The joy of phones

Another warm fun day in the 'du. Met up with some friends at the after hours office yesterday - the Professor (who isn't really a professor) was in a very good mood which means one thing - he will hug you all night! And then I was lucky enough to run into him this morning as well! Lots of mates are coming back to town now so I am never surprised who I bump into on the street.
This morning I went to immigration to extend my visa which runs out next week. usually it takes several hours, so you go and come back and waste all day basically. To my complete surprise, for the sum of only Rs 500 (less than 10 bucks) I could get it issued in 10 minutes. So of course I took advantage of this 'offer'.
Now that I am back in Nepal it is very difficult for Robin to call me in the afternoon/evening as the mobile network here is completely jammed. The 'best' time for him to get through is 6am. Or so he thinks! So here is what our phone calls sound like:
ring ring (well it is a Punjabi dance song but you know what I mean)
mrmph
good morning darling how are you? It is a beautiful day here.
mmm
are you in bed?
grrr
so how was the engagement party?
mrph blmph sari glub beautiful glmph rsft food
oh that sounds great! Packing the yaks now so I'll go and I'll call you tomorrow. Go back to sleep now.
F%*&^@
Love you too.

So romantic!
For some reason we have had extra electricity yesterday and today but of course because it is unannounced nobody knows when it is coming or for how long. So I never use the bonus time for banking!
Speaking of which, new banking rules here and in India are a real pain in the butt. In order to combat money laundering in both countries, the maximum withdrawal at an ATM is Re10,000 in India, and Rs15,000 in Nepal. BUT you can make up to 5 withdrawals in a day. So that stops people laundering money HOW???? So the queues at the ATM are very long now as people try to get enough money out to pay for a trek or whatever.
Only another 8 days till the deadline for the constitution passes without it being written - and we are all expecting trouble, which is why I got a multi entry visa just in case I decide to scoot off somewhere if the situation gets bad. Though Bangkok doesn't look like an option! And I can't go back to India (in theory) for 2 months - another new rule to combat terrorism. Don't ask. Pakistan looks nice? or Bangladesh for a beach holiday?  Perhaps Tibet would let me in now!

Well, here's a picture of the view I get in my after hours office: