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moments in belgium |
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Publisher’s Note
Khum Bahadur Subedi has already made his presence
felt in the literary field with the publishing of
‘Padayatraka Pailaharu’ (literally Footsteps in
Trekking). Subedi is once again continuing his
journey in literature field but in a different way.
He has come up with a travelogue based on his 21-day
journey in Europe. Through his travelogue, Subedi
not only describes his journey in Europe but has
also tried to attract readers there. The visitors
that are going to Europe for the first time will
largely benefit from this book.
The book not only deals with the writer’s travel
account in Europe but also discloses his friendship
with Mr. Peter. The travel account has become
successful in arresting the writer’s imagination,
feelings and small events that he had while flying
above the clouds. The writer’s account in many
cities in Belgium can generate sweet longings among
readers. In his travelogue, Subedi also presents
some contrasting features between Kathmandu and
Belgian cities. When the author sees Belgians
enjoying swimming in pools with chemically treated
water, he can’t help remembering the plight of
denizens of Kathmandu queuing up for hours to get
drinking water. |
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In his travel account, the writer has beautifully
presented famous cycle journey in Belgium,
exploration of the Belgian markets and the
significance of Nepalese Thangkha Art. The author
also does not fail to mention the remains of Second
World War and the renovated Belgian cities.
With the presentation of this book, we feel that we
are encouraging the development of literature among
the members of Nagarjun Sahityik Pratisthan. The
involvement and cooperation of Mr. Subedi in
Nagarjun’s effort to publish literary works of its
members is indeed a matter of pleasure on our part.
Prakash Silwal
President
Nagarjun Sahityik Pratisthan |
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Benefits from European Journey |
Travelling abroad is not a big deal
these days. But the
objectives of travelling is
not limited to just
travelling. Travelling is an
influential medium to garner
experiences. Many people
limit the earning and
experience of their journey
to themselves while some do
share their travel accounts
with their friends and
family members. Some people
go a step forwards and share
or publicise their
experiences and information
that they gain during their
journeys so that it can be
of use to others as well.
Because of this reason,
travelogues are born.
‘Belgium Ka Kshyanharu’
(Moments in Belgium) is one
among such new travelogues.
Mr. Khum Bahadur Subedi is a
tourism entrepreneur by
profession. His job is to
arrange foreign visitors a
memorable holiday in Nepal.
In course of his business,
he, however, takes time to
visit different destinations
both at home and abroad. But
his visit is not limited to
gaining experiences and
enjoying the journey. The
publishing of ‘Padayatraka
Pailaharu’ (Footsteps in
Trekking) and ‘Belgium Ka
Kshyanharu’ (Moments in
Belgium) substantiates that
he loves to share his travel
accounts to others as well.
Mr. Subedi got an
opportunity to visit Europe
for three weeks which became
his first visit to Europe.
Summing up his experiences
of his journey, he has come
up with a book so that
others too can enjoy his
journey to Belgium. This
book presents the travel
account of Mr. Subedi from
his take off from the
Tribhuwan International
Airport until his landing at
the same place. It also
deals with some problems
that are incurred during the
journey and the ways to
tackle such problems. His
accounts of not being
allowed to board his flight
at Indira Gandhi
International Airport in New
Delhi, boarding a plane to
Munich instead of the one to
Frankfurt and the
cancellation of ticket in
Munich while returning back
to Kathmandu are very
interesting. All these
events clarify the extent of
negligence of concerned
authorities that compels
passengers to change their
schedule.
In this book, Mr. Subedi has
presented interesting
accounts of churches,
shopping centers, artificial
climbing walls, cycle
journeys and other beautiful
destinations in Belgium.
Likewise, he also presents
the remains of war
activities of German Emperor
Adolf Hitler, museum
dedicated to Second World
War and his sad experiences
on seeing the name of
Nepalese soldiers inscribed
in Army Memoirs. Equally
interesting is his
interrogation by German
security people after his
luggage created bomb hoax in
Frankfurt Airport. Mr.
Subedi also compares Brugge
city, which is rich in
historical heritage, with
our own historical city
Bhaktapur.
