Notes from Nepal: Restoring Nepal’s stolen sculptures

Rabindra Puri is on a quest of restoring Nepal’s stolen sculptures. But instead of bringing them back to Nepal, he is replicating the sculptures.

Thousands of Nepal’s traditional artwork, including sculptures dating back to centuries, have been smuggled to foreign countries.

Along with nine other artists, Puri, recognized for his restoration of Namuma Ghar, the model house, in Bhaktapur, is now on a mission to create replicas of about 50 stolen sculptures. They will be a part of the Museum of Stolen Art, which Puri says will be ready in two years. The museum will be in the historic town of Panauti, about 30 kilometers southeast of the capital Kathmandu..

It took Puri more than four years of research before he started working on the project.  He studied thousands of pictures of the stolen images before deciding on the ones that would be a part of the museum.

“We decided on the basis of the sculpture’s value and artwork,” he said of the selection process.

Of the 50 sculptures, 10 have been completed so far and seven more in their final stages. Puri said his team is trying to finish the stone sculptures first before starting on the metal ones.

“We want to finish the tough ones first,” he said as he spoke of the difficulties of replicating centuries old sculptures.

And especially when the artists are crafting the sculptures on the basis of photographs, it becomes even tougher.

“It’s difficult to produce a three-dimensional artwork from a one-dimensional [photo],” Puri said.

Of the completed replicas include the Uma Maheshor from the 8th Century, Female Devotee from the 7th Century and the 18th Century Female Divinity sculpture, among others.

The sculptures, until the Museum of Stolen Arts is ready, will be a part of the Heritage Gallery  housed at the Namuna Ghar in Bhaktapur.

Puri said that his team will try to represent the sculptures in a way that “touches every Nepali’s heart.”

“The Museum of Stolen Art will showcase what we have lost and also incite the feeling of what we should do to preserve what we have now,” Puri said.

Heritage Gallery opens from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 6613197.

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Notes from Nepal: Which road will this rally take?

Protests are a part of daily life in Nepal, including the capital Kathmandu–it has always been.

And today, while leaders are mulling over the extension of “new Nepal’s” constitution drafting process, people were on the streets.

There was a three-day general strike, popularly known as bandhs, that paralyzes the country. When there is a bandh, nothing works, literally. Vehicles stop running, shops are closed and life comes to a halt.

So in protest of the bandhs, and also protesting against the concept of ethnic federalism in Nepal that would divide the country in 11 states, Kathmandu’s “critical mass” gathered in one of the city’s most exclusive area.

Twitter and Facebook were buzzing of this afternoon’s mass gathering to promote communal harmony; there were text messages going almost viral, calling people to join the rally.

Rewind May 7, 2010: There was a similar rally where some hundred city dwellers, dressed in white, came to the streets  protesting the five-day Maoist general strike that started from May 2.

So-called the capital’s “white class,” they have gathered time and again, often in the exclusive area of Durbar Marg, a stretch of street with chain restaurants and branded stores.

When I posed the question  about the prominence of the venue to Ujwal Thapa, one of the facilitators of today’s rally, he answered, “This was the last option. All other public venues were booked.”

There were peaceful gatherings in popular public areas in the capital by certain ethnic minority groups.

“We wanted to do it in a place where there is no conflict with social and political institutions,” Thapa, also one of the core members of a youth activist group Nepal Unites, said.

As about approximately 500 people dressed in white shirts, polos, tops, skirts and jeans, gathered at Durbar Marg today, the conversation was little focused into politics.

A bunch of people I talked to said they were there for “peace.”

But as it seems the word “peace” has been abused and overused. Maybe it is the decade-long Maoist conflict in the country that ended in 2006, and the violence associated with it that keeps on Nepalis saying, “We want peace.”

Bijay Lal Maskey, 58-year-old businessman, stood by the sidewalk trying to become a part of the rally. He stood there watching young people hooting to the songs of Nepal’s famous pop singers singing nationalist songs.

“At least people now can express freely,” Maskey said comparing it to autocratic regimes in the past where freedom of expression was limited.

But at some point, the purpose of the rally seemed to have diverted from its purpose: more or less it looked like a concert for national unity. However, music was louder than the message.

