Beyond thrilled to be a 2019
@insidenatgeo
Explorer & grateful to have been invited to the Singapore
#ScienceTelling
Bootcamp+Explorer Spotlight.
Humbling week w/ other inspiring explorers, learning from them &
@NatGeo
🙏🏼🌏
Couldn’t resist a stage selfie after sharing my work :)
The
@taylorswift13
effect:
~65,000 Americans aged 18-29 registered to vote within 24 hours of her instagram post endorsing Democrats in
#Tennessee
& asking youth to register to vote.
~2,144 registered in Tennessee since, nearly twice the registration in all of September.
Heartbreaking news to wake up to from home.
And the way Public responded by overcrowding crash site to produce Social Media content while delaying emergency workers, the way Govt released details, officials described incident on camera…just shameful!
America was soooooo close to full fascism and ecocide, and causing a frightening global ripple effect.
So close!
Phew!
The (most of) world celebrates and breathes a huge sign of relief.
Americans have sent a loud and clear message, and reassured the global community.
Trump admin is a global eco-threat. Hope Americans end it next week.
Trump to open Alaska’s Tongass National Forest to logging & other devs, stripping protections that had safeguarded one of the world’s largest intact temperate rainforests🌲for ~2 decades
Video shows Chinese agression towards
@NepalPoliceHQ
while protesting to go home during lockdown. (Why not protest at Chinese Embassy?). And then direct attacks on Police when police respond.
Nepal’s political kowtowing to China has all kinds of costs.
Vid by
@hemantagautam2
Photographed on full moon eve, in November 2011: Mt. Thamserku (6,608m) w/ Mt. Ama Dablam (6,812m) on the left, from rom Kongde (4,250m)
#Nepal
#Himalayas
#Solukhumbu
We know this, but to watch it juxtaposed is just mind blowing. This is what happens when you no shame and integrity.
@FoxNews
is what happens. हेर्नै पर्ने भिडीयो:
Congratulations to my sister Sarahana Shrestha, on being elected to New York State Assembly on a strong progressive climate action & social justice platform!
Historic for Nepali diaspora in USA.
Thank you to all who supported🙏🏼
Hopeful till the end:
Entrepreneur & socially active, but robbed by biggest businesses houses, wronged by Nepal govt itself.
He ends his heartbreaking detailed suicide note with a clear list of suggestions to Nepal govt, to make Nepal better for others:
Wow! Congratulations to my sister
@sarahana
Shrestha & her team🙏🏼
“Political newcomer Sarahana Shrestha scored an election victory in the Democratic party line over 13-term incumbent Kevin Cahill”
@DailyFreeman
@USEmbassyNepal
@AOC
While ago people attacked me for calling Kathmandu’s Mayor a wanna be populist dictator.
Today, he is declaring himself above laws & courts for his “patriotic nationalist” fight (against a NON-EXISTENT movie dialogue in a hindi film), with overtones of martyrdom.
An aspiring model, 16, drugged & raped by a photojournalist & later by his friend.
A Miss Nepal, among others, knew but declined to help.
Despite therapy, she attempted suicide.
Her story:
Cc:
@SoniaAwale
@sudheerktm
@ameetdhakal
@SanjeevSatgainy
Gut wrenching.
Sharmila Tamang, mother of 2 year old. In need of medical assist.
That cart kept her family alive. Municipality seized & destroyed it.
Why have Kathmandu’s Mayors always chosen cruelty? Vendors are regulated the world over. Why cant KTM?
International Everest Day
On May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa & Sir Ed Hillary made history by summiting Chomolungma/ Everest. Legendary🙏🏼
Here’s a pic of the duo taken by my grandfather Dwarika.
+ grandfather w/ his friend Tenzing, at latter’s residence.
(Darjeeling 1954)
From my late grandfather Dwarika’s archives:
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in Kathmandu, during their royal visit to Nepal in 1961.
Kathmandu, Nepal, May 4, 2013.
Left: Ghantaghar (built~1935 AD) & Dharahara tower in distant background (1832).
Right: Tri Chandra College in fore (1918) & Durbar High School (1893), w/ Rani Pokhari pond (1670) in between.
Only Ghantag+TriC survived April 25, 2015 earthquake.
Sad news from Nepal: one of its most iconic rock stars, Robin Tamang, has unexpectedly passed away.
Friends since 1999, privileged to have him play at 2 of my shows (2001+’05). Will write an obit.
