Incredibly boring article.

I wanted to begin by writing the summary on Environment Protection Act 2053 BS/1997 AD but after reading it thoroughly (twice) I would much rather critique it or better ignore it. Bear in mind that it was written (formulated?) more than two decades ago. The entire paper has superbly worded pages, a Royal seal which at that time meant serious business (I guess) and if you can read between the lines, “FAILURE” written all over it. Written 10 years before the first generation iPhone was released, the act is yet to be revised let alone implemented. TRAGIC!!!

Let me shift your focus to sound pollution – ignored among the pollution bretherin but still brutal. One of the major noise polluters in Kathmandu is the saw mills (among million others) that have been established as furniture factories in residential areas. Such factories should not have been allowed to register within the Ring Road under the policy of the Department of Cottage Industries, but they are to be found everywhere in the Valley. The government has not given serious priority to control such sound pollution even under the Environment Protection Act, 1997. No single authority has the responsibility or capacity to minimize any form of noise pollution under the prevailing law. I found this article written on The Himalayan Times dated March 22, 2006 stating that when the concerned authority were asked about the sound pollution inside the Ring Road, they answered that without a legal framework, they were also handicapped to take any legal action against such factories. In some areas, even municipalities are unknowingly regularizing such saw mills while collecting local taxes. (And that was on 2006 and it was impossible to find any other legit articles on the net on this topic, except for one in The Kathmandu Post about pros and cons on sound pollution. Come on ‘The Kathmandu Post’, you can do better.)

During my not-so-extensive research I found –

1. A woman in Bhaisepati pleading to the Internet about how can she proceed legally to stop noise pollution from factory near her place with zero reply to the thread. Yes ZERO. (I feel you sister. From one frustrated city dweller to another, I hope you found the peace.)

2. Thesis paper posted on ICIMOD website - 2005. (Topic : “Neighborhood noise pollution in residential area and noise control law : Case study of furniture factory in Baluwatar residential area.”) It was barred from logging in. I tried to contact the author but they have made it impossibly hard to do so. (Working for FBI mister?)

3. Article published on April 14, 2017 by the Ministry of Finance in the Nepal. Stating – Section 36 of the Labour Act, 1992 (Yes, 1992) has vested on the government the power to determine standards of safety at work place. So permissible exposure limit of 90 dBA. And as we all know they are strictly implementing it (Major eyeroll).

The government has not given serious priority to control such activities even under the Environment Protection Act, 1997. No single authority has the responsibility or capacity to minimise any form of noise pollution under the prevailing law.

There are few laws that provide provisions on noise pollution in Nepal. The Civil Aviation Act, 1958 provides a provision to control airplane noise, the Explosives Act, 1961 is to regulate noise from the use of explosives to some extent. But the major noise pollution in the city is from vehicular traffic and textile/metal cutting industries, which have not been covered by any legal framework in Nepal. Provisions controlling noise from other range of accessories like power tools, air conditioners, amplified music should also be taken care in this context. The government has not given serious priority to control such activities even under the Environment Protection Act, 1997. No single authority has the responsibility or capacity to minimise any form of noise pollution under the prevailing law.

And that is all. I, like many of you are, am a victim of things beyond my control. I have tried my best (for years now) to curb the sound pollution in my area, but you know how the story ends. I have written to concerned parties like Department of Environment, Pulchowk, Hariharbhawan and they did not reply. I was not surprised though. I have, now, made a formal complaint to Ward Office but I have little faith in them. So, if anyone of you have any information or suggestion as to what should be next appropriate move – please do share or DM me. Or like that woman in Bhaisepati, I will try to find my peace. Now, ending my rant.

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यस्तै हो ।

WORD : Kafkaesque (kafkəˈɛsk) : Characteristic or reminiscent of the oppressive or nightmarish qualities of Franz Kafka's fictional world. "A Kafkaesque bureaucratic office."

EXAMPLE : I submitted my papers on 30th of November and was strictly summoned on the 15th day of submission which I obliged to. So today (17th of December) I went to collect my certificates at "Office of the Controller of Examination". An old man with a rectangular myopic glasses dismissed my papers stating his superior hasn't showed up since last 4 days. "But you called me today", I said as calmly as possible. From inside of dingy old office-window he shrugged and said, "यस्तै हो ।" And other people in line confirmed it happened to them as well.

SOLUTION : I wasn't too angry. In many ways I had expected this. It has happened to me in Nepal Medical Council and other Government Offices. And they would reject as if it was their right. No apologies. No shame. So today I decided I'd complain. But where and who to blame? I looked for a complain box, searched online, got frustrated, went for a coffee instead.

QUESTION : What do we do? Where do we complain? And who are these absent superiors? Why यस्तै हो? Did we allow this to propagate? Did I?

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My new partner : Myself XX

Your wish. Your way.

Yes, maturity is counted in damages and not in years.

Damages that you've endured and SURVIVED.

But I choose not to get hurt from you anymore. I'm done prioritizing things and people.

Now, It's my wish. My way.

P.S. I will never go to Jazzmandu with you. Never ever.
... ... ... ... 

     

     Circumstances in life often takes us places we never intend to go. We visit some places of beauty, others of pain and desolation. I think any time you go through a season or trail in your life, your spiritual faith deepens. It's something beautiful that comes out of difficult time. But my faith in you have diminished. It's flickering light. Warm but useless

     Once, at the reading desk in 2nd or 3rd grade, my best friend offered me a chewing gum - the one in his mouth. He was picking his nose and saw me looking at him. I stuck my tongue out at him, because that is what I did a lot of time, when I was 7 or 8 years old. So he offered me a chewing gum straight from his mouth and I will not forget that.

