Bangladesh (Bhola Island)

Posted: 03 Aug 2011 01:30 AM PDT I have finally arrived in Bangladesh and have already been here 14 days, so my apologies for the late update. When I arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I was surprisingly shocked at how nice the airport was given the countries reputation as being the slum of ALL Asia. As I collected my bags, and made my way outside to fetch a cab I was immediately hit with a brick wall of humidity. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s comparable to opening a preheated oven and being engulfed by it’s heat. During the monsoon season temperatures and humidity sore where excessive sweating is the latest fad, but when October and the winter months arrive, the climate calms down to a moderate 25 degrees. With a bit of trouble finding a place stay due to my cab driver not being able to understand my VERY BROKEN Bengali and after many wrong turns, I managed to finally get my barrings to settle in for the night. The next day I headed out bright and early to do a little exploring and to hit up the markets to get the necessary supplies I need to make life a little easier in a new country by buying a new sim card for my mobile, purchasing an up to date city map, locating the fresh fruit, and a cafe’ where I can access the internet. The one thing I was shocked about this country given it’s reputation, is the hospitality. Bangladeshi’s are the most hospitable people I have ever met. Anybody and everyone will help you, being here only 2 weeks I have been put up in people homes, invited to functions, dinners, and even an invited to a family’s vacation. Bangladeshi’s live to please guests, foreigners, and friends of friends. These people don’t have much, but their hearts are the biggest I have ever had the honor of so far experiencing.

After getting all my contacts sorted and feeling a bit overwhelmed from the city, I decided to head south and start working on a series about fishermen. I had initially planned to focus this series mainly on the fishermen in  Sri-Lanka, but decided that Bangladesh would be a great opportunity given Bangladesh’s huge fishing industry and an interesting place in a district called Bhola where islands are disappearing from Bangladesh’s coast lines. I made my way down to Sadarghat (Launch sight in Dhaka) where you catch a overnight ferry that is just a steel haul and 30 cabins that are 5′ x10′ with a bed and a fan. The boat sails at 8:00pm and you arrive at your destination the following morning by about 5 am. I was heading to a town called Barisal and the overnight boat trip was actually quite enjoyable, given the heat the fan did it’s job and I was able to get 5 hours of sleep which is a good here given it’s climate. Once I arrived in Barisal, I checked into a cheap hotel which came to a whopping cost of $4.25 (300 Taka) a night which included my own bathroom, single bed, little couch, a fan and a window to let in the morning light. It’s not much but who said photography is a glamorous job.

That day I managed to catch up on some sleep and head out for the day to photograph the  locals working the docks where all the cargo boats come into Barisal. Photographing in rural areas in Bangladesh can be a challenge as I quickly found out. There is literally a non-existent tourism industry in this country and the only foreigners Bengali’s see are usually in Dhaka or Chittagong working for NGO’s and aid organizations. So when you are spotted in small towns people FLOCK to you like paparazzi flocking to an A-list celebrity. Within minutes you attract a crowd that can range from 10 people to 100 people. When your trying to get candid images you need to be on your toes to capture those moments where you are forced to constantly change your position even coming back to different subjects on 3 or 4 occasions trying escape your following fans. After my day in Barisal I went back to my hotel, dropped my gear off, got some local street food, had the best $1.00 haircut of my life, and came back to read my book “Long Walk To Freedom-Autobiography of Nelson Mandela”… Seriously an EPIC book so far as I am half way through it.

The next morning I woke up at 6:00am grabbed my gear, payed my hotel bill and went outside and caught a rickshaw (Man powered bicycle) to the docks where I would be catching a 2 hour boat ride to Bhola Island. The boat departed at 7:00am and was a beautiful little cruise where you could witness riverside communities fishing, locals washing their cattle, and the just the daily riverside life in rural Bangladesh. Once I arrived on Bhola island I took a 1 hour bus ride to a town called Daulatkhan where I met a very nice local  by the name of Sonjoy who offered to help in my search for the local fishing community. Once we arrived in DaulatKhan he made a few calls, got me set up in a so called guest house where I would be staying and immediately brought me to the fishing authorities to meet and discuss my intentions and plans. Needless to say the meeting went well and I was given the GO to spend as many days with the fisherman, however my intention was to stay on board the fishing boats overnight. There was a slight concern with me spending the night on the Meghna River due to the amount of piracy incidents that happen on the where fishermen are killed for their fish and fishing vessels. Incidents occur 3-4 times a month and the authorities said it would disgrace them if I was in any sort of danger.

