Notes from my diary:
Study in
(2011: Published in the NEGAAS Newsletter)
(NEGAAS: Nepal German Academic Association) (The author was in Germany for her higher education from 1989 to 1995)
Early Days
in
Start of my student life in
Frankly speaking, after my initial observations and
considerations, I had even packed my bag to return to Nepal, and gone to say
goodbye to my advisor, whose two pieces of challenges or warnings forced me
reconsider my decision, who then had said “If
you run away without achieving your set goals, you are more likely to be
unsuccessful lifelong in your subsequent endeavors as well”, and that “If you
can’t digest the culture here, you don’t need to adopt it, take only part of
what you like, ignore what you think is not acceptable for you, focus on your
mission, achieve it, then return to your own world”. My advisor was
obviously upset with my decision, because he had noticed that I was among the
brightest students in the class. In
fact, he was so proud of me to see that I had mastered German language within
three months of joining language classes and that he had recognized my distinct
ability and appetite for studies.
My class was full of diversity not only in terms of
geographical distribution, age group, religion, culture, language, etc. but
also in terms of interests, priorities and goals. Some foreign students said
they were there to have more relaxed and carefree life as they could not dream
of enjoying such social liberties in their own countries, while some others
were busy exploring ways and means for permanently settling there, or focused
more on making money than on completing their studies. There was also sizable
mixture of talent based foreign students, with the ones apparently based more
on political credits than on pre-requisite academic capabilities and
backgrounds.
Being the lone Nepali student in the whole university,
I had to travel to other cities when I wanted to talk to someone in Nepali.
Writing letter was the main mode of communication to my family and friends in
Some professors used to invite us in their home to
celebrate their festivals. Such homely events were significantly joyful and they
have continued to remain memorable moments.
While I was in
Later Years
in
In later years, in parts of summer vacations, I worked
as an interpreter and a translator in several language bureaus in Frankfurt,
Berlin, Korbach, Nurnberg, etc, which not only provided me supplementary
financial means to visit Nepal or other parts of Europe, but also helped utilize
my language skill and explore various parts and aspects of Germany.
Casually, I once met a German family (Martin and
Eleonore Fehr of Korbach), who, over time, became my very close friends. Even
today, I am in touch with them.
While in Germany, I traveled to most of the countries
in Europe with my rucksack, and taking rests at youth hostels to youth hostels.
Such trips helped me grasp general view of larger parts of Europe. During such tours,
wherever I visited museums, I was always fascinated by spectacular treasures of
oil paintings.
Looking back today, it has been over fifteen years
since I left Germany with my graduate degree, and 20 years since I first
stepped in there. Compared to those days, I presume, remarkable changes have
taken place in Germany, and is now the destination of ever increasing foreign
students with dream of getting superior training in science, technology,
medicine, management, culture, language, etc.
Work in
Nepal After Graduation:
After much discussions and deliberations, Tribhuvan
University finally certified my degree as equivalent to Master of Engineering.
I joined Nepal Electricity Authority and was assigned
as an Electrical Engineer in the Kaligandaki “A” 144 MW Hydropower Project,
where I got broad experience in project’s various aspects, working with
professionals from Nepal, Germany, Japan, Italy, USA and Canada. In my private
time, I also worked with SKAT (Swiss Centre for Development Cooperation in
Technology and Management) for small and medium size hydropower development in
Nepal.
Subsequently, I worked in UNDP as a District Energy
Advisor in Parbat District, a remote part of western Nepal- which was not yet
connected with national power grid, for micro hydro power development and for
promotion of alternative energy technology and with the view to preserve
environment. I moved back to Kathmandu and worked as Program Manager in the
Engineering and Industrial Development Department of the United Missions to
Nepal for some time.
Further Studies, International Work
Experiences and Explorations:
In 1999, I joined City Net Organization (Regional
Network of Local Authorities for Management of Environment and Human Settlement
in Asia Pacific City) in Yokohama, Japan as an Assistant Program Manager,
dealing with preparation of new program proposals, evaluating existing
proposals, advising authorities on relevant issues of environmental and human
settlement of Asian Cities, editing newsletter, making correspondences with
member cities, etc.
Works at City Net Organization motivated me to explore
further in the world of Environmental Engineering. Subsequently, I attended the
University of Tokyo as a Foreign Research Fellow, and was involved in research of
various alternatives to coal energy in developing countries, and in Tokyo Half
Project - which aimed to reduce the Green House Gas Emissions by 50% within 10
years from the year 2000.
In February 2003, I joined NUS (National University of
Singapore) for Master Degree in Environmental Engineering, and completed it in
February 2005.
Since April 2005, I have been living and working in Ho
Chi Minh City Vietnam.
I have worked as a Senior Engineer and Environmental
Specialist for a Japanese Engineering Consulting firm in the Saigon East-West
Highway Construction Project, funded by JICA ODA Loan, activities of which
includes construction of road, bridges, flyovers and interchanges, cut and
cover tunnel, immersed tunnel, river slope protection works, etc. passing
through the centre of the city and demanding focused Environmental attention.
The Project applied the first ever immersed tunnel technology for construction
of tunnel under the Saigon river, for which 4 immersed tunnel tubes of
approximate length 100m, width 33m and height 9m were casted in a casting yard
22 km away from its sinking place, and whose towing and sinking in the river
bed was completed around the middle of 2010.
Over the years, I have been inspired by the rich contemporary
fine arts to such an extent that I could not resist in involving myself in it.
By now, I have completed over 105 oil paintings on canvas in various themes,
including still life, landscape, Buddha, portraits & abstracts. In near
future, I am considering to display my paintings in an exhibition in Kathmandu.
Besides, I have recently published a book titled “Aamaka
awismaraniya ateetharu ra ma” (mother’s unforgettable pasts and I), which
is a perpetual and lively story of a mother - full of struggle, perseverance,
deed, love, compassion, devotion, magnanimousness and eternalness. The book has
been highly appreciated by all those who have gone through it. This has
inspired me to work for the next book.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment