Johan’s diary – 27th of May
6:30 I wake up and I didn’t need an alarm clock today. I have slept little restlessly though because there was an aftershock late last night and since then there has been thunder, rain and wind. I make myself porridge with apple and cinnamon along with coffee and cold juice.
7:30 Starting to sort the pictures in the camera and it’s a pretty difficult job. I will try to select the best and most illustrative of the images for our book and lectures. So much has happened these past weeks and I have photographed everything. I now have about 800 photos that I need to sort.
12:00 I go off to the Hyatt Regency hotel for a bit of cooked food for lunch. I is so nice with some cooked food now that I have eaten freeze-dried food for so long. Also I decide on some little gifts to take home for loved ones.
12:30 I pass a large tent camp and think sadly of all these people who have no homes and are now facing the monsoon in a tent (in the best case).
13:00 It almost looks as if the entire Canadian army has moved into the hotel. Canada has a lot of military men in place in Nepal to help after the earthquake. So today is similar to the restaurant as it is mostly military dining. There is a good atmosphere while I eat fish and chips and it tastes incredibly good! I also start to prepare the presentations for the next week of talks.
15:00 I go to the Karma’s business to sort out all financial transactions and I also buy a Nepalese flag!
16:00 Back at the monastery and I work a bit with the schedule for the reconstruction of the Home of Hope. Next week, we hope that the construction engineer can visit Ratankot and the Home of Hope, but it is not certain. Unfortunately all engineers are working for the authorities now to examine all the need for assistance. After they have visited, Shyam will deliver the building materials so it is in place before the monsoon. There is a big risk that the roads will be damaged during monsoon and we cannot get started until all the roads are repaired. We believe and hope that we will begin reconstruction in August and it will probably last until January 2016. We will build it with a slightly different design this time, we will use the designs of the buildings that managed the earthquakes the best. So more concrete and cement is needed but it will therefore become a higher cost. September / October, we plan for Lööf Foundation to go back to Ratankot to follow up the work on the site and hopefully TV4 will follow us as they were interested in making a documentary about orphanage construction and our aid efforts in Ratankot. We also plan to plant fruit trees in the coming autumn.
We hope the children will be able to move to the orphanage in February and in connection with it we will have an opening ceremony! If we have money, we want to mount solar panels for hot water and we want to build a chicken house so the kids can get lots of eggs. It will be called House of Hen!
16:30 Pema, Karma, Shyam and Siri returns from Ratankot. I have a short meeting with Shyam. Karma fixes some mattresses that he is going to drive out to someone in need.
17:00 I have been meeting with Pema and we talked about the future and how we will build the Home of Hope on a technical level. The fruit-tree project (we hope that the rest of the village will eventually get inspired to plant fruit trees on uncultivated land when they see the fruit trees at the Home of Hope), we also talk about what dates our visit during autumn will fall on and how we can sync it with Pema’s very busy schedule.
18:30 I send some texts to Sophie and then I cook. Tonight it will be pasta with mushroom sauce which taste ok.
19:30 I write the day’s diary. I thought a little about the most memorable experiences during this trip and I decide on these:
- The earthquake, the fear and panic I saw in people’s eyes, it really was a very scary experience, I will never forget this.
- All excited and happy children with mothers when they get the teddy bears, plus the young people’s fascination with the teddy’s. It’s such a strong memory for me!
- The father who told me about his dead wife and two dead children that protected the youngest with their bodies so she survived. It was absolutely the most tearful and most emotional moment during this trip. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.
- Swim and football with the young people! To see and hear their laughter and joy in all this misery was also a strong and unforgettable experience.
20:00 Trying to organize my papers. The internet is not working very well so it’s hard to send the photos. I’m thinking about this whole experience and there are so many mixed emotions as I leave Nepal. There is so much to do here to help this hard ravaged nation so I would like to continue my work here, but at the same time it’s very nice to come home to loved ones and all the amenities we have in our country. I think I need to digest and process everything I have been through as there is so much misery and suffering. I want to thank those who contributed donations to our work here in Nepal and I hope that you will continue to contribute if you are able to as we will not stop here. Our work to help and contribute to a better world has just begun! After the monsoon, we rebuild the Home of Hope here in Nepal. Thanks again to who followed and supported us when we tried to help Nepal through this difficult time!
21:00 I make the diary ready so it can be sent to Sophie and I realize that I am soon on my way home to my loved ones! The last few days I have had a bit more time to reflect, I realize how important they are at home, to get home to the kids and my beloved fiancée that I missed so much, it feels so amazing! Sophie has given incredible support both practically and emotionally, I love her so much and I am longing for a big warm hug. Now it is only just over a day left!