The Best Movies: 2000-2009 (updated list)

The ‘10s and ‘20s are fondly remembered for Chaplin; German Expressionist films; other masterpieces of the silent era (from Murnau, Eisenstein, Griffith, Lang, Dreyer, Flaherty, etc.); the first Hollywood superstars such as Rudolph Valentino, Buster Keaton, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Lon Chaney, and Lilian Gish; and the arrival of sound. The ‘30s for glittering Depression-era musicals, family films, screwball comedies, and Disney. The ‘40s for film noir, Westerns, WWII propaganda and morality tales. The ‘50s for Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Italian neorealism, the rise of other world cinema, and Cold War-paranoia sci-fi flicks. The ‘60s for Technicolor epics, youth-oriented pop films, and French New Wave. The ‘70s for its maverick directors (Altman, Allen, Scorsese, Polanski, Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas, Bertolucci, De Palma, Lumet, Pakula, etc.) The ‘80s for modern summer blockbusters and teen flicks. The ‘90s for indie filmmaking, East Asian cinema (Zhang Yimou, Wong Kar-Wai, Ang Lee, etc.), and the rise of CGI. What will this film decade be remembered for?

This is an update of an entry I originally posted three years ago. Below is a running list of movies in alphabetical order that I will eventually rank and post again around this time next year. Of course there are still a lot of great movies from this decade that I simply have not seen (example: the works of Lav Diaz), that's why they're not here. If there are some other movies you think are missing, hmmm, maybe I just didn't like them that much (A Beautiful who? Mystic what?). Eventually, I will also be providing a list of what I think were the best performances, memorable characters, scenes/sequences, and technical achievements.

I would like to think that this is a good starting point to appreciate the cinema of this decade. Pretentious! Watch, or re-watch, these movies and tell me what you think.


24-Hour Party People (Michael Winterbottom, 2002) Web: http://www.partypeoplemovie.com/

28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, 2002) Web: http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/28dayslater/main.php?deeplink=

4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu, 2007) Web: http://www.4months3weeksand2days.com/blog/index.php

800 Balas (Alex de la Iglesia, 2002) Web: http://www.clubcultura.com/clubcine/clubcineastas/delaiglesia/800balasoficial/


9/11 (James Hanlon, Rob Klug, Gedeon Naudet, Jules Naudet, 2002) Web: http://www.amazon.com/11-Filmmakers-Commemorative-Tony-Benatatos/dp/B00006B1HI

A History of Violence (David Cronenberg, 2005) Web: http://www.historyofviolence.com/

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg, 2001) Web: http://www.warnerbros.co.uk/video/ai/index.html

Adaptation (Spike Jonze, 2002) Web: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/adaptation-superbit/index.html

Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001) Web: http://www.die-fabelhafte-welt-der-amelie.de/

American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000) Web: http://homevideo.universalstudios.com/americanpsycho/

American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini, 2003) Web: http://www.americansplendormovie.com/main.html

An Inconvenient Truth (Davis Guggenheim, 2006) Web: http://www.climatecrisis.net/

Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (Aureus Solito, 2005) Web: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pagdadalaga_ni_maximo_oliveros/; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479506/

Apocalypto (Mel Gibson, 2006) Web: http://video.movies.go.com/apocalypto/

Arisan! (Nia Di Nata, 2003) Web: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/29/nia-dinata-all-it-takes-courage.html

Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) (Zacharias Kunuk, 2001) Web: http://atanarjuat.com/

Avatar (James Cameron, 2009) Web: http://www.avatarmovie.com/

Baadasssss! (Mario Van Peebles, 2003) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/badass/


Bad Education (Pedro Almodovar, 2004) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/badeducation/

Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan, 2005) Web: http://www2.warnerbros.com/batmanbegins/index.html

Battle For Haditha (Nick Broomfield, 2007) Web: http://www.surreal-films.com/haditha/

Battle Royale (Kinji Fukasaku, 2000) Web: http://www.battleroyalefilm.net/

Before Sunset (Richard Linklater, 2004) Web: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040702/REVIEWS/407020312/1023

Belleville Rendezvous (The Triplets of Belleville) (Sylvain Chomet, 2003) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/triplets/


Best In Show (Christopher Guest, 2000) Web: http://bestinshowonline.warnerbros.com/

Black Book (Paul Verhoeven, 2006) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/blackbook/

Bloody Sunday (Paul Greengrass, 2002) Web: http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/1813

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Larry Charles, 2006) Web: http://www.boratonline.co.uk/

Born Into Brothels (Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman, 2004) Web: http://kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels/film.php

Bowling For Columbine (Michael Moore, 2002) Web: http://www.michaelmoore.com/books-films/facts/bowling-columbine

Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005) Web: http://www.brokebackmountain.com/

Bus 174 (Jose Padilha, Felipe Lacerda, 2002) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340468/

Caché (Hidden) (Michael Haneke, 2005) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/cache/

Camp (Todd Graff, 2003) Web: http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/filmmaking.asp?ID=46

Capturing The Friedmans (Andrew Jarecki, 2003) Web: http://www.capturingthefriedmans.com/main.html

Cars (John Lasseter, 2006) Web: http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/cars/

Casino Royale (Martin Campbell, 2006) Web: http://www.sonypictures.co.uk/movies/casinoroyale/index.html

Cast Away (Robert Zemeckis, 2000) Web: http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=2574

Catch Me If You Can (Steven Spielberg, 2002) Web: http://www.dreamworks.com/catchthem/jump2.html

