Someone wrote that it's 650 dollars for ticket and room in another thread!! damn plus you'll probably end up spending at least 350 on food and entertainment so visitors who have to fly in spend approx $1000 just for a chance to party with other Nepalis in the US.

Let's say there are 500 people who fly in to party, it could be 1000 people too who knows let's say approx 750 people fly in from elsewhere to party at LA.

The minimum amount of money spent would be 750000 US dollars, which is Rupees 5,40,00000

5 Karod 40 Lakh with just those 750 people. In the past there have been over 2000 people in some ANA's flying from outside. If it's 2000 people with 1000 expense each it's 2 million dollars, which in Nepal would be Rs. 14,40,00000 ie. 14 Karod 40 Lakh.

Hey you people why don't you donate even half of that to open a school in Nepal to freely educate about a thousand student for 10 years?

Think about it...

who else is going this year?

I would donate a huge chunk of what I intend to spend at the ANA to the cause but how do I know if the non-profit orgnaization in Nepal doesn't have a self profiting overseer of the funds? The political leaders of Nepal have somewhat made me lose faith in all of us, Nepali's intention of aid money. Also, I can't believe the surge of new NGOs that have recently sprung up all over Ktm...sounds really shady as far as I am concerned (I know there are a few good/honest ones but how do I separate the good ones from the bad). Can any Sajhaites advise of trustworthy NGOs and how we in the US can go about donating to these groups and also receive a tax credit for the donations?

samsara: here is one for you.

http://ghimirefoundation.org/ghimire.html

Please donate as much as you can. you dont have to worry about government and stuffs.

ratobhaley what is ANA? and what does ANA do?

ANA is a girl from Russia she play tennis. Her full name is anna kournikova.
she is hot girl and coming to LA this summer.
So All these ppl are goin to see her..:-)
:-P

ANA = Association of Nepalese in America. They hold convention every year in different cities. This year it's in Los Angeles.

Something tells me that this year the convention is going to be a BIG FLOP. There will not be as many participants from out of town as in previous conventions. The reason? Simply because of the economy, people don't want to shell out hundreds of dollars to simply go party with other Nepalis. They want to keep it local.

No thanks, it sucks. I rather go for root canel.

The situation in Nepal now is the result of politics. Every Nepali Knows politics but nothing else. I think ANA is also a part of Nepals dirty politics................... Useless,,,,,
Just try to be true Nepali where ever u go it is good to have association and convention but only for annual party, ??????????. What ANA has done for anyone who is living in USA so far, any charity for people who gets sick and do not have medical insurance or money, someone dies anything for the funeral, just any good cause………… I never heard….May be it has done, I never know.
As Ratobhaley told pliz donate some thing for poor and orphan children of Nepal weather u r going to ANA or not....

I think ANA is for people who's got rich parents living in the USA , for students who can not find a Nepali boy or girl to hook up and some local people who can take some time off in their city to go see the two kinds of people. ...i say thanks but no thanks...
ANA should do something for Nepali community. Like lobbying Bush to provide work permit for Nepali students for hardship back home... do something rather than playing basket balls between Nepalis in denver and boston... wortheless ...

New season, New convention, new list of whiners.
If you don't want to go to the convention, then don't f'ing go. Why whine and bad mouth the convention? Did they take your tax money? Are you contributing in any shape or form to the committee? If not, let them have their convention and let whoever wants to go, go. Why complain??
As far as donating to a worthwhile cause, count how many Nepalese would come to a charity dinner as oppose to a DJ night party.

Exactly! I concur kiddo.

I already made up my mind. I'm not going to ANA this year.

I agree with most of what is written above.

ANA should stand for something more than annual dance party, inter-city football tournament and insipidly boring lectures where self-proclaimed intelligentsia talk the talk but hardly walk the walk.

As dyamn said above, ANA should be made more relevant to the Nepali diaspora. Indeed, how about lobbying the American government for bettering the lives of good Nepali folks here. How about working with and challenging Nepalese embassy and missions to becoming more efficient, providing more services, and delineating a path of accountability among the staff there, instead of just ass-kissing the officials. There is so much ANA can and need to do that directly affect the lives of Nepalis in America.

Having said that, ANA is a voluntary organization. As far as I know, it does not have any paid staff. So, people do what people have time and capability to do. Nonetheless, when those people who assume the mantel of ANA leadership, then they SHOULD have the time and capability to make ANA effective.

