Sugar Rush: Nepal's Sticky Situation
Let's not overlook our tea shop owners
Coffee Guff
November 09, 2023
Nepal's recent sugar crisis is like a scene straight out of a dietitian's dream journal—where sugar is not just bad for your health, but also for your wallet and patience. The government's approach to sugar distribution has been more mysterious than the secret recipe of Coca-Cola. It's as if they decided to play Willy Wonka, except the golden tickets are real, and instead of a chocolate factory, you get to stand in a queue hoping for a kilo of the sweet stuff.
The streets of Kathmandu, once famous for the hustle and bustle, are now known for the rustle of sugar packets being exchanged like contraband. Citizens, who used to gossip about politics and cricket, are now whispering coordinates for the next sugar drop. Sabinjung Karki, our protagonist from Pipra, has turned into a modern-day Robin Hood, except he's not stealing from the rich; he's just buying sugar from KTM to sustain his sister's tea addiction in her hometown.
And let's not overlook our tea shop owners, now moonlighting as sugar sleuths, decoding the enigma of government rationing. Dhirendra Rana, a local chaiwala, is now more adept at navigating sugar queues than the complexities of his tea business. It appears the new recipe for masala tea in Kathmandu involves two parts patience, a dash of hope, and a sprinkle of sugar—if you're lucky.
While the bigwigs and moguls in the sugar saga have their warehouses brimming, it's the average Joe who's left to ponder the bittersweet taste of capitalism. As Tihar inches closer and the government plays hot potato with sugar stocks, the people of Nepal are left to marvel at the irony: a festival of lights with perhaps not enough sugar to sweeten the deal.
In conclusion, if you're in Nepal and your sweet tooth is acting up, you might just have to wait for the sugar dust to settle—literally and figuratively. Until then, let's raise a platter of sugarless sel roti and chia to the spirit of festivity and the hope that the only thing that remains scarce in Nepal is a dull moment.oop around our private chats." Stay tuned as they hash it out!
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