Sometimes these blog entries refer to things that have happened a week or two weeks ago. The reason for that is that I generally spend one or two weeks in the village teaching without much in the way of Internet access. But I spend a lot of time talking and thinking and writing, and when I come into Kathmandu for a couple of days I will write up five or six blog entries and then set them to self-post over the course of the next two weeks or so. That way you don't have to comb through massive updates.
Anyway, here are a couple of things that have been happening lately:
Teachers close schools across nation for security
The Wednesday before Tihar break our school closed as part of a nationwide strike protesting the murder of some teachers in the Terai. I was visiting the private school Shangri-La on that day, and that school was not closed; the strike was only for government schools. People tell me that way out in certain parts of the Terai being a teacher is still dangerous because political affiliation and the tactics of revolutionaries are wrapped up into the educational system. For those of you who care about my well-being I feel the need to tell you that this culture is very far removed from my safe little village in Kathmandu Valley, but I still felt the political reverberations. Striking to protest policies or in memoriam people who have passed away is common in many different occupations in Nepal.
Let's talk about porn
The last time I was in Kathmandu I noticed that I couldn't access this blogging service for my account or any of the blogs that I follow. Later I found out that the Nepali government was blocking Blogspot as part of their campaign to restrict pornography to Nepali citizens. Somehow Blogspot and The Huffington Post among others ended up on the list of restricted sites. Interesting stuff going on in this fledgling democracy as the government negotiates civil rights and the policing of the population.
Speaking of blogs, here are two blargs o' note:
Simon's Blog
Simon is my fellow ETA in Nepal. I am losing a slow battle with him over who has the most popular and awesomest of blogs.
Lukas' Blog
Lukas teaches English in China. He is pretty much the same person as me, except stronger, handsomer, better at teaching, and four times as Czechoslovakian.
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