Hi Kiddo,
If an organization uses 'Nepal' to identify itself, each and every 'Nepali' has a right to forward their concern about the activities of that organization. Of course, some comments are just ridiculous but yours own is also a big mess bro.
As far as the convention is concerned, I personally think that people should first come together and make an organized effort to influence a cause. In that sense, I agree with you.
Never mind, just a point ... you had yours and I had mine - just don't give me that f .. word.
Sambro

Kiddo you are right. New season, New convention, new list of whiners.
But you forget that another list of whiners also enter the game - those who whine about the whiners making them the super whiners heheh

All i wanna say is that ANA sucks...if these people have guts to go to the poverty-striken nepalese villages and do something for the poors, then i take back my word.But i'm sure that won't gonna happen...

I would support ANA if they would even charge $50 to $500 a year for me, even more if people could volunteer or donate, but do something meaningful like lobbying to make students legal to work in the USA or something to be proud of the great association of the Nepali- Americans and Nepalis residing in the USA.
That is the kind of association we need given the critical situation that we Nepali have to live in today's world, not some YMCA kind of tournaments with Nepalis fighting with each others, or some drunks moments in the hotel rooms, and some photoshoot of wanna be white girls and wanna be black boys .... thanks but no thanks, call it a Some ANA, not ANA and exclude me...

Nothing good has come out of any ANA convention. It's all about showing off, partying, drinking & fighting. Basically it's an opportunity for some people to make good money.

Regarding the money that ANA makes during these conventions, what good has come off it? I constantly see links on sajha for nepalis needing help such as alabama accident victims, boston cancer patients, ritika and kidney patient. Does ANA donate some of its money that it makes during the conventions to these worthy causes?

On the same note, does any ANA official get to pocket the money somehow? Is there any paid positions in the organizations? These kind of information should be made public.

Bhusan
To answer your question, ANA website has the details of finances and doesn't look like anybody gets paid. Now what happens inside, that I don't know; but giving them the benefit of doubt, nobody makes any money out of it.

Maila dai
You might be partially right, but making money doesn't sound like a goal. We have ourselves organized party and bearing the cost to hold a party, unless you have a cash bar, you don't make much. ANA gives the cash bar to the hotels.

Dyamn
Well said, and that's the constructive criticism ANA needs. If you wanna be proactive, you might want to go to their meetings/ elections. Just sitting here and whining (not you) won't help.

Strike-king
You said, "If these people.." Why does it always have to be "These people?" Why can't you take part in it too? Be proactive not reactive. If not, then stop complaining.

Ratobhaley
Agree with you. I am sick and tired of reading same sh*t in SAJHA about these conventions so I am whining myself.

Sambro
U made ur point and u are right to some extent. but as a Nepali, we have the right to be part of a "functioning" organization; complaining and just discouraging any activity isn't going to solve anything. Keep pulling legs and nobody will go anywhere.

Riten
Yes. Again, how about you partaking also?

Pupiffy
I am on the same boat; I won't go there coz it is too far. But I ain't bitc*ing about it.

ANA is NOT equal to Development Platform!!!

ANA=feeling Nepali in a foreign land. In other words, it is a platform that helps Nepalese identify themselves in a foreign land. There is no status quo on activities that support ones identity. The outlet for feeling Nepali could be any of the activities supported by ANA. Some examples are:

-Showing off nice car or newly done boob job or recently toned arms, ass or legs to a community that is familiar
-getting drunk and talking about politics/previous life in Nepal
-meeting friends
-playing games
-discussing issues about Nepal that is purely for the discussion
-wearing daura surwal to feel patriotic
-singing or dancing to Nepali song
-Not to mention, swearing in Nepali so everyone can hear it
-introduce your new identity to to your old surrounding....."look at me, i have gone hip-hop in the outside... but still i like to rap in Nepali"

Human beings are very complex in nature and longing to feel home never changes. There is always a desperate attempt to feel at home, no matter what the cost is associated. ANA type events create that platform to feel at home.

Eventhough I am pumping gast for 8 bux an hour, the platform provides me environment that recognizes me for who i was in Nepal OR Who i have become as a result of my sucess in AMRIKA!

So friends, the oppotunity cost that equals to building of hospital in Nepal has nothing to with the dollars and cents associated with ANA convention.

The cost of feeling at home...maintaining ones identity is simply priceless.

Any development related issues, if any, is merely a by-product of few do-gooders who either have succeeded in their individual fields and want to contribute to Nepal's development or few folks who have deep regrets for abandoning Nepal.