Being able bodied is the best thing that could have happened to me and most of us, and we should rejoice it by trying to do something worthwhile at all times.
Missed events:
For the last two years, I hardly posted anything on my blog. Time simply whizzed past without me bothering to jot a few sentences for something I was so enthusiastic about at the beginning. So much has or has not happened during this barren spell.
Barack Obama is already an experienced president dealing with the realities of what the most powerful man in Earth can or cannot do. Gordon Brown’s dream of being an elected Prime Minister and fixing the world economy has been crushed by the British public. Iraq has not seen much progress, neither has Afghanistan. Palestinians still live a confined life. South Africa is ready to host the World Cup for the first time in Africa. Little has been changed in Zimbabwe and none in Burma.
Carlos Helu has overtaken Bill Gates as the richest man in the world. Michael Jackson lives no more. We have seen Avatar and the iPad has arrived. Just recently, US scientists have developed the first living cell controlled entirely by synthetic DNA. The consequences of Climate Change are steadily unfolding.
Back home in Nepal, where perhaps the most bizarre things happen in politics, today is the second anniversary of the declaration of the republic. On our auspicious republic day, unelected Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is still clinging on to his beloved chair. The two year deadline for the elected Constituent Assembly to prepare a new constitution has expired. The political clowns are now trying to extend the largely useless CA, while the prospect of a new constitution being made is stretched afar. Horse trading is in full swing and the Maoists may soon get hold of the power they so foolishly relinquished a year ago. Yet anything could happen in Nepal in the next few days and weeks.
The passing away of the four- time Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in March has not made much difference to the political equations. The instability, insecurity, lawlessness, price hikes, power cuts, water shortages, the mess and mayhem dispel the greedy thoughts of returning home permanently. I could have written lot more on these issues and made the most use of the free web space Google has provided.
Excuses:
However, in a personal level, particularly the last one year has been quite remarkable. The decision to dissociate with the BBC after almost seven years for a Media Management degree was hard thought about.
Yet this has been one of the best learning phases of my life. No matter how long I would have worked as a journalist, I could not have learnt enough about how to manage a media company and a creative team without this. In a competitive world, right application of Business Theories and Management Concepts is vital for a company to grow and succeed. There would have been no other ways I could have realized how important Markets, Consumers (Audiences), Value Chains and Business Models, Innovations and Strategies, Technology, Resources Management, Policy and Regulations, Business Planning and Implementation are for the operations of media companies. I would have not known the nitty-gritty of media convergence and concentration, audience fragmentation and segmentation, process standardisation and automation, marketing, branding and distribution, and so on and so forth. I could not have read Chandler, Porter, Mintzberg and Schwartz, and not known Picard, Kung, Doyle and Albarran.
I owe countless gratitude to my tutors and mentors Charlie Brown, Paul Dwyer, Alessandro D'Arma, Jeanette Steemers and Peter Goodwin from the University of Westminster for the knowledge they have imparted on me. They have all opened the window for me from where I can now explore the myriad treasures of knowledge and exploit the opportunities that come along. I also knew a lot from my friends from China to Ghana, India to Tunisia, Spain to Brazil, Turkey to America, Nigeria and Korea, France, Pakistan and Vietnam, Kenya and Tanzania, Iraq, England and Malta. I hope to keep in touch and share ideas with you brilliant bunch.
Extraordinary lives:
Before this digresses into a boring speech of an obscure blogger, I intended to write about something other than myself when I began this topic. The urge to update my blog after a long time came after watching two Channel 4 documentaries in recent weeks.
One was about an American girl who was born with an abnormal condition called Sirenomelia or ‘Mermaid Syndrome'. Our daughter, the Mermaid featured the life of Shiloh Pepin from Maine, who had her legs fused together below the hips. Most part of her large intestine was missing and she had no rectum or genitals when she was born. The kidney didn’t function well. Doctors said she would not survive for too many days.
However, thanks to the perseverance of the amazing girl and the devotion of her parents, she lived to celebrate her 10th birthday. Until she lived, every day was a struggle for her. Yet she smiled all the time, she made jokes and laughed, she went to school, she made friends, she did sports and camping and she even handled her parents’ divorce so well during the last phase of her life. With her deeds, she cheated death for so long and lived her life to the fullest.
The other documentary was called ‘The Twins who share a Brain’, which profiled Canadian twin sisters conjoined at the head. Tatiana and Krista Hogan have a rare condition called Craniopagus, which is even more complex than most conjoined conditions. Since their nervous system is vastly interconnected, they cannot be separated by surgery. At their early life, one’s heart had to work twice as fast to support the blood circulation of the other’s. They even see through one another’s eyes. Yet they are two of the most beautiful girls with the most arresting smiles. They make extraordinary coordination to stand and move, and do daily chores together. With their graceful smiles, their parents’ determination and the doctors’ endeavours, these girls will surely show extraordinary feats in the future.
The same programme showed the conjoined American Schappel sisters, Lori and George, who are approaching to their 50th birthday. These girls not only live their individual lives showing distinct personalities, they have also performed in stages and television shows as musicians and entertainers. Obviously they have to do much more than the ordinary able-bodied people to get going, but they succeed in beating thousands of obstacles and make their lives valuable.
These documentaries were poignant reminder of the stories and interviews I did for Radio Kantipur when I reported the separation of the Nepalese conjoined twins Ganga and Jamuna almost ten years ago. I had followed the story of the Shrestha sisters all the way until their successful separation at the Singapore General hospital. I was also fortunate to interview the chief surgeon, Dr Keith Goh by phone. Sadly, one of the sisters Ganga died of chest infection in 2008. If she had received the same medical attentions they got after they were born, Ganga might have lived a longer life. I wish Jamuna lives for more than a hundred years and experience the best of the human lives. I also hope and wish that all people born with impaired body and those who suffer impairment during their lives have as fulfilling lives as all the rest of us.
What a wonderful day:
Despite the disparities, good and bad, ups and downs, most of us are physically and mentally sound. We are privileged with able body that allows us to do what we want. We conquer Mount Everest, we fly to the Moon, we calculate the speed of light, we make computers and even synthetic living cells, and we defeat obstacles and constantly rise above. Not all of us, but many of us, some of us and one amongst us – We overcome. Each of us is capable of doing things- ordinary and extraordinary. Many of us do ordinary things and some of us do extra ordinary things. But every good thing we do is important for us and our mankind. We should try doing something worthy all the time and make our wonderful lives even amazing.
Today is a special day for me. It’s not only because of the Republic day, for which I had longed for long before it was announced. Surely not because iPad is available in the UK market from today. Certainly not because they are releasing Sex and the City 2. Today is the birthday of my other half. My soul mate, who supports me in every step I take. Who helps me, motivates and encourages me every times I am stuck with something confusing. The most loving, caring, amazing and beautiful person I could have ever met. Happy Birthday my Angel. You are worth everything that is good in this world and I am very very proud of you.
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