Chicago (Rob Marshall, 2002) Web: http://www.miramax.com/chicago/


Chicken Run (Peter Lord, Nick Park, 2000) Web: http://www.aardman.com/features/released-features/chicken-run/

Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron, 2006) Web: http://www.childrenofmen.net/

Children Underground (Edet Belzberg, 2001) Web: http://www.indiewire.com/article/interview_edet_belzbergs_children_underground_brings_the_lives_of_romanian_/

Chuck & Buck (Miguel Arteta, 2000) Web: http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9803E1D61F38F937A25754C0A9669C8B63

Chunhyang (Im Kwon-taek, 2000) Web: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chunhyang/

Cinderella Man (Ron Howard, 2005) Web: http://www.cinderellamanmovie.com/index.php

City of God (Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund, 2002) Web: http://cidadededeus.globo.com/

Curse of the Golden Flower (Zhang Yimou, 2006) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/curseofthegoldenflower/

Dark Days (Marc Singer, 2000) Web: http://www.palmpictures.com/film/dark-days.php


Dave Chapelle's Block Party (Michel Gondry, 2005) Web: http://www.chappellesblockparty.com/

Deliver Us From Evil (Amy Berg, 2006) Web: http://www.deliverusfromevilthemovie.com/index_flash.php

Devdas (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, 2002) Web: http://devdas.indiatimes.com/

District 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009) Web: http://www.d-9.com/

Dogtown and Z-Boys (Stacy Peralta, 2001) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/dogtown/

Dogville (Lars Von Trier, 2003) Web: http://www.iconmovies.co.uk/dogville/

Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001) Web: http://www.donniedarkofilm.com/

Downfall (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2004) Web: http://www.downfallthefilm.com/

Elf (Jon Favreau, 2003) Web: http://movies.about.com/cs/elf/a/elfjonfavreau.htm

Erin Brockovich (Steven Soderbergh, 2000) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0195685/

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004) Web: http://www.eternalsunshine.com/

Fahrenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore, 2004) Web: http://www.fahrenheit911.com/

Fantasia 2000 (Eric Goldberg, et al, 2000) Web: http://www.awn.com/mag/issue4.08/4.08pages/schifffantasia.php3


Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009) Web: http://www.fantasticmrfoxmovie.com/

Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002) Web: http://www.farfromheavenmovie.com/

Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich, 2003) Web: http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/findingnemo/index2.html

Frost/Nixon (Ron Howard, 2008) Web: http://www.frostnixon.net/

Gangs of New York (Martin Scorsese, 2002) Web: http://urbanography.com/5_points/

Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001) Web: http://www.ghostworld-themovie.com/

Gladiator (Ridley Scott, 2000) Web: http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/gladiator.html

Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2008) Web: http://www.thegrantorino.com/

Grindhouse: Planet Terror and Death Proof (Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino, 2007) Web: http://www.grindhousemovie.net/

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Alfonso Cuaron, 2004) Web: http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell, 2001) Web: http://www.get-hed.com/


Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Guillermo Del Toro, 2008) Web: http://www.hellboymovie.com/

Hero (Zhang Yimou, 2002) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/

High Fidelity (Stephen Frears, 2000) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146882/

Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007) Web: http://www.hotfuzz.com/

Hotel Rwanda (Terry George, 2004) Web: http://www.unitedartists.com/hotelrwanda/intro.html

House of Sand and Fog (Vadim Perelman, 2003) Web: http://www.dreamworks.com/houseofsandandfog/

Howl’s Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004) Web: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/castle/

I Am Legend (Francis Lawrence, 2007) Web: http://iamlegend.warnerbros.com/

In America (Jim Sheridan, 2002) Web: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/inamerica/

In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, 2000) Web: http://www.wkw-inthemoodforlove.com/

In This World (Michael Winterbottom, 2002) Web: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3591961/The-best-British-film-of-my-lifetime.html

Infernal Affairs (Wai Keung Laum Siu Fai Mak, 2002) Web: http://www.tfmdistribution.com/infernalaffairs/

Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009) Web: http://www.inglouriousbasterds-movie.com/

Inland Empire (David Lynch, 2006) Web: http://www.inlandempirecinema.com/

Jarhead (Sam Mendes, 2005) Web: http://www.jarheadmovie.com/

Jay (Francis Xavier Pasion, 2008) Web: http://oggsmoggs.blogspot.com/2008/07/jay-2008.html

Kandahar (Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 2001) Web: http://www.makhmalbaf.com/movies.php?m=10


Kekexili (Mountain Patrol) (Chuan Lu, 2004) Web: http://nationalgeographic.com/mountainpatrol/

Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2 (Quentin Tarantino, 2003-2004) Web: http://www.tarantino.info/wiki/index.php/Kill_Bill_References_Guide; http://www.tfmdistribution.fr/killbill/

King Kong (Peter Jackson, 2005) Web: http://www.kongisking.net/

Knocked Up (Judd Apatow, 2007) Web: http://www.knockedupmovie.com/

Kubrador (Jeffrey Jeturian, 2006) Web: http://tornandfrayed.typepad.com/tornandfrayed/2006/08/kubrador.html

Kung-Fu Hustle (Stephen Chow, 2004) Web: http://www.kungfuhustle.com/

L'Enfant (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/thechild/

Lagaan (Ashutosh Gowariker, 2001) Web: http://www.lagaan.com/

Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008) Web: http://www.lettherightoneinmovie.com/

Letters From Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood, 2006) Web: http://wwws.warnerbros.co.jp/iwojima-movies/

Lost In La Mancha (Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, 2002) Web: http://www.smart.co.uk/lostinlamancha/

