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Post by Finlip on Sept 29, 2005 12:14:24 GMT 6
We were all supposed to be at the Youth Initiative office by half past three in the afternoon. The plan was to leave Kathmandu at four. I reached the place right in time. I walked all my way from home to that place carrying a big roofsack. It was like I was going to climb a mountain. I forgot that the bus would have reduced my journey much more than I thought.
All but 3 of us gathered at the YI office and left on the bus. The Bangladeshi friends and one mister Bhoju Paudel joined us later.
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Post by raddie on Sept 29, 2005 19:55:47 GMT 6
so ..... this was the seminar u're talking about??
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Post by Finlip on Sept 29, 2005 20:09:38 GMT 6
Yes and this is where you will find a lot more about it very soon.
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Post by Finlip on Sept 29, 2005 20:22:08 GMT 6
On the bus, I was first sitting alone waiting for someone to join me but when that didn't happen, I took the empty seat next to Bhuwan. We introduced ourselves but I forgot his name in no time. This was one of the earliest that I've forgotten anybody's name. I tried to play hangman with him in order to remember his name and later found that his name was not just Bhuwan but also Bhuwan K.C.
When we reached the hotel, tea was waiting for us. They had missed my room and thus not allotted a room for me. But since Bhoju was absent, they sent me to Bhoju's room. However when Bhoju came back, it would be the four of us in that room. Well, they might have done better to put four people in bigger rooms. But I can't complain. I got to know better one man more. The names of the occupants of each room were fixed by the organizers. I can't complain with the friends that I got. They were all very unique and funny. Specially so was Mr. Bhoju Paudel.
During tea, I started talking to Mr. Helge Schmidt, who was there as an observer about football. He is a fan of German club Hamburg. I learnt how he started loving his club and his other views about German football. Straight away, I knew he was a wonderful person. He spoke English much better than I thought most Germans do. He was such a wonderful person to be with.
After tea, we gathered outside to remember each other's names. In the big circle, everyone would have to repeat the names of the other people who had said their names and then add their names to it. Sagar started with his name only. In the end I think it was Uday who had to say all the names starting from Sagar till the end.
That was followed by a few minutes of the game called seven up. I will write about this beautiful game later if you are interested. But then came the time to start our sessions. We all went to our seminar room. This was the room we used for the first five days. On the last day, we used a bigger better hall which was being used by others initally. Wow, it would have been much better if we had been able to use the big hall throughout the seminar. However, the journey from the hall to the lunch and dinner hall would also have been longer.
The first session was about introducing ourselves to the rest of the group. Before my turn came quite a few had already spoken about themselves. I was wondering what kind of a job I would be able to do. At times I even thought I would come to a standstill. But it went on pretty well. Ashista was probably the best among us. It may have also been Lhakpa. That was how I felt right then. It may also have been because these two got the chance to introduce themselves first. Bhoju joined us while a few of us were introducing ourselves. He is working at Kantipur Publications and was late because of his job. I got to go now. I will finish day one and write about day two and more tomorrow depending on the amount of time I have.
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Post by Finlip on Sept 30, 2005 12:19:17 GMT 6
When Robin Sitaula, our moderator, first talked to me, he thought I was one of the three international participants from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. After all of us introduced ourselves, there was the introduction of the game secret Angel. The piece of paper that all of us picked would contain the name of one of the other participants. The one whose name we happen to choose will be our Master. We are their secret Angel. So our job is to serve our masters during the course of the five days but serve them such that it isn't obvious to them that we are indeed their secret angels. If anyone declares his secret angel, then there would be a punishment for the secret angel and that would also happen if anyone does a misdeclaration. My secret angel was Anirban from Bangladesh. Well, I was with him at times talking to him about me and my country. Well, maybe others did the same as well, but anyway I did my part. I also said I would handle his bill in the bar one night which Robin declared the other morning. Well, I haven't paid the money to Robin though. So it was like, we could tell Robin, who our secret angel was and then ask him to help us do a favour for our angel. A few guys bought a bottle of Sprite for their angels. A bottle of Sprite cost thirty rupees there. My angel was Biju. I wonder if she served me at all. She agreed to play football with us the second last evening and on the last day, she decided to wait for me until I finished my lunch.
Also on the first day, we were asked to put our names in one of four groups with six and only six members. The Documentation group would be in charge of documenting the whole seminar. They would also have to present their report daily.
The news group had to inform us about the news every morning since we were going to be away from the world for six days.
The logistics group was in charge of making sure everyone was in time for the seminars and was also supposed to take care of the food and the seating arrangement.
The group I joined, I wonder why, was the entertainment group. Well, people complained we weren't very good but I don't think anyone was bored. How can one pour water on a glass which is full of wine?
But we tried our best. All other groups would prepare for their presentations every day. One of us would go there unprepared and talk to the group and ask the participants to stay prepared for a surprise.
That was almost all about day one. I will write about the other days of the seminar soon. Keep reading.
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Post by ashleen on Sept 30, 2005 17:45:03 GMT 6
u got lots of chocolate hoina... ............in seminar.....................................wowo kasto ramilo seminar ........................... hey yaar malayi bahnnu pardaina ma pani janthiyeye ni ..........not to attend the seminar but to collect the chocolates ;D hahahhaa
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