Kathmandu Survival Guide: 2014 edition

SURVIVAL GUIDE

NAMASTE! Welcome to the KIO family!

We’re very excited to have you onboard.

For most of you, KIO will be your first foray into storytelling in an unfamiliar environment.

We understand this can be rather intimidating, so we prepared this Survival Guide to help you along.

Inside here, you will find advice - doled out in friendly bite-sized portions - on how you can prepare yourself mentally and physically for the masterclass of your lifetime.

How will you conceive story ideas? How to get access to your story? What should you bring to prepare yourself for emergencies that can happen in Kathmandu?

CONTENTS

Your Story Ideas

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Your KIO Buddy

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Preparing yourself as a photographer

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The Gear

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The Masterclass

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Surviving the City of Kathmandu

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Your story idea is the key to a successful KIO experience.

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Story Ideas Although the masterclass is only 8 days long, it actually begins right now! There’s no better time to start preparing your story ideas and sharing the ideas with us so we can help you decide and fine-tune the concept.

Start by asking yourself, what kind of stories excite you? What would you like to photograph in Kathmandu?

You can look at books, magazines, and online publications to get some inspiration.

Here are a few of my personal favourites: Nepali Times - www.nepalitimes.com The Week by Republica - http://theweek.myrepublica.com Himal South Asian magazine - http://himalmag.com

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Tip: Start with a broad theme, rather than a a specific subject matter. This allows more room for creativity and interpretation.

Once you have a few ideas, jot them down and share your thoughts with us! The KIO team will help assess the quality and feasibility of your ideas.

After all, you only have 8 days, which is not a lot of time to photograph a story. So our advice is this: make this story count!

You might ask: what makes a “good” story?

Well, let’s just say it should be an idea that excites you enough to want to see it through in the face of obstacles and difficulties. You will need to believe in your story, so it should be exciting to YOU, more than anyone else. It doesn’t need to be “sexy”, such as those that magazines and newspapers would publish. It is YOUR story of Kathmandu.

Remember, you don’t need to work on “epic” story ideas to create a good photo essay.

Once you open up your mind, you will see a story around every corner. To get some inspiration, we encourage you to visit our website www.kathmanduinsideout.com and see the stories our KIO participants have told.

KIO TO-DO 1: Email your story ideas to us at info@kathmanduinsideout.com. Try to come up with at least three story ideas for a start.

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2 KIO BUDDY How do you communicate with locals when you go about photographing your story? How do you know when it’s alright to take a picture, and when it’s not?

At KIO, we use a unique methodology - the KIO Buddy system. We call them buddies for a good reason! Your KIO Buddy will walk with you right from the conception of your story idea.

Throughout your journey, he or she will be your partner to discuss the story flow and photo possibilities. Like location scouts, they take you to where your story is.

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Our KIO Buddies are Nepali volunteers who speak good English and have a keen interest in visual storytelling. They bring to KIO their photographic passion and a local knowledge - essential ingredients in helping you create unique stories in Kathmandu.

After we pair you up with a KIO Buddy, they will help you make contact with story subjects, explore photo opportunities and advise you on how to respect local customs while making dramatic pictures for your unique story.

In the end, how you choose to work with your KIO Buddy is entirely up to you. For instance, we do know of past participants who have braved the frenetic streets of Kathmandu on the backseats of Bajaj motorbikes!

Of course, if pillion-riding is not your cup of tea, you can choose to take micros, tempos, cabs, or even hike with your Buddies. We definitely do not encourage participants to take unnecessary risks during the masterclass - your safety comes first! But like we say, it’s entirely up to you how you will work with your KIO Buddy as a storytelling team. Teamwork trumps everything.

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Based on your personal inclinations and story ideas, we will assign a suitable KIO Buddy to you.

At KIO, we are proud to be the only workshop in Kathmandu to receive such tremendous support from the local photography community.

In return, we only ask you to treasure the friendships forged at KIO, and bring home the wonderful experience to your friends and loved ones.

KIO TO-DO 2: Once we’ve partnered you up, contact your KIO Buddy via email or Skype.

Get to know each other and start to make plans for shooting your story idea.

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3

Preparing Yourself Have you been photographing regularly? If you haven’t, wipe the dust off your lenses and start shooting again! Practice is always a good way to warm up for an overseas photographic experience.

Eight fulfilling and exciting days at KIO will pass in the blink of an eye, you don’t want to be fumbling with your camera and photography basics when you should be spending precious time taking those great shots for your story!

Now is the time to go through your camera settings and familiarize yourself with the dials and buttons.

Leaf through your instruction manuals again to refresh your technical knowledge and clear up any doubts. Go shooting on a weekend - there is no better practice than hands-on exercises!

