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The view from the Trust offices

Now I'm not the biggest fan of Pop Idol in the UK.

I can see that it's a clever piece of TV which has made Simon Cowell millions, but I'm more Doctor Who than Pop Idol and more Kaiser Chiefs than Will Young.

So when I arrived in Nepal in August 2007 I didn't imagine that Pop Idol would follow me. And not only is Pop Idol on the TV out here but it's created a huge amount of interest and excitement.

Last Sunday was the grand finale and after 40 million votes were cast a Nepalese policeman named Prashant was declared this year's Indian Idol and the whole of Nepal simply went crazy.

For the first time politics was knocked off the front pages of the papers and replaced by pictures of Prashant.

My team of Radio Producers who are working with me on this project for the BBC World Service Trust had all voted for the Nepalese chap who's now living just over the border in Darjeeling.

Biratnagar which is in Eastern Nepal

They admitted he wasn't the best singer, but he was Nepalese and the excitement of him winning Indian Idol was similar to the joy of an England penalty shoot out win over the Germans. Not that I can remember that ever happening.

Indian Idol fever put the smiles back on the faces of the Nepalese and pushed away the pre-election weariness that many here have been suffering from.

Crucial time

It's a crucial time in the country's history. Nepal is about to become a Republic, the Civil War is over and there's an election just weeks away which is the first step towards the writing of a new constitution.

I'm here to produce radio programmes that involve all communities in that process and to encourage comment from people who have, for generations, been ignored.

Children in the village of Dulari

But things are never straightforward in Nepal and only last week the Maoist leaders left the interim Government putting those elections in jeopardy. That decision led to rallies in Kathmandu, roads blocked and chaos in the city centre.

Travelling with the UN

The day after the news broke me and one of the project's Nepalese producers travelled to Biratnagar in the East of Nepal, just a short hop from the Indian border.

From Biratnagar we travelled with the UN to a remote village called Dulari and met with a group of women and their children. Despite an inconsistent power supply and no television to watch, the power of the radio meant that these villagers had already heard about the political upheavel in Kathmandu.

They told us of their frustrations about the political process, how they couldn't understand why the politicians couldn't organise an election on time and shared their hopes for the future of Nepal.

Community group members in Dulari

Those hopes were simple and practical: schooling for their children, water to drink and land of their own to live on and to make a living from.

The BBC

Even in a place so poor, there was such generosity. When we arrived we were presented with flowers and tea, while school children showed off their latest work. To them the BBC is the only news service that they trust and for a man from the Beeb to come to visit them was almost as exciting as Pop Idol.

Thankfully I didn't have to sing so the BBC's integrity remains intact.

Back in Kathmandu it's raining, in fact weather that would be typical of an English autumn.

The home

As well as working towards the launch of our discussion programmes I also find myself sorting out the house that will be home for the year and I'm having to do this without IKEA just up the road in Wednesbury.

BBC reporters interviewing locals

I proudly brought home my rice maker yesterday, which I'm told is an essential for every Nepali kitchen.

Next on my shopping list is a generator so that I can avoid the power cuts that come in regimented fashion every Saturday and Sunday evening at six.

I have to confess that generators are a luxury item here in Nepal, so I'm being pulled into that ex-pat way of life.

But after all without a generator tell me how am I going to watch Pop Idol ?