"Bandh ruined my life!" ~ Well, not really...

Hello again from a slightly unpredictable Nepal! This is an interesting time of year for the country as the politicians are working to write the constitution and the deadline for its passing is fast approaching. There have been quite a few strikes and protests lately, but life does go on and lots of other things have been happening.

“Bandh ruined my life!”

Well, that might be a little over-dramatic. As I mentioned earlier, the deadline for the passing of the constitution is at the end of this month. As a result, various people groups and political parties have been calling strikes and protests in an effort to get their demands met in the new constitution. These strikes are called “bandhs” and they generally involve a ban on any sort of motorized vehicles (and sometimes even bicycles), and all the schools and stores shut down. Depending on the severity of the bandh, any sort of breach may have violent consequences (that might sound extreme, so just to clarify - for my particular situation these pose virtually no threat whatsoever). 

You said it, sista! Actually, for me the bandhs are more of an annoyance than anything, but they represent serious issues and can have a very negative effect on the Nepali people.

Bandhs are a common occurrence and I’ve seen quite a few. Normally they aren’t strictly enforced, so a few stores will still open and you may see a few brave motorists on the road. Lately, however, they have been a little more serious. The average Nepali, however, is less than thrilled with the constant disruptions to every day life. I was chatting with a shopkeeper the other day who expressed her frustrations with the bandhs. Because it’s hard to tell how serious the bandh will be, it’s hard for her to tell how much bread to bake that day, and missing days of business takes a severe financial toll. Even the graffiti shows the frustration with the constant strikes. 

Swimming Despite Difficulties

The bandhs have resulted in a few cancelled swim practices, but we’ve recently discovered that the pool keeps a low profile and stays open regardless. This morning we couldn’t take the bus to the pool due to a bandh, so we all brought our sneakers, ran to the pool, and carried on with regular practice. 

We’ve had some exciting developments as a team lately. We’re currently swimming in a 20 meter pool with no lane lines or backstroke flags. This past week, however, we took the initiative in installing our own backstroke flags and making our own lane lines out of rope. They don’t stop the waves like American lane-lines, but they at least help the swimmers stay in a straight line! It’s amazing the difference a few flags and some string makes for morale :). This weekend the swimmers are looking forward to their only meet of the term: an inter-school meet called the Swimming Gala. Everyone is looking forward to it!

Dancing and Dresses

Last week was the annual kid’s talent show for the primary school at KISC called KidZone. It was amazing to see some of my students perform with amazing talent that I had no idea they even possessed! We saw musical performances, dances, dramas, and even amazing math problem-solving abilities! The primary teachers even did a performance of our own to the song “Don’t Stop Believing” with the help of some simple dance moves and kazoos :). 

The primary teachers dancing at KidZone.

Also, in about three weeks two KISC teachers, my friends Simon and Wendy, will be getting married! They’re having the ceremony at KISC and plan on celebrating in traditional Nepali style. Last week I went shopping for the sari that I’ll be wearing as a bridesmaid in the wedding. It was so fun looking at all the beautiful and brightly colored fabrics and trying on different saris. 

At one of the fabric shops. All the choices and colors are so fun (and only slightly overwhelming)!

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