Scarlet Writes

We reached Dhading around 1p.m. yesterday and spent most of the afternoon talking to the officials of Nepal Police, Nepal Army, C.D.O. and other locals. We had planned to reach Kimtang Besi to hand over the materials, collected from FNCCI & purchased with the donations from a dear friend, Susie Hutchison, my sister Eliza Shrestha and the company she works for in Australia,  Schneider Electric .  The road to Kimtang Fedi had been destroyed by the landslide; however, all of us were hopeful that the road would be cleared by this morning which didn’t happen. So, we had to drop the idea of reaching Kimtang Fedi and handing over the goods to the victims directly. It is sad that despite our efforts we couldn’t meet the people affected in Kimtang Fedi. Nonetheless, something positive came out of this trip. I am writing this long post to share my team’s experience at Dhading. So here’s what I think about the relief distribution process at Dhading. 1. The Challenges: ...

I spent almost an hour this afternoon, out in the sun, at the school play ground; talking to Divya and Sarswoti about mundane everyday events in life. It started with an inquiry about how they were doing their exams and I asked if they were attempting all the questions or not. As I had feared, Divya hasn't been doing her exams well. After all, how can you expect someone who lives in a tiny shed in one of the busiest temples in Kathmandu with her alcoholic father and three young siblings to study well, without a candle? That's reality for Divya. Divya fears that she might have to leave school and she is afraid she will be forced to stay at home, taking care of her 1 year old sister while her mother goes to work and father goes to yet another alcohol binge. I am afraid for her too. She has to sleep in that shed in Pashupati ghat area fearing for her life as she can't even latch the door properly.  Sarswoti's story is a little different. Not any be...

When I was in school, I was insecure about a lot of things. I used to have a lot of pimples. Well, I still have a lot of them. My hair never looked right. My uniform was never of the right shade. The skirt was one shade lighter and shirts were always an inch or two shorter. I was always an average student. I never really participated in any extracurricular activities and/or sports. I was just an insecure, completely normal teenage girl, giggling all the time. At that point of time, I thought, I’d always be an insignificant, average, random girl in life. As I stand on my 27 th year of life, I look back at all my insecurities and wonder how and when it transformed into my strengths and when did I actually become so oblivious of my insecurities. Not that my pimples don’t bother me anymore! They do. They just don’t alter my life in anyway, anymore. With time and age, I have simply learnt to overcome my insecurities and accept my flaws and not be so harsh and mean on myself. So...

Earlier this week, I had to deal with four students of Grade VII, who were found cheating during their second terminal exams. Two of them were repeat offenders so it made the situation worse. Physical punishment is seen as a way to correct children's behavior. In this case, I knew it wasn’t going to work. In our society, the sight of a mother spanking her kid and teachers carrying a cane to the classroom isn’t such an uncommon sight. Ask a mother or a teacher who follows such practice, the answer will be that our kids need a spanking or a two to control their behavior. In my recent visit to a public school, I was bemused to see a teacher walking around the class with a stick long enough to hit the child sitting in the corner of a bench. In another school I visited, a child was expelled for failing to follow the norms of the school of speaking English. Many teachers and parents feel the need of controlling children’s behavior through various punishment mechanisms. The ...

Stop anticipating for better days. Live in this moment.  Be happy with what you have and pursue all that you want! A month ago, I could define happiness. It meant a new pair of shoes. I was immensely h appy with my new purchase. For a week! A month later, happiness means a bag which is on my wish list. The cycle of material happiness is brutal and I seem to find no way to come out of it as there is always something or the other that I need to buy. But at the same time, I have also come to learn and understand that we can’t wait for something to work out or come our way to make us happy. Happiness is in this moment of life and love! It is in the warmth of the sun in a cold December morning. It is in the cup of our favorite drink. It is in the Saturdays we spend with our friends and family. It is in the movies which make us laugh or cry. Happiness is in the moment of being alive and breathing and dreaming. We know it already. We’ll never have everything we need...

Having lost a close relative to cancer recently, my family members have been moved, stunned and saddened by the demise. She was a fighter. They say she was hopeful even until her last few days. I remember meeting her about a month before she passed away. She didn’t speak much but she had a smile on her face. She looked calm and composed. It was around 3a.m. when my parents knocked on my door and said they had to rush to the hospital. I could guess the reason. The next morning, my father called me to ask if I would like to come to Pashupati to pay my last tributes. I wasn’t sure. I had never before gone to Aryaghat. I decided to go. Upon arrival at Pashupati Aryaghat, I got the chills, goose bumps and before I even realized, I was crying. I heard my cousin sister wailing for the mother she had lost. I saw my nieces weeping silently and consoling their mother. I saw the men putting up a bold face and doing what had to be done to carry out the funeral rites.  My heart felt heavy...

                                                                                                                                          May your everyday be filled with happiness, fun and play, Not a moment of sadness and despair. May you run so far and aim so high, Learn the magic of stars, moon and sky. May you discover the power of words, music and rhyme, Love, dream and live with no fear. May you have wisdom, truth and knowledge, To seek the path you desire for a brighter future. May you wake up every day to laugh, sing and dance, Soar high, climb mountains and cross the miles. May you be the sunshine, ray of hope and...