I met Buddi for the first time in his home in Dublin. He invited me inside and offered me a cup of coffee. His home smelled of incense and glade plug-ins. He introduced me to his wife and offered me a seat on the couch. He had a cold and was wearing sweats a beanie and sat under a blanket to stay warm. As I looked around the room I noticed art hanging from the wall that must have been from his home town of Nepal. His wife turned off the television and sat with us through the entire interview.
Buddi spoke in broken English and at times was very difficult to understand but what intrigued me the most about him was his laugh. It was vulnerable and innocent, like a child. I couldn’t help but smile when hearing him laugh.
After the interview we were walking toward the front door and he said, “Wait, I want to show you my children”. We went into the back room of their house and two of his three children were folding and bagging the local Dublin newspaper. He introduced me and told me that every week they deliver the newspaper to their neighborhood for extra money.
I could tell that from a young age Buddi had taught his children the value of hard work.
“When I came to United States and I dream, I dream do hard work, and get a house. That was my dream when I came to United States.” Buddi laughs, “That is very important.” Buddi was born and raised in Nepal, in the Everest region in a village by the name of Badel. At only about 1,000 people, Badel, is a very small village and lacks the luxury of running water and electricity. No roadways and of course no cars. To get to another village there were small paths to follow. The market was hours away so planting and keeping chickens was essential for survival.
Buddi worked in the field as a child and he would walk 3 ½ hours to school. Most of the time he would make the long trek to and from school each day but also had to help contribute to the household so he and his family could have food on the table each night. When he turned 11, he studied at the high school, which was even further, and stayed in an apartment alone. Schooling in Nepal is much different from the United States. They have tests and homework they give throughout the year but the only thing that matters is the test at the end of the year. If you pass the last exam, you pass the class regardless of attendance, homework, and other exams. When he reached college, he would walk twice a year: once to register for classes and once to take the test at the end of the year. The walk to college was even longer, 10 hours. He couldn’t walk each day because he had a job as a primary school teacher.
In college he studied political science and economics. He regrets not having been able to study harder while in high school and college because he wishes he would have gone to school to become a doctor. “If I can change I want to be a doctor. If I knew then, because in my childhood my ambition was to go army, that’s why I didn’t study very hard, I didn’t study very well. I didn’t stay in the good subject. If I can change I’d like to study hard, study science, and be a doctor”. Buddi currently works at Riverside Hospital as a patient escort; he is happy with his job because it pays him well enough that he can provide for his family and he gets to help people.
Buddi graduated from college and opened his own business, Karnali Treks and Expeditions. “I had a dream, to you know, reaching the goals. I wanted to be businessman, that was big target in my life. This came true because I was a big businessman in my country, that was open nearly 10 years. My Company name was Karnali Treks and Expeditions. I would take people up Mt. Everest. Before coming to United States I run that company.” This is how Buddi met Max Holzer.
Max is a commercial developer in Columbus. He and his wife are in their 80s and are very active. Their main residence is in Powell, Ohio but they spend more time traveling and exploring than they do at home. On one of their vacations to Nepal a few years ago, they went on an excursion and hiked part of Mt. Everest, which is how they came across Buddi. They heard his story and wanted to help; they sponsored him so he could come to America.
Max has done a lot for the Rai family. He helped them come to America, has guided Buddi to help him make the best choices he can for his family and has even set up college funds for each of his children. “When we were in my village I can decide myself what to do but in the United States it’s very hard. My friend help me to do, Max Holzer, he give me big influence on what to do, how to do, you know? We didn’t know anything here. Follow in his footsteps, that’s why we are here and doing good.” Buddi is very grateful for Max. He feels lucky to have had someone hear his story, his dream to come to America so his children could have a better life, and help him reach that goal. “I am happy with where I am now, I want to give good education to my childs and they are getting good education so that’s why I'm happy.”
Even if Max Holzer didn’t help Buddi and his family he was still going to find a way to come to America. “Best experience to move to United States, because everything I did, if you work hard, you can do it. When we decide to move to United States we came and we success, you know? And then our children came and that was exciting moment.” Not every family is so lucky to have their children arrive shortly after they do because the immigration process is long. The Rai family was able to have their children come to American a year after they did. Buddi has friends at work that are still waiting on their children nearly nine years later.
Buddi is a very hard worker and stresses to his children that for them to get what they need and want in life they need to work for it. In Nepal there was a presence of a link family system which is not as common in the United States. In comparing Nepal and America Buddi says, “Life is a little bit changed because here you should be independent. In my country if you need more informations you can get help from the friends and neighbors but here you must be independent. Everything you must do yourself and I love that very hardly. It’s a hard way”
Buddi spoke in broken English and at times was very difficult to understand but what intrigued me the most about him was his laugh. It was vulnerable and innocent, like a child. I couldn’t help but smile when hearing him laugh.
