Writing

The only thing that prevented her from writing was the will to write better.  

© Mansi Karna

Being a Travel Guide

“Traveling-It leaves you speechless. Then turns you into a storyteller.”

Being asked to accompany them to our project sites came to me with a fine splash of delight. It was the first time I had been bestowed with an opportunity to explain things to scientists. They say engineers use knowledge largely to design, produce and operate artifacts; scientists by contrast use knowledge to generate more knowledge. I was excited as to what would proceed. 

Enthusiastic and in ripping high spirits, we were out in the village of Bhimtar among houses and structures that stood as a carcasses to destruction they had suffered not long ago. A moment of profound silence followed as our RMS members witnessed the destructions in Bhimtar. After such trembling of the earth and trembling of every element on it, life being lived appeared to them, to be but a terrible wonder. Being there was an emotional surrender. There was enough misery in villagers’ eyes to sadden the whole world. It seemed our RMS Trekkers were bound to suffer on human predicament. Despite the Sheer abundance of destruction, our visitors could find something fascinating. There they were, the cows, exciting, in them, such a greater sense of child-like wonder that every time they came across it, they could not stop saying, "oh look, cows!" Also, at an instance, everyone gazed in amusement at a buffalo upon being told it was not a cow, because they saw that buffalo, in no way, differed from a cow except that buffalos were black in color. Therein, I felt, lies the difference between an innovative world and a world that lives close to nature far away from innovation.

“All these trifling incidents fit in to the routine of life, and to the return of another day,” I thought.  We proceeded to Indrawati School, where our trekkers could see children celebrate their day. There was nothing colossal about the event, rather a softness and vulnerability was depicted in the talents students had been delivering. Our friends from RMS seemed to love students exhibit colossality in their performance and in their struggle to make their presence be felt.

There they were, The Hills, every time with us, only a meter or two away, virtually unnoticed by the troops of passersby from the same area. Megan, however, appeared to be charmed by the pigments of mud and rock structures by the hills as we moved in our vehicles. She, as a geologist, knew tons about the formation of the hills, sediments and the type of material content contained in the soil. She could explain things in language understandable by commoners. It was motivating how she studied the soil, rock type and landforms depending upon the colors they had on them. Megen, was the one unfailing scientist who looked like Anne Hathaway. Christine and Matthew on the other hand, were meteorologist and were great at deciphering clouds, climate and rain.  Matthew who had been puzzled not having seen a single gas station during first go finally got some relief having seen lots of them during return. Christine’s deep knowledge in sports was something that delighted me.  Each of them had a trace of scientist in them. Each of them, however, were good cooks. Each of them were happy getting to see snails, butterflies and other natural creatures as we passed by. They had in their eyes something that revealed watchfulness and eagerness. It is amazing how eyes accustomed to a place do not see things eyes unaccustomed to the very place do.

Our vehicle moved from the Guest House to Kathmandu, musing at the scrap of the days’ journey, talking about hobbies and dreams. Christin and Megan have always had a dream of living someday to the countryside with a remarkable number of animals to rear and a big garden. It happifies me to the bottom of my heart that this journey to Nepal had so palpable an effect upon them so as to get them to strengthen this idea. It comes as a great compliment to Nepal.  

Off we returned. We, however, carried with us, memories of interviewing villagers, interviewing people wishing to construct their houses and interviewing Ishwori didi from retrofitted house in Eklephant. Memories sustain. I am going to remember their not knowing what a Banana tree and a Mango tree looks like and their learning to recognize them here. I appreciate the way RMS generates Disaster Models and help people early prepare. People like Christine, Matthew and Megan together with Matt and Al are real assets to RMS. Build Change was fortunate enough to have such people visit its project sites.  I also appreciate the way they got along with us, eating all the spices we eat, understanding the subtleties of every minute thing, talking and sharing the differences in socio-cultural, economic and naturally diverse aspects in here and there. It was as if a gentle stream of native air were wafted over them. 

Obscurity

I tend to get drawn towards obscurity. Obscurity contained in a thing makes it be open to interpretation.

©Mansi Karna.