So yesterday this guy gave a presentation about his findings in some strategic tourism study. He had found out just what it is that tourists like about Nepal: It's the mountains, the nature and the friendliness and hospitality of ordinary people. Great. He also found out what they didn't like: The political instability with transport strikes, the bad road conditions and the poor service level at the customs and immigration offices (where tourists still have to renew their visa monthly after the second month. Considering the time it takes to reach the above mentioned mountains and return to the IMO, it gets even worse). I might have contributed with a few complaints of my own, although I'm not really a tourist: The pollution in Kathmandu and the water and power shortages in the winter. It then struck me. Whatever it is that the government and it's "tourism developers" have done, is exactly what the tourists don't like. They just like the mountains and the ordinary people, things not build by the state. It leads me again to conclude that Nepal is a blessed country that has been fucked up by the ruling elite time and time again. Present "loktantric-democratic era" not really excluded. The (government) guy's plan now is to concentrate the marketing efforts on one simple thing: Promotion of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, as the peace capital of the world. Make it the Nepali equivalent of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Good luck. We don't really have peace here and what I find uniquely interesting in Nepal is not just any simple thing, but rather the opposite: The enormous diversity of the country. The contrast, to use a term of my profession. It might require slightly more complex marketing, but this is where the true value of Nepal is found.
3 comments:
Hi Morten:
I am so glad I discovered your blog. The contrast you show in this picture is exactly the topic of my documentary about Kathmandu. I am a Nepali student doing my premed at Reed College, Portland (OR, USA) and am here in Kathmandu over a year-long break. After being here for about five months (doing research at hospitals) and seeing the fucked-up state of my country, I finally decided on doing a documentary about such contrasts your fellow talks about in his presentation on strategic tourism study, only this time I did not need to do a massive study to figure out tourists dont like regular bandhs and dirty streets in kathmandu. :)
If you have seen Baraka (1992), you will better understand the concept behind my documentary. Ron, the director, shot Baraka in 24 different countries. I argue that those 24 different cultures and contrasts are right here in Kathmandu, if one can see it. I want to capture exactly that. But the philosophical question behind my project will be similar to the question behind Baraka. I plan on showing this documentary in Nepal (so Nepali youth can learn to question our present state and perhaps realize that the direction they are heading is not necessarily the best one) and in the US (so hipocrates who sit there and lecture this and that should happen in underdeveloped countries can actually SEE what happens when BIG talk gets inside the head of SMALL people). Well, that was lengthy and sort of nasty.
I was wondering if we could meet up at some point and talk further about your blog philosophy as well as about my documentary. Thanks.
Regards,
Xeno
Xeno,
thanks for your comment. I've seen Baraka and it has also inspired me in some ways. Your project sounds interesting, movies really have the ability to affect people and I would be happy to meet up for a little talk one of these days. So just give me a call or email: mortensven @ hotmail . com / 98030 43859. See you!
Keep up the good work.
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