a fresh space

some few of you may actually read my other blog...and if you do, you know i'm not always particularly good with updating it. this may make starting a second blog seem a bit like killing a pet cactus and deciding to have a kid. however, i'm assuming that there are those to whom i'm planning on sending this who might, inconceivably, not actually be interested in reading my more or less uninformed thoughts about pre-mixed seasonings (bomb them) or the latest mos def single...there does seem to be some interest in hearing about my next year, though. so here we are. (if you DO happen to enjoy my little self-indulgent brain gobbits, though, dial-a-ttante will remain alive and well)

for those of you just joining me, trust me, you haven't missed much. a very long and blood-pressure spiking story short, i've been lucky enough to get a princetion in asia fellowship to go to nepal, and even luckier to get one of the ngo fellowships that they offer. for the next year (at least), i will be learning a new language, navigating a new city, and working in a completely new kind of job at the mountain institute. i've never done development work before, or really, something that isn't academic or activist-oriented, but i'm absolutely looking forward to new challenges.

in response to the questions i've gotten so far...
- no, i don't know when i'm leaving just yet, but at this point, i am assuming the end of july/early august.
- no, i don't know where i'll be living. kathmandu housing doesn't seem to be such a big problem though. subletting from a member of the (relatively large) expat population seems to be a popular choice.
- no, it's not actually that cold. or, to be precise, kathmandu has similar winters to san francisco. the kicker there being that there isn't anything in the way of central heating...at all. so, y'know, if you're thinking about a goodbye present, i'm going to suggest long underwear.
- yes there was a bit of a civil war, and yes, the communist party nepal-maoist now has a majority in the CA, but it ultimately came about through an actual democratic process...so the country is a bit of a unique position. check this out for more on the political situation.
- as far as i can make out, 'nepali' is the noun, 'nepalese' is the adjective.
- no, i am not going to start greeting everyone with 'namaste'. i think we can all agree on that one.

and, of course, everyone's got an open couch in kathmandu starting in august!