Category Archives: Nepal

Rendezvous with an Entrancing Beauty

Posted on August 28, 2012 | 8 comments

This article was published in +977 (a Nepalese Lifestyle Magazine in Australia) in July-Aug 2012 issue.

It was really nice to have opportunity to interview Samriddhi Rai 🙂

We are always very proud when we see the name “Nepal” in any International arena and we felt be a prouder still, when a few months ago as Miss Samriddhi Rai was successful in bringing home the title of Miss Personality from the Miss Tourism Queen International 2011 held in Xi’an, China.

Many of you may already know Samriddhi Rai as Miss Tourism Queen Nepal 2011. She was also a participant in Miss Teen Nepal and in Miss Nepal. Some of you may know her as a writer or an editor for well know publications or even as a national level basketball player, an aspiring singer or a TV anchor or a Voice on RVL Radio.

An intrepid blogger, she is not afraid to express her opinions and feelings instead of writing what is politically correct. It is very heartening to see her speaking her mind about events in Nepal like the Miss Nepal 2012, Bryan Adams’ concert, etc., in her blog samriddhirai.blogspot.com.

Living with her motto, “Laugh.Love. Live.”: Samriddhi has achieved, in a short time frame, what many of us have only dreamed of. Even though she has been in the public eye form her teenage years, she has never forgotten her roots and has always stayed grounded. She is a great inspiration for today’s youth.

A Self-confessed serious Facebooker, she is so loved by the young generation that the number of friends in her Faceebook personal account maxed out, forcing her to create a Facebook Page instead, to keep in touch with her fans. One of the best things about following her on Facebook and Twitter is that she actually responds to the comments, unlike so many celebrities who just post their photos and never bother to respond to the comments people leave for them.

“For some reasons though, I happen to love my struggles. I believe it has made me tough and although it breaks me down from time to time, it has unfailingly pushed me to bring out the best in me.” These are her words describing her experience from Miss Tourism Queen International. When she was picked by Group of Event Entertainers, the team that conducts Miss Tourism Queen Nepal, to represent Nepal in China she was told she had to fund everything on her own. For any other girl it could have been the reason to desist from the journey even before it begun but not for Samriddhi. She was determined to do whatever it would take to reach her goal. She organised a concert to raise money and at the same time looked for sponsors to help fund her trip to Xi’an to represent Nepal. The road to China was bumpy but with courage and determination she was able to bring a second international beauty pageant crown home to Nepal. It was one of the proudest moments for Nepal and all Nepali.

Here is our conversation with the young, talented and beautiful Miss Samriddhi Rai.

You are into so many different fields, how do you want to be known?

Honestly, it would be awesome to be known as Samriddhi Rai – Jack of all trades, Master of some (laughs) but yeah I will forever be a writer at heart. I express myself best when I am writing so that is one thing that will always be with me. Soon though, I am coming out with my album so yeah, the title of Samriddhi Rai- singer, songwriter, blogger would sound perfect to live by for the rest of my life.

When did you think of entering beauty pageants and did you face any difficulties?

It was not a conscious decision, you know. I had just completed my 12th grade and I had some time to spare. I saw an ad calling for Miss Teen Nepal and I just entered it, thinking it would be fun. If you knew me well, you’d know that I am just that kind of a person – spontaneous and extremely random. I managed to discover the singing talent in me, wiped out fear of public-speaking, to that extent, I have pageants to thank for bringing out the writer in me too as everything  I was learning was just too difficult to be contained within me, I had to share it with the world. So yeah, I have a lot to thank these pageants. By exploring the many vistas of these hard-core contests, I got a chance to explore the many vistas of me. Those were time well-spent. 

 Please share your experience from Miss teen Nepal and Miss Nepal. 

Miss Teen Nepal and Miss Nepal were two experiences I totally cherish. But I may have enjoyed Miss Teen Nepal more (laughs), considering I had no plans to win anything but came out clinching the 2nd runner up title. On the other hand, I joined Miss Nepal fully knowing that I had to win it. And even though I got nothing from it except for my placement in the top-5, with time I realized that winning a title was not so important after all. That, winning people’s love and earning memories and experiences was more valuable. Soon after my bout at Miss Nepal I was offered a job as an editor for a youth’s magazine, I became a weekly columnist, I was offered the title of Miss Tourism Nepal , hundreds of people showed up at my fund-raising concerts and I came back home winning a title on behalf of my country. So you see, winning or losing is for the mere entertainment of the audience. I may have lost at Miss Nepal, but I never felt defeated. To be in the presence of both success and failure and be equally happy in both experiences- is what these pageants have taught me.

