LOCKDOWN IN KATHMANDU-2

The bird is wondering once again. After about three months of polluted air, he could breathe purity one more time. The same quietness, the sound of only a few vehicles, greenery all around and rainfall at times beautifying the environment even more.

I can breathe deeply and feel elated. My folks are happy too and wish it remained forever this time.

It so happened this way. For about a week, the students in uniform could not be seen. But a lot of crowd in the market and bus parks and buses was visible.

At present, I am used to the following scenes here.  The vegetable shops, grocery stores and vendors’ places are crowded in the morning. Traffic and police are seen doing their works in the streets. They stop people and talk to them. Some are let to go while others are made to stand on the side. Hospitals are overcrowded. Many people are covered in white clothes and other people surround and cry. Children/teenagers play outdoors. They shout and scream and create every bit of noise possible while doing so. They seem to be full of life and energy.

Like last year, people can be seen in their terraces basking themselves, eating, washing, bathing, looking at the small screens and making fearful and helpless faces and taking deep sighs. All the sounds/voices within the houses can be heard like the previous year—the kitchen utensils, children crying, people speaking—everything. Sometimes, I doubt if I am in a faraway village.

So, is the pure air business going to be an annual spring affair? When it had happened last time, I wished it would last forever. My fear of it being temporary came out to be true. Humans had come out of their houses in crowd and pollution was back to how it used to be. We suffocated. Nobody thought about us. Isn’t this planet for us too? Things look better now. Hope it always does.   

CULTURE

Let’s imagine ourselves walking on the road one day. An accident occurs. Two vehicles collide. The drivers are injured. How do you respond to it? How do other people respond? What do you do?

There are several reactions possible. Some are: You might feel scared and remain still/feel pity over them and do nothing/ or approach them and help them reach the hospital. Which one are you? Which one seems right?

How we respond to any situation depends on our personality. Our personality depends on the way we have been brought up, the things that we had cultivated in us back then, our habits—all these take a long course of time.

The first reaction shows that the person is neither able to handle difficult situations in life nor him/herself during such times. The second response tells us that the person has learnt some kindness while growing up but does not know how to handle the situation. The last reaction shows that the person has learnt many skills of life and also has presence of mind.

Simple as the above example sounds, it is not so. We come over difficult situations every now and then in our life. Learning or not learning how to deal with them makes us who we want to be. It’s entirely up to us where and how we want our life to go.

So, making somebody learn values, manners and life skills is very important. These are required to be nurtured when somebody is young. Cultivation at a young age is easy and effective too. Hence, the sooner, the better.  

TO THE DEPARTED ONES

Every time I hear of somebody’s death, life seems to lose its meaning. When somebody dies, be it my relative or a friend or any known ones, life stops for some time. If it is only with me or with everyone else, I am not sure.

When we hear about it on news every day, it does not make much difference to us. It looks like we have become used to it, as if it is a part of life. We are indifferent. But when it involves us, we are disturbed or moved.

What is death? We are busy carrying on with our activities forgetting that we too have the same destiny. Why do we need to do what we do? What purpose? Why do so many things when all is meaningless? Why so many do’s, don’ts, should’s, shouldn’ts, must’s, mustn’ts, need’s, needn’ts? What is the point of all these when ultimately everything and everyone is going to perish?

All of us have a limited time in this world. Nobody exactly knows how long—might be a few years, months, days or hours.

We smile, cry, weep, laugh, love, hate, betray, get angry, cool down, get scared, get devoted, feel brave, get surprised, get disgusted and so on.  Then one day, a person once we knew, loved, hated, betrayed, felt angry upon dies. So what was all the response for? We spend much of our time in trivial matters, things that have no significance. When you get to know about somebody having only a limited time, how would you treat that person? You transform, after you become helpless and after going blank.

Death is an end. It is the silence. Words lose their value. It makes us wise and less spoken. It creates a vacuum. When you are haunted that you might be the next, then you grow wiser and quieter.

However, we need to move on keeping this reality on one side. Our lives should continue. The bad news takes us to our land, to our level. We realise our worth, our helplessness and powerlessness in front of death.

To all the departed souls—may you be happy and at peace wherever you are! 

THE EARTH NEEDS A HOLIDAY

Holiday, such a relaxing word! Just uttering it gives us pleasure and satisfaction. Who does not need it? Who is not happy to hear it? Be it students, teachers, officers, housewives, anyone who works in this world needs a break, a vacation.

When we work for continuous hours, days, weeks and months, even years sometimes, we feel exhausted and drained out. Holiday reenergizes us. It makes us realise that we are not machines but humans. Even machines need to be repaired sometimes. So we need much more. We repair ourselves by taking a rest, physically and mentally.

Having gone through the lockdown recently for 2-3 months across the globe, a situation which had never occurred before, the world came to know the real meaning of a break, a vacation, the long one. Everyone utilized it to the full extent, the way they wanted to. The holiday was long enough for people to carry out their hobbies, pending works and introspection.

Do we know that there is a similarity between humans and the Earth? She has different body parts like we do. They are air, water, soil etc. She falls ill too, like us. Sometimes, she has fever; other times, cold. She is also known as an ailing planet (as referred by Nani Palkhivala).  Her sickness is due to her body parts getting damaged and misused and overused.

The lockdown because of the pandemic seemed to be favorable to the Earth. She could take a deep breath as a result. The halt of the daily routine of humans made the Earth rest. The fresh environment and reduced air pollution was the news of the pandemic. We even witnessed animals roaming freely in the open space.

So the point is, break is essential for everyone including the Earth. She should rest too in order to perform better, to continue her existence. We should come up with a plan to give her a holiday once in a year. The implementation part is a topic of discussion. Let her take time to revitalize herself, to look at herself and admire her beauty. Let her be proud too.

