Finally here.

At 3am the phone rings, "they won't let me on the plane". I knew the drama wasn't over.
"Let me talk to them, put the person on the phone."
"He says he doesn't want to talk to you." We that is insulting but understandable as i am radiating venom down the phone line.
"I think he wants a bribe."
"WHAT, they want you to bribe them to be allowed to leave your own country?"

45 minutes later Mero Budda is allowed to board the plane and i anxiously wait the 17 hours till he lands in Australia.

"Excuse me miss, are you waiting for someone to arrive." What tipped you off? Was it that i have been standing at the arrival gate for an hour scanning the faces of everyone who walks through?
"Yes, i am."
"Where is your friend coming from?"
"My husband was on the flight from Guangzhou. Why do you have his passport? What is the problem?"
"Oh Nepali people never get visitor visas, so we thought we better check."
"Well the visa was awarded and we have had a lot of problems with the Immigration Department so if there is some problem..."
"No it is fine, we will send him out in a minute."

10 minutes later Mero Budda saunters through the gate, smiling like he hasn't got a care in the world. 

frustrated.

When I try to explain to my friends what life in like in Nepal it is pretty much impossible. Coming from somewhere like Australia we have no idea what the real world is like and how the majority of people live. We love to complain about how hard we have things, how work is tough, we don't get paid enough. The truth is most of us just haven't seen enough of the world to realise how good things are at home.

I try to explain that in Nepal around 30% of people live on less than a US$1 a day though stats like this don't mean shit to people who have never tried to survive on or under the poverty line. I always get the response that "things are cheaper there". Yes this is true, but rent for three rooms with no running water, communal bathroom shared with 5 other families and very sporadic electricity is around NR7000 (US$100) a month. Basic wage doesn't even cover the rent, forget about wanting to eat or educate your children or going on holiday or health care.

I get on my friends nerves because i am always banging on about poverty and immigration laws and work rights. I know nobody else cares about these things. I know it is boring and depressing and i am driving you all crazy but FUCK get some perspective. Not being able to afford the latest iphone is not a crisis situation!

I don't know how to explain it in a way that is effective. I watched this doco this morning, as usual it made me cry. I guess most people would say it's about a girl who chose the wrong job. To me it is a reminder that so many of my Nepali friends are applying for this kind of work, it might not be long before someone comes back in a box. I am feeling so frustrated at the moment.

Nepali Slaves in the middle East - Guardian