Clean up your street!

The last Saturday of the Angrezi month is 'clean up your street' day @ my neighborhood. This volunteering campaign has been going on for the past six months. The local club hopes that someday the neighborhood will be a trash-free zone.

Here in Nepal, one needs an invitation. Spreading the word won't cut it... you literally have to send a letter and personally deliver it or else nobody will show up! And even if they do show up, they aren't willing to take the broom and do some street cleaning. They would rather smoke, have milk tea and give their piece of mind on why such programs would never work in Nepal.

Last Saturday, the Armed Police Force participated in the neighborhood clean up program. It's usually the folks from the Nepalese Army or the APF who really are excited to be part of such neighborhood programs.

What about the Nepal Police? The cops are busy hanging out with local goons and making money here and there. They aren't really interested and the YCLs are busy fighting with other political outfits. The local folks have invited them but they are always busy... doing nothing!

But this Saturday, the neighbors were busy praying and offering Indian Apples and Chinese oranges to Goddess Saraswati! Only four local people showed up! The APF folks did a great job. The neighborhood is as clean as any street in Singapore (except Little India). The 'Singapore dream' lasts for six hours and by the end of the evening, people are happy to throw chocolate wrappers, orange peels and little black plastic bags filled with yesterday's leftovers.

Next time, the local youth club should organize a 'Saptah' ... then it could easily raise millions of Rupees and you would need a group of bouncers to control the 'religious' crowd. But if you want to clean up the street then nobody would give a dime or their time. Just look at the Pashupatinath controversy!

Nepalese are very religious folks. If only our Bhramins were clever then they would have come up with 'clean your street' or else you will end up in hell natak. But they didn't... instead they came up with stuff like ' Pray to the moon, don't eat Beef , give your dough to the Pujari'

Well, the Amrikanos ate the steak and went to the moon. So make sure your children like them Beef Jerkies and one day, they can go and clean up the moon or something. I like mine Well Done but maybe I should try climbing Phulchowki first!

The water tanker guys finally showed up today. Yipee! Finally, I can take shower @ my own place instead of running around like a crazy stinky hobo!