When Hong Kong learnt that Filipina domestic helper Liza Avelino was going mountain climbing in Nepal with money she saved up over two years, we were all impressed with her courage and determination.
However much lead Avelino needed in her pencil to make the trip, however, was nothing compared to the bravery she mustered when the April 25 earthquake hit.
Avelino was hoping to reach the summit of Island Peak, 10 kilometres from Everest, for her 44th birthday. After 12 days of climbing at below-zero temperatures she caught a cold, however, and returned to Kathmandu to rest.
Thankfully she was there, and not in the mountains, when the 7.8 magnitude quake struck. The friends from her climbing group had also since returned.
Talking to Coconuts Manila via email, Avelino explained how they slept in tents outside their hotel after the quake, too scared to enter any buildings.
“The earthquake caught me by surprise. Minutes after the earthquake, we were huddled together in the open area outside the hotel, recovering from the shock. My teammates rushed toward collapsed buildings to help others out but there was a series of aftershocks and they had to turn back.”
However traumatic her experience was before finally returning to Hong Kong, in ever-optimistic Filipina fashion, Avelino says she has learnt many things from the trip.
Here are just 10 of them:
1. There is nothing to complain about.
“Everything was a first time for me — the snowstorms, the -15 degrees temperatures, the high altitude, freezing high wind, breathing in dry air that irritates the throat and passages. Those are some of the challenges that I needed to overcome.
But [while I was trying to overcome these challenges], I also witnessed the basic village life of the sherpas and quickly realized how lucky I am. I shouldn’t complain about my life in Hong Kong.
I learned how to appreciate the little things I have in my life. You know, I came back to Hong Kong and my employers let me rest to recover and settle my feathers. On my birthday, I got a birthday cake and a bottle of Champagne from them. My friends surprised me with a home-cooked birthday dinner.”
2. Let yourself feel the disappointment. Allow others to comfort you.
“When I realised I wouldn’t be able to reach the summit of Island Peak, I cried. The thought of failing was so hard to digest. I was awashed by my emotions — it felt like someone was squeezing my heart and for a moment, it was so hard to breathe. I cried my frustrations out. For 10 minutes, I cried. And then I listened to my teammates give their words of comfort. It took me awhile to compose myself again.”
3. Look at the brighter side of life.
“[When I realised I wouldn’t be able to summit,] the image of the Everest Memorial came back to my mind. I realised I shouldn’t lose hope. I can always come back one day and try again. You shouldn’t let frustrations get the better of you. As long as you’re alive, there is hope.”
4. Life is delicate and fragile.
“The following morning, after the quake, we went out to look for food. We walked the streets of Kathmandu and saw the extent of devastation. It was shocking and heartbreaking. And the anticipation of aftershocks was nerve-wracking, but it also made me appreciate life. It made me want to live life to the fullest.”
5. It’s okay to feel scared.
“There were so many what ifs going through my mind. The following morning after the quake, we all went out to look for food. I wasn’t really hungry but I didn’t want to be left alone in the tent so I went with them. Moments like that, I think being afraid of dying is a normal human reaction. I couldn’t sleep just thinking about the collapsing buildings. The thought of what else was coming was unnerving.”
6. You have to be patient because other people are probably going through bigger problems than you are.
Two days after the earthquake, Liza went to the airport to catch her flight. “The airport was so crowded; it took me almost 11 hours of lining-up before I finally reached the check-in counter. I was so stressed, I snapped at the airline staff — it was taking her almost 45 minutes just to check my details. She explained that the computer system was slow. The person behind me reminded me to be patient. She reminded me that the staff, too, has suffered like everyone else. I was so embarrassed for behaving that way.”
7. Don’t be blinded by ambition.
“At the Everest Memorial, I was blown away by the big ambitions and the sheer courage and bravery of the fallen climbers. I share the same ambition, but [I’d like to think that] my ambition is not blind. I want to climb the mountain and come back alive to tell my tales.”
8. Triumph will humble you.
Her Nepal trip allowed Liza to “experience the high of realising my dream, and the low of the devastating earthquake. That I was able to survive and rise above it all is truly humbling.”
9. Step out of your comfort zone and take calculated risks.
“Stepping out of your comfort zone will make you realise your dream. In the end it wasn’t the mountains that I conquered but myself.”
10. Give back.
Liza is now helping raise funds for Enrich, a local charity in Hong Kong that helps and empowers migrant women to find skills and financial freedom. According to SCMP, her trek has already raised 71 percent of Enrich’s HKD15,000 goal. Avelino wants to be able to raise enough money to fund workshops for 15 migrant women.
Photos: Liza Avelino