The next generation needs to see the Earth the way we have seen her, or rather, a more beautiful one. Let us be back to our duties and let her do the same.  A pause in the ongoing routine is a need of everyone, only possible if we know the true meaning of the term HOLIDAY.  

MAN IS A SOCIAL ANIMAL

30^th May 2020

When I was in class 5, my English teacher asked me to repeat the lines from the text I had memorized. I went blank but tried to recall the text. The first line read—Man is a social animal. I said that. Said it again. Then went blank again. He made me stand up on the bench as a punishment. I obeyed. Several other students were asked too. Some replied but some could not. Those who could not followed the punishment as I did. After sometime, the teacher made me sit down as I had said something. He said, “You said the first line; you tried; sit down.” I was glad that I had remembered that line and could get back to my seat. I don’t exactly recall what happened to those who were standing like me.

Now I realise that it was such an important line. Maybe I had realized then too, through my childish mind that man had some connection to a society and hence social. Man had been, was (when I was in class 5), and is still a social animal. Yes, we are animals but a social one.  Society is an inseparable part of us. It has played a big role in grooming us, in making us what we are today.

At present, the lockdown has made people somewhat disconnected with the society. We are scared to be close to another person. We have become depressed and anxious. Despite the media and technology playing a major role in helping people forget about the vulnerability and uncertainties of life due to the virus, people are not able to completely overcome this issue. Moreover, there are many people in the world without access to these tools the way we have.

It is the nature of human beings to remain together, to talk, to go out and work; be busy and enjoy life by doing many activities; to touch, to feel, to express. For more than two months, we have refrained ourselves from many of these things and have seen the world by remaining inside our houses. But how long will a human being survive this repression?

These months have made us realise many things which we had never before. Finding value in family bonds, analyzing ourselves and working towards our improvement, utilizing our hobbies (some of us have almost forgotten that we used to have hobbies) are some of the positive aspects that the confinement has given us.

However, isn’t it high time now to return back to our realness? To feel the society as it is; to know that we are not alone, that there are people who care for us and support; to touch, to hug, to feel strong? Isn’t it time to think about our emotional and mental health?

Let’s stay strong and healthy. Let’s do what we need to do and not do what we need not. Let’s follow nature and remain natural. Being natural means doing the right things. This is the key to being healthy. Let this confinement be over. As it is in the very nature of man to be in a society, man was, is and always shall remain a social animal.  

Ain't I a great server?

I am 2 years old. I had a wrapper in the beginning. Slowly, my cloth started carrying dirt and I looked shabby. As a result, my dress was thrown away. I was naked, the way I was born. I still am. 

I have some scars on one side now. I had fallen from the height of 4 feet once on the concrete floor. Few other times, I had slipped from the hand onto the marble floor. Those scars are the result of those accidents. 

But I do my duty. I am used for talking to each other, connecting throughout the world, checking news, learning new things, anything that my owner wants me to do. 

Of late, I have become more useful as people are locked up in their houses. I serve as an education provider and earn bread and butter for my owner. I am handy and can be carried other times too when the owner needs break in between the duty but has to remain available. 

But the sad part is, my efficiency is decreasing as I am working overtime now. I am exhausted. I consume a lot of electricity to keep me going. It takes longer to be fully charged. I have become slow too. 

However, I am happy to serve as long as I live. Please handle me with care. I want to live more. 

It's Never Too Late...

How many of us are happy with our work right now? While many of you are saying “I am very happy,” there are some with the response “I am not, honestly.” This article targets the latter. So why do we feel so despite having worked for many years? When we have enough work experience and are financially stable, happiness should follow us everywhere. But that seems to be not the case here.

This is because we work for the sake of working, for our bread and butter. Where is the ‘joy’ factor? We go to office or do any other work because it pays us. We invest our energy all day in something which is never of any interest to us. So, as we have heard it often, either we have to love what we do or do what we love. We try to love our work and assume sometimes that we do, but the reality is we can never love what we do not like. Most of the time, we give up hope and continue with our internal stress because in our later years of life, there seems to be no option left.

However, there are some wise people in the world who seem to tell us through their quotes exactly what/how we are supposed to think—‘Age is just a number’ and ‘It is never late to begin.’ The man-made beliefs should not de-energize us. Also, let’s not worry about what others will say. No matter what we do, some people will keep on passing comments upon us. When we know what we are doing, ignoring and carrying on is the wisest thing to do. It is our life after all and we have every right to live it the way we want.

We can always start our life again. Whether it is by learning a new language, skill, technique or by working on our long forgotten passion or hobby, we can have an open mind and welcome new opportunities towards our way.

While it may be risky to leave completely what we are doing now and make a move, it is a good idea to add to our life what we love. So, instead of starting a new work, it is wise to complement our ongoing life with the things that we had always wanted to do. By doing this, our mental status shifts from being stressful to being productive too.

After all, we have one life to live. Why not live this life doing the things we always wished to do rather than making them the ‘wishes never come true’? When we do the things we love, we become happy and are at peace. This soon resonates around us making everyone feel the same. When we know the vibes are meant to spread, why not spread the positive ones? 

Set Your Goals Early

When we are young, the world seems to be ours. Nothing can stop our way. We are full of energy and enthusiasm. We have so much time to spend for everyone and everything. We have friends who seem to support us forever, a family who is always there for us. We think this is how life is going to be—everyone by our side when we need them. We spend our time with them thinking they are our world, and invest most of our energy in saving our relationships, failing to notice the time that is passing.

We get involved in various activities daily like jobs, volunteering, interning etc. Some of us spend years on these too. We realize what we have done to our time only later in life when the time has really passed.

So the point is—when we don’t set a proper aim or goal for our life, most of our time is spent in whiling away with people who matter us the least and doing the works which lead us nowhere. We become lost. Life becomes like a maze. We won’t know why we reached there and if it was our desire to be there. However, we understand that something was wrong somewhere in this long process. After much reflection over it and analyzing ourselves every now and then, we reach to a conclusion that we have taken the wrong decisions in our life. Then our eyes open widely.

