Hey guys,

This is a new thread about my journey to today from my remote past. It may or may not create an interest in you. I am writing this just for my own sake ! If you find it interesting, that's fine !!

Introduction:

I am a graduate student in a US Univeristy, pursuing PhD studies in low-energy/atomic physics. I am in my mid-thirties. Born in a remote eastern hilly region of Nepal, I spent segments of my life in the eastern hills and then in Kathmandu before I came to the United States three years ago.I ..............

Part-17: August 28,2007

Some Experiences in my High School Teaching

I was appointed as a Science Laboratory teacher in the school. There were a lot of stuffs in the store, purposed for the science lab but packed in the sacks unopened. The laboratory equipments were spread all over the top floor of a four-storied building. I organized the instruments and I set-up a small nice laboratory. There was a big demonstration table in the next room. When students were brought to the laboratory by their teachers, I explained the objectives of the experiments and demonstrated them. Everything was going smoothly. If there were no lab periods, I was assigned to teach the classes of absent teachers. This was really difficult for me because if an English teacher were absent, I needed to teach English in that class according to the demand of the students. Anyway, I used to teach as student demanded.

One day, an English teacher of grade eight was absent. I was assigned to teach his class on that day. I went to the class. The students asked me to teach English grammar. I had to teach the conversion of the sentences in active voice into passive voice and vice versa. This was an easy job. I taught them that lesson. They were happy. The next day, their English teacher went to their class to teach that lesson. The students reported him that the lesson was already taught by a substitute teacher, which was me. When he came back to office, he became really mad at me. He fired these words at me, “Sir, why did you interfere in other's subject? Teach whatever you have been assigned for." He was so angry that he almost beat me. Next time, I had to teach “ANKHA KO GURANS RA HATKELAKO SUNGABHA " in a Nepali subject's class because of the absence of Nepali teacher. I taught the class this topic and gave homework. The next day, the Nepali teacher came and found that his lesson was already taught. He came to me and said, “Sir, you are evergreen!"

Several teachers were angry of me because of my teaching in their classes in their absence but some were happy too. Once I was called to the Principal's office. The Principal suggested me to teach Science and Mathematics only, not other subjects even if I needed to go to those classes as a substitute teacher. I guessed that some teachers had complained to the principal about my activities.

Anyways those were the days of fun!

Part-18, August 29, 2007

Some experiences in the Science labs

I was a demonstrator of science experiments in the school. I had to do demonstrations to the students of different levels- ranging from class-VI to class-X. So there were all kinds of experiments. Some were very simple where as some others were precise and of higher quality. The routine was tightly packed as there were several sections in each class and there were several grades to be brought to the lab. The days were going well. One day, I had to demonstrate the reaction between sodium and water to the six graders. The teacher brought his students to the lab. There were about forty students standing around the demonstration table. I cut a piece of sodium from the storage bottle using a knife and put that on the top of the demonstration table. The teacher had already taught about it in the class. I mean the students had knowledge about the reaction between sodium and water. I asked them what would happen when I poured water on the sodium piece. They responded correctly but probably they had no idea how loud would the explosion be! I poured a little water on the sodium piece. It exploded instantaneously with a loud bang burning a hole on the top of the table. Unfortunately, one of the students became unconscious and she was about to fall on the floor before somebody supported her and prevented from falling. After sometime, she regained her consciousness. This bang was so loud that other teachers from the ground floor climbed to the lab which was on the fourth floor.
The next morning the principal of the school called me to his office and asked me about the incident that took place on the lab the previous day. I knew that the parents of the girl who fell unconscious had complained about the safety in the lab!

Anyway, it was the first and last time that happened something bad in the science lab during my teaching in that school!

Maila dai, we want some more.

Part-19: August 30, 2007


B.Sc. in Tri-Chandra College

I joined to B.Sc. in Tri-Chandra College in Statistics-Physics-Mathematics (SPM) Group. I used to go to the college in the morning time. The college started at 7:00 A.M. I used to teach tuition from 5:30 - 6:30 A.M. in my room, then ate some breakfast and cycled to the campus. The college classes were over at about 11:00 A.M. I used to go to school to teach from there and after a full day of teaching, came back to home at about 4:30 P.M. The evening tuition started from 5:00 P.M. and continued till 10:00 P.M. This was how my routine was going. I was doing well in the campus as well as in teaching. So my studies of B.Sc. was a kind of work-study as in a typical US University. The difference was that I used to work at one place and studied at a different place. I was busy in making money for bread and butter, tuition and rent and for other needs.

