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This is my account of the 8 days I had in Nepal once the earthquake struck. I hope it is honest and gives you a little bit of an insight into what we went through. I have had to read and re-read this a hundred times since I arrived back on Bank Holiday Monday morning. I am still trying to get my head around everything that happened and that I witnessed, I am sure I will one day but….
The news today has hit me hard, at least when I was there I felt like I was able to help in a small way, right now I feel completely helpless. But I have heard from most of my friends, they are safe and it seems the damage is not as bad this time around, probably mainly because the damage has already been done. But they are all scared, the aftershocks were getting less and less, now they are back to having had 12 earthquakes in the last 8 hours.
So – sit down, get a cup of tea/coffee, crack open a beer, pour yourself a glass of wine, grab your loved ones and give them a hug then read my blog……
My last 8 days in Nepal – into the unknown
The title says it all!
At 12.45pm Nepali time on Tuesday 28th April I boarded a bus. Not an unusual occurrence admittedly but….
I arrived back in Pashupatinagar, Ilam 24 hours after the first earthquake hit Nepal. At the time I had no idea of the enormity of it all, and as I am starting this blog (on the bus) I still really don't….
According to an earthquake tracker I found online, Nepal has had around 50 earthquakes over 4 on the Richter scale since the first one hit on Saturday lunchtime. That is basically one on the hour every hour at a level that will cause damage if there is just one, let alone a sequence!!
Seeing the pictures emerge from Kathmandu on Sunday just broke my heart, places that I knew and loved reduced to rubble with people buried underneath it
I frantically fired off texts to my friends, not even thinking that none of them had electricity, internet, or mobile signal, I just wanted to hear they were safe, I still haven't heard from a few of them, still not sure if that is because they are unable to charge their phones, don't have signal, or something worse……
Messages started filtering in from home, that's when I realised how big this was, its made it onto the BBC news!
Posts on Facebook, emails, texts, some from unexpected sources, all telling me they had heard the news and needed to know I was safe. In a tiny village in the East of Nepal that had been my home for the last 3 weeks, I suddenly felt very English again, and maybe even a little homesick!
I went to bed that night and tossed and turned worrying about all my friends and their families out here, hoping for good news from them all, then a sense of urgency came over me – I had 4 days left here, what could I do!
Turns out Simon had been lying upstairs thinking the same!
Monday morning, 7am we were both sat in the kitchen on our laptops much to the amusement of his mum and auntie who kept us supplied with copious amounts of coffee!
Both our brains were in overdrive! My journey back to KTM was originally planned as just me, suddenly it turned into "we" and then it was, "let's take a jeep and fill it with supplies", "let's take a truck", "let's take 2"! Facebook was updated, agencies were contacted, I got marched up to the local government office to watch 4 Nepali guys deciding whether I could make donations…..good job I didn't understand them, looking at the way they were rubbing their heads, sucking in through their lips and hastily making calculations, I had a feeling they were looking to skim some off the top.
One guy spent some time on his mobile (I will never get used to that in meetings over here) and then handed it to me! I looked at him in horror, "its OK you can speak to him in English" then this beautiful English/Nepali accent came out of the phone, it was Oxfam's "man in Nepal". He started to explain what Oxfam was, I stopped him "oh of course you're British"
He asked me to send him an email and he would reply with what was needed. I haven't had it yet (remember I am now typing this on the bus!)
I got back and Simon had been formulating more plans, he had heard that Gorkha was in dire need of help, aid was arriving in KTM but not in the remote villages that had been flattened, we could make a detour on our way to KTM
His mum was watching the news on the TV upstairs, sounded like a riot was going on. Simon explained that people were saying they had no water then it clearly cut to somewhere that water was being dished out……it sounded horrendous! We looked at each other and knew we didn't want to put ourselves in the middle of that, the one thing I had promised my friends back home was that I wouldn't take unnecessary risks. Suddenly the romantic notion of arriving in a truck with water to help the kids, sounded like a nightmare, there is no way we could take enough for even a small part of KTM…..
We spoke to the Red Cross, they were unfortunately dealing with recovery of bodies, aid was not their priority at the moment
The more we looked into KTM the more we realised we needed to shift our focus. Gorkha came back on the agenda….
Simon gave me an option, head into KTM or go to Gorkha, I was back on the "romantic notion" thing again……people at home would know this name, some agencies we had heard were heading out there. In one village we heard about there were originally 1200 houses, now only 40 remained, there was no choice to make!
It was 5pm, we had briefly stopped for lunch, literally just to have it put in front of us and wolf it down then start again, we were exhausted and had never needed "tongba time" more!
This was to be my last night in Pashupatinagar, so we headed to our favourite home and the tongba and snacks appeared.
I called Carole, my sister, as I had promised the night before, just so she could reassure my family…..I was standing outside laughing on the phone to her when I felt something familiar……"Earthquake"!! I ran up into the street along with the rest of the village, it felt stronger than the one we felt on Saturday and lasted less time.
Turns out the epicentre was in India, which meant it was closer and that was why it felt stronger and didn't last as long "the ripple effect" as Simon put it
I reassured Carole that all was well and she heard me laughing and joking with locals, I said goodbye and headed back to my tongba (important stuff!)
We got a call from Simons mum, they were too scared to be in the house and were heading up to take shelter at the school, there was no dinner, we ordered noodles and another tongba.
As we walked up to the house, most of the villagers were camping in the streets, there were rumours of another quake, everyone was scared
We plugged in all our electrical goods so we had full batteries for when we left, we had no idea when or if we would see electric again before I left Nepal
At the school, each family had their own classroom, this confused me. Why didn't we head to the cottages that Simon was building and stay in tents there? We were still sleeping inside….but his mum and auntie felt safe here so we settled down in our allotted sleeping bags that they had bought up for us……
I didn't think I had slept particularly well, we had snoring going off all around, I remembered Simon being at the door with the flashlight and hearing 2 thunder storms rattling round the hills…….turns out I slept through another earthquake and when Simon was at the door it was 1am and he had decided to give up and went back to the house, spending most of his time on the laptop
6am I was back at my laptop, I needed to move my flight, if we were going to Gorkha we would need more than one day there
But first we had been told some villagers wanted to meet with us, they wanted to have a collection but didn't know what to do. We got taken 2km down the hill, a table appeared with flowers on, the children lined up to say "Namaste" to me and give me a flower each, not what we expected
The elders then had a conversation with Simon, they wanted to do something but didn't know what and didn't want to lose any money to the government, they wanted to help their fellow Nepalis directly. He gave them advice on what they could do. We left with Simon's words ringing in my ears "you have inspired them to do something to help" not really sure how I did seeing as I didn't say a word!
But then I got the opportunity to keep my record intact. Ever since I came back here in Spring 2013 I have been on the back of a bike, usually round KTM. 9 weeks I've been here in Nepal and now I was finally going to get on a bike for the 5 min ride back up the hill and through the village
More updates, a call to Qatar Airways and £200 later my flight had been moved. In theory it was only an extra 2 days, but as I had changed from an early morning flight to a late evening flight, it was actually 3 days. We knew we could do a lot in those extra days
Simon made the calls, his friend could sort out a pick up and we could load it up and head to the villages, what on earth had we just committed ourselves to?
I went down to my room, packed my bag and put any warm layers I could into my backpack, no room for luxuries, the jeans and tshirt I had on would be permanently attached to me for the next 5 days, and even when I get to KTM there is no guarantee of a shower!
We headed down the village for a dal bhat and our final beer for a few days with 5 of Simons friends who had been on holiday in India and were now heading home to god knows what in KTM. These included a monk, in civvies, but I was only told he was a monk after we had "cheers" with our beer!
Then the call came, the bus was in. We all walked back up the hill in Pashupatinagar just as it started to rain, then the thunder and lightening started and we were in a full on storm by the time we got to the house, not a good sign.
Emotional farewells with Simons mum and auntie, we had formed a close bond over the last few weeks. They both started crying as they handed over prayer scarves and wished me well "Kartikma betaula" I said to them both as Lhakpa our trusted friend and my self appointed Nepali teacher beamed with pride (see you in November!)
A bus ride is pretty much a bus ride! As we headed downhill it got warmer and sunnier. Tea breaks galore, the seats were reclined (and comfy) and we tried to snooze.
Dinner at 10pm, an efficiently served dal bhat – seriously service stations in UK can learn a lot, there were only 2 options, rice or roti! In 15 mins all of the 4 buses that arrived in unison had had their passengers fed and were back on the road.
I settled down again and after what seemed like 5 mins the lights were on and Simon was shaking me "this is us"
We said farewell to the boys, they had agreed to take over our mission in KTM and get a water tanker delivering water to where it was needed, I knew they would be fine!
All our luggage was unloaded and the bus drove off. It was 1am and the buses just kept coming from the other direction, all full as everyone fled KTM
By the time I got back from my life risking trip to the public toilets (there is seriously not enough handgel in the world) Simons friend, Umit was there ready to take us to his home and a lovely big comfy double bed each, we both laughed as we collapsed and enjoyed the luxury and passed out.
We were both awake early the next morning and it was HOT! We had been living at 2000m and here we were down in Chitwan in the heat and sun, my warm layers seemed a mistake.
Umit is clearly the man to know, he rushed us around town to all the wholesalers and soon our pick up was full of food, water and medical supplies. Time for a quick dal bhat with Umit's family (all impressed that I was eating "Nepali style"), farewells and we were off.
As we headed out of Chitwan, everything still seemed so normal, are we really in a country where there has been such a devastating earthquake? But the emptiness of the road ahead on our side and then the chaos on the other side of the road told a different story. A convoy of buses were heading out of KTM and they were all full. Turns out school buses were being used to ferry people out for free and they were overflowing, people really were sitting on the roof!