Although we felt our life to be productive during our youth, as we were busy working and getting involved in various aspects of life, the later stages of our life tell us something different. We realize that we had spent our precious years in trivial matters, with unimportant people, doing nothing much productive. Our aimlessness in life makes us a wanderer. While wandering may take us to different places, it does not take us to the right one, the one we are supposed to be in. But the question is ‘what is that’? It is the place where we had always wanted to be in, which made us happy and satisfied.

So the rule is—make right decisions at the right time. Right time meaning from the early stage of our life and the right decision means deciding on the steps that take us towards the things we like to do, people we love to be with and people we love to be. This might sound difficult. How to go for it then? If we are sure about our aim, the problem is solved. If we are not sure about it, we must take all the opportunities that come in front of us and do the things we love to do. This includes experimenting, exploring, being involved in anything we can when the body is full of energy. We should not wait or procrastinate because time passes quickly.

Things are going to be different with new responsibilities that life brings for us tomorrow. It is completely different than today. We might be able to predict but are not able to see it. When we look back at our life once we become old, our dreams and wishes should not remain as they were before, undone and unfulfilled. So let’s do what we love and live a meaningful life. Let’s not delay.   

Love Your Body

People are busy these days with their everyday life as compared to the previous decades. We are so engrossed in our work and fulfilling our daily obligations that our health has become our last priority.

By health, we mean a balance of physical, mental and emotional health. For a person to be healthy, all these three components matter. They are interrelated too. This article focuses on the first step, that is, one’s physical health, which can be achieved through diet and exercise.

An old saying goes—we are what we eat. Despite knowing that somebody has said it so true, we tend to ignore it and prioritize our works over our diet. We eat whatever we get, whosoever gives to us and whenever we want. No discipline for our diet at all. In fact, food is like the petrol for our engine to run. The quality of petrol determines the speed and durability of engine. Moreover, it not only affects us on the physical level but also on our overall health.

There are several theories about what to eat. Trying to follow all/some of them, we have confused ourselves. So the approach we can take now is something common to all those theories and that is—following the natural way, by adding a lot of fruits and green vegetables to our food (mainly carbohydrates) and avoiding unnatural and unnecessary food.

Next, the way we make timetable for our days, let’s make a timetable for our food too. This includes—eating at a fixed time, not eating when we are not hungry, not eating whatever comes in front of us and also knowing when to drink and when not to. Proper gap of about 30 minutes should be maintained between eating food and drinking water. We have heard about it for a long time but have ignored. Let’s not now.

Movement of our body is equally important as our diet. Children run and play. As we grow up, our movement decreases due to various factors such as responsibilities and jobs. However, our body should be busy and engaged in various activities throughout the day. This keeps us mentally fit too. Also, we should know when to rest. Over-activity and inactivity are harmful for us. When our body communicates with us, we should be able to understand its language. For example, we feel tired when we overwork. So the body says—Get rest now. When we eat but don’t work, our body feels heavy.  It means—Work now.

Along with the physical activities we do, an hour of exercise daily is a necessity. The purpose is to move each and every part of our body and make it flexible and prevent it from getting jammed. We can make use of our body to the maximum level in this way.

We exist in this world physically. Once dead, the body loses its value. So, we should look after it properly when we can. By prioritizing our physical health and becoming fit and sound by doing the above-mentioned simple tasks, we can fulfill our duties towards the world more effectively. So let’s eat, work and rest in a proper balance and feel happy and peaceful.

For Children/ बालबालिकाका लागि

बसन्त ऋतु 

चरीको चिरबिर चिरबिर

बसन्तको याम

हराभरा स्वच्छ मौसम

कता घुम्न जाम् 

छन् सारा पशुपंछी

प्रक्रितिमा रमेका

के के कुरा गर्दै होलान्

के होलान् त गमेका ?

न चर्को घाम न पानी

मनमोहक यो बेला

मौसम सधैं यस्तै रहे

कति जाती हुन्थ्यो होला !

--X--

Rustic taste in an urban setting

Birds are talking

Dogs are talking

Man is silent

They are asking

“What has happened?”

“Why are things different?”

Trees look greener

Buds are opening

Flowers are blooming

No vehicles around

No cars, no bikes

No traffic, no rush

Life at a standstill

All of a sudden.

Bells ring in the temple

Situated about a half kilometer

Kitchen cutleries

News broadcasting and telecasting

Even mobiles ringing

From neighbours

Clearly audible.

When it rained

The purity, the freshness

Tiny planes in the sky

Water tankers, hawkers, milkmen

Make their ways

And rush out immediately after duty.

Such a rural taste

Amidst the city crowd

Do you remember this pleasure

When was last found?

Bird's-Eye View of Kathmandu

Hi, I am a Sparrow. How are you doing? I want to share with you how I am feeling lately. Things are very different as compared to how they used to be in the past, I mean, until some weeks ago.

I have noticed, it so started somewhere around the middle of the last month. But before that, an unusual sight had occurred for about a week. I could see human crowd everywhere—in the streets, shops, roads, bus parks, highways etc.—people buying and selling things, some carrying them in bulk amount and shifting somewhere; people waiting in bus park counters in a long queue. The chill of the winter still troubled then. It had rained twice or thrice too. I wondered what had happened. Dashain-Tihar was already over, so were Xmas and New Year. Even Valentine’s Day had passed and so had Holi. I saw no point.

Now, Spring is in the air. Look at the environment. Anyone can feel the pleasure. You are enjoying too, I am sure. So am I—passing my days by singing and dancing with my friends and family every day, moving from this tree to that tree, from this corner to that corner, enjoying the beauty of the greenery and blooming flowers . The air is so fresh; let me tell you, I have never inhaled such pure oxygen in my entire life. You must have felt it too.

