An Open Letter to the People of Nepal / #PrayForNepal

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An old charismatic man poses for the camera in Bungamati

I know it has not been easy. I try to imagine how it feels to lose everything you posses - the house you've lovingly made into a home, the farm you've tended for so long, and the people you've loved all of your life.

The past few weeks are bad dreams for all of you, i know. Losing everything you have will make you feel sad. And sometimes you will ask God why make you suffer through all of these hardships. These are normal reactions, most especially, since you've been through so much in very little time.

I cannot imagine myself in your shoes for i cannot imagine the day i lose something really important to me. I will also regret the day that it will come.

म यो सजिलो छैन थाह छ। म यो तपाईं posses सबै गुमाउन महसुस कसरी कल्पना गर्न प्रयास - तपाईं मायालु एक घर मा गर्नुभयो घर, तपाईं त लामो समय को लागि tended गर्नुभएको खेत, र मानिसहरूले तपाईं आफ्नो जीवन को सबै प्रेम गर्नुभयो।

पछिल्लो केही सप्ताह तपाईं को लागि खराब सपना हो, मलाई थाहा छ। तपाईं सबै खोने तपाईं दुःखी महसुस गर्नेछन्। तपाईं यी कठिनाइ सबै माध्यम ग्रस्त किन बनाउन र कहिलेकाहीं तपाईं परमेश्वरको सोध्न हुनेछ। तपाईं धेरै साना समय मा धेरै माध्यम भएको छु देखि यी अधिकांश विशेष गरी, सामान्य प्रतिक्रिया हो।

म मेरो साँच्चै महत्त्वपूर्ण कुरा गुमाउन दिन कल्पना गर्न सक्दैन लागि म आफ्नो जूता मा आफैलाई कल्पना गर्न सक्दैन। म पनि यो आउनेछ भन्ने दिन पछुतो हुनेछ।

My gracious family hosts from Tansen

My friends, Nepal is very precious to me. You don't know how happy I was traveling back to your country a few months ago. I came back to Nepal in less than a year because i found home in your country apart from my home here in the Philippines.

Sometimes, i often ask myself why i love your country so much. My friends and colleagues would wonder why i keep on coming back to a relatively poor country. I can travel to other rich countries, yet a flight to Kathmandu is always a plan for me. I stayed in Nepal for two months, too short for other travelers, but ultimate very long for normal people. For me, the time i spent there felt like forever. For now that i am away in Nepal, is just temporary.

मेरो मित्र, नेपाल मलाई धेरै बहुमूल्य छ। तपाईं म केही महिना पहिले फिर्ता आफ्नो देश यात्रा थियो कसरी आनन्दित थाहा छैन। म फिलिपिन्समा यहाँ मेरो घर अलग्गै आफ्नो देश मा घर फेला किनभने म भन्दा कम एक वर्ष पछि नेपाल आए।

म यति आफ्नो देश प्रेम किन कहिलेकाहीं, म आफूलाई अक्सर सोध्छन्। म एक अपेक्षाकृत गरिब देश फिर्ता आ गरिरहन किन मेरो मित्र र सहकर्मीसँग आश्चर्य हुनेछ। म अन्य धनी देशहरूको यात्रा गर्न सक्छन्, तर काठमाडौं उडान सधैं मेरो लागि एक योजना छ। म सामान्य मान्छे को लागि धेरै लामो पनि अन्य यात्री लागि छोटो, तर अन्तिम दुई महिना लागि नेपाल बसे। मेरो लागि, म त्यहाँ खर्च सधैंभरि जस्तै लाग्यो। अब म दूर नेपाल हुँ भनी लागि, बस अस्थायी छ।

Playful kids from Kapilvastu

It may be because of the romantic air at Patan Durbar Square at night, or the quiet atmosphere at Bungamati before dawn. Up until now, i can still imagine the delicious Dahl Bat i eat almost every day in Tansen, or the fried momos i order in Sauraha. It may also be that afternoon glow of Machhapuchare in Pokhara during winter, or the mighty Himalayas in Kakani. I also think it might be the Maha Shivaratra festival i was blessed to go to in Pashupati, or the Tuesday that i went to Dakshinkali.

