It was one of those freezing Tuesday afternoons. In the gray sky of Northern Europe, the knob of my closed door makes tiny tickling noises like the tumblers on a safe. But I was lost in my book, I was trying to read Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha, the spiritual masterpiece which won Nobel Prize long ago.

I read it somewhere that everthing has been written about already, and written far better that you can do it. I guess it applies in Sajha also, if anyone is trying to write about love, tragedy, sex, romance, adventure just forget it .  Neither can I write like writer nor do I have that kind of creative mind. The only reason why I write the simple things in very simple languag. Good excuse to bore Sajha freiends with boring story !!

Days passed like anything , 3 months and I was still jobless. I would be pauper in next few weeks and there was nobody to fall back. Mom called this morning (again), enquired Sancho bisancho, finally the same question

‘Babu, nokariko kehi kura bhayo’?

‘Hudai chha’, I lowered my voice

‘Ye, tyaso bhaye, aru nasakepani byaaj matrai …sahule...’.

‘Chinta nagarnu, ma arko mahina ma pathauchhu’. I cut the phone.

Troubled, I walked the path under the blue oaks, since I arrived here I felt like moving a step forward and two steps backwards. I tried everything for job and got the same reply ‘Do you speak the language’. Sometimes I became overloaded with frustration, fear and demoralization, I did not understand their language, despite being one of the major cities of the country, it was tiny place. Not to forget, I was the single Nepali in whole city/university/ and perhaps state. I reminded myself ‘Boy, did not you hear ‘Grass always looks greener from other side’.

It was not so easy to be alone in alien land, esp when you u donot meet any Nepali. Hmmm certainly, I was paralyzed by the shock of what I have witness. Even for the job where u keep your mouth shut up whole 24 hours, language was a mandatory. Please keep your English a side. Is this what they calld ‘career racism in Europe’. After this incident, I did not have to ask anyone why AMRIKA was first choice of immigrants.


In those initial days when I was down (but certainly Not out) Donato, better known as DON, gave me tremendous support. Don, 22, silent guy from Santiago speaks funny English and been here for 3 years, tall, muscular at the same time shy and kind. His character was no ordinary one, that contained love and care towards everybody. Very clean at heart, I think he had never hurt anyone, that includes animals. ( vegetarian)’. Sometimes he was difficult to understand but one thing was cocksure, he could make the worst politician. He has close connection with two Ws ‘Wine and Women’. Meaning, he always needs wine but what abt Women then? He runs becoz he is very shy.

And guess what??? I was accompanying him in the MOST ROMANTIC cruise, such a boring guy and romantic trip? God, sometimes its too much. But I did have no option as I was penniless and he was my main sponsor.

Most of us focus on the large, The big deal, the big tragedy, the big story. The small everyday things that take up more hours and days of living are often ignored. So here is my small experience.....