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

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
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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
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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

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There And Here

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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 !

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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 !