In the limelight
Being Nepali the life and the way, a piece of cake or two
In was easy to be Nepali, easy to absorb into the limelight into the plain and simple society.
What in 17 years I had failed to no matter what or how much I tried to do over in the Holy Land here in the village it came natural and pure.
No real effort was made, I became Nepali. Mr. Danny or Danny sir as I known and was welcomed along every nook and cranny. As i approached the school all the kids 350 of them rushed at me.
The gathered around me and all wanted to shake my hand. Some of the older students were in lessons early. Schooling hours of between 10 and 4 were normal though the older classes began earlier and some stayed on until the evening.
It depended who, what, why.
Some 17 teachers attended this school, not all taught at once some prepared lessons or checked homework. Teaching in this school became a little strange. Some teachers were better educated than others, some knew their subject well.
The men were better in foreign languages, most knew at least some conversational english. The women sadly were not so good. Only one female was for me outstanding and I was most impressed.
She taught class 3 during the first period.
On numerous occasions she was later so I stepped in and took over. This was one of the many challenges.
One would say or assume inequality of sexes. True, men knowing better English then the woman.
Woman did complain or simply kept quiet. I never quiet found out all the reasons for their being less educated but they did make it clear of the need of equal opportunities.
Early pregnancy, nursing, cooking were all plausible reasons but they WERE fighting back?
During my many lessons i explained to them:
“In the modern world, similar inequalities were more than evident only life was harder”
They looked at me with surprise.
“Yes woman are complaining more and more, they are fighting for civil rights, its not just here”
No more was said and lessons could begin. 40/45 min each period. That was normal but it also depended from the first to the last period and on which topic and if someone was missing.
Assembly lasted but a few minutes, they were all lined up from right to left, prenursery to class 10.
Changes were made but I taught at all levels.
From class 8, 9 and 10, I went to only once in a while, Mr Danny you are not a professional teacher, the lower classes are more suitable for you. But on a more generic level you can certainly teach us a lot.
My knowledge of the world was quite good and it was not just my English. Social studies, Biology, history, geography, personal hygiene, politics, science, sex/relationships and cultures were all soon on the agenda.
A lot of Nepali culture and history it was new to me, so they taught me I taught them.
Two facts confused me in Nepal.
The Maoists and the Assassination. Oh they told me Maoists are a terrorist organisation in Nepal, they attacked people because the government was not letting them have their way. What didn’t not go down peacefully turned into bloodshed.
Oh i said its like that overseas too.
Many villages were kept under curfew after 8 pm, most people did not go out. This area, Chitwan in southern Nepal was one of the worst affected areas.
Most were afraid. So that is why after dark it was quiet, most families watched TV together, or had a meal. This was a closed society.
Often no power was available so even a TV was not possible.
The assassination of the king was a cue. It was a issue which kept in many people’s mind since it happened.
No one quite knows what happened, the brother assassinated his brother in 2001 or there abouts. The king in power was corrupt, no one liked him, so the Maoists were certainly making their point.
During my stay they killed the chief of police, I remember the report in a Nepali paper and it was translated for me, the important parts that was.
They did not like to chat too much about war and politics because they did not like the way the country was being governed. There was no real peace, no real civil rights and many people demonstrated.
It was not just the strikes or polluted water which bothered them and as I soon learnt from in time. Some had the potential to be successful business man and in deed many in Nepal were.
So where did I come in this all.” Well (I told them) terrorist are small and large organisation of extreme people who fight for what are called civil rights.
In the Middle East they are known as the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organisation). They were made of many different Moslem groups.
In the UK it was know as the IRA.
In Russian the Red Army
In Spain ETTA.
Compared to the Middle East this was a joke. I didn’t know what people were afraid of. Of what?
Go to Israel do as I did get messed in religion and politics and then see if you any the wiser for it.
Okay so there was poverty here, lack of sanitation, illiteracy, resources that was the reason why I came here.
On the day I arrived in Chitwan there was an attack on a family member. The father was beaten up by some soldiers beloning to the Maoists. Alex who was staying with them explained shortly after we came that this was a surprise.
So there were a few skirmishes, here and there but live in Israel, Jerusalem have a taste of the holyland then come back and complain.
Of course no one had been out of Nepal, one or two to India. No one needed a visa for that and it wasn’t that far but try the Middle East I have lived there for nearly 20 years and it wasn’t enough to learn the language, that for me was the easy part, it was the society I didn’t not like.
Mr Danny is not an Israeli. No way, I was a UK national, born and bred there.
One at least one occasion I was asked to explain the Middle Eastern conflict. Israelis and Palestinians.
I tried only with class 10. This was a hard situation to explain because there was no compromise, Palestinians claimed as did Jews that the holy land was theirs.
That’s all. My 5 students did listen to me all were interested to learn, oh Mr Danny we didn’t know that.
Yes I said but that’s only half of the problem. There are hardliners, that’s the problem such as my ex-wife.
I said that no-one wanted to fight, no one, it was stupid what they were fighting over, sovereignty nothing else.
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