Searching for Shangri-la
“… Kathmandu is Shangri-la… you’re going to find everything you need there,” Paulo Coelho
Last week I was at a memorial gathering for Jan Salter who died earlier this year. Jan was famous for her paintings (Faces of Nepal) and for being the founder of the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Center (KAT). But before that Jan was an adventurous traveler, what we would now describe as a hippie! Over wine and candlelight we reminisced how she told us of her travels through South East Asia, in the 1960s I believe, in the days of conflict, dubious border crossings, and definitely no tourists!
This brought to mind a book I have just read… Paulo Coelho’s new work Hippie is a biographical tale, taking place in 1970, before Coelho became a writer, although his budding passion as a ‘mystic seeker’ is very clear. In the book, he describes the people, the hippies, who join him on the Magic Bus which travelled overland from Europe to Kathmandu via Eastern Europe, Istanbul, Tehran, and Baghdad.
When I first came to Nepal, this overland route was still open, albeit in much more comfortable buses than the Magic Bus (an old school bus with static seats). Those buses would occasionally call into Bardia (where I was living at the time) and could be seen parked in hotels in Thamel. I’m not sure exactly when these overland buses stopped running: either politics got in the way, or it was too dangerous to drive through conflict zones. Which is a shame, because I think I would love to do this now!
Perhaps the average person in the West has lost the ability to feel what those hippies and spiritualists like Coelho and Namnik felt?
Which leads me back to those ‘old’ friends of Jan living in Kathmandu. Wouldn’t it be fascinating to find out who came across land? (Please tell us!) Air travel at that time was, of course, only for the wealthy as plane tickets were expensive. Thus, the cheap overland option would have been very attractive. According to Coelho it cost $70 from Amsterdam to Kathmandu. I can’t even fly from Kathmandu to Pokhara for that price now. Despite air travel being ‘affordable’ for the masses!
Unfortunately the Shangri-la described by Coelho no longer exists. Or doesn’t it? Perhaps it’s just taken a different, harder-to-find format. Last month I watched an Avenues TV interview with Lotan Namnik, a Tibetan musician here to take part in the film ‘Dakini’ with Bhutanese film maker/writer Khyentse Norbu (Rinpoche Dzongsar Jamyang Kheyntse). Namnik is of the opinion that Nepal is still a magical, spiritual place with friendly, kind, peaceful, and grounded people.
Serenity, calmness, and a rejection of haste, he stated, is part of the people’s make up, and is something other countries don’t have. I think that those who identify as either an original hippie or post-hippie era ‘hippie’ can agree with this to some extent. But is it getting harder to see past the bright lights of consumerism and the fast-forward towards infrastructure development, to the things that attracted them here in the first place? I also believe that, for some years now, Westerners newly arrived for extended stays often fail to see the beauty underneath the dust and cut their stay short, leaving disappointed that Shangri-la could not be found. In Kathmandu at least.
Perhaps the average person in the West has lost the ability to feel what those hippies and spiritualists like Coelho and Namnik felt? Or is it the fact we can now be in Amsterdam, London or New York in the morning, and reach Kathmandu the same evening? Completely bypassing the mystical transition from one culture to another as we pass through the physical transit of generic airports. I wonder what those hippie travelers of the 1970’s would make of Kathmandu today! Would they be able to find Shangri-la?
‘Hippie’ will be available in Nepali from Bookworm early 2019
Presenting five model civil servants. Pick your favorite
The Top 5 finalists of ‘Integrity Idol’ have been announced, as the fifth national campaign to identify and celebrate Nepal’s most honest government officials enters its final stretch.
The finalists were selected by a panel of esteemed judges from over 1,062 nominations, and the public is now invited to vote for their favorite idol, following a special TV broadcast on AP1 television detailing the finalists’ commendable works.
Lack of integrity of public officials remains a big challenge in Nepal, and citizens often feel they are helpless to do anything about it. But through Integrity Idol, citizens are able to engage in a positive discussion about these issues and vote for the person they believe has set a good example as a public servant.
The esteemed judges who picked the Top 5 are: Suryanath Upadhyaya, former Commissioner of Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority; Jiwan Prabha Lama, former Secretary of Government of Nepal; Kashiraj Dahal, Chairman of the High Level Administrative Reforms Monitoring Committee; and Punya Prasad Neupane, executive director of Nepal Administrative Staff College.
And now, the real heroes of the event. Here is a low-down of the Top 5.
Dhruba Raj Acharya, Chief Administrative Officer, Tikapur Municipality, Kailali. After helping his municipality emerge from the decade-long civil war, he then worked on bringing political parties of different persuasions together on common national issues.