Over the next 4 days I had the opportunity to spend a day with Captain Babu and his crew, visit numerous villages along the banks of the Meghna River, swim in swamps, offers to join the officers club, meet the chairman of the district, and watch a 35mm 1970′s Bengali action film in a make shift theater. I will be going back in a weeks time to spend more time on the boats as I had to return to Dhaka to take care of some business. I hope you enjoy the photographs and stay tuned for more…

THANK-YOU TO EVERYONE FOR ALL THE GENEROUS SUPPORT AND FOR FOLLOWING THIS BLOG THUS FAR…

Jeremy

Giving back while leaving a lasting impression

Posted: 20 Jul 2011 05:09 AM PDT After spending three INCREDIBLE months in Nepal, I had the honor of meeting many fantastic and beautiful people from a variety of different countries including Ireland, Germany, America, Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, Spain, and of course the local Nepali’s. The people of Nepal are by far some of the most generous and warm hearted individuals I have come across in all my travels. Their kind care free spirits along with their constant drive to satisfy even the  simplest requests make you feel as if you are an extension of their very own family.

A HUGE THANK-YOU TO EVERY NEPALI I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF MEETING, TALKING WITH, LAUGHING WITH,  STAYING WITH, AND SHARING A CUP OF TEA WITH.

Whenever you are traveling both locally or internationally try not to make open promises to the people you encounter. I’m talking specifically about when your shopping in a local market, looking for souvenirs, and when you get a good price you say “I’ll come back… I promise”. If you don’t think your going to purchase anything or you think you can locate a cheaper price, either say “NO” or haggle. If your taking someone’s photograph (TO ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS) don’t just take your subjects photo and run off without  even the decency of saying “thank-you” or even showing them their own photograph. On more than TWENTY different occasions, I had many Nepali’s mention they always had photographers just snapping away both outside and in their own homes and just walking away. This is unacceptable as it creates a bad name for photographers who want to actually make a difference with their imagery. If you can, try and have the photo developed in an area you are staying by having prints printed of your subject(s) as a gift. Gestures like this are very personal and memorable. Your subjects will always have this photograph as a reminder of their encounter  with you, whether it being the first or hundredth time. Handing out pins, chocolate, and money encourages begging and does not help any individual integrate into society especially when their are numerous programs, NGO’s, and organizations that facilitate people in need. Make your encounters genuine and leave a long  lasting impression that will always remain with the individual especially when your subjects welcome you with open arms revealing their souls.

Thank-you to ASHOK my guide who helped me take photo’s as we were handing out photographs to our some of our subjects-> Love your work brotha’!!

A photograph that the metal workers wanted . Each of them received their own photographic print of them working in action.

A lady that made us tea every morning while we photographed her and her niece in Bhalku Market.

A little Piece of Heaven Part 2

Posted: 15 Jul 2011 05:41 AM PDT If you have not read the previous BLOG entry “A Little Piece of Heaven” posted on July 1st, I ask you this. PLEASE scroll down, locate this entry first and take your time reading it before viewing this BLOG post, as it will help you truly understand the title “A Little Piece of Heaven”.

I returned to the Ashram at Pashputatinath one more time as this place always hangs in the back of my mind since Fanny brought me here over a month ago. I truly have fallen in love with the residents, the volunteers, and the sisters who ALL contribute a huge part of themselves towards such an amazing cause. I hope you enjoy my stories and photographs of what was one of the best experiences of my life so far.

Thank-you Fanny!!

Kathmandu Part 5

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 10:07 AM PDT Nepal is a place that will constantly leave your eyes wondering with purpose through it’s variety of faces, languages, food, and industries. Kathmandu will challenge you, make you struggle, and push you to your very limits with it’s inner workings. When you think all hope is lost, ready to call this city quits, through in the towel, and book the first flight available to Southern France, Kathmandu will suddenly look at you with a smile, show it’s softer side like a father pushing his son to the brink of tears proving that hard work, persistence, and love for something is all about the journey and not the finish line. With the help of a friend (You know who you are) I have recently discovered subconsciously that I continue to photograph situations of people that almost always include some form of survival. Before I left for this trip, I had these crazy ideas and situations that I would run through and through in my own head where I would be photographing 20-30 different stories, running into a mob of angry protesters, hanging from one hand off the side of a mountain while taking pictures with the other and walking away with these award winning photographs. In my head all I saw was the final shot with glitz and glamor. This mentality blinded me from really seeing what the purpose of this journey was. Kathmandu has shown me what this purpose is, to really dig deep, both for myself and my love for telling real stories through my photographs. What is important?…. Inspiring people first and foremost. From there I hope I have made that much of an effect in people’s minds that is forces them to get involved by volunteering in their communities, ask questions about social issues and globalization, show an interest in educating and helping the less fortunate, traveling to foreign countries to understand human beings and the cultures they live in, and to continue creating that effect with the individuals they inspire. You don’t have to start an NGO, save 60 orphans from a burning building, or tie yourself to a tree…. You just have to WANT to help. From there we can all inspire people to really create change.

