Fukushima Japan Nuclear Disaster Report 2012

The new findings by the Japanese parliamentary report highlights the shortcomings of the response to the nuclear disaster after the 2011 Japan  mega earthquake and tsunami. The disaster has left many people to be displaced and some areas uninhabitable for decades. The report praises the then prime minister  for forcing the TEPCO for continuing their efforts to cool down the power-plant  in Fukushima. It guides the government for future response and be a good lesson for other nations with nuclear power plants. 

Nepal being surrounded by nuclear countries: India, China and Pakistan and any catastrophe in these nuclear plants will have serious implication to all neighboring countries including Nepal.So the preventive measures should be taken by all responsible countries to avert any nuclear disasters. 

Watch this video from cnn

Happy Birthday Pranjal

 Happy Birthday  Prince PRANJAL !!!

Wishing you all the great things in life, hope this day will bring you an extra share of all that makes you happiest.

Cartoons and Manga

Prince Pranjal enjoying the cartoon
Narita Airport, Japan (2011)

Prince Pranjal has a great passion for children song and cartoons especially ANPANMAN, DISNEY characters like Mickey mouse, Donald duck and POCOYO. Cartoons are very lovely and humorous. They increase the imagination and reasoning power. Beside these, they teach us about the good things and give moral lessons. Even grown up people can enjoy the cartoons. In many parts of the world it is has been a myth that cartoons are meant for children only. But in Japan cartoons/comics called MANGA are very popular among people of all age. Now this trend has become viral to other nations with introduction of Manga in other local languages. Manga is a booming business estimated of ¥ 420 billion ($5.5 billion) in 2009. Hope this kind of informative as well as entertaining business be grown all nook and corners of world for the sake of love and peace.

Day in Photo -4

Splendid  interior view with glass and steel

Summer time in Bondi Beach, Australia

Enjoying summer in Bondi Beach, Australia
Photo: Pradeep Uprety

This month is June 2012. The climate in Japan is getting hot and in coming months of July and August will be more hot and humid: difficult to bear. However, there are ways to relax this time: with water. It is time to enjoy the beaches even  in scorching  sun. People will search for the coolness and hence will flock to swimming pools and beaches. There are many beautiful places to enjoy the beauty of nature in this summer time.  Australian beaches are famous in the world for their beauty. Even though it is winter in Australia we can enjoy them by looking pictures. Chiba beach is famous in Japan where many people came to enjoy for surfing as well as swimming. 

Day in Photo -3

Enjoy the life
 like warrior riding on horse

Day in Photo -2

Building  looking like a sculptor 

Day in Photo-1

Prince Pranjal Posing for Photo

Freedom is not "free"

Statue of Liberty, Japan

Liberty or freedom is dear to all. Throughout the history there are stories of struggles for the freedom from the shackles of oppressions. The oppressions may be religious, social, cultural or political. People have fought for the independence of their beloved nation when colonial power excesses their limits. The American War of Independence is an example where brave Americans fought with colonial master Britain. Once people are successful in their aim they construct memorial to honor the freedom fighters as well as to make a history for the coming generations so that they can learn from the history. They also want to show that freedom is not free and it should be taken with care and veneration.

In the American War of Independence, France actively supported the American cause. To commemorate the victory France offered a gift, a statue, to America as a token of friendship from the people of France to the people of United States. It is 46 meter high and designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. The statue represents the Libertas, Roman goddess of freedom. Established in 1886 and located in New York, it is an icon of city similar to the Opera House of Sydney. Since then it has become an icon of freedom and democracy. If someone happens to New York, s/he tries to be there to feel from the nearest distance. It is not only national monument of USA but also world heritage site (since 1984).

Since all can't be in New York, hundreds of replicas of statue of liberty have been made throughout the world. One replica (1/4 th of size) is given by American community to the France is located in the Paris. Here in Japan we can feel and observe the replica is Odaiba, Tokyo. It is located in the sea beach with nice background of beautiful buildings and Rainbow Bridge. In the cherry blossom the place is full with visitors.

Ten famous homeschooled people

By  Stacy Condrat

1.Agatha Christie was a painfully shy girl, so her mom homeschooled her even though her two older siblings attended private school.

2. Pearl S. Buck was born in West Virginia, but her family moved to China when she was just three months old. She was homeschooled by a Confucian scholar and learned English as a second language from her mom.

3. Alexander Graham Bell was homeschooled by his mother until he was about 10. It was at this point that she started to go deaf and didn’t feel she could properly educate him any more. Her deafness inspired Bell to study acoustics and sound later in life.

4. If Thomas Edison was around today, he would probably be diagnosed with ADD – he left public school after only three months because his mind wouldn’t stop wandering. His mom homeschooled him after that, and he credited her with the success of his education: “My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint.”

5. Ansel Adams was homeschooled at the age of 12 after his “wild laughter and undisguised contempt for the inept ramblings of his teachers” disrupted the classroom. His father took on his education from that point forward.

