Pandemic

“I have done nothing all summer but wait for myself to be myself again.”

Georgia O’Keeffe

Au Revoir 2020

Goodbye 2020 for everything, literally.

What was supposed to be my highlight year with so many things in sight…(especially my podcast that I was looking forward to).. But as they say if butterfly flaps its wings in Argentina, there will be a storm in gulf in Mexico…Instead, here I am, glad, thanking all the stars above me for keeping me safe, sound and somewhat sane through it all.

Was I kidding not when I thought the worst was behind my back when the February ended (not talking about all that juicy valentines stuff though – may be one day I can be comfortable talking, but for now, let the juicy speculation end here). Almost as if that was the beckon for everything worse that was to follow in a year of PANDEMIC! LET THAT SINK IN! Literally, at times it was as queasy, nauseating, as vacuum it can get and tricky as treading on doubled edged sword… Looking back, what an eventful year it has been in all! Phew… a little tragic, sleepless, all sorts of scary, annoying, irritating, a little bit ungrateful too may be and sometimes a bit great too . I am not judging me. If anything, I forgive myself for feeling the way I did. Over the years, I have learnt to be kinder to myself; I hope you’re too. But hey, again who knew that literally our lives would be on the edge, at the mercy of luck..

Anyhows, I am glad I made it through and everyone (ok not everyone but I am counting my blessings only) around me made it through too.

Despite all the scare around, in some ways, it has also been a cathartic year too. I spent the most amount with my family ever since we have lived in London for ( well over a decade now…wow, deserves an entire post on its own for next time). I did not have to rush for work, commute in peak hours, cram myself in the underground trains like salmons literally, shoot through the relentless crowds in the platforms, pavements, walkaways you name it, smell people’s armpit or try to figure out what to eat for lunch every freaking afternoon and hate the crowd as much as you loved the lights (ah, saviour the paradox please.. you need to live through it to get it – it’s both shhhweeeet and sour!). So, Thank you 2020 for that.

Thank you also to all those who gave me my space. My space to breathe, get angry, be unhappy, cry, laugh, get low, get high, get really angry, keep the job, fail, fail twice, do whatever I want want, do whatever I do do, sleep till 1 pm, no yoga, no gym, no running, no cycling, sleep without washing face, eat as much as I want (just before sleep), what I want (pizzas) and let me be me – but not give up, lose hope or give in. So, Thank you again.

Dear 2020, I will forgive you but I WONT FORGET YOU.

Dear 2021, I hope we will be kinder and nicer to each other. Hope we will be able to build bridged, fulfill our goals, find the best of ourselves, stay happy and healthy. And, of course, I hope and pray the gods of vaccine sends them our way faster than we know!

Happy 2021 to everyone! 🙂

Yours Truly,

R.

Recharge, regather and march on .. IWD2018

Regardless of where you are, physically, mentally or spiritually, we hope you always find your purpose back and strive on. Thank You for marching on and always inspiring yourselves and those around you.

“You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.”

 

Maya Angelou

She is on her way!

Happy New Year 2017

Happy New Year 2017 to all our viewers and well wishers !

First Female Chief Justice

Appointment of Mrs Sushila Karki to the senior most judicial position marks an end to male-only judicial leadership in the country.

With her appointment, she brings in a wealth of experience and proven track record in the sector. CJ Karki has the reputation of being a fearless judge with zero tolerance for corruption. During her tenure as a Supreme Court justice she sent an incumbent minister and several former high-profile politicians to jail in corruption cases.

According to the former Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shrestha who recommended Karki as justice, said he chose her not because she is a woman but because of her capability.

As we celebrate her appointment, we hope the chief justice will not only fulfill her legal mandates, but initiate steps to restore faith in our country’s judicial and legal system and help bring social and political harmony in the country.

 

 

 

First Female Speaker of Parliament

Sending our congratulations to the first female speaker of parliament.

Former Maoist Guerilla fighter, Mrs Onsari Gharti Magar, was unanimously elected by the lawmakers of the country to replace Mr Subhas Chandra Nembang, following the formation of new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Mr K.P. Oli.

Her appointment comes at a turning point in Nepal’s Constitutional history, as Nepal’s constituent assembly was converted into the legislative parliament after the promulgation of the constitution on September 20, 2015, following several years of stagnation and political impasse regarding constitution formation in Nepal.

Watch her interview: https://youtu.be/NISRwSObSSQ

 

First Female President of Nepal

Better late than Never ! Sending our hearty congratulations to the first female president of Nepal, Mrs Bidya Devi Bhandari !

As Nepal politics teases with democracy every now and then, it is quite a feet to have first female president appointed in the country this early. Her reign comes in following successful tenure of Nepal’s first president Dr Ram Baran Yadav  from July 2008 to October 2015.

Born in 1961 in remote part of the country, Mane Bhanjyang, Bhojpur, her political career began at quite an early age. Uncommon to then political scene, she joined as an activist of the Youth League of CPN ML (Leftist party of Nepal) in 1978 leading up to receiving her full membership from the party in 1980, from which point, she became fully-fledged active political member. As her full time political career set forth, she married one of her political comrades, Mr Madan Bhandari, who became one of the most vehement, outspoken and bouyant leaders of the party. However, she suffered the biggest loss when her beloved died in a circumstantial car accident in 1993. Her journey in politics has since been an uprising struggle of many small wins as well as losses.

Her appointment is highly symbolic to the progress of women rights and movement in the country. Our appreciation goes out to her in not only being able to forge her career in politics as a widow of highly acclaimed leader, but also raising two children, whose responsibility fell on her shoulder wholly following her husband’s death.

 

“Small Efforts for Big Change”- Joint Winner of COP21 Youth Climate Video Competition

Congratulations to Saraswati Upadhaya on winning the 2015 Global Youth Video Competition launched by Action for Youth Empowerment (ACE) along with Charles Batte from Uganda. The Winners will get the opportunity to travel to UN Climate Change Conference in Paris at the end of the year and work with the communications team of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in covering highlights of the meeting.

“The video “Small Efforts for Big Change” by Saraswati Upadhaya shows the vulnerability of regions in Nepal that need to deal with the impacts of climate change such as diminishing water supplies, and how local communities deal with the problem and also highlights her efforts to communicate her knowledge of climate change to children at local schools.”

To watch other Video Entries: 

Three Cheers to the Winner ! Hip Hip, Hurray , Hip Hip, Hurray, Hip Hip Hurray !

The Ultra Marathon Athlete Mira Rai, sets a new record for Nepalese Athlete yet again ! She participated for the first time in Ultra Pirineu 2015 marathon held in Spain on magnificent Cadí Moixeró Natural Park, with start and finish in Bagà (Barcelona). Runner Rai completed her 110 Kilometers stretch in 13 hours, 43 minutes and 49 seconds trailing behind the winner of the competition, Emeli Tina Forsberg, by less than 5 minutes only. We congratulate Runner Rai and her team for this magnificent achievement and wish her very best of luck for many more to come !

For more photos: https://www.facebook.com/salomonrunning

More on Ultra Pirineu 2015: http://ultrapirineu.com/

More on Mira Rai: https://www.facebook.com/mirarainepal