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The Nepal Digest Sat Sept 18, 1999: Ashwin 6 2056BS: Year8 Volume90 Issue432
Today's Topics (partial list):
Live for God, Lead for Nepal
To Nepalis Who Care
Sexual Abuse, Molestation and Women's Right
To a Gurkha Soldier
Nepali News
SINHAS 3(2) goes to press
Kathmandu Post Book Review
Does Nepal Have a Development Strategy?
MA-HA Gai Jatra in USA
An Information: ANNOUNCING THE RELEASE OF THE NEW ALBUM/CD "AAU"
Invitation to GBNC 10th Anniversary Year Cultural Program in
Enjoy this sweet Barbie "CHOOTKILA"
Conference in Nepal
Nepal Emergency Medicine
******************************************************************************
* TND (The Nepal Digest) Editorial Board *
* -------------------------------------- *
* *
* The Nepal Digest: General Information nepal-request@cs.niu.edu *
* Coordinator: Rajpal JP Singh a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu *
* Editor: Pramod K. Mishra pkm@acpub.duke.edu *
* Chapter Coordinators - Australia Chapter (TND Foundation) *
* Dr. Krishna B. Hamal HamalK@dist.gov.au *
* Chapter Coordinators - Canada Chapter (TND Foundation) *
* Anil Shrestha SHRESTHA@CROP.UOGUELPH.CA *
* *
* TND Archives: http://library.wustl.edu/~listmgr/tnd/ *
* TND Foundation: http://www.nepal.org tnd@nepal.org *
* WebSlinger: Umesh Giri ugiri@uswest.com *
* *
* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
* *
* "Heros are the ones who give a bit of themselves to the community" *
* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" -Sirdar_Khalifa *
* *
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 16:05:14 -0600 (MDT)
Forwarded by: Rajpal J.P. Singh <a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu>
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Live for God, Lead for Nepal
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
St. Xavier's School, Kathmandu was founded to educate the young men of Nepal,
training them to become "Men for Others." Today, as then, we aim at
educational excellence, spiritual growth, and social justice for active
service of God, Nepal, and the human community. Thus, we are the school
where "Live for God, Lead for Nepal."
Recently, termites have rendered the original 100-year old building unsafe
and unusable. This has set us upon the task of raising funds to build a new
building to continue our good work of helping Nepal, one person at a time.
Our immediate goal is to raise $500,000 to construct a new three-story wing
for the St. Xavier's High School that will enable us to continue to educate
the next generation of servant leaders in Nepal. Our ultimate goal is to
raise $3,000,000 to establish a 2 year junior college unit and provide
computer ans science labs for needy neighborhood students. Seed money of
$100,000 for the scholl hall of the new wing arrived in Jauary of 1999.
We are unable to generate sufficient funds with in Nepal and need your help
in continuing this critical work. We run a non-profit school and keep fees
low so it will not exclude the poor and the middle class. Our work is funded
through Jesuit International Missions, a public charity.
The three-story wing proposed will run 1/6th the cost of equivalent space in
the United States. The cost per student and their impact in Leading Nepal
for God is tremendous. In addition, after more that 50 years as a boy's
school, for the greater service of women of Nepal, we are becoming co-ed.
This will require more classrooms, physical facilitiies, and more teachers
and counselors.
During its nearly 50 years, St. xavier's High School, Kathmandu, has turned
out some 3,000 graduates. Nearly all have gone to college. Large numbers of
our alumni are now doing great things for Nepal. We have helped develop
principles, values, morals, and knowledge that has enabled our graduates to
contribute to Nepal in every profession.
Grants and donations should be designated for:
St. Xavier's School, Kathmandu, Development Program
Jesuit International Missions
2245 Gilbert Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45206
Please contact Fr. James J. Donnelly, S.J. for further information
at 513-751-6688.
******************************************************************
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 16:05:14 -0600 (MDT)
From: ADHIKARY RAJANI <Rajani.Adhikary@Colorado.EDU>
To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - July 18, 1999 (6 Shrawan 2056 BkSm)
This response is actually dedicated to the previous article of Nepal
Digest. I would like to add something to Mr. Sharma's addition to the
Digest concerning the "dignified and educated" men who wrote the
declaration of independance for the United States. Mr. Sharma's article
forgot to point out most of the truth about these men.
They were men who were willing to call certain human beings only 3/5ths of
that of a white man because of the color of their skin. They were men who
denied women the right to vote on the basis of constructed gender roles
that none of these so called 'educated men' could have questioned. They
were men who were protecting their own wealth from the British, not the
well being of black slaves, mothers or sisters, or even poor women and men
of their same color. They were men who were willing to take from the
indigenous populations and kill them systematically.
These were the men who drafted the declaration of independance. These
were the men who are taught to be hereos in our American classrooms. We
as people of color and immigrants to this country must remember the long
history of exclusion, racism and violence that has surrounded our
communities in this white nation. We must remember that those men who
drafted the decleration of independance did not consider US in their
declaration of rights. We as immigrants to this country must remember
that July 4th was a holiday that celebrated rich, white men and the
privleges they fought for. So on this July 4th, and for the next July
4th, remember that we must continue the struggle for independance for
communties of color, women and the poor in this country.
Rajani Adhikary
******************************************************************
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 1999 13:36:53 -0400
Subject: To Nepalis Who Care
From: AikoAnne Joshi <aiko7@juno.com>
Dear TND subscribers:
There is a Nepali filmmaker, Ravi Baral, who has completed making a movie
about the plight of young girls who are sexually trafficked to brothels
in India. (Not again! some of you may groan.) His film is entitled,
"Chameli", and it has been partially funded by the UN and USAID. It is
in post-production in Bombay at the moment, scheduled to be complete in
early September. It is a feature-length movie in Nepali with English
subtitles.
I think this is an important film because it's made by a Nepali, and a
Nepali man at that.
The sex trafficking problem is increasing in Nepal. Not only Nepal, but
all over the world. No country is immune (that's right, folks, even in
the US of A!). What is encouraging about this film is that there are
folks in Nepal who give a damn, and who are trying to do something about
a social problem that is ballooning out of control. Often, on this
forum, I read much negative things about Nepal and Nepalis, but I also
read good things, encouraging things, and then when I personally come in
contact with people who - despite the government corruption, the
political instability, the general negatively fatalistic mental attitude
of too many Nepalis both educated and not - are trying to make a
difference (knowing that the rewards are miniscule at best; non-existent
at worst), I feel renewed in continuing - in my poor, small way - to help
those in a position to doing something for the good.
So far, Mr. Baral hopes to show his film in Los Angeles, Washington,
D.C., Atlanta, Houston, and maybe Chicago. Captive Daughters, the NGO I
have been working for for the past two years, plans to help promote this
film in those areas. I hope to be able to coordinate film showings in
the Atlanta-area. I am appealing to the Nepali communities in these
cities for help in showing the film, in bringing awareness of this
problem, in helping to encourage the work of brave people like Ravi
Baral.
I know that some of us in the immigrant community in the US, in Canada,
in other western countries, want to put on a "good" face to the
"mainstream" society; to show that we are "just as" smart or capable and
willing to quickly assimilate and acculturate (trying to be a "model
minority", which is detrimental rather than helpful). Which means, not
talking about the negative things about our respective countries of
origin; pretending that no bad things happen, or, if bad things do
happen, it's because "we" come from inferior places. This is an
unfortunate attitude, I think, and it prevents positive and effective
change because it hampers the work of activists.
