A Hermit from Nepal
Plenty of these guys wandering the streets, smiling and nodding whilst mumbling a polite"Namaste". regaled in brightly coloured robes and other various garments presumably designed so that one can spot them from a distance enabling some time to dig out the wallet and pullout some cash in ruddiness of their inevitable visit to the lunch table. Described as hermits, perhaps even a modern day nomad except these guys are solitary people leading a spiritual life away from the complexities of a society riddled with inequalities. Or so we, the average Joe are are lead to believe! Loosely based on some Hindu malarkey i think were supposed to kind of feel sorry for them thus make a contribution to their cost of living. Being pretty skeptical about these ploys to gain financial rewards for nowt in return i have no hesitation in waving them on their journey to the next table. On this day however I lacked my usual discreet manner - I was spotted taking a snap of this old timer and thus the scene was set for a daily lunchtime visit. For the record, I paid 5 rupees for the above privileged photo! - This life in Nepal.
Fish on the Street
Nepalis are on their own and its qutie often a fight for survival. With practically no social security for most they are forced to eek a living any way they can, and often in the most deprived circumstances. The definition of hygiene in Nepal isn't the same that many of us in developed nations recognize and to the uneducated - no definition whatsoever! They spit profusely, routinely drop garbage and open air urination is quite a frequent occurrence. Since there is a distinct lack of honesty, integrity and tractability its a good idea to avoid consuming meat and fish products in Nepal. The image above shows a local fish seller slicing up her fish into salable portions, on the pavement, where locals are spitting nearby, where animals and men have urinated and where flies are happy to grab a feed - this life in Nepal.
Child's Play
Remember when we used to play outdoors for hours on end, well, its like that here in Nepal The kids are out on the street for and hour or so before school and again after school. No play station, no Xbox, no MacDonald's and no getting fat! From traditional games like football, cricket and British Bulldog to makeshift rope and tyre swings visitors to Nepal will see youngsters at play everywhere. Very popular here is to kick around a bundle of elastic bands tied into a ball and the latest craze is skateboarding - all the boys want a skateboard! In this image kids are playing with little wooden spinning tops, skillfully picking them up again with those little pieces of string - this life in Nepal.
Sweet Talking Jewelry Seller, Neisha
An innocent flutter of the eyes and some sweet talk as she displays here array of jewelry has netted this local about £2500. Scams are common place across Asia but particularly prevalent across the Indian sun-continent and Nepal usually involving some kind of personal contact. This is Neisha, age unknown and with a story revolving around her sick father needing blankets. Expensive blankets as she netted around £2500 in January from a New Zealander and a Chinese tourist - both single men of course. The Police caught up with her recently after a complaint of dishonesty was filed by Mr. Leon, the Chinese tourist. Perhaps gullibility come to mind and an attitude of fair game from the plod as Niesha is now back on her beat, chatting to tourists. Not an elaborate scam by any means but a timely reminder not to fall for even a pretty girl with a sad story - this life in Nepal.
