UWB Note: Nepali blogging in UCLA. See this page.
By Dinesh Wagle
Saturday Blog
Wagle Street Journal, American Edition
“Waw..,” she couldn’t hide her excitement. She was constantly saying “wow”and “waou” and “hum” as he was speaking about the relationship of private citizens in public life. I don’t know who she was but I could easily guess she was an American woman in the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion of Los Angeles’s famous Music Center “Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County”. And the speaker was Bill Clinton, the former president of the United States. People had gone there buying tickets just to listen to what Clinton had to say. I was privileged enough to have a complimentary ticked as I am traveling to the United States as a guest of the State Department. Humm… After staying in Washington DC about four days I am in the city of LA. Traffic? Even my friend who lives in San Francisco and Palm Springs found it difficult to navigate through all those entrance and exits of Free Ways and Highways. Touched the sea water for the first time in life in Santa Monica Beach and went to Hollywood. Yea, went to the Mc Donald’s in DC and had a Big Mac but I am not thinking of going back again. Went to an American house, saw the lifestyle. Went with an American youngster and interacted about the young life in America.
Journalism and Democracy? That’s what my program is all about. But who cares about tall those theoretical aspects of the profession when journalists are being arrested and beaten back in home. Again, the Clinton speech. He talked about the importance of private citizens in public life citing the examples of how Bill Gates and Bono (and the Time Magazine cover about them). He also talked about the importance of Internet via which private citizens can contribute in public operations. That was a good speech. And the way he presented his views was really fascinating. He was actually feeling the pulse of his audiences. When they felt bored he would crack a joke or two and the people in the hall (a big one, really) would laugh.
Two beautiful girls were seated just in front of me and I was keenly observing their body language (no, with all good intentions!) as Clinton was speaking in the Pavilion. For them, that was a really great movie and they didn’t want to miss a single word that Clinton uttered. I wanted to talk to them but for some unknown reasons didn’t feel like talking to them about the speech and their visit to the Music Center. Probably I was too shy to talk with girls at the moment! I don’t know. But I was surprised to see everyone in the hall seemed to be enjoying the speech to the fullest. I was really amazed to see how Clinton successfully captured the complete attention of his audiences. Yea, that was like watching a movie without even moving your body. That was truly a prefect blend of politics and appeal of a celebrity.
Anyway, I had to know the American perspective about the speech culture anyway. So I looked for a gentleman whom I could ask the question and get a satisfactory answer. I found a man standing on the first floor of the pavilion. “Well,” the man replied, “I don’t know why Americans pay to listen to a politician because I am a British and I came here because I like him and I worked here in the US when he was President. His successor destroyed all he established in those eight years in White House.”
To my surprise, it turned out that this man had done a trekking in Annapurna circuit and spent a few days in Kathmandu.
Personal Note: I posted this from University of Southern California. I am staying in a hotel called Omni Hotels. Room no. 824. Phone: 213 617 3300 Will be here for the next five days.
United We Blog 
Comments
20 responses to “Listening Clinton Speech in LA”
Mr Wagle, would you care to explain in greater detail why my tax money is paying for your trip to USA? Yes, even as a student, we have to pay taxes which is subsidizing your lounging in $200 a night Omni. I may have to write to my senator that money could have been better spent in building a few schools over there.
A good break from all the reads abt the chaos here. Have fun!
DW said “….Two beautiful girls were seated just in front of me and I was keenly observing their body language….I wanted to talk to them but for some unknown reasons didn’t feel like talking to them …. Probably I was too shy to talk with girls at the moment! I don’t know…..
Just B careful of Sexual Harassment if one talks with ladies here just because she is so so beautiful….had nabhako jibro latpatina sakchha
It is definitely “Wow Wow” for C’s speech. The fact is he doesn’t deliver speeches for free. An hour of his speech cost at least a $100K…. I read so somewhere in the internet news or Forbes…
Hope you are enjoying your trips. Great to know you had a taste of McD…
Wagle, napauneley kera payo, chiya ma chopera khayo . Congratulations !
wagle bro nepali bhayera gai ko masu khanu bhaye na ni pap lagcha.big mac!!!!!