I hope that there will be enough ex-pats who will care, and who will
acknowledge that this is a social problem that is not just indigenous to
Nepal, but to all societies everywhere. Those of you in the know, know
that Canada, the United States, and Mexico are conduits - routes - to
points beyond: mainly Asian countries such as Japan, Brunei, Hong Kong,
the Philippines; Israel, the Middle East, and Europe. Likewise, girls
and women(and even boys) are being trafficked from Central America
(mainly Guatemala and Honduras), the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, to
North America (mainly the US and Canada).
I think, for the Southeast region, perhaps NASA members could assist me
in bringing this film to Atlanta. Captive Daughters will be bearing the
brunt of the financial cost; I would put Mr. Baral up in my house during
the time he is here in Atlanta. While he won't be here in time for the
annual Labor Day convention, we could still have a gathering in the fall
once plans are finalised. I would like to combine his film showing with
a fund raiser for Maiti Nepal, the shelter begun and run by Anuradha
Koirala. Once I receive more detailed information about this, I will let
NASA members know as well as general members of TND.
Aiko Joshi
Board Member, Captive Daughters
Graduate student, Georgia State University
"I don't question our existence. I just question our modern needs."
(from Pearl Jam's "Garden")
********************************************************
Date: August 7, 1999
From: Nepali Information Networks <nepalifriends@home.com>
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Sexual Abuse, Molestation and Women's Right
My mother in law was forced to live with a man in Katmandu after =
her
husband died. She had 3 children from her late husband, then two more =
with
the live in man. He would beat her up for no reason when he was =
drunk, but
no one would do anything to help her. We wanted to sponsor her and =
the two
children to come to Canada as a landed immigrant, but the man does not =
want
them to come unless he was going with them. Because of the Canadian
immigration law that you can only sponsor immediate family member, he =
does
not qualify. So, he allowed my mother in law to come here with a =
visitors
visa. Weeks after she came he started to physically abuse the =
children, for
my mother in law was not there to take his beating.
At this point we were not going to send her back, but process her =
paper
to stay as a landed immigrant with the two children as her dependants. =
He
told us that he would kill the children if she will not go back and =
assume
her old role. He has cut off all communication with the children,
threatening the people that owned the phone he would hurt them if they =
give
the phone to the children when we call them. Now he has be-friended a =
man
who owns a school. This man who owns the school likes to molest =
little
girls that attends his school. He would prey on their misfortunes. =
Allure
them with money and a promise of a better life, then take advantage of =
their
innocence to fulfill his evil sexual desires. I know this for he has =
done
it with my wife when she was younger.
Now that this two evil man has joined forces, we can not find a =
way to
get them here. They would either be killed by their father or =
molested by
the school owner ( Principal ). Because they were not married, does =
my
mother in law have the right to take the children from their =
alcoholic,
abusive father? In Nepali law, can she take sole custody of the =
children?
Does anyone know somebody who could help us in acquiring their =
passport and
send them here without their father? Because of the past, we are =
afraid
that if my mother in law goes back to Nepal, he would kill her or beat =
her
up. Do women in Nepal have the right to press charges to him for =
physical
abuse?
Is there someone we could talk to that we could hire to help us? =
Please
email us back at nepalifriends@home.com
Thank you and Namaste
********************************************************************
From: <smishra@nspr.com>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 10:00:36 -0500
Subject: To a Gurkha Soldier
TO A GURKHA SOLDIER
Tonight moon is hiding behind the clouds.
Stars are too sad to shine.
It is a very dark night,
The oil lamps and candles do not burn.
Village is engulfed in the total darkness.
There are no conversations or laughter here tonight.
Only the weeping- collective tears of the village
Flowing like a river in monsoon.
The song that has been sung hundred of years
In these mountain villages has come true tonight-
A son lost in a distant war.
You died for the humanity
A martyr for the peace.
But tonight we have lost a father,
A husband, a son, a brother, a friend.
We hunger for your face-
Your voice
Your touch.
We can almost hear your faint footstep of
Homecoming
becoming fainter and fainter.
We can almost see your shadow-
Becoming smaller and smaller before
It disappears completely
In the darkness of the night.
Sadness suffocates us.
The void in the heart is
Swallowing the heart itself.
Where are you tonight ?
A son coming home for
Dashain is now a myth to us.
A brother coming home for
Tihar is now a cruel joke to us.
A friend singing and dancing in the
Rodhi Ghar is now only a dream to us.
A lover separated from his beloved
For eternity.
A rose plucked from the branch
Before it had a chance to unfurl
All its beautiful petals.
A brave , noble and compassionate being
gone tonight
gone forever.
-Satish Mishra
**************************************************************
Date: August 27, 1999
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Nepali News
Does jaat really matter ?
By Subina Shrestha
It happened when my illustrious Dad, with the kindest of all intentions decided to give his colleague a lift. And as usual, me and my mom gritted our teeth as Mr Know it all chatted away.
"You know bhauju, I am planning to buy 100 ropanis of land. After all, land price has become so cheap now," said Mr Slime.
"Why wouldn’t you. All the black, white and red money that flows in like Karnali from the tax department gushes straight into your pocket," my mind fumed. I am not supposed to be rude to elders.
Mr Slime went on and on about the causes of corruption and depression in the country. My parents, as polite as they are, kept on listening. I waited for the bomb to explode. Boom! Off went my mother.
"Would you not say that corruption is rampant in this country because people don’t feel guilty about exploiting other people for their own benefit so that they can buy, say 100 ropanis of land?"
Long live mother, motherland, Kali, Durga and all alike.
"Don’t speak like that bhauju. Why do you get so hyper ? All I do is act a little shrewd. As a Brahmin, you should know, it comes from my jaat," Slime retorted.
There were objections from my mother. My father had to interject and divert the subject to something else lest there be bloodshed.
But the words hit so hard that my head pounded with anger. What a way to defile a whole community. Devkota and Bhanubhakta were also Brahmins. How come they were not exploiters.
And what will happen, if, he and his likes decide to take advantage of their inborn, jaat-given liberties? What if Kshyatrias start jaat-given violence and the other castes, classes and ethnic groups retaliate? Each human being will be a living walking bomb that could explode with just a touch. Moreover, what is jaat, caste and class except a human-made division?
There can be no excuse for corruption except for a poor and feeble mind that can do no better than live like a leech on somebody else’s blood. How very weak must those people be who have to lean on jaat for everything. Sadly enough, these people’s identities will be confined to their jaat throughout their lives. They will never know what being a human being is.
**************************************************************
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 09:45:54 +0530
From: Pratyoush Onta <sinhas@mos.com.np>
To: "nepal-list@mos.com.np" <nepal-list@mos.com.np>,
Subject: SINHAS 3(2) goes to press
The much delayed issue of
Studies in Nepali History and
Society (SINHAS) vol 3 no 2
Dec 1998 has gone to press.