My friends used to talk about girls and girl-friends. I had no time to think about girls, girl-friends or making love. There was a girl who was really smart in studies. But she was not so beautiful. Sometimes she used to talk to me about studies in the front side of the Tri-Chandra College. Some of my friends started teasing me saying, “Wow! You are talking to a CACTUS! “It was really a bad comment on her beauty. After some days, she disappeared from the campus. Later I heard that she got an admission in Bachelor of Forestry programs in Pokahara and left the college.

I spent two years in Tri-Chandra College. I gathered some nice and other bitter experiences there. We boycotted a Mathematics class of a lecturer though he was a GOLD MEDALIST from T.U. He used to teach Real Analysis. He had a good knowledge but no confidence to present it in front of the students. When he came to classes, he explained the subject materials, not looking at the eyes and faces of the students but gazing towards RANIPOKHARI. We complained to the Department Head but it was just useless. We could not get a new teacher. Some other day, one of my friends commented to a teacher very badly who was teaching differential equations. He was solving a problem from his book. He could not reach the correct solution. The friend said, “Sir, did you come to the class drinking bear?". The teacher was so mad at us that he left the class and didn't come back for several days!

Anyways, I spent those two golden years of my college life making some new friends but without making any girlfriends!!

We want more...We want more...

Kafle Jee
Interesting!
Good Luck

Part-20: August 31, 2007

Some experiences during my M.Sc. studies

As soon as I got my B.Sc. degree, I planned to join M.Sc. in Physics in the Central Department of Physics, Kirtipur. The reasons to go to physics were: I had developed an interest to study physics. I had also heard that one will get a job more easily after passing M.Sc.: at least in high schools. Later, it became much better when plus two programs were started. So I sat in the entrance exam organized by the physics department, Kirtipur. I passed the exam. I got admission in Physics in Kirtipur. I was proud of myself that I was the first person to study Master of Physics not only from my family but from the whole village. Sometimes such kind of pride leads people towards disaster. But, in my case, I tried to balance everything and continued my studies of Physics. One of my friends was so crazy to go to overseas for further studies after completion of M.Sc. He used to talk a lot about his friends in America, Japan and Germany doing well in Physics. Honestly, I had no idea about the studies in overseas. I had no dreams too.

I left the school where I was working because it was really difficult to manage time for my studies and teaching at school. I told the principal that I was going to resign from the job. He asked the reason for that. He suggested me that resignation was not necessary. I could come back to school at any time I liked and wanted. Therefore, I left the school and started to be regular in classes and labs in Kirtipur. But, I had to manage money for fees, rent and bread and butter. I had my younger brother with me studying in a campus. I also had to send some money to my dad in the village. So I continued teaching tuition and left going to school completely. Sometimes I used to cycle to Kirtipur from Baneshwor. It was terrible to do so because of pollution and diet.
Probably it was the reason of too much cycling and too much hard work that I was caught by some allergic problems from which I was terribly suffered for more than twelve years. Those problems were gone only when I landed in the USA in 2004. Though my income was good during my M.Sc. studies too, it was really hectic to manage my timings for the studies and teaching tuition. Because of my situation and busy schedule, I came to be less sociable in the campus. I reached the campus for the classes and lab works. As soon as they were over, I left the campus for tuition or self-study. Therefore, I hardly participated any programs like excursions, student politics, etc.

The Physics department had no girl students in that batch. So it was a kind of dry. The friends who enjoyed chatting with girls used to go to other departments, especially Botany as Botany department had a large number of girl students at that time. So life was again dry during the studies of Master's level too. No love-making, no girlfriends!

When I was about to start my M.Sc. studies, I was thinking to get married. Once the owner of the house asked me whether I was interested to get married. I said if I could find a girl suitable to me, I would do it. She talked to the parents of a girl close to her house. But the parents replied that they were not willing to give their daughter to a school master. That seriously struck me: 'Oh man! Then a school master would remain unmarried life-long'. Fortunately, that didn't happen in my life and I haven't seen any other school masters left unmarried, not getting girls for marriage! Later I found that those parents gave her daughter to an overseer. Why I am writing this is that our mind is still traditional and we still think that our daughters are well taken care of only when they are married to a doctor or an engineer.

Anyway, I finished my M.Sc. studies well and got back to a job of Physics teacher in the school when I used to work before. In the meantime, I got a girl and got married too! We have a daughter of about six years now. We three people are living at a place in the east coast of the USA now!

