Memory In Trace

MEMORY IN TRACE

RUWAL DANGOL

MAHARAJGUNJ, KATHMANDU

१

27°44�08.1�N / 85°19�56.6�E

BEGNAS TAL, POKHARA

28°10�02.3�N / 84°05�33.2�E

२

मेरो �ार MY LOVE

I was born in Kathmandu, the capitol city of Nepal, I was raised there until the age of 7. Whereby my family decided to move to London so that we could live with my father and in hopes of a successful future in a more advanced country.

३

BANESHWOR, KATHMANDU

27°41�15.9�N / 85°19�47.7�E

Looking back I thoroughly enjoyed my childhood in Nepal.

I have many fond memories of me spending time with all of my family members. We all lived within a complex so that I would see them whenever I wanted.

४

My father was a ‘Gurkha’, a special Nepalese military unit for the British. After his service, he decided to stay and work in London as an engineer in order to provide for his family back home in Nepal.

།

BAJHAPATAN, POKHARA

28°12�55.7�N / 84°01�01.1�E

६

My mother is from Pokhara, the countryside of Nepal, whereas my father is from Kathmandu, the capital city.

Despite this, they are both from the same caste, making me ‘Newari’. As my extended family lived in both the city and countryside, I experienced both the city and countryside lifestyles in Nepal. It made me think about how much simpler life was in the city, whereas you had to work much harder for a living in the countryside.

मेरो संसार

MY PARENTS

Historically, Newari people were the inhabitants in Kathmandu Valley and are known for their contributions towards Nepalese culture, art, trade and cusine.Perhaps this is why the majority of my family are businessmen and tailors.

७

рео

MANAKAMANA, POKHARA

९

28°13�24.0�N / 83°58�00.4�E

MAHARAJGUNJ, KATHMANDU

27°43�56.2�N / 85°19�41.2�E

मेरो पिरवार MY FAMILY

१॰

BUDDHANAGAR, KATHMANDU

११

27° 41� 15.9� N 85° 19� 47.7� E

BUDDHANAGAR, KATHMANDU

резреи

BRADSHAW ROAD, WATFORD

१३

51°40�11.2�N / 0°23�41.7�W

KHAUKHOLA, KATHMANDU

28° 13� 11.4� N 84° 00� 47.4� E १४

TRAFALGAR SQUARE, LONDON

१५

51°30�28.8�N / 0°07�39.2�W

GREENWICH PARK, LONDON

51°28�35.4�N / 0°00�02.6�W

Before I was born, my family visited London for a while.

My brother got to experience much of the London lifestyle that I didn’t, from which looking through the pictures made me envious. The real intentions for this visit was to see how life in London would be for the family. Soon enough, my parents decided they want to live together in London so wemoved here in 2006, leaving behind my life in Nepal and starting a new one in London.

“My memory of coming here as a child mostly consists of eating McDonald’s chicken nuggets and the London Zoo. I remember being scared of the Gorilla Statue which I have revisited as an adult. I have fragments of memories, of the white nuggets box, the pigeons at Trafalgar Square, and travelling through London in the night.”

Sahanshil Dangol. My Brother

१६

TRAFALGAR SQUARE, LONDON

51°30�28.8�N / 0°07�39.2�W

१८

резреп

SWAYAMBHUNATH STUPA, KATHMANDU

27°42�53.5�N / 85°17�25.9�E

२॰

реирез

MAYFAIR, LONDON

51°30�41.3�N / 0°08�54.7�W

“I hated school in Nepal. The rinse and repeat education system did not sit well with me and I found myself lost and daydreaming, which affected my studies. I went to school for friends, and I enjoyed that aspect. Moving here, was a completely different culture shock. I did not know how to communicate properly and found myself in difficult situation of communicating what I wanted and making friends for the first few years. The drive I got from a more engaging education kept me going and I slowly started to settle in, making more and more friends too.”

Unlike my brother, I very much enjoyed the education system in Nepal. I found the studies more challenging which I believed was required to keep me constantly engaged to learn. I often contemplate how my life career wise would have been if I were to remain in Nepal since I believe I became less motivated academically studying in the UK.

२३

BUDDHANAGAR, KATHMANDU

हामी तीन जना JUST THE THREE OF US

२४

MOOR PARK, LONDON

51°37�36.3�N / 0°26�00.2�W

My father would only visit my family sometimes, so that he was never in much of my childhood. Growing up in Nepal, I never had a father figure to look up though looking back I never really needed one since I had my loving mother and brother, along with the rest of my family to look out for me.