On Apr 30, he came to my exhibition & we did some catching up(pic 2)
Pic1: 2004
Tenzing Norgay Sherpa Way, 75 St & 41 Av, Queens, New York.
Amazing and deserved recognition to the first man who conquered Chomolungma, & his community in USA🙏🏼🇳🇵🇺🇸
Seen in 2nd pic, his son, Norbu dai (white shirt), holding the sign.
Legendary Australian cricketer, Brett Lee, known for his fast bowling, in Kathmandu tonight.
He is here for the NepalT20 League launch.
Congrats to all involved.
Kathmandu ranks
#1
in world for poor air quality and pollution, again.
As expected.
But why didn’t Mayor
@ShahBalen
plan for it in any real way?
And why were his supporters defensive and angry when others urged Mayor to make this a priority?
Toxic atmosphere, in every way.
“One of the big goals we had when we introduced the Green New Deal was to shift climate change from being a billion dollar problem to a trillion dollar opportunity.” -
@AOC
@POTUS
Biden’s up-to $4 trillion plan for climate change coming:
#GreenNewDeal
ANNOUNCEMENT📣
Thrilled to share this news:
My sister Sarahana is running for election for New York State Assembly (1st Nepali-American to do so) on issues that matter to everyone:
#ClimateCrisis
, economic & social justice.
#SarahanaForAssembly
#NewYork
#SarahanaShrestha
🇳🇵🇺🇸
Hi, my name is Sarahana. I’m a Nepali-American climate organizer and a lifelong advocate for the working class. I’m running for NY State Assembly in District 103 to change the culture of Albany and fight for the future Hudson Valley deserves.
A person finally admits he knowingly broke many laws, illegally ran for election and assumed office of Deputy Prime Minister & Home Minister of Nepal.
All public knowledge. He finally admits it, but only because Supreme Court ruled on it.
Otherwise, plan was to just go on?
What a treat during my first international flight since COVID19 outbreak: a dream since childhood to see the northern lights, unexpectedly realized en route from SFO to DOH!
The snow leopard photos that had immediately become viral online and widely covered by media— and being sold online by the photographer— are FAKES, as per this detailed investigation:
New “Feminist” insta project from Kathmandu with bio: “Redifining what a feminist revolution looks like.”
Moderator told me this page was “not for” me, and told me to “leave” because i asked about glamorizing smoking on a platform the moderator herself said engages teenagers🤷🏻♂️
THREAD:
1/ Great news for🌏ecology as Nepal SC rules to
#SaveNijgadh
Many forces helped to make it happen:
@harinnepal
@PANNEPAL
@powershift_nepal
& others took to the streets & court.
I took to investigative journalism & campaigning Nepal’s development partners & policy makers
Pics by granddad (1960s) of Kathmandu’s cultural & economic heritage: Street Vendors.
Ever more important for a sustainable, equitable & accessible city of tomorrow.
BUT needs a mgmt plan.
Blanket Ban of vendors, as announced, is cruelty on them & a harmful step for Kathmandu.
Plastic pollution celebrated by
@gatesfoundation
partner (he has blocked me).
COULD HAVE:
Said hike w/ son ruined by sight of his product’s pkg littering. Spoke to estate about waste management.
INSTEAD:
Says seeing his product pkg littering was better than hiking with his son
Amend this Act:
The People of Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka are NOT “Indian”!
Deeply Problematic language on religion, too.
#SouthAsian
, not Indian.
@GovPritzker
, whose family knows Nepal well, mustn’t accept this. No one should,
@LtGovStratton
@KamalaHarris
Rani Pokhari in the late afternoon light, with the Himalayas in the background. Took this photo in 2013 i think.
And look at the air quality that day!
#Kathmandu
#Nepal
केही हप्ता अघि उनीहरूले पसलवाला नभएको बेला पसलमा यस्तै गर्ने प्रयास गरे। म त्यहाँ थिएँ र त्यो actionलाई challenge गरे। उनी��रूले मसँग कानूनी आधारमा बहस गर्न सकेनन्, so चुपचाप आफ्नो van तिर गए।
तर यता बहसको लागि ठाउँनै दिएनन्। किन भने यो class based violence हो। र सायद चोरी पनि।
नेपाल पठाउन खाडीमा रहेका नेपालीले खरिद गरे ६ सय अक्सिजन सिलिण्डर
“ ‘६ सय थान अक्सिजन सिलिण्डर खरिद भईसकेको छ, जतिसक्दो छिटो नेपाल पाठाउने गरी हामी अहिले लजिस्टिकको पार्टमा काम गर्दै छौं,’ झाले ओमनबाट भने ।“
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Nepalis mocking and turning a world class chef’s gourmet cuisine, rooted in his heritage, into a joke.
