't need to have the same views as I do, after all we are all different creatures. Now if we all had the same thoughts, the world would be peaceful, wouldn't it?

Repost

Dire-Hoea-ya; its not Hereditary

Picture:- Kenny from South park; A comedy series centered around 4 eight-year old boys - Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflovski, Stan Marsh and Kenny McCormick - the show is known for its pop-culture parodies, satirical interpretation of current affairs and rude humor.

I was born with a defect. Whenever I have a combo of Mo-mos (dumplings) + Coke + Ice Cream, hell breaks 'loose'. Now, now this is not something disgusting...no no, but its important; This rare...no, widespread condition I have often is the primary cause of infant mortality in the developing world.

Its amazing how this condition immobilizes you, well, sort of; at instances you'll be running and the worst part is that; its reoccurring. And this diseases is not hereditary. Well, unless it runs through your jeans. (Think)

But it should not be taken lightly. If not treated, as in excessive intake of 'Jiwan Jal' (oral re-hydration salt; guess where I learned it from), it could be fatal and can take your life. And the treatment is simple too; unless you have 'The' Dire-hoea-ya and all you can do is fly frequently, you might need a doctor.

Causes of diarrhea;-
1) A little something called micro-organisms. These tiny suckers have enough destructive power to bring down a elephant. Trust me they are absolute bombs.
2) Allergies to food. Often termed as IBS or irritable bowl syndrome. Think spicy Indian food.
3) Alcohol. Oh yes, excessive intake of alcohol can lead to diarrhea. Mind trying?
4) Various other causes, depending on the circumstances.

Prevention/Cure;-
Simple hand washing before eating and after poo-poo can prevent 60% of the infections. Thats right 60. Don't ask me about which soap is the best, Detol or Lux; just frigging wash your hands.
Don't drink alcohol.

The cure is basically making up the lost fluids by drinking water and keeping the body hydrated. The oral re-hydration salts have minerals and can keep your energy up.
In severe cases, or if you have that meeting, damn; Loperamide (Imodium) and Bismuth Subsalicylate (aka Metanidazol and Tinidazol) can hold it up.
Natural cures can include black tea and curd. Avoid fatty and creamy products.

Frequent Flying sucks.

Wedding Season's Over; Hangovers Remain

Photo: blog.com.np

What? Wedding, now? I know I'm a bit slow; now that the season for couples saying 'I do' or just the plain old Nepali style of waking up the whole neighborhood with the band playing off tune Indian chum chum is, for now, gone. But some sneaky folks do manage to somehow squeeze in a few here and there. Word of advice, stick to the season.

Weddings are big headache for the people living in cities like Kathmandu, not the wedding planner, no no, but the poor neighbor who gets left out (me) and has to bear the worst combo of Jazz and Cheer-leading 'instruments', not music, all night long, at full volume; no ear plug can stop it. Or even the pedestrian walking on the road or any Honda XR rider; I mean, ramps and barrels are easy-peasy but getting through hoards of wedding goers, band clad in "Bright Red" clothing playing 'don't know what music' and vehicles decorated with 50 different types of flowers, is a tough business.

But, wait, if you do plan to attend one, forget all the things I've said above. Opportunity lies ahead, girls and boys alike. Because you might just get lucky, i.e if you are single and need that special one or even if you already have that special one, you can just play around, can't you? Up to you, totally. Single or not, I'll tell you how.

Weddings have that engrossing vibe to it; of people coming together, getting paired up, and something else I rather not discuss. If you need an expert's advice and happen to ask me the best place to meet women...? I would say weddings. No question.

So why this aroma? Well, imagine this, you are attending a function where two people are getting together, your mind immediately takes in that information, your eyes sees the couple - sends in more information, your body produces chemicals that rush to your brain, Potential Energy (P.E) changes to Kinetic Energy (K.E) and the next thing you want to say is "I love you". Its like Physics class; the moment you step in, you begin to yawn. Err...maybe not so perfect example. But you get the point.

More, weddings are not just about "Jack and Jill sitting on a tree/ KISSING/ First comes love/then come Marriage/..." its also about families getting together, new relationships. <- This is what we are talking about folks. Meeting new people, girls to meet boys and boys to meet girls. This combined with the vibe talked about earlier, makes it perfect for hunting.

So, next time you are out there, all by your own, pick up your rifle, aim and shoot. Or if you are ambitious, just blow away a few with a shotgun. How does that sound?

