Radio and other matters

It all started with a random conversation which went, ‘wouldn’t it be a good idea to have an English speaking show’ and I now have one. I wrote a concept paper and visited the local radio station which broadcasts to the Mid Western Region of Nepal and they liked the idea. The show is called Next Generation and is a thought provoking show for the Next Generation of Nepal to discuss what matters to them and improve their English. I am presenting it with my friend Hast every week and so far we have recorded one show, in which I sound kind of robotic as I have to speak sooo slllowwwwly so people can understand what I am saying.



I have to say finding a new interest to channel my energies into is like someone pressing the on button to my virtual batteries and I feel really excited and enthusiastic. And they have offered to teach me the technical editing bit, which I am really interested to learn, why not seize the opportunity when it’s presented. Oh and by the way in the photo is my friend Hast on the left and the previous gorgeous boy I met at the station the first time who had to stand in for our technical guy after he had a motorbike accident, eye candy!

Thank you to my lovely mother who is sponsoring the show!

In other matters work is going well, I have started volunteering for another organisation who are a youth led good governance and anti corruption organisation. Coincidently the organisation is situated in my first house and the main office is my old bedroom and today I found out that its perfectly acceptable to have a nap on the office floor. Last week I developed a proposal for them which was about using public speaking programmes as methods for holding the government public service providers accountable, it was a really difficult proposal for me to write actually and reminded me of writing my dissertation for my MSC, e.g. it was stressful. Competition is pretty tough, so keep your fingers crossed and send good vibes across the way and hopefully we might get it. It was a record achievement last week as I also submitted two other funding proposals for my other organisation and these felt really easy after the ordeal of the previous proposal. It was all facilitated using an empowering, enabling and capacity building approach of course and any other bullshit bingo development terms I can throw on the table...

And finally, the signing of the constitution has been extend for three months, it was a bit touch and go for a while and the country held its breath whilst we found out if the government would be dissolved and the country would go back in to conflict. In the lead up to the deadline for the signing of the constitution, there were loads of bhaandas (strikes) called by different political parties through out the country. When a bhaanda is called by a political party they state their reason and their terms, one reason I heard was something to do with beef being sold and eaten, as beef is sacred to the Hindu religion and the terms of the bhaanda were all shops being closed and all transport use being banned apart from bicycles.

One of the sticking points for the none signing of the constitution, as I understand it (which might not be entirely right), is what to do with the left over Maoist army who are currently in various camps around the country, there is a problem on how to integrate them into the current Nepali army and I guess back into main stream society.

Oh and one last thing, last night I was lying in bed and a bomb went off, apparently no one was hurt and no one seems really that interested or worried about it, it has become a normal part of life it seems.