My folk—pigeons, crows, cuckoos etc. are very happy these days, like me. Even dogs are seen either sleeping or barking in the streets carefree. But what surprises me is, when all of us are enjoying the Spring and this freshness, why aren’t the humans? From around the mid of the last month, hardly anyone is seen outside. The roads, shops, bus parks seem empty. No crowd anywhere. Where have all those human beings gone? I ask my friends and family members but they too wonder.

And where are the vehicles—the honking bikes and cars, the public buses, trucks and tractors? Forget about these, I have not seen the airplanes even much lately. Let me tell you, my folk always had tough time with these sky-vehicles. Why do they have to fly across our way? You know, some of my dear ones have even died when they met them. At least, we are at peace now. So I was saying that all the hustle and bustle of this part of the earth has vanished suddenly.

But sometimes, vendors and some shops are open. Vehicles like water tankers and ambulances also run. Very few bicycles, bikes or cars or people are seen sometimes. The riders and walkers hide their faces with scarves or shawls and put masks on their faces. So I can’t recognize who is who. Police are seen on the roads standing most of the time and they talk to anyone who is walking or passing by them.

However, I can see a few people in their terraces or balconies coming out frequently and doing many activities. Some of them use mobiles with their earphones. They seem happy sometimes and sometimes dead serious and worrisome. Others wash clothes and dry up daily—a common scene in most of the terraces. Another type does singing in mike and eats delicious food, which I get to enjoy sometimes. Some bask in the sun and have oil massage. I hope you are not bored? Another common sight is, forming small groups in the balcony or terrace with a distance and talking. It has been ages I saw people in a house sitting in a group—a pleasant sight though. There are some people working in their gardens too.

You know what, I can also hear people singing loudly inside their houses, alone. Sound of babies crying, people laughing is audible now. Some children stand outside with their friends and laugh. People seem to be in a relaxed mood. They are not active; they are moving slowly. It looks like they have plenty of time. I always saw them active and rushing before. The change is really strange. Don’t you think so?

No matter why this sudden change has occurred, I am enjoying the present and wished this fresh and pure environment lasted forever. But I am scared this might be short-lived. One day humans might reappear, as a crowd again, and the environment might be the same as it used to be. I wished all the human beings thought about how this fresh environment could continue. This is all in their hands as they can think, we can’t. We can only feel. Can't we all be  safe together?

Thanks for listening.  I got to fly. Bye

SOME WORDS OF WISDOM

Exactly 10 days for a New Year. Will this lockdown be over by then? Will we be in a mood to enjoy the New Year?

It is said New Year brings new opportunities. But how? So many years came and passed by. Nothing much happened. Did any miracle occur? It is just a process. Unless we put some effort towards anything, how will any matter be an opportunity for us? I don’t think New Year bringing opportunities make sense. It is we, our mentality, and our approach towards what lies before us that proves whether anything that we do is an opportunity or a bad luck for us.

So rise from the couch, take a deep breath, clear your mind and move ahead. See for the positivity in everything and deal accordingly. Even if you lose, it does not matter. Try to see positive factor in losing too.

What I am trying to say is we decide our lives. The decisions we make and the actions we take, yes exactly, are the things which shape us in being who we are. These are solely internal. You might say—then what about our genes, the unconscious and subconscious? Yes, they do have a part to play. They are external factors. We have no control over them at the conscious level. But if we decide to work on that too, we will get a large part of or life transformed. Again, it is a decision; then comes action—mental activity followed by the physical.

So how to go for that? Well, we can’t spend our life doing everything that exists. Time is limited. As there are works from people who had already sacrificed their time, we should take their help. They are writers, researchers, psychologists, hypnotizers and, of course, the internet which has become such a convenient medium now. Make use of all these resources and analyze yourself. Slowly and gradually, everything starts making sense. You will get answers to all of your whats, hows and whys. You will then become calm and peaceful and go for the right things, right choices that make sense to your life. When we become blessed in this beauty of life, what more can we ask for?

I started with the New Year but where I have reached! Anyway, New Year does not bring opportunities. We create them. I say, everyday is a New Year’s Day. Let’s do good things every day. Let’s pray for the world. The world needs it so much now. Let’s serve the mankind. Let’s cherish our existence. Let’s celebrate every day.

BLACK PEPPER CAFE AND THE YESTERYEARS

It was on Sunday evening, 27^th January 2019, when a dozen of us had gathered after more than two decades for a few hours. How time flies!

Excited as I was of the plan since days, this Sunday was the most awaited one. It happened to be a busy day but decided to make it at any cost. Also was wondering how it would turn out. At times, even doubted if I would reach there at 5:30 p.m. Despite doubts and unsure of the shortest way, I headed in the local bus towards the venue at around the same time.

I had checked the location in Google and was sure about it. It would have been about 20 minutes’ walk from the bus stop. As Jhamsikhel is not a much visited place, I lost the way and reached somewhere else. The darkness and less visibility had aggravated the situation. I was roaming in the area for about an hour searching for the venue.

Half hopeful to reach to the event, assuming that everyone must have left the place by then, I thought not to trouble them by calling but kept walking. Wondered how I got the way wrong despite checking and confirming. Unexpectedly, I reached the British School, carried on and found the venue within 5 minutes.

The place was well-lit with a touch of warm welcoming Nepaliness. Confused as I was, I opened the main door. A group of people were seated in one area towards the corner, saw some familiar faces, familiar because of facebook pictures, and was grateful to have been invited. I was glad that I could make it.

On reaching closer, I could see my classmates. I was meeting them in person after more than two decades. I was in a surreal world. They had arrived on time and were enjoying with the old memories over snacks. As I was trying to identify each one, others were doing the same. I joined them, still dreaming and slowly getting back to the present. We tried to remember the old unclear faces of the past and compare with our present appearances—the same face with some wrinkles added and the hair turned grey; some had lost weight and some had gained whereas some had remained unchanged. However, emotionally, we were the same young kids full of life and energy.  

