Bua

Bua
Manamaiju, Kathmandu, Saturday, October 3rd, 2015

The house where I first met the Maharjans was a beautiful three-story home. The front entry, like many in Manamaiju, was two wooden doors set like a cabinet. The doorway itself was small, so I'd learned to duck a bit as I entered. Inside, stairs carved from thick pieces of wood lead to the second floor, and then on to the third.

The family room was on the second floor, and had at least two windows with ornate wooden frames that looked out onto the courtyard below. It was up to these windows I would jokingly call "Oh, fupu!" [Are you there sister-of-father?] when I wanted to see if anyone was home.

I believe* that the building’s walls were brick—a little over a foot thick—with large pieces of bamboo used for the floors; the walls may have been insulated with straw. When you were inside, you felt both warm and in a place of quiet. The exterior walls of the house sealed with layers of clay-mud which sunbaked to a smooth, warm caramel.

This is the house where ama [mother] and bua [father] raised their six beautiful children—four daughters and two sons.

The house was destroyed in the April 25th earthquake, and now the family resides about ten meters away in a new house that is gradually being built from red brick and concrete. Only five months since, I am happy to hear so much laughter and see again their smiling faces. The three grandchildren play with each other, the two elder boys taking care of the youngest, Arpita, who is just three.

The shell of the old house remains, some of the walls still holding fast to contain the mass of rubble inside. [Edit: I looked at the house again today, and I think it is actually a neighboring house. I now think that their old house is totally gone. –Jack, 10.08.2015]

I'm not sure that houses like this will ever be built again here, but in the end it did the best job possible—it kept this wonderful family safe, and I am so grateful it did.

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 exact structure of the house is a bit of supposition on my part.

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The remains of a house that stood right next to their old house.

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.

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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)

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Baklu, Serika’s nephew

"His real name is Subhan but everyone calls him Baklu."

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Anubhav and a friend

"That guy with guitar is my brother Anubhav."

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Sapana

Serika’s friend Sapana playing a card game called Judh Patti during the festival season. 

Sapana’s name means dream in Nepali.

Mahesh

Mahesh
Betrawati, November 2002

“Tapai ko naam ke ho?” I asked him.
[What is your name?]

I didn’t know if he gave me a nickname or his actual name, 
but the name was one I had never heard of before in Nepal. 
In my little photo notebook, I wrote the word that I thought he said in quotes.

“Mice.”

Update: Serika has let me know that his name is actually Mahesh.

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.

Bina and sisters

Bina and sisters
Manamaiju, Kathmandu, June 2011

On December 9th, 2002, I took a photo of Bina and her three siblings Rina, Rabi, and Nisha (see below).

In 2011, with a copy of the photo in my hand, I tried to find them again so that I might take a follow-up photo nine years later.

(In the above photo, I believe that's Nisha in the middle;
she was eight-years-old and at the bottom in the photo below)

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.

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I have this photo scanned somewhere, but I can't find it at the moment.
Instead, here is the 2002 photo as it appears on my contact sheet of the negatives.

In this photo, starting clockwise from the top, they are Rina, Rabi, Nisha, and Bina.

Update: Found the actual photo and added it below

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Proud boy holding Spider-Man

Proud boy holding Spider-Man
Kathmandu, early 2003

Sometimes in Nepal when a house or building is built, the roof is left un-finished or half-done; columns and re-bar, but little else, in case more storeys want to get added later. These mostly-flat roofs make a great place to put up a clothesline, spread out and dry vegetables in the sun, or keep potted plants.

It was the tail end of winter—probably early February—when I took this photo. The air was still cool enough for extra clothes, but the winter sun brought a gentle warmth if you caught it directly. This proud boy was on the roof of his family's building, enjoying the sun with his mother and his new Spider-Man toy.

Behind him, you can see the fallow fields that later will be awash in the yellow flower of mustard plants. In the far distance, above the dark green hills surrounding the Kathmandu valley, you can catch a glimpse of some of the Himalayas.

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.

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Update: Above is a field of mustard in bloom in Balaju.
Below is a photo taken on the same roof on a different day.
I'm unsure if that is a neighbor or a sibling

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Cool morning in Manamaiju

Cool morning in Manamaiju
Manamaiju, Kathmandu, 2002

Friends and neighbors share a cool morning in Manamaiju. 

Walking through this area nine years later with a copy of this photo in hand, I was directed by neighbors to Alisha (above in the blue shawl), who now runs her own shop.

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.

Alisha (in yellow) and friends, in front of her shop in 2011

Update: I also recently ran across the photo below. Seems to be taken in 2002 as well, although on a slightly warmer day.

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Busy mother with baby under her wing

Busy mother with baby under her wing
Manamaiju, Kathmandu 2003

Walking home one afternoon, I ran across this woman taking in the family's laundry.
I love the cloth that holds the baby; it’s like she’s wrapped her son up in a piece of star-filled night.

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.

2011: With a freshly-printed copy of the original photo in hand,
I was able to find the mother and son again to take this photo eight years later.

Update: I recently ran across this photo that I took of them looking at the old photo.

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