Additional thoughts

Since it was reported to me that I sound pretty negative (something some of you have accused me of in the recent past), and because I am kinda just hanging out today waiting for the ACAP to open tomorrow I have decided to add some follow up thoughts. I am not as negative as I sound. It is really great here, but like the American news media with which I was raised I recognize the appeal in reporting negative things!

1. While I still feel that people are overly polite maybe I have been looking at it in the wrong light. I feel incredibly uncomfortable being called sir and having people constantly apologizing for possibly insulting me. Everyone is so nice how could I possibly be insulted? Last night I spent a couple of hours hanging out with a Local guy who worked at my guest house. We shared several hand-rolled cigarettes and spent a great deal of time talking. I found him to be intelligent, caring, spiritual, and incredibly funny. Yet despite the fact that I was enjoying his company and found his views on life to be very interesting it was difficult to converse because of his continual apologies and the fact that he called me sir constantly. Perhaps, I need to spend more time here before I get used to the role of a "senior" as he called me. When I addressed this issue he explained to me that a.) I was older and b.) I had more money than him. While he had absolutely no interest in getting any money from me the fact that I had it meant I had a higher status. I tried explaining to him why I had so much trouble with this concept, but he simply insisted that it was a cultural belief and that was just the way it was. Hmmm...I don't know if there is much more to say about this, I definitely need time to mull it over and to digest this.

2. Kathmandu....remains polluted.