Sea of Garbage II: The Return of the Garbage Monster

Garbage is back. The streets of Kathmandu are again clogging up with solid waste to form reservoirs and lakes.

Disputed between the Locals residents and the authorities over the garbage disposal at Okharpauwa Landfill site, Nuawakot district has 're-erupted' due to which garbage disposal hasn't been possible.

It has been 13 days since the Metropolitan garbage disposal team hasn't been able to ferry the 350 tonne or so garbage that gets dumped in the streets of Kathmandu every day.

The only respite we can take in this chaos is that the chances of a disease outbreak is lower than in
June-July 2008 (click here) due to the cold weather.

For now, try and reduce your garbage production. Avoid plastics, re-use polythene bags, and eat less junk food.

Photos: Left- Jamal,
Right - Bir Hospital

Load-shedding Solution 1:- Filament vs. CFL Bulbs

A quick comparison between traditional Incandescent (Filament) Bulbs and the energy efficient Compact Florescent Lamp (CFL) Bulbs.

Incandescent (Filament) Bulbs
Average Life Span: - 1,200 Hours
Average Cost:- Rs. 50
Energy Used:- 60 Watt
Brightness:- Decent (Depends on Watts)

CFL Bulbs
Average Life Span:- 8,000 Hours
Average Cost:- Rs. 250
Energy Used:- 13-15 Watt
Brightness:- 5 times more Brighter than Filament Bulbs

Result:-
Incandescent:- 1
CFL: - 3

We can clearly see the benefits of using energy saving CFL bulbs instead of filament lamps or even tube lights (average energy consumption of tube lights is 40 Watts).

If the government is to distribute 5 million CFL bulbs by providing discounts or exchange offers, we can reduce the energy demand of Nepal by 200MW.

Currently the electricity demand stands at 804MW while the production is only 324MW and with 16hours/day power cuts, I think its high time 'we' start doing something rather than waiting for the government and putting all the blame on people other than ourselves.

CFL FTW!

A State 'in' Emergency

"Time is running out...!

Soon everything will shut down...!

Quick!!

Dudh!

Beep..........Beep...........Beep.......! Dudh.

That is the story of many Nepalese sitting in front of a computer."

Its imminent that every winter we are faced with a grave problem - Load shedding, a term that has been synonymous to the Nepali life. Its amazing, just when I had planned to write and article for my ever so forgotten blog, the power cut went from 7 hours a day to 10 hours to 12 hours per day. I'm not even sure if I'll have power till I finish this article. Oh, why couldn't computers work on candle light!

Its shameful, the second most richest country in the world in water resources, a vast hydro power potential, still untapped, underutilized. Its true that we have the generation potential to light every tree in Nepal with a light bulb (considering a decent amount of deforestation, there is surplus) but now its almost a matter of joke.

Load-shedding (I 'Googled' it up, most results pointed to Nepal) has never been so severe and no one thought it would be. But with 12hours/day and talks of 18hours/day in February, the picture never was bleaker.

The government is preparing to declare a state of emergency. Which we all know means that the government can do anything.

So, beside all the grumbling and failed attempts to generate enough static electricity to light a bulb, we have been forced to investigate. Who is to blame for the crisis?

There are various factors contributing to the power crisis - political, economic, environmental and social.

Undoubtedly, we can trace this problem back to the previous inept, corrupt Governments, the 10 year Maoist insurgency and improper planning and forecasting. Now the finance minister's talk about 10,000 MW of electricity by a decade is a matter of humor. Its frustrating and sad that still the ministers and party leaders are stuck in a fight for power and government posts rather than focusing on the power crisis. They have come up with contingency plans to tackle the crisis, but they are expensive or rather stupid. So called 'thermal' plants are nothing but diesel plants with generate electricity at 4 times the normal expense. Something tells me that this 'thermal plants' are nothing but ways to make a few people richer. Rather than looking for stupid alternative, the government should engage on repairing the broken transmission lines from India or should introduce an extensive CFL energy saving bulb distribution. We can alleviate the crisis in few months.

However, the government is not all to blame for this crisis. Its just hasn't rained this winter. The water level at Khulekhani Hydro-power Dam (which was actually built for emergencies only) stands dangerously low at 24 meters. If it doesn't rain enough, soon the dam will dry up.