We stopped in a town, Simon wanted some personal medical supplies including pain killers, our own water purifying tablets and more importantly….masks! He went off in search of those and left me in charge of food for the next couple of days. Well, its basically snacks, snacks, snacks!! I think the man in the little shop I chose thought all his Christmases had come at once, 4 bags stuffed full of crisps, nuts, noodles, sprite and juice were taken back to our jeep.
Simon re appeared with all his allotted shopping list and asked what I had got as we drove off on the road to Gorkha…….I told him then also added "oh and some whiskey for you and vodka for me" He smiled "Hazel Grace you are a genius"
As we got closer to Gorkha Bazaar we were shocked, not by the destruction, but by the lack of it. We both kept turning and looking at each other, were we really heading towards the epicentre, we could see Gorkha Bazaar perched on the top of the hill and it looked relatively unscathed, even more so as we drove in.
We passed the Gurkha's base where trucks of aid were being unloaded ready to be co-ordinated and distributed around the villages, but we knew where we were heading. We had been put in contact with a lady called Isabella Messenger who was running an aid centre very close to the epicentre between Simjung and Saurapani, they were in desperate need of supplies and having been put in contact via Facebook, we told her we were on our way.
Driving up the hill into Gorkha Bazaar was strange. There were some damaged buildings, but most of them looked intact and most of the town seemed to be adopting a "business as usual" approach, until we decided to check into a hotel of course. The first two refused our business, they were staying in their homes, but didn't want the risk of paying customers also being there. We found a lady who was willing to take us in, the driver wasn't happy to leave his truck on the main street as we had already been attracting attention, so the owner agreed we could unload our "goodies" into her alley way that she would lock immediately.
Sat in Gorkha Bazaar, drinking Gorkha beer – it was all a bit surreal until we went to bed. At 11.06pm I was awoken by the whole room shaking, another quake…….it was gone fairly quickly and I went straight back to sleep.
We had planned to leave around 7am the next day, but were all awake before 6 and as we were packing our bags, another quake hit "lets just get out of here" Simon said.
We then had a 3 hour drive over very dodgy roads, we were extremely grateful to be in a 4WD pick up. I had attracted 2 German journalists when we were sat eating breakfast at the side of the road, they wanted to know where we were going and then asked if they could tag along…..what would be the harm? We needed to get the story out!
We came to a part of the road where our 4wd struggled, but made it through, but the German's vehicle was not 4wd and their driver refused to go any further, could they hitch a ride with us? Sure, as long as they didn't mind travelling Nepali style. Now one of these guys was slightly on the larger side. Simon and I squashed in on the one front seat, while we squashed 4 people into the back seat that was a tight squeeze for 3 "are you sure we will fit" said the larger guy, I laughed and said "yes, this is Nepal" and winked at their interpreter who just laughed and shrugged his shoulders…..they managed to fit in!
Soon CNN joined our convoy and we sent a text to Isabella warning her that the press were on their way, she was not happy initially but we reassured her that the Germans, at least, had their own food and water so would not be a burden on her systems.
The villages on our way also seemed remarkably unscathed, how was this possible?
We arrived at a flat plateau where there were lots of tents set up, CNN had beaten us to it. Then a figure appeared out of one of the tents and started waving and shouting "Simon?" we waved back, it was Isabella, we were where we were supposed to be.
After swift hugs and introductions she showed us around the impressive set up of "base camp" there was the section for the tents for the volunteers, all roped off and boundaries set so that the locals wouldn't breach them, and they didn't! Amazing what a bit of rope will do.
We saw the medical tent and triage set up, then we were taken to the medical supplies tent, within the volunteers "village" so that it could be kept safe and secure.
The distribution centre for the food and water had been set up 1km down the road, deliberately. This was set up by some buildings that could be kept secure overnight if any aid arrived late, it also ensured that the food and medical aid teams were kept separate so that there wasn't lots of people around just the one area. They had a good system in place, twice a day they would distribute the supplies, but in order to receive them, the villagers had to say which VDC they were from, then give their name and their picture was taken. This was to ensure that the same people didn't take aid, then come back 5 minutes later for more meaning the really needy missed out. It was well organised, a lot better than the one we would see later that afternoon "organised" by the UN!
We unloaded the pick up, with a line of Nepali's going from the pick up to the storage unit, this took less than 5 minutes, Simon throwing to Prem (in charge of the distribution centre and ALWAYS smiling) then thrown down the line and into the lock up.
Then Prem suggested I hand out some water, the villagers had been waiting since the early morning distribution of food had finished and had been stood in the midday sun, "give them some water" Prem said, "if you hand it out they are less likely to fight" so I did – it was only a couple of cases we gave out at that time, but the villagers snatched the bottles out of my hands and immediately started to drink and share the bottles……a little part of our original pledge to our sponsors had happened.
We dropped the pick up back at base camp, Isabella was (as usual) on the phone, organising her troops, fielding calls from concerned friends "I am fine, is there anything you can offer us? No, well I am really sorry but I don't have time to talk right now" Her phone was literally ringing off the hook, she stood there with her phone plugged directly into the solar charger, pointing it in the optimum direction as she sought to get more power into her phone. The whole team was grateful we had bought a generator with us, even if it was a tad noisy! Oh, and Jamie her husband, was even more grateful that we bought fuel with us, they were using their bikes for reconnaissance and were gradually running out of fuel, the 10 litres of fuel we had bought would ensure this could continue.
We had planned to head up to Saurapani, the village we had heard had been totally destroyed by the quake, but Isabella warned us that there was an increased risk of landslides due to the rain yesterday and dry day today and subsequent aftershocks we were still experiencing "its up to you, but my advice would be to stay low today for your own safety" we took her advice and decided to walk along the riverside up through Baluwa and beyond.
If we thought walking through the devastated villages we found on the way to Baluwa was distressing, there was more to come. We watched the UN convoy of aid arrive – and be randomly distributed amongst the villagers that had arrived. There was no system in place, it was basically strongest and loudest got the aid. Some villagers told Simon they had been waiting days and still received nothing while we saw other villagers stockpiling stuff ready to be taken down valley to their villages in a convoy of porters. We told the ones with nothing about the aid centre just 10 minutes walk back down the valley and how the system worked down there, they were likely to be able to get some food from there.
We both got quite annoyed at the randomness of such a big organisation giving out the aid, watching them interviewing a beautiful child on camera but waving us out of the way so that we wouldn't "spoil" the background. Meanwhile arguments amongst the villagers continued all around us. How can an agency that supposedly has so much experience just dish out aid like this, when someone like Karmaflights had an organised plan that they had worked out as they went along and worked and had the respect of the villagers….
We continued upwards alongside the river, spotting wrecks of villages high on the hills and knowing it was unlikely anyone had reached them yet, Isabella had warned us this would be the case, but it was still heartbreaking when I zoomed in on my camera and saw these villages literally flattened and without help, not even anyone seeming to be moving around the wreckage.
Then we came across a school. At first from the road it looked like it was still standing, and to be fair, the main metal structure was……but the stone walls weren't, they were all inside the "classrooms" As we got closer to the school we both got quieter, there was no way that if this had happened any day other than a Saturday (the children's one day off school in Nepal) that any of the children would have survived, all the walls had collapsed inwards.
I took a poignant picture of the door to one of the classrooms, still standing, still proudly locked up……a sign that there were no children around that day…..
As we continued upwards we found our first totally devastated village, we crossed the river, this was the end of the road, quite literally, the new bridge that was being constructed wasn't fully finished so vehicles couldn't cross it. Even if they could the road the other side was completely blocked by a big landslide. We spoke to a couple of members of the local police who told us that at least 3 bodies were still buried underneath this landslide, this was the first time we had been told about buried bodies, it kicked in as we looked at this pile of mud and rocks…….
We picked our way up through the "village" walking over wood and stone that had once been someone's home……signs of home were all around us and then this cute little boy came running up to us and asked Simon if he had a pen? "What do you want a pen for" Simon asked "I want to show you my a b c" amongst all this devastation, kids still wanted to be kids and he just wanted to show off his knowledge to the "foreigner" that had come to visit his village. Simon then asked him to just say it out loud……and he did! There I was, balancing on wood and stone that once were someone's house and a cute little kid was beaming up at me reciting his abc perfectly! As a reward, he got the rest of our packet of coconut crunchees and went running down the pile of rubble with his "booty" in hand.
Every house here was just gone, it was a small village, probably no more than about 20/30 houses, it was difficult to tell amongst all the rubble, but it was just that, now a pile of rubble. Women picked through the wreckage trying to salvage some bits of their lives that had just been wiped out….
We picked our way back down through the rubble and out of the village in silence and continued up.
The road here was completely covered with the massive landslide we had seen from the other side of the river. The boulders at the bottom were huge, at least the size of a two storey house, you could see massive cracks in the hill above, this wasn't the last landslide this road would see, that was bound to come down soon – we picked our way carefully around as quickly as we could.
We followed the road up, large rocks scattered all around, but still amazed by the beauty of the surrounding countryside. Huge green hills all around, a beautiful river running through, then the most amazing sets of waterfalls, for a short time we forgot we were in the epicentre of an earthquake and just remembered the beauty of this country and why I love coming back here time and time again, it was peaceful, it was beautiful, it was intact.
Then the reality hit home again, an upturned vehicle, a completely destroyed JCB, the force of the boulders that had come down completely wrecked these two vehicles, it all seemed deserted so we hoped they had been parked up for the day and no one was injured.
It was getting late and we had been walking for 2-3 hours so we decided to turn round and retrace our steps back to camp. We crossed paths with many villagers heading further up to villages that hadn't been reached yet, they were carrying food and some had tarps for shelter. Some of them would be walking for 2 more days to reach their villages.
