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The Pride of Social Media

Today, social media is a buzzword. It’s everywhere – and everyone feels isolated in an unmanned island, somehow away from the contemporary world, if not using a few of the services free on internet. But what is it?

The best way to understand the current situation surrounding social media is probably a tweet from Google’s Avinash Kaushik, also an author:

Everyone wants to jump in. It was like internet browsing in 90s or blogging in early 2000s. This probably explains why there are so many users signing up for services like blog, Twitter or Facebook and seldom using them. Because after a few days until you get properly involved into it understanding a few basic ideas, the social media services are as boring as it could be. Continue reading…

July 13, 2012 by Featured Social Media

Social Communicators on CA Term Extension

Social communicators, or the social media users especially Tweeple, followed the CA term extension night, May 28, with great enthusiasm contributing to frequently updated information and opinions. Following tweets on the night provided both information on what’s going on and opinions on what people were thinking about the events – sometimes the frustrations and many times humorous side.

This is an attempt to use storify.com to create a story about May 28 ripples on Twitter: Continue reading…

May 28, 2011 by Blogs & Blogging Featured

Thank you, Bryan Adams!

Let’s make a night to remember…

Much before world renowned rock star Bryan Adams, 51, sang the line from his famous song, Nepalis were determined to make it the memorable night. The Bryan Adams Live concert at Kathmandu’s Dashrath Stadium was surely live in the hearts of the people for long, long time for many reasons.

Bryan Adams performs in Kathmandu. Republica Photo.

***

The biggest reason that Nepal will remember the night is because Bryan Adams was there. One of the heartthrobs of music-loving Nepalis, Bryan Adams is the biggest star and the first world renowned music icon to perform in Kathmandu.

When months ago, we saw an handwritten invitation for a press meet about upcoming concert in Nepal that stated – ‘Bryan Adams will be performing’ – we laughed it out telling ourselves ‘no way’. Until a YouTube video in which Bryan Adams himself said he is coming to Kathmandu, we didn’t believe that he would be coming.

But he did – and rocked Kathmandu! Wow! Continue reading…

February 20, 2011 by Featured Monologue

Inspiring citizen heroes

Yesterday, my publication celebrated the first anniversary of Republica and Nagarik national dailies with the Republica Nagarik Summit. The summit, experiences of (and interaction with) five selected citizen heroes (‘those who have worked for others selflessly’), was a new concept that many participants liked (and thanked us for).

For a few of us (the hobbyist bloggers employed in the news portals of the publication), it was the moment of first-hand experience of live blogging (‘the first live-blogging by a mainstream news portal’) and video webcast. I will write later on live blogging experience.

* * *

Republica Photo

The citizen heroes of selfless service at the Republica Nagarik Summit. Photo by Republica.

* * *

The first of five citizen heroes who shared their experiences and feelings was Khairun Nisha, a Muslim female social worker who has worked hard in the conservative communities to spread knowledge about family planning (among others) and fought for social justice to women.

She was straight, loud and frank telling about herself. She had annulled child marriages, fought against social injustice, told women of her community about contraceptives and fought through challenges. She is brave! Continue reading…

April 25, 2010 by Featured Remembrances

Nepal Cabinet meets at Everest!

December 4, 2009. A date to remember because Nepal government created a world record by holding a cabinet meeting at Kala Patthar – 5,5542m / 18,192 ft above sea level.

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The meeting was held to create awareness about melting in the Himalaya due to human-induced climate change.

For a few things, I feel good about the meeting:

  • The first and foremost important is it generated the awareness about melting of Himalaya. A few years back, there were a lot of concern (media coverage) about Cho Rolpa lake which was on the verge of exploding and if that had happened, there could have been a big problem in quite a large area – places on the banks of river Tamakoshi. The risk was reduced spending a good sum of money. But there are some other such lakes high on the Himalaya that could break free and flood into us.
  • The second is the coverage Nepal got through the event will help boost Nepali tourism. I would love to take a photograph at the Kala Patthar helipad where the meeting took place. Why not put a stone sculpture marking the venue?

Climate Change is a big issue, and as Nepal can not rule itself out of danger coming from rising sea level no country can rule itself out of dangers arising from melting Himalaya. Climate change effects are global and it needs a consolidated and honest effort to fight it.

Not a single country or a group of nations can fight climate change; that’s the truth. For saving our mother earth to our future generation, all individuals and individual countries have to work together. Unity is the key to fight climate change.

Nepal is nothing on the economic and/or political map of the world; but the concern raised by it [and the even smaller Maldives during their undersea cabinet meeting] has given people around the world a smile [what the heck!..] but that way they will also think about climate change!

The message given by Nepal’s cabinet meeting at the Everest region was loud and clear: [as put forward by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal] “Climate change is not only issue of the mountainous nations or nations at the sea level, it´s a common issue of all. To save the earth, the biggest sacrifice is needed from the nations producing large amount of carbon.

Questioning NTV live

Two disturbing observations about Nepal Television’s live coverage:

  • Nepal Television’s ‘live coverage’ of the meeting itself. The tape brought early from Kala Patthar was broadcasted as if it was live. The announcer was describing the event as if it was happening right then. I knew it was not because it was broadcasted after we were informed from the journalists at Kala Patthar that the meeting had concluded.

ntv-300x199-1101098

  • As the ministers arrived back to Syangboche, a TV presenter described the decisions made by the cabinet ahead of the press conference in which the cabinet described the thing. Understandable fact is that the presenter received a copy of decisions, but was it ethical to announce that by himself ahead of ‘official announcement’?
December 4, 2009 by Featured Mainstream Media Sadly!

