Today I had a chat with Bishnu who joined my mosaic studio a couple of days ago. In doing so she was reunited with her sister, Sunita, who had been sent by their family to a different circus. It was the first time they had met in 12 years. I was interested to speak with Bishnu as she had come back in January from the Indian circus that we'll be raiding on Friday; I don't know why she returned - probably the end of her contract or an injury - and I didn't ask as it can sound quite accusatory. Why are you back while all your sisters are still inside?
I could see her tense up at the mention of the circus owner's name, Phateh Khan (see previous post of that title). When she left the circus there were 25 girls there, all but four of whom were Nepali. She confirmed for me that just about all of them would want to return home really badly. As I had expected though, a few will have become involved with the circus staff sexually and after that happens there is no future for them back in Nepal. They will not wish to come with us. I will be leaving on Thursday morning for India, and the team will enter the circus on Friday.
This afternoon I fitted a mosaic logo at a friend's shop, "Elephant House", on Durba Marg. It's a really fascinating little place that sells very unsusual and classy items for Kathmandu. On the way home I mused over the posters on the hoarding boards that are advertising current Nepali movies that seem to glorify the recently-ended "People's War" from the Maoist perspective. It is never appropriate to glamourise war and so soon after the deaths of at least twelve thousand people on both sides this seems doubly obscene.