As we got back down to Baluwa Simon suggested we stop at one of the café's for noodles, then we wouldn't be taking vital food away from the volunteers at the camp. Three bowls of noodles and two cups of tea and the lovely young girl that served us apologised as she had to put the price up due to the current circumstances…….270 rupees!! That is just less than £2!! And she apologised…..
More aid trucks had arrived, the UN stood around just seemingly standing back and watching things happen, not getting involved, it all seemed so strange. There were various trucks arriving, all with aid from various groups (with big signs all across them advertising where it had come from) one local church group stood there in their white robes whilst holding their big sign as the villagers were handed the bags of rice, it was all a bit surreal.
We got back to camp and started to set up the tents. New volunteers had arrived, everyone was in good spirits, these were the guys that were doing the hard work. The medic team had been really busy that day, lots of casualties coming in and hearing of more up in the villages from the teams that had been heading out trying to assess the needs. We reported back to Isabella what we had found, we also knew that no matter what, tomorrow we would head up the 700m hill to Saurapani. We needed to see what was happening up there.
We sat on the side of the tarp next to our tent and cracked open the whiskey and vodka, never had alcohol been more welcome!
Everyone crashed early – all stumbling into our tents and sleeping bags in the same clothes that had been worn for the last few days, it would be a little while longer before I was able to change out of these clothes, but at least I knew that I would be able to, some of them did not know how long they would stay or be needed. I went to sleep wishing that I could stay, but knowing my time in Nepal was nearly done……for this time at least.
5.30am and we were both wide awake, as was most of the camp – so much to do and so little time, there had been another shock overnight – I had slept through it this time!!!
We loaded our back packs with water, packets of noodles and snacks – it was already hot and the sky was clear, this was going to be a long hard trek uphill. We had been told it would take us anywhere between 2 and 4 hours to get to Saurapani, some of the trail had been wiped out by landslides, so we would be walking over them, this wasn't a trekking route, this was a locals route, so no nice long zig-zags for the wimpy foreigners!! We got our final instructions from Isabella on what to record and we all knew that as Simon was Nepali, we were likely to glean a lot of information from the villagers as they headed down hill. What were their needs and concerns, if they were leaving the village, were they likely to come back? We were not here for a hike, we had a job to do.
We set off to the first village to cross the bridge. We had been warned that it had been damaged and that a ladder had been set up to get us onto the bridge, we had seen this yesterday so weren't too concerned and made it safely onto the bridge…..then we got to the last part – they hadn't told us about this damage!! It was wrecked and just about holding on! There was a rope strung across the part that was hanging down towards the river, the fencing on each side was damaged, the bridge was completely buckled and I had to somehow edge my way across this to get off this bridge……or I could turn back! 3 years ago, I would have turned back, with my fear of these bridges there was no way on earth that I could have even contemplated trying to cross this part, now I had no choice, well I did, but in my head and heart I didn't… it took me a while and a few swear words, but I did make it. Oh and then there was a distinct lack of path, new "steps" had been formed across a landslide….seriously was my comfort zone going to be tested any more?
We met lots and lots of groups of villagers on their way down, we thought they would be on their way down for food and of course some of them were, but their main concern was for tarps and shelter. Some of them were fed up, they came down on a daily basis yet ended up going back up the hill empty handed. Simon told them to not take the whole family as they were all using up vital energy, but understandably they all wanted to keep together and didn't want to leave any family member behind. Simon started giving advice as we went up through the devastated villages, some of these homes had tin roofs and the tin looked fairly intact so he was telling the villagers to use that to help build their shelters….
Everywhere around us there were flattened houses, every time we appeared out of the woods we came across more devastation. One house had completely covered the path. We stood there and talked to the owner as her daughter rummaged through the rubble, then I realised what she was searching for….potatoes. They had shelter, but were desperate for food, it seemed to be one or the other from the people we met, but mainly shelter was what was needed. Simon kept repeating the mantra about the tin, and getting them to start collecting firewood before the monsoon started.
We stopped for a water and snack break, a lady walked past us with her basket laden with leaves for her goats, she invited us to her house for tea….
We continued upwards, stopping to talk to each group that was heading down, all with the same story, they needed tarps for shelter, we continued past more flattened homes, and children playing in the rubble….life goes on…
Then we were at the top of the hill and entering Saurapani, three young girls walked past us carrying their big water pots, they told us a helicopter had landed yesterday and dropped off noodles and cookies, some aid was getting through, but that wasn't enough.
We walked across the volleyball court in the shade of the trees, then up into the sun to the first house, and a family that were in the 7th day of their ritual, mourning their dead. The German journalists were there, taking pictures, I couldn't…..it seemed so intrusive, we stayed for a few minutes on the sidelines with some of the villagers and then moved up into the village.
As we came up the hill into the sunshine, I realised I wasn't actually "in" a village, I was "on" a village……
Isabella was right, nothing could have prepared me for this, not the walk yesterday, not the walk up the hill and seeing devastated houses……this was a whole village that had been flattened.
The police were working hard, on creating their own shelter and new police station….
We gingerly picked our way across stone, slate, wood, peoples homes……there were signs all around in the rubble, clothes, flowers, cooking utensils, books, official papers, crumpled chairs, blankets…….but no tin….we then realised why all the villagers had been desperate for tarp, this was a village with very few tin roofs, there was no tin available for them to salvage and build temporary shelter, this village was made of stone, wood and slate…..
The German journalists had told us that 200 tarps had been delivered by helicopter yesterday, but where were they?? We spotted maybe 10 at the most, nowhere near enough for this whole village.
But the people were resilient, they were picking through the remains of their homes, trying to rescue what they could of their lives. Women were at the water tap, washing up, washing clothes, washing themselves…..
Families walked past us, all with the same story, they would find food somehow, but they needed shelter, we wished we had carried tarps up with us, we realised that there weren't any tarps down at the aid centre that we could have carried up……
As we headed through the village and up to the school, I was greeted by a "hello how are you" in damn near perfect English. I had a polite conversation with this man, it seemed so strange standing there surrounded by broken wooden houses having a conversation in English, but he wanted to show off his skills……I asked him how he was, "surviving" was his response as he gave me a big smile, I didn't know what to say
We arrived at the school playground, a big open space right at the top of the hill, the buildings were devastated, everything had collapsed. There was one big building that was made of concrete, the walls had bowed, and one wall had collapsed so you could see inside "class eight" was written in chalk across one of the beams, but books and rubble covered the furniture inside. I thought again, thank god it was a Saturday….
We took time to sit and eat a packet of noodles each and just reflect on what we had seen, I could hardly talk but knew that I needed to compose myself and do some filming while I was here. Simon grabbed the camera and I walked around the playground with the ruined school behind me.
As we were sat there we started to attract children, they were still drawn to their school to play, they showed off their English skills, we had pictures taken, they wrote down their names for me then stood up respectfully, their headmaster had just arrived. We spoke to him, the school had 650 children and 17 teachers, the kids ages ranged from 4-17……650 kids……I looked around, thank god it was a Saturday…….
We sat there for a while, lots of villagers stopping and talking to us, all of them positive, but clearly all with the same goal – they wanted shelter and they wanted to get back to normal as quickly as possible.
A beautifully dressed lady walked up to us with her young daughter, they had just been down to the aid centre and she was carrying a 25kg bag of rice for her family. She asked Simon if we had eaten, he told her we had eaten some noodles "that is not enough, you are here to help, come to my home and I will cook you some rice" she had nothing, her home was destroyed, she had a 25kg bag of rice that she had just carried up the 700m hill to feed her family and was offering some of it to two strangers, obviously we declined, she insisted, but Simon politely declined, we knew that later that night we would be in Pokhara…..
We decided to head down, it had taken us over 4 hours to get here as we had stopped and spoken to virtually every group of villagers we had seen on the way up, we knew our driver was waiting patiently down at the camp and that we still had at least a 5 hour drive to get to Pokhara that evening, but we also knew that we would get to Pokhara that evening, we were lucky.
We recognised villagers we had met on the way up who were now heading back up, complete with food and aid, some even had tarps, they all smiled and waved at us, this cheered us just knowing that their journey down the hill hadn't been without its reward.
It was hot on our journey down, really hot, eventually Simon just said "stop, I need a break" we had literally just kept going down, trying to get back to camp as quickly as possible. 10 mins break in the shade, a quick snack, a lot of water and he was right, we needed that break.
Soon it was time to renegotiate the landslide again, it still freaked me out scrambling over loose mud and being able to see the long drop down, but I did it without acting too much "like a girl"
Then we were back at the bridge, oh god I had forgotten about the bridge……now I had to try and negotiate it from the other side, broken part first, stepping onto the steep slant and trying to trust the rope. Simon went first, and slipped landing with a massive thump on his side but managing to grab on and not slide off the bridge….as you can imagine this panicked me even more. He got back onto the safety of the ground and we watched as the villagers crossed the bridge, in flip flops, with full loads on their heads… two young boys stood half way across the bridge and wanted to watch us try and cross, we eventually just sucked it in and went. Simon safely negotiated it this time, I watched carefully how he had done it and then just went for it, I am pretty sure I didn't breathe for the whole couple of minutes it took me to negotiate this part of the bridge, but when I got to the safety of the unbroken part of the bridge where the young guys had been watching us, I said "that's how you do it boys" and they smiled as I carried on past them, oh yeah, the ladder…….
Back at camp we gave Isabella all the information we had gleaned and said our farewells, this was a tough one, we were leaving when there was still so much to be done, but I had already moved my flight once, I really couldn't afford to move it again.
We jumped into the jeep and set off, 5 minutes later Noru came alongside on his bike "have you got Bella's number, can you call her, she needs to talk to you" turns out they were expecting a critically ill man in camp who was being brought down from one of the villages. He would need to be transferred to hospital in Pokhara as soon as possible and they didn't think they could get a helicopter, could we come back and see if we could take him.