“I have never worked for praise or reward. The trust I have gained from service-seekers by working responsibly is my biggest reward”
Arun Kafle, Senior Horticulture Development Officer, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, who introduced ‘soil-less’ vegetable farming to Nepal. Kafle is always available to all farmers who need his expertise and he has been tirelessly working to help farmers transition from subsistence to commercial farming.
“I feel very happy when I see service-seekers in front of my office. And when they return satisfied and with a big smile, my happiness knows no bounds”
Mahendra Prasad Poudyal,Under-Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sport, Singhadurbar, Kathmandu. He is very passionate about ensuring the youth’s right to information and has supported many talented youngsters get government support to pursue their dreams.
“The hope that future generations will not inherit negative perceptions of the government is what drives me to work harder”
Sita Kumari Sharma, Senior A.N.M., Birendranagar Municipal Health Office, Surkhet. She is a healthcare worker and a true friend of women and teenage girls who need any kind of medical help. She has also been involved in providing health education and distributing medicines in rural communities.
“Women from the community often need me more than my family. Prioritizing their health and serving them is my social responsibility”
Ram Bahadur Kurumbang, Chief District Officer, Bardiya. A retired Nepal Army Officer, Kurumbang leaves the comfort of his office and goes door to door, ensuring that people, especially those in far-flung places, have a direct access to him.
“By bringing the services to citizen’s doorsteps through our mobile camp, they have felt the presence of ‘Singhadurbar’ in their village”
The winner will be announced on Dec 7 at a public ceremony at Karki Banquet, Babarmahal. To vote for your favorite contestant or to read more about the finalists as well as the campaign, visit http://www.integrityidol.org/countries/nepal/. Viewers can choose their preferred contestant online or via SMS. To vote through SMS, go to the message box in your mobile phone and type IIN <space> Voting Code and send it to 34001. The codes for the finalists are: Arun Kafle-1, Dhruba Raj Acharya-2, Mahendra Prasad Paudyal-3, Ram Bahadur Kurumbang- 4, and Sita Kumari Sharma-5.
(Follow Integrity Idol Nepal on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with the campaign).
A fighting chance against cancer
At any given time, there are an estimated 40,000-50,000 cancer patients in Nepal. According to the World Health Organization, cancers of cervix, lung, breast, ovary and stomach are common among Nepali women, while, among Nepali men, lung, mouth and oropharynx, stomach, and blood cancers are more common.
Dr Murari Man Shrestha, a medical epidemiologist and the Head of Department of Preventive Oncology at Nepal Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Harisiddhi, says that at the outset there might be non-specific and generic symptoms like loss of appetite, decrease in immunity resulting in frequent infections, and indigestion. As the tumor grows, symptoms in affected areas are more common.
For women diagnosed early, the over-five year survival rate for breast cancer is up to 100 percent
“Diagnosing whether a disease is cancer is challenging,” says Dr Hari Dhakal, senior consultant pathologist and Head of Department of Pathology at the same hospital. “One approach is finding out if the disease has progressed up to the stage where symptoms show up. If a patient is asymptomatic, then there are screening tests for different parts of the body for most common types of cancers.”
More than nine out of 10 colorectal cancer patients live for over five years if they get early treatment. For women diagnosed at the earliest stage of breast cancer, the over-five year survival rate is up to 100 percent, whereas for women diagnosed at advanced stages, the same survival rate plummets to 22 percent.
“It is imperative to promote cancer screening,” says Dr Dhakal. “We need to make people aware that early detection of cancer is actually a good thing, as it is mostly curable.”
Video: Why you may want to get screened for cancer?
Dev Narayan Chaudhary, 53, of Udaypur in Province 1, was diagnosed with stage-three colorectal cancer over three years ago. Twelve cycles of chemotherapy and two surgeries later, he says that had he been diagnosed earlier, his treatment would have been much easier. “For long I took medicines for gastritis. I had no clue it was cancer.”
Cancer is not just one ailment, it is rather a cluster of diseases. Caused by uncontrollable division of cells that results in abnormal tissue growth and tumor-formation—with the exception of blood cancer—it can affect any part of the body other than hair and teeth. Not all cancers are malignant. The ones that are innocuous are called benign, and they do not require immediate medical attention.
One approach of diagnosis is finding out if the disease has progressed up to the stage where symptoms show up
There are over 100 known malignant tumors, each with its own symptoms, degree of severity and treatment options. But in the initial stage there are no observable symptoms.
Dr Murari Man Shrestha, a medical epidemiologist and the Head of Department of Preventive Oncology at Nepal Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Harisiddhi, says that at the outset there might be non-specific and generic symptoms like loss of appetite, decrease in immunity resulting in frequent infections, and indigestion. As the tumor grows, symptoms in affected areas are more common.