‘Moments in Belgium’ is the
second literary presentation
of Mr. Subedi. We can easily
note that Mr. Subedi has
excelled in presenting his
travel accounts in ‘Moments
in Belgium’ as compared to
his first presentation. May
Mr. Subedi further
strengthen his longing of
authoring such beautiful
literary creations in future
as well.
Shree Om Shrestha ‘Rodan’
Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur |
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A beautiful travelogue |
One day I happened to get the
manuscript of a small but
meaningful travelogue
‘Moments in Belgium’, and
the writer is Khum Bahadur
Subedi. Travelling and the
tourism aspects of Nepalese
and foreigners is the story
of this travelogue. This has
become a meaningful book in
the travelogue genre and it
begins and ends in a single
context dimension. Spread
over 25 A4 size sheets, the
travelogue has made its
presence felt in the essay
genre of Nepali literature.
Different sub-topics of the
experience that the author
had in Belgium have been
woven into a single
travelogue - ‘Moments in
Belgium.’
A narration can be termed a
travelogue only if it
possesses the quality of
selfness features of essay.
In other words, travelogues
are the convergences of
travellings and its
recollections. Many Nepali
writers are found to be
trying their hands in this
genre. ‘Jungbahadur Ko
Belayat Yatra’, ‘Chandra
Shumsher Ko Belayat Yatra’
and others are some
creations where descriptive
presentation overtakes
literary creativity. Lain
Singh Bangdel’s ‘Europeli
Chitthi’; Tara Nath Sharma’s
‘Belayat Tira Baralinda’ and
‘Patal Prabas’; Anga Prasad
Uprety’s ‘Italy Ko Chhalma’
and ‘April Ma Belayat’ are
some of the publications in
the field of Nepalese
travelogues that deal with
foreign journeys. Likewise
there are dozens of authors
trying their hands at
travelogues dealing with
their travel accounts inside
the country. Nirmohi Byas,
Manjul, Rajendra Subedi,
Yubaraj Nayaghare, Bhisma
Uprety, Ram Lal Adhikari are
some of the names that have
been enlivening the
travelogues genre in Nepali
literature. With ‘Moments in
Belgium,’ Khum Bahadur
Subedi is also trying to
join the company.
Written as a monologue,
‘Moments in Belgium’ is now
at the hands of readers.
Beautifully weaving nineteen
sub-topics -- ‘Kathmandu
lost in horizon’, ‘Flight
from Delhi deterred’, ‘Above
Arabian Sea’, ‘Reaching
Munich’, ‘First step in Mini
Europe’, ‘Mecelen and Gent’,
‘Examples of Physical
Development’, ‘Brugge, a
city resembling to Bhaktapur’,
‘Artificial Climbing Walls’,
‘A memorable musical night’,
‘Cycling and Barbecue’,
‘Recalling Hitler’s
atrocities’, ‘Thangkha and
De Berg Pallieters’, ‘Second
World War Museum’, ‘Pride in
being a Nepali’, ‘Experience
of Three Weeks’,
‘Interrogation in Airport’,
‘Remembering Kathmandu’ and
‘At last…’ – Mr. Subedi has
succeeded in making it not
just jumble of words but a
beautiful and descriptive
creation. The attractive
writing style of the author
has succeeded in describing
the places and contexts in
the journey in a brilliant
way.
We were spreading wings in
the sky. (Journey of
restlessness imagination).
Mine was the only Nepalese
face in the crowd. (Sensual
feeling)
Our flight was continuing.
(Presentation of sensitive
feelings)
The airport seems to fill my
eyes. (Imaginative
representation of facts)
Seeing the dark cloud in the
sky, the cloud of fear
engulfed my heart (Simple
presentation of fearness).
Sea bank seemed like a
dreamland (Beautifying
images).
We kept on flying in the
sky, enjoying the warmth of
the blanket and befriending
the dark night. (Live
presentation of habitual
beauty).
My eyes dispersed into the
length and breadth of the
airport. (Presentation of
simple feeling of the beauty
of restlessness).