Is it supposed be funny or channeling of some insecurity?🤔
Am finding it all quite...tasteless.
Anyway,
@chefsantoshshah
always seems to serve something that looks divine.
Petition ·
Ambassador
@USAmbNepal
: Get CoVID Vaccines to Nepal ASAP and prevent a humanitarian disaster
I signed this petition by
@alliance4nep
earlier. I hope you read & sign it, too.
Nepal desperately needs this help,
@StateDept
@USAID
.
This is absolutely disgusting. Vile.
@nytimes
@nytimesworld
— this is your Nepal partner?
The young lady, in hospital, has been bombarded with online hate and abuse since the news came out yesterday. EiC of
@RepublicaNepal
adding fuel to that fire, showing his true colors again.
.
@AOC
#MoMo
hunting in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY, perhaps the most vibrant & concentrated hub for Himalayan (Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan) Community in USA.
And after trying momo in over 25 US cities, imo best momo hub in USA too.
Diversity Plaza always abuzz in Tibetan & Nepali.🙏🏼
यो किराले टोक्दैन रैछ। तर यसमा पेडेरिन नामक पदार्थ हुन्छ।
यदि हामीले यसलाई हाम्रो शरीरमा लामखुट्टेलाई जस्तै मार्यौं भने त्यो पेडेरिन लागेरचै असर हुनेहो।
Stay Safe: We are receiving Nairobi (Acid) fly bite images from different places of Nepal i.e. Birtamode, Dharan, Bardibas etc. Jhapa is the most affected region as of now. Please take necessary precautions and use full sleeve clothes while going out at night.
Reminder that Trump admin changed the nuclear posture review so that nukes are a recommended response to cyberattacks.
* Iranian cyberattacks now allegedly increasing
* Bolton wants to nuke Iran
I wrote an article in March worrying about this scenario:
Gagan
@thapagk
wins in Kathmandu 4. An important win for many issues. (eg: His proposal in Parliament for Nepal's clean air & electric vehicle transition is pending. He can now take it up)
Remembering this photo i took of him & his daughter at his 2013 election victory rally :)
In Chicago South Loop, the Himalayan Restaurant was among the minority owned small businesses vandalized & looted over the weekend.
They’ve been able to reopen today (take out/delivery).
If anyone in Chicago wants to try or is craving Nepali cuisine, do keep them in mind 🙏🏼
#DasFamilyArchives
Swayambhu & the city,
by grandfather Dwarika (c.1964)
& me (2021).
Unplanned unsustainable urbanization has led to other problems: urban floods, heat bubbles, food insecurity, deteriorating livability.
But Will other parts of Nepal learn from Kathmandu?
Post-Bala Chaturdashi. The “pious” & “devout” abusing the forest & riverbanks they perform the most sacred of rituals in.
Why has this become the norm across Nepal’s temple areas, many of which burn the waste daily?
यो कस्तो भक्ति, धर्म, संस्कृति हो?
#प्लास्टिकनैपाप
New Mayor
@ShahBalen
.
Extremely intoxicated, at public function.
Alcohol? Smth else?
Towards the end you see him trying to grab the mic from the female hostess, & her repeatedly thwarting him.
Not even 6 weeks in office.
What hides behind the shades?
Shivaratri 1996: Young me + 🐍.
Dad was i think the first to publish postcards of Sadhus from Nepal, and i loved going to Pashupati with him during Shivaratri as he did his photography. Always fun because all the sadhus & him knew each other from years of relationship :)
Spain 🇪🇸 is coming to Nepal’s🇳🇵 help this week 🙏🏼
On Thursday, Nepal is expected to receive Covid-19 assistance from the Spanish people/government.
This is a result of Nepali Embassy
@EoNMadrid
’s efforts with
@SpainMFA
for at least 2 weeks.
Every bit helps, Nepal needs it.
Heartbreaking COVID-19 situation in
#Nepal
. We are working to get humanitarian assistance from
#Spain
urgently. We all have family and friends who have been affected. Please stay safe. 🙏🏽
1) Pokhara under immense ecological stress
2) Forests in Nepal being cut down to make room for large religious sites that invites more human traffic & pollution.
3) Pretty sure project did not do EIA.
