Tell Me A Story

I am your Candidate for Georgia House of Representatives, from District 95. On my campaign trail, I continue to meet these incredible and amazing people who share their personal stories with me. They also ask me: “What is your story? Tell me your story.” I would like to share my story with you all here today…

I was born in my bedroom in Katmandu, Nepal. My mother was attended by a mid-wife, my father’s wet nurse and my nanny. When I was growing up, I used to say to my nanny all the time, ‘Please tell me a story”. Her name was Rebati, but we called her Tati.  She told us these incredible stories that opened up my imagination to the limit. She revealed a different world to me – a world of haves and have-nots, a world where freedom was also possible, and a world where people could also be who they wanted to be. She also shaped my philosophy of religion, the Golden Rule of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I was born in the only Hindu Nation in the world, Nepal. I have worked in the largest secular democracy in the world, India and the largest Muslim democracy in the world, Indonesia. I went to a Catholic school. I worship at home and respect all religions.

I have come here all the way from the Himalayas, to the mountains of Georgia.

I moved to Peachtree Corners in 1993. I became a U.S. citizen in 2005 while I was serving the U.S. government in Jakarta, Indonesia.  I have now lived in all the continents except Antarctica and Australia, and I speak five languages.

I am divorced and that was when I got the first taste of living in poverty. It was then, I came to find out, that ‘divorces’ are the number one cause of poverty among women in the State of Georgia. It was then, I realized, how important it is to have a seat at the decision-making table. Decisions influence policies that in turn impact our lives, our families, and our communities.

I am happy to be rooted now and love my home, my kids, my community, and my dog “Hercules”.  I am happy that I am running for public office.

On my campaign trail people ask me, “Where did you learn English?” and “How do you like American Food?”

I was fortunate to have been taught in English from kindergarten. As for American food, I respond back saying “I have tried Baskin Robbins ice-cream in Katmandu, Kentucky Fried chicken in Manila, Maharaja Mac-burger in New Delhi, Pizza Hut in Bangkok, ribs at the Outback in Jakarta and Starbucks in Singapore”

I do not have exotic hobbies but enjoy simple things in life, like gardening, going to the movies and sometimes cooking. I also like fine dining when I can afford to! My favorite book is Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Cien Años de Soledad”: Hundred Years of Solitude. The first time, I read it in Spanish. I also have this quirky habit of cutting newspaper articles and keeping them in big boxes for future use. As for sports, I tried scuba diving, I passed the written test but failed in practical, and stopped playing tennis after my rotator cuff injury. Now, I hope to do a lot of walking with my canvassing!

My fantasy in life was to take the trans-Siberian railway when I was in my twenties and travel through, Mongolia, Eastern Europe, Baltics and Ukraine. This trip I imagine now will be quite different. USSR ceased to exist in 1991.

My story is a global story.

My story is really a summary of a rich, middle class and a poor family’s story. I was born to a privileged family. My forefathers on my dad’s side were advisors to the royal palace and earned the title of learned ones, ‘Pundit’. My father was trained as an accountant and was a landlord, a banker, and a businessman. My mother’s side were landlords and politicians. One of the first democratic leaders of Nepal, Surya Prasad Upadhaya, was my mother’s relative.

Growing up, education was always emphasized as our ticket to our economic freedom.

My father passed away early when I was in my late teens. Our lives changed dramatically and we became then a middle class story: asset rich and cash poor. I saw my mother struggle and take charge of the family helm, but she continued to focus on our education. Now all her four children have gone on to get their Ph.Ds. and/or Master’s degree.

My mother’s example has also pushed me to keep growing and investing in myself, while taking care of my family and children.  

It has not been easy. It has been a juggle, a balance of personal, professional and hard work. My two sons, Jason and Joel, have always been my priority. They have done well too. Jason is a civil engineer, a graduate of Georgia Tech, and now serving with the Peace Corps in Ghana. Joel is a financial analyst with Porsche North America and also a Georgia State senior majoring in business economics.

My professional path has been fascinating. I began work in the contracting and non-profit sector, moving onto to bilateral and multilateral international trade, business and development. I was advisor to a large national program of over $47 million with the United States Agency for International Development. I also coordinated and managed a multifaceted program of over $42 million with the World Bank. My work in various countries has provided me with an insight and understanding to not only different models of trade and development, but also that of governance and democracy.

I became involved in active politics during the campaign and Primary elections of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in 2007. I represented Americans overseas in Indonesia as the Vice-Chair of Democrats Abroad and collected ballots from abroad and coordinated with the U.S. Embassy to bring them home for election. My active political journey began then, now I’m on the path to the Georgia General Assembly!

Now going forward, I hope to have a seat at the table at the Georgia Assembly and be that new voice that brings a fresh perspective. I will work hard to connect people with the legislature and improve our State’s ratings and our global relationships. I am running on four issues: economy, education, environment and ethics. If elected, I will leverage my international network and bring jobs to my district. I will protect our education budget and make sure our students and teachers get what they deserve. Georgia does not have an energy policy and I will create a task force team to initiate a dialogue on energy policy. I will advocate to separate the ethics commission from the State legislature and Governor’s office.

It’s going to take all of us to get that seat at the table! I will look forward to your support. Thank you for this opportunity.