The group had celebrities, doctors, pharmacists, IT professionals, entrepreneurs, an interior designer and a teacher, mostly married with kids.

Most of our conversation was about our school days where we had memories with friends and teachers—the fun part and the naughtiness, the teachers we liked and disliked, and almost everything. I assumed that I would become the same for my students after a decade. Positive vibes filled the air of the Cafe.

Enjoying ourselves over the delicious French fries, awesome fish with boiled vegetables and drinks, we kept on reviving the fun-filled memories of the yesteryears. Also, found that some of us had become diet conscious at late 30s. However, we were following different diet patterns for a healthy life in our own way. Clicked pictures and tried to be connected by sending friend requests through facebook.

The memorable evening had come to an end. It had reminded us of the bygone days, the memories we create with friends, the bond with our school and much more. We knew how time had passed. School days seem like yesterday but so much has happened in these years. A helpful friend decided to drop me at my place. All thanks to him. Such get togetherness gives us energy. With a promise of organizing such gatherings often, we departed connected.   

DOCUMENTARIES AND DRAMAS—2009

19^th September 2009

Watched altogether 6 documentaries today in Kumari Cinema Hall ‘A’ and ‘B’ running on in Film South Asia 2009.

The first was “Delhi: Work in Progress” (38’) which talked about Commonwealth Games and renovation on preparation of Commonwealth Games. Delhi has construction works going on and for that they evicted the people living there. The Yamuna River was affected as a result of construction works as well. Trees were cut; 30,000 trees had already been cut for this purpose.  The city was on a way towards becoming a new New Delhi but it affected many lives for this reason. The local residents and the town planners’ arguments went on. It dealt with urbanisation or Indianization.

The other was “People’s leader—last 72 days” (25’). It was about Benazir Bhutto’s last 72 days of her life, the climax, after she returned her home country. The love and admiration of people for her, the aftermaths of her arrival, the bomb blasts were depicted in the documentary. Despite the blasts, her speeches are even more powerful. She seemed to know her fate. As she continued on her path, her life ended in 3 shorts of gun. Was taken to the hospital and was declared a martyr to which thousands of people wept and lost their consciousness. Her arrival had cheered out lakhs of people and there were festivals. People revolted as a reaction to her murder. Her sister’s and father’s speeches proved powerful in the documentary and ended with it.

“The last rites” (17’) was of Bangladeshi shipwreck and although I did not understand it properly, I think it wanted to show how hard it becomes for people there once the ship is wrecked. The big heavy parts of ship all in the muddy shore need a lot of physical effort to place it in order. The film was without a subtitle and without any voice or sound. It was limited in visual pieces. Later in the interview with the director, she said she wanted to show the toughness she saw there and wanted the audience to feel it.

“The forgotten refugees” (45’) dealt with the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. Their reality, coming to Nepal, their lives and psychology, emotions and their destination now to the US were presented in a nice manner. The director really seems to have done a lot of research, travelling Bhutan and Nepal frequently to collect the information. She also promised to make part II after their US visit on their lives there.

“Superman of Malegaon” (79’) was a full comedy differing from rest of the shows. It was about how films are remade in Malegaon, a part of India, for the local audience there. The obstacles they come across during shooting process, how they overcome them and enjoy after its completion were the highlighted parts in the film. It was a complete entertaining film. The laughter echoing throughout the hall was evidence of it.

The last was “Threadbare” (40’) that was based on the Muslims’ hardship in the western countries (Canada). After September 11, the western eyes had completely changed regarding the Asians, particularly Muslims. For this reason, the Khans casted were tortured with the fake accusations of becoming terrorists. They even lost their education and had to return to their native Asian lands. So, the movie was heart rendering and showed the westerner’s attitudes towards Asians.

The viewers of documentary have increased now. The tickets are sold and people seem to be short of tickets and looked puzzled. The audience of documentary and theatre seem different too compared to the mainstream moviegoers. The former seem disciplined, silent and intelligent which includes foreigners as well. Moreover, people seem to expect the live interview with directors after shows are over. It is really good news for media that such audience is increasing yearly and documentaries are in demand.

22^nd September 2009

“In search of the riyal” (86’) was a film by Kesang Tseten. Because of it being the only movie by a Nepali director, the tickets were outsold. So I took a chance of watching it the next morning. It dealt with migrant workers in the Gulf countries, their hardships there, their family here and so on.

Then in the Hall B, I watched “The way of the Road” (60’) which dealt with the Nepal-Tibet road in Rasuwa district. This was the film that made me sleep. It indeed covered a good issue but maybe due to the poor presentation, I fell asleep soon.

“Children of God” (89’) dealt with Pashupati and the lives of living and dying ones there. It also dealt with the ways children in aryaghat live and earn. This is a heart touching movie, one of the best ones I watched throughout the festival.

“Forever young” (78’) was about Shillong’s Lou Majaw performing on Bob Dylan’s birthday. He admired Dylan and celebrated his birthday with different concerts and Dylan’s songs. A man of 55, Majaw seems to have an unhappy personal life but had a son and is on the road to make others happy. 

After the documentary shows, award distribution was held which was very entertaining. The documentary about shipwreck won the first award and two others received second awards whereas “Superman of Malegaon”, which was the most talked about documentary, got a debut award.

Two plays

“Bade bhai shaab” was the first drama followed by “Bimaar”. Both of them were quite comic, directed by a young lady from India, Bharatee Mukharjee. The hall was full of audience. Though booked the tickets earlier, I got the leftover seat due to my late going.

