I'm Amrit - I grew up in Nepal, and have been here since shortly after the M7.8 Earthquake rocked the country. Ask me almost anything!

Do you get mad when people say you are wrong?

What do you mean? Wrong about what?

just a joke about your name, amrite / am i right

bahahaha... that was so subtle and original. I've never gotten that before. :)

seriously? that was in fact the first thing that sprang to mind when i saw this thread.

Yep, i know it's similar to amirite, but it was never delivered with "Do you get mad when people say you are wrong?"

I didn't get it at first, probably because his name is pronounced as Um-writh.

Yep. In the States when I pronounce it as Um-writh. People assume I'm using "um" as a verbal crutch, and say "writh? Nice to meet you writh!"

It's actually pronounced 'um-reet'.

Craig? Is that you? I never corrected you on that. But yeah /u/MightBeTupac is right. It's um-writh.

How badly is the Indian media behaving there?

It's bad to the point that #gohomeindianmedia was trending in both Nepal and India.

Right. I wrote a blog post about it here, and /u/gologologolo gave some excellent examples in a comment above.

Damn, I knew they sucked ass, but this is just extreme. No wonder one of the guys got slapped in the States, rightfully so.

Yeah. Haha. That too. I saw that video. He totally deserved that one.

Fuck, this is like Nightcrawler the movie, expect that was supposed to a cautionary tale of where we could be heading but clearly we are already there. Well im depressed

Yep.

well said.

Yep.

So did you read the report that one journalist was thrown in a river and murdered by a mob in kathmandu? What do you make of that? Is the propaganda worth killing someone? I'm sure the media guys are being douchebags as always, but why the hate for India? we've tried to help as much as we can. There's geopolitics involved, but even if there wasn't, I'm sure we'd be there no questions asked. sucks really.

I didn't hear about that journalist. Do you have a source?

Nepal has been very loudly grateful to India's swift relief aid since the earthquake. People in the streets talk about Modi and all that he's done for Nepal. The frustration is against the insensitive and over sensationalized news coverage from the Indian media.

Why would the Indian media be behaving badly? I'm confused

Read this and this. I didn't write these articles.

Are you aware of how difficult it is to operate a relief flight into Kathmandu right now? We have been trying to operate a wide body freighter with 45 tons of relief cargo from the worlds largest humanitarian agency and we have not been able to do so because of bureaucratic nonsense. Permits are not being issued for us to operate the flight. The airport is not being managed properly and is causing many 100's of tonnes of relief aid to not reach Nepal. I am wondering if this is known by the people in Nepal?

That's right. I did hear about this. The last I heard was that the TIA airport in KTM is closed to large heavy planes due to the damage it's caused the runway already. We have a basic international airport. It only has 1 runway. It's a miracle that it wasn't damaged in the M7.8 earthquake or the subsequent aftershocks.

I agree that the airport is mismanaged and they could be doing a lot of things much better. But my speculative opinion is that they're right on this one. We can't afford to lose the one runway we have in our only international airport.

Do you have Jeff Bezos' number? Maybe we can put all the relief in those Amazon Delivery drones and fly them into Kathmandu and across the country.

There is very restrictive max landing weight limit at the airport and studies by 'experts' have decided that the run way is actually ok. So lets hope things improve soon.

I hope for the same too. Thank you for reply, and thank you for doing what you can to help Nepal.

What are you options right now? Where is that relief cargo at this moment? what are your immediate next steps? Can you put it in smaller airplanes? Drop off the aid with parachutes onto open fields?

No that won't be an option. We are trying to operate the flight every day. The other option would be to fly the cargo to India and truck it to Nepal, but there are many other logistical issues with that including trucking delays and congestion. We will keep trying everyday to ensure we operate the flight. If we are able to do so, I'll update everyone. We aren't the only ones trying to operate flights. There are efforts from all over the globe trying to do the same everyday. Some get through, others will keep trying.

Ok. Yes, please keep us updated. I'd love to know that.

