Very Powerful Words...

Recently, I was watching this movie called "Words and Pictures".  It is a very nice movie.  Makes you appreciate the power of words as well as pictures.  

So here I am reading a book titled, 'The Small Backs of Children' by Lidia Yuknavitch and this reminds me of the movie.  How powerful can the words be? 

This is very different from any other books I have read so far.  It is not a book for the 'light hearted'.  This is the first book I have read that is by this author and I think I am going to look into other writings by her.  She has a very unique and interesting writing style in this novel.  It makes you think...or more like...you actually have to think a lot about the words she chooses and how she decides to lay it out.  Sometimes you keep re-reading it...till you think you got what she is trying to say.  Sometimes you might even end up starting over. It is confusing and yet keeps your interest at the same time. Very interesting and thought provoking novel!

Couple of quotes from the book that I thought was very powerful:

"There are many kinds of love, but there is never a love, or a life, without pain." -- Lidia Yuknavitch

"Who are we in moments of crisis or despair?  Do we become deeper, truer selves, or lift up and away from a self, untethered from regular meanings like moths suddenly drawn toward heat or light?  Are we better people when someone might be dying, and if so, why?  Are we weaker, or strong?  Are we beautiful, or abject?  Serious, or cartoon?  Do we secretly long for death to remind us we are alive? " -- Lidia Yuknavitch

"This is a world of men.  They come into your country, they invade your home, they kill your family.  They turn your body into the battlefield - the territory of all violence - all power - all life and death.  And we take it.  We do.  We keep taking it.  We have lost track of the reasons we do not slaughter the world of men, but we do not.  Yes, there are good men.  She sees the face of her father.  She sees how the filmmaker loves the writer.  She sees the yet-unwritten life of the writer's son.  She sees her...brother.  Beautiful smear.  But it is the world of men that creates pure destruction.  And this is a truth we cannot bear.  Since we bear them into the world, we cannot kill them.  Cannot be done with them.  Cannot exile them into oblivion." -- Lidia Yuknavitch

A Long Divide

The innocence of the child

The cruelty they must face

Enduring harsh judgments

Usually far more than mild

Difficulty lies with parents

Strengthening their minds

The advisor most despised 

The family most estranged

Taught thru our difficulties

Unfairness that it brings us

The gratitude we hoped for

Crushed by the sad realities

The hateful feel of the child

The hurt, the pain, the agony

Growing misunderstandings

The makings of a long divide

Strength

In the midst of happiness and laughter

Like a whirlwind…comes a tragic incidence

Wide eyed with shock, we begin to muster

The calm…swapped by a darker presence

Darker than dark, mercy is beyond reach

With a swift move…ground shifts beneath

Warning of sorts for the impending breach

Claiming countless lives down underneath

Downtrodden and heartbroken, we beseech

For a glimpse of miracle, a slight of hand

Embracing another, with prayers for each

An ultimate sacrifice with nothing to give

From within comes an unbelievable strength

Overlooked daily but at service when in need

Strength to carry on and rebuild at length

Despite the uncertainties, resolve guaranteed

Thank You

A Huge THANK YOU!! to all those who donated for those affected in Nepal.

I appreciate it a lot and I am sure those who get helped by your donation will definitely appreciate it thousand times more.  I have sent what have been donated by everyone to Nepal so they can start coordinating the building of the temporary shelter for the incoming monsoon season. I hope they make it in time.  Rebuilding what has been lost will surely take a long long time and lot of effort, but the survivors (having survived such an event) have a strong will to go on and move forward as well.

I heard news of the progress a while back and hadn't been able to update here so here it is:  

The Foundation for Progressive Transformation has started with the building of temporary houses for the victims who lost their houses in Gamcha in Kirtipur since 5/23/2015.  The money being sent is being used to purchase additional supplies needed for those who cannot afford to buy materials such as bamboos, metal sidings, etc. Since the shelters now need to withstand the coming monsoon season, ordinary tarps or tents are not sufficient enough. With the supplies provided, the people affected and in dire need of shelters are hopeful and taking initiatives in building their houses themselves. Just wanted to share with you all some pictures of their efforts in preparation of the incoming monsoon season:  

Absolution

Feelings that shattered the terror

Words that helped relieve the pain

From the fiery chasm rises splendor

Splendor unfathomable to feign

Anger that aided in masking the fear

Voices that raised the awareness

From the icy caves comes a wonder

Wonder transcending oneness

Faith that dissolved the despair

Tunes that soothed the nightmare

From within the soul, arises an aura

Aura as bright as the supernova

Feelings that erased the frustration

Embraces that dissipated the frailty

From within blooms tranquility

Tranquility leading to absolution

Help Nepal

Hi All,  

I haven't been using blogs for a quite a while now and I see that leaving comments open to everyone it has given access to spammers to invade my comments area.  It looks like they had a hell of a party there!!  I will have to start restricting comments again but I seem to have forgotten how to have that set up.  I'll have to re-jog my memory at some point again.  

I did, however, go through some of the comments and to see that 'one' legitimate comment out of what feels like millions...makes me feel like I should maybe continue blogging again...at least there may be some that find my weird writings somewhat entertaining? :-) maybe? :-P

On a serious note, with such a tragic event occurring back home in Nepal it has been really hard waiting to hear from everyone that they are safe and okay. Waiting and not knowing is really really hard and constantly having my eyes glued to the TV and online for any hopeful news make you feel really useless that you can do nothing but just wait. I am very grateful of the internet and the fact that it can be used for just such crisis moments to get the messages across to the loved ones not nearby.  

I just wanted to take a moment to share a link we are setting up to collect money to send Nepal with the relief efforts.  I am sure lot of us are having a tough time having families, relatives, friends over there and not knowing what happened to them....if they are safe... if they are okay.  I hope you all hear some good news....I was surely relieved when I heard back from those who were there.  Just to know they are safe is so much comforting. Feeling helpless in their times of need, we decided to set up a fundraiser site to help with the relief efforts back home and I am sharing it here for those who want to help as well.  Our plan is to raise to raise at least $5000 and we (me and my family together) are planning to match 25% of the total donation we are able to collect.  

We were able to establish contact with a person in Nepal who is directly working with the local disaster management committee to help those in immediate need.  We will be sending all donations we are able to collect to them directly and they will be coordinating things accordingly based on the shortages and needs such as water, food, medical supplies, etc. 

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and support.  

Fundraising Websites - Crowdrise

Here are some picture taken by Shyam Shrestha and those participating in distribution of supplies in one of the area (Kirtipur -Gamcha), where help hasn't yet arrived and people are waiting to get food and water or even shelter amid all the destruction. (Photos provided by Shyam Shrestha with permission to share on this blog):