“Diagnosing whether a disease is cancer is challenging,” says Dr Hari Dhakal, senior consultant pathologist and Head of Department of Pathology at the same hospital. “One approach of diagnosis is finding out if the disease has progressed up to the stage where symptoms show up. If a patient is asymptomatic, then there are screening tests for different parts of the body for most common types of cancers.”
Worldwide, Asia accounts for nearly half of the new cancer cases and more than half the cancer-related deaths. In Nepal, as mentioned in the World Health Organization Cancer Country Profile, cancers of cervix, lung, breast, ovary and stomach are common among women, while, among Nepali men, lung, mouth and oropharynx, stomach, and blood cancers are more common. Dr Shrestha estimates that at any given time there are 40,000-50,000 cancer patients in Nepal.
According to WHO, screening refers to the use of tests in a healthy population to identify individuals who have disease but do not yet have symptoms. These are tests specific to parts of body affected by cancer. Examples include mammograms for breast cancers, the ‘pap test’ for cervical cancer, and low-dose computed tomography (CT) for lung cancer.
Dr Shrestha classifies cancer screening as a secondary prevention method. The primary method is to prevent cancer in cancer-free population, for instance through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Likewise, the tertiary method involves treatment of patients diagnosed with cancer. Detection of the disease when the tumor is not large and has not spread is vital as it vastly increases the chances of successful treatment.
More than nine out of 10 colorectal cancer patients live for over five years if they get early treatment. For women diagnosed at the earliest stage of breast cancer, the over-five year survival rate is up to 100 percent, whereas for women diagnosed at advanced stages, the same survival rate plummets to 22 percent. Early detection also implies less treatment and less recovery. “So it is imperative to promote cancer screening,” says Dr Dhakal. “We need to make people aware that early detection of cancer is actually a good thing, as it is mostly curable.”
You can choose to add cancer screening to your general examination. As the incidence of cancer is increasing even among the relatively young, Dr Shrestha advises that all those above 40 and those in high-risk groups undergo regular screening. About 10 percent malignant cancers are genetically inherited. Non-genetic risk factors include tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity, and pollution.
The cost of screening depends on its type and quality, and not everyone may be able to afford one. “This is why it is imperative that the government make it accessible to everyone,” says Dr. Shrestha.
This is also why WHO recommends that screening programs be undertaken “only when their effectiveness has been demonstrated, when resources (personnel, equipment, etc.) are sufficient to cover nearly all of the target group, when facilities exist for confirming diagnoses and for treatment and follow-up of those with abnormal results, and when prevalence of the disease is high enough to justify the effort and costs of screening.”
The bottom line? If you are in high-risk group and can afford screening, go get it done. “Some people are skeptical about the tests,” adds Dr Dhakal. “But it makes perfect sense if they think about it logically for a while.”
The cancer prevention triangle
While the media often reports on foods that “prevent cancer” and we would love to be told that eating one particular food will prevent cancer, it is unlikely that such a food exists. It is more likely that a combination of good foods may have a preventive effect. Studies over the years have looked at our diets and what foods, if any, will lead to a lower risk of cancer. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains and unprocessed foods have all been promoted as reducing cancer risk. Unfortunately, studies have not consistently proven this to be true. Expert panels state that a diet high in fruits and vegetables “probably” reduces cancer risk, but we just don't know for sure.
However, a healthy diet plays an important role in a sort of “triangle” of cancer prevention. A healthy diet, combined with regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight make up this triangle that has been shown to reduce cancer risk. This triangle is thought to be the second most important step, after not smoking, to preventing cancer. An estimated 20-30 percent of cancers could be prevented if people incorporated the triangle into their lifestyle!
But how much physical activity is enough? Experts feel that somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes per day of “moderate to vigorous” activity is needed to impact cancer risk. A moderate activity is the equivalent of a brisk walk, whereas vigorous activities increase heart and breathing rates.
Also, you may exercise a few times a week, but spend many hours sitting at a computer or watching TV. Your risk of many cancers may be higher because of this. Try taking a walk every hour, using a standing desk, taking the stairs to your lunch break, etc. Any way you can lessen the sedentary time and get some activity in is helpful.
Wonder how to get started with an exercise regimen? Make it fun and set reasonable goals. Find a friend to be a walking partner—you can motivate each other and make the walk more enjoyable.
