Before the vacation: A letter to readers

Why you need to be grateful

Dear THG readers,

Be grateful that you are living to read this! That may sound absurdly sentimental but you have real reasons to be grateful for every other breath you take. Many people have not been lucky enough for that feat.

The Ukrainians and Russians being massacred in a senseless war started by an ageing egomaniac named Putin.

Many among the more than fifty million ‘at the edge of famine’ who are silently passing away because of hunger and malnutrition.

Many Afghans who, after having already sold kidneys and kids for few more months worth of breath, are now left with nothing more to sell.

The Burmese whose villages are being razed by the brutal military junta for simply daring to dream.

For brave Iranians who are shot without mercy just for claiming right to some dignity in life.

The list goes on and on.

So, please be grateful and read this story behind THG.

I originally started writing in English but switched to Nepali as my writing became integral part of the activism for justice and good governance in Nepal. Over past ten years, my grip in English kept slipping. My vocabulary atrophied. (Disuse atrophy, so we say in medicine.) My spoken English became terrible as I spoke in loops while struggling to vocalise the ideas in my head.

With THG, I intend to reverse that downward spiral in my English writing. For that, from now onwards, I plan to come up with more blogs like this which are not dominated by recommendations.

‘If you are just out to improve your English, why should we bother subscribing to and reading you?’ You may ask.

Have you ever looked closely at the process through which a child struggles and learns something? Regardless of the achievement, watching the process itself is a pleasure. If you learn nothing new, you’ll be reminded that failing again and again was the integral part of learning new things.

To make your journey throught THG more pleasant and exciting, I’ll always share the great pieces of writings and AV materials from others.

In Nepal, we are entering the year’s biggest festival. I’m planning a brief trip to the Himalayas, to the base camp of one of the beautiful mountains with a couple of friends. This will be the first trip of this kind after the pandemic hit. This is also the first time the pull of my 2 year-old son is going to make the second part of the journey more exciting than the first.

Too bad he is too young to travel with me! (And his mom has to stay back with him!)

Chances are, by the time I come back from the Himalayas, the world will look like a different place. Over coming week, Putin’s nuclear bluff in Ukraine is likely to be called after the shaky annexation of Ukrainian territories following the sham referendums. Jair Bolsonaro’s bluff to win election through intimidation is also likely to be called by the electorate in Brazil.

Already started worrying about these complicated issues? Please remind yourself that you are breathing right now despite everything that is going on in the world. That was never granted and will never be. You will always have to fight for your right to breath, to think and to speak. Climate crisis and the accompanying air pollution now threaten your right to breath healthy air. The Putins and Khameneis of this world threaten your right to think and speak.

Worried again? Please note that you are still breathing breathable (if not healthy) air. And that is something you should be grateful for.

See you in another post like this after vacation but I may pass through one more THG Recommendation episodes before I leave.

My gratitude to you all.