A Beautiful Dirt!

Can you guess it?

I am sure you can’t.

So let me reveal this myself, these are the dirt. Yes, the dirt. How can dirt be so beautiful? It just needs your will. The artists who saw this beauty in the dirt made it possible. The dirt which were brought from the Everest were made into a beautiful art by the artists. Yesterday I attended a programme “A beautiful waste-8848,” a sculpture symposium on transferring waste from Mt.Everest camps in Nepal Tourism Board. The programme was to congratulate all artists and the mountaineers who collected that. I was very much fascinated to see the creativity of the artists to change dirt into show-piece.

I remembered a small gift my friend Yurgan gave to my mother when he returned from Palpa. It was a small plate made by the plastic packing of noodles and biscuits. It was an example in my family and village that dirt if managed can be beautiful. My mom has hung that in her shop which is seen by her customers.

So, the programme yesterday also surprised so many Kathmandu-basees who throw tons of dirt everyday on the other side of their road. On that programme, Mr.Ring, German Ambassador was the chief guest. His simple saying, “The breathe-taking beauty of Nepal is spoiled by dirt.” Is nothing new but still we need to remember it every morning and evening before throwing away the dirt from our window to our neighbour’s gate. We can clean Kathmandu in one week if all of us start doing it today. Why should we jump over the dirt in each and every step? Let’s not use plastics and even if we use lets make it something beautiful. Why do we just blame the municipality? Why do we be irritated by the dirt? Why do we be surprised just? Why don’t we surprise those artists who surprised us????

Nepali Film and Television Artists!

I was all alone there in a big mass of people. The Invitation was for 5:30 but it only started to start at 6:30! But I waited there alone. There were only two whom I knew. Raj Ballav Dai and R.K Subedi. R.K Subedi was busy in shooting and Raj dai was busy in BOWLING! So I sat there alone. Slowly the artists one by one started to show up. I was happy to see all of them because these Hasya Kalakar whereever they go makes people laugh. I just ran behind the ones I liked most like MAGNE BUDA and DHURMU without giving them chance to find out that I was following. Anyway It was a lot of fun there. At least to be in such programs on friday evening is more interesting.
The programm was actually the award and token of love giving ceremony to all the artists who participated on the football match to raise the fund for charity.
I just wanted to share a couple of photos with you. I will write more in new posts.

Winning is not everything, it is the only thing!

I have been a brilliant student academically until now (sounds like braggery but doesn't matter) and as for exams, I have always taken them very seriously for I have learnt all my student life, from my mom, that when it comes to exams, winning is not everything- it is the only thing. Results have always been crucial to me... thank God, I have been able to console my mom until now as I have always got good grades in almost all the exams I have taken.

I must, however, admit that I don't fall under the hard-working students' category. I have taken so many exams until now (I am a student of BA 2nd year at present) and never have I been satisfied with what I do or write in exams. I always have a feeling that I could have done much better, and then I anticipate my results to be not really good. But when you expect the least good to happen, the best happens. And this has been the case with me most of the times.

The secret?? Well, people say I can express what I know in a simple and clear manner. I hope I could believe that... :)

You know, when I sit for the preparation of any exam, I have only one thing in mind. 'I have to prepare myself in such a way that tomorrow, in the exams, I will not have to ask anything to anyone, and I won't teach anything to anyone.' And, as you might have guessed, I have never been able to implement this principle. Either I end up asking a question or two for confirmation, or I help a near-by examinee... Mostly I do the latter one, because I really feel guilty inside when I turn deaf ears to people asking for my help. And I really can't stand myself if I need to ask someone for help in 'exams'.

Back at schools, our invigilators used to be really strict. So there was no question of cheating and moving our eyes here and there. It was quite different at college however. Internal exams were not valued much and the supervisors didn't care much if somebody was cheating, copying or making noise. Most of the students didn't even appear in the exams.

But I and some of my friends were sincere enough and took all the exams. Ya, I topped all the internal exams, both in 11 and 12 standards. But in the final exams, I couldn't secure my position. I was more than just disheartened.

I didn't know what 'guess papers' or 'guides' meant when I was in +2. I had no idea that the key to good marks could be mugging up the answers provided by guess papers and guides. I had always valued my own understanding, specially in social sciences. I wrote what I felt, what I understood regarding a poem or a text. I always tried to maintain that my answers were my original and not what somebody had already written. It worked well at internal exams, but I guess my ideas and understanding didn't click at the examiner's mind concerning the board exam papers. May be I was wrong then. May be I had to remain the conventional type- mug up all the answers and write them as it is...

But I could never do that, I still haven't been able to do that...