Dear Wagle,
Congratulations on your trip to America. I ran across your blog one day purely by accident when I was looking up some news items on Nepal. I have continued to come back and read it every now and then. I have to say I find your blog interesting (particularly the photography). Your blogs have given a real sense of being there in a way that traditional news sources or even magazine journalism does not.
Actually I live right here in Los Angeles – since I have enjoyed reading your blog and have learned from it,I think (if I can find some free time) I may even stop by to hear your talk on Wednesday at UCLA.
Regarding your dining choices of McDonalds. I can’t understand your great joy to eat there but I also understand everyone thinks that it is such a part of American culture. But if you really love hamburgers/fast food – you really should try In-n-Out ( http://www.in-n-out.com/freshness.asp ) – they’re 100% better then McDonalds! Speaking of the food in L.A., the great thing about Los Angeles is not eating at McDonalds, but the fact that you can get food here from any country in the world (yes, even Nepalese).
Regarding your coment concerning American “lifestyle” – I urge you, if you can, to drive by Downtown “Skid Row” area to see some of our homeless population
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez16oct16-series-2,0,7749507.special
This will give you another perspective on American life. Although this is a country of amazing opportunities, there are approx. 90,000 homeless in Los Angeles –
http://www.urm.com/partner/Article_Display_Page/0,,PTID312006|CHID585536|CIID1828216,00.html
Wagle, I hope you enjoy your experience in Los Angeles. And I am certainly glad you got your chance to finally see the ocean (Yes Nepal is full of natural beauty but I cannot imagine what it would be like to live in a landlocked country).
Well good luck and blessings for your life and hopefully one of these days in the near future your country will find peace: I look forward to reading good news from Nepal on your blog!!!
P.S. You too think Bill Clinton is such a talented public speaker?! Disregarding political views, I could never understand why people thought he was so gifted that way but to each his own I guess.
Well Mr Wagle,
at least you must have found out how I tasted between a doubledecker.
Indeed, Wagly is acting like a fool, IVP program is to educate people about American Democracy, but Wagle think he is SMART…Yes, now it is time for all of us to write to our respective Congressman or Senator about it attach Wagle’s clips there too.
It seems like Wagle doesn’t have any professionalism. He is hurting other professional journalist.
freedom fighter rotting in nepal, and this one is enjoying american freedom, good for him.
reader:
Don’t flatter yourself too much my friend. Yes you have to pay taxes but you get back all the money withheld with the exception of social security tax which is ear marked for specific social security causes.
What the hell is your problem anyway? Mr. Wagle is a fantatic journalist and Nepal needs more people like him.
“my tax money is paying for your trip to USA?” my ass!
Mr. Wagle,
Congratulations on your trip to USA. Hope you are learning a lot! I know sometimes it’s difficult to grasp another culture, lifestyle and even food. City life in US is totally different than remote middle america(idaho,utah etc). You can see all these rich people, high rise buildings in the city but if you could experience middle america you will be surprised how conservative, poor and surprisly racist they can be. The sad truth about american journalism is that it is also being controlled by the government to some degree. People in America aren’t getting enough coverage of the news. And unfortunately most people believe those news are the only source of their information. They don’t know that they are not getting the real information and that there are various other sources to get real information. Which is real saddening considering this is a country of “Free Speech”.
By the way there are other excellent restaurants in USA than Macdonald. New York,Boston, San Francisco are some of the renowned culinary cities. Good Luck!!
bhudai pundit – another know-it-all zero-accomplishment armchair intellect – your assumption that every student gets all tax back is your narrow views. You see, people with real income can also be student. Who’s questioning Mr Wagle’s credentials here? Funding his wasteful trip is. Unless of course if Mr Wagle cares to tell us what else he is taking back? BTW, that letter to the senator is in mail.
“Little knowledge is dengerous” . Shame on you bhudai pundit, If you don’t have clue or knowledge on American Tax system, why you are commenting on the issue, you are wrong, all the tax payers will not get their money back, go to http://www.irs.com and read….you stupid
Sammy:
You are an idiot and you should read the above posts carefully before making a half-assed ill informed comment.
