My World

  I have been meaning to write this part 2, especially after Every Day Phrases by my Mother , the first part was liked by so many and also because, well, the phrases and the dialogues never end with my mother. I did tease her about writing a book or making a scrapbook about all her phrases, but we never got around to it. So here we are, after almost 4 years, apologies if the Nepal bhasa wordings are incorrect somewhere Ne tha ne masau Bhwauthau pwa This is basically saying, not being able to take advantage of the situation or not doing what you are supposed to do at the event. If you get invited somewhere that has food, you should eat there. Neu twanyu tha yu yethe, jui chwanyu kata pinyu yethe I have heard this one many times. In the society that we live in, impression and your social image matters a lot, especially when it comes to family prestige. So it does not matter what you do at home but once you step outside, there is this social obligation of dressing appropriately, behav...

Back when we were about to get married, I had shared with my now husband how I was scared and nervous of leaving my childhood home. I had never lived far away from them for too long, not even stayed at a hostel. How was I going to leave home? I had wondered. “Why don’t you look at it from a different perspective?”, he had said. “Instead of thinking how you are leaving one home, think of how you are gaining a new one, now you will have two homes.” That always stayed with me, somehow. And that is exactly what I remembered as I held his hand and boarded the plane to Bangalore. I was nervous, I was excited, I was scared; this was the first time I would be leaving my country for long term; I had only gone for short holidays but never to settle down. What would leaving our home country and settling in a new country and new city be like? Why not think of it as gaining a new home again? Why not think of it as getting the best of both worlds? Now, I get to experience life in a different, vibran...

Kashmir was not unheard of, for me; a beautiful naturally blessed region, sadly full of chaos and ridden with dispute, long since I knew of it. Of course, I had heard the name of Kashmir in several movies, their famous chili powder, in the map of the world, what I didn’t know and realize was the magic of their food and their culture. The curiosity awoke by watching “Raja, Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan” on Netflix. The very first episode I watched was that of Kashmir, and it was quite captivating to say the least. It was when I saw this whole other side of Kashmir, and came to know about their popular delicacy Kashmiri Wazwan, their Kashmiri Kehwa, their noon chai, their leafy greens and peculiar taste, their influences, and so much more, Among these, Kashmiri Wazwan caught my interest the most. The Kashmiri Wazwan, comprising two words Waz and Wan where Waz means cook and Wan means chop. An intricate dinner consisting of several dishes and courses. Guests are seated in groups of four and s...

  Spongebob Squarepants was one of my favorite cartoon series growing up. I sang along with the theme song, I giggled with them and wished for a friendship like that of Spongebob and Patrick. I related more to the fun and chaos that Spongebob and Patrick enjoyed, while feeling Squidward was always so negative and a spoiler. Fast forward to nearly two decades later and I can totally understand Squidward’s perspective. You want to have some peace and quiet when you get home, you want some relaxation, you want some me time after being around people all day. It doesn’t help when you have noisy neighbors who have no idea about boundaries and personal space or when you say no, it means no. You do not have to be grumpy or cynical as Squidward or hate your job to feel that way. The gist is you do not always have to be doing something to enjoy your time. As a child, you enjoy the innocence and energy and giddiness that Spongebob and Patrick are, as an adult you see they can be annoying ...

  I still remember,  I was standing near the entrance looking out at the garden. I was at my best friend’s home and she had gone to get her ever famous chips chilly for me. I was to leave for Bangalore again, in a couple of days. While I waited, I looked out at the garden and this thought came into my head. “Who is it harder for? The one leaving or the ones left behind?” Is it going to be harder for me in a new place readjusting and exploring, or my best friend here, who will me miss me? Is it harder for a person to settle in a completely new place with a completely new lifestyle and have to find new people or for a person to see the same old places, the same old alleys and reminiscent the good times they had with their friend who are not around at the moment? It was a random thought that filled my mind a couple of minutes and then I got over it. Some time after resettling here in Bangalore, my best friend sent me a reel. The reel was about 2 close friends who used to lived ...

