A Leaf from my memory (GBS Part 3)

Mystery Solved!!!!

-Santosh Koirala

It all happened in Hostel 1, the so called iron gate was only a few weeks away from we class 10 students. As we knew that the way of teaching in Gandaki Boarding School was quite different from general schools, we didnt knew what fate would the SLC results bring to us.Although exams time were on the peak, we needn't go to class for study as GBS had a large surrounding and covered a big forest,so there were lots of areas for study options.

I dont remember whether it was Friday or Saturday night, we guys planned to enjoy from the boring schedule of books and play Luki-dum(hide and seek).To tell you one more thing,Gurung and Magar students occupy almost 60% of the students in GBS and our class was not an odd one. And to tell you the fact those Gurung guys were much more advanced in every aspects of life except study and we bahun and chhetri guys had no options other than following them.

Now coming to the game, we decided to go some unusual way, actually not we, but the gurung guys and poor me had to follow the majority. They decided of taking off the the pants and Tshirts and playing with only shorts. Everyone agreed and so did I. Luki-dum started, 3 chaps were the seekers as there were almost 40 students for the game. The seekers were provided with a torch-light each, so that they could easily find their culprits.

The game was taking pace and I dont remember who the seekers were at that time, as I saw one of the seeker coming towards me with a torch light. He directly showed it to my eyes in the first attempt itself. I had to run as I didnt want to be the next dum(seeker).The figure started chasing me. It went on for sometime, when one of the gurung guy who was hiding along with me ran towards the figure and did the "dhyappa"(touching the seeker so that the game starts again). Eventually everyone gathered to the figure doing "dhyappa".The seeker couldnt control itself and it fell to the ground. At that instant, most of the guys were in shorts and some guys were even fully naked.As we were fixed to this seeker, we saw three torch-lights at a distant, Surprised, we checked the first one. Oh!!!!no it was our hostel parent who was there to search us as only a few students had turn up to the hostel assembly , which was scheduled for that night.Everyone got caught red-handed with the new tradition of Luki-dum.Bhim Sir(Hostel Parent) got up from the ground and just said 'I will meet you guys in the hostel 15 minutes later".

In the assembly he told that he knew everyone who played and would report it to the Principal. He even told that he would send warning letters to every parents from the school. He even warned us saying that we wont be allowed to sit for the Year 11 entrance examinations of the school after our SLC completion. I didnt knew what to do and was completely lost as those days we thought that GBS 11 & 12 studies were the best in the country itself. I started regretting & blaming myself for ruining my life and following those Gurung guys.I saw my future blank.....

Days passed,Months passed,SLC results came and I even got a chance to study class 11 at the same school. But I never forgot Bhim Sir's words,anyway how did I get a chance to study class 11. I was surprised and totally anxious to solve my curiosity. Although I was now living in Hostel 10, I went to my previous hostel to meet my previous boss. I asked a question to free my mind "Sir, how did I get a chance to Study class 11 here, although you told in the meeting that we wont get it?". "Actually my son Durga was also playing with you guys, so I didnt take any further action except scolding you in the hostel meeting" was his bold answer.

बाँकी अंश...

Time

Moon Lim Huiying

My dear Everyone, dont be sad,
I will tell you something, dont get mad,
Life is really not that bad,
Money is not everything that we had.

I may not be your destiny,
I maybe small as you can see,
I may not be your lock that matches your key,
But i hope to be there for you when you need me.

Just put all your troubles inside a box,
And throw it away with all the strength you have got,
I know its difficult as it will weigh a lot,
Just know that its not completely all your fault.

No matter how much you try to reach so high,
Time will just be flying by,
So there is a reason why the moon is in the sky,
For you to share your problems with it till your mind turns dry.

Time will come for those who fail the test,
You did well, and never meant to make a mess,
God will know that you gave your best,
So its really time for you to take a rest.

When winter comes and water turns to ice,
Just lie down and close your eyes,
Feel the wind until it slowly dies,
Like how i wish to feel beside you that is so nice

बाँकी अंश...