As people watched from the sidewalks, windows of coffee shops, restaurant terraces and from close by Sherpa Mall, the ones on the streets were waving the triangular Nepali flags.

The Nepali flag has become a tool to demonstrate patriotism these days. But people seem to have forgotten the meaning behind the flag, what it stands for.

Shreeya Rana, 19, was among the young group of people waving one of the many Nepali flags. Durbar Marg was colored with hundreds of the red, blue and white triangular flag.

Standing by her mother, also dressed in white,  said she was there because she “did not appreciate the country being divided into pieces.”

Sitting on the sidewalk, close to Rana and another supporter, 40-year-old Ramesh Mainali said he was there for “ethnic harmony.”

Away from the crowd, dressed in a white shirt, 26-year-old Farjana Banu was looking at the rally. Though she claimed to be a part of the rally, she was at a distant “because of the crowd.”

“I don’t want the country to be divided,” said the banker. “Nepal is small, and if you’ll divide it, what will remain?”

A country once known as “a common garden of four castes and 36 sub-castes,” in the words of the Prithivi Narayan Shah, the Shah king who unified Nepal, seem to have lost its significance. The 240-year monarchy is history now, and soon could be the wise words of the king who envisioned unity in diversity.

Though many present at the crowd were diverse and represented various social strata, mainly the upper middle class, most of them were busy posing with flags for photos — some have already ended up in Facebook –and busy singing, dancing and hooting.  Very few seemed to be discussing politics or the political state of the country.

But Thapa claims that people are “interacting, touching base and figuring out the propaganda [of what the leaders are up to].”

Bashing the notion on ethnic federalism, he said, “There are only two castes of people — one who talks and one who acts Nepal Unites’s purpose is to unite, get the youth to act rather than talking.”

But will this mass mobilization of people work? Will this “critical mass” or “white class” people’s voice be heard or will it just fade with away within a day or two as they get busy in their personal, professional and social life?

Which road will this rally take? Only time will tell.

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Life in a suitcase

Last night, one of my flatmates was really shocked when I told her that I had not packed: I had less than 24 hours for my flight.

“You’re going to pack your life in some hours?” she asked.

And this morning, I did pack my life in a matter of two hours. All I have is a suitcase that I am leaving behind in London, and a duffle bag that I am carrying with me. And that’s all what I possess.

Being a nomad is tough. Well, I consider myself a Nepalese nomad for all the move ins and outs I have done from one state to another, one country to another, and one continent to the next.

But as it seems even nomads have this notion of home.

When I was traveling to Nepal in December, I was digging deep about the definition of “home.”

I consider all the places I have lived as my home. Even though I have disliked the place and complained, at the end it was home. For instance, the dorms at the university. I really do not like it but then again it is home.

I have spent considerable amount of time in this dorm–being productive or super unproductive. I have met some great flatmates from all over the world.

I remember moving in, but now it is time to move out. But I am taking me tons of memories from this home.

As I stare out this huge window probably for the last time–and it is amazing that the sun is shining in London–I am reflecting on all of my previous homes. And come to think of it, I have only grown as a person in all those homes, striving to fulfill my dream.

From the United States to India, Nepal and the United Kingdom, I have been moving to realize my dream.

So as I pack my suitcase (Oh, I am coming back to London in a month), though it seems I am packing my dreams, it is not the case. I am just carrying my aspirations with me only to unpack it when I reach my destination.

See you in Nepal.

Bollywood: Bringing us together

I can speak Hindi not because I took classes, but I grew up watching Hindi movies. Well, that’s how influential Bollywood can be.

I have grown watching Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan growing old, and  Sri Devi and Madhuri Dixit disappearing from the silver screen. I’ve also witnessed the birth of the new generation of actors and actresses who now keeps Bollywood up and running as ever.

I can say that India’s multi-billion film industry has become an important part of my life, and I think I can somewhat speak for the rest.

We have laughed with it. Oh, the girls have cried their hearts out. And on some occasions, we have certainly bonded for Bollywood. In so many ways, I feel Bollywood has brought us together, as friends and as family: Watching a classic in the living room with my family, hearing them how much they adore classics, or bunking college classics to watch the early morning, cheap show of the latest Karan Johar movie.

And not to forget the music and typical Bollywood dance moves. Songs like “Jai Ho” has become an exemplar, making young, old, desis and bideshis (foreigners) show their moves.