We turned around
The critically ill man turned out to be 90 year old Buddha Bahadur, he had a broken hip and pneumonia, he was in a lot of pain. Also with him was his grandson, Raj Kumar. He had a badly infected leg, Anneliese who was one of the amazing volunteer medics at the camp tried to treat his leg, it needed soaking and then scrubbing to get rid of the dead skin. Poor Raj was in tears, his beautiful big eyes just full, he kept looking at me, pleading….but I couldn't help stop the pain. It was heartbreaking. They gave him painkillers and antibiotics and dressed his leg. Simon acted as interpreter and told him that he needed to clean it daily and take the tablets as prescribed.
Turns out that yes we were then going to act as ambulance for Mr Bahadur. I was worried, we were going to be heading along one of the bumpiest roads I have been on, with a critically ill man on our back seat, who just happened to have a broken hip…..but the medic team were happy, he needed to get to hospital that night and we were his only option.
They gave him ridiculously strong pain killers, his grandson Raj was nominated as the family member to accompany him to hospital, we were glad at least we knew that his leg would get attended to properly while he was with his grandfather.
So off we set, Mr Bahadur laid on the back seat, his grandson sat at his feet, one of the volunteers sat on the floor behind the passenger seat and Simon and I sharing the one passenger seat.
Every bump we hit I turned round, concerned for Mr Bahadur, I turned round a lot. Raj noticed this and on one of the occasions when I gave him a thumbs up to ask if he was OK, I was rewarded with the most beautiful big smile. This nearly made me cry (nearly!) all I had seen from Raj all afternoon was sadness and pain and with that one gesture his whole face lit up and his eyes seemed all the more beautiful, he knew he was in safe hands and that we would make sure both him and his grandfather would be safe that evening.
What we didn't know was that we were about to drive through a ridiculously big hail and thunder storm. Oh and that our vehicle would break down…….
We made it to a town called Abu Kharini and the driver pulled over, the vehicle had been making strange noises and it had finally given in. Luckily enough for us we were at a junction and the local policeman was interested in why we were stopping there. Simon explained what we had just been through and that we needed to get our patients to Pokhara. Turns out this policeman was from the same village as Mr Bahadur!!!! He got straight on his radio and within 10 minutes an ambulance was there to transport them to hospital. The driver took our number and told us he would phone us when they arrived, then we would need to pay him, no free ambulance rides here!
Simon called his friends in Pokhara, they would send transport for us. We headed to the afé over the road and drank beer and ate snacks with the policeman while we waited.
Our driver arrived and got us back to Pokhara in break neck time – we laughed most of the way there, sometimes hitting 120kph on the empty roads, meanwhile the most spectacular lightning storm was going on around us.
We got the call, the ambulance had arrived – we would be there in 20 minutes.
This was my first visit to a hospital in Nepal, and to be honest I was impressed! Seemed clean and it was BIG! But we quickly found our guys in A&E, and the ambulance driver quickly found us, took his payment and went on his way.
We stayed with them until Mr Bahadur had been for his X-Ray and we made sure they both had some food. Simon then gave Raj Kumar some money so that he had the means to get them home once they were declared fit and discharged. He also gave him his phone number so that if the hospital tried to give them any bills, Simon would sort it. The hospital had agreed to take them in for free, so we wanted to reassure him that he wouldn't be just left there and alone.
We arrived back at our hotel around 11pm, time for a quick club sandwich and a beer, then collapsed…
The next morning I treated myself to a shower and got a text from Simon, he was at the hotel next door where we would have breakfast before heading back to KTM.
It was strange. Here I was sat at the bar of a 5* spa resort, in the sunshine, families lying round by the pool, kids playing and fresh coffee being brewed for me…..it didn't feel right – we both agreed. 24 hours earlier we had been climbing up the hill to Saurapani, walking over peoples houses and talking to people that had nothing. Here we now were in luxurious surroundings watching people on holiday, life going on as "normal". We helped ourselves to the breakfast buffet, but it didn't taste right, there were people out there that didn't have this luxury….
We headed back to our hotel and packed our bags, there was another journey to be made, back to KTM. But first we had a few meetings and discussions with Simon's friends who were trying to organise more aid to get out to the villages. A quick trip to a local restaurant for dal bhat for lunch, then it was time for our goodbyes and we got into the vehicle and headed back to KTM.
We stopped for a drink and my phone started ringing, it was a friend from KTM that I hadn't heard from yet, he was safe! I called my friend Bhim, he had been injured at Everest Base Camp. It was so good to hear his voice, he was doing fine, back at his room with his family who were all safe and he was due to have an operation on his damaged hand on Monday. I told him I was on my way back to KTM and would try and see him the next day, but was unsure if I would be able to get out.
As we approached KTM valley, the mood in the car changed…..we all fell quiet and looked out across the city as it sprawled in front of us, unaware of what we would find.
We came in through the outskirts, odd buildings had collapsed or tilted, but not much damage, it all seemed so random. There was one part by the ring road that had seemed to be badly hit, but most places seemed fine. A few people were camped out. We headed into Thamel, again most places seemed fine (on the outside of course) but it was quiet, oh so quiet….anyone that has ever been to Thamel knows it is NEVER quiet. About 50% of the shops were open, I was surprised at that.
I checked into my usual hotel and was warmly greeted with hugs from all the staff. There were cracks all around the building, but they had been assured by their engineer that the building was safe. I dumped my bags in my room and we headed out for some food.
Simon stayed for about an hour, but I could tell he was anxious, his 80 year old father had been sleeping outside for a week now, he needed to get back to him. He said hello to our friends in Sams Bar then headed back, I was surprised he lasted that long, I would have gone straight back…..
It was surreal being in Sams and drinking with my friends, we all had our own stories to tell, but it felt good to get great big bear hugs from them all.
The next morning I went in search of somewhere for Simon, me and the guys we had been on the bus with to meet for breakfast, my hotels kitchen wasn't in operation.
I went to the hotel I had stayed in for my 2 weeks in KTM. The restaurant there was closed, but I was grateful to see Durga behind reception of Yala Peak hotel, then I opened the door and saw his face, this was a different man, a broken man.
He came round from the back of his desk and just bear hugged me, I could see tears in his eyes. His business partner had been on a trek with 6 clients and 2 other members of staff in Langtang when the avalanche/landslide wiped out the whole of the village. 5 of his clients and one of his members of staff were safe, but his business partner, one of the clients and one of his trusted porters were missing, he knew they had been in the village when the landslide struck. He had spent the last week trying desperately to search for them, he had been to Langtang and bought back the survivors…."his girlfriend keeps calling me for news, what words can I give her?" I had no words for him, I could see he was broken, I just stayed with him, listened to his story of his last week and reassured him.
I reluctantly left Durga, Simon was on his way to Thamel with his friends, I told him the café at the bottom of my hotel was open and we could meet there…..I was now even more determined to help these wonderful people….Durga's story was the first "real" time I had spoken with someone about missing people, yes I had seen collapsed villages and heard about people being buried, but this was the first time I had seen someone, who I was able to communicate with in my language, that had lost someone dear. It hit me harder than I thought it would.
Back with the boys, I watched in amazement as 5 Nepali guys were given a problem and got on their phones and started sorting….within 15 minutes we had data on villages, house numbers, people, etc…we had offers of cement and iron rods….we even had people that wanted to help in the construction – it was amazing seeing these guys work. Simon kept apologising to me as clearly they were all speaking in Nepali to each other. I told him not to worry, I could see work was being done, that needed to be done in Nepali, I was surplus to requirements in this instance!
They disappeared for a lunch meeting, I was invited but I only had a couple more hours, I needed to pack, work out what I was leaving with Hotel Access and also pick up my passport.
The afternoon just seemed to disappear and all too soon Simon was on the phone, "I am on my way back, what time are you leaving?"
We met around 5pm and were sat enjoying a beer and relative peace, I was packed, I had my passport, I was being picked up at 6pm. We were planning when I was coming back, he was telling me what they had sorted that afternoon, then we felt something familiar. Tourists around us started panicking, it was another shock. I looked up at my hotel and saw Subash, the owner, telling people to keep calm. Guys started to run out into the street, we sat where we were, knowing it would go soon….how could something so abnormal, now feel normal? It was gone in about 30 seconds, we smiled and continued our beer.
I got emotional when my friend Asim called me to say goodbye, this really felt like I was abandoning all my friends in their hour of need, escaping back to my country. This place felt like home now, I didn't want to leave. Simon told me I had to go "you need to keep Nepal in peoples minds, you can best do that back in the UK" he was right of course.
My best shot at doing the right thing for these amazing people would be by being back in the UK, raising awareness and making sure everyone realised just what it was like out here, and that the monsoon was rapidly approaching, and that the shocks were still happening, and that these amazing people were still standing, still fighting, and still searching for food and shelter for their families.
I am therefore not ashamed to ask you all to dig deep. Thank you to those of you that did donate after my last blog – you are amazing!
We will, of course, continue to keep you updated on our work. There have been so many discussions between us over the last week, and these will continue. We are currently working alongside the Nepal Youth Foundation who have been our NGO and our guides whilst sorting out the needs of Pangboche School. They are currently out in the field distributing food, medical supplies and much needed shelter. They have a bigger network than just me, therefore your money has already helped thousands of children, so Dhanyabad (thank you!)
So, here it is – please help us to help these amazingly resilient people via the following link Virgin Money Giving
If you want to see pictures of my two days around the epicentre, here are the links, they are on Facebook, but they are public, so you don't need to be on Facebook to view them.