By the way, can you point me towards some legitimate official sources that say the airport can support the heavy cargo planes, and anything else about this dilemma? I'd love to read more about it, and possibly write a blog post spreading the word.

why the recently reported anger against Indian media in Nepal? What is the real concern there ? I could not get much out of the news that I read regarding this.

Here's his blog post on the subject:

https://medium.com/@amrit_sharma/gohomeindianmedia-trending-in-nepal-after-dissatisfied-and-angry-ee77d77191d0

I'm also curious about this. Are the Indian reporters more insensitive than reporters from other countries, or is it just that most of the reporters are from India?

Are the Indian reporters more insensitive than reporters from other countries? Yes. It does appear that way. There are many examples of yellow journalism, needed sensationalism, or as I like to call it "the bollywoodization of news".

Examples:

• Asking a man who's just lost his kid: How are you feeling?

• Interviewing a mother bleeding instead of trying to help her out

• Doctors literally had to kick 2 reporters out cuz they were getting in the way trying to get a soundbite

• Sensationalizing and making everything family drama: example, making a HUGE furor over Pakistan sending beef curry -- any chance to take a dig at Pakistan is game for them.

Yes. This. Thanks for giving examples.

As an Indian, I agree.

As an Indian expat, watching these channels is purely for shits. Just absurd reporting.

Have an upvote. I'm with you. Do you notice how the flashy "breaking news" banner never goes away? Something (no matter how insignificant) is always "breaking news".

Ironically, they are literally breaking news.

So, like CNN?

Haha. What the hell has happened to CNN. They used to be so good. I still can't believe that Don Lemon asked the question whether a black hole could have swallowed the MH370 airplane.

You should have seen the way they handled Mumbai terror attacks. Absolutely disgusting. Even the most famous Indian "journalists" were behaving like morons. I won't be be surprised if they were the same in Nepal too.

Right. I wasn't in India at the time, but the most ludacris thing I saw was the TV media sharing details about the phone calls from the hostages (or people trapped) INSIDE the hotel, including exactly where they were hiding. The "bad guys" were obviously being fed information from the handles, and just walked towards the staircase where several people were hiding, and shot them all. (If I recall correctly, one of the people in that group survived.)

Yeah. The main issue here isn't that Nepal is frustrated with the Indian Media. But that the India Media has lost it's moral compass, and will stoop to any level (however low it is) for ratings and try to get a bigger share of the lucrative Indian TV ad budgets up for grabs.

the most ludacris thing I saw ...

ludacris

That's it. I'm out of here. ROLLOUT.

Oh the irony of you making a dumb joke in this context

Dude. I'm not making light of the tragedy or the loss that my country has experienced. I just honestly believe that we should still keep our chins high and continue to laugh at dumb shit.

You probably haven't read my blog post: "Wait. Is that an earthquake OR...." Brace yourself.

[deleted]

Haha. To be honest, I enjoyed that movie. I watched it a few weeks ago. The Indian Media is far insensitive than what Jake Gyllenhaal's character did in that movie.

Why is the Indian media being told to go back? Also, we'd prefer if they didn't return.

I wrote a blog post about it here, and /u/gologologolo gave some excellent examples in a comment above.

.. and /u/wqoop makes an excellent point too.

Great post Amrit Is it "outage" or "outrage" in the title tho

You're right. That's a typo. I'll fix it. :)

Can you give us a description of what things are looking like where you are right now? I know there has been some difficulty in the US being able to distribute aid fast enough due to the rough terrain and other logistic issues. Curious about your thoughts on that.

Not to be lazy, but let me first link you to these 2 blog posts: (1) 127 hours after the earthquake (feat. James Franco), and (2) Bhaktapur - the town every loves.

Alright to sum it up.

1. Kathmandu got really lucky. I have been saying that since I got here. The roads and bridges are in good condition. Our international airport that only has 1 runway was undamaged. I can't even imagine the extent of the troubles if we didn't have a functioning runway.