ा मात्र २५

SOLEYLY THE REASON AM ,WHO I AM TODA

मेरा बुबा MY FATHER जीवनमा मेरो प्र्रेरणा MY INSPIRATION IN LIFE Even after living with him in London, I never felt the need for a father figure. As a child, I would often be scared of his strict parenting so that I was rather distant towards him. Soon enough this distance felt to him as if his two sons didn’t love him enough. Along with more complications with my mother, my father decided to seperate from the family so that once again it was just my mother, brother and I but now living in London.

The situation didn’t impact me much emotionally. I never thought much of it so that I moved on, instead focusing on myself and to help my mother. My father still wanted to remain in our lives though unlike my brother, I didn’t make much effort to talk to him. Realising the kind of person my father was,I lost respect for him and valued my mother who was always there for me more, in hopes to make her proud and happy.

Regardless, I sometimes find myself lost imagining scenarios of a what would could have happened if not for this situation. The old photographs of my family depict a joyous life that they once had together, which makes me wonder how it could have been now.

I am somewhat obsessed with the photographs of my father. Many people throughout my life have stated how similar we both are, appearance and personality wise. I always agree though tend to hate the comparison of what he truely was as a person.

In the photographs, I see the father figure I never had. I admire the hardworking man who dedicated his life to earn and provide for his family back home. The man who achieved in giving his family an opportunity for a successful future, and for that I appreciate him. As of this, I tend to only remember the positive aspects about him. Therefore rather than resent him, I find motivation in hopes to pursue my future aspirations in becoming a man like my father.

EUSTON, LONDON

51°31�32.8�N / 0°08�10.3�W

"LONDON'S MODERN ATMOSPHERE AND DIVERSITY PEAKS MY CREATIVE INTEREST"

30

31

BHAKTAPUR, KATHMANDU

32

TATE MODERN, LONDON

Living in London has cultivated my creative mind and showed me possibilities in those career fields that I would not have seen myself go into initially. So that I appreciate how it has provided me to pursue a creative career which surely would have been frowned upon by much of the traditional beliefs of my family back home. Nepal seemed so traditional in everything I did, there wasn’t much to inspire me to do something creative and express my capabilities.

33

51°30�27.5�N / 0°05�58.5�W

51° 30� 05.0� N 0° 07� 11.5� W

MADISON TERRACE, LONDON

51°30�49.8�N / 0°05�46.9�W

A few of my cousins I knew in Nepal also moved to London for a better life. They were the only extended family that I could go visit. At times I would miss my family back home and reminisce how we all lived together and would want to relive that again.

Thinking about them made me want to share with them the lifestyle I was lucky enough to have.

35

SANKHAMUL, KATHMANDU

"I OFTEN REMINISCE THE VIEW FROM THE BALCONY IN EARLY MORNINGS" 38

REGENT STREET, LONDON

51°30�49.7�N / 0°08�27.9�W

I find much of London’s advanced cityscape filled skyscrapers very fascinating as of its modern and archaic inspired architecture.

Whereas Nepal’s urban development led to rapid housing being built without a systematic plan. Even so, I still appreciate the built environment of both places for its aesthetics.

39

REGENT STREET, LONDON

51° 30� 49.7� N 0° 08� 27.9� W

36

37

PHEWA LAKE, POKHARA

28°12�35.9�N / 83°57�21.0�E

To me, the natural environment in Nepal is far more beautiful than in London. Nepal’s identity is immensely influenced by its religion and culture, so much so that it is prevalent throughout the country. Many of the landmarks are temples or shrines dediated to a specific deity.

40

42

SWAYAMBHUNATH, KATHMANDU

I recently visited Nepal in 2018 as the plans before were cancelled due to the disastrous earthquake in 2015. Fortunately, all my family were unharmed during the event and countries like China have played a pivotal role to help rebuild much of the destruction.Reuinting with all my family members was exciting, seeing everyone after an 8 year time meant there were new faces to meet as I had became an Uncle to many of my second cousins. I revisited many of the landmarks I did as a child, seeing how they had now transformed into popular tourist destinations. I was rather fascinated from how globalisation allowed for Nepal had become a more diverse counrty, attracting more foreigners to partake in the country’s wonder.

43

27°42�57.1�N / 85°17�16.2�E

BHAKTAPUR, KATHMANDU

45

27°40�19.8�N / 85°25�40.8�E

SWAYAMBHUNATH, KATHMANDU

27°42�56.6�N / 85°17�21.5�E

‘MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH’ 46

’ 47

DOVER STREET MARKET, LONDON

51°30�32.1�N / 0°07�54.5�W

I think the most significant aspect of me moving here was how it affected how I perceive everyday life the most. You meet people from all sorts of backgrounds, ethnicity, and sexuality. It has taught me to be more open minded and kinder. I often think I would not have been this person if I had grown up in Nepal.

48