I will run out of words in expressing the many different things i can never forget about Nepal, same as how much i am in love with your country.

I know during the past few weeks, you feel sad that all that you have worked for are all gone. It's not easy saving money to build a house, nurse a child, and feed the family. My friends, look at the bright side of things. You may lose all material possessions you have, but you're still blessed to be alive. Life is a blessing that you have but others have lost. Today as you read this, smile because you've overcome the great tragedy for you're still breathing. Many people are dying around the world, and i know that you may have lost a friend, a family member or even someone from the village. Always remember that the gift of life that you still have is what will make you feel in the long run.

यो किनभने राती पाटन Durbar स्क्वायर मा रोमान्टिक हावा, या प्रारम्भ अघि Bungamati मा शान्त वातावरण को हुन सक्छ। अब सम्म, म अझै पनि म तानसेन मा लगभग हरेक दिन खाने स्वादिष्ट Dahl चमेरो, या म Sauraha मा क्रम तला momos कल्पना गर्न सक्नुहुन्छ। यो पनि हिउँदमा समयमा पोखरा मा Machhapuchare को दिउँसो चमक, या Kakani मा शक्तिशाली हिमालय हुन सक्छ। म पनि यो म Dakshinkali गए कि म पशुपति मा जान आशिष् थियो Maha Shivaratra चाड, वा मंगलवार हुन सक्छ लाग्छ।

म नै म आफ्नो देश प्रेम मा हूँ कति रूपमा म नेपाल, को बारे मा भूल कहिल्यै गर्न सक्छन् विभिन्न कुरा व्यक्त शब्दहरू सकिएको हुनेछ।

म विगत केही सप्ताह समयमा, तपाईं को लागि काम गरेका छन् कि सबै सबै गएका छन् दुःखी महसुस थाह छ। यो, एक घर निर्माण एक बच्चा नर्स, र परिवार खुवाउन सजिलो बचत पैसा छैन। मेरो मित्र, कुराहरूको उज्ज्वल तिर देखो। तपाईंलाई सबै सामाग्री सम्पत्ति गुमाउन सक्छ, तर तपाईं अझै जीवित हुन अनमोल छौं। जीवन तपाईं तर अरूलाई गुमाएका एक आशिष् छ।तपाईं यस पढ्न रूपमा तपाईं अझै सास हुनुहुन्छ लागि ठूलो त्रासदी हटाउन गर्नुभएको किनभने आज, मुस्कान। धेरै मानिसहरू दुनिया भर मर्ने छन्, र म तिमीलाई एक मित्र, एक परिवारको सदस्य वा गाउँमा देखि पनि कुनै गुमाएका हुन सक्छ भनेर थाह छ। सधैँ अझै छ कि जीवनको उपहारलाई तपाईं लामो रन मा महसूस हुनेछ के छ भनेर नबिर्सनुहोस्।

Holiday hike with teenagers in Ramkot

Mourn and grieve now, but stand up and work hard to come back. You will feel more alive than ever. Like a spinning wheel, life is like that. Sometimes, you're up but sometimes you're down. You've been down the past few weeks, i know. But after this, the wheel will go up again. There is no way for your life to go but up.

As i write this, i think i am starting to understand why i love Nepal so much. Old historical buildings and places of worship may have crumbled, and brick houses may falter, trekking season to the mountains may stop, but your country still have something that nobody can take away. No earthquake can shook the people of Nepal.

