If you want to be in Solidarity . . .

I wrote this the week of February 25, just before the situations in Katmandu and Nepalgunj improved.

If you want to be in solidarity with the people of Katmandu, turn off your electricity, every other day, from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m., at least one, sometimes two mornings a week from 6:00 – 9:00 a.m. and once a week in the middle of the night. This “fasting” from electricity promotes quiet living as you abstain from television, early bedtime where it’s warm under the covers (since the space heaters aren’t on and it’s dark anyways, after the generator turns off). There is a certain level of annoyance about it, but it is also somewhat refreshing. In one newspaper, people were surveyed and said that the electricity cuts were actually promoting more quality family time. The next time I’m in the states for Lent, I might try giving up electricity for at least one day a week.

If you want to be in solidarity with the people of Nepalgunj, imagine that all the shops in your town, except for the grocery stores and ATM’s, are closed for two weeks. You can get the necessities, but not much else.

And in both places, there is a fuel shortage. People are standing in line for gasoline in Katmandu for up to a day. In Nepalgunj, all the shops had run out of propane, the small tanks are necessary for heating the dual burner cook stoves – like we have.

If you want to be in solidarity with me, turn off the hot water heater. Learn to appreciate how refreshed and awake you feel after a cold shower. Be thankful for the large pot that heats up water for cleaning and the baby’s bath. Walk for at least one hour every day hunched over – to give a little kid who can’t walk by themselves, the pleasure of moving around “freely.” Remove all your furniture, except for a few area rugs and your mattress, but enjoy the commodities of a gas stove, microwave and fridge. Keep your windows open to hear the sound of the birds, goats, kids playing and tractors honking (unless you have thin windows in which case you can hear this anyways). While you’re at it, hire someone to come in and clean your floors and do some laundry every day. They can also wash dishes, clean your bathroom or even clean your windows. And find someone else to come in four days a week at noon to make a delicious meal (which turns into two meals with leftovers). (See, it’s not all that bad! :)