You you bothered to read the posts you will see that “reader” claimed he was a student – which means that it is most likely he will make less then $35,000 which means that he will get pretty much everything withheld!!!!
Read the post carefully before you say something you dumb F**k.
Reader will know who is idiot, you or me….
you are such a nasty guy using those kind of words in public forum…is it idiot forum or what???? You got to come up with logic..if you are single making more than $3500 per year you have to pay tax in USA. You are a man with know brain, if you have little brain you should come up with logic than those nasty F words. Sorry to incounter with guy like you i will not waste my precious and valuable time to reply to you any more.
Good heavens!
He is a student so he is making less then $35,000!!!! Less not more!! Why don’t you check out the irs site you told me about!
By the way it’s not really logic it’s the law.
I might not have a brain but at least I can spell!
Sammy says:
“You are a man with know brain”
I guess reader will know who the idiot is.
what sh!t speeches of Clinton,its useless on the nepalese chapter.shuld listern the GKing’s speeches to point our the country’s direction.
what sh!t nepalese are here saying that eating beef is an evil for nepalese…simpleton old folks Hindu stu9id minded.That is vey i told you these Nepali Hindu people are still living in the dark age. Go US and listern the speech of CLinton to change your dark Hindusm views -don’t forget Clinton is a lady trapper.
Mr Wagle,
Now you knew that why Ms Hillary never hate Bill. People paid for his speach but Hillary ever get it free of coast. So….
Anyway, don’t be very shy infront of beautiful ladies. Lets’s try to talk to them. After talking to them your visit might be very meaningful.
auda USA bata niskane newspapers\magezine sake jati lyaunu hola.
Blogging from Nepal in UCLA annoucement says – On February 1, 2005, Nepalese ruler King Gyanendra dismissed Nepal’s standing government, assumed absolute power over the country and declared a state of emergency. Communications — telephone, Internet, radio and television — were all cut off. Contact was restored days later, but the new royal government issued a Royal Proclamation that placed restrictions on the press and served as a warning to journalists who dared to challenge the authority of the King.
Dinesh Wagle’s blog was one of the few Nepalese sources of news that was defying the proclamation. A March, 2005 Reuters article cited United We Blog! as a pioneer in Nepal’s alternative media landscape. Wagle, a reporter for Nepal’s largest daily newspaper, Kantipur Daily, says he blogs to evade censorship in Nepal following the coup more than one year ago.
Now, is Mr Wagle going to even mention anything on the Maoists and the party politics which is equally, if not more, responsible for bringing down the country this far? Is he going to talk about how the incompetent party leaders fueled the fire of Maoist atrocities? Is he even going to go into how the outdated notion of communist dictatorship catches on among the frogs of Nepal pond?
I hope he does, otherwise his US tax-payer paid trip will be just another waste.
Dinesh, what are you getting out of this trip? so far you have given us one innocous posting about pretty girls in front of you at a clinton speech. wow, how many peopl ein the whole WORLd get to hear Bill Clinton one of our great former presidents speak, and that’s all you have to say? I hope your future posts are more enlightening.
Speaking of tax payers money, I think our government is doing the right thing in inviting bloggers like Dinesh. I Understand their rational. But in our country, we do have a right to question how OUR (repeat OUR) tax payer money is used. I pay a lot of taxes, and i damn well write my senators and congressmen and let them know how I feel…this is a privilege of living in a country like the USA, where some of our public officials actually do listen to us and care, and where we still feel we can make change…
So, Dinesh, awaiting some informative posts, not just nonsensical blathering on, much ado about nothing. Considering you are traveling fairly first class (yes, a $200 plus a night hotel is not too shabby, especially when it is “on us” so to speak), you would expect to get a bit more in depth commentary. Or perhaps the whole point of the trip is lost on you, and you just want to check out the girls and the american “culture”…you could have just as easily done that by turning on an episode of Bay Watch from your tv in kathmandu.