Its contents:
Articles
The Royal Gift to the
Ascetics: The Case of the
Caughera Yogi Monastery
Veronique Bouillier
A Chronicle of Saru, Jajarkot
(including English translation
and Nepali text)
Gregory G Maskarinec
The Legacy of Slavery in Nepal
Timothy Whyte
Literature Review
"In the Name of the People":
Writing Bikas in Post-1990
Nepal
Commentary
Urban Conservation in the
Kathmandu Valley: Crisis of
Institutions
Biresh Shah
Subscribers should get their
copies by the end of Sept.
SINHAS vol 4 no 1 June 1999 is
under preparation and will go
to press by Sept end.
For details on previous
issues, subscription, etc. pls
visit our home page:
http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~deschene/sinhas/index.html
******************************************************
From: SeiraT@aol.com
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 10:54:38 EDT
Subject: Kathmandu Post Book Review
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Although well aware that you have been recently bombarded by calls for
writers by Ashutosh for the Kathmandu Post Review of Books, I would like to
put in my two bits. I will be coordinating the October issues and am looking
for some more people to review books of their choice. I especially encourage
women to write - although books reviewed obviously do not have to be "gender"
oriented. (I was thinking of making one of the issue's a special issue on
women as I had done a year ago or so....) If you feel shy about your writing
or just don't know what book to review, we can help - as Ashu had written
before, we are looking for ideas not perfect grammar or big words. Come
join in - it's fun and worthwhile!! Feel free to write to me if you would
further clarifications or just want to bounce some ideas off your head - Seira
*******************************************************************
Forwarded by: "Ashutosh Tiwari" <ashutiwari@hotmail.com>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Does Nepal Have a Development Strategy?
Date: Sun, 22 Aug 1999 23:05:38 GMT
>Does Nepal Have A Development Strategy?
> -By ADAM FRIEDENSOHN
>
> Since I have been in Nepal for eight years now I would
>like
>to make some observations about the
> policy of the government in regard to economic development.
> The symbiotic relationship between HMG/N and the donors
>has been clear for many years.
> Donors need to move certain amounts of funds into poor
>countries with silk brocade covers which say,
> "morally we have an obligation to help our poor brothers
>and
>sisters." HMG/N proudly applauds the
> lofty intentions of the donors and tries to find ways of
>eating the funds with as little effort and shape
> shifting as possible. They posture as poor helpless people
>with no money, strapped in deep backward
> ignorance, overpowered by the larger neighbors. They
>applaud
>studies done by donors (provided some
> funds have moved into the HMG/N coffers during the study)
>and disregard most of the suggestions
> which result.
>
> The donors are rewarded for increasing flow of aid money
>into host countries. This is the
> mechanism of aid organizations which need to survive like
>any other organism. Maintaining influence
> over the host country is the actual objective of all donors
>although the objective is commonly referred
> to as "sustained relations".
>
> Few seem to be too depressed about these interdependant
>relationships but the questions arise
> everyday from the common people, "Where are our jobs?
>Where
>are our opportunities? Where are
> our new skill sets?" Where are our amenities? What is
>HMG/N doing about these things?
>
> I am sad to say that I have no good news to give here.
>Although there are a few well meaning
> government officials (largely in the Industry department)
>by
>and large the poltician's mind is framed by
> the donor activity and their own elections over any sense
>of
>hope for economic development. Most of
> these politicians seem to be folks who couldn't enter into
>business themselves or feel business is too
> slow a way to make money. Some of them feel that doing
>business is dirty and so have entered
> "service" to the government. Having such attitudes it
>should not come to anyone's surprise that these
> same folks have no real appreciation of what business means
>to a country nor do they have any idea
> what it means to do business in their own country. These
>are the folks who are responsible for
> designing HMG/N's framework for development. Actually this
>is enough said to illustrate why we are in
> the situation we are in and little more need be said.
>
> However in the interest of humor I will continue a bit
>further. At some point the government officials
> of this country are going to have to realize one thing.
>And
>that is that this poverty is uniquely theirs,
> designed, crafted and sustained by them as well as enjoyed
>by them. Their habit to spend more time
> attacking the foundations of the business and success of
>others over and above their own positive
> pursuits is the sole reason for their economic sickness.
>
> HMG/N will have to see that economic developemnt is not
>an aid issue but a free market economy
> issue. I am of the opinion that there are hundreds of
>viable industries possible in Nepal and that
> HMG/N has made 90 percent of them nonviable if not
>completely non-profitable. The costs of
> interacting with the government are excruciatingly painful
>for businesses and opportunities for graft built
> into the various HMG/N permisssion steps for industry are
>plentiful. When a sector starts to thrive
> everyone wishes to set up a new wing of the government to
>regulate the field. Donors throw money at
> the regulatory body, corruption finds its new channel and
>end user prices go up typically making
> Nepalese products priced out of the market. India perks
>up
>its ears, deals are made and local
> industry is trampled under the feet of Indian import
>products.
>
> From a paperwork perspective importing remains easier
>than exporting. Any HMG/N official
> reading this will immediately come to the conclusion that
>imports should be restricted. This is their
> folly. Whereas the tap that can supply Nepal with all the
>resources it needs could be thrust open the
> habit is to close it and tell everyone to form a queue.
>
> So my question is... when will HMG/N as a whole start to
>realize that they are choking their
> people's own natural tendency toward prosperity? The
>Nepalese are clever and motivated people unlike
> what they are portrayed by most foreigners. They are not
>afraid of hard work but do feel a sense of
> hopelessness.
>
> I have only met a few people in HMG/N who really care
>about private sector development and even
> fewer who are interested in listening to the private
>sector's problem and solution sets. After all they
> don't get paid to do that particular function. No one
>likes
>to work for free and at HMG/N salary rates
> that is what we are talking about.
>
> Who will repair the dreams of the next generation of
>Nepalese? The donors don't stay in Nepal
> long enough to begin to think properly about it. Actually
>it falls into the laps of the Nepalese. How
> long do you all want to live at the mercy of others when
>the
>opportunity to change the country lies in
> your own hands?
>
> Just a question.
>
> (A US national, Mr. Friedensohn is an industrialist
>based in Kathmandu. His company, Lotus
> Energy (P) Ltd, is engaged in the field of
>alternate energy.)
>
******************************************************************
From: Paramendra Bhagat <pbhagat@chaitime.net>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Lokesh Shreshtha's piece on his stay in Seattle
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 15:25:14 -0400
I thoroughly enjoyed Lokesh Shreshtha's piece on the Seattle sky. Shreshtha
is a high school pal with whom I have vehemently disagreed on the
Terai-specific issues in the past on this forum. His elder brother Deepesh
Shreshtha is a good friend as well.
I think it is a positive trend that we discuss more than Nepal-specific
issues on this forum, that we also move on to recount the experiences of the
Nepalese Americans. It tires me to hear the Nepalese in the U.S. talk of
the "kaley" - referring as such to the African Americans. The Nepalese
Americans would fall in the brown category themselves and are more of a
minority than the Afros.
It would be a treat to get to read more pieces along the lines of the one by
Shreshtha.
I attend college in a Kentucky town of 10,000 people. Coming from a town in
south-east Nepal of 70,000 people that does not have Walk signals, no
traffic lights, from never having used a washing machine to this high-tech
society, that is quite a jump. And then you come to the North-East -
Philadelphia and the vicinity, Manhattan, Baltimore, Ocean City - and try
and understand the strong regional sentiment in places like Kentucky.
It is a constant wonder.
