Lights out, but life goes on
By Yingchan Yang
A Singaporean finds a reason to smile about even among all the "despairs" she sees in Kathmandu
Yesterday was a home alone night. The host family I am staying with was
out, so I decided to be adventurous and cook myself a bowl of noodles-- in
the dark. It proved to be no easy feat. Just think groping around in
darkness searching for necessary utensils in the kitchen!
Just 2 weeks ago, I touched down at Tribhuvan airport with anticipation.
My host was waiting for me outside and the drive back to his house was,
well to be honest, a mad dodging of cars in either directions as well as
sudden swerves to avoid the frequent jaywalking pedestrian. To top up the
excitement, I found myself landing right smack in the country's worst ever
power cut. Great timing! But I consoled myself thinking that things might
just pick up over the weeks.
However, more surprise greeted me barely a week later as I found myself
reading with aghast in the papers of the decision to increase power cuts
to 16 hrs a day.
Adapt is the key to surviving. But the first few days were agony as I
struggled to come to terms to a whole new lifestyle completely different
from the past twenty years of my life. I never had to worry about the lack
of electricity or water, or even, if rubbish I disposed get a proper
dumping ground. Now I base my daily routine according to the power
schedule. It certainly didnʼt take long to realize how blessed am I to
grow up in an environment completely sheltered from the hardships of
fellow Asian countries.
And so, darkness enveloped the capital as night approached and across
Kathmandu, shops lit up with candles, kerosene lamps or whatever ingenious
ideas locals came up with to combat the severe power shortage. More than
often, I found myself either sitting in my pitch dark room or staring
blankly at the darkness from the balcony. Yes, I came to experience the
real Nepal. This is why I signed up for the internship program I'm now
under. Now I should be ready to face whatever ordeal -- be it no gas, no
electricity, no water, as the majority of ordinary Nepalese citizens are
going through. But how ready am I to forgo my dependence on light?
Not that complaining would get me anywhere though. And on a usual lights
out night, I found myself tilting my head to a sea of stars twinkling
above me. I rarely see stars in Singapore. The city is too bright at
night. And a rare smile broke across my face.
Even among all the despair fuelled by never ending power cuts, I found a
reason to smile. Yes, the lights are out, but life must go on.
Yang, a journalism student from Singapore, is working as an
intern with nepalnews.com. She can be reached at face2fake@hotmail.com
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