Part-21: September 04, 2007

Some pros and cons in Teaching

After the completion of my M.Sc. stdudies in Physics, I was a full-time teacher. After teaching a group of people at home as tuition, I reached the school to teach Physics to the students of grades XI and XII. Then, I taught students of high school along with some administrative jobs there. Then I used to go to Tri-Chandra College as part-time teacher to teach Mechanics for B.Sc. students and to teach some I.Sc. laboratories. In fact, I taught in ASCOL before that for about 3/4 months but the department coordinator of morning shift became so biased to me and two of my friends that we had to leave the college ultimately. After finishing the classes in Tri-Chandra, I used to come back home and teach tuition again till 9:00 P.M. This was how life was going on. I really enjoyed teaching and I still do that. The respect to my teaching from my students and the praise from their parents made me work hard. The reward of my hard work gave me a satisfaction, good achievement to my students like scoring highest positions in different exams and also money. But sometimes, the comments of some students: “You are teaching us because we are paying you for this” made me feel sad. The comments of the principal and administrators, at times, used to be of the same kind: “You are paid because students pay to us." But when I came to the USA and saw the culture of this place, I found that my place back home is much nicer in terms of the respects from students.

Part-22: September 05, 2007

How and why I started to think for higher studies in Physics?

Life was going smoothly in teaching at schools, college and at home in Kathmandu. In the meantime, I also got an opportunity to coauthor two text books of physics for the higher secondary level. I also coauthored a series of science books starting from GRADE-I to GRADE-X. I used to write articles relate to science and environment in national daily, weekly and monthly magazines. I had a good income from all of these activities. But I felt somewhat uneasy when people in trainings or gatherings used to talk about and value for the PhD holders: “Dr. X: he is good, he got his PhD from the USA, and he will be a right person for our institution! Dr. Y is also good because he did his PhD from Germany! Dr. Z did his PhD from Australia; he can be hired for our programs, just for a banner." No count of people less than PhDs! That hurt me several times in several places. I challenge that I had better knowledge in my field than those PhDs but they used to get name and respect in what we non-doctors performed! Once I told one administrator that if I could not go anywhere for my higher studies, I would buy a PhD certificate from India (as people have done so). I was holding a good position in an institute. In one program, one officer of that institute addressed me as a Doctor right before my turn to speak. At first, I clarified that I was not a doctor and then continued speaking on the subject matter. Probably the officer was right that the post I was holding to be held only by some kind of doctor. Anyway, the "DOCTOR" pinched me several times in several places. That made me think about my further studies. A palm reader had once told me that I could get the highest possible degree in my life. Probably his saying could be correct!
What made me choose a US university? At that time there was a big flow of Nepalese Physicists to the US universities; it is still the same but the number has increased in other fields too. One day, I heard that my close friends were also about to fly to the USA for their PhD studies in Physics. This struck my mind that I could also try for that. Once that happened, my wife started pushing me to TOEFL, GRE, etc. Her words “Everybody can go, why you can't!" made me think to try for the higher studies in some US University. I purchased a computer, made a passport and took TOEFL. I applied in a couple of Universities. One university gave me admission but no stipend! After a couple of correspondences, the other university gave me graduate assistantship too! Great! But there was still one problem. That was a US visa. I was not sure that I would get a visa because several students were denied their visas at that time. I applied for a visa ns walked to the US embassy for interview. A lady who accepted my application in the embassy, obviously not a visa-issuing officer, asked me, “Why are you going to a US university, not elsewhere?" and my answer was," I have heard that the US universities are imparting the best education in the world". No sooner I finished my sentence than the lady watched my face and directed me towards waiting room. I was so excited to tell something more but I didn't get any chance. I waited for a long time before I got my turn. The person in front of me was just denied his visa. I was scared when the same consular officer called my name. He asked me some questions about my studies and financial conditions. I tried to answer his questions to my best level I could. Finally he said, “Congratulations! Have a nice trip to the USA!" He told me to collect my passport from the next window paying the fee for the visa. Great! That opened up a new journey of my life! That was July of 2004.

Interesting...

DR. BK MAILA DAI YOUR WIFE IS GREEATTT. WIFE SHOULD BE LIKE THAT BUT NOT LIKE THE ONE WHO PUSHES YOUR ASSSSS TO GO AGAINST THE FAMILY

Part-23: September 13, 2007

A Journey to Overseas

My wife and I were busy in preparing the stuffs to be carried to my new home at overseas in the evening of August 12, 2004. Other relatives also joined to us for collecting and packing things. I was excited because I was going to the dreamland of most of the people in the world. On the other hand, my heart was heavy as I was going to be away from my little daughter of three years old, my wife and other relatives. I hardly slept that night. The flight was early the next morning. I could leave my place at any moment as everything was packed and ready.