The following photographs are the daily lives of people that inspire me to keep photographing!!

A mother feeds her son due to his disabilities in the slums on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

A small Indian child living amongst the tent yards on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

A fine carpenter carves the molding for an altar that will be used for a families home.

Two small Nepali children play with each other in a make shift daycare while their parents work in the surrounding factories.

A Nepali metal worker.

A Nepali metal worker.

A young Nepali girl laughs and plays as my guide and I take our morning tea at the local wholesale market in Kathmandu.

A small Nepali child in her home amongst the slums on the sacred Bagmati River in Kathmandu.

A Nepali Man brushing his teeth before starting his day in the metal bowl factory.

The metal bowls that are made and to be sold in local markets in Kathmandu.

A Nepali man mends old potato sacks to be reused for the transportation of other goods and products in Kathmandu.

A Nepali man operates 3 different self operated looms to make pashmina to be sold throughout Nepal.

A Nepali man takes a little rest before going back to work in the metal bowl factory along the Bagmati River in Kathmandu.

A Nepali man who works as a porter in Balkhu wholesale market where he earns 5 rupees per load carried.. about $0.07.

A Nepali man operates 3 different self operated looms to make pashmina to be sold throughout Nepal.

A Nepali man operates 3 different self operated looms to make pashmina to be sold throughout Nepal.

An old Nepali man checks he plot of land to make sure his rice crop is doing well.

A Nepali woman drying her lentils out in the sun.

Kathmandu Hospital: HRDC (Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children)

Just last week, Ashok (my guide) and I were driving to Bhaktapur which is located East on the outskirts of Kathmandu. The drive to Bhaktapur has always been a favorite of mine for two reasons. First, it’s always nice to escape the craziness of Kathmandu especially during monsoon when you feel extra congested from all the rain that literally falls from the sky by the ship load (Those of you who have actually experienced a monsoon season in Asia, you know what I’m talking about). Second, within 20 minutes your immediately surrounded by rice paddy fields, BEAUTIFUL Nawari architecture (Google it), endless rural Nepal, and my favorite…. the brickyards. On this particular day though it was my main purpose to visit the brickyards one last time before I would depart for Bangladesh on July 18th, however today proved that things don’t always go as planned and with a little faith, a Nepali, a motorcycle, and a cell phone anything is possible. As Ashok parked his motorcycle, we quickly gathered our things and navigated our way through the backs of some old shacks and in to the farmland of Bhaktapur. We hiked through rice fields, over a newly constructed half built concrete bridge, through ankle deep mud on the banks of the rice fields, and finally reaching higher ground where we could temporarily dry out Ashoks shoes because of the three inch coat of mud that engulfed his entire two feet. Within minutes of our little trek through the fields, we came to one of the brickyards I had recently photographed. a couple weeks prior. (SEE blog post: A True Authentic Cultural Experience/June-26th). We entered the property and I was very eager to get to work and start photographing, but within seconds I knew something wasn’t right. There were no human voices, no children playing, no trucks coming and going, and we did not see a worker in sight. Scanning for any sign of life, I recognized a man from my previous visit who was sitting in a little hut like office smoking. After a few words were exchanged in broken English and Nepali, Ashok looked at me with this look of shame and disappointment like a trained dog that had just peed on the floor and said “This particular brick yard was the last in the valley that closed yesterday and production will not continue till September due to the monsoon”. Quickly realizing that photographing the brickyard workers was literally a lost cause, Ashok and I quickly began to think. As we were figuring out our options for the day, Ashok suddenly recalled an idea that I presented to him a week back over breakfast. I had told him I wanted to go to a hospital in Banepa that specialized in orthopedics and prosthetic limbs. Ashok quickly got on the phone, made three phone calls, and within four minutes he eagerly explained we have a meeting with the director of the hospital and the facility was located off the main highway that we were traveling on from Kathmandu to Bhaktapur, all we had to do was keep heading East in the same direction we came from. realizing that it was already 10:00am we suddenly picked up our pace and made our way through the muddy maze of fields, bridges, mangroves, and half visible paths back to where Ashok had parked his motorcycle. Still with the same urgency and excitement we quickly pounded back a litre of water, started the bike and we were off to the Hospital and Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children (HRDC).