Also, we are also to blame for some of this. We just don't turn off that light bulb or use heaters when one extra layer of clothes is enough. If all of us are aware of this we might as well reduce an hour of power outage per day. (*turns off the music*)

Things look bleak.

It is estimated that Nepal will loose Rs 45 billion or $700 million due to the power crisis. The hardest hit - Industries, hotels, cyber-cafes and just about every business.

Even so, the people on top don't seem to be worried enough. Why would they be? They don't go through bloody power cuts! That's right, areas around the PM's residence, the President's residence and the VP's residence don't experience power cuts! @#)$))$%

Lets leave the emotions aside and think about what we can do.

The answer seems obvious: use less electricity, turn off that unnecessary light bulb, T.V, micro-wave and every modern amenities of the 21st century. Better, sell them on www.hamrobazar.com.

Think of solar power/inverter. A new problem has risen now, most of the houses are fitted with emergency back ups or inverters, and because of this, the little electricity that we have left goes to charging these inverters, hence, further increasing the consumption. Solar inverters can be expensive but 18hours/day load-shedding should demand them...any time now.

For now, you can join the Load-shedding Survival/Support Group in facebook. :)

Hold on tight. Its just another 5 years.

5. Sōjirō: Reminiscence From the Past: Final Chapter

Sōjirō’s Freedom

It had been one whole week since Mr. Shishio had left the temporary shelter of the storeroom. All Sōjirō cared about was the Wakabashi hidden under the storeroom. Even the rigorous labor he endured every day seemed insignificant: Mr. Shishio’s last words echoed in his head with every step he took towards the field.

“The strong will live and the weak will die” he had said.

“Ha! That wasn’t completely true” he thought. “Hehe. Look at me, I am weak but I’m still alive, although eating only a couple of rice balls a day…sigh!”

Grumble grumble.

Sōjirō hadn’t eaten anything since waking up. His hands had become numb thanks to those heavy rice barrels which were almost as big as him. Both palms had cuts all over, the pain coming in excruciating pulses.

Thump thump thump.

“Oh, ouch, that does hurt doesn’t it now?”

Finally Sōjirō put down his rice barrel down next to the well and started heaving a bucket of water. The moment he plunged his hands into the bucket, he felt a hot searing pain go through them. His vision became blurry, throbbing back and forth. Amazingly the pain faded away with every throb until all he could feel was the cold comfort of the water.

“Was this it?” he wondered “Am I going to work like a mule for the rest of my life?”

As he watched his blood melt into the water, he couldn’t help but think about his long lost parents. They had left him small, weak and helpless. But he didn’t hate them, just wished they were still alive. Wondering what a warm hug from his mother would feel like, he got up, wiping his eyes.

“It was almost dinner time” said a small voice in his head. But the grim weather hammered what little spirits that had lifted in him. It was going to rain heavily tonight and he would again have to sleep on wet hay.

But even the wrath of the gods couldn’t wipe the everlasting smile on Sōjirō’s face.

“Who knows I might not have to work tomorrow! Hehe.”

The dark clouds thundered angrily; Each booming explosion seems to be aimed at Kyoto. Long forks of lightening stretched murderously close to the houses and its inhabitants. It was going to be a long and deadly night.

As Sōjirō staggered towards the house and to his delicious rice balls, he heard familiar loud voices. Apparently his step-family was quarreling again, probably over who would have the last bottle of sake. But as he drew closer to the scene he realized it wasn’t about sake.

“THAT LITTLE GOOD FOR NOTHING RUNT! I’ll KILL TH….! Well well, look who decided to show up. Mother, this scum bag has been hiding that fugitive! I know it! My samurai spirit can see right through him!”

“But...but...I...I didn’t…couldn't…”

Sōjirō’s stammering just made his deranged step brothers and sister more confident.

“SHUT UP! If people find out someone from our house was hiding that fugitive scum then we’ll be outcasts! I say we waste this good for nothing runt and get over with it! KILL HIM!”

The final two words triggered Sōjirō’s reflexes and he frantically scampered towards the storehouse. He flung himself on the ground and started crawling inside the small gap between the house and the ground. Panic washed over him like icy water. The smell of mud and grass was overwhelming as was the sticky sweat on his face. He could hear his heart beating a life’s worth of beats. His front side was smothered with muck and mud.