On Saturday, about 200 people danced to “Jai Ho” at Victoria Embankment Garden in London. People joined in a synchronized Bollywood dance event to raise money for charity. It seemed like Bollywood bringing people together, having fun, and doing something for a cause regardless of their age or race. It was purely for the love of Bollywood, as it looked.

Bollywood has also helped me bond instantly in a foreign land.

Last year, in Durban, as the cab driver was listening to songs from “Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham,” I asked him if he liked Bollywood. The conversation that followed led to a “discount” and a good deal for a ride to the airport just because we loved Bollywood!

Maybe because it is so close to our culture and we can relate a lot with the characters and the plot, Bollywood seems to be close to our hearts. C’mon, I bet we all have remembered our friends and wanted to go on some trip while watching “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,” if not anything else.

And as I am writing this, a list of Bollywood tunes is blaring on my iTunes, and I cannot stop saying, “There’s something about Bollywood!”

Mother’s Day

During kindergarten and primary school years, when everyone else made cards for mother’s day, I just doodled or made a card for my dad instead.

My mother died when I was just about four. My memories of her are limited to the photographs hung on my wall.

During Mother’s Day, when most people are reflecting on the relationships with their mothers, I am often thinking about what it means to be in that relationship—what it means to have a mother.

Sometimes when my eyes tend to make contact with that photograph/s, it’s really weird. I’m looking at a tall, slender figure, who is my mother.

In photographs before her wedding, I see her stylish side.  In her wedding photos, she looks beautiful. In her photos where she holds a two-year-old me during my birthday, I can feel the warmth and love.

But every time I look at these photos, it’s very weird. Though she is my mother, I really don’t know her. She is still a stranger to me.

Back to reality, when I look around, my cousins and friends bonding, arguing and even fighting with their moms, I just to myself, “Well, this is what it must feel like.”

To be honest, I’m not sad, or ever felt sorry, for not having a mother. Maybe it’s because I never knew her, I never got to know what it feels to be with one. So you can’t really miss what you never had, right?

But deep down, I still think, and sometimes it really bugs me trying to think what it means to have this mother-son relationship.

While I have missed out on this amazing relationship, I have gained motherly love from my grandmother and my aunts. They’re my mother-like figures.

All these years, I’ve celebrated Mother’s Day with them. Though there is always a sense of that “someone” missing, someone for whom the day is dedicated to, it’s good to be amid so many others who I know wouldn’t hesitate adopting me and being my mother.

So I take this opportunity to thank them all. And to all the loving mothers, happy Mother’s Day.

MAJI Class of 2012 nominations, and my acceptance speech

Sorry, but I don't have a photo with the entire class together. We shall have one soon.

When you meet people for the first time, you have weird notions about them. When I met this crazy bunch of people from my class the first day, I cannot deny that I was thinking all good.

But as you spend more time, work together in groups, bond over beers and go crazy on the dance floor, and not to forget fretting over Final Cut and HTML, the bond only strengthens.

And it’s just amazing to have friends from more than 20 countries in one class. Well, I have blogged about the globalized classroom if you guys haven’t checked it.

Over the months, we all have drunk, danced, sang on the tube. There were the fights and those dramas. Loads of bitching and complaining. But in the end, from where I see it now, we are at a point where we all stand tall and victorious.

A few days from now, we’ll be heading to finish our final projects. A few months from now, we’ll be proud journalism graduates struggling to find jobs. Maybe we’ll forget some and remember the rest. Maybe we’ll all remember each other.

I’m sure you all will remember me for my hair, of course, and Tom will definitely remember me for my pants rolled up!

And as we part, let’s keep in touch and plan to have a grand reunion picnic at Hyde Park when we are back in September or before it starts getting dark at 3:30 pm!

Today, as I see the nominations for the class of 2012 MAJI awards, I am very touched. I mean, six nominations. I had never in my life thought that I’d reach to this point: I feel accomplished.

Awards don’t matter; being the highest nominated person in the categories which are so well deserving for me does. So thank you.

If I win the best hair, which probably I will, I promise I won’t shave my head, which I am considering. (Here’s a blog post about my hair, which makes me a strong contender).

If I win the best cook award, I promise I’ll cook again and again for you guys, but I’ll have to start charging then.