2. Outside Kathmandu, it's a different story. Depending on how far the regions were from the epicenters, there's a LOT of damage, or not at all. Sindupalchowk took the brunt of the major aftershock (M6.7) on Sunday, April 26th.

3. Yes, you're right. Red tape in the Nepali government is no uncommon at all. It's just frustrating to hear of the examples -- Nepali Customs weren't allows relief material into the country. Several countries were complaining about the unorganized processes at the airport. I met a team of South Africans (mentioned them in the Bhaktapur blog post), and they told me their equipment is stuck in Singapore because the KTM airport is over capacity and can not accommodate their search and rescue equipment. Plus, the UK AID (ISAR) folks told me that the Nepali Army didn't give them the helicopters they had been promised to run critical search and rescue missions in Sindupalchowk district. I could go on... but you get the point.

It breaks my heart when I see the pictures of damaged shrines and homes.

The Indian people are fully with Nepal. My whole family sent money and clothes just yesterday along with a bunch of people in our community.

thanks.

How can I really help? I've donated to the red cross, but that's it.

That's a good question. I blogged about it here, but I still struggle with answering this question. Let me brainstorm again.

Here are some ideas:

1) Search LinkedIn for connections that may be from Nepal, or had previously lived/worked there. Call them and make sure they're ok.

2) Do the same search on Facebook. You may have gone to college with someone who's from there.

3) Keep paying attention. Don't let the next news cycle get Nepal out of your mind.

4) Retweet and share stories of Nepal earthquake relief and recovery.

5) Visit Nepal. You can directly impact the livelihoods of people here by bringing yourself here, and encouraging others to as well.

6) What do YOU all think? How can someone outside help Nepal? (let's get creative with it)

P.S. Damn. I should add these to my blog post. Thanks for asking this question. You brought out new ideas here.

Should people really visit Nepal now? Wouldn't they get in the way of the aid operation?

Yeah, you're right. Probably best to hold off for a month or two. What's your schedule like in July? I'll send you an Outlook meeting invite.

Or donate the money you would spend on a plane ticket - even better.... http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/27/earthquake-nepal-dont-rush-help-volunteers-aid

That's an excellent article.

She is a friend of mine. She has great advice and is one of the most ethical people I know.

Awesome. Please tell her Amrit from Nepal sends her a High Five. I have sent that article to several people in the past week.

That's a good question. I blogged about it here, but I still struggle with answering this question.

Let me brainstorm again. Here are some ideas: 1) Search LinkedIn for connections that may be from Nepal, or had previously lived/worked there. Call them and make sure they're ok. 2) Do the same search on Facebook. You may have gone to college with someone who's from there. 3) Keep paying attention. Don't let the next news cycle get Nepal out of your mind. 4) Retweet and share stories of Nepal earthquake relief and recovery. 5) Visit Nepal. You can directly impact the livelihoods of people here by bringing yourself here, and encouraging others to as well. 6) What do YOU all think? How can someone outside help Nepal? (let's get creative with it)

P.S. Damn. I should add these to my blog post. Thanks for asking this question. You brought out new ideas here.

That's a good question. I blogged about it here, but I still struggle with answering this question.

Let me brainstorm again. Here are some ideas: 1) Search LinkedIn for connections that may be from Nepal, or had previously lived/worked there. Call them and make sure they're ok. 2) Do the same search on Facebook. You may have gone to college with someone who's from there. 3) Keep paying attention. Don't let the next news cycle get Nepal out of your mind. 4) Retweet and share stories of Nepal earthquake relief and recovery. 5) Visit Nepal. You can directly impact the livelihoods of people here by bringing yourself here, and encouraging others to as well. 6) What do YOU all think? How can someone outside help Nepal? (let's get creative with it)

P.S. Damn. I should add these to my blog post. Thanks for asking this question. You brought out new ideas here.

This is a crazy longshot, but I used to write to a boy named Amrit in grade school and he was from Nepal. Do you remember writing to kids from Kansas?

