Why “not” Nepal?

India has Goa. India exploits Goa a lot (more than a million travelers come there every year).

Goa has an international airport. Pokhara could have one… here is a scenario

How about linking Goa and Pokhara directly. Travelers would see such contrasting differences within a flight of 3 hours that it would be mindboggling. From relaxing in sunny beaches to sunny boating in the lakes of Pokhara admist the highest mountain ranges in the Annapurna mountains.

What travelers want is accesibility. The missing part of the puzzle in Pokhara is just that. It has hotels, infrastructure etc. It needs the co-branding. (Goa could be perfect). Tie in with an established tourist hot spot that compliments.

Tagline: Come Sunbath in the beaches of goa , party hard and then fly off to watch the highest mountains in the world while boating in a lake. Then raft down for some adventures and top it off elephant riding and rhino watching nearby and then back to the beaches of Goa with some crazy parties to top it off.

One way to stimulate our  travel and tourism brand…

lately admist all the gloom and pessimism, haven’t been thinking of much of good things happening in Kathmandu (not nepal, just kathmandu)

I have absolutely no idea how people’s life is faring in the rest of the country since very rarely the media, the politicians , you or me  care about them : I admit my guilt here).

so here is a positive thing that i am seeing from up-close (and contributing in some of them).

1) “West Seti Hydro is still trying to build a 750 MW hydro electric project in the remotest part of nepal (shunned by rest of nepal) despite the shit that are being thrown at them by greedy politicians, desperate locals, zealout NGO’s and depressed bureocracy and “not many qualified mannpower left now”. Its been nearly what 12 years now they are trying despite all odds.

2) “Entrepreneurs for nepal” a young group of entrepreneurs, most of them returnees from USA have been meeting every month to help other young entrepreneurs in startup tips. (try searching for “entrepreneurs for nepal” inside facebook.com)

3) some people like bijay have been helping answer travelers questions in a website  I made that promotes traveling to nepal (thus helping tourism). site: exoticbuddha.com

4) Investment banks.  ( a bunch of banks are cropping up to give investments to building the infrastructures inside the country. i admit the entrepreneurs are fleeing…. but the other half - the investment bankers  are still here).

5) semi skilled manpower development: a lot of otherwise idle young, uneducated, clueless people are gaining good set of work skills needed for development of the country, by working abroad. A lot (by that i  mean lots) of my unskilled, uneducated cousins in village who were busy beating up each other because of petty politics now are working abroad and have learned variety of skills in automobile maintainence, iron industry, managing security, etc. etc.

well hopefully more good things to note down for next time.

to quote Seth,

“be ready for anything”

makes perfect sense when you are in Nepal right now.

see link…

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/12/predictions.html

The wealth of a prosperous society or country is measured by gross esteem indicator (self worth).

The so called first world countries have comparatively lower rate of eligible voters actually voting.
Are they lazy ?

vs

the poor countries, such as Nepal, where every one seems to have ample “time” to vote and believe in spending a day waiting in line to “vote”.
Are they smart ?

My take is:

In USA: most people try to make change happen (with or without voting). So most don’t feel voting is that special.

In Nepal:most people have too low self esteem to make change happen (so they vote — to increase their self esteem)

Voting raises their self confidence in themself, and maybe make change)

In essence a story between high self esteem and low self esteem

Gross self esteem indicator, anyone ?

Ujw

here is something i posted on :

Facebook ” Entrepreneurs for Nepal” and elaborated since here:

Random ideas that will jump-start our economic revolution.

Have to recruit younger technocrats and remove the old ones from the National planning commission and finance and related ministries.

>>> Set up YEL = Youth Entrepreneur’s league (new body with powerful relations to private and state banks).

>>> 0 % tax on hydro power Generation and tourism. (Logic: mass employment generation)

>>> Information Technology Communication and related Licenses at no costs. (Talent generation and utilization)

>>> Nepal = Zero Tax center

>>> BOOT model (build own operate transfer in infrastructure development).

>>> 10% flat tax on all things else ( ALL THINGS). This encourages tax payment which overwhelming majority of people /companies in the country strive to avoid, right now).

You want wonders.. better start revamping the place.
otherwise no more promises to make switzerland out of nepal.

If Maoists (most likely future government) are smart, they will see how China is playing out.
and act like them. Total Focus on Economy. Their Politics survives on the economic revolution Now).

otherwise we can only hope for a 2 % growth again and again (which will be eaten up the huge double digit inflation).

and be prepared for another change…or one big repression after another !