Tag Archives: Nepal

Making the Most of Surprises

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Accidents happen. Usually we think about the kind that slows down or even reverses our progress, but there are “happy accidents” that can give us a tiny push forward.

Many years ago, I was about 25 pounds overweight and not actively trying to lose weight, even though I wished I would. One day I weighed myself and was surprised to find I had lost two pounds! That’s not an enormous loss, but a good one when you didn’t expect it. I decided as long as I was down a bit, I would try to keep it going. Back then, I would eat fast food every day and would often get a soft drink refill before I left the restaurant (and I’m talking those BIG cups that you could practically swim in). I wasn’t drinking diet drinks – leading to my consuming large quantities of sugar. The first change I made was to drink only unsweetened tea. Uh, yeah, it was an adjustment, but it didn’t take long. Soon I took another step, then another. About eighteen months later, I had lost over twenty pounds!

I know I could do more to write and market novels, but I get overwhelmed with the learning curves (yes, plural!) for all the different methods I’m “supposed” to be employing. Then, a week ago, while trekking in the Everest region of Nepal, I posted one short video of some yak hybrids I saw on the trail. That few seconds of video on my Facebook author page got almost nine thousand views in less than a week!

“Too bad,” I thought, “that it had *nothing* to do with my book! …but what if that video’s success helps me get views on book-related videos?” So I did my first TikTok video in some time, promoting Eliana-Who-Sees-Us as a good Halloween read. (I had done other TikToks about my book, but they got deleted when I was inactive for too long…more learning curve.) “But now how do I get more people to view the video?” That question led to (finally) doing a promo post in an authors’ group I’m in. “I guess I should update my Goodreads info too, so more people will go to my blog….uh, which is out of date.” And now I’m updating the blog.

It’s all work I knew I needed to do, but it seemed like too much when I thought about it. That happy accident encouraged me to take one step, which led to another, and it didn’t seem overwhelming anymore. I’m trying to focus on the fun or playful aspects of social media, rather than look at it as “work,” and hopefully that will feed my creative writing side as well. Check out the Halloween video here: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR7bXLfS/

Give Others a Chance to Support You

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Have you ever wanted to do something that you worried would seem ridiculous to other people? Or maybe it seemed impossible, risky, or just weird. “Find Your Tribe” is one slogan I hear – generally meaning to go find the people who are like you or have the same passions as you. I love that idea, however, don’t discount the people already around you until you’ve really given them a chance.

I am an introvert and tend to worry about what other people think. I assume that people in my life – coworkers, family, friends – will expect me to stay the same “me” and keep doing the same things. It can be unsettling when people close to us no longer fit our image of them. Also, we don’t want our loved ones to be hurt, and change can mean taking a risk. But I’ve been genuinely surprised at the support I’ve received when I’ve opened up and shared my aspirations.

The biggest example that comes to mind is when I had a long-distance relationship with a man from Nepal. And I do mean LONG distance. If you pick up a globe with one index finger on Houston and the other on Nepal, they are pretty much on the opposite sides of the world. When I opened up and told some friends at a party (basically anyone who was in the kitchen at that moment) that I was longing to drop everything here and go live in Nepal, they supported me without blinking. “I’ll help you pack” was one immediate comment. Another woman said I could stay at her condo after I got back while I looked for a new job (if necessary). As it turned out, a different friend invited me to stay with her while I apartment-hunted when I got back.

“But what if the opposite happens?” you ask. Fine, let the people actually say the hurtful things rather than have you put the words into their mouths in your fearful fantasies. You have to eliminate the possibility that you are just using these imaginings as an excuse to hold yourself back. Even my boss and coworkers were excited for me and helped me any way they could, even though it meant more work for them while I was gone.

Regrets? I should have taken the one friend up on her offer to help pack, as I was moving my belongings to storage the same day I flew to Nepal, and it was a hectic day. Although it was an incredible adventure and I ended up marrying my Nepalese boyfriend, that outpouring of support in the kitchen will always be one part of the experience that I remember most.

Ghanta Karna

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Ghanta Karna is a festival celebrated by the Newar people of Bhaktapur, Nepal. Demons are burned in effigy to chase away bad spirits and illness. Small bundles of straw are burned in front of homes, but the large elaborate demons are constructed and burned in the town squares. Like most festivals, it is also a good time for socializing with neighbors.

Behind Dattatreya Temple, the smaller demon is almost finished.

Behind Dattatreya Temple, the smaller demon is almost finished.

 

 

 

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All ages take part.

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The largest demon in progress. His name, Ghanta Karna, refers to his having bells in his ears.

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Um…it’s an anatomically correct demon.

 

Completed Ghanta Karna

The main demon is complete and just waiting for dark.

 

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If the fires don’t do the job, the goats may just eat the straw demons.

The smaller demon is put into place behind the temple. Once it’s burning the larger one is carried around it in a circle it three times before going to its place to burn in front of the temple.