Sorry Serena. It wasn't me. I never had pen pals from Kansas. You're welcome to tweet at me @amrit_sharma. That's what all the kids are doing these days.

Ah, thanks for responding!

:)

...How small do you think Nepal is?

"This is a crazy longshot..." Even though I made that clear, I knew someone was going to be rude. You win! Just wondering if it was possibly a long-lost penpal friend I made in grade school. But be a jerk! Reddit loves people like that.

:)

First of all, sorry about the beef masala, that was totally screwed up.

Secondly, how are the religious groups acting? I've read some stories about how the religious groups take the earthquake as a sign from above about Nepal's soft stance on things like the way people have started dressing and stuff. Is that a sentiment shared by a lot of people, or is it just a very vocal minority?

I honestly haven't paid attention to that fiasco. Maybe it was intentional, but I doubt it. It was probably just a case of "send them food" and it happened to be in the "relief food here" room, along with everything else.

I don't pay attention to religious groups. And nothing has come up in my conversations with anyone on the group, on reddit, or on twitter.

Thanks for the reply. And hope things get better in Nepal soon.

You're welcome. It's going to be a long, slow, challenging road for Nepal.

I am very sorry for all the people suffering. Does Nepal have financial resources to deal with this kind of catastrophe and are you receiving enough aid? What is the hardest thing to deal with right now (as in water, food, medical personnel etc...)?

Short answer is no, Nepal doesn't have enough resources of it's own. But it has received a LOT of international support.

Kathmandu is fine. It's the outside regions, especially with older buildings that are really badly hit. Please read my blog posts about Bhaktapur[https://medium.com/@amrit_sharma/bhaktapur-after-earthquake-an-exclusive-in-depth-look-at-the-town-everyone-loves-in-nepal-5f5bb5dfe318] and Sindupakchowk district. That will give you a better idea about the unique challenges.

But, short answer, the hardest thing right now is getting food, water and tents to the thousands of villages/town that have been flattened. They're in dire need for immediate assistance, and first aid (or heli evac to hospitals).

What do you think about the international donation and resource effort so far? My country, Australia, for instance has give a measly 5 miions dollars and sent 1 rescue team to purely look for Australians. Do you believe Nepal has largely been overlooked by most nations that arent its immediate neighbours?

Wikipedia article with humanitarian response from countries to Nepal

I am blown away and very impressed by the international response in aid and SAR (search and rescue) teams to Nepal. I wish I could say the same about the extent of the media coverage around the world.

i am not familiar with the aid Australia has sent. But I must compliment the Aussie media. I have run into quite a few of your reporters here. The one that comes to mind is Oliver Clarke, he's a cameraman for Channel Nine News. He did a heck of a job at the KTM Durbar Square on Monday (exactly a week ago).

What is the Chinese response like and what do Nepalese feel about it?

The response from several countries, including China, has been swift. I must say, I am seeing tents from the Chinese relief efforts pop up in several places. That's a very important aspect of short-term relief efforts - a roof over your head makes life so much better. Really.

We are truly grateful for the help from all countries, including China.

I have a friend from Nepal, also living in Kathmandu, who is worried that at least some aid is going into the pockets of government officials.

Is there any truth to his worries or is he being paranoid?

I don't have proof, and I'm not privy to any nefarious dealings, but c'mon man, this is Nepal. This isn't even a developing country, it's a "least developed country". Corruption is not uncommon here, and I wouldn't be surprised if quite a bit of it was ending up in the pockets of the officials.

I'd be surprised if we even received 50% of the donations. Do you have any idea if the youth in KTM have a better sense of responsibility regardless of their political affiliation or do you feel they're still the same?

Time will tell. Don't know yet.

Where were you when you felt the earthquake and how did you react?

I wasn't here for Saturday's big earthquake. I flew in on the first commercial flight here. I have felt 5 aftershocks here (about 4.8 and higher.)

I usually just assume that I'm dizzy or have lost my balance. It's not very obvious that it's as an earthquake. But when I realize it's an earthquake, I scuttle to get outdoors and move away from the buildings.