The first drama focused on two brothers. The elder one who, despite his great effort, failed exams and remained on the same grade for years and the younger one who passed exams despite his less effort. This is the main subject and the play revolves around it. The superior attitude of elder brother and his suppressions were nicely presented. Playing the kites and the game “kabardi” appear many times in the play. At the end, the elder brother expresses his emotions and gives up reading. Both of them enjoy playing at the end.

The next play “Bimaar” revolves around an ill person who 

had fever, coughs and sneezes. He is suggested by his various companions, one at a time, about the do’s and don’ts which differ greatly from one another. It is at this time the play takes a rather comic turn when he states he will get mad if any other person comes. Then comes his new neighbour who is the scapegoat. All of his anguishes and confusions are poured over the pitiable neighbour. It’s indeed a farcical play. An artistic and humorous depiction on what happens when a man believes everyone and tries to please all can be seen here.

FROM THE OLD PAGES

2061-5-19; 10 p.m.

Pulchowk

WHERE ARE WE HEADING?

Peace, peace, peace, and peace. The most common word these days. Even the baby is familiar with this word. But where is the peace? Why are we talking so much about it? Are we doing a right thing making it a great issue? It has been months we are discussing on this topic; but at last, did we reach anywhere? The problem is as it is and we are still in the same place right from where we had begun.

Get up in the morning; and with the sip of tea, go through the pages of newspaper. The headline provides you the clear-cut themes on ‘peace’. Leave the papers, tune in the radio and FM. The news continues its endless journey on peace. “Leave it” you say again and divert yourself to the idiot box hoping to get some relief by the healthy mind-developing information or entertainment. Suddenly, you switch it off becoming restless on hearing and watching all the peace stuffs when the channels are changed.

This is too much!! You get wild and shout at the box. Why grumble on an issue which never seems to have a solution at all? Why run after it and waste our precious time talking over it? Why make people bored again and again with the same topic when they expect something different?? There is a limitation to everything. Why not understand it?

These sorts of questions come in your mind and remain unanswered or let’s say you provide them your own answer. In the meantime, you search some other ways to relax yourself and plan of outgoing and roaming around. It leaves you in complete amazement when you find almost everyone you pass across expressing the same longing for peace through their faces.

Oh my god!! What is happening to everyone? Everybody look depressed and frustrated. Are all Nepalese psychologically ill? Why are they so quiet and still? Emotionless? Because of this, the path through which a Nepali walks is unclear. The decisions he takes are illogical and he keeps doing erratic tasks. His logic is unable to guide him the right way. If this continues, he may soon lack rational thinking. Isn’t it dreadful to imagine of a human being turning into an animals’ level? Is this temporary? What if it’s permanent? What are present youths to understand from this situation? How are we to guide our children along the path of bright future? And how could we expect from them in the future when we can’t fulfil their expectations at present?

The questions pile up one after another and there are heaps of it. But who is there to answer? No one. They just ring in our head, make us puzzled and confused leaving our mind vacant and completely blank. So there lies the question-WHERE ARE WE HEADING? A Nepali seeks an answer. Provided sooner, the better. Until then, I request all—let’s seek peace within ourselves; at least, let’s try to remain healthy and calm.

15th February, 2005
SUFFERING FROM LONELINESS

These days what I find common in most people is, a feeling of loneliness. Each of them needs accompaniment but no one has time to spare. As a result, people are suffering from psychological problems.

Really speaking, psychological problems are being outnumbered these days. The growth rate is rapid. Very soon, most likely there will be thousands of patients requiring counselling. And look at the future of the nation. What will happen to her if the citizens are unable to perform daily tasks or have decreased efficiency because of psychological hazards?

Now, let’s move to the next question- Why does it occur? Life is a challenge, a struggle. We need to earn name and fame while we are alive because that is what makes our life worth living. So to move ahead for it, one needs to be skill-oriented and efficient in today’s competitive world. We need to develop sufficient qualities within ourselves so that we are capable of facing anything unpredicted happening to us tomorrow.

Talking about our country in this context, it is very true that we are becoming machine-like in nature. We hardly have time for others. We have time for our job, our career but neither for ourselves nor others. In reality, we don’t actually know where we are heading; but, we claim we do. We eat in a hurry; sleep less because we don’t have time for such nor to care for our health. We need 8 hours’ sleep for a sound health, and a healthy diet is a must. But….who cares?? Look at the knowledge we get by being educated well enough.

We love junk foods. Chocolates, ice-creams, chips are our favourite. Deep-fried potatoes, vegetables, meat, and other stuffs are our daily dishes. We eat so much carbohydrate that we fill out stomach leaving no space for vitamins, minerals, proteins, and irons. Salad is just a waste of money. We leave them in a plate as a waste on gatherings, parties, and so on regarding it as etiquette and that we will be levelled high class by doing so. Is there any other a fool greater than that? I guess not. Also, we have no place for fruits. It is unaffordable. We can buy a ticket, of course, maybe of Rs. 2000/- or more for a 1-day discotheque. We can spend for cards and gifts for hundreds of rupees and present them for just no occasions. We can do that. And moreover, when it comes to marriage ceremonies, oh my god, look at the expenses!! Ask yourself how much would you spend for a marriage party- 4,5,6,7 thousand? How much? When we accept the invitation, we ask ourselves if we are ready for it. Do we have a suit or a sari? Embroidered one? Then shoes? Probably the heeled ones, then hairstyle and makeup for ladies. These preparations seem more than for a bride. So much is spent on this single day which could have become useful in many ways. We beautify ourselves more than the bride and the groom. And the gift is still left! What gift? Of course, not small ones. Those would undervalue us. There needs to be something such as vacuum cleaner, heater, fan, freeze, or…. something worth about Rs. 2000/- or more. Also, there is dowry for the expense…but let’s not digress that much.