After the interview we were walking toward the front door and he said, “Wait, I want to show you my children”. We went into the back room of their house and two of his three children were folding and bagging the local Dublin newspaper. He introduced me and told me that every week they deliver the newspaper to their neighborhood for extra money.
I could tell that from a young age Buddi had taught his children the value of hard work.
“When I came to United States and I dream, I dream do hard work, and get a house. That was my dream when I came to United States.” Buddi laughs, “That is very important.” Buddi was born and raised in Nepal, in the Everest region in a village by the name of Badel. At only about 1,000 people, Badel, is a very small village and lacks the luxury of running water and electricity. No roadways and of course no cars. To get to another village there were small paths to follow. The market was hours away so planting and keeping chickens was essential for survival.
Buddi worked in the field as a child and he would walk 3 ½ hours to school. Most of the time he would make the long trek to and from school each day but also had to help contribute to the household so he and his family could have food on the table each night. When he turned 11, he studied at the high school, which was even further, and stayed in an apartment alone. Schooling in Nepal is much different from the United States. They have tests and homework they give throughout the year but the only thing that matters is the test at the end of the year. If you pass the last exam, you pass the class regardless of attendance, homework, and other exams. When he reached college, he would walk twice a year: once to register for classes and once to take the test at the end of the year. The walk to college was even longer, 10 hours. He couldn’t walk each day because he had a job as a primary school teacher.
In college he studied political science and economics. He regrets not having been able to study harder while in high school and college because he wishes he would have gone to school to become a doctor. “If I can change I want to be a doctor. If I knew then, because in my childhood my ambition was to go army, that’s why I didn’t study very hard, I didn’t study very well. I didn’t stay in the good subject. If I can change I’d like to study hard, study science, and be a doctor”. Buddi currently works at Riverside Hospital as a patient escort; he is happy with his job because it pays him well enough that he can provide for his family and he gets to help people.
Buddi graduated from college and opened his own business, Karnali Treks and Expeditions. “I had a dream, to you know, reaching the goals. I wanted to be businessman, that was big target in my life. This came true because I was a big businessman in my country, that was open nearly 10 years. My Company name was Karnali Treks and Expeditions. I would take people up Mt. Everest. Before coming to United States I run that company.” This is how Buddi met Max Holzer.
Max is a commercial developer in Columbus. He and his wife are in their 80s and are very active. Their main residence is in Powell, Ohio but they spend more time traveling and exploring than they do at home. On one of their vacations to Nepal a few years ago, they went on an excursion and hiked part of Mt. Everest, which is how they came across Buddi. They heard his story and wanted to help; they sponsored him so he could come to America.
Max has done a lot for the Rai family. He helped them come to America, has guided Buddi to help him make the best choices he can for his family and has even set up college funds for each of his children. “When we were in my village I can decide myself what to do but in the United States it’s very hard. My friend help me to do, Max Holzer, he give me big influence on what to do, how to do, you know? We didn’t know anything here. Follow in his footsteps, that’s why we are here and doing good.” Buddi is very grateful for Max. He feels lucky to have had someone hear his story, his dream to come to America so his children could have a better life, and help him reach that goal. “I am happy with where I am now, I want to give good education to my childs and they are getting good education so that’s why I'm happy.”
Even if Max Holzer didn’t help Buddi and his family he was still going to find a way to come to America. “Best experience to move to United States, because everything I did, if you work hard, you can do it. When we decide to move to United States we came and we success, you know? And then our children came and that was exciting moment.” Not every family is so lucky to have their children arrive shortly after they do because the immigration process is long. The Rai family was able to have their children come to American a year after they did. Buddi has friends at work that are still waiting on their children nearly nine years later.
Buddi is a very hard worker and stresses to his children that for them to get what they need and want in life they need to work for it. In Nepal there was a presence of a link family system which is not as common in the United States. In comparing Nepal and America Buddi says, “Life is a little bit changed because here you should be independent. In my country if you need more informations you can get help from the friends and neighbors but here you must be independent. Everything you must do yourself and I love that very hardly. It’s a hard way”
I love this guy. I worked with him and his wife for 2 years. Thats weird that you interviewed him
ReplyDeleteI like this profile it was really interesting
ReplyDeleteThis is inspirational.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting profile. It can help me understand that responsibility is important if I am demanding freedom and independence. Of course, the course taught me about what it means to be free, such as requiring responsibility. But overall, the profile is good and beneficial.
ReplyDelete