How severely do you think this will set back Nepal's development in the long run? Or will the sudden influx of aid make up for it? How long does it look like it will take to heal?

We don't know the answers to those questions yet. We don't yet know the scope of the problem.

For example: Will entire towns have to be demolished because there are very few buildings that are still standing and are safe enough to live in? Read my post about Bhaktapur for more.

Could you describe your experience growing up in Nepal? And secondly, What do you think is the best thing other countries, people could do to improve the situation?

I don't know how to answer that first question. It was good. Kathmandu is a very comfortable city to live in. The weather's great all year round. The people are very nice. We had some political turmoil in the 90s and early 00's, but somehow life just went on.

I blogged about the second question, and commented above too.

Any recent news concerning Ramche village in Sindhupalchok district?

Any news about the Ramche village? I havne't seen that village mentioned in the news.

But, I was in Sindhupalchok district on Saturday and it is bad. It is really bad. I am not familiar with Ramche village in particular, but I looked at it on the map. You should read my blog post here to get a general idea. But specifically, here's what I can share:

1. Map of Ramche village - It's right on the road, and that is a huge advantage. It's easier for volunteers from KTM and relief trucks from India to deliver aid there. That's good for the short term and long term. Plus, it's easier to get victims to/from hospitals.
   
2. It's East of Chautra - google maps link. I was at Chautra and the UK AID (from the ISAR - international search and rescue) folks, and what they told me wasn't pretty. It's in my blog that I linked above. But the epicenter of the aftershock at 1pm on Sunday has "totally flattened" several villages that they personally inspected. Their advanced team drove 2 hours till the roads end, and walked for 6 hours to find villages completely flattened with upto 80% fatality rates. I don't know and can't speculate whether the Ramche village region was similarly affected by it.

Any other questions?

Hi, thanks for the reply...I had seen your blog post in my previous searching! So, what I can gather generally is I will have to wait patiently...Sounds like access to Tatopani and tibet border is still limited on the araniko highway...Ramche is right above barabise, a ways after where the huge land slide was last year...so like you say in 1. they are close to the road relatively....otherwise, not looking good for my fiends there :( just wait and hope. is there still electricity in the region?

There was no electricity on the road we took up to Chautara. Although we did see one truck with repairmen looking at it.

Yeah, sit tight and wait for now. I really hope they're alright. Do you have a phone number where your friends can be reached?

Does the toilet paper roll go on under or over?

over.

Aside from the #indianmediagohome thing, how are we Indians helping you? How's the response from India over there? I sure hope we are not fucking anything up.

India has been fantastic. Everyone I have spoken to speaks highly about India's swift response and tireless efforts to bring in relief supplies, and evacuate anyone who wanted to GTFO. So far, it's getting high reviews and wining over many people here in Nepal.

That's good to hear. I really wish Nepal a speedy recovery and relief. I too donated to a relief organisation. It was as much I could do as a broke student. On a lighter vein, #dontcomebackindianmedia is also trending on Twitter, we don't wan't those insensitive idiots either.

Haha. Thank you.

How are the people coping? How are you coping? I can't comprehend what it must feel like to lose everything, belongings, livelihoods, family and friends, your national heritage buildings and monuments.

I'm in Kathmandu, and Kathmandu got lucky in this earthquake. It could have been much worse here. I'm ok right now. Today, it started to dawn on me that the cultural/historical loss is inexplicable. We have lost much here. It was 2-3 minutes, and centuries old statues and temples were reduced to bricks and dust. I've met people who have lost everything, and I can't even imagine what they're going through. It's bad man. I hope I can express my feelings and thoughts more eloquently when it's all sunk in and I've processed it all.

Do you plan on coming back to Minnesota? I am a board member for a student organization at St. Cloud State University called Helping Nepal International. If you do come back to the states would you ne willing to talk about your experiences and your ideas to where Nepal will need more support in the future?

