The book-album named Himalayan Lessons by Stoyan Marinov was published several days ago. It gathers thoughts, emotions and impressions expressed through speech and photos collected during the fifty-two day trip along the Himalayan walks. A trip that has turned naturally into an adventure, which crosses as a red line through the lives of Stoyan Marinov and his four children. The earthquake from April 25 and the aftershocks in Nepal that took the lives of over 8,000 people and caused a serried of damages attracted the attention of billions of people from all parts of the globe. Stoyan Marinov and his children Magi (12 years old), Mario (13) and Teddy (12) were in the eye of the storm. Patience, reasonable goals, impetus, respect towards the neighbor, compassion and the ability to tell the material wealth from the spiritual wealth are some of the lessons learnt by Stoyan and his family from their personal experience.

“The Bulgarian children grow up in a race for money and wealth. They try to prove other kids that their smart phone is better and their internet video is cooler. Such generation of consumers will not be able to make their own living. I asked myself whether it was possible to demonstrate to my children that there were other ways of living, too. Then the idea to visit the Himalayas came to my mind! There, people live traditionally in close connection with Earth and nature and in defiance to our modern civilization and technologies”, Stoyan Marinov explains in the social networks. What is the most-important lesson learnt by his children during the harsh trip across the snowy Himalayan hills?

“This is the topic about facts and thinking. Unfortunately, there isn’t a subject called thinking in the Bulgarian schools. This is very disturbing, because thinking does not mean reading several pages and reproducing them the same way. Thinking means dealings with facts and other data called opinions. Then you realize which one is a fact, which one is an opinion, which information can be verified and which one can not and you take decisions after you become aware of their significance. It is of great importance to our children to learn how to think.”

Stoyan ascertained that his mission was successful. It is enough to read his daughter’s diary, which can be found in Stoyan’s book-album. In the beginning I always woke up tired, grumpy and had the adjustment that it was always cold, tiring and boring outside. Some of my days seemed that way until the last days, when we were accommodated in a new hut with a new Wi-Fi password, the teenager writes in her diary. Gradually, she directed her thoughts and attention towards the surrounding nature, the different culture in that part of the world, towards her meetings with interesting people and the art of communication.

“It is always great when people have the opportunity to share their thoughts. Unfortunately, we often assume that others know what is on our mind. In fact, it may sound paradoxical, but people around us do not know even basic things about us. Even if we share with them things from our everyday life, everyone practically selects some fragments from what we share with them-given words or sentences for instance.”

The book Himalayan lessons will be translated in English, Nepalese and other languages. 10% of the money will be donated for charity to the Nepalese families who became victims of the big earthquake.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov