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.
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”.
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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.