Would love to. Do you know Eta Shrestha? Or heard of her at St. Cloud State? She graduated several years ago and is back here in KTM. She's running an excellent relief aid effort out of her house here.

I have not, I have only been a part of the Nepalese community here for a few years, maybe some of our older students have. Does she have 501C status? We are looking for a smaller organization to donate our money we have raised the past week.

Don't know. I don't think so. It's just a temporary operation to provide aid to anyone that needs it right now.

Did you experience the quake? If so, what was it like?

No. I wasn't here for Saturday's big earthquake. I flew in on the first commercial flight here. I have felt 5 aftershocks here (about 4.8 and higher.)

Since the earthquake hit Nepal recently, i think i'll ask a question that's a bit more cheerful, and focuses on the better times Nepal has seen

What is Nepal like? What is your experience with it like?

Ive always wanted to visit Nepal, i think its an outstanding nation and ive never heard anything bad about it. From the pictures ive seen of the people, landscape and the architecture, Nepal is one of the most beautiful places ive ever seen.

So as someone who grew up there what did you think of it? And did you miss anything while you were travelling?

Also, as someone who would like to visit sometime, any suggestions? How would you say Nepal compares to the other places you have visited?

This video made me tear up. This is Nepal before the earthquake. Video made by the NYTimes.

Visiting Nepal is not for everyone, but it is for most people. If you love to explore new countries, experience new cultures, new foods, and wander around small historic towns and narrow streets. Kathmandu is great. We also have 8 out of the 10 highest mountains in the world, so there's plenty of hiking and climbing here. Also, lots of white water rafting.

If you're looking for a beach, Nepal isn't for you. If you're looking for a night life, Nepal isn't for you either.

But, Nepal is one heck of a place, and you're more than welcome here.

How do you feel on the media around the world mainly focusing on both the Western people in Nepal and the most sensational story like the 102 year old man who was saved?

Media is a story whore. That is how they make their bottom-line. They are no different than corporate overlords of wall-street. It does not surprise me.

Doesn't surprise me either.

That's the world we live in nowadays. I mean, what can I do about it? I'm even frustrated about the coverage from the Indian media.

That's why I started blogging about the stories that I don't see in the media, and my first hand account.

How are your family and friends? How are you coping, yourself?

Where do you think individuals can best direct our donations? Do you see any groups that really have a strong presence on the ground now?

My family, friends and I are all safe and well, thank you!

I am coping well so far. I almost cried today, but held it back. It's been a challenging week here in Nepal. I mean, I've lost count of how many conversations I've had where the person tears up because they've lost their homes, their clothes, and have no idea where their next meal will come from.

I wrote a blog post about "how to help nepal from outside". You should donate where you are most comfortable and most confident that all the donations will go directly into aid on the ground, and not in overhead administrative costs.

In my blog post I have highlight the relief efforts from the SEBS (society of ex-BNKS students). It's graduates from my high school that are running it. It's a 501c3 registered non-profit in USA. The folks running it are highly educated, have immense local knowledge (as many come from villages throughout the country), and 100% of the money will go into relief efforts. I trust them because I know them and am comfortable recommending them.

You're welcome to contribute to any relief organization that has a Nepal Fund. There's a list in that blog post I linked to.

Yes, I am seeing groups on the ground. The most visible are the 'search and rescue' teams from the different countries. I have seen UK, Israel, Korea, South Africa and China in the past 2 days. // Oh, you meant, groups that you could donate to. Hmmm... I see at least one Red Cross symbol when I travel anywhere here.

Thank you for the work you are doing, and for your insights and recommendations.

I am glad to hear that your family is well.

You are all very much in my thoughts. I have made a Red Cross donations, but I will also make one to the local group you mentioned.

Thank you for your time. Take care of yourself in the midst of the turmoil.

Thank you so much! :)

What did you do when you felt the earthquake shaking the ground?

I wasn't here for Saturday's big earthquake. I flew in on the first commercial flight here. I have felt 5 aftershocks here (about 4.8 and higher.)