  The ideal Indian food would have you counting garlic naan, butter chicken, shahi paneer, dosa, samosa, pav bhaji and chhole bhature, off your fingers, but the Indian cuisine is so much more. If you go down South: appam, iddiyapam, Mangalore buns, ragi dosa, rava dosa, idi samvar, besibele bath, puliyogare, pongal, Mysore Pak, puttu all await your taste buds. To be honest, even I got to know and am still exploring the South Indian dishes. Internationally, the aforementioned dishes are more popular, even to the neighboring countries, it is the Northern Indian dishes that make it to their knowledge. There is no comparison, of course, each dish is unique, each dish and cuisine just as delicious. While exploring the food here is a big part of my every day journey, what caught my attention is also the local food hospitality. While my mother always wanted my eldest brother to sit down while consuming food, because he eats his meals standing up, she would probably be surprised by the l...

  Beaches, aesthetic building, clean roads, delicious food; Pondicherry is just a good vibe. I had always wanted to visit the coastal areas when we moved here to Bangalore and we had to wait to the right moment to visit Pondicherry and it was so worth it. How to get to Pondicherry Pondicherry falls in the state of Tamil Nadu, if you are in one of the nearer cities like Bangalore or Chennai, you can easily get a bus to Pondicherry. A lot of them are available on daily basis and even AC sleepers. You can also book a train seat to Pondicherry and if you are short on time, you can always arrange for a flight from wherever you are. Best Time to visit Pondicherry The best time to visit here is from October to March when the weather is slightly more timid and relaxed. In summer, it gets way too hot and during Monsoon from July to September, visiting coastal areas is just not the same. History of Pondicherry The history of Puducherry can broadly be classified into two periods: ...

  Coming back home after one year has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me the past month. Getting to see everyone again, embracing family and friends, working on an office desk again, walking through same old alleys and of course, devouring delicious food that I so dearly missed. I am actually almost through the food list that I have been saving. But the people have been asking me the same question a lot: do you like it here in Nepal or in Bangalore? And the answer has always been the same for me: I like it wherever I am. Kathmandu is home, it is warm, and it is where family is. Bangalore is a different vibe and freedom and excitement. Kathmandu is a different fun and Bangalore is different fun, which is why I live in the moment and enjoy where I am. My mother always tells me: “ La wani tha nya wani ma” in Nepal Bhasa meaning “ the fish must go where the water goes”. The meaning while very basic is also very deep. If the fish does not flow with the water, it cannot survive. I...

  Afternoon tea has always seemed as a sophisticated activity to me, something fancy, and something Fairy tale like and royal or something I have only seen at movies. It was a British thing in my mind. While here in Bangalore, I happened to notice the Spring High Tea taking place in Four Seasons Hotel. And I could not help but go to our first intimate tea affair at the Four Seasons Hotel. The place looked royal and romantic was my initial thoughts. We had requested for a window seat overlooking the beautiful pool and the greenery surrounding the hotel, and what a view it was. When our high tea set came in, I almost didn’t want to eat it because it looked so pretty. An array of finger sandwiches, tea cakes, mousse and delicate bites spread over the table with a choice of butter, jam and honey, woven with flowers on the tray.   It was straight out of a dream. My husband was hesitant to join me in this endeavor. Afternoon tea seems more of a girl's thing, he had said. But ...

None of us know what happens after we die. Perhaps you only know once you go to the other side. And the ones that have, have no means of letting us know. The body decomposes eventually, if buried or turned into ashes, but what happens to your soul? It his perhaps one of the biggest questions in life, ironically. There are many theories, sure, reincarnation, heaven, hell, just wander less soul wandering, and many, many stories of hauntings. Many of these are backed up by stories. Recently, watching the last episode of Riverdale put this question back in my mind. Riverdale is about the historic Archie Comics. I read a lot of Archie Comics as a child in the early 2000s; I knew the characters by heart. So when I heard about the Riverdale series, I was kind of curious but had not watched the series just yet. I started this September, just when the series had ended in August 2023, after 7 seasons. The first season was pretty gripping and intriguing, a fresh story with the ever so popul...