 We know that your journey to Miss Tourism Queen International 2011 was not smooth as you had to fund your own way there. Tell us more about your experience from the beginning to winning the crown for Best Personality.

I broke down a few days before I had to leave for my contest. But I can assure you it was only a momentary lapse (lol). But I really couldn’t get my sunny side up when everything came crashing down for a while- when people who promised to sponsor my tickets backed out and my designer friends refused to give their best gowns. It was disheartening and overwhelming. All the while I kept thinking, “Oh my god, I am representing my country here, why isn’t anybody helping me out?” and then, I came back to my senses. I realized people were not helping me because the universe was asking me to help myself and be a strong girl and that is what I became. Oddly enough it was a bunch of strangers who helped me in a big way. Stranger designers, stranger airline officers- to whom by the way I am indebted for life and I still keep in touch with them. And I finally made it to China. The journey thereafter was the most fun I have ever had. Being called out by my country’s name was a thing of immense pride. “Hey! Nepal, come here. Hey! Nepal sings so well.” I am all smiles even as I share these moments with you. When NEPAL was called out to receive the title of Miss Personality, I was so happy. Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks and I couldn’t stop thanking my judges for finding me worthy for the title. Finally, thank you +977 for helping me relive those moments all over again. I’d describe my journey to Miss Tourism Queen International as one of the most beautiful chapters of my life.

 There is a term in Australia called Tall Poppy Syndrome which means people of genuine merit are resented, attacked, cut down, or criticised because their talents or achievements elevate them above or distinguish them from their peers. Do you think that exists in Nepal as well? Did you ever suffer something similar?

Tall poppy huh! Well I’d say that is true anywhere in the world and honestly, if I tell you that I have in fact been attacked and resented then I would also be calling myself a person with genuine merit – and that my friend, would be fuelling my “resent-ers” to resent me even more (lol). But yeah in all honesty, as the number of people who like you grows, with it grows the number of people who might dislike you as well. When I was collecting my funds for the pageant, there were people making remarks claiming that was acting like a “beggar”, to one paper even publishing that my contest was all fake and I had duped people through my fund-raising concerts. Phew! Initially it hurt a lot, but I started getting used to it. Then I was like, as long as my rumours keep people in Kathmandu entertained, I am up for anything that makes people happy (lol) and I let it go.

 For girls planning to join beauty pageants, what do you think are the important preparations that they should make in order to maximize their chances?

Well I feel I very lucky to have gotten in, considering I am only 5’ 6”. My height is not even average in beauty pageant terms; 5’ 6” is very, very short. So yes, my 5 inches heels never came off during my international contest (lol) and that way judges never saw me as someone short. The four crucial preparations for any Nepali beauty pageant representative going for an international pageant, according to me would be: (1) Armed with lots of super-high heels, (2) lots of make-up and hair styling accessories- one must also be well-trained in its application, (3) well thought out wardrobe including several beautiful gowns by designers and (4) ONE significant talent to help one stand out from a batch of hundreds of contestants.

 Did you ever feel discouraged in life and if so, what thoughts made you overcome those feelings?

Discouraged? NEVER! If something goes wrong for me, I am quick at moving on and finding something that is right. I don’t believe in dwelling in despair; my god, life is too short for that. To tell you a lesser known secret though, I sometimes consciously drown myself in sadness only at those times when I want to write some hard-core emo songs for my upcoming album (lol) other than that, nah! I just like to see the brighter side in life. That is just who I am.

 Who do you admire the most & why? 

I admire the values passed down by my parents the most. At the end of the day no matter what you become or where you go, it is the integrity, the teachings that one gets as a child that truly moulds a person. I can’t thank them enough for helping me become the person that I am today.  

What does “success” mean to you? 

Success is just an illusion. Happiness is the ultimate goal I seek. Pursuing my passion for music and writing makes me happy and that is all I need.      

How do you keep fit? Please share with us some of your formula for a healthy lifestyle. 

I guess you have come to the right person to ask that, as I only recently shed a good 8 kilos off of me haha. You see, I had always been a fit person, but then one day I watched the movie Step Up 2 and then I had to have those abs that the lead girl flaunted. Next 3 months in the gym and I was doomed. I gained more weight and I had set out to lose them. It took me a whole year of eating the right food and NOT-going to the gym but indulging in my regular games of basketball and a few running drills to get back into shape.

What is the proudest moment or the most memorable day of your life? 

“You are only as good as your last achievement”- said a wise man and going by that, it has to be my winning the Miss Personality for Nepal at the Miss Tourism Pageant. Yes it was the proudest I had ever been of myself; a moment I shall cherish until my death.

