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 ..............

Thanks for sharing your story with us. Though every part is short, I find it really rich and informative. Sometimes I wonder why we enjoy reading other people's stories... and then I come across wonderful stories like yours and get the answer!

August 21, 2007

Part-12 (Contd :)

My Early College Life:

My early college life brought me various new things. I got experiences to ride in a four wheeler like a bus, a car or a taxi for the first time when I went to college. I had no idea of cinemas. One day my roommate told me to go to GANESH TEMPLE. I said okay and followed him. Ultimately he stopped in front of Ganesh Cinema Hall close to Bahnu Chowk in DHARAN and told me that we were going to the building in front of us to watch a Hindi movie. He bought two tickets and we entered the cinema hall. The movie was “Aparadhi Kaun” (if I remember correctly). I had no idea about heroes and heroines and villains. An almost naked lady was seen on a large screen and a giant man came and kissed her. They slept together. It was terrible! I was desperately waiting for the time to finish the movie. I didn’t understand anything but my friend was telling me that the movie was good. Probably I couldn’t appreciate the movie because I was ignorant of the Hindi language. But the so-called love scenes on the screen were really nonsense to me. Anyway, this was the first experience of any and all kinds of movies in my life.
My next experience in my early college life was student politics. There were various groups which were against the Panchyeti Ruling System. Their objective was to overthrow that system and bring a multiparty democratic system in the country. One of the groups inspired me to be involved as a member of that group. I was made a member. We had to meet in some secret places on a weekly or monthly basis. One evening, we were in a meeting in one friend’s room. After the meeting was over, we were dispersed so that no one could suspect on us. But the next morning we came to know that two of our friends were arrested that night. That became a hot news even in the national weekly magazines. After several days, they were set free and they came back to the campus. They told us how they were behaved in the custody. The torture they faced there was really horrible. Their explanation distracted me to remain in that kind of bad game. Therefore, I slowly drifted back and ultimately left any active role from that political group. I never went to student politics again. BECAUSE I was there to study science and become a doctor or an engineer in future so that I could make my family’s dream true. But unfortunately, one another habit caught me aggressively. That was to write literature, especially poetry and sometimes drama or short stories. I was so much engrossed in reading and writing literature that I started giving less time in course studies and more time in writing poems, reciting them in different programs and sending them for publications. I was successful in publishing about half a dozen of poems in local magazines in one year but that made my study weaker. I used to write in traditional Sanskrit Chhanda. I stood third in a campus-wise competition. My Nepali teacher commented in the prize-giving ceremony that my poetry reminded him the Bhanubhakta Era.

Anyways, there were still ups and downs in my campus studies but obviously of different kinds from my childhood !

Part-13: August 22,2007

(Contd:)

A dreadful night in my early college life:

One night I was busy in preparing for my I.Sc. first year final exam that was going to start on the following day. It was already about midnight. We had two beds in our room - one for me and the other for my friend. My bed was close to the inner wall and the other bed was close to the window. There were two other students of my campus in other rooms of the same house at Vijayapur. I was tired and so went to a deep sleep. It was about 5:00 A.M., almost morning. I was given horrible shakes, may be left and right that made me fall to the floor from the bed. The hit on the floor made me wake up. I tried to find the door in dark and with a very hard effort I could open the door. As soon as I reached out of the house, the house collapsed and buried about five people-a student and four members of the house-owner’s family. Oh my god, I was lucky; I was safe! I came to know that the city had been struck by a deadly earthquake. I could manage to get a towel from the window and wrapped myself on it. All other stuffs were buried under the debris. Later the army men came for rescue operation and took out the buried people there. They also helped me take out my stuffs. The people and equipments from Ghopa camp became really helpful in removing the debris and in rescue operations there. Fortunately all of the people from the house in which I lived survived; although some of them were severely injured. Later I came to know that there were hundreds of deaths in the city. Most part of the city was almost grounded and there was a huge loss of lives and properties. I saw live a massive destruction caused by an earthquake for the first time in my life.

That was really a painful day after the dreadful night which claimed so many lives. Because of that dreadful event, our exams were postponed for some days. I then moved to the hostel of the campus and completed my rest of the studies of I.Sc. from there.

Maila dai, I understand that you are busy doing your PhD so you hardly have time but still you need to allocate little more time to the story,it is too short.....
Pugena kya...at least 1 page ta hunu paryo ni..
By the way you escape deadliest disaster unharmed, lucky U.

Part-14: August 23,2007

(Contd :)

Job hunting experience after completion of I.Sc.:

After the completion of my I.Sc. Studies, I started looking for a job suitable for me. I started looking at the advertisements in the newspapers for the job openings. There was a job opening for a teacher in a lower secondary school in Itahari. I applied for that post. I had to teach English if I were selected. On the interview day, the interviewers ask several questions. I forgot most of them but I still remember one of the questions asked to me: how to pronounce the word "ORANGE”. I had heard an advertisement in radio and TV like " CHISO CHISO FANTA ORANGE, MITHO MITHO FANTA ORANGE." I said the way that the guy in that advert used to speak. As soon as I answered the question, the interviewers bade me goodbye and suggested to wait for the result. Later I came to know that I failed the interview. Then I went to Biratnagar thinking that I would get a job there as that is one of the biggest cities of Nepal. I went to see the principle of a school who was from my neighboring village but migrated to Biratnagar long time back. One of my friend, junior to me was working there as a teacher and studying in a law campus. When I explained about myself and my purpose of coming to see him, he told me that he had heard about me before. He told me, “Rudra Bhai, I know your problem. I heard that you were really a hardworking person in school and also a good achiever. So the best place for you to work or study is Kathmandu. So, go to Kathmandu and try to find a job there. You will definitely get a hard time there initially but you will in better position later. So my strong advice to you is to go to Kathmandu." Oh man, I had never thought about Kathmandu. That gentleman inspired me to go to Kathmandu for hunting a job for me. I went back to Dharan. There were still some friends staying back there even after finishing their exams. One of my friends was from Dhading. His brothers used to live in Kathmandu. I expressed my desire to go to Kathmandu with him. He became very happy to hear this.
One day, we purchased tickets of a DAY BUS and left for Kathmandu early morning. I knew that we were going to Kathmandu but my destination was really uncertain and vague!!