The times they are a-changin’

bad-125-125-2770131On the first week of October, I had planned a trekking trip with my wife. Since September-October was considered to be the best season to visit, we were both very excited about the trip to Poon Hill, one of the best viewing places in Nepal for sunrise and Annapurna range of Himalaya.

The trip was to be postponed a few times – to the frustration of both of us – because there was heavy rainfall and then there were landslides on highway.

Heavy rainfall after Hindu’s biggest festival Dashain was almost new for all of us! It should have been two months earlier during the rainy season when we had news about lack of rainfall for paddy plantation.

—

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.
– Bob Dylan’s The Time They are a-Changin’

As the song played on my desktop, I tried to compare if his first paragraph somehow is related to the events that happened around my trip plans. Something is changing… that’s for sure. But is it time that is changing us or we changing the time?

And, as Dylan goes, should we start swimming or left our generations to sink?

—

Climate Change is a big issue – made bigger as big INGOs go crying about it and investing a lot on it. We heard of news that says scholars debating about it in some five-star facilities or that there are conventions on it going on.

Suddenly, for an ordinary man, it’s become an issue of no interest.

But then, it will be the ordinary men who would suffer first if the conditions go on worsening. But why does it seems like those millions can do nothing about it: they are neither running big factories that produces carbon dioxide, most of the time not even using vehicles that too produce it or not running factories that produces chemicals wastage.

What is there we, the ordinary people, can do?

—

Last year, I wrote Little Step for Big Leap, where I write about a tree that I had planted when I was a child:

As a child I have planted a tree and now the tree is big and green! I am happy but is it enough? Maybe not, but if we all do small things like that then we can change everything. Maybe decreasing the font size by one step so that a page in decreased while printing; or not using plastic bags when not absolutely needed can help.

From within a busy schedule we have, let’s take out a minute everyday and think about environment and how can we make it better, or at least keep it as of today’s, can change our future. Little steps for big leap

And, it continues to be my theory. If all ordinary people do at least one thing for environment – no matter how small – together it is a big leap – a leap that may save something for our future generations!

(Written in celebrations of Blog Action Day. Learn about Climate Change: Facts & Figures, 100 Effects & 10 Solutions)

October 15, 2009 by Featured

Freedom without Responsibility

A commentary on the publication of the indecent front-page photos of burnt dead bodies in a bus inferno by two national dailies of Nepal.

Yesterday evening, news of bus inferno in Bara has already shocked us. The ‘accident’ happened on the eve of Tarai Banda thus making a lot of us suspect that it was an attack. It was soon confirmed that at least seven died and dozens other injured. It was a bad news.

I felt more shocked and sadder this morning when I looked through daily newspapers for more on it. Two of the national dailies – Nepal Samacharpatra and Naya Patrika – carried similar photographs on the front pages that were in no way decent enough to get published at all.

The photo (click here if you really want to see the photo, but I advise you not to see) showed a side of the bus with two burnt bodies (hands/head recognizable) on the windows. Even after two hours of seeing it, when I sat for lunch, I felt like my stomach lurching about it. I do not know what had happened to the children who saw these photographs!

I was shocked because I do not know what prompted the editors of the newspaper to choose that photo.

I was sad because I was one in journalism and I feel like this is a joke on press freedom – the freedom they enjoy without a feeling of responsibility. The publication of such photos is unethical and Nepal Press Council and Federation of Nepali Journalists should at least initiate a debate, if this can not be considered a breach of their code of conduct.

As an audience, I do not want to see such photos anymore!

[As I tried to get the photo to link from this post, I found that the photo has been blurred in Naya Patrika’s site. The photo linked from this post is from Nepal Samacharpatra’s site.]

January 19, 2008 by Featured Sadly!

Mount Everest, Sherpas and Foreigners!

Mount Everest lures every mountaineer – that’s not surprising. Every year, many foreigners reach atop the world’s highest peak, return their countries with fanfare and become heroes. Every year, a few films are made on Everest – and they are popular. Every year, a few books are published, and they are best sellers.

Among all these celebrations and buzzes around the world, there are quiet Sherpas. Every year, more Sherpas summit Everest than foreigner altogether. Yet, when they return home quietly, their family, almost always, ask them to stop because Everest is too dangerous.

I have heard people saying, if you have enough money to keep Sherpas happy, then they will virtually carry you to the top. Apa Sherpa had summated 17 times, Pemba Sherpa reached the top thrice within nine days this season, and there are many Sherpas who had climbed to the top more than five times.

Yet, Sherpas do not get credit they deserve.

In almost every films made, Sherpas are almost absent once they mountaineers leaves the base-camp. In every documentary, the role of Sherpa is to cook food and carry loads.

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to hear Kami Sherpa – the Nepal Television cameraman who summated the peak for third time. The second Nepali journalist atop Everest (first being my colleague Ang Chhiring Sherpa who recently launched his book Dateline Chomolungma) looked sad on all these issues.

Who wouldn’t?

Apa Sherpa led an expedition this year with all Nepali Sherpa climbers called Super Sherpa Expedition and filmed a documentary. His aim: to tell the world about Sherpas and their contribution in each Everest expedition.

“Since we are a lot, we can’t hope much financial support from the government,” Kami told the journalists other day. “What we ask is the identity card as the Everest summiteers and insurance for Sherpas.” His demands are okay as government charged US$ 70,000 per expedition.

Let’s hope Sherpas get their credit and support!

May 25, 2007 by Featured

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