Gurkhas

Moon Lim Huiying

To all the Gurkhas of the world,
Can you feel my very own words,
Are you fighting like a samurai with a sword,
Or praying for your brothers to the lord.


You all are heros with no fear,
Just armoured with your weapons and some gear,
Charging into the fortress but your enemies cannot hear
Not even afraid of hearing death with your ears.


I will salute you all till the end,
Fighting not for your country and not for your land,
But for someone else’s home and their sand,
You are heros and I know you will do what you can.


I wish that I had the chance on this very night,
To curve my name on my friend’s khukri under the light,
So that he will remember when he draws this knife during his fight,
The Moon that is following his every move to strike.


I will always remember your smiles,
I still keep our photos in my files,
I hope to feel you from far even in miles,
So dont forget me when you return back to Nepal…”


(By profession, a nurse, poetess Moon is a Singapore citizen. The poem was reproduced here from www.nepalsingapore.com.)

बाँकी अंश...

फेरी घरको याद आयो

सहदेव पौडेल
न्यूयोर्क

काठे पुल तर्दै धुलौटे माटोमा खेल्न मन लाग्यो
घासे चौरमा उफ्रदै बगर् बगर् दौडन मन लाग्यो
फुल्दै गएको मेरी आमाको कालो कपाल केलाउन मन लाग्यो
यसपटक फेरी घरको याद आयो


बाक्लिदै गएको मेरो गाउ, पातलीदै गएको परिवार भेट्न मन लाग्यो
एकै छिन घरगोठको स्याहर सम्भार् गर्न मन लाग्यो
कमजोर बन्दै गएको मेरा बा'को आखाको दृश्य बन्न मन लाग्यो
यसपटक फेरी घरको याद आयो

उकाली ओराली चड्दै बनको काडा बिझाउन मन लाग्यो
को हो को हो गर्दै गीत गाउने कोएली चरीलाई जिस्काउन मन लाग्यो
छाना भरी रमाएका परेवालाइ भुर्‍र् उडाउन मन लाग्यो
यस पटक फेरी घरको याद आयो

रुपे,बिशे र कान्छीसंग गोठालो जान मन लाग्यो
गाइ बाख्राको म्या म्या बा बा सुन्न मन लाग्यो
फैलिदै गएको शान्ती र बाटो हेरी बसेकलाई भेट्न मन लग्यो
यस पटक फेरी घरको याद आयो,

हात खुट्टा हिलो मैलो बनाउन मन लाग्यो
अलीकती पसीना मेरै माटो मा चुहाउन मन लाग्यो
एकै छिन भए पनि मेरै गीतमा नाच्न मान लग्यो,
यस पटक फेरी घरको याद आयो

आज कसैको मेलोमा जान मन लाग्यो
पालाको पैचो तिर्न मन लाग्यो
पर्खी बसेकी मेरीलाई पछाडिबाट आखा छोप्न मन लाग्यो
बिर्सदै गएकाहरुलाई सम्झदै गाउ पुग्न मन लाग्यो

छुन मन लाग्यो,
पसिनाले निधार धुन मन लाग्यो,
जुन सगै एकै छीन खेल्न मन लाग्यो
यस पटक फेरी घरको याद आयो

साभार: nepalipost.com

बाँकी अंश...

A Leaf From My Memory (GBS Part 2)

-Santosh Koirala

Daal, Daal and more Daal
(Although I could have said pulses for daal, I have used the word daal to make the story more interesting)

I am not so sure whether it was the beginning of the first or the second term of Class 5, we 4 close friends were having our discussion of how we had spent the recently finished month long holiday. In middle of the discussion one of the guy changed the topic to "daal". He told us that if you drink lot of daal then your height increases.Nobody believed him. He even gave the example of one of the senior guy who had increased almost a foot in couple of months.Remaining three of us made fun of him, but surprisingly we were wrong.We were the last one to know the fact,every single student of Gandaki Boarding School knew about it and had started trying their luck already.

