Resilience

The earthquake that struck the country last month not only shocked the country but surprised as well. Surprised in the sense that we got to see that side of ordinary people, which we probably won;t have witnessed had this calamity not struck upon us. We might have seen it in sporadic manner but not on this scale. Resilience!

There are people still out there sleeping outdoors in tents, most of them afraid about aftershocks that keep coming till date. Some because they don;t have any other options. For a while, there were no inequality in our society. Everyone rich-poor were taking shelter in tents, sleeping under the star scattered sky. For a while it looked like the inequality in our society crumbled along with those buildings. But still there were different kinds of people and their worries. Everyone thought, based on what they went through, God was most unfair to them... He was harsh!

There are people whose houses are intact but reluctant to go back because either its too big or they saw it trembling during the quake and have lost faith. People worried that there are hair like lines on the wall. Some worried because there are big holes on their walls and have to rebuild. Also people who have lost their houses completely and many who have lost some or all of their family. These are the one whom we expect to be upset. But to the surprise of the world, when the media went to them they were back to work, smiling and trying to start their life again. Maybe it would have been harder for them to do so if they were the only one struck by this nightmare, but they can relate themselves with a lot of people around. Their life ain;t easy, but with that courage they will get through it. I must admit, I never expected my countrymen to be this resilient. Take a bow.

But our politicians? Their cadres are selling relief materials and making money. Thank God those people who needed it most helped each other rather than waiting for government... else they would have been dead by now. And for our 'representatives', I have nothing good to say about them.

To end with, I would like to share a humbling experience of a Kiwi news reporter Mike McRoberts, who met an elderly woman who lost everything in the earthquake but still didn;t fail to offer him a lunch.

Respect to all the people like her who remind us of where we came from. Nepal in good old days! 

Post script: To all the people who think or ask if I regret coming back home or think me to be stupid, just imagine being somewhere else when your family/country is going through this nightmare! Is there anything worse than that. And then, when you can appreciate foreign volunteers coming here to help your fellow countrymen, how can you even criticize (if not appreciate) someone who decides to come home.