Consider this as my acceptance speech: I want to thank you, you, you, and you; Tommy and Paddy and Preethi for the awards that I have yet to win.

It’s been a great year.

Now let’s party to the sounds of Duck Sauce!

MAJI class of 2012, we rock!

Here are the nominees (My nominations in bold)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boobies and Weeners, journalists of the entire world who decided to gather in Harrow, the moment you have all been waiting for: the 2012 MA Journalism awards.

First of all, we would like to thank Preethi: she gave us the idea, so, without her, there would be no awards. You could have lived without them; but we are sure you will appreciate them.

Let us decline any responsibility from the authors; our intention is not that of offending anybody. If you think we have hurt your feelings in any way…well, just have a laugh and keep on.

This said, let’s proceed with the 2012 MA Journalism awards!

Best male hair: Bibek Bhandari, Michel Kolijn, Krisha Krops.
Best female hair: Esther van Opijnen, Wendy Anstead, Jody-Lan Castle.
Best male voice: Greg William Flucker, Shady Arafa, Prisliv Obiegbu
Best female voice: Natalie aka Tirzah McLean, Anastasiia Fedorova, Monica Sarkar
Best cook: Bibek Bhandari, Kristen Catania, Esther van Opijnen
Best German accent: Krisha Kops, Christine Liehr, Ines Ceri
Best Italian accent: Valentina Romeo, Beatrice Giacobone, Stefania Barbaglio
Best Chinese accent: Luna Lin, Di Zou, Asta Guo
Best Indian accent: Preethi Ramamoorthy, Manjiry More, Paddy McCaul
Best Arabic accent: Sara Al-Z, Motasem Dalloul, Lina Musallam

These were the boring ones. Be now ready for the interesting ones…

Best looking girl we were too scared to approach: Flossie Topping, Alexandra Buerger, Rene Lee
Funniest male: Paddy McCaul, Tommaso Cervini, Shady Arafa
Funniest female: Kristen Catania, Preethi Ramamoorthy, Christine Liehr (just kidding!), Sara Al-Z
Scariest girl: Alya Mooro, Anca Toma, Esther van Opijnen
Best in bed: Nominations pending
Most ghetto: Greg William Flucker, Kristen Catania, Alya Mooro
Best moustache: Jordan Weber, Paddy McCaul, Shady Arafa
Best-dressed male: Krisha Kops, Shady Arafa, Michel Kolijnen
Best-dressed female: Ines Ceri, Alexandra Buerger, Beatrice Giacobone
Best wannabe-hipster: Bibek Bhandari, Anastasiia Fedorova, Alexia Dellner
Best male dancer: Bibek Bhandari, Greg William Flucker, Prisliv Obiegbu
Hardest-working: Michel Kolijn, Bibek Bhandari, Christine Liehr (of course!)
Most likely to have an affair with a lecturer: Bibek&XXXX, Flossie&XXXX, Jody&XXXX (Since it’s a public blog, some names have been withheld)
Nicest female: Preethi Ramamoorthy, Wendy Anstead, Anastasiia Fedorova

And the most coveted… Cutest couple: Michel&Krisha, Tom&Paddy, Shady&his moustache

Selecting three people for each category has been a tough job. Sometimes because there were too many people, sometimes because we lacked of them.

But it was funny. And it all happened at Yate’s in Harrow.

Russia Journal: Ignorant, insensitive or rather insulting?

 

I pray in front of these idols, but last night I peed in front of them.

As I opened the doors of the restroom carved with the Hindu hymn “Om” at a Moscow bar, the images of Hindu god Shiva along with his wife Parvati and son Ganesha was utterly shocking. Then I checked another restroom: there was a huge image of the monkey-god Hanuman.

At first, I was left without a reaction, then it was a little bit annoying, and now that I come to think of it, it is very disrespectful.

I used the restroom anyway, but I didn’t make a trip to the loo for the rest of the night we spent in that bar. My other Hindu friend was not able to use the restroom anyway—she found it disgraceful.

So is this just a matter of insensitiveness or ignorance? For any hardcore Hindu or even someone like me who has grown up praying to these gods, it is a matter of disrespect—disrespect to a faith regardless one believes in it or not.