To be frank, I was the smallest one in the class and most of the time I used to get humiliated by big students in regard to my height.I had tried different liquid medicines, calcium tablets to name a few, but all went in vain and I still was only 4' 7''. When this new medicine was proposed by my friend, I was totally excited and started thinking myself as being an "Undertaker" or other big wresting pros and taking revenge against my villians( bigger boys).

But, I was not the first one to do that.After having a serve of Bhaat Daal and Tarkari, most of the junior students used to raise their hands to get the second serve full of Daal only. The students made Daal of different flavours as well. Some used to keep the seasonings of noodles, some went for ghee and some used to go for lemon flavoured ones by squeezing lemon on top of it.

And there was a special thing about the Daal that used to be served as well.The Mamas (we used to call mama for kitchen staff)used to cook only two tubs of daal,one for the junior and the next for the senior. You may be thinking how big that tub used to be,but to tell you the fact the tub used to be a normal size about 30-35 litres. The quantity in the tub never decreased even by serving around 200 people. The reason was that, when the Daal's level reached almost half, one of the mama used to come and fill the vessel with a bucket of hot water.The mama serving the height increaser Daal used to stir the mixture with the ladle and then there was a vessel full of Daal again.

As everyone was interested in increasing their height, mostly the guys like me who were just above the level of dwarfs, used to have around 3-4 serves of Daal everyday. I recall once that I even ran to the toilet six times during the night due to problem with digestion, but who cares, I was having the greatest medicine I ever dreamt of and without extra bucks. Every single guy who used to stand in the assembly line like me had their tummy full of Daal only. The Daal mania went to such a high limit that the mamas plan of adding water failed, every daal used to be consumed and kitchen started running out of Daal.

With no hope of feeding the students in the current scenario, on one of the Saturday morning assembly, the Hostel Supervisor made an announcement that having a serve full of Daal only is prohibited. Although the statement issued, made an impact to most of the students, I used to manage having lots of Daal anyway by taking a small serve of rice and a full big ladle of Daal on the first serve itself. This continued almost for one year but this didnt help me either.I used to check my height once or twice every fortnight then by stretching myself to the fullest, but I remained the same everytime.

Although more than a decade has passed now, I still remember those moments. Those moments have been a history but my desire to become a tall man still haunts me every now and then.

(To read "A Leaf From My Memory(GBS Part 1)"click here. Part 1 was written by Durga Pandey)

बाँकी अंश...

Ant & Grasshopper

-Unknown

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Coming winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Modern Version

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

Nepal Tv, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

YCL stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.

Nagrik Samaj goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Nepalese Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .

Opposition MPs stage a walkout.

Upendra Yadav call for "Nepal Bandh"

Maobadi in immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.

Baburam allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Nepali Buses aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath' .

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the 'Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.

Madav Nepal makes 'Special Reservation ' for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the YCL and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by Nepal Tv.

Prachand calls it 'A Triumph of Justice'.

YCL calls it 'Socialistic Justice'.

Maobadi calls it the 'Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'

UN Secretary General invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in Nepal

बाँकी अंश...

Prashant in Adelaide(Video 2)

Continued from "Prashant in Adelaide(Video 1)"

भिडियो सौजन्य: कमल पौडेल।

बाँकी अंश...

Prashant in Adelaide (Video 1)

भिडियो सौजन्य: कमल पौडेल।

बाँकी अंश...

Mother!!!

Years and Years of hardship
Nine months of pain
She gave a life to a baby
Profounded of a huge gain

Caring from the very beginning
Life has turned so pity
She never regrets her deed
Thinking of her upmost duty

Everything the baby does
brings her lot of joy
Milking and feeding him
turns the child to boy

Love has never changed
whether its day or night
She wishes to keep him
never out of her sight

Now he is matured
from boy to adult he grows
Her caring never changes
in the love she shows

Lastly......
People go to temple
Pray for figures of mud
For me mother
You are my only god

(Dedicated to my mother on this "मातातीर्थ औंशी ")

बाँकी अंश...

