Images of Bhaktapur, Nepal

Bhaktapur Durbar Square before the earthquake

My heart bleeds for Nepal. I weep even more for Bhaktapur, my favorite place in that lovely country.  

 
                                                                                
I enjoyed wandering around aimlessly in this medieval city. Its old world charm entralled and fascinated me. I got lost in its maze-like alleys and passageways a couple of times, but the locals were just too glad to point me to the right direction each time I asked for help.

      

    

Thanks to my dear friend Krishna, his lovely family, and awesome friends for making my days in Bhaktapur so much memorable. I've learned so much about the Nepali culture, particularly Newari traditions and beliefs, because of them.

   

It is quite noteworthy to mention that I met two old men from Bhaktapur who were so glad that our paths crossed. One is the patriarch of the Peacock Paper Factory and the other one is the father of my friend's friend. They both said they have made Filipino friends a long time ago and haven't seen someone who come from our country in years, decades even.

I bring home with me the smiles, hospitality, and kindness of the Newari people of Bhaktapur. I know that I shall be back. 

      

  

Sending you happy thoughts...

Help Rebuild Nepal: A Lovely Country in Ruins

Photos taken at the same place, before and after the deadly earthquake struck.
Photo on the right courtesy of Krishna Sadan Awal

Hearing news about the deadly earthquake which recently hit Nepal broke my heart.  I couldn't believe it at first.  I was in that beautiful country two weeks before the catastrophe happened.    

Pictures and memories of all the amazing places I've seen, the lovely people I've met, and friends that I made flooded my mind.  I was worried about my friends. I hoped and prayed that they were not placed in harm's way. 

I scoured the internet for news about the disaster. I was hungry for information, hoping against hope that the destruction was not massive.  Unfortunately, as I scrolled photos posted on twitter and other social media and news organization sites, it dawned on me that the beautiful country that now occupies a special place in my heart is now lying in ruins and rubble. On the day the earthquake happened, death toll easily reached the three thousand mark, many more were injured.  Many people have gone missing.  My heart wept and bled.  

I started hearing from my friends a few days after the earthquake. I would breathe a sigh of relief and gratitude whenever a friend would mark him/herself safe in the earthquake safety check app.  I was so glad to get messages or calls from my Nepalese friends.  As they gave assurances of their safety and expressed their gratitude that nobody in their immediate family died, they also shared heartbreaking scenes of the tragedy that befell their home country.  I felt the somberness that enveloped them.  I also sensed despair.  

It certainly would take quiet a while before the lives of the Nepalese even have a semblance of normalcy.   They would need our help to rebuild their country and restart their lives.  Let's help them recover.  

There are many ways to help.  You may support and send donations to established international aid, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief organizations which are directly helping Nepal, like UNICEF, Save the Children,  The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Catholic Relief Services, etc.  You may also help efforts initiated by Nepalese who have organized their own fund-raising campaigns and rebuilding projects, such as Help Rebuild Homes in Bhaktapur.  Crowdfunding campaigns, such as the one for the residents of Kaminani, Tekhacho Tole, Ward 16, Bhaktapur, Nepal have also been set up at Indiegogo.com. 


Sending you happy thoughts...

Images of Kathmandu

The vibrant and bustling city of Kathmandu is your gateway to the beautiful country of Nepal.  I'm grateful to have visited the country's capital two weeks before the 7.9 magnitude earthquale left a great part of the city and nearby areas in ruins.   It is truly heartbreaking to know that some of the structures captured in the photos below are now gone forever. The heritage sites once visited for their grandeur and historical, cultural, and religious values have now been turned into graveyards.

  

  

 

 

  

 

It's certainly a very sad time for the Nepalese people. My heart goes out to my friends and to everyone affected by the catastrophe.

Sending you happy thoughts...

Nepal in My Mind

Kathmandu Durbar Square

My thoughts and prayers go to the people of Nepal.

I have very wonderful memories of this beautiful country. It's sad to know that a lot of lives were lost and a lot of people were injured because of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake. A lot of heritage sites have also been reduced to rubble. 

It would take quite a while before the lives of the Nepalese have even a semblance of normalcy.  Aside from including them in our prayers, let's find concrete ways to help them rebuild their country.