Visual Cliches, and....

Yes, poverty can be seen everywhere here in Nepal and so it wouldn't be that hard to show it in this way... the real challenge is to see beyond the expected, and to discover a deeper meaning to the reality reflecting itself around...
In the west, often these kinds of images are the only ones that we have access to. The "news" is filled with heart-wrenching pictures of Third World poverty. But there has to be more to the story. Part of what inspired me to come to Nepal was to learn more about another culture, beyond the stereotypical portrayals I have encountered in the media. I am finding a very complex and alive culture, that can all at once feel as if it is still living in the Middle Ages, while moving at the speed of light toward what we may call modern progress. I hope in the coming weeks to find a way to show through pictures and stories something of this complexity... keeping my fingers crossed, my attitude humble, and my mind and heart awake to telling what is "true"...