Hilltop turned into concrete: Can’t celebrate nature if celebrating statue.
Electric Vehicle tax in Nepal:
Govt. Drastically INCREASES EV taxes (reversing incentives that were in place after years of efforts).
40% customs duty (from 10%) to 60% excise duty (from zero)
Utterly shameless, corrupt.
Terrible for Nepal in so many ways. For whose benefits?
"अबदेखि विद्युतीय गाडी आयात गर्दा ४०% भन्सार र ६०% सम्म अन्तशुल्क र १३ % मूल्य अभिवृद्धि कर लगाएको छ । अहिले ५० लाख पर्ने विद्युतीय गाडी अब ८० पर्छ । यसो हुने वित्तिकै विद्युतीय गाडीको विक्री शुन्यमा झर्ने व्यापारीहरुले आंकलन गरेका छन् ।"
Pokhara, Nepal, early 1960s, from my
#FamilyArchives
.
Women resting after late afternoon fodder collection, photographed by late grandfather Dwarika Das Shrestha, a 2nd generation documentary photographer who traveled across Nepal in the 1950s-1960s.
#DasArchives
#OneDayAtaTime
Which BuddhaAir flight would you take to Mustang? They don’t fly there.
Misleading to compare airlines serving different terrains.
@FlyYeti
goes to remote mountains.
@AirBuddha
largely hills & plains.
Bad form to compare & declare one better than other and assume recklessness.
Ex-Deputy Prime Minister
@hamrorabi
, under active investigation for knowingly breaking the law, played right out of Trump’s playbook:
-Victim card
-Paint media & tweeters as enemy, while performing for media & SM
-Make (literally) below the belt comments
-Nationalist Megalomania
Failure at every level.
149 DAYS AGO:
“If infected by COVID19, government will pay for treatment.”
NOW (Millions of $ corruption later)—>
“Test for Covid19 yourselves, government can’t.”
How will
@dhbhanu
ever be held accountable for his devastating criminal negligence?
What is the point of this (besides potential harm)?
@PM_Nepal
@dhbhanu
If an attempt to ‘display govt. action’ after failing miserably in addressing the crisis, it is certainly not winning the govt any positive points.
@amymaxmen
@Laurie_Garrett
Kathmandu Mayor BANNING Food distribution run by volunteers during unprecedented crisis— AFTER Mayor lived in 5-Star hotel but has done NOTHING to help public during entire pandemic.
I’ve said before: corruption is not new, but cruelty of KP Oli govt is.
Prime Minister, your govt actively plots deforestation & enables destruction of Nepal’s ecology.
CIB, the body that deals with wildlife crime, is being evicted on your watch.
Your words, as you have proven, sounds ok but are hollow.
Your actions are a threat to tigers & more.
A
@Tesla
Model X has arrived in Kathmandu.
(It had been stuck in customs for a while as govt. only allows cars with dealerships in Nepal to be imported, and there is no Tesla dealership in Nepal.)
Protest near Prime Minister’s residence, in Kathmandu.
It was largely organized on social media (instagram & FB), where the mood has been distinctly angry towards the government’s handling of the COVID19 crisis.
Photos by
@recordnepal
A total failure of diplomacy & vulgar display of insensitivity & stupidity.
Australia is suffering from a historical disaster. People are dying, having trouble breathing.
And Nepal’s Tourism Minister
@yogesbhattarai
is headed there to promote a “vacation in Nepal” campaign?!
.
@Sarahana
Shrestha was nine years old when she witnessed a historic uprising in Nepal. She’s dedicated her life to building public infrastructure, including leading the campaign for public renewables in NY.
#WeCantWait
Also watch:
@SenatorShaheen
, while discussing Nepal’s escalating COVID19 crisis: “How are we prioritizing Nepal?”
"For
@USAID
, alongside India, Nepal is our highest priority right now,” answers
@JeremyKonyndyk
.
Urgent In-Kind assistance is key: oxygen equips & vaccine 🙏🏼
Came up to rooftop for a breather from isolation (Day 8 of confirmed exposure, day 3 of isolation, tested Negative 2 days ago)
Rainbow seen in Kathmandu, minutes ago, at sunset today. Tough times all around in Nepal.
Stay safe, keep well 🙏🏼
“Even when i asked them to come help, they just continued taking videos with their mobile phones…”
This firsthand account by local Bikas Basyal, who was first to rescue a couple of passengers after today’s
#YetiAirlines
crash, is quite something.