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Here are two basic exercises we suggest: 1. Shooting Themes On a weekend, give yourself two hours and walk around a 1-km zone, looking for photos that express a theme. Try to shoot as many as you can within two hours. The time and space constraint will force your eye to see things you normally ignore.

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2.Hello Stranger!

Go to a place you don’t normally visit.

Photograph 10 strangers in an hour.

Before or after the photograph, get their names, age and other interesting details that you can use for captions.

This exercise is meant to help you overcome the fear of the photographing strangers.

Observe people and assess how “photographable” they are today. Are they happy, distressed, flustered, or relaxed? Do they even care that you are photographing them?

Don’t be discouraged by rejections- it is part and parcel of photographing real subjects. Why were you rejected? Did you remember to smile? Did you hold your camera in a menacing way? Did you catch the person in a bad mood? Do this exercise well, and you are on your way to a great photo essay.

Suggested themes: • Red • Shadows • Frames • Speed • Shapes

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KIO TO-DO 3: Practice your photography using our suggested exercises in the time leading up KIO 2014. The practices will give you opportunities to familiarize yourself with your camera and its settings, so you can focus on visual storytelling during the masterclass.

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Preparing yourself does not mean just packing your luggage for Kathmandu.

Dust off your lenses and start practicing!

Tip: tackling a theme is sometimes better than a specific subject matter when it comes to creating your story ideas - it allows more room for creativity and interpretation.

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The Gear How much gear should you bring for KIO? Our short answer is “the bare minimum”.

Here are three reasons why.

1. You will be moving around quite a bit.

You don’t want to tire yourself out even before you shoot your first picture. If you have to walk a lot, then it is definitely a bad idea to lug 20kg of gear.

2. Your subjects may get intimidated by your gear.

Remember you are photographing stories in one of the poorest countries in the world. You don’t want to be bringing big fancy gear which not only distracts, but may also make your subjects feel uncomfortable.

3. We have seen many participants miss their shots because they were trying to figure out which lens to use or trying to fit on that special starburst filter that makes everything twinkle. Forget about all that!

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We are in the business of straight and honest storytelling so leave the bells and whistles for other projects.

If you have a lot of gear and are unsure what to bring, or are about to splash some cash on something new, then here are some recommendations from Edwin of what to bring.

Don’t be intimidated by the list though - it’s merely a suggestion and a personal point of view. If you have a camera of any sort - even a phone camera - that’s enough for this masterclass!

Ultimately, we are training YOU, not your gear.

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Photographers love to talk about gear. And more often than not, they tend to carry too much of it around!

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Edwin’s recommended equipment list: 1. Two camera bodies (one is enough though) 2. Prime lenses: 20mm or 24mm, 35mm, 50mm 3. Extra batteries x 02 + chargers 4. Laptop with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5. A 2.5� HDD for storage and backup of images 6. A Zoom H2 audio recorder for recording ambivent sounds and interviews.

7. Extra memory cards (CF/SD formats - 8GB and above) 8. A few notepads and a good pen

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The Masterclass You will spend approximately five days shooting and two days editing. The final day is when you share your finished story presentations, and of course, wind down at the farewell dinner.

Tip: tackling a theme is sometimes better than a specific subject matter when it comes to creating your story ideas - it allows more room for creativity and interpretation.

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From past experience we know that stories have a way of unfolding unexpectedly. This is the nature of stories and hence, visual storytelling. If everything happened as planned, then stories wouldn’t be quite as exciting!

That’s where the KIO methodology comes in...

Our masterclass framework allows a great deal of flexibility, and because every participant works closely with a KIO Buddy and the KIO team, so there are no limits to the flexibility of your KIO experience.

For example, if the shoot planned for Day 2 can’t go ahead, we can move it to another day and slot in some editing sessions on the fly.

When you’re not out shooting with your KIO Buddy, you will be spending one-to-one tutorial time with Edwin, who will review your work and guide you in every aspect of your learning journey as a visual storyteller. Step by step, KIO will walk you through the process - shooting, editing and preparing for the final showcase of your story.

The final day is where all your hard work comes together!

Your work will be screened publicly, and we can share our thoughts and experiences from KIO masterclass. After the presentation, we will enjoy a hearty dinner at an authentic Nepalese Thakali restaurant, before bidding farewell to one another!

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Masterclass Outline Day 1 Getting Started • Meet your KIO Buddy, the KIO team and your fellow participants • Presentations and group tutorial with Edwin • Portfolio review • Possibly head out and start your shooting your story Day 2-5 On Assignment • Shooting your story in Kathmandu with your KIO Buddy • Daily 1-to-1 tutorials and critique with Edwin Day 6-7 Editing • Editing your photo story using work prints, and preparing your slideshow presentation • Final shooting as required • Daily 1-to-1 tutorials and critique with Edwin Day 8 Graduation and Celebration • Presentations of all participants’ slideshows • Graduation and closing words from Edwin • Dinner, wind down and enjoy the fruits of your labour

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KIO TO-DO 5: This is not so much a “to-do� as it is a piece of advice - come with an open mind! The masterclass, more than just being a photographic experience, is a unique opportunity to understand a beautiful culture!