Paramendra Bhagat
***********************************************************************
From: "Ritu Timsina" <rtimsina@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: NEG
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 23:49:50 -0400
The newsclip below should be of concern to all Nepalis but even more so
to those who espouse humanitarian cause to Bhutanese refugees. There is
an ongoing barrage of eviction of Nepalis in the north eastern India
since last several years. These are Nepalis who have lived since
generations in Assam. The Nepali press does not seem to give prominence
to it. The movement to throw out the so called non-natives started in
Assam some years back and gradually spread over to states of former
greater Assam.
In the past few years, Nepal has had an overwhelming number of
non-Nepalis living and working in Nepal. And this trend is still
continuing. This is quite visible in Kathmandu and some other cities,
and making a large impact not only in the country's demography but also
in a society where there is a large number of non-Nepali workers live
in.
A question that should come to one's mind is: Is Nepal going to face the
same kind of situation sooner or later that Bhutan did with Nepali
immigrants? Does not look like our rulers will pay heed to the warning
that Harka Gurung gave some years back. Our leaders either fear to take
any action on this or simply lack the futuristic vision. We need a
leader with a futuristic vision to tackle all these problems and so far
there is none in sight.
Apart from solving the problem of refugees amicably, be they Bhutanese
or Assames, the ultimate solution being the repartiation to their
homelands, Nepal has to pay attention to other burning problems also.
Here are some:
a)About 70,000 Nepali chelis are in Indian brothels. By a rought
estimate, more than 20,000 are reportedly lured to India take the
profession of prostitution yearly from Nepal. This has been going on for
years even after the advent of democracy in Nepal. A Nepali should hang
his head in shame for the continuance of this act.
b)While there is a large number of workers from India and Bangladesh in
Nepal, more than equal number of workers go to India yearly to do menial
works, such as domestic help, chowkidars, etc.
There is hardly any debate in the political and policy making level on
these two issues. The politicians continue to give lip service when they
talk about these issues. The bureaucrats are busy looking after
themselves and their families, friends and relatives while blaming the
politicians for all wrong policies. There are some NGOs who are making a
great deal of efforts to address this problem.
In my view, while the long term solution of these ills is education, and
education only, the short-term solution should be to create an
opportunity for adequate employment for people of all strata of life
espeically targetting those susceptible population who are lured to
India for employment by scrupulous elements. Is anything being done
seriously to contain this flame by the succeding governments? The
answer, unfortunately, is "nothing". The members of parliment have given
themselves a Pajero and a series of pension benefits but lack a long
term vision for the downtrodden in the society. It is kind of easy to
throw all problems to our politicians and policy makers but a closer
look at perpetuity of the problem reveals that it is due to continuing
lethargic attitude of this lot. Would you care to ponder over it?
>From India Daily, 5 July
Nepalis refuse to vacate Khasi hills
Notwithstanding repeated threats by the Khasi Students' Union, the
Nepalis have refused to vacate the place they are occupying in the West
Khasi hills, saying the land belongs to Assam. The Meghalaya Chief
Minister, Mr B B Lyngdoh, had on 21 June informed the Assembly that
about 500 "foreign families" had settled down at Mawdiangsnan in the
West Khasi hills. The KSU has asked the Nepalis to vacate the place
within 13 July.
******************************************************************
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 14:37:34 -0600
From: "Umesh Giri" <ugiri@uswest.com>
Subject: MA-HA Gai Jatra in USA
MA-HA Gai Jatra in USA
MA-HA Gai Jatra is being shown at the following locations. Please visit your
nearest location and enjoy the show! The program includes:
1. ‘Wrong Number’ by Madan Krishna & Hari Bamsha
2. ‘Remote Control’ by Madan Krishna, Hari Bamsha, Raja Ram, Kiran K.C.
3. Nepalese folk dance by Ms. Saranga Shrestha
4. Songs by Prakash Shrestha and Hari Bamsha Acharya
Dates and time are as follows:
Saturday August 28 at Denver, CO
Sunday August 29 at Boulder, CO
Sunday Sept. 5 at Dallas, TX
Monday Sept. 6 at Houston, TX
Saturday Sept. 11 at Los Angeles, CA
Sunday Sept. 12 at San Francisco, CA
Friday Sept. 17 at Minneapolis, MN
Sunday Sept. 19 at Chicago, IL (Provisional)
Saturday Sept. 25 at Toronto, Canada
Saturday Oct. 2 at New York, NY
Sunday Oct. 3 at New York, NY
Saturday Oct. 9 at Washington DC
All shows are in the evening.
Umesh Giri
Denver, CO
ugiri@uswest.com
***************************************************************
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 16:05:04 +0530
From: Man Mohan Kohli <mmk@vsnl.com>
To: nepal-request@cs.niu.edu
Subject: e-mail address of Dr. Mana Bajracharya.
Dear Sir,
Can you please send me e-mail address of
Dr. Mana Bajracharya
Maha Buddha Road
Kathmandu
Nepal Tel : 00 977 1 223960
With best regards,
m.m. kohli
e-mail : mmk@vsnl.com
************************************************************
From: "Sunil Parajuli" <Sunil_Parajuli@tufts-health.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 10:57:54 -0400
Subject: An Information: ANNOUNCING THE RELEASE OF THE NEW ALBUM/CD "AAU"
Dear Friends and Lovers of Nepali Music.
After Sun Saan Ratma and about 14 years later, I have decided to
produce another album. This new album is called "AAU"; it literally means
"Come" or in a more romantic way it would be "Please Come".
The new album contains 8 songs, once again arranged by Mr. Kishor Gurung.
We recorded "AAU" in Kathmandu at Kishor's studio, House of Music, with some
very talented Nepalese musicians and the latest technology.
"AAU" is a compilation of some of my very old songs, never recorded, and new
ones. Many friends have heard some of these numbers at concerts, parties,
etc., and have always encouraged me to record another album.
Well folks this time I had to do it for my soul! I took off work here in
the US for about 7 weeks and stayed in Kathmandu. I managed to cut an album
this past spring amidst the election, Maoist fear, Nepal Banda and electricity
shortages.
Currently, only cassettes are available through Music Nepal in Nepal. This
CD was made through Soundworks Studio in Watertown, here in the US.
Selections include:
"Aau"- a romantic tune.
"Timi Aai Dina Le" - yes, based on love again.
"Preeti Ko Jharna"- is a love song as well.
"Asaar Ko Mahina" - this is based on our culture of "Rice Planting" and
festivities that comes before and after the season. It also highlights a little
bit of a disaster which takes place in the hills every monsoon season. The song
in general would be categorized as "ASAARE" geet.
Featured Artists:
Sunil Parajuli - Vocals, Backing Vocals
Kishor Gurung - Midi Programming, Classical, Electric & Acoustic Guitar
Raju Gurung, Narayan Oly - Backing Vocals
Bharat Nepal - Sarangi
Mohan Karki - Violin
Shisir Chettri - Madal
J. B. Lama - Bamboo Flute
I would like to present our effort to you now.
CD - $10.00
Shipping & handling - $2.50 for one, plus $.75c for each additional CD for the
USA only, overseas rate is $15.00 which would include shipping and handling.
Pls send your check or money order to: Sunil Parajuli, 13 Lloyd Rd.,
Watertown, MA 02472, USA
Sorry, we are not set up to accept credit card orders yet.
