My World

I recall moments from primary school when we used to be in this rush in class, as to see who would accomplish the given classwork first and then raise our hands excitedly and go “Ma’am finished!” No, I did not leave the comma out by accident. I don’t think we even had time for that. We just literally went “Ma’am finished!” That, of course, earned us a good speech from our teacher who always emphasized on the incorrect use of the phrase. But then again, we never learnt; not at the time, at least. It reminds me of another time when the teacher asked “Have you completed your homework?” My point here: the sole purpose in both of these cases were the accomplishment of the given task. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how complete and finished have been used synonymously, and sometimes interchangeably? So are they the same? Well, not really. I wouldn’t say so. I’m going to be honest here, I googled what would come up if I put complete vs finished. This is what came up...

He sold Love for Rs 500 - Part 1 I looked at him longingly, looked for ….. any signs. He seemed to notice, of course. He took a moment from his laptop and smirked, “What is it? Is there something on my face?” I blushed. “No, I’ll leave to your work.” Note to self: the potion does not work instantaneously, I thought as I shamefully walked away. __________________________________________________________________________________ It was the end of the work day. I slumped my bag over my shoulder and walked grudgingly to the elevator. “Hey” I heard someone call from behind me I turned around. It was him. “Hey” he waved as he ran towards me. “Are you leaving?’ “Yeah”. “Can I give you a ride home? I needed a couple of seconds to take in the shock until I realized I looked like a complete idiot standing there without saying anything. “You…..you want to drop me ho-home?” I repeated slowly. Repeating it made it sound more real to me. He nod...

Dhulikhel might just be perfect for that last minute weekend getaway; not only because it is so damn close but it is so wholesome. Awesome long ride, well technically anyway; fresh air, great scene,  photogenic mountains and so much more. Keep reading! Dhulikhel lies up in the east, 30 km from Kathmandu. Yet, it feels like you have come much farther than that because it feels you’re that far from the crowd. From the periphery of the ridge, a spectacular panorama of peaks unfolds, from Langtang Lirung in the east, all the way through Dorje Lakpa to the huge bulk of Gauri Shankar and close to Melungtse (7181m) and as far as Numbur (5945m) in the east. But do not think the visible mountain range is all there is to Dhulikhel! Pack a small bag. And have a read at how you could spend a great day in Dhulikhel. Breakfast at Mirabel Hotel Can the scenery be more inviting? Fill yourself at Mirabel Resort with their wide ranges of breakfast for your day. They have been ...

Okay, just to be clear: I’m no big shot food critic here. Nor am I a food blogger.   And with reference to the recent post in “The Kathmandu Post” and the controversy that followed: I’m not being paid to write this either. And I won’t lie, I was inspired by How I Met your Mother’s Season 4 episode 2: The Best Burger in New York to write this. So why am I writing this? Come on: its burgers! And I’m sorry, but all places do not make great burgers as they claim they do. They may look good, but they’re deceiving you! Yeah, someone had to put it out there. If you’re thinking its Lunch Box, let me cut the chase and say it outright, that it’s not. While popular at its initial stage, and for a couple of years in its run, Lunch Box has been losing its edge, especially after they have hiked the prices. They are doing great at, well, lunch boxing but as a burgers and sandwich places, I wouldn’t say so. I mean, diced veggies for filling that fall all over the place as you’re stu...

It was the weekend, and while I wanted to lay it off at home, something in me made me want to go visit the park at Naxal. I hadn’t been there yet. I took my scooter and delighted in the empty roads that Saturdays are. I got a good place to sit. I had brought my book and my earphones. The weather was perfect; I was going to have a great time. I was listening to a classic song: La Vien Rose, Louis Armstrong version. You must have heard it too. The literal translation is through rose colored glasses. I hummed without even realizing: “ And when you speak Angels sing from above Every day words Seems to turn into love songs Give your heart and soul to me And life will always be La vie en rose ” I sighed. I wondered what it was like to be in love. It wasn’t helping that I was reading a love story, either. Oh come on! That little voice in my head said. This is a day to relax. “It is a day to relax!” I said out loud now. I snapped the book shut. ...

I’ve been there; you’ve been there; who are we kidding? We’ve all been there. Those side glances, that look, those whispers, we know what they mean, don’t we? They mean: look at her: what is she even wearing? If you’ve been brought up in a judgmental society like ours, you’re bound to turn a few heads when you dress, as they deem ‘inappropriately’. These looks come from both genders. From females for “would you just look at her!” and for males again: “would you just look at her”, the tones of both statements are different of course and so is the intended purpose. I never realized that it was the people’s perception rather than the way women dress in our nation, until I visited China, and I noticed nobody gave a second glance at you no matter what you were wearing. It compelled me to think, just how much pressure we were going through intentionally or unintentionally.  Should a girl not wear whatever she wants? Should she take the pressure? The looks? The shifty ey...

The luscious greens of Panauti are more than inviting and you’d lose yourself in the history and the green that Panauti is, once you get there. Panauti is 32km from Kathmandu. The drive is estimated to be 2 hours from here. Panauti is a UNESCO town and a living museum with 40 ancient temples & 28 festivals. One of the oldest towns in Nepal, Panauti offers a poignant look at the passage of time. To say that you would feel like you have literally travelled back decades would be an understatement. From the crowded bus stand in the sprawling concrete mess of the new town, you slip down a brick street into the Old Bazaar, the remains of an ordered and prosperous medieval city that would have been a wonder to behold in its heyday. Very few people know that before Panauti, this historic town was actually called Palaati. In Newari language, ‘Pa’ mean bamboo, ‘La’ means a rock and ‘Ti’ means a place of pilgrimage. Hence, “Palati” which through the wear and tear of the ages event...