Shaurab Lohani

After hearing a lot on social media and seeing pity videos of “Bhaktapur after earthquake” I decided to go take a short motorbike trip, with my friend and look around to check its authenticity. I wouldn't like to go on the contrary, as the videos were shot concurrently at the time for quake but would like to request the owners of the video should try and visit Bhaktapur and update the recent status of the periphery. Let me tell you my findings after walking and talking to the local authorities, locals and the vendors. First thing the entrance of the Durbar square still has a huge pile of rubble left from the prehistoric mud and brick gate but once we enter the durbar square periphery you will see it clean and ready to welcome guests. Not to forget that this vicinity I am writing about at the moment dates back to over 300 years and making hypotheses about not seeing the distress is completely a hypothesis itself. The museum suffered a major hit which is why only one of...

Nothing rocked this nation in centuries than the relentless tweets and status updates after the earthquake of 25 th April, 2015. Being persistent in either convincing or conveying the world of either “we are fine” or “how hard mother nature is hammering Nepal with unremitting aftershocks” has created such a huge buzz in the social media and news media that the consequences of our own actions are seeming to be looming in the Nepalese skies. I was shocked, dazed and in chaos as well with every possible mixed feeling after looking one of my tweets still being re-tweeted, the tweets posted at the initial days of the quake. Really! I took a moment of my own and thought of million Nepalese people who tweeted emotionally and let me think even my friends who never updated their facebook status were updating every seconds. It’s just my perception but what I believe there is still someone somewhere reading stale tweets or the links that we shared on the early days of the quake and cancell...

The #GoHome movement was phenomenal that even I couldn't sway my hands away from making twitter posts, people rose from every corner of the country and world to show the rest of the world that Nepalese will not remain hushed for every misrepresentation Indian media imposed. This was on the very initial days of the earthquake and as an after earthquake social activist I had a hunch that it wouldn't be long before Nepalese get back on their feet and continue doing their chores.  #Stillnepal #Stillsmining is amongst the campaigns with a positive lead to my hunch. These campaigns invite travelers who have been stationed or landed in Nepal post quake, intended to boost post Earthquake confidence for travellers willing to trot in this beautiful country. These are the signs that we are up, moving and are not frowning for what we had no control of. The request to the entire world is to “Participate in the Recovery of Tourism in Nepal” and there are many ways to do so. As an owne...

I was a spoken English teacher, I had 2 startups in the form of traveler’s hostel and a trekking agency and I was a public speaking trainer on Saturday’s until 25 th of April, 2015. It was a Saturday and one of my friends was giving her speech on “why everyone should volunteer” and everything started shaking. It was a session of around 25 people and most of them ran out, some were crawling and most of them were petrified and expressing their grief. Immediately my senses kicked in and started working for relief with my friends from Dormitory Nepal and Wonderful Everest view treks and expedition. I was astound with the fact that such a tiny project like ours which was successful to receive $7000-$8000 started receiving calls from big dogs in the field of charity organization. The names of the organizations have already faded but I do remember Bibeksheel Nepali, Rotary club, Rotract, Lions club and teach for Nepal knocking our doors for carrying out relief operations in their respe...

I left for United States in 2005 for my undergraduate degree and returned back to the country after completion of it and have been working for companies in Nepal and have my own startups. The reason behind pulling up my context is for the reason that I was invited to one of the relative’s farewell party who was departing to the Kangaroo land for his degree along with his wife as his dependent. With a piece of chicken drumstick on my left hand I sparingly tossed him with a question “how long are you gone for?”. He was reluctant to reply but softly looking at his newly married wife replied ‘never’. I have been deeply concerned with the recent devotion of Nepalese youth for United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The dreams of being a doctor, engineer, pilots, nurses, health assistants have been replaced with these first world countries. This relative of mine who is almost of the similar age as mine is awestruck with lives abroad and how he believes to have his life d...