** Note-1: Pls log on to http://www.musicnepal.com/releases.htm and check out
the add for the cassette release in Nepal and also check out the news about the
release on http://www.musicnepal.com/news.htm. I am working on my own new Web
site now.
**Note-2: Please DO NOT upload music from this new CD to the Internet. This
means a
big loss for the artists. Musicians in general lose a lot of income due to
piracy in Nepal and this would be no different. These are the things we
need to stop from happening so that arts and culture can flourish in Nepal.
Thanks again for your interest in our music and your support.
Long live Nepali Music!
Sunil Parajuli
**********************************************************************
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 12:35:34 -0400
To: tnd@nepal.org, a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu
From: "Rajesh B. Shrestha" <rajs@bbnplanet.com>
Subject: Invitation to GBNC 10th Anniversary Year Cultural Program in
Boston!
In celebration of our 10th anniversary year
1989-1999
The Greater Boston Nepali Community
cordially invites you to
GBNC Dashak Saanjh
------------------
An Evening of Fine Nepali Cultural Entertainment
Featuring performances by professional
Nepali dancers, singers and instrumentalists
Guest of Honor
--------------
Mayor of the City of Cambridge, Mr. Francis H. Duehay
September 11, 1999, Saturday, 7pm
MIT Kresge Auditorium (W16)
Across 77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, Massachusetts
http://whereis.mit.edu/bin/map?locate=kresge
Price: $10 and $20
Children under 8 are admitted free
Group discounts available!
Tickets can be purchased at the following locations:
Prem La
47 Mt. Auburn St.
Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 547 8284
Mastercard and Visa Welcome!
Cigs and Mags
1815 Mass. Ave (Inside Porter Exchange)
Porter Square
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 491 5528
For more information, please call GBNC Hotline at (617) 591-9105, visit GBNC website at http://www.gbnc.org or mailto:culture@gbnc.org!
******************************************************************
From: "Prakash Bhandari" <PRAKASH@HBL.COM.NP>
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 09:45:11 +0545, NST
Subject: Enjoy this sweet Barbie "CHOOTKILA"
A man was driving home one evening and realized that it was his
daughter's birthday and he hadn't bought her a present. He drove to
the mall and ran to the toy store and he asked the store manager,
"How much is that new Barbie in the window?"
The Manager replied, "Which one? We have 'Barbie goes to the gym'
for $19.95, 'Barbie goes to the Ball' for $19.95, 'Barbie goes shopping'
for $19.95, 'Barbie goes to the beach' for $19.95, 'Barbie goes to
the Nightclub' for $19.95 and 'Divorced Barbie' for $375.00."
"Why is the 'Divorced Barbie' $375.00 when all the others are
$19.95?!?" the Dad asked surprised.
"'Divorced Barbie' comes with Ken's car, Ken's House, Ken's boat,
Ken's dog, Ken's cat, Ken's furniture."...
......and have a nice day!
With Best Regards,
PRAKASH BHANDARI
Himalayan Bank Ltd. ~ E-mail: prakash@hbl.com.np !
Tridevi Marg, Thamel ~ !
P.O.Box.20590 ~ Ph.: 977-01-227749/ 977-01-227756 !
Kathmandu ~ !
NEPAL ~ Fax : 977-01-241979/ 977-01-228000 !
******************************************************************
Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 21:39:09 +0530
From: Bijaya Pradhan <stt@mos.com.np>
To: info-tnd@nepal.org
Subject: Mail from Bijaya Pradhan.
The Administrator
TND Foundation
Dear Sir/Madam,
I came across your organisation. I have enclosed the detail
introductory information concerning our organisation and was wondering
whether you could be of assistance to us, by helping to promote or
recommend us to any potential volun teers. If you could provide them
with our contact details
(enclosed)or any other information, I would be most grateful.
Discover Nepal - An Introduction:
Discover Nepal was established in Nepal in 1998 through an agreement
with the Social Welfare
Council and the Chief District Office, Kathmandu district. The aim of
Discover Nepal is to provide
opportunities for the involvement of volunteers in the development
process, and to practically contri
bute towards the socioeconomic development of the country. Discover
Nepal believes that volunt
eers must be included as active participants in the development process,
and not just as passive beneficiaries.
Supplementing the Nepalese government's formal education system through
two different progra
mmes - an education programme and an environment programme - we offer a
wide range of aware
ness raising non-formal activities. The volunteers, appropriately
trained and provided with support
from local as well as national networks, have proved highly effective
catalysts, carrying out activities
at a level that conventional developmental programmes find difficulty in
reaching.
Each programme lasts five months, with the initial seven days are spent
undergoing an intensive
orientation course, which covers Nepali language, culture, formal and
non-formal teaching techn
iques, appropriate rural technologies, seminars, development awareness,
and issues especially rele
vant to Nepal.
Following their training, Discover Nepal volunteers are placed in mixed
nationality groups in rural
and urban secondary schools. In addition to their work inside the
school, the volunteers also run a
wide variety of extra-curricular activities. Transforming a group of
motivated local youths into a team
of active educators, the volunteers mobilise the community to profile
their own village and, where
possible, respond to their prioritised needs with practical, low cost,
grassroots action. The education
programme is presently working in the following districts; Bhaktapur,
Banepa, Lalitpur, etc.
Objectives of Discover Nepal:
1. To help solve the health problem in the country.
2. To help solve the environmental problems by bringing in different
constructive changes
3. To help solve anti social elements and conservative ideas that are
brought about by the
lack of quality education.
4. The creation of a healthy environment.
Introduction about Nepal:
Nepal is a country of amazing extremes. There are the world’s highest
mountains, including
Sagarmatha (MT.Everest), towering above populated valleys and forested
plains, in which the lordly
tiger and trundling rhinoceros live. Enchantment is everywhere, whether
it be the high mountains, or
terra- ced farmlands, meticulously carved like stairways out of hill
ridges, or the cascading mountain
rivulets and rushing rivers, or even in forests full of wildlife,
flowers and birdsong. Something is here
for everybody - tourist; trekker; river runner; wildlife enthusiast;
poet; artist; writer; scholar; or the
weary, in search of a personal Shangri-La.
Geography:
On the map, Nepal looks resembles a rectangle of about 520miles (845 km)
from West to East, and
75miles (120km) from North to South. The country is oriented
North-West/South-East, which
entails the unexpected location of Katmandu - slightly further south
than Delhi (a favourite “quiz”
answer in this part of the world)! The general configuration of the
country is a succession of stripes
running more or less from West to East, while from South to North, it
has a terraced profile, as
illustrated by the following data:
35% of the country’s whole area lies between l000 and 2000m
35% of the country’s whole area lies between 1000 and 2000m
30% of the country’s whole area lies between 2000 and 5000m, 10% of
which is above (5000m)
Landmarks (Rivers):
First of all there are the rivers. Four mains and an equal number of
smaller ones have their source on
the Tibetan Plateau, or in the Himalayan part of China. In Nepal itself,
some streams (very few, in
fact) start on the northern slope of a Massif (entirely inside Nepal’s
territory) and run northwards to
Tibet.
The most spectacular of Nepal’s rivers is undoubtedly the Kali Gandaki.