मैले नेपालीको प्रतिनिधित्व गरेको छु - प्रशान्त

-भुवनेश्वर् शर्मा

प्रशान्त तामाङ नेपाली मूलका नेपालीभाषी भारतीय नागरिक हुन। तर सांस्कृतिक रूपमा उनले नेपाल र नेपालीको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दै आएका छन् । इन्डिएन आइडल (तेस्रो) बन्न सफल तामाङ्ले बिश्व भरिका नेपालीहरुको मन जितेर ऊनिहरूको गर्वको प्रतीक बनेका छन् । ऊनि जहा जान्छन् - त्यहा भारतीयहरूको साथसाथै नेपाली हरुको उत्साहजनक स्वागत र ताली पाउछन् । अमेरिकाको साङितिक यात्रा सकेपछि तामाङ कार्यक्रमकालागी अस्ट्रेलियाका बिभिन्न सहरहरु पुग्ने क्रममा अप्रिल २७ मा एडिलेड आँउदा नेपाली हरूले भब्य स्वागत गरेका थिए। ऊनि आयोजकहरुको ब्यस्तताका बाबजुद पनि केहि समय निकालेर नेपालीहरूसंग अन्तरकृया गर्न स्टेप्निस्थित सगरमाथा नेपाली रेस्टुरेन्ट आएका थिए ।

अन्तराष्ट्रिय नेपाली साहित्य समाजका अध्यक्ष्य समेत रहेका सो रेस्टुरेन्टका सन्चालक दीपक बिस्ट र साथीहरुको सक्रियतामा तामाङ् अप्रिल् २८ मा रातको करिब १० बजे सो रेस्टुरेन्टमा आँउदा नेपालीहरूले उनलाइ ढाका टोपि र खादा लगाइदिएर स्वागत गरेका थिए। नेपालिहरूसंग भलाकुसारि र अटोग्राफ दिनमा ब्यस्त तमाङ्संग अनेसासले छोटो बार्ता गरेको थियो ।
अनेसास - तपाईं भबिस्यमा केमा करीयर बनाउन चाहनुहुन्छ ?
प्रशान्त - मैले बलिवूड्मा बिशेष गरी संगीतमा करीयर बनाउन चाहन्छु। मेरो संगीतमा बिशेष रूची छ। जसरी उदीत नारायणले गर्नु भएको छ ।

अनेसास -तपाईंले नेपालीहरूबाट कस्तो समर्थन अथवा माया पाउनु भएको छ?
प्रशान्त - म जहाँ जान्छ् नेपालीहरूको न्यानो माया र समर्थन पाएको छु। उनिहरुले दिने मायामा मैले कुनै अन्तर पाएको छुइन । अमेरिका, अस्ट्रेलिया , भारत वा नेपालमा बस्ने नेपालीहरूले दिने माया एकै प्रकारको छ ।

अनेसास - नेपाली मुलको भारतीय नागरिक हुँदा र भारतको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दा केही कठिनाइ परेको छ ?
प्रशान्त - मैले भारतको होइन नेपालीको प्रतिनिधित्व गरेको छु । नेपालीहरुको माया जताततैबाट पाएको छु ।

अनेसास - तपाईंको नेपाली म्युजिकलाई केही योगदान गर्ने बिचार छ ?
प्रशान्त - मैले केही नेपाली गीत गाई सकेको छु र भबिश्यमा नेपाली गीतको यल्बम निकाल्ने इच्छा छ ।

अनेसास - तपाईंले नेपालीहरुलाई के गर्नु हुन्छ ?
प्रशान्त - मलाई सबैले सोध्ने प्रश्न हो यो । मैले हिमाल आरोहण गर्न सक्दिन । मैले गर्ने योगदान भनेको संगीतमै हो । मैले बलिवूडमा केही गर्न चाहन्छु । त्यहिनै मलाई लाग्छ, मैले नेपालको लागि गर्न सक्ने योगदान हुन सक्छ ।

बाँकी अंश...