Yesterday was Saturday, and I took the day off. I felt I needed that quite much, so I called some friends I made when in Pokhara, and visited them. Later they invited me to stay over night, so I did that. Enjoyed it so much and really needed to empty my brain a bit from the thesis-work, because today I’ve been filling it again.

  It’s been some great two days now for me here in Kathmandu. First yesterday, when I just could relax and do nothing. The people that invited me to stay over are just amazing. I got to know the daughters when they stayed at the hostel at UDTC in Pokhara. Now they wanted to see me again and I went over to their place. Their father is a professor at the univeristy here in Kathmandu, and was one of the initiators of the peace-meeting that ended the Maoist nation wide strike in the beginning of May. Just felt so nice to sit down and talk about this and he explained all the political historical development since the 1950’s until today, so now I really understand what is going on.

  And later I was givven a private guided tour of the area where they live. So wonderful to really see some true Nepali city-skapes and not “ordinary” touristic Thamel district again. Interesting to see how the winding streets just flow through the city with some logical system that I do not understand. I would be totally lost there if I was blindfolded and led to a sit and then told to find my way back.

  Today I went to meet some INGO’s and GO’s. Started with a meeting at NTB again where I straigthed out some questions I had, which felt so good. And then I experienced when a taxi driver tried to bribe a police while I was sitting in the car, because the police discovered that the taxi’s metering system was rigged to give a higher price to the customer than was allowed. Just amazed that the driver tried to bribe first one and then two police officers while I was seeing it all. I jumped out and took another taxi after the police said “no more taxi” to me.

  Almost met the Prime Minister today. When at a meeting at a political party the PM was there and it felt all of a sudden a bit strange to be so close to the political system here in Nepal while I’m just a student from Sweden.

  I also passed some offical departments of the government and got some contacts established for more information. But the INGO’s where a dissapointment (International Non-Governmental Organisations). They where all closed today, Sunday. Tomorrow I will know why, because in Nepal the Sunday is just as our Monday in Sweden. And I’m a bit tired of INGO’s that don’t adapt to the local context but keep on working as if they where in their home country. But perhaps I get the best answers in the world tomorrow about that.

  On the “to do”-list I have five things tomorrow. And I know I should be able to make it to all meetings. Now I know where to go, after todays searching (as they where closed). That’s all for now. Tomorrow is my last full day in Nepal.