And one that you may need the tissues for, a video of me in Saurapani (not the one from the school, I haven't uploaded that yet)
Lots and lots of love to you all


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The Teddy Bears Are In Practical Parenting
My article in "Practical Parenting" this month is all about craft ideas to inspire dramatic play with your child's teddy. Any regular reader of my blog will know this is a subject very near and dear to my heart.
My kids both have teddy bears that they love and adore and have had since they were babies.
These teddies are the inspiration for many of their dramatic play games.
When Em was 2, I found a great way to inspire her with an art and craft project was to encourage her to make something for her Teddy, Hamley. The very first thing she made was a shoe box bed for him that we still have to this day.
Ed has followed in her footsteps making many things for his teddy Yarji.
When the magazine asked me if I had any photos of the craft projects I'd written about, I couldn't miss the opportunity to include my 2 small furry family members in the shoot.
The magazine is out until the end of the month if you wanted to check it out!
Labels: Practical Parenting, teddy bears
1 comment:
Teddy bears are amazing for children! They can give them selves a friend that is there at all times. My favorite kind are the Christmas Teddy Bears.ReplyDelete
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subset: commoncrawl


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Join Website or existing users Login
Players looking for a team? Team looking for players?
Following on from last years successful League Open Day we are again holding a number of them across the summer, this is a Sheffield and District Junior Sunday League event hosted by member clubs across the region. The aim is purely to give anyone who wishes to play regular team football the chance to do so, over the past month the event has been promoted by the League and I have a number of players looking for teams to join at various ages. Clubs and players alike can register with me and details will be passed on to the players looking for a team to join. I must stress these events are NOT TRIALS!! Players will be asked to give feedback on whether they we're took on by the club they we're pointed towards and if not why not, many of the players who attend these events just want to play football and make friends often released by clubs for being deemed 'not good enough' so if your looking for a 40-goal striker its unlikely you'll get one passed onto you through this event! …… the aim is purely to get as many kids who want to play football and chance to do so regardless of ability.
•If your a parent looking for a team for your child please register with me
•If your a club looking for new players please register with me
•If your a team/club releasing players for whatever reason please direct the players and parents to this link!!
All players will be directed to the clubs/teams who have registered with me. This is the last one for this season.
Herringthorpe Playing Fields, Middle Lane South, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S65 2HR (Hosted by Valley Juniors)
Date: Sun 24th August
Times and age groups will be
•u7s u8s u9s 10am-11am
•u10s u11s u12s 11:30am-12:30pm
•u13s & u14s 1pm-2pm
•u15s & u16s 2:30pm-3:30pm
Clubs/Coaches more than welcome to attend or if you email your details and I'll pass them on to the players who attend.Any further questions I can be reach on my email which is email@example.com please share this link around your teams and clubs and lets try to get a team for every child who wants to play.
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Now, Montegrappa launced their Espressione with a new look and colors.
The first thing that attracted us is the mother-of-pearl resin materials that was used for the pen, and the plating used. Unlike other brand, Montegrappa chose to use rhodium plating, which will maintenace it beauty and shine as look as there is no bad scratch on the trimming.
The all-new Espressione features an octagonal-shaped cap band, designed so that the pen will stand still when placed on a tabletop. The previous edition has round trimming.
The mother-of-pearl resin comes in four impressive color. The vibrant Blue, the elegant Brown, the evocative Green and the classic Smoked Black.
Materials: Resin, Rhodium plated trim
Nib: Steel nib with iridium point
Nib size: F/M/B
Ink filling system: Convertor/Cartidge


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About Us
Get Involved
Discussion Board
Garland Oaks
Hope Gatherings
Contact Us
Become a volunteer
Make a Difference
Street Hope TN
is a faith-based non-profit organization leading churches, community organizations, and individual volunteers on a comprehensive path to end Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in Tennessee and the United States. Our desire is to eliminate sexual exploitation and trafficking of children and provide safe environments to foster healing and hope through Jesus Christ, and we pursue fulfilling this mission through:
Learn More...
Discussion Board
Where we discuss DMST and recent news, share personal testimonies, and encourage others to raise their voices for the voiceless
and to move mountains to bring an end to sex trafficking.
July 30, 2018
Let's Be the Hands & Feet of Jesus
Let's Be the Hands and Feet of Jesus! As an employee of a ministry like Street Hope TN, I often receive comments from others, such as,
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March 29, 2018
Meet Our New Team Member | Amy McAmis
We are thrilled to introduce our Strategic Development Specialist, Amy! Amy has a heart for vulnerable children and is passionate about sharing the perfect love of
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November 1, 2017
Internet Safety Series: YouTube… or No?
Have you ever gotten onto YouTube to find out how to do a French braid or some DIY tutorial, and then next thing you know, a
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Taking pleasure in some publish - Seasonal purchasing, Kate Hudson and Matthew Bellamy hit the retailers of Aspen, CO on Wednesday (December 26).
The "Bride Wars" blonde stayed heat in a cozy black hoodie with a skull scarf and furry black snowboots, as she and her major man musician grabbed espresso from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
The pair continued their Boxing Working day outing by ducking into a ski shop and surfacing with some snowboarding gear.
Kate and Matt were in town to celebrate Xmas with her mom, Goldie Hawn, and stepfather, Kurt Russell.
Delight in the photos of Kate Hudson and Matthew Bellamy out for a walk in Aspen, CO (December 26).


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Despite getting a head start on my Christmas shopping this year, there are still a few people I've struggled to find gifts for. Boys, mostly, because you know, boys are hard. Anyway, I thought I'd do a series of gift-guide posts for the person (or persons) in your life who are consistently hard to shop for. First up: The Beauty Junkie.
This is my holy grail lip product, and I recommend it every chance I get. Seriously, ask my family.
Nuxe Rêve de Miel Baume Lèvres – Lip Balm
A girl can never have too many hand creams, as far as I'm concerned. These are two of my absolute favorites.
Gift sets are a dime a dozen come the holidays, but that means you're guaranteed to find one for anybody and everybody. Plus, they are such a steal, usually coming in only a few dollars more than the original product, but with a ton of extras.
Although not technically beauty related, I wanted to incorporate a few fashion items. Beauty products and fashion often go hand in hand for me. I'm obsessed with tartan and plaid this year, have been even through the summer, so I'm glad it's making its way into items other than the shirt. And who doesn't love a big comfy sweater?
Personally, I don't think the Mason Pearson brush would be a great product for me, as my hair is temperamental, and using a brush, rather than comb, tends to exacerbate the problem. But I know people swear by Mason Pearson brushes, and I'm sure for somebody with relatively normal hair, this would be a godsend.
From France Magazine: "In this fun new book, a pair of fashion bloggers promise to reveal the secrets of their compatriots' mysterious and seemingly innate ability to look sophisticated under any circumstances. With the help of hand-drawn illustrations and photos of models, fashionistas and anonymous women met in the street, they dissect the essential elements of les Parisiennes' deceptively casual, highly individualistic brand of urban chic and offer readers tips galore on creating their own personal style."
This book has caught my eye a few times, and I imagine any fashion/beauty addict would find it a fabulous read.
Urban Outfitters
Hair pins are one of my favorite gifts to give and receive. They're just so easy, and pretty.
I'm really excited about sharing the rest of this series with you all. I hope, at the very least, it sparks some inspiration for your holiday shopping.
Let me know what beauty products you'll be shopping for this holiday season!
Happy shopping!


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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Unlike some other viruses, the human body can't get rid of HIV completely. So once you have HIV, you have it for life.
HIV attacks the body's immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system fight off infections. If left untreated, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to get infections or infection-related cancers. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can't fight off infections and disease. These opportunistic infections or cancers take advantage of a very weak immune system and signal that the person has AIDS, the last state of HIV infection.
No effective cure for HIV currently exists, but with proper treatment and medical care, HIV can be controlled. The medicine used to treat HIV is called antiretroviral therapy or ART. If taken the right way, every day, this medicine can dramatically prolong the lives of many people with HIV, keep them healthy, and greatly lower their chance of transmitting the virus to others. Today, a person who is diagnosed with HIV, treated before the disease is far advanced, and stays on treatment can live a nearly as long as someone who does not have HIV.
The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested. Testing is relatively simple. You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics, substance abuse programs, community health centers, and hospitals offer them too. You can also buy a home testing kit at a pharmacy or online.
Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, and not everyone who has HIV advances to this stage.
AIDS is the stage of infection that occurs when your immune system is badly damaged and you become vulnerable to opportunistic infections. When the number of your CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3), you are considered to have progressed to AIDS. (The CD4 count of an uninfected adult/adolescent who is generally in good health ranges from 500 cells/mm3 to 1,600 cells/mm3.) You can also be diagnosed with AIDS if you develop one or more opportunistic infections, regardless of your CD4 count.
Without treatment, people who are diagnosed with AIDS typically survive about 3 years. Once someone has a dangerous opportunistic illness, life expectancy without treatment falls to about 1 year. People with AIDS need medical treatment to prevent death.
Scientists identified a type of chimpanzee in Central Africa as the source of HIV infection in humans. They believe that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV) most likely was transmitted to humans and mutated into HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their infected blood. Studies show that HIV may have jumped from apes to humans as far back as the late 1800s. Over decades, the virus slowly spread across Africa and later into other parts of the world. We know that the virus has existed in the United States since at least the mid- to late 1970s.
How Does HIV Progress In Your Body?
Without treatment, HIV advances in stages, overwhelming your immune system and getting worse over time. The three stages of HIV infection are: (1) acute HIV infection, (2) clinical latency, and (3) AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
However, there's good news: by using HIV medicines (called antiretroviral therapy or ART) consistently, you can prevent HIV from progressing to AIDS. ART helps control the virus so that you can live a longer, healthier life and reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others.