My heart was happy to fly
above Nepalese sky after
negotiating with skies
across the seven seas.
(Beautifying the habitual
narration).
Though the travelogue is
small in size and volume, it
succeeds in disseminating
beauty and information in an
effective way. It has come
as the new creation in the
field of Nepalese
travelogues. The author of
this travelogue needs to be
thanked for his effort in
consolidating the travelogue
genre of the Nepalese
literature. Furthermore, I
wish him for his great
future in inventiveness and
long spell in creativity.
Rajendra Subedi
Ram Nawami, 2062 BS |
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My Words |
On 29th July 2005, I got an
opportunity to visit Belgium
which is famous as ‘Mini
Europe’. Since it was my
first visit to Europe, it
was obvious that I was very
curious about the prospects
of my visit.
Enroute to Belgium, I
reached Delhi via Indian
Airlines’ flight and again
boarded a Lufthansa flight
to Munich from where I
reached Brussels, the
capital city of Belgium also
aboard a Lufthansa flight.
The views of mountains,
plains, human settlements,
oceanic waves and ships
floating in the ocean were
magnificent. The views
simply got embedded in the
core of my heart. These
sweet and bitter feelings
started moving hither and
thither inside my heart.
These feelings created a
desire in my heart to share
my experiences to others as
well. Some friends of mine
further fuelled my desire
and as a result my travel
account to Europe is in your
hand.
In this backdrop, I would
like to remember my dear
friends who helped to
materialize my visit to
Europe. First of all, I
would like to thank my dear
friend Mr. Peter Van De
Meersch and his spouse Mrs.
Els Ven Den Heule for
inviting me to Belgium and
sponsoring my visit. The duo
not only arranged for my
shelter in Belgium but also
became my guide to various
Belgian cities. They took
the responsibility of
welcoming me at airport and
made arrangements for my
sightseeing in different
Belgian destinations.
They took me to beautiful
cities like Mechelen, Aalst,
Antwerpen, Brussel, Gent,
Brugge and the beach of
North Sea lying in the
border with Great Britain.
If it were not for them, I
would have never got the
opportunity for the visit.
Furhtermore, I wouldn’t have
met such good human beings
even if I had arranged the
visit myself. They also
helped me visit various
mountaineering clubs in
Belgium and also arranged a
cosy conversation with the
club officials.
I also would like to
remember by dear friend Mr.
Dol Prasad Aryal (Hari) for
advising me on my visit to
Europe. I am equally
thankful to journalists
Kaushal Bhattarai, Bishnu
Mani Bhattarai; writers S.P.
Koirala, Gobardhan Pooja and
Ram Chandra Dhamala, Rishi
Ram Aryal, my family
members, relatives and my
dear friends for helping me
to bring this book in your
hands.
I am also grateful to
Nagarjun Sahityik Pratisthan
and my friend at Tourism for
Rural Poverty Alleviation
Programme (TRPAP) Mr. Chet
Nath Kanel, for encouraging
me to publish my travel
account. Likewise, I am also
obliged to Mr. Shree Om
Shrestha ‘Rodan’ and senior
writer Mr. Rajendra Subedi
for writing their precious
words in my travelogue. I
also like to remember my
friends, journalists,
writers and well-wishers
that directly or indirectly
helped me to publish my
travel accounts.
I am hopeful and confident
that the book will be useful
in imparting some
information that one should
know before going to foreign
journeys. Though many senior
writers have already
published their respective
travel accounts giving
valuable information to
readers, my effort is in
adding a few bricks to that
solid foundation. Continuing
my writing attempt, this is
my second creation after my
collection of travel
accounts in Nepal:
‘Padayatraka Pailaharu’.
I feel proud in presenting
my travel accounts and
experiences in Belgium at
your hands. I will try to
publish similar books in
future as well. I am
confident that my valued
readers will encourage me in
my efforts and point me the
mistakes that they find in
my travel accounts so that I
can improve it in future.
At last, may all hands and
mind be active in writing.
Khum Bahadur Subedi
E-mail: khmsubedi@yahoo.com
Tel: +977-01-2180247
Mobile: 9851073958 |
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