Talking about potentials, Shree 5, I believe except for the INNER CORE of the big cities, particularly KTM and Pokhara, ALL of Nepal has excellent potentials. The problem is: Our leaders never did -- and still don't -- have a VISION. Why don't they dream BIGGER? For example, in the name of health services, they think providing 1-2 temporary health posts a year is enough for those "gaunles"; in the name of providing drinking water, they think it is enough to have 1-2 DHARAS in the entire gaaun; and in the name of roads, narrow, dagerous roads -- something that shuts down during monsoon -- is more than enough for unaware villagers. "Kaam chalaau bhai halchha ni" bhanne attitude is deadly for progress. घाँटी हेरेर हाड निल्न पर्छ अरे। म भन्छु, अहिले ठुलो हाड निल्न नसके, कमसेकम भविष्यमा निलम्ला भनेर सपना किन नदेख्ने? "ठुलो निल्न सक्दैनस्" भनेर जिन्दगी भर टुक्रा टाक्री मात्र खुवाएर हुँदैन -- ठुलो हाड नि साईडमा राख्दिम्, अनि उसको गर्घन फुल्लाउन तिर मद्दत गरम्। Reflecting back on my graduate studies on development, I have utter distaste for the international development agencies' approach towards resolving poverty in the third world countries too. It's not that some agencies are not doing good for the poor, but MOST of them focus on temporary relief, something that is ad hoc, something that only makes the recipients of such aid more DEPENDENT on service providers. Instead of providing 1-2 health posts a year, they should let the people at least dream of a REAL hospital in their gaaun. I know the limitations of achiving such big dreams are real, but at least when the people can dream of it, they will towards it, step by step. Nattra ta, "pugi halyo ni" bhanera chup baschhan, never to be REALLY lifted out of poverty. For this, I think much of development funds must be spent on providing REAL education. By saying REAL, I mean something that empowers the people, something that makes them THINK and allows them to grow to be INDEPENDENT. Do away with the Panchayat-era textbooks of indoctrination. Apparently, much to my dismay, very little was done to change the Nepali education system and curriculum even after the advent of democracy in Nepal in 1990. My disdain for the RAAJ-SATTA also stems from the fact that the monarchy in Nepal stands at the helm of this twisted approach to progress of the Nepali people. Until monarchy is seriously transformed or abolished, I cannot fathom such progressive trends to take hold in our country. I know political parties are also in a dire need of serious transformation, but I personally attribute their ineptitude to the ways they grew up under absolute monarchy during the Panchayat era. This is not to say that people should not pressure the parties to change, but we must also put a stronger fight against the source of their ignorance and stubbornness: Narayanhiti! ल, यो रमईलो थ्रेड मा गम्भीर कुरो धेरै नगरम् क्यार। बरु, भउते फेरि हरा'छ। कतै फूलमुतिलाई नि सुईंकाइन खै बज्ये ले?