These are the three stages of HIV infection:
Acute HIV Infection Stage
Within 2-4 weeks after HIV infection, many, but not all, people develop flu-like symptoms, often described as "the worst flu ever." Symptoms can include fever, swollen glands, sore throat, rash, muscle and joint aches and pains, and headache. This is called "acute retroviral syndrome" (ARS) or "primary HIV infection," and it's the body's natural response to the HIV infection.
During this early period of infection, large amounts of virus are being produced in your body. The virus uses CD4 count to replicate and destroys them in the process. Because of this, your CD4 cells can fall rapidly. Eventually your immune response will begin to bring the level of virus in your body back down to a level called a viral set point, which is a relatively stable level of virus in your body. At this point, your CD4 count begins to increase, but it may not return to pre-infection levels. It may be particularly beneficial to your health to begin ART during this stage.
During the acute HIV infection stage, you are at high risk of transmitting HIV to your sexual or drug using partners because the levels of HIV in your blood stream are very high. For this reason, it is very important to take steps to reduce your risk of transmission.
Clinical Latency Stage
After the acute stage of HIV infection, the disease moves into a stage called the "clinical latency" stage. "Latency" means a period where a virus is living or developing in a person without producing symptoms. During the clinical latency stage, people who are infected with HIV experience no symptoms, or only mild ones. (This stage is sometimes called "asymptomatic HIV infection" or "chronic HIV infection.")
During the clinical latency stage, the HIV virus continues to reproduce at very low levels, although it is still active. If you take ART, you may live with clinical latency for several decades because treatment helps keep the virus in check. (Read more about HIV treatment.) For people who are not on ART, the clinical latency stage lasts an average of 10 years, but some people may progress through this stage faster.
People in this symptom-free stage are still able to transmit HIV to others, even if they are on ART, although ART greatly reduces the risk of transmission.
If you have HIV and you are not on ART, then eventually your viral load will begin to rise and your CD4 count will begin to decline. As this happens, you may begin to have constitutional symptoms of HIV as the virus levels increase in your body.
This is the stage of HIV infection that occurs when your immune system is badly damaged and you become vulnerable to opportunistic infections. When the number of your CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3), you are considered to have progressed to AIDS. (In someone with a healthy immune system, CD4 counts are between 500 and 1,600 cells/mm3.) You are also considered to have progressed to AIDS if you develop one or more opportunistic illnesses, regardless of your CD4 count.
Without treatment, people who progress to AIDS typically survive about 3 years. Once you have a dangerous opportunistic illness, life-expectancy without treatment falls to about 1 year. However, if you are taking ART and maintain a low viral load, then you may enjoy a near normal life span. You will most likely never progress to AIDS.
Factors Affecting Disease Progression
People living with HIV may progress through these stages at different rates, depending on a variety of factors, including their genetic makeup, how healthy they were before they were infected, how soon after infection they are diagnosed and linked to care and treatment, whether they see their healthcare provider regularly and take their HIV medications as directed, and different health-related choices they make, such as decisions to eat a healthful diet, exercise, and not smoke.
Time Between HIV Infection and AIDS
Factors that may shorten the time between HIV and AIDS:
- Older age
- HIV subtype
- Co-infection with other viruses (like tuberculosis or hepatitis C)
- Poor nutrition
- Severe stress
- Your genetic background
Factors that may delay the time between HIV and AIDS:
- Taking antiretroviral therapy consistently
- Staying in regular HIV care
- Closely adhering to your doctor's recommendations
- Eating healthful foods
- Taking care of yourself
- Your genetic background
By making healthy choices, you have some control over the progression of HIV infection.
Not everyone is diagnosed early. Some people are diagnosed with HIV and AIDS concurrently, meaning that they have been living with HIV for a long time and the virus has already done damage to their body by the time they find out they are infected. These individuals need to seek a healthcare provider immediately and be linked to care so that they can stay as healthy as possible, as long as possible. Use the
*Source: https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/just-diagnosed-with-hiv-aids/hiv-in-your-body/stages-of-hiv/


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- burnsiderugbyAsked on September 08, 2015 at 06:14 PM
We are using an online registration form for our touch module.
Quite a few are saying that when they try to enter the form online, they enter player details in the fields for players 1 to 7 (required), but it won't let them submit the form. It will allow players 8+ (not required fields).
Please explain.
Iain Manson
- JotForm SupportEltonCrisAnswered on September 08, 2015 at 09:47 PM
I can't seem to reproduce the problem. I tested your form and it submits just fine.
If you continue to encounter the problem, try replacing your two terms and conditions widget with a regular checkbox field and see if that makes any difference. If not, let us know so we can continue to assist you here.


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So I don't avoid another potential lengthy deleting file session and fiasco, I've decided to put the file on the website and not post it as an attachment here.
Basically what this is is my tomato throwing game I tried to make in Batari Basic, but the tomatoes kept on flickering (hence the thread devoted to it.) I could have just as easily done this on the Odyssey 2, but I decided to do it on the Intellivision because it has more colors to choose from and better sprite capabilities. All I have done so far is the title screen. That's it. The title screen plays a little ditty I composed. It should be eerie to give the game a spooky theme, since it's the SECRET government waffle project.
the secret government waffle project's website: http://www.atari2600land.com/sgwp/


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Staff Reporter
Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday emphasized on promoting awareness throughout the province about oral cancer. He expressed his satisfaction that Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine (AIDM) was also engaged in the community and dentistry and charity by working in the localities of less privileged segment of the society, and increasing awareness about oral dental hygiene in the public sector schools. " I request Principal of Altamash Institute, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Altamash to conduct a series of community activities for both urban and rural population to enhance awareness about oral cancer," the Chief Minister said while addressing AIDM's convocation-2016 here.
He noted that the disease of oral cancer was fast spreading in our over-pressed working force because of increasing use of betel nuts and tobacco related stimulants , which were easily available in the market. These were hazardous to health and had caused a serious concern for the nation as a whole. He extended his commitment and possible help to the above national cause, and desired to save especially school going children from this menace. We are a nation with our own distinct sense of traditions, history and social values and must preserve these while moving shoulder-to-shoulder with the advanced countries. He urged the youth to work hard and make this country a true reflection of the beliefs and convictions in shaping the future of Pakistan. He advised them to continue getting education. " There is literally no end to seeking higher and advanced education," he stressed.
He quoted father-of-the-nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's saying " The price of greatness is a sense of responsibility." Syed Murad Ali Shah appreciated the contribution of AIDM in medical and social sectors. He hoped that the graduates from this institute would excel globally and bring home cutting edge knowledge and clinical skills currently being practiced in the developed world. Addressing especially the students completing their four-year course, BDS, at AIDM, the Chief Minister said that as professional leaders they were much needed by the society in general and in medical profession in particular. The youth has a vast reservoir of energy and idealism. They should fight the twin cures of diseases and poverty, he emphasized. On this occasion, 160 graduate students were given degrees and 24 students gold and silver medals. The two top students of two benches would be honoured as Best Graduates. Vice Chancellor of University of Karachi, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Qaiser praised AIDM faculty and administration's efforts, dedication and selfless commitment for fulfilling the academic needs of the graduating students during their studies. He advised the students to use their academic knowledge and professional leadership qualities in the best interest of the nation.


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|Top United States Naval reactors
|Top companies of the United States
|Top California companies
|San Francisco
|Key people
|Riley P. Bechtel, CEO
|Heavy construction, Engineering, Project Management
|Construction contracting
|US$31.4 Bn (2008)[1]
|44,000 (2009)
Bechtel Corporation (Bechtel Group) is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S. With headquarters in the Financial District of San Francisco,[2] Bechtel had 44,000 employees as of 2009 working on projects in nearly 50 countries with $31.4 billion in revenue.
Bechtel participated in the building of Hoover Dam in the 1930s. It has also had involvement in several other high profile construction engineering projects, including the Channel Tunnel, numerous power projects, refineries, and nuclear power plants, BART, Jubail Industrial City and Kingdom Centre and Tower in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong International Airport, the Big Dig, the rebuilding of the civil infrastructure of Iraq funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the hauling and installing of more than 35,000 trailers and mobile homes for Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi.
The Bechtel family has owned Bechtel since incorporating the company in 1945. Bechtel's size, its political clout, and its penchant for privacy have made it a constant subject of scrutiny for journalists and politicians since the 1930s. Bechtel owns and operates power plants, oil refineries, water systems, and airports in several countries including the United States, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
Bechtel has always functioned as a family-owned company. Its founder, Warren A. Bechtel, started as an employee of the burgeoning United States railroad industry in 1898 after his Oklahoma cattle ranch failed. Over the next 20 years, he built up a sizeable contracting business that specialized in railroad and highway building. One of Bechtel's earliest major contracts was grading the site of the Oroville, CA depot for the Western Pacific Railroad, then under construction.
In 1919, Warren Bechtel and his partners (including his brother Arthur) built the Klamath Highway in California, and in 1921 Warren Bechtel partners won a contract to build the water tunnels for the Caribou Hydroelectric Facility in that state. In 1925, Warren A. Bechtel's sons Warren Jr., Stephen, and Ken joined him and incorporated as W.A. Bechtel Company. In 1926, the new company won its first major contract, the Bowman Lake Dam in California.
In 1928, the U.S. Congress passed the Boulder Canyon Project Act, which mandated the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Colorado River. The plan used the name "Boulder Dam", but after some controversy the structure gained the name of "Hoover Dam" (in honor of President Herbert Hoover). The construction involved the largest civil engineering project ever undertaken at the time.
Over the next two years several companies competed for dam-building contracts. To compete for the contract, the W.A. Bechtel Company joined with five competitors to form the Six Companies Corporation. This partnership formed for the sole purpose of the Hoover Dam project, and their combined strength virtually guaranteed that they would submit the most competitive bid. On March 11, 1931, the United States Department of the Interior selected the Six Companies to build the dam. Construction of the Hoover Dam began in late 1931 and finished in 1936, two years ahead of schedule.