     When I was little, actually right around the same time that my friend was offering me the chewing gum at the reading desk; I had a vision of myself as a grown-up. It included making large abstract paintings in a huge barn (I used to paint then), or perhaps, write. I pictured being the kind of man who owned a barn that had been converted into a painting studio with cozy corners where I'd write as well. I pictured having a stained glass window in the barn. I wanted to own horses too and tons of other animals. I don’t know where I thought I would keep the horses if I were painting in the barn or writing in those cozy corners. May be that's what being optimistic is like. You don’t worry about where the horses are going to sleep. Now, I am pragmatic. #FactoNotVerba

     I've not come any closer to owning a horse than I've come to owning a flat.

     And I turn the pages of an old photo album. Scrutinize a picture where I look happy. The face that stares back at me in the photograph is soulful and earnest. He looks slightly shy but self-assured. He has big brown eyes. His hair is swept to the side. Red colorful sweater. It must have been a winter just like now. So much has changed. But he doesn’t look familiar to me.

     He looks like someone I would like to know. I think I will give him a call and see if we can meet for coffee.

     I wonder if I could have just skipped meeting lots of people that I've met, skipped the trying so hard to make myself match a stranger, and gone straight to the source. Made a profile for the person I really wanted to meet : myself.

     This morning, make arrangements with yourself to meet for coffee. Find that one outfit in your closet that you feel most yourself in, and dress to meet your self. Make sure you have clean fingernails and do not wear stained or ripped sweat pants. Dress in a way that pleases you and says to your inner self, “You are worth taking care.” Try saying this to yourself : “You are doing a good job becoming your true self.”

     Sit by the lake or in the park, on a bench and notice the ways in which your hand curls beautifully around the steaming cup. Appreciate the feel of the air ruffling your hair. Say hello to the perfect person for you.

     Let your shiny self meet your rumpled self. Be in public with your new partner - you. Notice the way your toes curl when you are happy. Just the way you are.

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The Jazz in me.

     There are promises you make to yourself that you fail to keep.

     I broke my laptop. How? Because I am clumsy. And past few months have been exciting. Broken laptop and exciting months? Seems un-coherent but there is a connection; or so I think. Be patient.
     Though terrible at it I love writing. One of my cherished dreams has been to walk into a book store and see my name on a book tucked away on a shelf. I owe thanks to several people who have encouraged me. And in return I say thank you and do nothing. I feel terrible.

     Just few days ago I went to a music fest of a sort "Jazzmandu." My history with Jazz, I have to admit, has not been very good. My misgivings about Jazz had steamed from the handful of Jazz concerts and live performances that I had managed to dragged myself to (don't ask).

     Once I went to a Jazz bar in Shanghai - Cotton Bar if I remember correctly. Large crowd sat huddled over tables, waiting for the live performance to start. The hushed air was palpable with anticipation. We quietly beavered through the pool of tiny tables and grabbed the only available one - right in the front, barely a few feet away from where the musicians stood turning their instruments. Great, I thought agitatedly, calculating the meagre distance between me and the nearest musician, my ears were definitely in for some heavy-duty ringing. Some Jesus looking dude was on saxophone and my friends, Ozy and Jasmine, were tapping their legs. I gave them a wink and was happily pretending to like it (What's wrong with me?). Had to glug another glass of Long Island Iced Tea. But not even a potent mix of vodka, tequila, rum, gin and triple sec had been able to numb my senses. Only fun memory of that night is that we dined and dashed (I was younger and stupider; don't judge). And like I had known I woke up with a pair of ringing ears.

     That was 2011. So here I was in October of 2014; my friend suggested that I accompany him in Jazzmandu on 21st; his birthday. I said yes in a heartbeat. Firstly, because it's his birthday and I am really fond of him. Secondly, Jazzmandu is kind of big. So I got the tickets.

     21st October. We spent a day together; birthday boy and I. One of those days I can truly call meaningful. We reached Yala Maya Kendra dot on time. It was the burden of 2011 misgivings that I heaved on the shoulders of Jazzmandu upon my arrival. With plethora of Jazz bars dotting its historic landscape, Kathmandu has may Jazz lovers and Jazzmandu their Mecca.
     An atmospheric red-bricked hallway greeted us as I gingerly snuck in past the wine sipping audience. Excitedly took the seat on the 1st row (2011 all over again). Cadenza was playing tonight and I hold on to the fact that I love their music; I hold on to the fact that I was with a friend who means a lot to me. Rest I could ignore.
     The 1st movement, a moderate tempo, was unexpectedly light and within minutes, I found myself bringing my hands on my lap; tapping lightly. Several more minutes later as the piano embellished the notes of saxophone with the fusion of tabla, I found myself gradually leaning back, muscles of my body relaxing bit by bit. As the music reached its crescendo, I could feel my spine tingle and there they were - goosebumps dotting my arms. I looked at my friend and said "good birthday yeah."
     I found myself smiling when they fused "tabla and drums", "tabla and Brazilian beat-boxing." My legs sprung into motion as KJ (she was a goddess on stage) started singing in her powerful voice. I promised to love her forever. I let myself lose in the reverberating acoustics.

     Later that night we took a picture with KJ that I proudly posted on my Instagram. The truth was flagrantly winking at me. I do love Jazz. And the next day, on 22nd, I joyfully went to Hotel Yak and Yeti where they had planned Jazzmandu finale. Though there are promises you make to yourself that you fail to keep, I hope I keep these two - that I'll keep writing (no excuses) and that I'll return to Jazzmandu next year. 

     Happy birthday A****O. Thank you for the day. You truly are becoming one of my brightest stars.

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