Consider having a picture or an idol of Jesus in the restroom—would anyone do that? Would that be considered appropriate? Probably not.

So why is it with Hindu gods and goddesses that the West has some weird fascination?

Maybe it is because of the appearance of our gods and goddesses—fully decked in gold and diamond ornaments with prolific outfits, people cannot help admiring them.

So much for the admiration and adoration that Hindu gods and goddesses have become an integral decoration piece in most of the Indian restaurants in the West; they add aesthetic and create an authentic ambience, I suppose.

So much for the fascination that the Hindu gods and goddesses have become artworks in t-shirts and even bikinis, causing ire to Hindu fundamentalists.

At this bar, I think the act of ignorance or insensitiveness has crossed the border. I see it as a sign of disrespect.

Most of the Hindus have their rooms of worship or even idols of their gods and goddesses far from their restrooms. As in any other religion, the idols represent the religion’s beliefs.

And here they are, at this bar, plastered in the restrooms, as some fancy piece of artwork.

As I made my way out and sat down in the bar area, I did manage to ask the question.

“Can I ask you a serious question,” I asked the man at the bar, an Algerian man, who looked like the manager.

“I know what you’re going to ask,” he said as he handed my drink. “I don’t know anything about the restrooms.”

Well, before I even asked my question, he had a clear idea of what it would be. Doesn’t this mean that he perhaps knows about those “artworks” in the restrooms?

I am sure no one just picked up those tiles just because they looked fancy. The person must have had an idea of what they represented to the least.

I am not a very religious person but the restrooms made me think and question.

As much as I would not disrespect and offend any other faith, I would like to see my faith and religion being respected too.

At least I would not want to see them in the restroom of some bar.

Call it insensitive or ignorant, but I say, it is insulting—it is insulting someone else’s faith and belief. You may argue, but this is just my point of view.

Russia Journal: Reporting in Russia

Reporting from a foreign country is never easy, especially when you don’t know the local language. It becomes even more difficult when the so-called universal language, English, doesn’t comes handy at all.

In Russia, I’ve faced a major difficulty with the language because no one speaks English. But I’ve managed to get by and so far have been able to do most of my reporting. I’d say it’s all about finding ways to get the job done.

When I was sure about coming here, all I had was a story idea. I didn’t have any clue about how would I pursue that story. A month later, I see it materializing.

In a lot of ways, social networking, and Facebook to be particular, has become very helpful. One status update can make this happens in reality.

When I seek help through Facebook asking for connections in Russia, I got a fair number of responses—some worked, others didn’t.

I contacted those random people, friends of friends of friends. I should consider myself lucky that they have been a great help. Though they said they weren’t the right people, they surely helped me to get tons of contacts for my story.

And of course, I had done my research and found sources. I emailed all of them. I emailed them to the point that they might have been sick of seeing my name in their inbox. But that’s how it works.

As of now, I have been able to interview people—some in person and some via Skype. But at least I had it all sorted out.

Going to meet people in a new city where none of the signs are in English was a bit tricky. I was a bit sceptical navigating, but I did it.

Just a few more interview, and I’m ready to file that story.

Russia is one of those countries where language has served as a major barrier for reporting. But when you are determined, I think it’s not that big of a challenge; you just find ways to accomplish your assignment.

But I’d say it was definitely easier being a part of a news organization and going for reporting assignments in foreign land. As a freelancer, it becomes a little more challenging. However, overcoming those challenges is a part of the job, and nothing is satisfying to see that story materialize; that story, which was only an idea at the beginning.

Russia Journal: The Neo-Nazi Scare

It is Hitler’s 123rd birthday today. And here I am, little scared and a bit nervous in Moscow.

For the past two days, there has been some discomforting feeling in the Russian capital.

On Wednesday evening, as we were sitting on the floors of an empty kitchen in our dorm, one of our friends got us some information: The neo-Nazis in Moscow could be targeting foreigners during or in the eve of Hitler’s birthday.

At first, I totally brushed off the information. And then we started getting a little paranoid. We asked some other Chinese students studying at Moscow State University. They said they did not leave the university compound during this time since there have been attacks during the past years.

In need of more information, we seek help from our best friend, Google.