It takes its source and
receives many of its tributaries in the Mustang area, on the Nepal side.
There, it has to find its way
through a very deep gorge, to be able to run, at an average altitude of
8,500 ft (2600m), between
the two giant massifs of Dhaulagiri, on its right, and Annapurna on its
left bank, both towering more
than 26,500 ft (8000m).
Climate:
Nepal’s climate varies with its topography. It ranges from tropical to
arctic, depending upon the
altitude. The Terai region, which lies in the tropical southern section
of the country, for instance, has
a hot and humid climate. The midland regions are pleasant almost all the
year round, although winter
nights are cool. The northern mountain region, around an altitude above
3,353m. has an alpine
climate with a considerably lower temperature in the winter (as can be
expected).
The best time to visit Nepal is undoubtedly from the beginning of
October, to the middle of April.
During this period, the sky remains clear, in particular in January and
February when the snow
capped Himalayas are magnificently displayed in the background. Mornings
and evenings are cool
but never really cold. Even in the middle of winter, (December to
February) there is neither snow
nor any cold wind in Katmandu Valley. As soon as the sun is out, the
temperature rises quickly
from 8.C (46 F) 20 C (68 F) in the course of the morning. At noon you
may comfortably sunbathe
in the open air. However, mid-afternoon, it is getting cool again.
Pre-monsoon starts in April or
May. Heavy clouds completely conceal the high mountains, even in the
early morning hours. Towards evening, showers and thunderstorms are not
unusual, but they don’t generally last long. The
real monsoon rain starts in mid-June and lasts until October. A “good”
monsoon (for the visitor) is
one that brings heavy rains during nighttime only. This happens
frequently.
Religion and Culture:
Hinduism and Buddhism constitute two major religions of Nepal, sharing
between them some 89.5
and 5.3 percent of the total population respectively. Both these Co –
religionists are bound together
by a sense of fellow–feeling and bonhomie (hearty pleasantness of
manner) particularly displayed in
their worship of common deities and the joint celebration of many
festivals that belong to either
religion or cult. Kumari, the Virgin Hindu Goddess for instance, is
selected from a Buddhist clan. A
remarkable feature of Nepal is thus the religious homogeneity that
exists, Particularly between the
Hindu and Buddhist communities. Apart from the Hindus and Buddhist,
Muslims ( 2.7 per cent) form
the third largest religious group followed by Christians and (0.23 per
cent ) and Jains (0.1 per cent).
Language:
Many different ethnic groups have their own languages and dialects, but
Nepali, the national
language, written in Devnagari script, serves the purpose of the
Kingdom’s lingua franca. The
educated people generally speak and understand English as well. The
children in school will be able
to speak a little English. Those over the age of 12 may actually be
quite good. However, they will
not be used to talking or listening to a foreign person. As a result
many of them may be quiet or shy
(initially at least) and it is best that you try to speak slowly and
clearly, if possible without using any
slang, or phrases that they will be unfamiliar with.
What to wear:
During spring (15th March to 1st June): summer clothes only. During
Monsoon (Beginning June to
end of October) summer clothes only and an umbrella (raincoats and
mackintoshes may prove too
warm). During winter (End of October to 15th March) summer clothing for
day - time and woolens
for morning and evenings. An overcoat, poncho or padded vest is to be
recommended. Please bear
in mind that Nepal is a very conservative place. Although we say “summer
clothes”, please avoid
wearing shorts anywhere (particularly in/around temples), except for
whilst trekking. Ladies should
also attempt to cover their shoulders and not wear short or revealing
dresses.
Teaching in Nepal:
Nepal is a very backward country in the field of modern education. More
than 70 % of the total
population are still illiterate. Although the government has established
a considerable number of
schools, the goal of quality education has not yet been achieved, due
lack of investment and an
insufficient number of well–qualified and trained teachers.
Nepal has recently witnessed the widespread emergence of private
schools. In fact, the Katmandu
Valley alone has over a thousand such institutions. NGO’s such as
Discover Nepal are serving to
enhance the efforts of both the public and private educational
institutions, in imparting quality educa
tion on a national scale.
Increasingly, it is becoming more and more difficult to find any form of
employment in Nepal, that
doesn’t require at least a basic understanding of, and spoken ability in
English. Therefore, many of
these private schools carry the title of “English Medium Schools”.
However, whilst it is true that the
children are taught in English, the standard of this medium is often
sadly lacking. This is where you
come in! Somebody from England/America (or from any other European
country for that matter) is guara nteed to have a much better grasp of
spoken English than the average Nepalese teacher (even a school’s
English teacher). In particular, the children will be able to improve
their own pronunciation
by listening and talking to you.
Nepalese people will usually only have come into contact with tourists
from Europe, as opposed to
voluntary workers. For some children, it may be their first chance to
speak to a foreigner. Inevitably
(like at home), every class in school has its’ shy members and their
braver counterparts. Many stude
nts may not talk to you for a few days or even a week. Don’t take this
personally, they just need to take some time to get to know you. Bolder
students may ask you many questions about your home, your country in
general, family and hobbies. Try to avoid telling them the cost or price
of things (such as watches, clothes, air tickets etc.) as this may
promote feelings of negativity on their part.
On the first day, the principal will probably introduce you to the
class. It might be a good idea if you
ask to simply sit and observe (for a couple of lessons), so you can see
how it is done. The first time
that you have to face the class by yourself, you should give an
introduction. You should tell every
body your full name and a name by which they can refer to you (they will
probably end up using
“Miss” or “Sir”). It would be helpful if you wrote this on the
blackboard. You can also tell them
where you come from (maybe drawing a map on the blackboard) and about
your family, friends,
your interests and your ambitions.
The teaching itself is quite old fashioned (by European standards). Most
of the English textbooks are
translated from Indian works and may be extremely old in some cases.
Usually, a lesson will involve
reading a section of written English and then answering some grammatical
and comprehension ques
tions. It’s a good idea to read the passage to the class yourself
(slowly and clearly) so they can get
an idea of any difficult punctuation and/or pronunciation.
After this, you can ask for volunteers (from the class) to read sections
of, or even, the entire (depen-
ding on the size of the class) passage by them selves. You can then
correct their reading as necess
ary. As each class usually lasts between 40 minutes and 1 hour, you will
have plenty of time to go
through the exercises and questions (orally and/or on the blackboard).
After explaining, you can
get the students to complete some of the questions in their books, as
class work. Feel free to set
homework (the students will expect it), but bare in mind that it may be
very time consuming for you if
you give them too much (since you will be checking their answers).
On some occasions there will be no books to teach from. Here, it is up
to you to use your imagin
ation. You can have a quiz, a debate, singsongs, play games, read a
story etc.
Most of the other teachers in the school will speak differing degrees of
English. They will be friendly,
after overcoming an initial shyness (sometimes caused by a lack of
confidence in their spoken Engl
ish). You may be alarmed to find that many of them are very liberal with
corporal punishment.
This is common practice in Nepal. If it does upset you though, you can
ask that other teachers don’t
beat the children while you are present. Nepalese children aren’t
generally naughty. The worst you
will encounter will probably be talking in class (when you are trying to
read), giggling or laughter.
During your school placement, you will be living in the school hostel
with the boarders (if such a
facility is available) or with the principal or vice-principal. If you
are staying in the hostel you may be
expected to help out with the tuition classes (morning or evening) and
help to entertain the children
from time to time.