I usually just assume that I'm dizzy or have lost my balance. It's not very obvious that it's as an earthquake. But when I realize it's an earthquake, I scuttle to get outdoors and move away from the buildings.

Are you related to a Schwadin Sharma?

He's one of my teachers, he's from Nepal, and he's really awesome. I'm actually procrastinating for his test right now!

Haha. That's so crazy. Yes, I just sent him a text that BurnadictCumbersnat is procrastinating.

(No, not really. I don't know him.)

Bro, if you ever decide to take Management information systems at Mississippi State university, just don't. Even if the teacher has your last name, it's like watching paint dry.

Bahahaha... this made me laugh out loud. I'll keep that in mind dude. Thanks for the heads up. Now get back to watching paint dry for your test.

Do you think the Indians should go back?

It looks like they are causing trouble during the relief efforts. There are many others who can actually help you guys.

No one is asking Indians to go back. The hashtag is #GoHomeIndianMedia. But the broader message is that Indian Media has become increasingly insensitive, and all means justify the end (aka, higher ratings and more ad revenue).

Have any of the Maobadi parties in Nepal, e.g. UCPN(M), CPN-M, etc. helped in any relief work?

Good question. I don't know. I haven't paid attention to the local politics.

What would you like for us to know, that the media is not showing?

Kathmandu is good. The small historic towns like Bhaktapur are in really bad shape, even though the death toll is low there. And, there's a district 2 hours NE of Kathmandu that's really badly affected. I fear the death toll there will continue to rise and as "search and rescue" squads reach the remote village. It's called Sindupalchowk District and they're living in extremely desperate times. Read about that here and here.

If a random redditor managed to fly in, what resources are needed most desperately at the moment?

Money, food/water, medicine/treatment, search and rescue, administrative, etc?

First, read this by The Guardian.

Most desperately? Tents. Food/water. Medicine/treatment in rural areas of Nepal that are not accessible by road.

I live in Taiwan and we are collecting clothes here. What else would be helpful to collect and where should it be mailed to? Thanks!

Thank you so much for doing that. Clothes. Non-perishable foods. Plastic tarps for tents or to sit on. Soap. Tooth paste. Hand sanitizer. Umbrella.

Probably best to ship it to your embassy here. Umm.. not sure if Taiwan has an embassy? (I hesitate to even suggest the Chinese embassy.)

Oh, wait, there's an idea... send me a message when you are ready to ship it, and I will find a local NGO that you can ship it to. How does that sound?

That sounds amazing. We are ready to start shipping as soon as possible. We are actually Canadians, Americans, South Africans, Kiwis, Aussies, all living in Taiwan, so are going to be funding any shipping ourselves. I will pass along your list of things to our group. The sooner you get an organization name or address or contact the better. My living room is already filling up with donations.

Well, in that case, you can send it to any of the embassies from those countries in Nepal.

But i'll ask around for an organization that is accepting donation shipments.

I want to make a donation. Where or which organization can I donate so most of my donation would go to the people of Nepal?

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What is the prevalence of Nepal experiencing such a strong earthquake on an annual basis. What will be the government's next step in helping its citizens? How is the situation like now in Nepal?

It doesn't happen. The last big earthquake was in the 1930s. We lost 10,000 lives back then.

Government's next steps? LOL. I have no idea. Just have to wait and see. I'm still not sure about their first few steps so far.

How's the situation like now in Nepal? Please read the blog posts I mentioned in the OP.

What are your thoughts on "Bird Law"?

I'm not familiar with it. What is it?

almost anything? what are you not willing to answer?

The secret recipe for mom's world famous chicken mo:mo's.

Typically speaking (like not in the aftermath of an earthquake) how hard is it for a western guy to get laid there?

If a western guy goes out to the bars does he have a good shot at picking up a local chick?

It's a free country. You can lie down whenever you want.

Picking up a local chick? If you've got biceps, you may be able to lift someone here. Do you even lift bro?