Banda Bust

I am a maverick and I do not have fixed working hours. I do my work when I have any, but I have a lot of time where I can indulge my pleasures and passions. It is an easy schedule, but living in a city, I do wish for the quiet moments.

Prior to the infamous ‘February 01 – Royal Takeover’ the opposition parties or the Maoists gave me my share of those quiet moments, through strikes or bandas. Well, it’s a banda today and I am welcoming it with flaring nostrils and wide open ears – its refreshing, even more so than a wash with ‘Liril or our own Mayalu Freshness Soap’.

The issue this time, as I have read in a local daily, is the government action against Kantipur FM. Some call it an act of repression, a few others an act of retribution, and most like me, I guess, have no opinion about it or have not had the time to ponder over the issue. There was a cry of ‘Foul Play’ when the station began relaying its programs to Eastern Nepal through a 10MW relay tower. The FM station had a 1 MW license and many felt that relaying it was illegal. Tales of a 7 Crore kickback to the Communication minister Jayaprakash Gupta ran rife, but with time, things just moved on.

And then came the government action against Kantipur for broadcasting news despite the ordinance banning it. What is my say on it? I do believe in the freedom of expression, but I disdain corruption, and logically speaking why FM if the coverage is not local? So, do I support the government’s move? Not really, I’d rather have free access to what I hear.

Anyway, it’s a banda and my schedule is bust. Its clean air, low decibel levels and life as usual: Yes Kantipur or No Kantipur, Yes ordinance or No ordinance…

Wilma hit me too

Living in Nepal, a hurricane has at the most been a natural phenomenon documented by a National Geographic program or, in recent times, the Katrina aftermath on Oprah. Yesterday, a new realisation dawned on me: Katrina spared me, but Wilma did not.

No material damage, no loss of life, but at the wake of Wilma, I was left without access to the website I maintain – www.adtricks.com. Our servers being based in Florida, they were out of service due to Wilma.

Not a scoop as such, but very interesting to know the impact of a hurricane in North America to one living the other side of the earth in Nepal.

Third World Realities

I wrote a radio play, aired it, and then went on to make an animation film out of it. My budget was nil, but enthusiasm and ideas I had in plenty. I know a couple of people who are into video post-production and they helped me with it. It took about two months to finish, and by the end of it all, I ended up spending about Rs. 4000 on it (US $50+).

Am I proud to have made an animation film – well, there are more of static frames than dynamic ones, but it was a good dream while it lasted. The project is over now and the film in question lost in my yard of projects that were abandoned or forgotten after completion. I did send the film to a Film Festival – it is another story that it failed to get past the initial selection round.

I recently got a chance to be involved in a documentary project: to cover the Deepankha Festival, which was happening in Patan, Nepal after 38 years. It was a historic event, but I declined. I still have a sour aftertaste after my documentary fling. Will I ever make a film again? Definitely, only this time, it will not meet the same fate as my last one.

An attempt at animation on a 50 dollar budget – it sounds absurd: see the result and you see that its worth much more than that. Was there a public screening? NO! What about publicity? NO again. Was it then a complete waste of time and effort? Not at all. It ended up being a lesson on life.

I live in a third world country, though, don’t imagine me as a diseased, shriveled-up, hungry and dirty fellow. I live okay, no cars, ipods or razr V3s, but a decent enough life. I am hard-working, honest, creative to some extent, and I dream too. I have a mini DV cam, use an assembled PC and software (pirated, but the best of the lot).

We lack a lot, but we have plenty too. I have seen miracles where it seemed implausible.

We lack, but we adapt. We fail, but we try.

We have limits, we got to work within them.

Up and away before dawn (Horn Festival, Patan - Aug. 21, 2005)

Languid Retirement

Onward Christian Soldier

It’s a war we are going to, a war to win new souls… I am a believer, though I do not recall the last time I attended a church service. If the definition of a ‘good Christian’ is church attendance, I miss the mark by a wide margin, but mark my words, I do trust in the Lord.

Onward Christian Soldier – march ahead to capture more souls for the Lord. I am privileged and feel lucky that some missionary in the past captured the soul of one of my ancestors, one of the earliest among his lot. In sermons and fellowships, I still hear the call given. Yes, I do need to capture souls that are astray and lead them to the path of salvation, and I am a Christian soldier.

There is a multitude of hungry and lost souls, sorely in need the word of god. This is where the Christian Soldier has to play a role.

We need preachers, teachers and more… most of all; we need Christians, not good ones, but true ones.

I woke up this morning, looked at myself in the mirror and asked myself, “Am I ready to make a conquest for the Lord?” No, not yet – my soul is not the Lord’s yet. Let me work on it first, and then we will see…