Our Glocal Village

Dipesh Dulal's views on global and local perspectives

My Solar Lantern has now got an important space in my room in the evenings. It glows at evening adding to the ambience of my room. My room seemed like a deserted gloom in the evenings; nevertheless my Solar Lantern is now there in the corner being evidentiary of me getting new energy.

I bought this Solar Lantern while I was visiting the city of York, in England. York has been a source of inspiration in my life. Even a day of roaming around the parts of the city, esp. National Railway Museum, the Minster Church and etc had made a remarkable impression in my mind. I still remember the song performance : ’stary stary night’ on the footpath, York Visitor Information Desk, and two caring people taking picture of me at the city walls area.

York has got life in it. What I found more interesting there was ‘Poundland’ where we get many things, each item in a pound !! I entered there, as a lucky national of Nepal (a Southern country). I bought a frying pan, a body spray and this Solar Lantern.

The most catching thing: It was printed on the cover of this lantern like there is no need to replace the battery. It sounded like it works forever.

After I returned to Nepal, I kept it at the top of my house. Its glowing at evenings looked nothing, as number of such Garden Solar Lanterns make a nice ambience in the evening-garden with much landscape design and other arrangements. The fantasy for me was that I am naturally overwhelmed with things caring mother earth. The Solar Lantern was such thing which could reduce the use of fossil fuels, or biomass. But to what extent? the answers could be nearly equal to zero.

However, what sort of fantasy I have made with the particular Solar Lantern; is an example. I hope so.

Time passed on. Busy life schedule began. One day I noticed that one of my nephews pulled the LED off from the Soalr Lantern. Thenafter, the whole remaining things were ready for disposal. My room had been in mess those days. Fortunate Solar Lantern was not disposed off. One day I found a LED when I was removing dirts from the corners of the room. I just collected the other parts of the Lantern and went to a repair service.

The man who was busy on fixing the FM radio questioned me : Are you sure that you will mend this? I replied: Yes, Just for amusement, hehe. He took NPR. 15 for fixing it and asked to keep it under the Sun for complete 4 hours or so. I did the same and waited till the evening.

The very day was lengthy for me. I didn’t have any work to be done for that day. The Lantern did not glow in the evening. Initially, I was worried. Silly me, I then remembered to switch it on. Still it did not glow. Ahh, it was automatic, I then covered the Solar Panel with palm, and then it glowed being sensitive to the darkness.

Amazingly, the LED that I found was not white one, it was red LED. So, it was dimmer than it was before with the white LED. It had already taken much of my efforts, I found a place in my room to add some to the ambience of my room. Before that, I had taken some pictures of red glowing Lantern using my Chinese Mobile Phone.

Indeed, this one is a mini-story. Please comment !

Just an ordinary day; I am thinking of leaving the economic race and plunge myself into nature. Remembering two important nature outreach with like-hearted colleagues:

Volunteers’ Day Camp 2008 (World Wetlands Day)
Date: 2008-02-02

Volunteers on the Tree Shade

WNSO Nepal organized volunteers’ day camp on the occasion of World Wetland Day carrying a slogan “healthy wetlands healthy people”.

Global Day of Climate Action marked: Let’s Hug our Himalayas
Date: 2009-12-12

Let's hug our Himalayas !!

WNSO Nepal’s members and some new and enthusiastic youth members hiked on 12th December 2009 to mark the global day of climate action. The message from this hiking program was multi-dimensional. Youth students made pledges to work for climate justice. they interacted and drafted action plan for the global slogan : Unite for Climate. Link between sustainable development and education and the trend of resource use and climate change was discussed by students of Nepal and Denmark.

Volunteer-members pursued the hiking route from Jhor-Mahankal (Kathmandu) through Shivapuri Nagarjun Naational Park to Suryachour (Nuakot); and vice-versa.

Being glocal is an adventure for me. As the internet world gets more and more accessible, the dependency on almost everything ranging from ‘university texts’ to ‘airfare ticketing’ has been reduced to zero.

In this context, amidst the initial days of professional life; I’ve been researching the ways traveling to my most favorite tropical country – Vietnam. Also, seeking ways to reduce my own carbon-footprint.

It was in 2007, when I came across the number of Vietnamese friends, most of them very smart and very progressive. The country always has a big impression for myself.  Since then, number of professional photographers, teachers, and young students are in touch with me.

The things that I wish to see, research and feel are: the society, natural wilderness, economy.

Arrangement of travel is linked with different matters ranging from Visa to Vaccination. I’ve heard that we may need anti-malaria vaccination. As I am from Nepal, I may need to obtain VISA from New Delhi, India (The nearest VISA issuing authority).

Accomodation, Mobility, Food and Other expenses/activities are but remarkable issues for F.I.T. like me. Research on Google !! Recently, I have discovered that general living cost in Ho Chi Minh city is like that of Kathmandu. Volunteering with Local youth for a cause adds to your Travel !! I am always enthusiastic on this matter. Adventure is always pulling me.

Airfare is more cheaper, if you can connect planes by your mind. If something goes wrong, you’ll get another possible flight from Airport,don’t worry. But here, we have to consider our carbon footprint. There are several ways to reduce these: traveling by electric train, (Source of electricity being compulsorily non-emitting.) carbon offsetting, or never mind (the Clean Development Mechanism works, and the newer trends in energy use may develop in future)

Becoming a responsible traveler is feasible only through the development of new perceptions of traveling. Prime thing is:  travel to save earth and save earth to travel.

The World Ecotourism Conference is an ambitious initiative to bring global ecotourism players together to network, collaborate and share their experiences, best practices and technologies for the betterment of nature conservation, environment protection, preservation of communities and consequently the advancement of ecotourism around the world.The event’s official website is http://www.WorldEcotourismConference.com

There is a golden opportunity for Nepalese Students on Hospitality, English Language, Management and relevant subjects:
http://www.discoverymice.com/WEC2010/world-ecotourism-conference-2010-volunteers.htm