Welcome To the New Nepal

In case you haven't heard, we are no longer in a 'kingdom'. As of May 28, 2008, Nepal is officially a republic. The vote eventually went down yesterday - after a 12 hour delay for some more political posturing - to sack the king.

According to one news website, the proposal states that Nepal is now "an independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular and an inclusive democratic republic nation". That's a powerful statement, let's hope it holds true and is lasting.

The vote passed with 560 out of 564 members voting for the proposal. The king has been given 15 days to leave Narayanhiti Royal Palace, which will soon become a museum. Everyone is hoping that this transition goes smoothly, but many people have doubts. I'll buy a ticket to see this new museum when it's ready.

As for us, we can't tell a difference. There is still no rule-of-law or any authority willing to enforce the laws that are in place. The government is occupied worrying about themselves and their alleged authority. The holy Bagmati river still smells to high heaven. Life goes on.

We're staying healthy and leaving the monkeys alone.