Chris Smith: Nepal’s cross-dressing ‘Ujju Darling’ aims to help his people

A year ago I had coffee at Coddingtown with an endearing fellow from Nepal who’d shocked and delighted his country by hosting a TV talk show while decked out as a woman.

Uzzwal Bhandary (OOZE-wall van-DAH-ree) is a married father of two known in Nepal and some of India as “Ujju Darling,” the elaborately cross-dressed host(ess) who has interviewed many prominent people on a set made up as a beauty salon.

Uzzwal brought himself, his wife and their two sons to America and to Santa Rosa, where a Nepali-American friend owns a couple of convenience stores. Uzzwal came hoping to make a start in U.S. broadcasting.

The attempt didn’t work out as he hoped and he returned to Kathmandu, leaving his wife and sons to finish out the school year in Georgia. He was rocked but unhurt when the great earthquake struck eight days ago.

“I’m in tent,” he wrote in an email.

He said the experience following disasters in Nepal is that “support through government authorities never reach to the right person.” So he and other entertainers are stepping up.

So far, he said, they have distributed food and water in three villages - Lubhu, Bungamati and Khokana.

Uzzwal sent instructions for donating to his cause. I trust him and I’ll try to wire him some dollars. I’ll let you know if it works.

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STORY OF A PARADE: Expect many fanciful literary allusions at the Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival that will take over downtown Santa Rosa on May 16.

The theme is “Out of a Storybook.” The grand marshal will be the well-read Frank Chong, president of SRJC.

And what an inspired idea this is: To honor and exploit the theme, members of the parade board are collecting books for donation to local service agencies. Books can be dropped off at the festival information booth on Old Courthouse Square on parade day, or at more than a dozen local businesses that have book-donation boxes in places.

Watch roseparadefestival.com for a list of those pro-reading merchants.

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AT THIS TIME IN 1965, did you balance on the cusp of graduation from Montgomery High School?

A 50-year reunion is in the works and the tireless committee in charge is actively looking for Class of ’65 classmates.

The reunion is Aug. 14-15 at the Flamingo Hotel. If you were in the class, or know of an alum who might like to know about the half-century gathering, drop a line to Jim Barnes at jbarnes@smlinc.com.

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WHALE OF A JOB: Scott Leonard of Piner High’s Class of 1973 would be an interesting guy to sit next to should you meet at a reunion, or wherever.

He worked 21 years as a lifeguard, and he was a professional runner in New Zealand. He lives now on the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts and is a staff activist with the Nantucket Marine Mammal Conservation Program.

Scott still loves Sonoma County and hopes to live here again at some point. Most important to him at present is urging people to try to shut down the killing of fin whales in Iceland by urging their seafood retailers to make certain they don’t buy from any Icelandic fishing companies tied to whaling.

“Our strongest leverage against Icelandic whalers is through their wallets,” said the long-ago Santa Rosa kid.

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LUCKY FOR YOU should you be in Carole Aubrey’s line of sight when she pays forward the kindness that happened to her the other day at a checkstand.

She was in the express line at the Trader Joe’s on Santa Rosa’s Cleveland Avenue and about to pay for six or seven items when two young women stepped up. They announced they’d like to make the purchase for her, then one handed Aubrey a $20 bill.

“I nearly started to cry, not knowing what to say,” she said. The women told her they were from Redwood Credit Union, which asks only that one day she pass on the random act of kindness.

Aubrey promised she would. Good for her, and for RCU for doling money to employees and urging them to go out and blow someone away.

Chris Smith is at 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com. On ?Twitter @CJSPD.