Keep laughing, Nepalis!

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When it is difficult, Nepali is quiet. When it gets harder, he starts the song.

When a Nepali is overwhelmed by despair, s/he laughs.

Collecting materials about ethnic/caste groups, traveling around the country, the winds brought me together with many interesting people who left vivid and unforgettable emotions in my memories. These were people busy at work, who froze for a moment, interrupted their daily rhythm in order to give a smile to me, and the whole world, through the joys, tears and sorrows, no matter how.

When I encountered them, I asked only one question, could you smile? And they were as depicted in the photographs, the smile in different situations; genuine, free, with candid facial features and piercing mountain eyes that made you stop for a moment.

The attentive traveller will, of course, see the differences, namely, the more in the direction of the mountain areas the more facial expressions are non-emotional, and a lot of effort is needed to squeeze the smile out of a busy person. You have to be armed with great patience to be able to sense and understand them.

It is a peculiarity characteristic of a mountain man which expresses the complete opposite of today's appearance and the world overwhelmed by artificiality behind which lies suspicion. It will not be so easy to establish a friendship with mountaineers, but if it succeeds, then it remains for a long time. Don't try to play a fake game, they will remember for a long time.

Is it easy to laugh?

Although it costs nothing, the answer is not always found.

At work

They were all so responsive, even too much, that they used to go beyond what was required. I openly said that I am going to prepare a book for publication whose title will be, Keep Smiling, Nepali! Hearing it, almost all selected models hurriedly started doing makeup by putting on their best, and anxiously asking if they would have to pay for photography. There were also those who insisted on a fee as a royalty. If the model said anything special, then I wasn't skimping on pocket money.

Well, one day I met a middle-aged woman whose face was covered with wrinkles. It piqued my interest and I invited her to take a picture right away. Looking at the features of her face, it seemed that she once was a village beauty when she was young, paying attention to, how she hurriedly began to dig into the drawer in search for perfume.

The old woman laughed like she were tickled, as the flashes began to dazzle her décolleté. That was exactly what I needed.

Another time in a remote village, a young boy came to me and presented himself as a model. With the help of an interpreter, I gave my consent. When everything was ready, the boy suddenly said, wait a moment, I’ll be back with my friend. I looked forward to what it might be. After a moment, boy returned with a cock in his armpit. Friendship ties must not be lost, and I get to work immediately.

Excerpts from the book

.. Asides from Nepal’s astounding grandeur and opulence, it is also rich with people that embody an essence of what is to be human-warm, vibrant, strong happy and diverse.

Be fascinated and inspired by a collection of photographs depicting the sundry smiles of the Nepali people in Well, Nepali, Smile.

These captivating images vividly portray their innocence, age, beauty, and their happiness through their unique and meaningful smile that can pierce through the heart of those who see it.

It is lovely, dazzling and full of life, an indication of their strength and an expression of what’s in the depth of their heart and soul.

From the street boy up to the President, and the smallest man in the world, - Nepali keeps laughing.

Exhibition in Holland

Nepal is becoming increasingly integrated into the world, and with its cultural treasures, not yet polluted nature, is an enticing bridgehead that provides satisfaction and delight to visitors from all over the world. The peaceful nature and the hospitality of Nepali people is worth admiring.

It was an inexhaustible cultural art, a photo exhibition that introduced visitors to the peculiar nuances of the Nepalese portrait, the sharp difference in the shape of the face of the Asian peoples, not only in colour but also in character. It cheers the world with a call, to think about human existence, the values of life, without distinguishing skin colour, nationality and belonging to a religion.

If you smile, then a smile answers you.

A portrait of a Nepali appeals to the visitor and implicitly initiates a conversation;

Namaste, Traveller! Do you know what my name is? My name is Nepal. I want to ask you, have you ever felt the cool breath of the mountains, the reflection of the sky in the crystal clear water of the lake and the echo of my valley wrapped in the morning mist, where I live and was born? Look into the dark eyes, and you will see the history of my ancestors. In my charcoal black hair you will hear the wind, telling of those ancient days.

Echoes from distant Nepal warmed the hearts of the Dutch. In three weeks, the exhibition was visited by several thousand people. Of all the materials in the exhibition, twenty framed photographs were put up for auction and some of them were sold for large sums, thus finding support for my cultural project, National Costumes, Nepal II edition.

During the exhibition I met Dutch tourists who had just now returned from Nepal. To their great surprise, in the photographs they recognized the faces of people from Kathmandu.

When I as an author asked buyers what it was that influenced you to buy photos, the answers were different: ... those mountain-piercing eyes… I can't turn my eyes away from those facial expressions…

I'll be short of words to express myself, but I really like the look that permeates me...