It was the dawn of August 13, 2004. All my relatives were there in the early morning. I ate some food. My mother-in-law had made a beautiful garland for me. She put "TIKA" on my forehead and the garland around the neck. We took some photographs too. My brother called a taxi. Now was the hardest time of departure. I bade goodbye to my little daughter, wife and all my relatives there and went to the taxi. I found tears rolling down my chicks when I sat in the taxi. Anyway, I had to go so I left for the airport to catch the first flight of RNAC to Bangkok.

It was the first experience to fly in a jet plane. The plane took off, soared up and took a height. I watched the Kathmandu city through the window and bade goodbye. After sometime, we were above the clouds. After three and a half hours, I think, we landed at the Bangkok airport. The transit time there was about 12 hours. It was really boring because there was no chance to come out of the airport. I bought a telephone card and tried to call my wife back home but I could not catch her. Probably she was out of home. As we were five people going to the same destination, we passed time gossiping. We had to catch the Korean Air to Seoul from there. After a long and tiring flight, we reached Seoul the next morning. After a brief transit there, we caught another plane to O'Hare International Airport, Chicago. Most of the time I tried to be awake. I watched the position and the direction of flight of the plane on the screen. The air-hostess brought foods and drinks from time to time. The plane was over the pacific before it entered the sky of Canada. It was morning time. I watched through the window. The land down there was full of forest, ponds and lakes. Finally, the plane landed at the O'Hare international airport, Chicago. The plane made so violent movements while landing that we were really scared. Fortunately, everything went safely.

We came out of the plane and went to the immigration office for clearance. We claimed our baggage. We had to take train at 6:00 P.M. from the Chicago Union Station. We headed towards the union station from the airport by taking a subway train. We were only two people there for the rest of the journey. The other three were to go to a different place. We gained some bitter and some nice experiences in the train station. We had a lot of stuffs in about six suitcases. Once we came out of the subway train, we had to bring those stuffs to the train station. It was really difficult to carry as each suitcase was 40 to 50 kilograms or so except the hand-carry bag. We two were trying to carry up the staircase; a black guy picked up one of our bags and started dragging. We were surprised and told him not to do so. He told me that he saw our problem and wanted to help us. He also assured that he was some security person. A little later, another black guy also joined to us and helped to carry some suitcases. Once we reached within the Union station building, we paid two dollars for one of them. The other guy who helped a lot denied to take anything, took off his hat and said, “Just remember that there was a tall black guy at Chicago train station who helped us” and went away. Within the station building, a person wearing a red cap came to us with his taxi, loaded our things and took to the terminal of our departure. That guy really gave us hard time because he said, “You can not carry such a large amount of weight by train without paying. The limit is 48 pounds per person. If you help me, I can manage." We asked him what he wanted. He replied, “If you want my help, you need to think about me too.” We unloaded our stuffs in the waiting room. He kept on coming and talking to other working staffs in the station. We were reluctant to give any money to him beyond the train ticket. But it was time to ride the train. Finally, we decided to give him 20 dollars. Then he talked to the conductor. The conductor signaled us to put our baggage to a small compartment of the train.

We entered the train and sat in the adjacent seats. My friend slept for the whole three hours journey in the train but I couldn't. There were different things swirling in my mind including the behavior of the people in the train station, “People of any kind can be found at any of the places in the world!”

A Poem : September 16,2007
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My Beard
----------

I was desperately waiting for them to come
I was envious of the bearded people around my home
I was so excited when finally they came
But
I needed to pay an extra rupee for the first time to shave them
Later I found them more annoying to me
Razors, creams and aftershaves were beyond a rupee
It’s too much
Friends who shave every other day
Sometimes tease me as I do so only on Saturday
My wife hates them much
Spiky, sharp and bothering as such
Yesterday morning
She got a hundred kisses from my little daughter
But I got none
She just said
‘Daddy your beard should be gone’!
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A Poem: September 28, 2007

Apple-picking
-------------------------------

It was Saturday last week , early morning
A Maths professor proposed me to go for apple-picking
My wife was much excited for going
My little daughter said-it's fun to go for apple-picking!