Lost In Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003) Web: http://www.lost-in-translation.com/

Lupang Hinarang (Ditsi Carolino, 2009) Web: http://www.lupanghinarang.com/

Man On Wire (James Marsh, 2008) Web: http://manonwire.com/

March of the Penguins (Luc Jacquet, 2005) Web: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/marchofthepenguins/

Maria Full of Grace (Joshua Marston, 2004) Web: http://www.mariafullofgrace.com/

Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006) Web: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/marieantoinette/index.html

Marooned In Iraq (Bahman Ghobadi, 2002) Web: http://filmsufi.blogspot.com/2008/08/marooned-in-iraq-bahman-ghobadi-2002.html

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Peter Weir, 2003) Web: http://www.inquiry.net/patrol/training/movies.htm

Match Point (Woody Allen, 2005) Web: http://www.matchpoint.dreamworks.com/

Mean Creek (Jacob Aaron Estes) Web: http://www.meancreekmovie.com/

Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000) Web: http://www.otnemem.com/

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, 2004) Web: http://www.ugo.com/channels/music/features/metallica_somekindofmonster/

Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008) Web: http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/milk/

Minority Report (Steven Spielberg, 2002) Web: http://www.foxjapan.com/movies/minority/index.html

Moolaadé (Ousmane Sembene, 2004) Web: http://www.seanax.com/2008/03/01/ousmane-sembene-godfather-of-black-african-cinema/

Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2001) Web: http://www.bazthegreatsite.com/moulinrouge.htm

Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001) Web: http://www.mulholland-drive.net/

Munich (Steven Spielberg, 2005) Web: http://www.munichmovie.com/

Murderball (Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro, 2005) Web: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/murderball/21013/main


My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, 2007) Web: http://www.mywinnipeg.co.uk/

No Country For Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007) Web: http://video.movies.go.com/nocountryforoldmen/

No End In Sight (Charles Ferguson, 2007) Web: http://www.noendinsightmovie.com/

No Man’s Land (Danis Tanovic, 2001) Web: http://www.unitedartists.com/nomansland/

Ocean's Trilogy (Steven Soderbergh, 2001-2007) Web: http://oceans11.warnerbros.com/main_noflash.html

Oldboy (Park Chan-Wook, 2003) Web: http://www.mandiapple.com/snowblood/oldboy.htm

Oliver Twist (Roman Polanski, 2005) Web: www.sonypictures.com/movies/olivertwist/

One Hour Photo (Mark Romanek, 2002) Web: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/onehourphoto/

Osama (Siddiq Barmak, 2003) Web: http://www.osamamovie.com/

Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro, 2006) Web: http://www.panslabyrinth.com/

Paradise Now (Hany Abu-Assad, 2005) Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Now

Pauline & Paulette (Lieven Debrauwer, 2001) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/paulineandpaulette/

Pisay (Auraeus Solito, 2007) Web: http://www.pisaythemovie.com.ph/

Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea (Hayao Miyazaki, 2008) Web: http://www.ghibli.jp/ponyo/

Ratatouille (Brad Bird, 2007) Web: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/ratatouille/

Requiem For A Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000) Web: http://www.reelviews.net/movies/r/requiem_dream.html

Riles (Ditsi Carolino, 2003) Web: http://www.pinoyfilm.com/riles-a-movie-executed-to-perfection

Rize (David LaChapelle, 2005) Web: http://www.lachapellestudio.com/film/rize/

Russian Ark (Alexander Sokurov, 2002) Web: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/features/russian-ark.shtml

Saraband (Ingmar Bergman, 2003) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/saraband/

Scratch (Doug Pray, 2001) Web: http://www.metrofilms.com/scratch/platine1.html


Secret Ballot (Babak Payami, 2001) Web: http://ferdyonfilms.com/2008/11/secret-ballot-raye-makhfi-2001.php

Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer, 2000) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203119/

Shattered Glass (Billy Ray, 2003) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323944/

Shrek 2 (Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon, 2004) Web: http://www.shrek2.com/

Sideways (Alexander Payne, 2004) Web: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/sideways/

Sin City (Robert Rodriguez with Quentin Tarantino, 2005) Web: http://video.movies.go.com/sincity/

Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle, 2008) Web: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/

Spellbound (Jeffrey Blitz, 2002) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0334405/

Spider-Man 2 (Sam Raimi, 2004) Web: http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/spider-man2/index.html

Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001) Web: http://www.spiritedaway.com.au/

Standard Operating Procedure (Errol Morris, 2008) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/standardoperatingprocedure/

Star Wars Episode VI: The Revenge of the Sith (George Lucas, 2005) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121766/

Startup.Com (Chris Hagedus and Jehane Noujaim, 2001) Web: http://www.documentaryfilms.net/Reviews/StartUp/

A State of Mind (Daniel Gordon, 2004) Web: http://www.astateofmind.co.uk/


Super Size Me (Morgan Spurlock, 2004) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521/combined

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (Park Chan-Wook, 2005) Web: http://www.lady-vengeance.de/

Syndromes and A Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2006) Web: http://www.kickthemachine.com/works/Syndromes.html

Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/synecdocheny/

Tae Guk Gi (The Brotherhood of War) (Kang Je-gyu, 2004) Web: http://www.haro-online.com/movies/taegukgi.html

Talk To Her (Pedro Almodovar, 2002) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/talktoher/

Tarnation (Jonathan Caouette, 2003) Web: http://jonathancaouette.blogspot.com/

Taxi To The Dark Side (Alex Gibney, 2007) Web: http://www.taxitothedarkside.co.uk/