Wherever you stay, all of your food will be provided for you. Don’t
worry if you are a vegetarian –
Nepalese people seldom eat meat. If you are, however it would be worth
mentioning it to the hostel
warden, so he/she can prepare an alternative meal for you if the need
arises.
In school holiday times, you are free to do as you wish. You can stay in
the hostel, although you may
feel lonely if the children and staff go home. Alternatively, you can
easily find some cheap accommo
dation in Thamel, the tourist part of Katmandu.
Finally, many volunteers choose to go travelling in the school holidays.
It is relatively easy to visit
other parts of Nepal, India, Bhutan, Sikkim and Tibet. However, if you
choose to do so, we would
strongly recommend you go via one of Dream Nepal Travel & Tours (Pvt.)
LTD’s organized tours.
They are the flagship, tour - company and offer a wide variety of tours
to cater exactly for your
needs.
Pocket money and expenditure:
During your stay in Nepal, you will find that your daily expenditure
will be relatively low. This will
certainly be the case when you are in and around your school. The
Nepalese Currency (NC) is the
Rupee, with one rupee being equal to 100 paisa. You can easily exchange
major currencies for NC,
upon arrival at Kathmandu’s international airport. Generally speaking,
the cost of living will be much
lower than at home. For example, in traditional teahouses and
restaurants (frequented predominantly
by Nepalese), it is possible to “dine” for less than 50 NC per head. In
the more tourist oriented parts
of the city, like Thamel or Durbar Marg, a three-course meal in a good
quality restaurant (serving
western food) may cost less than 400 NC per head. However, a couple of
drinks (alcoholic) could
easily double your bill, with a 75cl bottle of beer costing
approximately 120 NC.
The cost of transportation varies, depending on your choice of vehicle.
Local people tend to use
tempos (very small three-wheeled mini-bus type contraptions) and/or
buses, where a journey of a
couple of kms may cost 5NC. Bicycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws are a
little more expensive,
with the same distance costing around 40 or 50NC. Here, the price may
also be determined by the
time of day (nighttime journeys may cost double price) and the type of
terrain (roads outside of the
city ring road are usually unpaved and may be waterlogged and/or
hole-ridden). The prices of taxis
vary in much the same way, but they will be a little more expensive (but
a lot quieter and more comfo
rtable).
If possible, when using taxis and rickshaws, try to agree a price before
starting your journey (as this
avoids unnecessary hassle and possible arguments, upon reaching the
destination). Better still; ask
the driver to switch on the meter. However, increase in fuel prices mean
that even this method may
not guarantee a final/accurate price and you may find that the driver
asks for the price of the meter,
plus an additional 10 or 20NC.
The prices and quality of gifts and souvenirs obviously varies
enormously. The best advice we can
give you is simply to shop around and don’t make a hasty or rash buy. As
when travelling anywhere
else, we would recommend that you bring traveler’s checks, rather than
hold a large amount of cash
at any one time. Visa and Master cards are also very useful and can be
used at branches of Nepal
Grindley’s Bank (located in Thamel, on Kantipath and in New Baneshwor),
much like a “hole in the
wall” at home. Beware though, this process may be time consuming (up to
two hours waiting). The
best times to make a Visa or Master card transaction are just after
opening, and just before closing
time. Credit cards are now also accepted in major hotels, and in some of
the better quality guest
houses and restaurants in Thamel.
Tourist Visas:
You should apply for your 1 – month tourist visa in person (please do
not post it this stage) at the
Royal Nepal Embassy or through Royal Nepalese Consulate General office
from the nearest
European or American country or upon arrival at Kathmandu Airport
(remember to bring four
passport sized photographs in your hand luggage). Remember that you will
personally be required to
extend your visa for your second and third month in Kathmandu. Please
make a photocopy of all
your valuable documents, in case the originals are lost/stolen.
Arrival in Kathmandu:
On arrival in Kathmandu, a Discover Nepal representative will meet you
and transfer you to the
hotel.
Full Programme:
All your travel arrangements (sightseeing, trekking, etc.) are arranged
through Dream Nepal Travel
& Tours (Pvt.) Ltd. Our representative from Dream Nepal Travel & Tours
(Pvt.) Ltd. will explain
the details of the trek and sightseeing, before they begin.
Work Placement Details:
General outline: When you have completed your trek with Dream Nepal
Travel & Tours (Pvt.) Ltd.,
our Discover Nepal representative will meet all of the teachers
(volunteers) at the Hotel and will
explain the details of your Orientation course.
You will receive teacher training lessons, Nepali language lessons and
briefings on the Nepali culture.
You will have an opportunity to stay with local Nepal families or in the
school hostel, during this
period. The cost of running the entire Discover Nepal programme is (US$
550 approx.) per volun
teer (which includes sightseeing, trekking, one-week accommodationin
Kathmandu and the orienta
tion course). Please ensure you have this money ready at the beginning
of this program. After your
orientation course is finished, you will be transferred to the schools.
Please remember to be as flexi
ble as possible on arrival at the school.
The Teaching Period:
It is important you all know that during October and November, there are
two big festivals in Nepal,
during which time both schools will be on holiday.
The festivals are as follows:
1. The Dashain Festival.
2. The Tihar (festival of Lights).
For both schools, the winter Christmas holidays will be from 20th
December onwards. It is better
for you to travel during the school holidays (particularly in India
during the Christmas holidays) and
return to teach at your schools for an extra month in February. Each
school will certainly welcome
you to stay on and teach – but this decision lies with you!
Teaching Equipment:
Bring English Grammar books, a small dictionary, any musical
instruments, picture books, coloured
pens/pencils, and stickers (good prizes for the children). Make sure
this equipment is light!
Remember the international baggage allowance is 20kg for hold luggage
and 5 kg for hand luggage.
On completion of your work placement, you will be required to:
1. Write a thank you letter to the school, enclosing a 2- page report on
your activities (for the
records).
2. You should write your personal opinion about the trekking and the
sightseeing and other activities
carried out by Discover Nepal and Dream Nepal Travel & Tours (Pvt.)
Ltd.
Work Placement Problems:
If any problems do arise during your work placement, do try sorting it
out with your school principal
or Discover Nepal office. The officials of Discover Nepal will be
looking after any other requir-
ments in Nepal. Problems are very rare, but if any arise, Mr. Roshan or
Mr. Bijaya Pradhan is the
first people you should turn to.
Their contact details are as follows:
Mr. Bijaya Pradhan / Mr. Roshan Singh
Discover Nepal
P. O. Box 20209
Kathmandu, Nepal.
Fax: No: 977 - 1 - 255487
E-mail: stt@mos.com.np
Tel: 977 - 1 - 416326
http://www.catmando.com/discovernepal
Health Problems/Insurance:
As diarrhea will be the main problem, remember to take plenty of Imodium
and dioralyte! Do speak
to people at your work placement if you have any problems. Remember that
Kathmandu has a
hospital and numerous doctors. If you haveany problems at all (regarding
health and/or anything
else), don’t hesitate to contact us. However, please bear in mind that
the organisation is not respon
sible for the payment of medical fees, should you become seriously ill.
We therefore advise you to
take out an adequate insurance policy, in case such circumstances arise.