Riding down the highway with a blue sky and glowing white clouds was a nice surprise that late morning given that it had been raining periodically for a week straight. On this particular day, the ride to HRDC was filled with warm feelings you get when summer arrives with it’s first week of warm weather with BBQ’s and evening bike rides. After 20 minutes of driving time we made a quick left turn off the highway onto a gravel road ascending through a series of switchbacks  that can prove difficult on a 165cc motorcycle with a combined weight of 300 lbs. As we reached the top of the hospitals main building, Ashok turned off the bike, and we quickly admired the beautiful view the hospital had of the entire valley. Ashok and I quickly went through our game plan and discussed what was needed to be said in our meeting with the director to increase our chances of access. From there we proceeded through the front doors confident in our intentions and mission.

We entered the hospital where we briefly waited for the director to finish with a meeting he was currently involved with. As we entered the office, we exchanged names, greetings and I found the director Krishna Bhattarai quite a humble, a gentle man. He was stern with his policies but had a quality that many Nepali men lack in Nepal, and that is an open mind. After discussing our intentions, our mission, patient ethics, hospital ethics and trust, he granted Ashok and I access to the entire hospital. Excited to start working, Ashok and I received an in depth tour of the hospital from one of the hospital staff. We witnessed many patients with a variety of physical complications, disabilities, and deformities. The hospital accepts children up to the age of 16 but they may stay until they are 18 if further treatment is required. They perform all orthopedic surgeries on site, physiotherapy, prosthetic fabrication, counseling, and attend to home visits. The HRDC is a privately operated organization where a variety of funding comes from philanthropists, grants, and international aid from a variety of countries. After the tour I was amazed at the facility compared to the government hospitals I had witnessed in Kathmandu, Surkhet, and Simikot. I would try to explain the joy I witnessed from ALL the patients in the hospital, but my words like cliche would not give them justice… They were just beautiful and I hope you are able to see that in my photographs.

My visit to the HRDC was intended for a one day visit due to other projects I had to wrap up in Kathmandu, but I fell in love with the patients, the international volunteers, and the staff making a total of three visits in the week. The visits included playing with the children, a portrait session capturing all the children and their facial expressions, distribution of prints to each of the patients (New Blog post coming soon…), and photographing the kids in their daily lives inside the HRDC. The HRDC is truly a fantastic organization and one I HIGHLY recommend volunteering for if you ever visit Nepal. The children seem completely immobile in some of the photographs, but trust me, their spirits get the better of them and I am not lying when I say you see them having races on crutches, climbing through windows, playing tag, jumping, and moving with the energy of any perfectly healthy child. These children are fighters and true survivors. I hope you fall in love with them as much as I did.

FOR MORE  INFORMATION ON THIS GREAT PLACE PLEASE VISIT: www.hrdcnepal.org

This photograph is of a boy named Sargam Rai who seems to really enjoy drawing and doodling. Every time I saw him he always had a pencil or pen in his hands.

Pawan and Manju Poudel pose delicately for a photograph.

Two young Nepali's spend their days playing in the courtyard taking turns racing in the wheel chairs.

Two young Nepali's spend their days playing in the courtyard taking turns racing in the wheel chairs.

A young Nepali boy shows me how high he can throw and catch a ball.

A Nepali girl imitates me taking photographs of her.

A young Nepali boy shows me how high he can throw and catch a ball.

Sabaya Devi and her daughter Niraj Sah take advantage of the fresh air and sunshine outside before the rain comes.

Sargam Rai enjoying some music on his mothers mobile phone while she takes a nap next to him.

Khumbanadur Pandey showing his excitement having his photograph taken.

Sanchamaya Praja was so delicate and gentle. She was an absolute doll when she tried to speak English.

This Nepali boy was AWESOME and had more energy than a Labrador. Constantly racing with his walker, hopping everywhere, and getting mischief...AKA- Mr. Monkey!!

Sharmila Nepel and her grandmother spend their days talking on the bed and drawing in the play room.

Parbarti Sharma is stubborn when it comes to have her photo taken.

One of the three workshops where local craftsmen fabricate soft leather shoes for patients at the HRDC.

One of the three workshops where local craftsmen fabricate soft leather shoes for patients at the HRDC.

One of the three workshops where local craftsmen fabricate soft leather shoes for patients at the HRDC.

A table of sample parts, prosthetic limbs, and other materials.

Need I say more...

Khumbanadur Pandey quietly poses for a photograph.

One of the three workshops where a local craftsmen fabricates a knee joint for a patient at the HRDC.

One of the three workshops where a local craftsmen fabricates a leg brace for a patient at the HRDC.

One of the three workshops where a local craftsmen traces shoe patterns to be made into shoes for patients at the HRDC.

Different size wooden shoe templates are used to construct shoes for the patients at the HRDC.