OncoLink
Wanna go Christmas shopping? Read on
Nepal has an abundance of fabulous festivals and here is one more for the celebration calendar. And even if you are not celebrating Christmas, Christmas markets act as a one-stop-shop for gift-hunters! Not only a big shopping opportunity, these markets are great social events to mingle with people from all walks of life. The markets mentioned here are not the only ones in town so check out venues near you!
The GIZ Christmas Bazaar offers an opportunity to purchase goods from fair trade vendors
The Kathmandu Chorale host their annual Holiday Concert on Dec 8, Saturday
Awon Christmas Bazaar
This is among the pioneers of Christmas markets in Kathmandu. AWON, or Active Women of Nepal, is a non-profit organisation that aims to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged women and children. This year sees the Awon Christmas Bazaar head to a new venue. Over the years, as new markets joined the Christmas calendar, the AWON Bazaar lost some of its sparkle. So let’s see whether the new location can bring life back into this long-established event.
What to expect: Goods on display include a range of items mainly from not-for-profit vendors. Food stalls have been a feature in the past.
The details: Saturday Dec 1, 10am to 5pm, Soaltee Crown Plaza. Rs100 for adults, Rs50 for children.
GIZ Fair Trade Christmas Bazaar
GIZ is a German INGO which has been working in Nepal since 1974 in more than 60 districts. The GIZ Fair Trade Christmas Bazaar offers an opportunity to purchase goods from fair trade vendors—from Christmas decorations to items for children and the home.
What to expect: Artisans will be on hand with live demonstrations to inform and entertain the whole family. Children will have the opportunity to block print their own Christmas cards. The International Club offers room for children to run around and food, including Gluhwein (hot, spiced wine) and German delicacies, will be available.
The details: Saturday Dec 1, 11am to 5pm, at the International Club, Sanepa. Entrance free.
Summit Hotel Christmas Bazaar
This is another pioneer of the Christmas market scene in Kathmandu. And perhaps it offers the most in terms of Christmas ambiance. Again, the vast majority of goods on sale are from non-profit vendors but there is a wide range of other goods such as silver jewellery, face and body products, pashminas etc as well.
What to expect: Come in daylight hours when it’s warmer or come after dark when the twinkling lights and the sound of the Kathmandu Choral singing fills the air. There are dozens of stalls selling everything one could want to make Christmas special, including authentic Christmas cake. Plenty of food and drink is available in the garden, or take advantage of the hotel’s warm bar and restaurant.
The details: Sunday Dec 9, noon to 8pm at the Summit Hotel, Sanepa. Free entrance.
Ecole Française International de Katmandou (the French School)
This is the first time the French School will be hosting a Christmas market, so here is an opportunity for those of us who have not been there to take a look around their green environment! As the school is focused on French education in Nepal, they have brought a French theme to Christmas with a host of French vendors, shops, artists, and restaurants.
What to expect: French and local produce, including gifts, children’s toys, jewellery, leather craft, etc. To keep the children occupied there will be face painting, bouncy castle, and other activities and games. Food and drink will have a French theme and includes a barbeque and French Himalayan cheeses, including Raclette (hot melted cheese).
The details: Saturday Dec 1, 10am to 4pm at the school premises, Lazimpat. Free entrance.
Le Sherpa
While not a Christmas market as such, Le Sherpa will add additional Christmas themed gift stalls to their usual Saturday market.
What to expect: In addition to fresh produce, there will be Christmas themed stalls and goodies. Plenty of space for children to run around in and if it all becomes too much, parents can always escape to Le Sherpa restaurant for brunch.
The details: Saturday Dec 1, 8 and 15, 8.30am till 12.30pm, Le Sherpa premises, Panipokhari. Free entrance.
The Local Project
Bringing together local artisans The Local Project is hosting three Christmas Markets at different locations.
What to expect: Beautifully crafted and unique gifts all made in Nepal.
The details: Friday Nov 30, 6 to 10pm, at Evoke; Saturday Dec 8, 2 to 6pm at Moksh; Saturday Dec 15, 4 to 8pm at Basecamp. Free entrance.
Festivals also Need Music!
Where and When: The Kathmandu Chorale will be hosting their annual Holiday Concert on Saturday Dec 8, at the British School at 3pm and 6pm. Free admission, charity donations welcome.
Christmas Treats!
What’s a festival without some yummy treats? Check out the Annapurna Hotel, Shangri-la Hotel and the Radisson Hotel cake shops for Christmas inspired cookies and cakes. Lakuri Bakery (Soma Café, Baluwatar) will once again be making their Christmas cupcakes, chocolate Yule logs and iced Christmas cookies. Meanwhile, Hermans Bakery (Sanepa) will be baking Christmas inspired goodies; as will bakeries in your neighbourhood!
Merry Christmas!