Code of conduct:
1.Smoking and drinking (alcohol) is not permitted in or around the
school premises.
2.The organisation will not be in any way responsible, should any of the
volunteers become
involved in any illegal activities.
3. The volunteers should abide by the rules and regulations of the
school and of the organisation.
4. The volunteers should give the school adequate notice, regarding
their departure date from
the school and / or Nepal.
Once the payment has been made to Discover Nepal, it will not be
refundable under any circum
stances.
Conclusion:
If there are any questions concerning the information in these joining
instructions and enclosed hand
outs, please contact the above-mentioned address. Re-read this
information and make sure you
have followed all of the instructions contained, before arriving at the
airport.
APPLICATION FORM FOR VOLUNTEERS 1999
Personal Information
First Name: _______________________
Family Name: _____________________
Date of Birth: _____________________
Nationality: _______________________
Passport No.: ______________________
Permanent Address: __________________________________
____________________________________Country: _______
Day Time Tel. No: ___________________________________
Evening Tel. No: ____________________________________
Preferred Date of Arrival: ______________________________
Do you have any major health problems that we should be aware of (e.g.
Asthma, Epilepsy, etc.)?
Are you taking any regular medication?
Are you a smoker? Yes / No.
Discover Nepal's Selection Criteria
- Age Limit: Minimum 18 yrs.
- Minimum Education: GCSE Maths. and English (Grade 'C' or Above)
- Willingness to work in a multi-cultural environment
- A commitment to participate in the Discover Nepal Programme for the
agreed time period
- An interest in socio-economic and environmental development
Date of Programme:
Is there a preferred date / month / session when you would like to join
the Discover Nepal
Programme?
Academic Record
Please provide details of your education background
Name of Institution, Date Attended Qualification(s) Gained
Any other skills (e.g. Computer or Language):
Please provide details of any previous work experience:
Please provide details of previous travel experience (countries
visited):
Why do you want to be a Discover Nepal volunteer?
Do you have any special skills or attributes that you feel will be
particularly valuable to our
programme?
Mr.Bijaya Pradhan
Chairman
Discover Nepal
P. O. Box 20209
Kathmandu, Nepal.
Fax: No: 977 - 1 - 255487
E-mail: stt@mos.com.np
Tel: 977 - 1 - 412486.
http://www.catmando.com/discovernepal
****************************************************************
From: surgery@mos.com.np
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 1999 10:19:03 +0500
To: tnd@nepal.org
Subject: Conference in Nepal
Dear Sir,
Is it possible to print a notice in TND. I used to read it often when I was
abroad, so I would like to put a notice for everybody. There is going to be
a International Conference of Surgical Society of Nepal in Kathmandu on
March 2000. We have also started a Internet Medical Consultation (for
medical personel). More information can be gained on both these topics from
our website: www.south-asia.com/ssn and for further information can mail to
ssn@ssn.mos.com.np Those interested are welcome to contact us.
Dr. Pradeep Vaidya
e-mail: ssn@ssn.mos.com.np
****************************************************
From: "Ashton, Rachel" <Rachel.Ashton@bskyb.com>
To: "'tnd@nepal.org'" <tnd@nepal.org>
Subject: request for information please.
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 14:20:10 +0100
Namaste!!!
I have just visited your beautiful country for three weeks.
My husband and I have just trekked in the Annapurna range and safaried in
the Gaida Wildlife park.
We loved our special visit and meeting the kind and hospitable people of
Nepal.
We have now found out that while there we have fallen pregnant and feel very
honoured that we will be having our own 'Nepalese' baby. We would like to
give our child a traditional Nepalese name and hope that your organisation
can help by sending us a list of local first names and their traditional
meanings. Or you could help us found out how we can gather more information
here in London. Is there a Nepal society here we could contact?
You help will be greatly appreciated as we feel it is very important for our
child to have a Nepalese name.
Many great thanks for your help.
Rachel and Simon Shepherd.
************************************************************
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 15:18:02 +0100
From: dgina <dgina@ghana.com>
To: tnd@nepal.org, aburugid@hotmail.com
Subject: THE NEPAL DIGEST
RURAL GIRL IN DEVELOMENT(RUGID) is a non-governmental organisation
working with rural poor women in the Datoyili sub-district, Tamale
Municipality, Northern Region, Ghana.
Our mailing address :
PROGRAMME OFFICER
RURAL GIRL IN DEVELOPMENT
POST OFFICE BOX KA.16484
AIRPORT-ACCRA
GHANA
Please gratefully mail me us the Nepal Digest.
Thanks
MAHAMDU ABU
PROGRAMME OFFICER
***********************************************************************
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 00:17:27 -0700
From: scott Meskin <smeskin@pol.net>
To: tnd@nepal.org
Subject: Nepal Emergency Medicine
Namaste,
My name is Scott Meskin. I am a physician from the States. I have
worked for many years at the Teaching Hospital. We are attempting to
get funding for an emergency medical training program at The Teaching
Hospital. I am interested in establishing links with organizations such
as yours who can increase our exposure. We are a non profit
organization. Please take a look at our website and determine if it
would be an acceptable link from you web site
http://www.4thstory.com/nmnp/
Thanks. Pheri Betaula
Scott Meskin MD
*********************************************************************
From: "Jimmy Rai" <jimmyrai@alltel.net>
To: <tnd@nepal.org>
Subject: introduction
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 14:14:37 -0400
Sir,
I am a Colonel, a retired Colonel of the Gurkhas. I would most certainly be
interested to learn more about you; and since your declared policy state
you are a "friend" of the Nepalese, do you view them as being synonymous to
the Gurkhas? Do you shift through the "friends of the Nepalese", or can
anyone join the ranks and file?
Hope to hear from you, at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Rai (jimmyrai@alltel.net)
*********************************************************************
From: lilsquirrel@webtv.net (Medea)
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 1999 16:45:18 -0700 (PDT)
To: tnd@nepal.org
Subject: from usa
hello my name is medea lopez, iam a resident of california and
practicing buddhist. my son was recognized as a tulku. i need to find
out how to write Singdrak rinpoche's monestary in tatopani. i am unable
to travel at this time an dit is rathet iportant we contact him. i don't
know if you can help but if you can that would be reat. for example is
there a address for the place or maybe a phone number or contact person.
thank you
medea lopez
*********************************************************************
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 13:24:37 -0400 (EDT)
From: Belinda Liu <biliu@email.unc.edu>
To: tnd@nepal.org
Hi,
My name is Belinda Liu and I am a junior international studies major at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Nepal is an area of the
world I would love to learn more about. From January till May, I
will be studying abroad in Kathmandu and in some rural areas of Nepal. I
am currently in search of volunteer/ work opportunities upon the
termination of my study program. I will be available for work during the
months of June through August. Please let me know if I can be of any help
to your organization. My mailing address is: Belinda Liu
113 Buckden Place
Cary, NC 27511
USA
Feel free to contact me via phone or email as well. My phone number is
(919)851-0190 and my email is biliu@email.unc.edu.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours,
Belinda Liu
******************************************************************************
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* The Nepal Digest(TND) is a publication of TND Foundation, a global *
* not-for-profit information and resource center committed to promoting *
* issues concerning Nepal. All members of tnd@nepal.org will get a copy of *
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