According to St. Petersburg Times, in January 2012, neo-Nazis attacked supporters returning from an anti-facist event in St. Petersberg metro. Similar incidents have been reported in Moscow in the past years. One of the most prominent attacks by neo-Nazis in the recent times is the 2010 incident where they attacked concertgoers in Miass, 900 miles east of Moscow.

In 2010, human-rights group Amnesty International said that racism in Russia had become “out of control.”

Since 2000, there has been more than 300 racism-related deaths and and over 3,000 injuries. According to the Russia’s Center for Information and Analysis, at least five people were injured this December in neo-Nazi or racist attacks. In 2011, 20 people were killed and injured 130 across 34 regions of the Russian Federation.

Moscow is supposedly home to some 85,000 neo-Nazis.

But when I asked some locals, they assured us not to panic or worry.

I wasn’t really panicking, but still there was this strange feeling that something might just happen. But I have been to places where this sort of feeling has always tagged along as a baggage.

I said to myself, Moscow is much better than Kabul at the moment.

The past two days, I took the metro by myself. The first time, when I wasn’t aware about the neo-Nazi information, I was glad that I was able to make it to class, and I didn’t get lost.

But yesterday I was a little nervous. My eyes were literally browsing for some neo-Nazi. Well, I couldn’t have spotted one for sure or I was getting scared by every skinhead-ish men I noticed.

Today, as the D-day approached, I had a little fear within me: what if something happens?

But come to think of it, that something could happen anywhere in the world, right outside my house, within the periphery of what I consider the safest place on earth.

So I walked out with a couple of my friends and took the metro to the university in central Moscow. We then took several other metro rides and walked to the newsroom of Vedomostri, one of the Russian financial dailies, in one of the suburbs outside central Moscow.

Then we went for grocery shopping, bought some wine and food.

And here I am, safe and sound in my room. A skinhead didn’t stab me or anything unfortunate happened.

Sometimes letting go of your fear is the best thing you can do, otherwise it will just take over you. Had I let my fear taken over, I would have been sulking within the four walls and the ceiling, looking outside the window as the blue sky turned dark and grey, and the day turned into darkness.

But that did not happen and instead I got to experience something new in this city, which is completely a stranger to me.

So I shall drink some wine to that and might as well even say, “Happy Birthday Hitler.”

Russia Journal: In conversation with Yassen N. Zassoursky

How much of an open society is Russia?

In his lecture today at Moscow State University, Yassen N. Zassoursky, who has been teaching at the university’s journalism school for about 50 years, discussed the “openness” of the former Soviet Union.

“”Opening up of Russian society is our concern,” he says.

Though the country has come a far way and people exercise their power in form of protests and demonstrations on the streets, he says it is not enough.

Though he considers the various forms of protests as a “triumph of democracy for some people,” he said there should be a social harmony. In order to attain this, he thinks Russia should develop democratic institutions and have changes in its law.

The senior professor of media and American literature also noted that there should be an improved communication between various sections of the society and thus media should play an important role in this process.

Though he cites the Internet as an “important tool of democracy,” he does not back out from defining social networks as a “best adopted [tool] to propaganda actions.

He says social networking platforms as Twitter only “gives signal about what is news” and refers to those signals as “beautiful propaganda.”

The 82-year-old professor stresses on the power of print, and how it helps to increase the level of political understanding among people. Though the Internet has that power too, he says, people usually make their choices depending on the signals from social networking sites.

Zassoursky laments on the negligible number of print media in Russia. One of Russia’s most popular daily has a circulation of 90,000, which he says is a bare minimal number for a country of 46 million.

He also says that the country lacks quality journalism, and also journalists.

“There is no analysis of what’s happening in the country [in the areas of] politics, business…,” he says.

“A journalist should be a thinking human being—reading, thinking and discussing problems,” he says.

This however happens to be rare in Russia.

And the problem deepens as most of the media, he says, is controlled by the state or big corporations (advertisers) closer to the state.

He then comes back to his open society model mentioning that the country’s media sphere needs more competition, which means that the society has to be fully open. In its current state, Russia is neither fully open or a closed society.

“An open society would help develop political and cultural life [of a country],” he says.

But in Russia, the ideal situation of an open society is not close, but it is not very far too, Zassoursky says.

A lists the plan of action for Russia, as he sums up: “We need to develop our media, the access of media and develop the ability of people to read and think.”