Stuck in traffic on our way to Lalitpur and the orphanage. “No time for love” he proclaims, words spelled in red letters behind a Tata truck carrying water canisters. Next to the words he has carefully painted a set of eyes and added Nepali script I cannot decipher.

I find it hard to believe the Nepalese have no time for love – or anything else they desire. Even if the traffic is terrible, nothing is organized, the power is out several times a day, and nothing works like in Germany, the Nepalese have time to care about beauty: drape themselves in the most fabulous fabrics, wear colorful woollen hats, and even decorate their cars with flowers. Beauty created is love for the world – beauty bestowed is love from the world. The Nepalese are all about beauty and thus I dare to think the owner of the car is wrong. There is always time for love in Nepal.

  (Kathmandu, Nepal; January 2015)