We need time to watch TV, hear radio, hang around with friends, chat and surf, go to parties, disco etc. If we don’t do these today, we remain far behind. But what we need to remember is everything has a limit. Let’s not cross the boundary. What I am trying to say is –we waste much of our time and money over just nothing which can be cut down and made useful. Let’s sometimes take into consideration our surroundings. Let’s have some spare time for our dear ones, special ones around us, who are most of the time seeking if we have any time for them, who care so much for us. Just we lack the clear eyes to see. They deserve our love and time. Let them not hire social workers to listen and share their thoughts and feelings (like the Westerners). We can manage everything if we have a will. Let’s not be the sole cause of a social and psychological disaster. Let’s share their worries and also share ourselves with them. Let’s make a bond full of love and strengthen it further that makes us live longer, happier, and healthier for times to come. Hurry up!! Who knows, there might be no tomorrow.

From Cardff diaries

6th January, 2010
बिहान झ्याल खोली हेर्दा थाहा पाएँ अगाडिको बाटो हिउँले टम्म ढाकिएको । कसरी हिंड्ने होला ? फेरि चिप्लिन्छु कि क्या हो…… यस्तै कुरा मनमा खेल्छन्। जीवनमा पहिलोपल्ट यसरी हिउँ देखेको छु । अगाडि दुइटा कार छन्, त्यसका ऐनाहरु सबै ढाकिएका छन् हिउँले । रुखहरु, ठाउँठाउँमा हिउँको थुप्रोले भरिएका । साना घरका छानाहरु, फोहोर फाल्ने बाकस, बुटाहरु, चिम्नी, खम्बाहरु, जताततै हिउँमात्रै । ठीक अगाडि एउटा गोलाकार ठाउँ छ जहाँ हिउँले छोएको छैन । किन हो, ठम्याउन सकिनँ। आकाशबाट अझै बरबर हिउँका ससाना (कपासजस्ता) मसिना टुक्राहरु खस्दैछन् ।

यहाँ आएपछि देखें-यहाँको बादल छिट्टै हिंड्छ, एकदम छिटो । मोटरहरु त्यस्तै, बाटोमा मान्छेहरु दौडिन्छन् (बर्गर खाँदै)। मान्छेको दिमाग छिटो चल्छ । सबै छिटोछरितो देखिन्छन्। यहाँ सबै फरक छ नेपालको भन्दा । यहाँका नियम नयाँ छन् र अनौठा पनि । Information overload ले मष्तिष्क थामिनसक्नु हुन्छ (in my case)। शान्ति छ, यति शान्त कि प्रत्येक पल सोच्नुपर्ने बाध्यता ‘कसैलाई असर पर्ला कि’ । उदाहरणको लागि –धाराबाट बगेको प्रत्येक थोपा तपतपले अर्को मानिसलाई डिस्टर्व गर्छ, अर्को, साइलेन्समा राखेको मोवाइलको भाइब्रेसनले अर्को कोठाको मानिस ब्यूँझिन्छ । यहाँ प्लानिङ गर्नुपर्छ जुन bad planner को लागि अलि कठिन कुरा हो । प्रत्येक कुरा समयमा हुन्छ, एक एक मिनेटको महत्त्व छ । जसले राम्रो प्लानिङ गर्छ, ऊ अघि बढ्छ । जस्तै, आवतजावतको लागि टिकट किन्नुपर्छ अनलाइन । Payment पनि अनलाइन जसको लागि ब्याङ्कमा खाता हुनुपर्छ । हातमा पैसा बोकेको मान्छे मैले देखेको छैन । अनि अर्को हुनुपर्ने कुरा मोवाइल । यो विनाको विदेश बसाइ (कम्तिमा मेरो लागि) असम्भव नै हुन्छ । कुरा हाँसउठ्दो छ तर वास्तविकता हो । Information overload यी कुरामा पनि लागू हुन्छन् । भाषा बुझिंदैन, ५०% जति बुझेर काम गर्नुपर्छ (in my case)। किनभने सबै विदेशी छन् । कहिलेकाहीं उल्टो बुझेर कुरा बिग्रिन्छ पनि । त्यो बाहेक यहाँको nightlife । मान्छे राति दुई बजे सुत्छन् र बिहान ढिला उठ्छन् (मेरो विपरीत)। यसले गर्दा अरुलाई पर्ने समस्या त छँदैछन् ।(हिउँ कीराजस्तै फुर्फुर् फुर्फुर् उँड्दैछन् आँखासामु) । अब पढाइकै कुरा गरौं । बेढंगको पढाइ यहाँ छैन । सबै नियमानुसार हुन्छ र एकदम छिटो । पढ्ने पढाउने तरिका बेग्लै, कम्प्यूटरमा । किताब कति पढ्नुपर्छ गनी साध्य छैन । फेरि group work मा विदेशी साथीहरुसँगै काम गरी नम्बर ल्याउनुपर्छ जुन कस्तो हुन्छ कल्पना गर्न सकिन्छ । यहाँको मौसम पनि अचम्मको छ, बिहान आठ बजे उज्यालो र दिउँसो तीन चारबजे अँध्यारो हुने । त्यसैले दिन बितेको पत्तै हुँदैन । तीन महिनासम्ममा पनि adjustment problem छ । रमाइलो लाग्दैन कुनै कुरामा किनकि यो आकर्षक छ तर बनावटी लाग्छ । चीसो यति छ कि रेडिएटरको तातोले रातदिन जहींतहीं निद्रा लाग्छ । कति हाँसउठ्दो कुरा ।

हिउँ केही पग्लिएछ । एकदिन सबैकुरा पग्लिन्छ । यहाँ सबै राम्रो छ, सफा छ तर पनि आफ्नो कोही, केही छैन । यहाँ मेरो आकाश धर्ती छैन । आफ्नोपना छैन । त्यसैले जीवन स्वदेश हो परदेश हैन । यहाँ सिकेर, जानेर, बुझेर देश फर्किनुको विकल्प छैन । Looking forward to being in Nepal….

