Harkay Dai, I do NOT live in the US. I started out as a minor labour activist in Far Western Nepal (in the districts of Dang, Kailali, Banke, Bardiya, etc) after, with no regrets and with eyes wide open, deciding to give up a Wall Street banking job. Fortunately, I had had a most wonderful time working in Nepal for some years, and, having moved up in the career value chain, I now reside outside of Nepal working on hard-core financing of private sector businesses. In between, for fun, strictly as a non-journalist, I manage to write (for what it's worth) fortnightly and alternating columns for The Nepali Times (on business matters) and, starting last December and upon the encouragement of many friends, for Kantipur national daily (on issues that I find interesting). That's my little verifiably true story. You see, I may not know much about Nepal (because, well, I was not born in some village in Palpa or Arghakhanchi or wherever else I needed to be born to be taken as a so-called authentic Nepali.) But, trust me, for someone who has been to 55 out of 75 ziilas in Nepal and has friends who PRESENTLY live in 65 zillas, I do know a thing or two about Nepal, hai. More later. oohi ashu