शोक र अब शोक, तर खडा र फिर्ता आउन कठिन काम। तपाईं कहिल्यै भन्दा बढी जीवित महसुस गर्नेछन्। एक कताई पाङ्ग्रा जस्तै, जीवन जस्तो छ। कहिलेकाहीं, तपाईं छौं तर कहिलेकाहीं तपाईं तल छौं। तपाईं पछिल्लो केहि सप्ताह तल पुग्नु भएका, मलाई थाहा छ। तर यस पछि, पाङ्ग्रा फेरि जानेछु। आफ्नो जीवन जाने तर माथि लागि कुनै तरिका छ।

म यो लेख्न, म म यति नेपाल प्रेम किन बुझ्न शुरू छु लाग्छ। पुरानो ऐतिहासिक भवनहरु र उपासनाको ठाउँमा crumbled हुन सक्छ, र ईटा घरहरू रोक्न सक्छ पहाडहरू गर्न मौसम Trekking, falter सक्छ, तर आफ्नो देश अझै कोही होइन दूर गर्न सक्छन् भन्ने कुरा छ। कुनै भूकम्प नेपाल मानिसहरूलाई shook सक्छन्।

Eager babu's first time to see a camera in Bandipur

The Nepalese people are truly the most inspiring people i have ever met. The days i have spent there in your country have been memorable. Where every person i have met have touched my heart like no other. Back where i live, i would often smile in admiration whenever i talk about you all. I never fail to laugh when you all nod at a stranger, someone you don't know. That someone is me. Yet, i've never felt like a stranger. Whenever i set foot in another district, in each place i visit, i never fail to make friends because you've opened your hearts to me. In a very small village or even a huge district, i've never felt in danger because i know you keep even strangers safe.

It's all of you that is the real treasure of Nepal. It's your faith that will lead you towards making the right decision from hereon. It's your innate value of giving that will make all the hungry eat. It's your wisdom that will surely make you recover from this tragedy faster. It's your love for one another that will make Nepal come back from all of this.

नेपाली मानिसहरूलाई साँच्चै म कहिल्यै भेट गरेका छन् भन्दा प्रेरक मानिसहरू हुन्। म आफ्नो देश मा त्यहाँ बिताए गरेको दिन अविस्मरणीय रहेको छ। म कहाँ भेटे छन् हरेक व्यक्ति कुनै अन्य जस्तै मेरो मन छोयो छन्। म बाँच्न कहाँ म तिमीलाई सबै कुरा जब फिर्ता, म अक्सर प्रशंसा मा मुस्कान थियो। म तिमीलाई पराई सबै टाउको निहुराउनु, कसैले तपाईंलाई थाहा छैन जब हाँस्न असफल कहिल्यै। त्यो कुनै मलाई छ। यद्यपि, म पराई जस्तै महसुस कहिल्यै गर्नुभयो। म भ्रमण प्रत्येक ठाउँमा, अर्को जिल्ला खुट्टा सेट जब, म तिमीलाई मलाई आफ्नो हृदय खोल्न गर्नुभएको किनभने मित्र बनाउन असफल कहिल्यै। म तिमीलाई पनि सुरक्षित अपरिचित राख्न थाहा किनभने धेरै सानो गाउँमा वा एक विशाल जिल्ला, म खतरा महसुस कहिल्यै गर्नुभयो।

यो तपाईं को सबै नेपालको वास्तविक धन छ छ। यो hereon देखि सही निर्णय तिर तपाईं नेतृत्व हुनेछ भनेर आफ्नो विश्वास छ। यो खान सबै भोकाएका बनाउन हुनेछ भनेर दिने आफ्नो जन्मबाट प्राप्त मूल्य हो। यो पक्कै पनि तपाईं यो त्रासदी छिटो देखि ठीक गर्नेछन् भनेर आफ्नो बुद्धि छ। यो नेपाल यो सबै देखि फिर्ता आ बनाउन हुनेछ भनेर आपसमा आफ्नो प्रेम हो।

A portrait of myself spending the best time in my second home, Bandipur, Nepal

And it's all of you, Nepalese people, that will stand up again. Wipe your tears dry now, and start fresh. I am very proud of each and everyone of you. Dhanyabad!

Ma Nepal Lai Maya Garchu!

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