A little piece of heaven (Kathmandu Part 4)

PLEASE READ TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PHOTOGRAPHS!! Pashupatinath is a sacred and holy place boasting Hindu temples, public alters, shrines, old architecture, and is situated on both sides of the sacred Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu. Most people that travel to Nepal usually come here to get a glimpse of the temples, take a few photo’s and do a little shopping for paraphernalia in the local street stands. Another main reason why locals and tourists flock to this location is to be a witness of Kathmandu residents paying their respect to loved ones who have passed away. In Nepal they do not bury their dead, they cremate the deceased in public cremation sites that are situated along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. These sites are outdoor and completely open to the public where you are able to view and witness the proceedings of what we westerners would call a funeral. The dead are put on steel beam structures along the river to hold the deceased body in place, then wood is placed under the body as well as on top, religious proceedings and activities take place and then the body is then burned until there is nothing left except ash. Another sign you know someone has passed away in Nepal, is occasionally you will notice Nepali men will have their heads shaven clean leaving nothing but a little lock of hair on the back of their cranium.

We all know death is a part of life but I find it very refreshing on how widely death is accepted here in Nepal and also in other parts of Asian countries. People in Nepal die everyday in the streets, villages, hospitals, and from curable/controllable diseases like the flu, diarrhea, tuberculosis, water born viruses, and infections. Road accidents with fatalities alone are a daily occurrence that attributes to the 4^th greatest cause of death in Nepal. Death is an everyday occurrence in all societies around the globe, but I think in Nepal’s society most people here have seen death first hand on at least on one or more occasions and it seems to facilitate their carefree thinking in accepting inevitably what is going to be the fate of every living thing on this planet. In my opinion the majority of people at home (Canada) are afraid of dying or even the thought of it. It has become a complete taboo, and you can’t blame people for being scared, heck it still makes me a little nervous. It is the unknown, is there a white light, is it going to be lights out, at the end of the day, we just don’t know. But rather than run away from the inevitable, why not try and understand what is so frightening and see how we can learn to accept and celebrate death as equally as we accept birth.

When I heard of Pashupatinath from other travelers, I actually had no interest to see the temples, the monasteries, the entrance fees, and the cheap memorabilia you are pressured to purchase from every man, woman, or child you make eye contact with. However, my reason for coming to Pashupatinath was to visit a specific ashram that was not visited by tourists let alone many locals. It was to volunteer for a special cause that involved Nepali seniors who have either been abandoned by their families, the family cannot support them, and/or they are a disgrace to the family because of their old age and disabilities.

As you enter the grounds of Pashupatinath, there is a large square weathered brown building immediately to your right as you approach the admission gates of the several main temples that are visited by the tourists. This structure looks a little out of character compared to the rest of the buildings in the Pashupatinath grounds because it doesn’t even have a gate let alone a Nepali attendant taking your admission money. As you approach the ashram you go down a set of stone and concrete steps that descend 8 ft from the ground level. As you near the entrance, you start to hear sounds of music and voices where a set of wooden steps covered by an archway marks the entrance to the ashram. As you make your way up the steps, and under the archway, you are suddenly greeted by an array of beautiful faces chanting, singing, creating colorful music accompanied by a single drummer, and a harmonium player, while a hint of sweet incense gently lingers in the air.

The individuals that are creating this colorful music and celebrations are the residents of the ashram who greet us with an abundance of head nods, clasped hands and namastes. The ashram is completely square and there are two levels that occupy the outer square structure with an open courtyard in the center. The two indoor levels is the living quarters and homes for the ashram residents who we were welcomed by. The center courtyard is occupied with 5 major structured altars where the residents perform their daily religious beliefs and offerings. As you walk around the center temples you come to a door immediately opposite from where you entered on the other side of the ashram. As I walk through the second entrance opposite from where I entered, my senses are suddenly taken over taken by a smell that I can only describe as….death. But please do not take that word in a negative context as the word “Death” should not be have a negative stigma attached to it, as for this is one of the reasons of this particular blog post.

A woman by the name of Fanny Vandewiele has brought me to this location because she has been volunteering and living in Kathmandu for the past 2 years. This separate area connected to the main ashram has another small structure in the shape of an “L” where around another 20 senior residents live and are cared for by local and international volunteers including the Sisters of Mother Theresa (Missionary of Charity). These 20 or so residents are extremely old and suffer from blindness, dementia, down syndrome, old age, amputation, and are here to live out the rest of their natural life. As Fanny introduces me to everyone I suddenly get this warm feeling because of the joy and how similar old people are compared to 3 and 4 year old children. As I walk around taking in all the faces I immediately notice men and woman fighting with one another over a juice box, I notice a man with down syndrome constantly poking and harmlessly annoying some of the woman for his own satisfaction, I see people napping, I see people laughing, I see people grunting, I see people sitting quietly with one another saying a few words every so often, and I can’t help but think we are born into this world the same way we leave and honestly it’s quite beautiful and comforting to see.