Team America: World Police (Trey Parker, 2004) Web: http://www.teamamerica.com/

The Best of Youth (Marco Tullio Giordana, 2003) Web: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/best_of_youth/


The Bourne Trilogy (Doug Liman, Paul Greengrass, 2002-2007) Web: http://www.thebourneultimatum.com/

The Constant Gardener (Fernando Meirelles, 2005) Web: http://www.theconstantgardener.com/

The Count of Monte Cristo (Kevin Reynolds, 2002) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245844/

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher, 2008) Web: http://www.benjaminbutton.com/

The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/officialsites

The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006) Web: http://thedeparted.warnerbros.com/

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007) Web: http://video.movies.go.com/thedivingbellandthebutterfly/main.html

The Fog of War (Errol Morris, 2003) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/fogofwar/

The Gleaners and I (Agnes Varda, 2000) Web: http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/film.php?directoryname=gleanersandi&mode=filmmaker

The Incredible Hulk (Louis Leterrier, 2008) Web: http://incrediblehulk.marvel.com/

The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2005) Web: http://www.pixar.com/featurefilms/incredibles/ ; http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/incredibles/

The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/thelivesofothers/

The Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson, 2001-2003) Web: http://www.lordoftherings.net/

The Man Without A Past (Aki Kaurismaki, 2002) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/manwithoutapast/index_flash.html

The New World (Terrence Malick, 2005) Web: http://www.thenewworldmovie.com/


The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson, 2004) Web: http://www.thepassionofthechrist.com/

The Pianist (Roman Polanski, 2002) Web: http://www.thepianistmovie.com/

The Queen (Stephen Frears, 2006) Web: http://www.thequeen-movie.com/

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Kim Bartley and Donnacha O'Briain, 2003) Web: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/storyville/chavez.shtml

The Road to Guantanamo (Michael Winterbottom, 2006) Web: http://www.roadtoguantanamomovie.com/

The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001) Web: http://www.royaltenenbaums.com/

The School of Rock (Richard Linklater, 2003) Web: http://www.schoolofrockmovie.com/

The Syrian Bride (Eran Riklis, 2004) Web: http://www.syrianbride.com/

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (Tommy Lee Jones, 2005) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/threeburials/

The War Tapes (Deborah Scranton, 2006) Web: http://www.thewartapes.com/the_film/

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (Judy Irving, 2003) Web: http://www.wildparrotsfilm.com/


The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008) Web: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thewrestler/

There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) Web: http://www.bvimovies.com/fr/twbb/

Tony Takitani (Jun Ichikawa, 2004) Web: http://www.tonytakitani.com/

Touching The Void (Kevin Macdonald, 2003) Web: http://www.haro-online.com/movies/touching_the_void.html

Traffic (Steven Soderbergh, 2000) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181865/

Tropa de Elite (Jose Padilha, 2007) Web: http://www.tropadeeliteofilme.com.br/

Tribu (Jim Libiran, 2007) Web: http://jimdiamond.multiply.com/

Tsotsi (Gavin Hood, 2005) Web: http://www.tsotsi.com/english/index.php

Tuhog (Jeffrey Jeturian, 2001) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291530/

Tulad ng Dati (Mike Sandejas, 2006) Web: http://www.thedawn.ph/

Tulpan (Sergei Dvortsevoy, 2008) Web: http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/tulpan/

U-Carmen eKhayelitsha (Mark Dornford-May, 2005) Web: http://www.u-carmen.co.za/home.htm


Unbreakable (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000) Web: http://www.mnight.com/unbreakable

Under The Sand (Francois Ozon, 2000) Web: http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/2138/

United 93 (Paul Greengrass, 2006) Web: http://www.flight93.net/

V For Vendetta (James McTeigue, 2006) Web: http://vforvendetta.warnerbros.com/

Volver (Pedro Almodovar, 2006) Web: http://www.sonyclassics.com/volver/

Waking Life (Richard Linklater, 2001) Web: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/wakinglife/

Wall-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008) Web: http://adisney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/wall-e/

When The Levees Broke (Spike Lee, 2006) Web: http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/whentheleveesbroke/?ntrack_para1=leftnav_category6_show0

Wonder Boys (Curtis Hanson, 2000) Web: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185014/

Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron, 2001) Web: http://www.mgm.com/title_title.do?title_star=YTUMAMAT ; http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/movies/review/2002/03/15/y_tu_mama/index.html


Yi Yi (A One and A Two...) (Edward Yang, 2000) Web: http://www.combustiblecelluloid.com/yiyi.shtml

Zatoichi (Takeshi Kitano, 2003) Web: http://office-kitano.co.jp/zatoichi/

Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007) Web: http://www.zodiacmovie.com/

The hour that changed my life

The title above came from a regular feature that Manila's Pulp magazine used to have, in which musicians listed down the songs most special to them. Yes, albums are just half the story of our lives in music. Many great songs just weren't contained in great albums (best example: most Motown artists and most Filipino artists). And more than artistic creations, songs are time capsules that will always take us back to those moments that changed our lives, or at least made us appreciate our lives more.

Okay, that paragraph was waaay cornier that I expected it would be. Here are 20 of those songs in order of preference. They're here either because they're just simply great, or they make me emotional, or they remind me of specific really happy times, or all of the above. I'm surprised that most of them are Filipino songs; maybe they just mean more to me than the best of Dylan and Lennon-McCartney.