6. Robert Frost hated school so much he would get physically ill at the thought of going. He was homeschooled until his high school years.

7. Woodrow Wilson studied under his dad, one of the founders of the Southern Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS). He didn’t learn to read until he was about 12. He took a few classes at a school in Augusta, Georgia, to supplement his father’s teachings, and ended up spending a year at Davidson College before transferring to Princeton.

8. Mozart was educated by his dad as the Mozart family toured Europe from 1763-1766.

9. Laura Ingalls Wilder was homeschooled until her parents finally settled in De Smet in what was then Dakota Territory. She started teaching school herself when she was only 15 years old.

10. Louisa May Alcott studied mostly with her dad, but had a few lessons from family friends Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Can you imagine?

(Collected by - Er. Pradeep Uprety, Source : Different websites )

South Asia Then and Now

South Asia in 1805. Note Nepal written as NIPAL on the top

Nepal has been an independent country throughout her history. Even when the great neighbors viz.,  India and China were subjected to foreign powers, Nepal managed to preserve its independence.This is the reason why we can now have an identity as Nepal and Nepali in international arena. In the coming years too Nepal must preserve its territorial integrity. True Nepali people living  in or outside Nepal love their county first and  ready to do anything to preserve the nation and make her more strong in every front of development.We must give prosperous and independent Nepal to our next generation. 

South Asia in 2012. Note the emergence of new nations

First anniversary of The 2011 March 11 Japan Earthquake

Devastation caused by Tsunami.
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Today is  the first anniversary of The 2011 March 11 Japan Earthquake. Magnitude was 9 and its effect was felt in Eastern Japan rocking both Tokyo and Chiba. More than 20,000 people are dead or missing and property worth of 300 billion dollar was estimated to be loss. The 2010 Haiti earthquake was deadly in terms of casualty as more than 200,000 people are dead. However, from  economic terms The 2011 March 11 Japan Earthquake is costliest in recent history. Most tragedy is due to the nuclear disaster in Fukushima nuclear plant which was damaged heavily due to earthquake and tsunami. Though the dedicated engineers and   workers are able to stabilize the plant, still there is danger. Many people around the place have to be evacuated and many could not return back to their home as the radiation level is still high. 

However, the most important part is the resilience shown by people. There was not panic or chaos as in other part of world after disaster. Even in USA, after the hurricane Katrina there were some visible disturbances, chaos and looting. There is no need to talk in other parts of world especially in countries where rule of law is distant future as even in normal time. The sharp contrast for  resilience shown by  Japanese people  may be the due to the following reasons: mono-racial  or homogeneous society  and second is the true Buddhism practice in life. Discipline is  another factor. I should not be reason for trouble to other. Keeping this belief, the society was able to cope this disaster without any social unrest.

Still roaring ! Salute to  sense of courage.
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Still there is hope that we will learn from this disaster and prepare for better in future events from natural hazards. Life is like this. Learning from the past to prepare for the future.

 Resilience! Smiling face even in the time of disaster.
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On this first anniversary of event, 

We would like to offer our deep condolences to bereaved family and sympathy to all those affected. We would also like to salute people who being affected directly by disaster withstand this event bravely and show the true sense of courage and conviction for better future.

Small is Beautiful

Small But Beautiful
A typical courtyard garden in Kyoto, Japan.

Beautiful Lotus

Lotus stemming from water!!!

Coffee and its Production in Nepal

Coffee is one of the most loved beverages in the world. Originated in Ethiopia and made popular by Arabs it has become an integral part of modern day society. Caffeine is the main chemical substance in coffee and is responsible for the many good effects including increase in memory performance, decreased heart rate and even retarding factor in cancer. Most of the coffee is produced in Africa and South America (mostly in Brazil). In terms of agricultural product it has high commodity value. It was ranked as the agricultural export for twelve countries in 2004, and it was the world's seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value in 2005.

Mr Hira Giri, a hermit, is given credited for introducing coffee in Nepal. He bought some seeds of coffee from Myanmar in 1938 and Aapchour (Gulmi District) for the first time in Nepal. It was just curiosity based expansion until some people understand its commercial value and started its business and export abroad. Currently it has been planted in 39 districts (out of total 75 districts) in mountainous region and expanding day by day. Area of plantation has increased from135.7 hectares in 1994 AD to 1531 hectares in 2008 AD. Adjacent graph shows the current trend of production. It has increased steadily from 114 ton in 2004 to about 500 ton in 2011. This is not big amount compared to the global production which accounts 7,742,675 ton. Even India produces 288,000 ton. Given the position of Nepal with diverse climate and high altitude , Nepal can produce coffee for local consumption as well as export organic coffee which has big business in international sectors including Europe and Japan. Nepali coffee is exported to Japan, Europe and American market where organic grown coffee from Nepal is popular.

Prince Pranjal Thinking Higher

Prince Pranjal, very cute and sweet baby is progressing day by day. He is learning many things and is fond of electronic gadgets. Here in the photograph he is thinking "always aiming higher". God bless you baby.