The facility itself has working toilets, basic plumbing, running water with solar panels for hot water, beds, blankets, clothing, and food, all your basic necessities. However, it was not always like this. When Fanny came to this place to volunteer over a year ago she noticed that the condition the place was in was, lack of a better word almost inhabitable. Many years ago the Nepali government built this facility to house seniors and provide an adequate place for the seniors to live out the rest of their lives. Some years ago a Dutch man donated over 10,000 Euros to rebuild the ashram because of the lack of maintenance that was never addressed by the Pashupatinath Trust who was responsible for all the necessary up keep and maintenance. This Dutch man provided the necessary funding to provide and upgrade the living standards for the entire ashram and it’s residents. Unfortunately, like many Nepal organizations, governments, and NGO’s they are very corrupt, greedy, and lazy. The ashram was never maintained again, even after the Dutch man provided the necessary funds and the people continued to suffer greatly. One day as Fanny and the MC Sister’s were working, suddenly water started pouring in from the roofs structure and these seniors were literally sleeping in the rain. That’s when Fanny Vandewiele had had enough and decided to do something. She gained the confidence of the MC Sister’s and 4 Nepali volunteers Manish Joshi, Riti Pyakurel, Sudharsan Pradhan, Maya (Don’t have the last name), and together they pulled their contacts, skills and resources together to start a complete reconstruction of this particular facility behind the main ashram. Fanny even managed to help fund this project from her own pocket as well as organizing fundraiser’s in her home country of Belgium to cover all costs. From there a need was needed and they started to fill it facing a slew of obstacles along the way including strikes, building codes, threats, locals saying they would help but failed to ever show up, and to add insult to injury, the monsoon season was right around the corner. After a short amount of time Fanny, Manish Joshi, Riti Pyakurel, Sudharsan Pradhan, Maya (Don’t have the last name), and the MC Sister’s had done it. They had rebuilt the living quarters, installed a brand new roof with no sign of a single leak, purchased a solar panel heating system for the water tanks, built proper washroom facilities, and built a much more pleasant environment for the residents of Pashupatinath all with their very own hands.

I spent 5 days volunteering at what Fanny likes to call “A little place of Heaven” working and photographing the residents in their daily routines that would not be possible without the help of local and International volunteers, the MC Sister’s, and Fanny. It was a pleasure to be a part of such an amazing project and I advise ANYONE who wants to help in a hands on experience doing something incredible for the lives of these Nepali seniors where even the comfort of sitting on a bed, cleaning their hands after a meal, or helping them to the toilet can sometimes have a greater effect than sending a cheque to a big name organization. I truly feel money can only do 10% for a humanitarian cause, the other 90% needs to come from people that genuinely care for wanting to help, where someone can be an asset rather than a name on a donor list, where you can see the difference in front of your own eyes that person makes and contribute to the cause.

If you are ever in Kathmandu and want to be a part of something truly amazing send Fanny Vanderwiele an email and she would love for you to come join her and help volunteer with these beautiful people at the Ashram on the right hand side in Pashupatinath.

fanny.vanderwiele@gmail.com

If you have any questions about the work, the locations, photography or just want to say “HI”, I would love to hear from you and hear what you have to say. Thank-you for reading and stay tuned for the next Blog post…

Cheers,

Jeremy

A True authentic cultural Experience (Kathmandu Part 3)

I read a FANTASTIC article in the Kathmandu Post the other day talking about authentic cultural experiences in the other countries, specifically Nepal and how guide books provide inaccurate information when it comes to a country’s customs, heritage, and even instances where guidebooks are completely contradicting themselves with information on visa’s. Given the fact that most guide books are published once every 2 years there is that great chance of information being outdated and/or lost. The article also asked the question; How to get a real authentic cultural experience in a foreign country? In a nutshell it suggests how people need to get out of tourist/backpacker areas where the closest traditional cuisine you are going to experience is spaghetti and meatballs or a strawberry shake along side a snickers bar. The article also went on to say the best way to explore a city or town is to rent a bicycle or jump on the local transit and see what hidden places you can discover. The article ended with, put down the guidebook and truly try and experience a country for it’s people, customs, and not let a guide book take over your travels. I must confess before I left on this one yearlong adventure, I purchased a guidebook for all four countries I would be visiting. Once I arrived in Nepal, I know now that buying those four books before I left was the biggest waste of money. Guidebooks are great if all you want to do is sightsee, visit the temples, and to not think while allowing a book tell you where to eat, sleep, and how to say “Hello & Thank-you” in a foreign language, but if your looking for that “Authentic Cultural Experience” please control your urge to buy a guide book. I have sold my Nepal Lonely Planet Book and will be doing the same with the other three books.