Warren A. Bechtel died suddenly while traveling abroad in 1933, in the midst of the Hoover Dam project. His son Warren A. Bechtel, Jr. took over as president of the company and served in that position until succeeded by his brother Stephen.
After the building of Hoover Dam, Bechtel's reputation soared. However, Stephen Bechtel wanted the company to become more than just a construction firm. He pushed the W.A. Bechtel Company to undertake more complex engineering projects and oil contracts.
From 1933 to 1936, Bechtel helped build the 8 mile (13 km) long San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. In 1937, Bechtel joined forces with John McCone's engineering company to form an engineering/construction firm called the Bechtel-McCone Company.
On July 19, 1940, President Roosevelt signed the Two-Ocean Naval Expansion Act, which authorized the construction of two huge fleets in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. The U.S. Maritime Commission selected Bechtel to build a new shipyard for the Pacific fleet. Bechtel constructed the Marinship Bechtel Shipyards in Sausalito, California and produced hundreds of cargo ships and oil tankers for the Navy. John McCone's California Shipbuilding Company also gained many large and profitable shipbuilding contracts, starting in early 1941 and continuing through the end of World War II.
While the United States built its "Arsenal of Democracy", American war planners increasingly worried about what would happen if the Axis gained control of the world's oil reserves. The Italian invasion of Egypt in September 1940 caused deep concern, as did the April 1941 coup in Iraq which brought the pro-German Golden Square faction to power.
Matters came to a head after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. War planners became concerned that the Japanese might invade Alaska and threaten the northern oil fields, which had started to become an important part of the U.S. oil supply. In April 1942, the United States Army authorized the creation of the ALCAN (Alaskan-Canadian Highway) to facilitate the movement of troops and supplies to Alaska. Soon afterwards the authorities authorized the CANOL oil pipeline.
The CANOL pipeline contract went to Bechtel-Price-Callahan, a partnership formed for the purpose between the W.A. Bechtel Co., the H.C. Price Co., and the W.E. Callahan Construction Co. In June 1942, the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska, and the construction began in earnest. However, due to poor planning by the Army and mismanagement by the contractors, the CANOL project failed totally. The pipeline consumed more oil than it produced and cost taxpayers an enormous amount of money. Furthermore, as time went on, it became clear that the Japanese did not have the resources to invade Alaska. The CANOL pipeline was abandoned after a mere 11 months in operation.
During the pre-war period in late 1940 and early 1941, several scandals and allegations had surfaced involving wartime profiteering and widespread corruption at a number of defense contractors. In 1941, the U.S. Senate created the Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program at the urging of Senator Harry Truman. This committee, chaired by Truman, spent two years investigating waste and corruption in the defense industry.
In 1943, the "Truman Committee" released a scathing judgment on the $143 million CANOL project, calling it more destructive to the war effort than any act of sabotage by an enemy. The judgment singled out Bechtel-Price-Callahan for criticism for its role in the cost overruns and mismanagement that plagued the project.
After the war, the W.A. Bechtel Company bought out John McCone's share in Bechtel-McCone and incorporated as Bechtel Corporation. John McCone went on to head the Atomic Energy Commission and later the Central Intelligence Agency (see below).
In 1947, Bechtel expanded its oil pipeline activities with its construction of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline in Saudi Arabia. At over 1,000 miles (1,600 km), this comprised the longest pipeline in the world at the time. In addition to the pipeline itself, Bechtel built large parts of the modern infrastructures of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, including airports, sea ports, and oil refineries.
In 1946, the U.S. Congress authorized government research into nuclear power with the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. This act created the Atomic Energy Commission, later headed by Bechtel's former partner John McCone. Following President Eisenhower's famous Atoms for Peace speech in 1953, commercial research into nuclear power was authorized.
In 1956, Bechtel won the right to build the world's second commercial nuclear power reactor, the Dresden-1 in Illinois. Construction began in 1957 and the plant came fully online in 1960, four years after the first commercial nuclear power reactor, Calder Hall in Sellafield, England.
In 1959, a Bechtel partnership called Parsons Brinckerhoff-Tudor-Bechtel gained the contract for San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. The system, completed in 1972, served as a model for other urban transit systems around the world.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Bechtel expanded its energy engineering activities. In 1963, Bechtel began construction of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in California.
At this time the Corporation also diversified into other areas. In the late 1960s, Bechtel launched its development, finance, and investment arm, named Bechtel Enterprises Holdings, Inc. This firm leveraged Bechtel's experience, its capital, and its government ties to help other companies compete for engineering contracts throughout the world.
In 1972, Bechtel won a $13 billion contract for the James Bay hydroelectric project in northwest Quebec. The project was completed in 1985 and drew criticism from the growing environment movements in the U.S. and Canada.
In 1976, Bechtel was awarded a contract to build Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia. By 1992, the 360 square mile (930 km²) city of Jubail was one of the most modern cities in Saudi Arabia, with a population of over 70,000. After the successful completion of the project in the late 1980s, Bechtel's contract was extended by the government of Saudi Arabia through 2007.
In 1981, Bechtel constructed the Ok Tedi Mine, the largest mine in Papua New Guinea at the time. An engineering feat, the mine was constructed in one of the most remote and inaccessible regions in the world. Controversy would surround the major shareholder of the mining company, Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP), which is now known as BHP Billiton, when it allowed mine waste to be dumped directly in the Ok Tedi River after a tailings dam built by Bechtel was destroyed in a landslide. The Ok Tedi Environmental Disaster resulted from the riverine dumping of pollution.[3]
In 1981, Bechtel bought controlling interest in Wall Street investment bank Dillon, Read & Co., and George Schultz joined Dillon Read's board representing Bechtel.
Bechtel's recent history has been fraught with controversy. In 1988, just after Saddam Hussein had earned international condemnation for using poisonous gas against thousands of Kurds, Bechtel signed contracts with Iraq to build a chemical plant. Bechtel never completed the project due to the onset of the first Gulf War in 1990.
In 1989, Bechtel repaired the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge after a 30 ft (9 m) section collapsed as a result of the Loma Prieta Earthquake.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Bechtel established a strong relationship with the rebel leader Laurent Kabila during the First Congo War of 1996-7 in central Africa, compiling "the most complete mineralogical and geographical data of the former Zaire ever assembled, information worth a fortune to any prospective mining or oil firm" and commissioning and paying for "U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellite studies of the country and for infrared maps of its mineral potential." According to government officials, some of the satellite data provided to Kabila by Bechtel was "militarily useful information." [4]
In September 1999, Bechtel signed a contract with Hugo Banzer, the elected president and former dictator of Bolivia, to privatize the water supply in Bolivia's 3rd-largest city, Cochabamba. The contract was officially awarded to a company named Aguas del Tunari, a consortium in which Bechtel held a 27.5 percent interest. Shortly thereafter, claims surfaced that water rates in that city went up an average of about 50 percent.[5] Both of these actions resulted in the Cochabamba protests of 2000. Many had to withdraw their children from school and stop using doctors because of higher costs for water. Martial law was declared, and Bolivian police killed at least 6 people and injured over 170 protesters. Amidst Bolivia's nationwide economic collapse and growing national unrest over the state of the economy, the Bolivian government withdrew the water contract.