Was this it? Was poor Sōjirō going to be killed like a dog? Running, crying for someone to help him? Was Mr. Shishio just a - …

MR. SHISHIO… THE WAKABASHI…

“Remember Sōjirō; There is only one truth in life. The strong will live and the weak will die”

The strong will live and the weak will die

The strong will live and the weak will die

“I am not weak…”

“I AM NOT WEAK!”

The sudden revelation was like taking an elixir. It gave Sōjirō a new hope, made him stronger, maybe even strong enough to use the Wakabashi that was a feet away from him.

“Takashi! Get under there and pull the runt out. NOW!” the eldest brother was leading the murder party. The rest of the family were behind him, some wearing evil smiles and others just beaming with arrogance.

The youngest of the brothers slowly got down as he was told and entered the gap, brandishing a dagger.

“HAHAHA! TAKASHI Don’t you dare kill the little vermin! Just cut off his pinky finger and bring him here to me! I’ll squash him like a bug! Takashi! Do you hear me? TAKASHI!”

“MOTHER -! AAAAAARGG!”

A familiar bloody scream filled the already grumbling night. A scream so terrifying, it wiped the smirks off everyone’s face. The oldest brother’s expression changed with lightning speed: traces of fear were etched across his rugged face. How could it be…that pest…

“Brother… b-brother! Help me… I…I”

The rest of his words were cut off by the tip of the Wakabashi thrust through his throat. The youngest brother had only managed to drag half of himself out of the gap. Like water splashing out of a hose, his neck was squirting blood all over muddy ground. His mouth was gaping like a fish gasping for air. And as big brother stood there, petrified, he saw the life diminish from the wide horrified eyes of his youngest sibling.

The Wakabashi was pulled slowly out of the man’s neck, however, his head dropped with a sickening thud. The remaining three brothers drew their swords hastily and retreated to a safe distance. Suddenly, the little vermin they were so eager to get rid off sent cold shivers down their bodies. As their swords rattled in their trembling hands a small dark figure slowly stood up. He had a sword with him, blood dripping from its blade.

“Boy! W-where did u get that s-sword?” It was their turn to stammer.

Sōjirō stood silently in the dark as the clouds thundered murderously. The grounds were lit up momentarily by a brilliant fork of lighting. The shiny blade of the Wakabashi gleamed ominously.

“CH-CHARGE!”

Shrieks followed by swift slashes of a sword filled the stormy night.

Another dazzling fork of lightning lit the grounds momentarily.

A single figure stood. The grounds were littered with bodies with and without swords by their side. The small hazy figure of Sōjirō stood in the darkness simply staring at the bodies.
The clouds could not hold on anymore. The grounds were soon showered with the long awaited rain.

The rain slowly washed away blood from the Wakabashi that Sōjirō was holding. He could not move. He wanted to scream but no words left his tiny mouth. The cold rain seemed to ease his pain. The rain felt so cool, refreshing, uncontaminated. As he looked up towards the sky the rain drops seemed to wash away a part of his sin. His eyes were soon raw and his face numb with cold. But he didn’t mind.

‘It’s over’, he thought. He was alive. He had survived.

And at that moment he truly, deeply understood Makoto Shishio’s words

The strong will live and the weak will die

He had been strong. He was alive.

After killing his step-family Sōjirō goes to Makoto Shishio. Shishio accepts him as his disciple and in the next ten years, he trains Sōjirō and bestows upon him the fiercest principles of swordsmanship. Sōjirō never shows a single emotion apart from his radiant smile even when he killed. In ten years time, he establishes himself as one of the top if not the best swordsmen in the whole of Japan. His speed and technique would become legendary.

His life takes an unexpected turn after his duel with Kenshin Himoura (previously known as the Battousai). Even though he overwhelms Kenshin by sheer speed, dodging one of his fastest attacks (the Kusoryusen) and injures him, he is still defeated by Kenshin’s ultimate attack (Amakakeru yū no Hirameki). His defeat makes him realize that Makoto Shishio had been wrong all those years ago and that life was not about being the strongest.

Kenshin bestows upon him a new and true belief.

The will to live is stronger than anything.

He had survived that stormy night in the farmhouse ten years ago not because he was stronger than any of his step-brothers and sisters but because he wanted to live, to survive.

And from that day onwards Sōjirō lays down his sword, which he had once picked up to defend himself by killing every member of his step-family. He becomes a wanderer (like Kenshin) and never picks up a sword again.

The End

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