I have compiled a list on how I personally obtain that “AUTHENTIC CULTURAL EXPERIENCE” over the years I have been traveling …try to ignore the cheesy guidebook sounding title.

- RESEARCH: Research what ever you are interested in when it comes to travel. Great sources of information to research a country: Google, library, and contact people from organizations in your city (ex: Polish Club)

-BE GENUINE ABOUT YOUR INTENTIONS TO TRAVEL: If your going to Thailand for some RnR..(Hint Hint). I hope you end up in a Thai prison.

-VOLUNTEER: Volunteering for local organizations is the best way to contribute to a country. It also is a great opportunity to meet other locals, international volunteers, and you never know what other opportunities this will lead to.

-LANGUAGE: Learn greetings and basic phrases in the countries language you will be visiting. Knowing even a few words in the local dialect can go a long way.

-SMILE: Especially when you greet someone.

-MAP: Obtain an up to date detailed map of the city, town, and/or village where you will be traveling to, before or after you arrive. (Google is a great place to start)

-ACCOMMODATION: Staying in backpacker/tourist areas for accommodation is perfectly fine but if you don’t like noise, ask a local where they would recommend you stay. You never know, he/she might even invite you to stay with their family.

-USE COMMON SENSE: Walk with confidence and always look like you know where you are going.

-TRANSIT: Use local transit or rent a bike. Some of my favorite travel experiences come from just hopping on a random bus and seeing where it takes me.

-TOURS: Stay away from over advertised organized tours, as you will be herded around like cattle. If you want to visit somewhere at your own pace where a tour frequently travels to, take the local bus or if you have money to spend, hire a driver.

-FOOD: Eat the local cuisine and ALWAYS try the street food. I always see in guidebooks that advise travelers to stay away from the street food. THE BEST FOOD IS ON THE STREET, just eat where stalls are frequently visited by locals, eat when the locals eat, use your common sense, and BonAppetit’

-BE OPEN MINDED: Try new things, get out of your comfort zone, and push yourself to do things you normally wouldn’t do.

Thank-you for reading, Good-luck and Safe Travels!!

PLEASE do not hesitate to contact me for any reason. Even if you have ANY questions about my work, tips & tricks on traveling, reputable NGO’s or just want to say “HI”, would love to hear from you and what you have to say.

So until next time, have an awesome day, look forward to possibly hear from some of you, and stay tuned for more blog posts coming VERY SOON!!

Cheers,

Jeremy

A local taxi driver waits to collect one last fare before he heads home for the night.

A grandfather hold his grandson with pure joy and love, you needed to be there to really experience his affection.

Kalimati Market in Kathmandu.

Resident of Bhaktapur.

Two young boys in Bhaktapur, Nepal eagerly asking to have their photograph taken.

Two men in the brickyards joking with each other as they wait for the next cargo truck to pull up.

Local men living in brick huts where they work amongst the brickyards.

A young Nepali girl has a case of stage fright as she curiously waits to have her photo taken amongst the brickyards in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

A Nepali woman graciously asks to have a photo of her child.

A Nepali woman eagerly ask to have her photo taken.

A small boy amuses himself amongst the brickyards as he waits for his parent to return from working in the brickyards.

A Nepali girl keeps herself warm as the monsoon starts in the Kathmandu Valley.

A proud Nepali father shows off his new pair of twins.

A Nepali girl poses for her photo in the brickyards.

A young Nepali child dressed in her best as she plays in the rice fields.

A Nepali woman who I think is the Nepali version of Aretha Franklin laughs, jokes, and dances as I take her photograph.

Time for tea.

A Nepali girl trying to keep dry as she works in the rice fields.

Kathmandu Part 2 (A love hate relationship)

  I have been in Kathmandu for just over three weeks now and have started to refer to this city as a HER. I don’t know exactly why, maybe it’s just a guy thing that whenever we have endured physical pain, stress, old fashion blood sweat and tears restoring that vintage Swhinn bicycle, stripping the haul of a 30 foot sloop (Sail boat), or that Samsonite briefcase that you refuse to through away, we always refer to it as a HER sometimes even coming up with clever cliche names like Betsy, Matilda, or even Brown Sugar. Throughout short and long periods of time you might have on a few occasions let your anger out on your prized possessions by possibly kicking it, cursing at it… sometime in several languages (even if they are made up), and even coming up with ideas so absurd by spitting empty threats of blowing up (what ever it is that means so much to you) with dynamite. But no matter what the outcome might be, that connection will always remain and hold strong.

