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<![CDATA[NoLunch.org - Blog]]>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:14:35 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Ice Hockey in Ladakh]]>Mon, 04 Apr 2016 21:57:44 GMThttp://www.nolunch.org/blog/hockey-in-ladakh

Deachen Accepting Her Award for Best Player

Congratulations to my friend, Deachen Dolker for her amazing hockey accomplishments. Daechen made the 2016 Indian Women's Ice Hockey team, which played in the IIHF Ice Hockey Challenge Cup of Asia. Just as impressive, she was awarded the best player award! So proud of you, Deachen!

Daechen is from Ladakh, India, and is a student at SECMOL, an amazing school, filled with inspiring students, and even more inspiring staff--many of whom are graduates. Everyone at SECMOL is filled with passion, which is why I keep coming back to it. I only recently learned that they have an ice hockey team.

Daechen is from Ladakh, India, and is a student at SECMOL, which gives students a second chance at college. SECMOL is an amazing school, filled with inspiring students, and even more inspiring staff--many of whom are graduates. Everyone there is filled with passion, and that is why I keep coming back to it. That they have a hockey team is impressive given the few resources of both the school and the students. What is especially impressive of Daechen making it to the national team: the SECMOL students can only practice in the winter after the lakes freeze over. But even then, practice is not easy: they have to wait for winter, when the lakes freeze over. Ladakh is at 11,000 feet, with winter temperatures linger around zero degrees Fahrenheit, so practice is cold! Daechen's award is all the more heartening. But the SECMOL team was only able to make it to Taiwan with other people's support so that they could buy worthy equipment and uniforms. Katrina and I were proud to be part of this support.

Check out the moves of the SECMOL team in the video below. ~T

]]><![CDATA[Overwhelming Support for Nepal]]>Tue, 22 Dec 2015 19:41:31 GMThttp://www.nolunch.org/blog/overwhelming-support-for-nepal

I feel overwhelmed with gratitude by the outpouring of support from friends, family, colleagues, and students. Thanks to you, we received about a dozen boxes and two dozen bags of donations! Not all of it was completely appropriate clothing, so some of it will be donated to local homeless shelters. That said, the vast majority will be going to Nepal.

We had so much stuff I had to call in reinforcements, and had to move to a larger location. Thanks to my friends and family, we got it all done in one day. It didn't seem possible, but between the sorting, and the packing tips from J, we got it done!

Six hours later, we had two dozen boxes, coming in at nearly 500 POUNDS of blankets, clothes, shoes, and outdoor gear for adults, children, and infants. It was tiring, but was well worth it! These will be going to Karma Flights, who will distribute them to people in the Ghorka district--the region most impacted by April's earthquake. They too are very grateful for your support.

The packing crew.

We will also be supporting the start-up of a business selling solar lights while we are in Pokhara. We will be working with Empower Generation, and will set up a young woman whose family we have been sponsoring to send their girls to school since 2009. Still, we are hoping to more than just them; we are hosting a training for about 20 locals in hopes to get more solar lights, and lessen the dependency on kerosene, petrol generators, and candles. Safe, reliable electricity is hard to come by for all Nepalese, but these solar lights will help change that. It will also mean that children can do more homework!

Also posted on Katrina's Blog. http://katrinakphotography.blogspot.com/2015/12/overwhelming-support-for-nepal.html

Tags: Gorkha, Nepal, philanthropy, Karma Flights, Empower Generation

]]><![CDATA[Crisis in Nepal]]>Sat, 31 Oct 2015 21:12:47 GMThttp://www.nolunch.org/blog/crisis-in-nepal

Nepal was struck by a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April, leaving millions homeless. These people then had to struggle with the nearly non-stop monsoon rains and ensuing mudslides, while still living in tents. The rains have subsided, but the struggle continues. In late September, Nepal's deliveries of supplies, food, medicine, gas (petrol), and fuel for cooking have been cut off due to protests about the new constitution. People have been forced to cut down protected forests, as that is the only fuel available. Now winter is coming, and people are still living in tents, lacking warm clothes and fuel to stay warm.

In Nepal, no petrol also means little or no electricity, as 100% of Nepalese have no access to reliable electricity. . . . (click below to read more)

The 40% that have access to grid electricity only get 6-8 hours a day of power; most rely on gas-powered generators. The last time we were in Nepal, Katrina saw a little girl doing her homework in the same room as a gas-powered generator. The fumes were unbearable for Katrina, but they were dangerous for the girl's health and development. Luckily, there are many organizations working on viable solar options, such as Empower Generation, Gravity Light, and Luci lights.

We are asking for donations of warm clothing and jackets, solar-powered lighting, and laptops for schools. These will go to Gorkha, one of the most earthquake-effected regions. Tadashi and I are traveling to Nepal for the winter break, and will hand-deliver the supplies to KarmaFlights.org, a non-profit, grass roots organization that has been working diligently to bring supplies and medical help to this struggling region. They specifically requested these items as being most needed. If you have a laptop that needs some work, please let us know; we may be willing to pay the repair costs if you are willing to donate it.

