"According to the 2018 Environment Performance Index, Nepal's air quality has become the worst in the world, ranked at the bottom of 180 countries!"
This has mostly to do with the Kathmandu Valley where I live. I live in Patan, which is next to Kathmandu. There are 3 cities in this valley. Patan is close, but not as bad as Kathmandu.
Now that I live here I understand some things about the Bible that I didn't before.
One thing is the concept of washing of the feet. In my mind it was about humility. But, if you wear sandals in an area like here, it is no different than washing your hands before you eat - you wash your feet when you come home.
In Thailand, they wear sandals a lot because it is so hot. But, it is not so dirty (in Bangkok) like it is here. Here, in Nepal, it is very dirty. However, now, everyone wears shoes. So, people take their shoes off when they come inside. You will already have a layer of dust on your shoes like if you didn't dust your living room for 3 months.
Many stores here are open air. Many others keep their doors propped open for air. All merchandise is dirty. You buy a bag of oatmeal, the cashier rings it up, then the bagger wipes off the thick layer of dust and puts it in your bag. And so on . . . Add to that fact that expiration dates are meaningless here, you have to carefully check each packaged item before you buy it. Add the yearly monsoons and you also have can goods with rust on them.
Another interesting aspect is the idea of idols made of stone. I never thought much about it. There is God and then everything else. Thailand is Buddhist and they have a zillion Buddha statues. I didn't think much about them. They are just sitting there happily. Nepal is a Hindu country. They have a zillion Gods and it seems like each God has a zillion ways they look. The common denominator is that they are all freaking scary. We have one in the lobby that looks like it was designed to induce nightmares.
Oh well, life goes on. Since I have returned from Thailand, I still haven't turned on my TV or looked at a sports, gaming, or news internet site. So, I am getting a lot done. My next problem in my game of whack-a-mole for distraction and procrastination is Youtube. So, I have decided to just say no internet unless I am looking up something for Bible Study, Finance, or personal life needs.
It is interesting watching myself convert from USA concepts/measurements to non-USA. I am just now starting to think in Centigrade as opposed to Fahrenheit. It is going to be 23 degrees in a couple of days - Whoo-hoo! (22 degrees C = 72 degrees F)
Namaste From The Top Of The World
Mike