  My birthdays, as long as I can remember have always been surrounded with family and friends, cake, celebrations, nothing too extreme but close, intimate, personal. As I got older, the birthdays got less exciting; of course, it was only a reminder that I am getting older. But no matter where I went, I always made it back in time to celebrate my birthday with my family. My mornings would start with visiting the Golden Temple with my parents, coming back and taking shagun and   blessings from elders. The first meal of the day consisted of curd and boiled egg, that is then, pan fried: the Nepali way of celebrating birthdays, fond memories. Even after my wedding, I was blessed with the same love and pampering by my husband and my-in-laws It is different this year, though. This year there is no visiting the Golden Temple early in the morning or visiting our regular temples that we know from childhood. This year there is no shagun in my hand   or   tika on my forehead...

  This September weekend, something made us want to be rather a bit sophisticated   and we headed down to the Big Banyan Wines to have our own wine adventures. Having sipped on a glass of their fine Cabernet Sauvignon   not three weeks before that, made us curious, excited, spontaneous even, to see the place these delightful wines were being made. It was a beautiful day when we decided to go out to the winery, our first time, might I add, to see a winery and the vineyards. We have had our fair share of wines but this would be our first time paying a visit to a place where they make it. The place looked promising. Big Banyan Wines is located in the outskirts of Bengaluru, past Kengeri and near Ramohalli. It is tucked away from the city, away from the noise and traffic, in the havens of green. The vineyards is rightfully named after the over 400-year-old Big Banyan tree here and situated only a few miles ahead from the big tree. Founded by Italian guy Lucio Matricardi...

  Two and A Half Men used to come on Star World a lot when I was in school, but I was never much interested in watching the show. I used to wait for the Simpsons, instead. Although I thought I heard my brothers saying it’s quite funny. So these past months, when I saw the show on Netflix, I thought I might as well give it a go.   Two and a Half Men is one of the most popular sitcoms to have aired for 12 years. And I have only two questions after watching it. 1.       Why on earth is it so popular? 2.       How on earth did it run for 12 years?   It is possibly the most sexist show I have ever watched; it makes me think a lot of misogyny was there in the creation. I’m no hardcore feminist, but if you have ever watched even a few seasons of the show, you would know what I am talking about. All female characters are shown degrading, dumb, mean, evil or bad in one way or another. The plot, albeit was a good one to star...

  You think you’re so good, don’t you? You think you’re so good at deceiving me, at hiding from me, at becoming invisible. Well, guess what; you are not as good as you think you are. I thought we were far behind this, I thought when you saw that I was happily married and settled down with the love of my life, you would leave me alone, I thought when we moved out of Nepal, I could leave all this behind,   but I was wrong. They say you can feel when you are being watched, and I feel it truer now, than ever. I do not know where you are, but I know you are around here somewhere silently watching me from afar and keeping track of my every move. At first, I thought it was only in my head. I thought I must be imagining; not being able to go of the fear of the past horrible experience. But when we found the door to our apartment wide open past midnight open one night, I knew it was you. How did you find out where we live? How long have you been following us? And more importantly...

I have always been intrigued by this subject matter. No, no not so much as to look into it deeply and the possibilities, science is just not my cup of tea. But it has always intrigued me in endless ways: in imagination, movies, books and what not. Has it not ever caught your interest? Peaked your curiosity? What if time traveling were a thing? And where did the term even start? Was it the creation of a baseless imagination or based off an actual possibility that someday this just might be possible? In 2008, Stephen Hawking held a Time Travelers party. The catch? It was declared publicly one year after the party actually happened. But no one came. Does this mean time traveling is not possible whatsoever? Or what if time travelers did come and Stephen Hawking was obliged to not disclose? And what if it were possible, it would open up the doors to so many things both in the past and in the present. If the subject had not come to your thoughts before, surely the popular movie “Back to...