The other things that really demotivated me was that I could see so many examinees cheating in front of me. I would be sitting for the exams, all nervous yet prepared to give my best, to really evaluate what I have been able to learn all these years, and next to me, I could see other boys and girls copying answers directly from the guess papers, guides and cheats they had stuffed into their pockets or wherever. This really really depressed me, made me want to yell and shout and cry... it isn't fair, is it?

Is there no value for hard work? Ya, hard work will pay one day but when? People say results do not matter, what matters is what you can do in the future... but excuse me, who can really satisfy himself/herself to say 'ah it's ok, results were not that good but I have the capability to prove myself better in future endeavours'... at least I can't. I have always believed that results 'MATTER' and I still believe that they do.

I have seen my parents, specially my mom, rejoice over my brilliant performances all over these years. She is an illiterate woman and doesn't understand what grades or percentages are- she only knows that her daughter should get the best results. She should win everyone. I have seen her eyes dance with unspeakable joys when my class teachers handed over my results as the topper. My mom still hopes to get the same honour, she still wants me to get the best results, she still wants to see that number '1' in me. And I still want to give her all that, and more.

I have never been able to cheat because I don't have the guts to cheat myself. No, my self-dignity will never allow me do that. The 2nd year's exams are only a couple of months away and I prepare myself to be able to digest all that I will be able to witness- right in front of my eyes. And this time around,I wont let anything as such disturb me. I will give my best... and accept whatever the results, with full dignity and honour to myself.

Truly, winning is not everything, it's the only thing for me. But I wouldn't accept my victory achieved through wrong means. And 'cheating' is wrong, at least I believe it is!!

Jam, Jam ,Jam, again Jam!

It might be difficult to believe for those who live in other beautiful cities of the world but we have to face it in Kathmandu. The whole city has only small roads.Even the little bigger ones seem to be small because of thousands of vehicles! Everywhere,from morning to evening, there is traffic Jam. And it is not simply because of the small roads but also because of lack of discipline.Majority of the drivers here don't seem to care about the rules; infact most of them don't know about it.If you have enough money to pay to the brokers, the driving licence is 'home-delivered'You don't even need to learn to drive....
People here use vehicles to reach a kilometre away.No people here seem to be enjoying walking.How could they, when there is so much of pollution,bad smells,dirts,shop on pedesterian....Surprisingly there is always the Jam of the people in all market areas.Once while I was going from Indra chowk to Ason, it took me almost 20 minutes which is just 300 metres!
So here is always Jam. What makes me sad is: many school buses these days never reach in time.Students reach late in school and late at home!
So many of my foreign friends love all these chaos.They can't believe how people manage here.When they ask me why we don't have good system here; i just smile and reply" We also have system and thats-systemless system!"

Work ahead...

Impressions at Vishnumati river...
With election fever going down and daily routine returning we remember the great duties ahead of the upcoming government, however it may be composed.

The motivation of the general people to create the 'New Nepal' should not be wasted now. The best way to give a chance for the citizens of Kathmandu to participate in creating their new society is to clean up the town.

Whoever succeeds in this giant task will be remembered by future generations as the true creator of the 'New Nepal'.

On the way!!!!!

I was just walking down from New Road to Sundhara. Something stopped me at THE BHIMSEN TOWER!!! The BHIMSEN TOWER had quite a different view. A long canvas was rolling down upto the ground.I asked the people there what it was??????!!!!!!!One person replied"Mr.Kiran Manandhar has created this 123 metre long canvas on the occassion of LOKTANTRA DIWAS." There was also a 'PLAY' organised by GURUKUL FAMILY!
The most interesting thing over there was a long white piece of cloth which was hung on the wall and people could write how they imagined the coming days of nepal!!!I also wrote there a sentence.....GUESS WHAT?

This election and me!!!!

The CA election is important for its own reason.But for me the important thing was my village. I was going to vote for the first time in my life.Luckily it was a CA election which will define the shape of our future!!! I am hopeful of our future...but some more to report is that there were about 60 young children who also voted with me.Taramaya tamang, reading in class 6 also was in the line to vote. I couldn't shoot her photo in the line but later on i did it. She was very ashamed.When I asked her why she was voting when she was not even 15 years,if she knew anything about CA, if i could post her in my blog(internet)-she couldn't answer anything because she didn't know about CA,internet...
Also there were so many other people on the same line who could have been different news like that!
it was a fair election there but what does "fair" mean when so many people didn't know what CA means!!!!

Success story of Floriculturist Narayan Bhakta Maharjan

With continuous reach to the peak of success, Narayan Bhakta Maharjan, proprietor of New Sun Flower Nursery, still considers himself an amateur in the field of business and struggles to reach that height where very few people have been able to.

Born on 26^th Magh, 2015 he started his independent life at the age of 12 years. Since then, he has stood by his own and faced all the challenges in life with confidence.