1. The Hustle - Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
2. Sa Ugoy ng Duyan - Lea Salonga
3. Manila - Hotdog
4. Heaven Give Me Words - Propaganda
5. Perfect - True Faith
6. Cry For Help - Rick Astley
7. Magsimula Ka - Leo Valdez
8. S'werte S'werte Lang - Joel Navarro
9. Gold (12-inch mix) - Spandau Ballet
10. Borderline - Madonna
11. Comfort In Your Strangeness - Cynthia Alexander (I die a little every time)
12. Pure Imagination - Gene Wilder (from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory")
13. Bongga Ka 'Day - Hotdog
14. Nais Ko - Basil Valdez
15. God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
16. Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen
17. Torpedo - Eraserheads
18. With A Smile - Eraserheads
19. Blue Jeans - Apo Hiking Society
20. Kahimanawari - Pinikpikan


The next hour

As - Stevie Wonder
Batang-Bata - Apo Hiking Society
Concrete Jungle - The Wailers
Daughter - Pearl Jam
Friend of Mine - Odette Quesada
Happiness - from "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown!"
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
High School - Sharon Cuneta
I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika - Hajji Alejandro
Kuwentong Looban - Binky Lampano
Mad Mathematical World - The Jerks
Manggagawa - Rody Vera
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye
Nessun Dorma (1990) - Luciano Pavarotti
Ngayon at Kailanman - Basil Valdez
A Samba Song - Bong Peñera
Think - Aretha Franklin
'Wag Mo Na Sanang Isipin - Gary Valenciano


I'm pretty sure that's more than an hour (Kashmir, hello?)

Top 15 albums

Yet another Facebook meme that I couldn't resist!

"Think of 15 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically, shaped your world."

Now list down your own top 15 and tag people.


1. Circus - Eraserheads
 

2. Cutterpillow - Eraserheads

3. ultraelectromagneticpop! - Eraserheads




4. Mga Awit ng Tanod-Lupa - Joey Ayala at Ang Bagong Lumad





5. Cha-Cha In Motion - Anastacio Mamaril and His Orchestra

6. Non-Stop Dancing 1976 - James Last




7. A Touch of Tabasco - Rosemary Clooney & Perez Prado




8. Getz/Gilberto - Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto




9. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico

10. Jesus Christ Superstar




11. The Imaculate Collection - Madonna




12. Graceland - Paul Simon




13. Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk

14. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye



15. Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys

Runners-up: Rent (Original Broadway Cast); Purple Rain (Prince & The Revolution); Put3Ska (Put3Ska); Stars (Simply Red); 10 of Another Kind! (Various Artists); Tough Hits (Tito, Vic & Joey); Smokey Mountain (Smokey Mountain); Kind of Blue (Miles Davis)

A passage to India

(3.19.08)

Nepal's most popular border crossing to India is in Bhairahawa, in the village of Sunauli about 10 minutes from the city center. We decided to go there on a lark late in the afternoon to check the area out, after a trip to Butwal, Rupandehi's biggest commercial area (more on Butwal later). Nepal shares a porous border with India, meaning citizens of both countries can come and go as they please without documents. This is the reason why the Terai is very India, because there are many Indians who have chosen to live here, plus the fact that the Terai used to be part of India, before Nepal became the nation that it is now. In fact, one can be forgiven to think that Nepal is still part of the subcontinent. Turn on the TV and you'll see Bollywood and Indian channels. Look at the people, their physical features, the way they dress. Most Nepalis can understand and speak Hindi. Indian currency is accepted in Nepal, and Nepalese currency accepted in certain parts of India. Hinduism. The caste system. The food, the cows and goats. And the current Indian Idol, Prashant Tamang, is Nepali.

The Terai has many problems unique to it because of its proximity to India. Several Indian terrorist groups sow fear in the Terai, and they reportedly operate from across the border. At least three of these groups have threatened to kill (or might have already done so) candidates and party members, and even observers for reasons I still don't know.

(Then there is the problem of the Madhes. The Madhesis claim to be the original inhabitants of the Terai, with strong ties to Indians. From what I've understood, they want the Terai to be a separate state, complaining that they have suffered discrimination from the hill peoples of Nepal who have descended on the Terai for greener pastures. The Terai is a strip of fertile flat land from east to west, where approximately 50% of Nepal's population currently reside. They started settling in the Terai some time in the 1950s if I'm not mistaken, when the area became a safe place to live in after the government did some serious fumigation to drive away malarial mosquitoes. Up to that point, most of the settlers in the area are the Tharus, a group of Southeast Asian-looking people who are said to have a natural immunity to malaria. They can still be found in some of the most rural of villages in the Terai, living in their traditional mud huts. We've met some of them, and it's actually quite cool inside them huts.)

Less than a kilometer from the border crossing, Mukti advised us to close the car windows, hide our cameras, and not to say anything. I think the idea was, if we would act natural, nobody would notice that we were actually foreigners. We can probably pass as Nepalis and cross the border without problem, but we did not want to take any chances and jeopardize our stature as international observers.

There's a big possibility that we won't be allowed to cross, but really, all I could think about was stepping on Indian soil, my dream country, visited on a lark one afternoon.

We parked the car a few meters from the border, just close enough to take a photo (sshh.) of the Welcome To India sign. Wow. Can I just run from here? Mukti got off the car and crossed the border to talk to the border police about the possibility of letting us in since we are international observers. Bless Mukti. He did it! He got permission for us to go in, but on two conditions: we can only go in for a short distance, and strictly no cameras.

