My World

                                                P.C: Arija Shakya For some time, I’d believed I’d found the best burger in town and I had comfort in that very thought. I was almost reluctant to try burgers at new places. But when more than few people started suggesting I try the Lama Grill Burger, I got curious as to whether it really was better than Burger Shack. That and it is only like 5 minutes away from where I live. So, one fine evening my sister and I planned to have dinner at the very place. Lama Grill Burger is a quiet place tucked away inside the city. Not a really big place either but inviting. The menu looked interesting; we were looking at a place that had various options of burgers; truly heaven for burger enthusiasts! What caught our eye on the menu was the Mt Everest burger and this is one of their best sellers. Rightly named Mt Everest burger, the burg...

The term has always seemed fascinating to me if nothing less. Finding the one has always seemed next to impossible; realistically speaking so. 7 billion on this world; how would I expect to find my soulmate out there when they could be anywhere in the world? And even bigger is the question how do you know they are the one meant for you? That’s a question probably bothering many right now. And so, on one bright sunny day when my sister and I were going for a little walk around the neighborhood, and she lashed that age-old question out at me; I only managed to say: “You just know”. As Plato puts it: “According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power,  Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.” And that is where the term soulmate is generated from. It is literally half of your soul. That is beautiful. I truly believe that there...

  Memory is a powerful thing; perhaps more than we can account for. And it was the desire to dip into those memories that made me pick the yellow photo album that particular day. The yellow photo album stands out among the many photo albums in our cabinet. Granted it was the color that made it stand out, but it was also something else. Many photo albums had something assigned to them: our parent’s wedding, my eldest brother’s childhood, my elder brother’s childhood, my childhood, dad’s trips, our graduations, my eldest brother’s wedding and many more. But the yellow photo album was different. It was like the new kid that stood out different among the crowd of students. The yellow photo album is a melting pot of random photos. It has no one particular event or purpose. It is a jumble of my eldest brother’s stay in Japan, my cultural dress photos from school, wedding functions of our relatives, and my trip to China. And perhaps, it was this jumble, that made this yellow photo alb...

  If you are a 90’s kid like me, you will pretty much agree that the 90’s nostalgia is strong. We can still hear all the songs and the ads in our head and recite them word for word. Every time we hear some song play from the 90’s we will only come to one conclusion that the 90’s was the best era; the best decade and there can never be anything like the 90’s again. I can still remember my father blasting “Lambada” on our stereos; it filled the house. Songs by Bob Marley were another favorite of his. If someone says the line: “Tell me Why” I just have to follow it with “Ain’t nothing but a heartache”, still. I loved the candy ring you could wear on your finger and you sucked on it as you went about your way. I love that we listened to songs on cassette plays and had to rewind using a pencil. I loved that my parents took pictures and videos of me on this big camera and video camera that used film roll. There were much better cartoon series on television I loved that we sung the nati...

  I have always associated tea with a much awaited conversation with a dear one and some pending time. A good cup of chiya is never to be gulped down on a racing schedule; no. You would be dishonoring the cup of chiya that has brewed so good for you. A cup of chiya, some time to kill and a catching up with someone that is what you want and that is what you get at The Chiya Spot, Kumaripati. I first heard about this place back in September of 2020. Unfortunately, this was put on hold rather quickly for renovation purposes and come back with a bang, they did. When they reopened, they dazzled their way into the hearts of people. Once you step into Chiya Spot, you will realize this is no ordinary place for chiya. Their ambience is what will steal your hearts the moment you see the place. Decorated with bright colors, comfy mattresses and bean bags, swings and art, it vibes perfectly well with the chiya served here. The Chiya Spot has done the right thing by taking its time to refur...

  I remember you every now and then. But this time of the year, I remember you the most. For someone who always remembers dates; whether it is birthdays or anniversaries, how can I ever forget the birthday of one of my favorite people? Happy Birthday!   You would have turned 29 this year. And every year I cannot help but wonder how you would have been; where you would have been; how you would have looked like and what you would have been doing if you were here. I just finished reading this book called “The Lovely Bones”. Although I had somewhat watched the movie way back then, this time I saw the movie in a different light. The circumstances are not the same, of course. But, I couldn’t help but remember you. I couldn’t help but wonder if you are also watching us from above. I cannot help but wonder if you are living some of the greatest moments in life that you missed through my moments or your sister’s just like Susie did in the book. To be honest, you are never too far fro...

  Croissants, pastry making at its finest if I say so myself. Delicate, complicated and delicious, the art of making croissants will take more than a matter of time. I didn’t think much of croissants. I knew of its existence, of course. A popular breakfast dish consumed almost every day by the French, it took me some time to get that word rolling off my tongue the right way. But I wasn’t sure if authentic croissant could be found here in Nepal. Little did I know how close a Croissanterie was to my residence. I came to find out about Sami Croissanterie when my cousin Palistha put up a story; I was amused that such a place so close to where I live had simply slipped my eyes. No sooner did I come to know about it, I hopped my way over there. I was delighted to find about the ranges of croissants they were offering. Almond croissants, Lebanese cheese croissants, pain au chocolat, tandoori croissant sandwiches and so much more; I had simply hit a jackpot; or a croissant jackpot was mo...