"Strike open good"

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http://www.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2010/05/07/strike-withdrawn/

And like that, it was over.
At least for now.
I was sitting in a tea shop quite late, after 10pm, when a guy listening to his radio wandered in and said, "Strike finish".
Just like that. No strike tomorrow. That was Friday night.

So now, life is suddenly back to normal, although I'm sure the backlog of supplies and people that have been grounded until yesterday will take a while to set right. Locals are jumping back into their daily routines. Costs of goods slowly returning to their normal prices. Buses crammed full of people are grinding past; scooters, motorbikes and cars take the place of the people on foot ambling along in the middle of the road.

The newly unstranded tourists are all trying to figure out what to do now, which plans might be salvageable or what the alternatives could be. There is a chance that the strike could be called again as it was referred to as a 'temporary stop'. It is hard to know - I heard one rumour it was starting again tomorrow, but I think that is just talk. The government is in an interesting situation with a Prime Minister who won't budge and the opposition, the largest party in the house. Hmmmm. Interesting times everywhere it seems. I'm certainly curious to see how the Nepali government will hold, if the new constitution will be ready by May 28 and what will happen if not. It feels like historic times.

I must say it was fascinating being here during the strike. I caught a few demonstrations, talked to different people about how it affected them and their thoughts. And it was so strange with no vehicles around. The nightly two hours when everything was open in town felt somewhat like a street fair as people came out as the evening set in; in the touristy Lakeside area, primarily tourists, going to eat and buy supplies. Restaurants blaring music full blast and trying to entice in as much business as possible in the allowed window of time.

Today when I went for my daily swim, the hoards of kids splashing about just up the beach and the general melee of people loitering around, where gone. There was just a few fishermen there. All the kids are back in school and with the enforced holiday finished, people are no longer just hanging around. Unless you are my fellow guests at Bishnu Lodge. I have been teasing them as their lives have changed very little since before or during the strike. Lots of lounging around, smoking and chia (chai in Nepali). This place is definitely conducive to relaxing. There are many people who are here for weeks and weeks or even months. The pace of life is relaxed, the climate pleasant, it is lush and green and the lake instills a calm - at least it does for me. Overall, as I kept saying, if I had to be stranded anywhere, this was a good place for it. And now, the classic Nepali question: Ke garne? What to do?
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