The Best Homecoming Ever

Its Monday at 6:40 PM, I am on the Alaska Flight 469 from LAX to SEA arriving at 8:10PM. 36 hours from the time I left KTM on Sunday at 11:00 PM KTM time. That's 1 1/2 days by myself, into my own thoughts and conversations about the last 3 weeks, my family, my friends and the rest of my life.

My life so far has been such a colorful tapestry. I have no regrets about my choices. I hvae been propelled by my internal compass that has upheld virtues like honesty, dedication to family, service to the beloved, understanding, diversity, equal opportunity and peace. I do not profess to be proud of all my choices nor the timing of some behavior that has overpowered my sense and sensibility. I chalk that up to survival, perhaps. I can be in the state of inconsistency yet my higher ideals do prevail in the end.

At this stage in my life, I will need to reorganize these priorities and relate them to new relationships - a new re-created Gina, at 49, at the turning point of her life, to renew her role in humanity.


I see the Siskiyous Mountains outside my window as we flew over the California border and sneered at their diminutive stature to the Himalayas. Tsk! Tsk! It'll take 2 mighty tectonic plates crashing against each other for 60 million years to create another mountain range of such majesty! It may have taken many lifetimes for me to feel the compassion I feel today, albeit, still a longer path to travel.

Namaste my friends! There is much to do for the next visit in 2010. Please join me in any way your heart will allow for the benefit of the disadvantaged children of Nepal!

Shanti, Peace, Shalom!

From Trekking Photos

Trekking Post

Once you begin a trek you come back a different person. I began my trek to Poon Hill ( 3210 m. or 10,272 ft.) and returned a lot humbler to have witnessed the beauty of the Himalayas. The chance to merely view this creation from a vantage point requires one's patience, determination, understanding and acceptance that it should never be too easy to be in the presence of the Universe's gift to mere mortals like me.

Now I understand why trekkers come to Nepal and why climbers come to scale Mt. Everest. Beautiful, magnificent, glorious are all words that understate the majestic, royal and utter heavenly state of the Himalayan mountain range. You won’t be able to see everything in one glance, you have to pivot yourself at least 260 degrees to see it all! From Machapuchare to Annapurna West to Dhaulagheri I to V.

Oh no! And not that the masterpiece is available to an audience any time of the day! The lucky few who made it to the top of Poon Hill at sunrise were graced by the Western Himalayas which pealed off its sleepy head as the sun rose over its back at 6:30 AM.

First you will see a glow atop Dhaulagheri I then II then on towards the west, Machapuchare ( Fishtail Mtn.) will remain in the shadows a bit until the sun rises higher and higher and shines a spotlight at about 7:00 AM on all the sister mountains. You are overwhelmed and need to look away then glance in awe at the reverence it requests of you. Nature's opulent 'Cirque de Montagnes' tops any other magnificent sunrise I've ever seen before!

From Trekking Photos

Family Trip To Manakamana

Family Road Trip to Manakamana

Everyone on the bus! Yes I decided to ride the kids’ bus and sit by Sanjay and Bikash.
Off we went together to travel many hours to see Manakamana, “The Wish Fulfilling Temple” on top of a mountain that rose 3000 ft high with a cable car system that took the devotees up.

Bikash is attending Upper Kindergarten right now. He has been at DNC for 2 years. He is a burn victim. Half of his face had been burned in a fire accident and his left hand is deformed, perhaps due to the fire as well. It was early, about 8:00 am and they had gotten up at 6:00 AM to get ready. He was pretty sleepy and immediately fell asleep on my lap signaling that I should keep my right hand on his forehead to shield it from the bright sunlight. I held his left hand in mine, just like I would when my son Richard was a little boy. The feeling was not any different! Here’s a sleepy boy who needed a soft lap to lay on, to feel secure that he was not going to hit the window every time the bus would veer left or right (believe me, it veered a lot). A tear rolled down my cheek and as I held that deformed hand, he held my hand with his trusting heart!

Sanjay is now in grade two. He joined DNC in 2005 at the age of six. His feet, which had been severely burned in a fire at the age of two needed to be amputated. Only after the bandages had been soaked off and skin grafting had been done did he learn to walk. He has these round shoes that allow him to walk pretty much anywhere. His left hand has only the first knuckles and no fingers left to point with. Like Bikash he too was feeling car sick and sleepy! So after throwing up several times (I’m glad they had these little plastic bags for this purpose) he began to slump sideways as well, preparing to fall asleep. I had to hold him close lest he hit his head on the forward window that was a foot away. I held his upper body secured as he leaned on my right shoulder. It wasn’t the most comfortable position for me but it seemed fine enough for these two angels to forget their daily routine for a moment and dream of the Temple in the sky!

It was the family bus – kids asleep, kids singing, kids teasing each other and fighting over window seats. As far as I am concerned, I had the best seat in the bus!

Just wake us up when we get there...no need to hurry, though!