MITHILA DIARIES

To give a shape to an age-old pending task, we started from Koteshwor at 8:25 on a chilly rainy Saturday morning. Watching the Sindhuli greeneries, eating fruits and carrots in the bus was a different experience.

Janakpur had a cool weather which was least expected and it was because of the rainfall too. We reached at Ramananda Chowk at 3:30 p.m. A hotel by the name of Sita Palace had been waiting for us. We rested and had a hot lemon drink to beat the chill.

We were fortunate to meet some locals and went to the Janaki Mandir straightaway with them, highly excited as we were. The temple was reachable within 15-20 minutes’ walk from the Chowk. We could see crowd everywhere. A quick view of the temple was enough to tell us that it was very beautiful. It had a magical look. We were spellbound at the first sight of it. The white artistic and unique designed marble monument full of its worshippers at night didn’t let us leave her sight. We went inside the temple and did darshan, received the marigold garlands and got a chance to click some photos with the pujari. Also, we went to a room inside the temple and observed the MINAPA drama actors receive gifts for their hard work in the drama performed for a few days at that time. We left the temple promising to look at its beauty in detail the next day.

On the way, we planned for the next day’s puja and bought the required things. We had dinner at hotel of which mine contained plain rice with green leafy vegetable soup, an experience again. After dinner, we started dipping the cotton wicks in the oil. Too tired as we were, we could not finish it till midnight. In the hope of finishing it after getting up the next morning, we were soon in the slumber land.  

We could hear the heavy downpour and lightning and thunder throughout the night. When we got up in the morning, the rain continued and our work seemed impossible to be completed at the right time. As Monday happened to be Buddhajayanti, and also looking at our circumstances, the puja was postponed for the next day. We got our energy back after this decision, and relieved as we were, we slowed down the process a bit.  

We had some apples and decided to have something in the local shops as a breakfast. The rain had subsided; however, the weather was hot and warm. We left our work and roamed around the area, left and right. A Hanuman temple was nearby. We went inside and felt the peace of the temple within us too. Not much people came there but the place was neat and clean and well decorated.

However, the locality seemed a bit dirty and too crowded. The drainage system was not proper and people didn’t bother much about hygiene. We could see them washing and bathing in dirty ponds.   

We could also see locals eating pani puri, samosa, laddoo, pakauda, sweets, tea etc. as a breakfast in the shops—all too oily and spicy. We had a hard time figuring out what to eat. Finally, in a sweet shop, I relished aloo chana gravy which had some potato pieces in it. Thanks to those pieces. Some bananas in a cart sold just outside the shop worked as our proper breakfast.  

The second visit to the temple allowed us to have its look in detail. We could also see the shopkeepers selling items for the Sunday special puja. We clicked the beauty the temple bore and visited the Museum inside. The museum walls were decorated with Mithila Arts which told the story of Goddess Sita (Janaki).

Walking in the midday heat made us tired again. On reaching the hotel and having our food, after a short rest, our battle continued for the cotton wicks for the next day.

Leaving aside our work, the eve took us towards the unexplored areas. The bus park remained at a distance of about 30 minutes’ walk. A five-star hotel could be seen nearby. However, nothing much was seen as far as the markets or shopping was concerned. Our returning back was in an auto, after which we had our food and were back to the wicks again. We finished it at around 10 p.m.

Although it had rained throughout the night, we were able to proceed towards the Janaki Mandir at about 8 a.m. the next morning after guru came to our place and readied everything for puja. We went in an auto for Rs. 100 and the Mandir opened at 8 a.m. Our puja began in front of the main temple near the entrance and it took about 3 hours. All went well. As it was a public holiday, many holy functions took place inside the temple premises along with cultural dancing and singing with loud sounds and the crowd again unbelievable.

After the puja, we visited the nearby popular areas such as Ram Mandir, Janak Mandir, Dhanush Sagar, Ganga Sagar. All looked beautiful. There were too many worshippers seen everywhere. We could see a large number of houses being demolished and the debris lay all over the roads causing discomfort to the public. Moreover, when the rainfall had hit it, the situation could be well imagined. Also, we found out that the main market in the area was behind the Janaki Mandir, most of which were jewelry shops and readymade garments.

On reaching back to the temple in the heat, we could see the increased crowd. Our wicks were still in progress and some people were working on it. We joined and made sure it was all burnt properly. Happy as we were, we took an auto and returned to the Chowk enjoying the cool air hitting us in the heat. We also booked the tickets for Kathmandu for 7 a.m. for the next day.

The hotel served with rice and vegetarian thali at 2 p.m. After resting for a bit, sorting out our things and packing began. Roaming in the area one last time started in the evening. Some leftover cotton wicks were offered in the Hanuman Mandir and a few things were bought as gifts for Kathmandu. A try of local silver necklace of 1 kg in a jewelry shop was a sweet experience. After having our dinner, our packing continued and we slept early.

I started scribbling down the points of our travel in a diary so that I could write on it on reaching Kathmandu. Clicking the last few shots from the hotel terrace, we didn’t waste any moment to enjoy of whatsoever was remaining. While checking out of the hotel, a misunderstanding created a tense moment for a while which resolved soon and we thanked the Goddess Janaki for that.

So, at last, we left the divine area at 7 a.m. with a euphoric feeling. With our young speedy driver, we expected to reach Kathmandu sooner than planned. However, to our utter disappointment, he stopped on the way at Sindhuli for more time than was necessary just to be in the company of his friends. Once he started the journey, the speed continued. Despite several jerks, my sleep remained undisturbed while my sister kept on enjoying the green landscapes. Kathmandu welcomed us at about 3 o’clock. 

This is how our 4-day journey ended. All thanks to the Lord, God, and the Almighty for making it possible. All is well that ends well.