For months now, understandably, optimism has been the defining mood in Kathmandu. Last week's coverage of the events of 2006 explains why-Gyanendra's exit, the Maoist ceasefire, a peace accord, agreements on arms management, interim government, constituent assembly elections, a role for the United Nations.
These good things were almost unimaginable a year ago when the dark forces of conflict and idiot authoritarianism were at large. Kathmandu has been partying, even if the rest of the country was less enthusiastic, given that the peace dividend was hardly on offer in many districts.
Lately though, I detect a scrabble of hands in the capital reaching for the switch. As in "turn out the lights, the party's over." There are myriad reasons for this New Pessimism, just as there were for optimism. The timetables set by overenthusiastic negotiators seem un-meetable, if not dangerous. Political infighting has resumed. Long-discredited ideas and nostrums are still being bandied about by people with little credit. Authoritarian monarchy may still be meddling.
Maoism remains on the agenda. The international community's response time, however quick by global standards, can't keep pace with expectations.
The coming weeks and months will doubtless throw up more reasons for pessimism. A month of dreary weather lies ahead and nothing aggravates gloom more than the bone-chilling greyness of winter, days when even a civil servant can't take a sun bath.
Yet, set aside for a moment the hard, perhaps unworkable deadlines and the ridiculously impatient timetables of the November agreements. Ask this question and answer it honestly: what am I optimistic about in Nepal? Write down your answers, speak them out loud, tell friends, colleagues, and people on the street.