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Arriving in Kathmandu Arriving at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport can be a manic and chaotic experience, but it’s all part of the journey and experience!

Our tip: stay calm, go with the flow and accept you have arrived where things can be a little bit different than your airport back home!

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You are likely to be greeted by a rather messy situation in which forms are strewn across various counters and throngs of tourists would rush to get into queue at the immigration counters.

Don’t worry - here are some tips that will come in useful to prepare for your arrival.

Visa and other documents You need fill in an landing/arrival card (try to fill it up in the comfort of your airplane seats!) and if you don’t have a visa already, you can get one upon arrival.

The costs as a follows (correct at press time): • US$25 for 15 days multiple entry visa • US$40 for 30 days multiple entry visa • US$100 for 90 days multiple entry visa We recommend that you pay the visa fee in US dollars in the exact amount to avoid hassles. You will also need two passport photographs for the visa application. But we recommend you take a few spare photos - you will need them during the trip, for instance, to get a SIM card.

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All foreigners except Indians need a visa to enter Nepal.

You can also obtain your visa from a Nepalese embassy or consulate near your place, but do note that some of these missions charge a slight fee for processing.

Money There are currency exchange booths at the airport.

Their rates are not as competitive, so we don’t recommend getting Nepalese rupees here, but if you absolutely have to, don’t change more than $100.

Exchange rates are higher in the city proper. All major currencies fetch good rates, including Euros, USD, Chinese Remminbi and Singapore dollars.

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Airport Transfer We have arranged for all our guests to be personally met at the airport by an assigned driver from Hotel Ambassador-Chauni. Your name will be displayed on a greeting board just outside the terminal building.

Upon leaving the airport building, you will see a roped-off section with waiting drivers holding up greeting boards.

We strongly advise against traveling by other means to the hotel - we want to make sure you arrive safely and comfortably. If you feel overwhelmed by the many touts and taxi drivers approaching you as you exit the main terminal, just respond politely with “no thank you, I already booked a taxi�, and they will move on.

You will be provided with the contact numbers of the KIO team closer to date. Should anything go wrong, rest assured we are only a phone call away.

Hotel Ambassador-Chauni: +977-1-4287167 +977-1-4287183 Suraj Shakya, KIO manager in Kathmandu: +977-98414-84018

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Surviving the City of Kathmandu

By Lonely Planet author Joe Bindloss The key to surviving Kathmandu is accepting that things are a little different to the way they are back home.

Electricity, running water and internet connections are unreliable, but hotels and restaurants have back-up generators and spare supplies.

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In place of fresh mountain air and chiming temple bells, Kathmandu provides traffic noise and pollution.

But don’t fear – we promise the Nepali capital will grow on you, once you become accustomed to the local way of doing things.

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The key to surviving Kathmandu is accepting that things are a little different to the way they are back home. Electricity, running water and internet connections are unreliable, but hotels and restaurants have back-up generators and spare supplies.

Traffic can be chaotic, particularly once you venture out of the old city. But you can avoid the worst of the gridlock by venturing out early in the morning and returning before the evening rush hour.

The key thing to remember is that Kathmandu is actually a very safe city. Despite the poverty, there are few problems with crime. Despite problems with hygiene, it’s easy to stay healthy with a few simple precautions.

Our best advice is to accept that things are going to be different and embrace the experience. Before long, you’ll start to appreciate Kathmandu for its own merits.

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10 Quick Tips to Survive Kathmandu  1. Be cautious of street food: standards vary, and you are more likely to be served a hygienic meal in a proper sit-down restaurant.

2. Stick to bottled mineral water.

3. Avoid salad, unless you are certain it has been washed in purified water.

4. Always brush your teeth with mineral water.

5. Bring a head torch for power cuts.

6. Carry a spare battery for your camera 7. Charge your batteries at every opportunity.

8. Bring a jacket for cool evenings or early starts.

9. Bring earplugs – Kathmandu is tough on light sleepers.

10. Make sure you are covered by medical insurance and have the appropriate jabs.

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Copyright Š Edwin Koo 2014 Editor & Publisher Design and Layout Contributors

| Edwin Koo | Pandora Wong | Jennifer Berry, Joe Bindloss

Photo Credits: Vikas Nepal, Flor MJ, Sean Yeo, Prakash Timilsena, Catherine Sim, Mark Lim, Valerie Oon, Shukla Acharya, Jamie Chan, Sheila Tham, Martin Parry, Tony Leach, Yelissa Joshi, Anupama Dhamala, Prakash Timilsena, Kriti Hada, and KIO production crew.

Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.