Our car started to go in. The place was chaotic. Lots of trucks coming in and going out. Cars, vans, rickshaws packed with people and their belongings. Small shops everywhere selling Indian stuff: textile, food, newspapers, household goods, underwear! The noise. The density of people. I was loving every minute of it. I was really tempted to whip out my camera but Mukti kept reminding us that we were given a special favor, a privilege, so we better not break the rules. Sucks. We drove for a kilometer into India. (Into India!) How I wish we could drive further. A short distance from here, there's a bus that could take people to New Delhi in less than 24 hours. My fantasy was to make a side trip either to Tibet or to New Delhi after the mission, and also to visit Agra where the Taj Mahal is. But Tibet is an impossibility, and I read that it takes forever to get an Indian visa in Nepal. The best way to get a visa to India is to get it from one's own country, for bureucratic reasons. We were already far from the Indian police (whom I like to refer to as the Bollywood police with their big bellies, funny mustaches, and greenish brown uniforms, just like in the movies!), so I asked Mukti again if I can just take one picture; he agreed, and I managed to shoot a bajaj, proof that we did cross the border as there are no bajajs in Nepal.

At this point, all I could think about was to get off the car, plant my feet on Indian soil, and maybe kiss the ground. We went back to the border crossing, put on our observer IDs, and felt the ground on our feet. I'm in India! Let's shop. Air promptly disappeared into one of the textile shops. I hung around for a while in the shop but there was nothing for me there. In fact, it seems that all the shops here do not have traditional Indian stuff for guys. All the textile shops cater to women, with so many varieties of textile for saris, and accessories like bangles, bracelets, bindis, and the like. Finally, I saw a shop selling scarves similar to what the Indian men in their bicycles wear. I bought two. There was also a store selling Indian shoes. I've always wanted to have a pair of those Mughal-style shoes with curls at the toes. Yep, finally I got one, a little too big for me though, but it was the closest one and it's either I buy it or go back to Nepal with only two Indian scarves.

We were looking for Bhimji and the car and realized that he had parked at the Nepal side, so we started walking towards the gate. The prospect of just walking into another country thrilled me. Just before actually crossing, yep, I whipped out my camera with Mukti's approval and took photos of us under the Welcome To Nepal sign. (We also took photos of illegal Maoist campaign propaganda, but more on that later.)


And just like that, it was all over.

(More photos.)

Observing elections

(3.18.08)

So I'm here in Nepal to observe the parliamentary election. Before I left Manila, I already blogged about why people do it, but you may ask how it is done. Long before election day (1-3 months prior), the accredited international monitoring organizations, like the Asian Network For Free Elections (Anfrel), The Carter Center, and the European Union (EU) send long-term observers (LTOs) out to (if possible) all areas of the country. Let me backtrack a little. Take note of the word "accredited," as the election commission of the host country has to officially invite each organization. Once this is done, each organization then selects which people to invite as observers, based on experience and other qualifications. After that, the host election commission will then officially approve of and issue an ID for each international observer. Only upon approval by the election commission can the observer be certain that he/she can come to the country and do the job. For this election, Anfrel has 20 long-term observers. A week before election, more than 80 Anfrel short-term observers (STOs) will arrive, making the Anfrel delegation the biggest to observe Nepal's election, with more than a hundred observers and staff from about 30 countries.

Right. So during the pre-election period, LTOs, usually teamed in pairs and accompanied/assisted by local partners, will then go around all the areas assigned to them, interviewing people from the government, the political parties, candidates, teachers, the local media, community leaders, youth groups, and ordinary citizens, to get a sense of the pre-election environment. The goal of the LTOs at this stage is to come up with periodic reports about their areas, which will then be submitted to their headquarters in the capital for analysis and synthesis. The headquarters will then come out with periodic press statements leading up to election day. These statements are then picked up by news agencies like the AP and CNN, and reported to you at home in addition to what their reporters have gathered on their own. Since it is also the main goal of election monitoring organizations to assist the election commission of the host country to hold a free and fair election that will adhere to international standards, these press statements and reports will also contain recommendations for the government and political parties, which they will (hopefully) accept and follow.

For many stakeholders, the mere presence of international observers is enough. If people are aware that their activities are being observed by foreigners: a) they gain more confidence in the system and will be encouraged to go out on election day to vote; and b) in the case of potential troublemakers, they will think twice or suffer the indignity of being documented and perceived negatively by international organizations, especially in Asia where locals tend to give more importance to what international observers have to say.

About ten days before E-day, the STOs arrive. Prior to their arrival, the LTOs book their hotels, cars, interpreters, etc., anything to make their stay comfortable, as they don't really have time to do these things. Generally, in my observation, STOs tend to be older, the academic-types, or the too-young type with less experience in this sort of activity (I started out as an STO). STOs also tend to be less adventurous than LTOs, so LTOs see to it that they don't feel inconvenienced during their short stay out in the field, or else they'll be breaking down our necks, or worse, say negative things about their experience at the headquarters, even if unwarranted. (I should know. In a previous mission, one STO complained in the capital that the vehicle I booked was not a four-wheel drive. We were far from civilization. Near the jungles. And she was expecting a four-wheel drive.)

Anyway, the STOs -- also in pairs, or individuals paired with one LTO -- will then be assigned to their own specific areas. We are assigned to observe the Lumbini Zone, comprising six districts, so we expect at least five more STO teams to arrive here in our zone so that each district will have its own Anfrel team. The STOs will then do practically the same thing, hopefully interviewing more people than what the LTOs were able to cover during their stay in the area, and covering/documenting campaign rallies. This is essential because the situation can change a week or mere days before the election, especially right around the end of the campaign period. Each STO team will then come up with a report, so if the headquarters used to receive only 10 field reports, they will now be swamped with about 50, and have to analyze (decipher?) each and synthesize in record time (I'm glad I was never part of the staff), and then come up with a press statement a day or two before E-day, right when the political parties have (supposedly) stopped campaigning.

