Around Uttargaya school
Around Uttargaya school
2000
Photos with students, last day at Uttargaya
Photos with students, last day at Uttargaya
Betrawati, 2000
Closer up on children
Closer up on children
Closer up on children
Closer up
Closer up of Gyan
Closer up
Closer up of Gagan Raj
Closer up
Closer up of Sujan
Closer up of Sudan
brothers Rajesh and Rabindra (and Lakshman on the right)
Preparing the fields
Preparing the fields
Betrawati, 2002
Sisters Sushmita (in red), Manju (in purple), and Shushila (in green)
Shushila
Mother Dyoti
Rajesh
Lakshman
Grandmother Sabitri
Children walking to Uttargaya school in the morning
Children walking to Uttargaya school in the morning
Betrawati, Nepal, Summer 2000
Letting some of my students lead the way, along the long bumpy road to our school.
A video taken by Serika, traveling the same stretch of road some twenty-three years later.
The students of my fourth-level class
The students of my fourth-level class
Betrawati 2000
I took these photos at the end of class on my last day at Uttargaya Secondary English Boarding School.
I taught English in second-, fourth-, and fifth-level (grade) classes. The fourth-levelers could be a rambunctious bunch. The classroom had two rows of shared bench-desks with a thin aisle separating them. I recall that often one side of the class would get especially noisy and I'd spend a few moments calming them down, only to have the other side rise up and become boisterous while my attention was turned.
They certainly kept me on my toes, and it was a pleasure to work with them.
If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.
If you would like to donate to UNICEF’s Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.
The following text is from a postcard I wrote that mentions Bibek, one of my fourth-levelers
(he's in the top photo, on the right in the front row, holding up a peace sign).
“Last night after dinner I walked up and down our “street” for a nice after-dinner stroll. Passing by one of our neighbors I was called by Shabnam so I went over and shook her hand. Then some of her family came out and wanted to see me dance — not for it’s technical merits believe you me. I said that I’d need some music so they all started singing this beautiful Nepali dancing song.
I love that even kids in my school nursery class know this song and that you never hear a Nepali person say “No, I’ve got a horrible voice...” and that singing is so much a part of the culture — kids don’t laugh at other kids singing — it’s just like a different way of speaking.
A man from their family who is unable to speak came out and danced with me, then an elderly neighbor did some Indian dancing, Bibek (one of my fourth-levelers) sang and danced, and finally Shabnam did some dancing as well.”
—Tuesday, October 24th 2000
The next two photos show more students, at the end of the school-day, on the road below the school. My bahini Barsha can be seen on the left.
Santoshi
Santoshi
Uttargaya Secondary English Boarding School, Betrawati, 2000
[text below from a postcard I wrote on Tuesday, October 24th 2000]
"A few days ago during lunch I poked my head into one of the school’s class rooms. There, in a dim empty room filled with only six bench/desks and the sounds of one hundred children playing outside, sat a small girl.
Her arms were folded on her desk, her little face resting upon them. She seemed neither outwardly happy nor sad, but more resigned as if this was where she would be most comfortable—a warm bath in a cold house.
“Wouldn’t you rather play outside?” I asked her. She shook her head.
“We could play…”.
Again, she shook her head.
“Okay” I said smiling at her. I leaned across the bench/desk separating us and shook her hand goofily."
[from a postcard two days later]
"Yesterday I stopped by the orphanage on the way back from Trishuli Bazaar and for the first time I heard Santoshi’s (san-toe-see) voice. Since the day I found her alone in that class room at lunch, I’ve made it a point to walk into her class, say hello and shake her hand. I walked up to her today at the orphanage, said
“Hello Santoshi!” and gave her a goofy handshake.
She smiled, then laughed, then asked (in English) “What is your name?”
If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.
If you would like to donate to UNICEF’s Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.
Santoshi running across the rock-strewn football field to class.
Students play
Students playing
Uttargaya Secondary English Board School, Betrawati, autumn of 2000
A few of my students play a dancing game of their own creation.
The game is played by standing in a circle, with each child putting one foot out behind them, and resting it behind the knee of the child next to them.
(Serika, the tallest in the photo, described it as "making a web just by putting in one leg")
They then would then sing a song and clap along, hopping and turning-as-a-group on their remaining feet.
I just messaged Serika to see if the game had a name, but she said it didn't—so I think we’re going to call it “The Serika”.
If you would like to donate to Mercy Corps’ Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.
If you would like to donate to UNICEF’s Nepal Earthquake fund please click here.
Now fifteen years later, Serika is a talented photographer and sent me some portraits that she has taken recently.
I have included them below:
(images copyright Serika Thapa)
Baklu, Serika’s nephew
"His real name is Subhan but everyone calls him Baklu."
Anubhav and a friend
"That guy with guitar is my brother Anubhav."
Sapana
Serika’s friend Sapana playing a card game called Judh Patti during the festival season.
Sapana’s name means dream in Nepali.