View from Chez Phil

Kathmandu Was Kasthamandap...

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March 12th 2011
Ok, so it doesn't have quite the same jaunty ring as the They Might Be Giants’ classic "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", but humor me. It seemed like a good idea in the moment. The name issue, though, does get at the heart of something I learned on my recent trip to Nepal: that Kathmandu is a whole lot more complicated than I would have ever imagined. First of all, today’s massive urban spra ... read more

Asia » Nepal » Kathmandu

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In 1951, the Nepalese monarch ended the century-old system of rule by hereditary premiers and instituted a cabinet system of government. Reforms in 1990 established a multiparty democracy within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. A Maoist in... ... read more