Kathmandu has been an immense roller coaster of emotions. Emotions that turn on and off like a water faucet and at times just as sudden. This amazing city can sometimes be pouring crystal clear everything is going fricken fantastic awesome, then there are those days where you wish someone would do you a favor and take that facet and sink, magically transform it to cast iron, and drop it off a 39 storey building directly on your head and save you the trouble of going through the pain that lies ahead on that particular day/week. It is sometimes hard adjusting in a place where the people, the culture, the society, and even the government’s policies sometimes do things where even it’s own citizens are scratching their heads along with you, no one ever has a valid reason or understands why, in Nepal along with other places you just have to accept it. Without set-backs, bad days, GREAT days, or even getting a few gallons of street juice splashed all over you kind of days, this would not create those special connections we have for what we take pride in or for the love of what we do. We cannot grow individually without these experiences and from there, we cannot move forward and fix that vintage Shwinn by getting it back on the road where it belongs.  So this one is for you Kathmandu, I hate you but I REALLY LOVE YOU, so much, that I would never blow you up with dynamite.

To be continued…

Rajesh Shah is a patient at Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku, Kathmandu. He is HIV positive.

A medical student examines a cat scan of a patient at Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku, Kathmandu.

Slums along the Bagmati River in Kathmandu.

A young child wakes up in the slums along the Bagmati River in Kathmandu.

A Father and his family wake up along the slums along the Bagmati River in Kathmandu.

Banana's ANYONE??

A group of men haggling over produce to be sold in the Kalimati Market in Kathmandu.

A local Nepali guarding his watermelons.

Kathmandu.

Kalimati Market in Kathmandu.

Kalimati Market in Kathmandu.

A boy runs his mother's vegetable stall in the Kalimati Market in Kathmandu.

A young boy learning his ABC's in the slums along the Bagmati River in Kathmandu.

A mother and her children in the slums along the Bagmati River in Kathmandu.

Going for a rickshaw ride.

An old woman begging for money in Bhaktapur.

A young man sands bed frames to be sold in the local markets. He makes 200 Nepali rupee's ($2.70) a day for a ten hour day.

Namaste.

Kathmandu Part 1

Hello everybody, I have arrived in Kathmandu over a week ago and during that time I have met some amazing people and finally starting to find a groove with my photography. This would not have happened if a friend of mine Robert J. Scott (www.asecondaryhighway.com) had not sent me the link of a BRILLIANT photographer from Singapore by the name of Edwin Koo (www.edwinkoo.com). When I contacted Edwin to see if he knew anyone in Kathmandu who might be able to help me out with getting access to slums, hospitals, industrial areas, etc. he was so willing to help another photographer and gave me the names of several people. NayanTara was one of those contacts and was the First who stepped up. I had the pleasure to meet with NyanTara who started up a photography organization to help bring exposure to Nepali Photographers (www.photocircle.com.np). When we met for a cup of stellar java,  NayanTara was EXTREMELY helpful in SOOOOooo many ways. First she gave me the names and locations to ALL the areas I was interested in photographing. From there she even contacted a young fellow Nepali student by the name of Prashant, whom I met briefly and is now my full time guide, transportation, and translator for Kathmandu and surrounding area. And to top it off she told me about a local salsa dance studio (www.salsanepal.com) owned and operated by a Nepali man named Binayek Das Shrestha and a French Canadian woman named Katia Verreault. NyanTara suggested I give them a call and see if they need a Hip-Hop instructor. It so happens the Katia was very interested in having a teacher from abroad come and instruct a couple classes and asked if I could teach one class to see how I would manage. After the trial class, Katia gave me a one month program teaching 2-3 times a week and offered me a FREE place to stay for the next month. All I can say is THANK-YOU to everyone I mentioned above for just be so awesome and for being so warm and welcome with open arms. Also again for everyone that reads this blog… THANK-YOU ALL FOR THE KIND WORDS AND SUPPORT!!

Over the next month I will be doing a several part series on Kathmandu. I hope you enjoy the photographs, stories, and slide show. Thank-you again for reading my blog.

Have an awesome day!!

Cheers,

Jeremy

Video of Simikot, Nepal

This video would not be possible for the massive amounts of generosity and awesomeness from the pilot James and his co-captain Monica. Thank-you again for the amazing trip up to Simikot I will never forget the experience. Also this is a tribute to my best friend Ryan Atkins who is also a pilot. Back in the days when he was paying his dues as a young newbie in the aviation industry, I could not stop thinking about all the little  shenanigans we used to get up to in some of the smaller aircraft he flew during my flight up to Simikot Nepal. Thanks for all the stellar times and last minute flights brotha’ this one’s for you!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uD86qUQADY

Cheers,

Jeremy