(Contd:)

Part-14: August 24,2007

(Contd:)

A naive swimmer plunging into the sea:

We boarded on the day bus which headed to Kathmandu early morning from Itahari. The plan to travel by day bus was of my friend. He wanted to see the places and the scenes on the way to Kathmandu. Probably he was enjoying the journey and I seemed to be doing so. But a question was always hitting my mind that I am going to a place where there was no one to address me "Hey Maila!”. The city would be completely new for me. We reached Narayangarh in the evening. My friend said that he had relatives there and so we were going to spend the night there and we would move to Kathmandu the following morning. We reached his relative house. It was Magh and it was time of SWASTHANI BRATA KATHA. The ladies in the house were about to tell the story. My friend told them that I was a good in reading such kind of stories. Then they insisted me to read the story in that evening. When I finished the story, they appreciated me for my way of reading. The next day we headed to Kathmandu by a bus. We reached Naradevi, where his brothers were living. I was in the biggest city of Nepal, the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu. I thanked my friend for helping me visit Kathmandu. He suggested me to look for a job there. Oh man, who would give me a job? Where could I go to look for a job in that big city? Whom to contact? Where to stay until I would get a job? So many answerless questions were reeling in my mind. Thinking about here and there, this and that, an idea struck my mind. I had heard that one of my friends from high school was working in Bishwojyoti Cinema. I told my friend whom I was living with about this. We went there to find my high school's friend. By luck, I was able to find him. He was very happy to see me there after several years. He took me to his residence at Baneshwor. He was living with his mom, dad, brothers and sisters-some were job holders and others were students. All of them were happy to see me at their home. They suggested me to live with them and hunt for a job. It was an overwhelmingly joyous moment for me. There was a tree trunk on my way to catch while I was being swept away by a river current. It was a huge support to me. But the question of finding a job was steal there.

This reminded me, “A friend in need is a true friend indeed."

(Contd:)

Part-15: August 25, 2007

(Contd:)

A job hunting experience in Kathmandu

I started to live at Baneshwor adjusting with the family of my friends. They tried to search a job for me. They contacted wherever was their approach. I got a chance to teach a girl next to our apartment, preparing for the SLC. Along with her were other three kids of her uncle. I taught the four for a month. The guy who gave this job to me paid Rs.300. That was too low but I was happy because that was my first income of my toil in that new place. One of the neighbors, who was a teacher in a public school in Kathmandu, gave interest to find a job for me. Ultimately she managed a home tuition for me; I had to teach three kids of her relative. I would be paid Rs. 500 per month for that job. Great! One other friend of my friend's brother searched another home tuition for me in Old Baneshwor. I would be paid Rs. 700 per month for the four kids. That was the time which began my life of a teacher which is still going today but at a different place and environment!

I established myself as a home tutor. But how long could I go with that profession? I also tried to look for a job of a teacher in private and boarding schools. I used to see the "WANTED" in magazines and go to the schools. The first question the principal or the administrators used to ask me was: “Do you have any teaching experience before?". Oh my god, does a baby get birth getting a teaching or some kinds of job experiences? A baby is born and the first thing it knows is to cry. Beyond that is all gained by doing something in his/her environment.

Wherever I went to look for a job, I was just turned down because of the lack of my experience related to that work. This made me spend my two full years to be a home tutor. The nice thing was that I had gained a good name of "ALL ROUND TUITION TEACHER" at Baneshwor. By the end of two years in Kathmandu, I was teaching about nine groups of students. This was giving a good income to me. In fact, there were no places for the students who used to come late to join to tuition with me.

A good tuition master - BKMailo !

(Contd:)

Waiting for next issue.
Meantime just wanted to pull thread up so other could read it..

Part-16: August 27, 2007

I got a job in a good private school:

One evening, I was tutoring a group of students in my room. There were 7/8 students in a group. My high school teacher who was in Kathmandu at that time came to me and asked whether I could help him teach as a replacement teacher in a school where he was working. The reason was that he was studying M.A. in Economics in T.U. and his exam was approaching. I thought it could be a chance for me to enter a school for a job. I nodded him agreeing that I would do that job. The next day I went to school. I had to teach Mathematics in Grade-IX. I met the principal. He could hardly believe me that I could teach in grade-IX as I was too young to teach in that higher grade in his school. He asked me, " Can you teach mathematics in Grade-IX where your teacher is teaching." I promptly answered," Yes, I can." I had two years' teaching experience as a home tutor. I was teaching the courses of grades IX and X: not only mathematics but variety of subjects. I started teaching mathematics in that school. The students were really impressed from my teaching. Joining to the school also helped to grow the number of students in my tuition groups. In a month, I established myself as a good teacher in the eyes of those students. When their regular teacher came back to school, I stopped going to school. One day, the school administrators called me and gave me the salary of my work. It was about Rs 1800, a good money for me at that time! The other good thing for me was that I was recommended for a teaching job there. Great, I got a job in a very good school of Kathmandu where I worked about 12 years before I left for my higher studies in a US university.

That reminds me, "Never give up a hope!”

Maila dai le lekhna kanjoosi gare jasto chha...
Just 15 line...???

Nice reading Maila Dai! But please try to post more kya. we are waiting to read ni...

August 25, 1997,
it just 12 lines not 15

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.