On election day, each team will go around their assigned area, observing the conduct of the election from when it opens at around 6:30am, to when ballot boxes are transported from the polling booths to the counting center (usually way after sundown). Since observers will only have a few hours to cover 10 to 20 polling booths, it is essential that the observers plan their route very carefully, choosing which booths to visit with the help of maps and in consultation with other foreign observer groups, and (this is very important) actually visiting each booth at least the day before. I had a nightmarish experience in Indonesia in 2004. The day before the election, my interpreter and I decided to change the route due to reports of irregularities in one area, so of course we didn't have time to do proper reconnaissance. On election day, our car got stuck in the mud for hours, near the forests of Papua (Irian Jaya) for crying out loud, notorious for armed separatists, not to mention possible wild animals and gigantic mosquitoes. No, that will never happen on this mission. On that historic day in Indonesia's history, we were able to cover a grand total of five polling booths. (Not for naught. Almost all of the five were incredibly interesting.)

So on election day, observers go around the area, with checklists in hand about whether the correct procedures are being followed, and other questions pertaining to the location of the polling booths, etc. After the polls have closed, the team will then summarize their findings, to be immediately passed on to the headquarters, who will then call the teams one by one (whew!) to confirm their report and get other information verbally, for the organization's election day report which will have to be released that same night.

Usually, STOs will have to fly back to the capital the very next day for de-briefing and assessment. The LTOs are then left to observe the counting. You may ask why the international observers leave just when the potentially more crucial part of the election has just begun. You see, this is where the local election monitoring organizations come in. They usually don't have enough resources to mobilize people prior to election day, but on E-day and thereafter, they are present in the polling booths and counting centers.

After the counting, ideally the LTOs (or at least some of them) will remain in their areas for up to a month or so more, going around their area once again and talking to some more people, to get a sense of how the process and the results are perceived/accepted by the people. This is also the time when the different stakeholders will complain (or sour-grape), depending on the performance of their party or organization in the polls.

Throughout this whole process, it is essential that the observers maintain their impartiality. Impartiality can be a big challenge, especially to local observer groups, since they will have to recruit as many volunteers as possible in a very short time, and infiltration by political parties is not unheard of.

So here we are, the Lumbini Zone LTO team:

a. Me, Paolo Maligaya from the Philippines. This is my third international election observation experience, after Sri Lanka in 2001 (with Anfrel) and Indonesia in 2004 (with the Carter Center);

b. Air (real name: Chompunut Chalieobun) from Thailand. This is her second election observation experience, after serving as interpreter in Thailand in December (with Anfrel);

c. Our interpreter, Mukti Nath Adhikari, who heads his own NGO in Kathmandu called Prosperous Nepal, is alligned with some other youth groups, and is also an accredited observer for NEMA (National Election Monitoring Alliance);

d. Our driver, Bhimraj Tamang, or Bhimji for short. He can't speak English. We'd love to talk to him, but can't; and

e. Our vehicle, a Toyota Qualis. If this thing breaks down, we won't know what to do (hire a rickshaw perhaps?)


(Team photos). (Our car).

Watching life pass by in Bhairahawa

(3.18.08)

The flight from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa was short, about 20 minutes only. In the Philippines, I'm used to flying over seas or green forests, but here in Nepal, you fly over brown hills. Scary, what if we crash... Just a couple of weeks ago, a UN helicopter crashed in one of these hills, killing several people. Looking down, there's no way anyone could survive... I can't imagine living in a country without a beach, having lived in Southeast Asia all my life where we almost take beaches for granted. I remember my first observation mission, in 2001 in Sri Lanka. I had a Nepali teammate. One day we went to the beach in Galle and he started collecting...stuff...to bring back home. He said he's collecting shells and corals for his aquarium. I glanced at the plastic bag he was holding; inside were really ugly shells, but I didn't have the heart to tell him. And some of those he collected were actually broken pieces of concrete.

Disembarking from the small plane, I could feel the difference. It was warm. It was like being back in my country after a quick trip to Kathmandu. I wasn't sure whether to feel happy that it felt like home, or to feel cheated that I got to go to Nepal and not feel as if I'm in a different country. Silly thoughts. Inside the small airport, Air and I were met by our interpreter, who immediately led us to our waiting car in the parking lot.

From the car, I could see that Bhairahawa (pronounce it without the "ha") is a city that is not very urbanized. In fact, it looked quite rural with its brown fields, and cows and goats roaming the dusty streets.

We were first billeted at Pawan Hotel. I thought it wasn't very good, but we were told that tour groups prefer this hotel. It's not even mentioned in the newest edition of Lonely Planet Nepal, though it was mentioned in Air's copy, an older edition. Later I proved once again that Lonely Planet should not be trusted too much. It listed down another hotel nearby as "the best in town;" when we moved there a few days later, the rooms were atrocious, with crusty old carpets and lights that won't work. I think the best hotel in town is Hotel Yeti. When we visited it, we wondered why we did not check it out earlier. It was barely mentioned in Lonely Planet. The hotel though is right smack in the center of town, probably not the most secure location at a time like this.

