Aloft, the majestic Himalayas embraces us in serenity. Below, lush greeneries and the serpentine rivers, kisses our core. I have always enjoyed living in Nepal and have till date not found anything wanting apart from some political hiccups. But, I know these hiccups won’t linger on evermore. An exciting aspect of living in Nepal is the constant juxtaposition of the traditional and contemporary. Even as new, modernistic and sometimes bizarre social trends are seen, the old is always there and clings resolutely to the present.

Different cultures whisper different messages, diverse languages articulates in many ways, and the balanced amalgamation of the 20th century spiritualism and the 21st century materialism evokes our spirit - takes us away to the realism of ecstasy. No doubt, over a decade, we’ve experienced furious political monsoons, withering social heat waves and a rapid increase in mental pollution.

But we are not the only nation in

the Earth going through this transition phase, or are we?

By trying to shed their non- interventionist nature, the Nepalese

seek to fight for their rights and

walk hand in hand with the outside world. They seek an end to their

isolation - they are on a voyage of social and economic exploration.

Today Nepal has BBC, e - mail, mobile phones, modern hospitals, transportation facilities and development has brought other changes too. But though development has changed Nepal, it has unleashed new epidemics too. In Nepal, we see sights that were simply unimaginable not long ago. Soaring crimes, pollution, political imbecility, absence of ethics, respect and honesty has made the very mockery of the new Nepal we all claim to be building. Nonetheless, what’s significant, however, is how Nepalese use their new found freedom.

Nepal’s economic yardsticks, however, paint the depressing picture of the economy. Hyper inflation, soaring unemployment and the social disorder are eroding our social stability and it has all the recipe of yet another revolution in the making. Once economic consensus is reached and employment is generated on a mass scale, politics will automatically stabilize.

Call me ultra optimist, or call me totally crazy, either label I don’t mind. I think the future of Nepal is bright.