hello everyone!

i have just returned to the states after a very wonderful, very quick 27 day trip to nepal. this was my first time back since i left on january 9, 2004. it had been exactly a year and a half. when the pilot announced we were beginning our descent to kathmandu's tribhuvan international airport, i cried. bis minit samma khali ruye. the hillsides and terraced fields were shining with green. it was so beautiful! for the first time in 18 months, i felt like i was home....

i had some personal business in kathmandu that ate up most of my time and was, unfortunately, only blessed with about 4-5 days in my beloved palpa. but it filled my heart with such happiness, such contentedness, and such peace. i had been gone for a year and a half. and a few people (myself included) made the comment that those 18 months passed as if they were 3 or 4 years, but as soon as i returned to our village in palpa, it felt like i had never left. but now i am back in the states, back in my office, feeling empty and sad to be back. but my heart is still happy and at peace knowing that i reconnected with all of those people and the place i love so much and so deeply. knowing that that connection will never be broken.

my advice to all of you- go home. even if it's for only two weeks or so. go home. spend time with your family and old friends. visit the places you love. eat your favorite foods (i had it all- palpa ko chukauni, magar bara, samosa choele, tato sel roti, momos....and about 14 eggs in a span of four days!). reconnect with that part of your lives. it will fill you with happiness and peace. you owe it to yourselves. go home and bring a piece of nepal back with you....i stocked up on new nepali cds, palpali dhaka, and some khane kura as well. but, if you do go, just know it will break your heart to leave again....

18 months ma ghar gayera tyesto senti? Afu 6 years pachi ghar gayeko thiye kyaa atee sentiflyat khayera farkey.

When I think about it I wish I could live in Nepal but what to do someone has to support the family in Nepal. How difficult is it to feed 5 people in the family with a 10 thousand rupees per month jaagir. Ke garne badhyey bhayera Amrika ma kaam gardai afno pariwar palnu parcha. I would rather grow up with my family, my parents, grow up in my country, my community. Tara ke garne, afno matra pet haina afno responsibility chha pariwar ley ali khana pawosh bhanera yetai basnu parcha.

Afsoch tara reality...

palpali gaule,

I totally agree with you. I went back to Nepal in 2003 after staying in USA for about 2.5 years. I was thrilled to see everything. The moment I started seeing mountains and hills of our beloved NEPAL, I felt like I was on a jounrey to heaven. It feels so good to be at your home. On the way home from the airport, I was being crazy. I started shouting 'Gousala', 'Pashupati' etc. with so much excitement that my family might have thought I was going nuts, however, that was the truth and that's exactly what you feel. To go to school (I Sc), I had to ride the 'khattare' bus of route number 19. I used to get so pissed off at them for stopping at the same spot for 20-30 minutes. But when I went back to Nepal, I was pleased to ride them again. So, the point is I missed everything, starting from the 'patrika pasal' to the buses I used to ride.

Meeting family and friends was definitely the best part. It's so much of fun, I suggest each one of you to go to NEPAL if your status lets you do so. Don't worry about money. If you have, use it, if not, swipe the credit card. You can always pay it back once you get back. The fun you get there is worth swiping your CC.

Air fair to Nepal - $1,500.

Gifts to friends and families - $3,000

Being HOME ? Priceless



Paying credit card bills after you get back home (US) ? Painful.

i say palpali gaule dude is confused. This american dude went to nepal looking for a Nepali Girl. This dude seems to be fed up with american girl so trying to hook up with nepali girl. How lucky were you?

if you did not find one. try to impress someone from this site writing in nepali

^^ such a pathetically narrow, cynical, and evil mindset gives us all Nepalis bad names. I hope Palpali gaamle has learned to ignore --the best they desrve -- such idiots.

Welcome back, palpali! mero dhaaka topi khai? :D

ए ताउके जी, म कसैलाई पनि impress गर्नुपर्दैन।

तर तपाईले एक्?दम ठिक भन्?नु भयो। "nepali girl" खोज्?न गएको थिएँ।
अनी सक्?सेस्? पनि भयो यार! मैले लगभग ७० जना आफुले पढाएको पाल्?पाली
बहिनीहरू सगँ भेट्? भयो!

if you are going to take a very heartfelt, sincere posting and be juvenile about it, please don't waste my time.

cryptonite, i can understand what you are saying. which is why i wrote "go home even if it's only for two weeks...." i understand for many nepalis, there are very few (if any!) work opportunities there. but as short circuit pointed out, just reconnecting with the people and the places is worth it! and how you now can appreciate the things you used to hate. ssny, good call! amazing how expensive gifts can be!

oh, and anil dai, thank you for your welcome back! palpali dhaka topi chahi maile lyauna birsechhu, but i did pick up some great new lok dohori cds!

Palpali did u take any pics of Palpa too? I hope to go there someday, hopefully soon.

Afu ta Nepal nagako 4 years bhai sakyo..sob.. sob :( I can't even think how would I feel when I get there...Hope that day would come soon ....

meera, i did take a couple of pictures of palpa, but mostly of my former students. it was khali raining and pretty cloudy while i was there, so i didn't take too many of the landscape. i'll look through them after i get them all developed (ajhai one reel nikalne chha....) and, if any are good shots, i'll post them here....and yes, do yourself a favor and do go to palpa one day!

ani dreamz, i don't think words will be able to capture the emotions and excitement you will feel....but as short circuit mentioned, it was like a journey to heaven!

Very touching Palpali Gaule. I hear you brother. And yes, ignore those cynical bastards who have nothing better to say.

"Gau farka abhiyaan" suru garnu bhayeko ma dhanyabaad.

very nicely put palpali gaule ... makes me wanna go back .. its been exactly a year since i've been here, and i'm planning to go back for a month in december ... was already excited, now even more after reading your post ... can't wait for december to come .... :)

cheers,
nepalikochoro

Palpali dai,

thanks for your emotional experiance... ohh yeah most of us living abroad here are not lucky like you but i guess more WE all want to go back home as much as we can since we all are missing our families, friends, tyo galli, tyo chowk ....everything.....

While reading your post, it reminds me the story from Dr TANA SHARMA's "GHANAGHASYA KO UKALO CHARDA" .... je jasto bhaye pani aafno desh vaneko aafnai ho...maya mamata ta huncha nai...dai well said, tyo momo, chole vature, pashupati jada Battisputali agadi basera KETI herdai khayeko JERI PURI, chana ko tarkari ani chiya..... Dai, no matter how much happy are we here, but we are always missing the satisfaction that we get from being OUR own country.... anyway dai welcome back .... since i havent post anything from LAST 4-5 months, no body know abt me either.... so i think i should visit more often now and read such a nice YATRA SASMARAN from dai and other nepali friends

I have not been to Nepal since I came here in 1997.
In 1997, there was no Internet, no cell phone. I can't imagine how much changes have taken place. That time I did not even see flyover road crossing. Now there are plenty.

I am more kuwa ko bhygute these days living in USA ....

sukka....sukka.....tissue paper please....