You can read about the border issue at Aljazeera, CNN, New York Times, and BBC. Luckily, Nepal has recently reached a deal with China to import fuel, but it will take a long time to get back to (post-earthquake) normal. It will take even longer to get back to pre-earthquake normal.

Everyone that donates supplies will receive a small token of our appreciation from Nepal.

There are many organizations that are still helping rebuild, such as Room to Read, Heifer International, Doctor's Without Borders, Oxfam, and UNICEF. Anything you can do to help is appreciated, including spreading the word.

Use the contact form below if you have questions, or want to know where to send donation. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Katrina & Tadashi

]]><![CDATA[(Mis)Adventures in Ladakh]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2015 22:27:06 GMThttp://www.nolunch.org/blog/misadventures-in-ladakhThis isn't my favorite photo from my trip, but it is one of the ones that I'm most proud of, simply because I didn't not take it. I pulled my motorcycle off to the side of the road to take a photo, but when I pushed it up onto its center stand, the side of the road broke off underneath me, launching me into the field below. The bike then fell on top of me, pinning me underneath while leaking gasoline and oil all over me. I quickly turned off the ignition and (with some difficulty) managed to wriggle my way out from under my bike. I was a bit hurt, but nothing seemed broken. . . . (click below to read more)

There was absolutely no one around, but I decided that I should do what I could before the shock wore off. The bike was lying awkwardly, but by using a large tree branch as a lever, I was able to stand the bike back up and stop the flow of gas and oil into the field. Unfortunately, the brake lever had snapped and the handlebars were bent, so even though the engine would start, it didn't look like I'd be riding it back to town.

While I was trying to figure out what to do, I decided that I had pulled off to take a picture, and I was going to take a damn picture. So here it is.

Fortunately, before too long, a pair of friendly, patient and helpful German tourists drove down the road and gave me a lift back to the nearest town. I arranged a truck to pick up me and the bike. The driver, myself and a villager we recruited had to lift the bike about 4 feet above the ground to get it into the back of the truck. I was hurting, but I figured it was a good sign that I could still do this. As it turns out, I was lucky and got away with nothing but some badly pulled shoulder muscles and a slightly damaged iPad screen.

Though I was exhausted and sore, the next day I decided to hire a taxi and resume the trip that I had begun (and had spent considerable effort arranging permits be able to undertake). The taxi was much more expensive than I had thought, and the driver was an annoying 19-year-old with Bollywood shades and a death wish, but I'm so glad that I went. Without Katrina's encouragement, I might not have persevered, and would have missed out on one of the best parts of my trip!

*Thank you again, Deachen, for letting me stay with your lovely family! Meeting them and staying in your beautiful, peaceful village made it all worthwhile!* -TT

Temple and Yellow Flowers, Ladakh, India

]]><![CDATA[Ode to the Polaroid]]>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 04:51:45 GMThttp://www.nolunch.org/blog/ode-to-the-polaroidThis is a perfect example of a photo that I probably wouldn't have been able to take if I hadn't been carrying a Polaroid (actually a $100 Fuji Instax) camera with me in addition to my regular camera. The Instax was invaluable for my summer trip to Ladakh, India.

Older Ladakhis are often not keen to have their photo taken, which is totally understandable since they are photographed without permission and treated like zoo animals by hordes of camera-toting tourists. After having known the one on the left for 24 hours and NOT taking any photos (though I very much wanted to), I offered to make each of the ladies an instant print, as well as an extra for the grand-kids.

I asked them to sit by the green wall where I liked the light, and when I grabbed my camera and turned around they had both put on their sunglasses - Awesome! After making instant photos for each of them, they were happy to let me take a few shots for myself with my digital camera.

End result: Everyone was totally happy and the woman on the right invited me to visit her nomad camp - I wish I'd had the time to go. Total film cost: $2.25.

Tomorrow, it's off to Costco to make another 134 prints to mail off as a small thank you to some of the people who so generously let me into their lives.

]]><![CDATA[Life in Ladakh, India]]>Sat, 25 Jul 2015 04:31:58 GMThttp://www.nolunch.org/blog/polishing-offering-bowls

]]><![CDATA[Nine Years Later...]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2015 04:12:22 GMThttp://www.nolunch.org/blog/nine-years-laterSummer 2015 was my third trip to Ladakh, India. On this trip, I brought prints of some portraits that I had taken in 2006 and 2009, hoping to find the same people again. I bumped into this monk again by coincidence at a ceremony in my friend's home. The photo below shows the monk holding a copy of the photo I took of him in 2006. In the photo from 2006, he is wearing a white bandage across his forehead. In 2015, he is still wearing the matching scar. -TT

Monk in 2006 and 2009, Ladakh, India

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