From My DNC Children

Heart Strings

The day at the Kavre School for the Deaf was such a wonderful experience. The art workshop and the creativity that emerged from these children showed the power of art as expression from the youngest one in 1st grade to the eldest student who had intricately painted, in wonderful colors of magnificence, a clay image of the Lord Ganesh. 

For all the art classes I took I painted a turtle green!

That was really fun! We used rudimentary sign language to look for and share paints, brushes, admiration and "right ons".  The real  treat happened when we were all waiting around for lunch while half the team cleaned up. I had with me the Nepali sign language workbook and decided to engage some of the girls into teaching me the proper signing moves. It was really fun to see them try to fold me fingers and show the expression that went with each of the animals represented in Nepali sign language.  Signing 'Cat' I think is the cutest thing!! I think they actually used that motion in the broadway production !

As we were doing this we would ask the rest of the team who were seating nearby to guess the animal we were signing and laughter followed as it became evident that the actions did represent the animals and much fun was had by all!

That evening as I lay in bed with my faithful  hot water bottle, (the method used to keep warm during the cold winter nights as electricity and heat are not available) I was reflecting on the events that happened that day. It was so easy to interact with the children! Once you show interest, they are right there wanting to show you what they know, what they feel, and what they can do. They were teaching me their world, I so wanted to be part of it myself!  Sign language speaks louder than words!

They were tugging at my heart strings!

From My DNC Children

Taking Off

I look forward to my annual trip to Kathmandu as a real good break away from my regular routine and weekly cycle of activities at work and at home. I exercise, socialize, organize, manage and direct, plan, execute and deliver papers, lectures, training, business plans, parties, fund raisers and gatherings and this and that and so on and so forth. Not that I don't enjoy these processes, I thoroughly enjoy everyone I interact with!

Going to Nepal and being where things don't work out as planned or things don't work period, is a refreshing break from the efficiencies available here or in any developed country. There is a schedule, don't get me wrong but the little hiccups and starts and stops are what I find an exercise in flexibility, patience, understanding and ultimately compassion. Its a mental and spiritual acceptance of just what is - not what we want it to be!

Its a break from expectations, a study on looking and seeing! Observing and learning that there is a different way, a new perspective, a different light. Better perhaps but no one is judging. There are many ways that lead to the answer and its the discovery of the many answers and ultimately the choices that make living there every day a beautiful day!

Beautiful Himalayas

The beauty of the towering Himalayas are the first sight you see as the plane banks to decend down into mile high Kathmandu International Airport. Majestic is what everyone says about our Mt. Rainier ( all of 14,411 ft.) and that is definitely an understatment for the highest peak of the Himalayas, Mt Everest at 29.035 ft.

It is lovingly called in Nepali - Sagamatha ( Goddess of the Sky) and in Tibetan Chomolungma(Mother Goddess of the Universe). Now that tops all reverence! Note the mountain is female and then again, why not?

The beauty or glorious panorama before you seems to be saying in a whisper, "Hello little one. What brings you here?" You are speechless and you stand there eyes wide open, mouth wide shut for your voice would break the trance in the presence an almighty creation.

Nature is powerful in its forcefulness and in its serenity. Peace, Namaste and Shalom are the reasons one comes to the Himalayas. Peace is what you are allowed to take back as well.

From Trekking Photos

Why Nepal?

Its often been asked, "Why Nepal?". The logical answer is to narrate the series of events that led Rob over to Kathmandu in 1997 to volunteer his photographic services to "Nepal Youth Opportunity Foundation" after reading an article in the Seattle Times travel section. Olga, the organization's founder asked a few questions to establish intent, invited him over and the rest as they say is history. I met Rob early in 2001 just by chance I would say.

I logged on http://www.jdate.com/ seeking a date with a American Jewish man to continue my search for the perfect mensch! I was already sold on the tenets of the Jewish faith so I was to continue my quest!

Lo and behold an email from Rob Rose from Brant Photographers. Interesting, honest and committed to "Community Service" not to mention having custody of his 2 sons. I thought to myself." Does this person really exist?" " Could my philosophy be shared with another individual with similar values? And so the correspondence ensued.

And true to form , Rob was all his profile had said? Even more, considering he is often oblivious to the extent of patience he extends to individuals with less than ideal intentions.

He had already made 3 trips to Nepal on Rotary projects and his passion to help was on a trajectory to land us here and now with The Rose International Fund for Children, Rotary 3H Grant, Rotarian of the Year 2008-2009, Service Above Self Award 2007-2008 and Speaker at the 100th Anniversary of Rotary International 2005, Chicago USA.

The bonds are tight with the children, the Rotarians and Rotaractors, our hosts and co Board members, RR and Chandra Pandey, our volunteers, Neeru, Sita and Chimey. The administrators of each organization we support. Our sponsored students, Namrata and Lovely now all connected via email - the world has become a smaller, warmer and more beautiful world.

Isn't that what a life is all about? To leave this world having contributed to its capacity for compassion and service to others?

Should we even ask, "Why Nepal? "

From Kathmandu and Beyond