There are some good photos on the BBc this morning about the protests in and around Kathmandu. Here is the link to the photos:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4896848.stm
It looks quite bad and in parts it is. It is okay for me. There is not much going on in the sections of the city where I am. Apparently there was some people burning tires in protest outside the offce but other than that, not much.
I rode my bike from my co-worker's today and it felt good to be on the bike again. It was madness out there. So many people running around making purchases and heading various places. It wasn't until I arrived at the office that I found out that another curfew had been issued for noon. I arrived at 11:15 so there were no problems but I had no idea that a call had been issued at all. (Blissfully unaware!)
We will all be stuck in the office until the curfew is lifted at 5:00 pm. Then there will be a few hours break before it takes over again. This pattern is exhausting and frustrating. You don't feel you can accomplish what you need to do during the day, and at night just the idea of being locked in your house, is mentally straining.
A couple of UN people that we know have emailed us to let us know that the political parties are calling for a major demonstration to take place tomorrow. The government will react by issuing strict curfews again. This feels like it will not end any time soon, but it also feels like it doesn't have enough momentum to create real change. It feels a bit like purgatory.
This Thursday evening is Nepali New Year's eve, Friday is New Year's day. It is not as big a party as the Western New Year but holds religious significance. Still, it is celebrated. With the curfews and protests continuing there won't be any celebrations. In addition, this weekend is the Easter Holiday and I had planned to leave Kathmandu and do some hiking. It appears that may be difficult if not impossible if this pattern continues.
It looks quite bad and in parts it is. It is okay for me. There is not much going on in the sections of the city where I am. Apparently there was some people burning tires in protest outside the offce but other than that, not much.
I rode my bike from my co-worker's today and it felt good to be on the bike again. It was madness out there. So many people running around making purchases and heading various places. It wasn't until I arrived at the office that I found out that another curfew had been issued for noon. I arrived at 11:15 so there were no problems but I had no idea that a call had been issued at all. (Blissfully unaware!)
We will all be stuck in the office until the curfew is lifted at 5:00 pm. Then there will be a few hours break before it takes over again. This pattern is exhausting and frustrating. You don't feel you can accomplish what you need to do during the day, and at night just the idea of being locked in your house, is mentally straining.
A couple of UN people that we know have emailed us to let us know that the political parties are calling for a major demonstration to take place tomorrow. The government will react by issuing strict curfews again. This feels like it will not end any time soon, but it also feels like it doesn't have enough momentum to create real change. It feels a bit like purgatory.
This Thursday evening is Nepali New Year's eve, Friday is New Year's day. It is not as big a party as the Western New Year but holds religious significance. Still, it is celebrated. With the curfews and protests continuing there won't be any celebrations. In addition, this weekend is the Easter Holiday and I had planned to leave Kathmandu and do some hiking. It appears that may be difficult if not impossible if this pattern continues.
posted by Heidi at 7:14 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home