Bhairahawa is indeed a small city, but a charming one. I'm loving it more and more as the days pass. No, the fields aren't brown, they're golden, the wheat ready for harvesting. Driving through these wheat fields, I can describe the atmosphere as pastoral and bucolic. Being so close to India, the place is very India. I've always dreamed of going to India, and have watched documentaries about the country, and I can say that Bhairahawa, and indeed the rest of the district of Rupandehi, fulfilled that dream for me. People in traditional clothes working in the fields, long-horned cows pulling wagons of hay, traditional mud huts, cow dung being dried, bricks being baked in the middle of the fields... It is a place living in the past, not in a hurry to modernize. (Later I would realize that the same thing can be said about the rest of the country.)

The city proper can be aptly described as laid back and breezy. Women in their colorful saris with red tikas on their foreheads, shopping for colorful textile at the small roadside shops. The sound of bicycle bells from the colorful rickshaws plying the streets, trying not to bump into the cows that seem to own the place. Men in their long-sleeved white shirts and scarves riding their gloriously vintage bicycles. Street vendors selling freshly-squeezed fruit juices, yoghurt drinks, local ice cream and dumplings. Small tea shops and sweet shops (misthan bandar) full of customers, sipping milk tea and eating freshly-cooked samosas or fabulous Indian sweets while discussing politics. From a hotel window, I even saw a guy doing yoga (as his dog looked on) at the rooftop of the next building.

There's so much to appreciate, to see, to taste, to smell, to hear, to feel. Bhairahawa reminds me why I love being able to travel: traveling heightens my senses, opens my heart, and stimulates my mind. (Of course, another reason is it enables me to get away from the monotony and cruelty of daily existence. Screw life. Hail life.)


(Click on any image to see more photos.)


Hanging out outside Kasturi, my favorite restaurant in the city.

Bhairahawa by day:



Bhairahawa at night:

Get set

(3.15.08)

The Asian Network For Free Elections (ANFREL) will deploy 10 long-term observer teams all over Nepal, with two international observers for each team. I will be sent to Lumbini Zone, the lower half of the Western District of Nepal (the upper half--where Tenzing will be deployed--includes Pkhara, Mustang, and Gorkha). The Lumbini Zone consists of six districts: three in the hilly areas (Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, and Palpa), and three in the Terai area (Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, and Kapilvastu). I'm very excited about this assignment because it means I'll be able to go to Lumbini, one of the most important religious sites in the world being Gautama Buddha's birthplace. Looking at the map, the Zone is also a stone's throw away from the Royal Chitwan National Park, known for its elephant safaris and rhinos.

My teammate for this mission is Air, the Thai observer who gave me the map to Thamel. She is only 22, and this is her first mission as a long-term observer (she served as interpreter in ANFREL's mission in Thailand in december, to which I was invited but I declined as it coincided with Christmas.) Air and I immediately hit it off, and together we've started preparing for the mission. Our team will be based in the district of Rupandehi, specifically in Bhairahawa, several kilometers away from Lumbini which is also part of Rupandehi. When we arrive in Bhairahawa, our interpreter and driver are supposed to meet us at the airport.

More stuff to bring. Aside from the two folders, we were given maps, forms, vests, caps, stickers and flags for our vehicles, SIM cards, flashlights, raincoats and medicines. I was reminded of the kit given by the Carter Center a few years ago. Inside an Eastpak backpack were not only the usual stuff, but also chocolate chip cookies and chocolate bars!

* * * * *

The morning of our flight to Bhairahawa, I made a dash to Thamel around 8:30 to buy a digital camera. Make that two dashes as I had to go back to buy a Sony memory stick because the storage card from the old camera wouldn't fit in the new one, and I also found out they forgot to give me the instruction manual! It was quite stressful because it meant I had to negotiate with taxi drivers four times, and to finish packing everything before 11 am when we're supposed to leave for the airport.

Yep. I finally reached Thamel, not only twice but four times as Air and I had dinner there last night and did some shopping. I'm going to write about Thamel later. Right now, let's go to the Terai and get things going.

But what is the Terai? From what I've gathered so far, the Terai is the lower part of Nepal bordering India. Unlike the rest of Nepal -- the Nepal the world knows, which is hilly or mountainous and cold -- the Terai is mainly plains, where 50% of Nepal's population live, where most of Nepal's food come from, and an area that is very very hot. Reading some of the materials in our folders, and through the briefings, we learned that the Terai is a very problematic area when it comes to peace and order. There were reports of murders, a lot of them. Some Indian terrorist groups supposedly operate in the area. Most interesting. Where's the plane?

Catching up

(3.14.08)

It's the last day of the briefing. I had lunch with Fernanda at the hotel's poolside restaurant. I missed Fernanda. We had a great time together as a team when we were international observers in Indonesia for the Carter Center. She was one of the nicest persons in that mission, and we had a fun time in North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, and Bali. Prior to joining the Carter Center, she was already with the UNDP in Jakarta. In the few years that we didn't see each other (while I struggled in Manila -- see the rope burns), she finished her Master's in Lisbon, served in Mozambique and East Timor, spent time in Goa, and now she's been here in Nepal for almost a year with the UN. She has traveled around Nepal, even to Mustang Valley which remains inaccessible to cars (you can only reach it by trekking for several days -- I can't wait for the roads to be built, but I wish the culture will be preserved).

She said the country poses a lot of challenges, one of which is, of course, the terrain. She said some of the villages in the hilly areas are accessible only by helicopter, as they are located on the hilltops. I later learned that this is probably because the people wanted to stay as far away from the plains as possible, where malaria used to wreak havoc.

I asked Fernanda about what she doesn't like about Nepal, and she answered the caste system. Some people treating others like dirt. This is something that is not yet obvious to me, and I really don't know much about the caste system yet, but I'm sure as I spend more time here, I'll know what she's talking about.