Here’s an excerpt from an interview with him:

Q. What is the secret of your success?

A. Passion, confidence and belief on what I do. I never give up; I rest only when the work I have started is completed. I believe that if one truly wants, s/he can bloom flowers even on stone.

Q. Where does your strength lie?

A. My experience, passion toward what I do, confidence and my family.

Q. Why Floriculture?

A. I love flowers. When I am with them, I feel very good from the inner core of my heart. I have done a lot of works in my life. I had been a painter, a farmer, even an actor in the local theatre but I didn’t enjoy anything more than gardening. It’s been my all time hobby. I always managed to plant some flowers around my place since early childhood. When I started working in The Everest Hotel as a gardener I was able to learn a lot from my seniors and foreign guests. With continuous uphill struggle I was promoted to the post of Gardening Supervisor. I knew then that if there was anything on which I could leave my mark on, it was Floriculture. I was encouraged to start my own nursery when a Japanese tourist bought two pots of Cineraria paying Rs 175 each from my rooftop. It was my wife who took care of the nursery when I was on duty at the Hotel.

Q. Were there any difficulties on starting your own business?

A. There were many. First of all, there was very little to invest. It was very difficult to get loan. It was hard to attract customers toward our product. But then I was prepared for all these and so it wasn’t that tough to overcome them.

Q. What are your customers like?

A. My customers range from a common housewife to government and non-government offices. I also supply plants to different schools, colleges, restaurants, hotels, monasteries, etc.

Q. What do you think is the future of floriculture in Nepal?

A. I see a very bright future. Slowly things are getting organized and even the customers are becoming more aware about the product. With genuine effort of FAN (Floriculture Association of Nepal), floriculture will definitely prosper.

Q. What has been your greatest achievement till date?

A. From a rooftop nursery to the nursery spread over 4 ropanis of land - this truly has been my greatest achievement.

Q. What are your future plans?

A. I would love to enhance the area of my nursery and supply plants to more and more customers.

Q. What are the qualities of a true businessman?

A. To be honest, I consider myself an amateur in the field of business. However I think patience and tactfulness are the most essential qualities. Other traits could be confidence, intuitiveness, farsightedness and s/he must have a good sense of humor. Knowledge is also very important.

Q. Last words for all…

A. Be patient and believe in yourself in the worst of conditions. Be enthusiastic toward whatever you do. Success is not very far. Try to reach there in time.

Interview with Madhav Pd. Ghimire

KABIBAR Madhav Prasad Ghimire is the NATIONAL POET poet of Nepal. He was born in Pustung, a remote village in Lamjung district in 1976 B.S . His major works are Gauri, Rajeshwori, Nawa Manjari, Paapini Aama, Sakuntala, Malati and Mangale, Rastranirmata, Devaki etc...He is also well known for the best children poems. Here is a short interview with him!

Q) How are you feeling these days?

A: Not so good! Now I am 88 years old. Because of the old age I am too weak and the cold weather of Kathmandu is difficult for me.

Q) Reaching this stage of your life, how are you observing the life in the relativity of your own existence?

A: It's quite difficult to say anything instantly! What others have to say about me is different things and I don’t know about it as well. I have to ask my innerself!

Q) How do you define literature?

A: I think literature as an expression, where the word images as its interpreters do!

Q) When did you start to write?

A: Umm…I can’t tell the exact date. I was interested in literature from my childhood….i started to write at my schoolage.

Q) How do you prefer to be introduced, as poet or….???

A: I am a poet by heart. I feel I’m always near to poetry because poetic heart is the first enrollment of literacy genre.

Q) When you write a poem what grabs you, mystery or an object?

A: It depends upon my mood. Sometimes both grabs my attention and sometimes neither.

Q) Your favourite Nepali poet?

A: All of them are good in their own style. I like all of them.

Q) Foreign writer?

A: Shakespeare.

Q) It is often said that the author dies after the creation. Do you believe in this?

A: The author doesn’t want to separate from his creations or let’s say; the death of a poet is not acceptable. But in reality, the death of the author is enevitable. The author enjoys his existence when s/he is in the letters, sentences, images pouring her/his entire mind in it. But the time when s/he is finished with writing, s/he too is finished. If the experience of its omniscient feelings is detached from the author, then the author is dead.

Q) Do you want to say anything at last?

A: PEACE!

Welcome!!!!!

Welcome to TALK TIME!

This page is totally dedicated to all readers who are interested to know about Nepal and the people here!!!!

We are a group of journalism students from the capital city, Kathmandu, Nepal.
We plan to post interviews with people of Nepal.

You are heartly welcome to comment or ask questions!!!!
Hoping to see you back here,

Suman Lamichhane, Pravin Dhakal, Poonam Maharjan