It was the Brookfield apple orchard
About eighteen miles drive by a car, not so far
The orchard was on the top of a hill
I was surprised seeing there so many people!

We picked the apples and filled our bag
We ate delicious juicy apples - Empire and Mac
People come here by cars to pick apples fresh
Enjoy apple pie, walk around and make them afresh

Our apples of Jumla go in trash
No transport there and apples make no cash
When do people of vision come to power?
Make our hills full of money shower !

Anyway I enjoyed apple-picking there
So did my family, other friends and the professor
Spending three hours in the orchard
We came back home all together !

Part-24: Saturday, October-13,2007

Remembering My High School Classmates

During my high school studies, I had my classmates forming a widespectrum in terms of their talents, castes, religions and cultures. I myself was of poetic nature. I used to write poems in SANSKRIT CHHANDAS and I loved reciting such kind of poems. I had also participated in some poetry writing and reciting contests. one of my friends was also like me. He used to write poems and recite them. He, in fact, was a person of multiple talents like poetry-writing, story-writing, etc. He was equally talent in studies. Another guy used to write modern songs and recite them. He always stood first in song-writing and reciting competition. Another guy was talent but he lost his second position in the class as I secured that position in the final exam of grade-IX. Then he stopped wearing slippers and shoes. He used to come to school bare-footed. I never tried to ask him why he stopped wearing slippers and shoes but some people in the class told me that he would wear some footwears only he could resume his position in the class. Unfortunately he never resumed his position till the Send-up test of grade-X. There were several girls in my class who had talents in singing and doing arts rather than studying the course.

In terms of castes, most of the classmates were from Brahmin, Kshetri and Newar societies and  a few from  some other castes. Most of the girls were from Newari community. We were mostly Hindus and Buddhists. Since the school was in the place where majority of the people were Newars, we could enjoy a lot of Newari cultures and festivals along with our national festivals. Almost everyday, we could see some kind of JATRAS or some other kinds of processions. Although I studied there for three years and I had a lot of friends from Newari community, I never tried to learn Newari language. Later I felt that I made a mistake because if I had learnt Newari language, I would have one more language for communication in Kathmandu, especially in Kirtipur Campus where some of the professors were from Newari community and they communicated mostly in Newari beyond the classroom activities. Sometimes it was really annoying when they helped my Newari friends in the lab in Newari language and I used to be helpless there.

Anyways, I enjoyed multicultural, multireligious, multilingual and multiethnic environment in my class during my High School Education. 

 

Poem : December 16,  2007

--------------------------------

There And Here

-------------------

There are tall mountains,

And deep river valleys

Here are little hills,

Skyscrapers and alleys

There is Tyamke

Peaked to touch the sky

Here are seven Worcester hills

Not so much high

There are narrow trails and walkways

Going up and down

Here are the networks of wide roads

Full of cars all-time-all-around !

I ask a question to myself

And all concerned

When will there be like here

In education and development !

----------------------------------------

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008 TO ALL SAJHA READERS AND THEIR NEAR AND DEAR ONES !

Why did not you mention the village where you grown and studied? Everybody would love and respect the place you born.

BKMailo,

Your story is really inspiring!

--“Dr. X: he is good, he got his PhD from the USA, and he will be a right person for our institution! Dr. Y is also good because he did his PhD from Germany! Dr. Z did his PhD from Australia; he can be hired for our programs, just for a banner." No count of people less than PhDs! --

I feel like joining PHD right now

A mouse and a tooth fairy

" Daddy, you know, the tooth fairy gave me a dollar for my lost tooth!"  she was so excited, " You know, last time  she gave me only two quarters  but today I got a dollar - see this !" My little daughter grabbed a dollar bill from under her pillow and came to me saying this very early morning today. This reminded me my childhood right away. My dad pulled out my wiggled baby tooth and said, " Put it in fresh cowdong and throw it over the roof saying that - hey mouse, take my old tooth and give me a nice new one !"  Here is the point - both of these are forms of beliefs and traditions, or better say - a kind of superstition. Does a mouse really take away our old fallen tooth and gives a new tooth? Never. Does a tooth fairy exist and give money/gifts to the kids, taking away their old teeth? I don't believe so. The replacement of a fallen tooth is a biological process and it will be replaced in course of time. It will neither be given by a mouse or a tooth fairy ! But the reality is that - If you are in Rome, do as Romans do ! Anyway, follow the tradition and culture to survive in the society harmoniously !

Just a nice remainder of my remote childhood !