The final episode of TV Blog has stories from the east of the country and then moves on to show the host, Yubakar, reminisce on the past episodes and try and answer the questions the program raised in each episode – What connects Nepalis?[break]
An interesting story in this episode is the one about the Elderly Citizens’ Society in Itahari. It has 250 members and meets in the premises of the municipality office. Patanjali Yoga has recently started providing free health services to the members.
Meharman Basnet, chairman of the Society, says that the motto of the club is to give people over the age of 60 a chance to get together, share memories, and just sit and talk.
“We just talk about good things and try to focus on the positive aspects of life. Even if there’s something bad going on, we don’t discuss it or make it an issue,” says Basnet, adding that the municipality offers them tea during their sessions.
A fun fact is that the Society has recently started awarding sons and daughters who take care of their parents in their old age.
Moving on, the episode becomes more development-centric and talks about Sanjivani, also known as Jathropa Curcas, and its potential to produce bio-diesel which can greatly affect the country’s economy for the better.
Anand Shrestha, an environmentalist, is of the view that even if Nepal can produce 20% of bio-diesel, then the amount it’s importing now can be substantially reduced, and the country’s economy will prosper.
“Lands that aren’t fertile enough to grow rice and other crops can plant Sanjivani and can be used productively instead of letting it go to waste,” says Shrestha before Binod Shrestha takes you on a virtual tour of the factory that produces bio-diesel from the plant.
The second half of the program shows the host recapping and thus summing up the past episodes. As he talks, he tries to answer, at least to a certain extent, the question he put forward at the very beginning of the series. He comes to an almost certain conclusion that our diversity is what connects Nepalis and what makes us different yet one at the same time.
The final episode is worth a watch and will make you contemplate on the country and the various kinds of people who inhabit it, like you’ve never done before.
Nepali – A TV Blog airs on Avenues TV every Saturday at 8:30 am and on Sundays at 9:30 pm. The series, hosted by Yubakar and directed by Tsering Choden, will also be available on YouTube <youtube.com/user/nepalitvblog>