In 2001, Bechtel filed suit against the Bolivian government, citing damages of more for $25 million. Bechtel argues that its contract was only to administer the water system, which suffered from terrible internal corruption and poor service, and that the local government raised water prices. The continuing legal battle attracted attention from anti-globalization and anti-capitalist groups. This topic is explored in the 2003 documentary film The Corporation and on Bechtel's website. In January 2006, Bechtel and the other international partners settled the lawsuit against the Bolivian government for a reported two bolivianos, or $0.30 (thirty cents), after intense protests that followed a ruling on jurisdiction favorable to Bechtel by the secretive International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes.[6]
In 2002, Bechtel finished work on the Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom Centre includes a shopping centre, a Four Seasons Hotel, state-of-the-art apartments, and most importantly the Kingdom Tower, a 302 meter tower, the tallest in Saudi Arabia and the 25th tallest building in the world. The total cost of the project was 1.717 billion Saudi Arabian Riyals and is owned by Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.[7]
In January 2003 as part of the 30 year London Underground PFI, Bechtel has a one third interest in Tube Lines.[8]
In early 2003, the Boston Globe launched an investigation into Bechtel's role in massive cost overruns and accounting irregularities in Boston's Big Dig project totaling over $1 billion. Bechtel rebutted the allegations on its website. The Globe, along with the Associated Press, filed papers requesting that Massachusetts Turnpike Authority make public the results of all Bechtel's performance audits related to the Big Dig. Bechtel sought a preliminary injunction to block the release of the documents, but the superior court judge in the case denied Bechtel's request on April 11, 2003, opening the way for public release of the documents.[9]
Bechtel has long had close ties to the American government. From 1974 to 1982 George Schultz, former United States Secretary of Treasury and future Secretary of State, was president and director. The late former U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger was general counsel for Bechtel in the late 1970s. Former deputy Secretary of Energy W. Kenneth Davis was Bechtel's vice-president. Riley Bechtel, the company's chair, was on President George W. Bush's Export Council. Jack Sheehan, a former senior vice-president of Bechtel, was a member of the U.S. Defense Policy Board. The Clinton Administration also appointed senior Bechtel managers to senior positions.[10]
Like most large American companies, Bechtel and its employees have contributed large amounts of money to United States politicians (over a million dollars in campaign contributions between 1999 and 2002).[11]
On April 17, 2003, following the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, USAID awarded a $680 million reconstruction contract to Bechtel.[12] It is alleged that some of the construction projects managed by Bechtel were either poorly implemented, failing within months of their installation, or designed in such a way that Iraqi engineers did not have the knowledge or components to fix Bechtel's proprietary technology.[13]
On May 5, 2003, The New Yorker ran an article revealing that the bin Laden family had passively invested several million dollars in The Fremont Group, a private equity fund owned by the Bechtel family.[14]
In 2004 BWXT, a partnership of BWX Technologies and Bechtel National are fined $82,500 for a February, 2003 accident at Oak Ridge, Tennessee's Y-12 facility after an accident caused a small explosion, a fire, and contaminated three employees.[15]
In late 2004, a significant leak sprouted in the Big Dig's Tip O'Neill I-93 Tunnel, due to a contractor's failure to remove gravel or other debris before pouring concrete. Bechtel acknowledged failing to catch and correct the error. The Boston Globe also made a major issue of many leaks that sprang from gaps in the roof of the tunnel; these were later sealed by the tunnel contractors as part of the construction process.[16]
In 2004, a contract was awarded to Bechtel in Romania for building the A3 freeway. The contract came under criticism from the European Union because it was awarded through negotiation, not competitive bid. In 2005, the new Romanian government held up the project to renegotiate the contract but construction is now underway. Today, after 5 years, Transilvanian Highway is still under construction, 42 km of road finished and 1 billion Euro paid from Romania to Bechtel USA. [17]
In 2005, Bechtel was awarded a no-bid contract by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to install temporary housing for the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief effort. The lack of competitive bidding for the contracts was criticized, as was the high cost of the contracts and the failure to support local, minority-owned businesses.[18]
On July 10, 2006 a three ton section of concrete suspended ceiling crashed in the east bound lanes of the Massachusetts Turnpike I-90, in Boston. This tunnel ceiling collapse was in the Big Dig which Bechtel along with Parsons Brinckerhoff were responsible for building. This collapse claimed the life of Melena Del Valle, a 38 year old native of Costa Rica. Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reily immediately designated the accident scene a crime scene. He has left open the possibility of negligent homicide charges being levied against Big Dig contractors and managers.[19]
Effective October 1, 2007, the US Department of Energy awarded Bechtel partnership LLNS LLC the contract to operate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: this rounds out Bechtel's control, through various partnerships, of the bulk of the US nuclear weapons facilities, including Los Alamos National Laboratory (design), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (design), Savannah River Site (nuclear materials), Hanford Site (nuclear materials), Pantex Plant (assembly/disassembly), Y-12 National Security Complex (nuclear materials), and the Nevada Test Site (subcritical testing).[20]
The members of the board of directors of Bechtel Corporation are: Riley Bechtel, Stephen Bechtel, Jr., Alan Dachs, Peter Dawson, Bill Dudley, Tom Hash, Bill Haynes, Sir John Jennings, Jude Laspa, Judith A. Miller, Nick Moore, Scott Ogilvie, Tim Statton, Foster Wollen, and Adrian Zaccaria.
Bechtel was fined $90,000 for violating water quality laws in New Hampshire for constructing a gas pipeline in 1998, which would have leaked sediments into the stream that would increase turbidity and damage wetland habitats.[40] On October 29, 2001, the EPA fined Bechtel $30,383 at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory for not keeping records of any service being performed or of how much refrigerant was added to the cooling systems, which could increase annualized leak rates more than 15%.[41] On January 23, 1996, the Washington Department of Ecology fined Bechtel $5,000 for hazardous waste violations on an incident where a drum lid barely missed two workers due to the build-up of pressure inside a drum and improper closure operations.[42] The penalty was issued because of inadequate worker training which led to an incorrectly labeled drum. Inspections also discovered that Bechtel kept inaccurate records keeping of cleanup waste, which violated state regulations.[42]
In 2009 it was announced that Bechtel would team up with BrightSource Energy to build solar energy plants. The partnership will have Bechtel build very large solar power plants in the Mojave desert with groundbreaking beginning in 2010. The new plants will have a field of mirrors redirecting sunlight to a tower filled with water, which will then boil and turn the turbines. The energy is completely renewable and environmentally clean. [43]


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Comments from spectrum
Showing 276 - 300 of 631 comments
From the Google maps it looks as if this theatre has been demolished. Nothing but a big empty lot.
The Nightclub has closed. Interesting, the building to the right, on the corner of the block says on its top, "Temple Opera House" – nice circa 1900 facade. That building now houses a computer store.
Their website indicates that the restoration has been completed!
Looks like it was demolished. I checked the entire length of North and South Franklin streets in aerial Google views, no sign of any theater.
The photos look great! Very ornate auditorium which looks like it's been restored to the original color scheme
Also, the furniture store has closed; now it is occupied by Grand Ahorro-Mega Savings
According to a comment in Lost Memory's Link, some of the interior decor still remains although the floor has been (understandably) leveled.
No sign of the theatre in the Google aerial views. About 80% of the neighborhood is empty lots. The Theatre is long gone.
I met a gentleman who worked at the remodeled Fisher for a number of years – asked him if any of the original auditorium details exist behind the new walls and ceiling. He said that during the conversion, all of the original auditorium details were ripped out except for a small part of the ceiling and back upper walls at the very back of the balcony. From the pictures at their website, it looks like the main lobby was also remodeled, but the big arcade outside of that still has the original ornamentation.
Webpage mentions that restoration is underway; theatre is remaining open during restoration.
The state has reopened! According to their new website they have undergone extensive renovations and they have a variety of events coming up. Movies are included among their events – Dec. 3 has a special showing of the Wizard of Oz.
I compared that image above with google street view – found the building in the background with the large arches up top. That looks much better now after renovation but the Strand building is demolished probably long ago – the new building on the site has an early 1960s look to it.
Street address was Cumberland Street but I don't know the number. I checked the entire length of Cumberland St from Google aeriel views and saw nothing that resembled a theatre building so it must be demolished.
I checked on google maps the entire length of water street and the only building that resembled a theater is at approx. 174 Water St. Front looks like it could easily have been a very early theatre building circa 1920, no modernizations, all brick. Side is solid brick and a taller stagehouse area in back. It looks like it has been abandoned for decades, all the small windows in the front are broken out. If this is it, then it was never converted into anything else. Just three sets of double doors in front, marquee long gone. Must be a wreck inside.
According to the article, this cinema originally opened as a single-screen in the late 1960s.
The lobby portion of the building stands but the auditorium was demolished for "what else?" – a parking lot some years ago.
The cinema portion of the shopping complex has now been converted into a Big Y Supermarket.
Latest news – December 2009 the foundation officially purchased the Victory for $7,500.00 (They had previously been leasing it for $1.00/year), and currently they only have to raise $8,000,000 of the $27,000,000 needed to complete the renovation!
Google maps still shows the bowling alley there, and the roof looks new.
Their website now has panoramic views of the auditorium and lobby; they also completed a renovation in 2006.
Well, in November 2010, they are listed in the on-line yellow pages at 616 Blue Hills Avenue, the address of the former theatre. I hope this means they have been able to repair the damage and move back.
The website has been stripped of all content except for the basic template. I wonder what's happening…
Good news: The Granada is open again. Now owned by Imagio Dei – Friends of Christianity, an ecumenical arts organization. They replaced the roof in May 2010 and as of November they are open and performances are being held. It is available to the community to host events of various types.
The website is: http://www.imagodeiarts.org/index.cfm
Also has a link to a page on the organ which was removed and dismantled several years ago. The KCPTO recently purchased the organ and had it trucked back to Kansas City where they plan to restore the organ and install it, but they haven't secured a location for it yet.
The 2009 photo indicated an event was being held there but the marquee is blank in the 2010 photos. I can't find a website listing anywhere. I wonder if the renovation was even completed.
Their website appears glitched but under the top page these two are still functioning:
For events they only list a play with no date on it. But the top link can get you to a nice photo gallery of interior spaces. I hope thye can get things back on track!


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The month of May was a bit stressful for me. Lots going on, lots of endings, lots of beginnings, lots of getting into the swing of things, lots of other demands on my time that having freedom to myself hasn't really happened (something both the Beau and I are trying to figure out because we really want one day a week where we do absolutely nothing). I have some picture posts planned (1 hike, 1 crochet project, 1 future new family member). And I have a couple of other updates: the ex left the state, we sold the house, I finally ran a Color Run, and I'm sure there was something else that I am completely forgetting about that I can't even think of right at the moment.
So one of the things I wanted to start up again for me so that it gives me some focus here is my monthly goal post. I've been so off track with things these last few years that I am really craving some sense of order and stability. Back in the day (I feel ancient writing that), I would list 5 goals minimum that I wanted to accomplish that month. So, here's for June:
1. I will blog twice a week, no matter how ludicrous the post might read or sound to others (I'll attempt to plan some subjects, don't worry).
2. Now that the house is sold, balance my budget and start working on that savings goal for the year.
3. One digital art piece, please just let me have time to render and finish something creative.
4. Develop a regular workout schedule that includes hiking at least twice this month (the goal is once a weekend, but with the Beau moving jobs, this may change).
5. Finish downsizing and replacing clothes if needed to finally be rid of my 'ex' influence. This has been an ongoing process for me in an attempt to work at healing. I've been waiting for the house to sell (to get a little extra cash) to replace clothes that got ruined from his inconsiderateness when it came to washing grease covered clothes with regular clothes. He didn't believe in segregation and usually berated me for my OCD about it. A lot of my nicer, not so cheap clothes, business casual attire has been ruined because of that, but I wasn't allowed to buy new clothes to replace the ones he damaged without having to listen to bitching about it. Now I don't have to listen to it at all. 😀
And I could think of a few more items, but I'm going to stick with my limit of five things because I know that I can concentrate on those five things and not 20 billion others. Fun times!