 What are your future plans?

Just continue doing the things I love like baking, playing basketball, singing, writing and joking around with pals and laughing a lot lot lot (lol). On a serious note, immediate plans are for a record album which I hope to release in the year 2013, as I was born on the 13th and my contestant number at Miss Nepal was 13. It’s just an important number for me. Let’s just see how that turns out. 

Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

Ahhh… All that I have been blabbering about is already too much information. If I were the reader, I would be bored by now haha. But yeah, I would really like to say “thank you” for giving your time to read what I had to say. It means a lot. Also, one day I hope to come visit Australia; a huge fan of all Master Chef Australia episodes I wanna come there for the food and the picturesque sea shores that I have only gotten to see in well – pictures (lol). If you’re reading this as a Nepali from Australia, I really appreciate you making an effort to be in touch with updates from back home. Finally, thank you +977 for having me and thank you for hunting me down. Being in the media, not much media likes to cover me – it has to be that Tall poppy thingy eh! (Lol) So, really a genuine thank you to everyone. Wish you all a wonderful life ahead. Cheerio!

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Posted in Nepal, Published

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Nepal doesn’t need to change, we do

Posted on August 25, 2012 | 12 comments

This article was published in +977 (a Nepalese Lifestyle Magazine in Australia) in  July-Aug 2012 issue.   

Even though we are away from home, most of us are very passionate about our motherland NEPAL and we have a long list of things we think Nepal needs to change in order to make it better for the future.  We are very happy to jump into any conversation on what is wrong in Nepal and never far behind when voicing our opinion about how Nepali politicians are so wrong.  If I asked you to tell me one thing you would change in Nepal if you were in power for a day, I am sure, you would join the bandwagon of people who have dreamed to turn Nepal into Switzerland.

We all know that Nepal has failed to make a permanent constitution since 2007 and all the delay has not helped our pessimistic attitude towards Nepal. The decade long civil war, the bandhs, and the corruption in the government are not only making us disappointed but strengthening the idea in our head that Nepal definitely needs to change.

I am sure most of us remember Nepal as the only Hindu kingdom in the world and a country which could attract tourists from around the world with her natural beauty and peace. Then in a blink of the eyes, things changed dramatically. First, the Maoist civil war killed thousands of our brothers and sisters followed by the Royal massacre which killed our beloved King, Queen and princes along with many other royal family members and then the unstable governments that haven’t been able to agree upon a constitution even after 5 long years.

It is 2012 now and things seem to be going downhill in Nepal. The tourism industry is one of the main sources of foreign currency in Nepal and provides many people with employment. Once the world’s most sought-after destinations for tourism; Nepal has lost millions of dollars in income from the tourism industry due to the headlines around the world about its bandhs and the negative publicity. I have a few friends around me who have always wanted to visit Nepal but they fear to travel there due to the fear for their own safety.

Government websites like http://www.smartraveller.gov.au in Australia has a warning for Australian citizens who wish to visit Nepal. They state

  • We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Nepal due to the uncertain political and security situation.
  • There have been violent incidents, including bomb attacks, at crowded locations and on public transport throughout the country.
  • Shortages of essential supplies (food, water, fuel, gas and kerosene for cooking) can occur with limited notice.
  • Black out (or load shedding) periods can have a significant impact on services, including in major tourist destinations. Crimes against foreigners, including tourists, such as assault and theft occur in Nepal due to the poor law and order situation.
  • Illegal roadblocks and enforced national or local strikes (bandhs) often occur without notice and may continue for lengthy periods resulting in the closure of businesses and vehicles not being allowed on the roads. At these times, access to the airport can be disrupted and taxis are not usually available.

If you are a tourist who is looking for a relaxing holiday away from home, would you choose a country which has so many problems? I definitely wouldn’t. I am not blaming smartraveller, as they have stated everything correctly in their website and are doing a great job of making the citizen of Australia aware about the real situation in Nepal.

This brings me to my point why there is still nothing wrong with Nepal. Nepal is still a very beautiful country and I still say this after I have seen a lot of countries around the world that attract tourist in the millions. The only problem right now is that we, the Nepali people, don’t appreciate her as much as we should.

Deforestation and land degradation is one of the biggest environmental problems in Nepal and people are responsible for that, not the country. There has been a loss of huge forest area which has resulted in floods, soil erosion, and stagnant agricultural output. At the same time population growth and improper use of agro-chemicals hasn’t help the environment either.

Political instability has become a huge problem for the country. The politicians need to realise that it is easy to say that they will make Nepal into Switzerland in a certain number of years but they have never paused to think how Switzerland became such great country. They fought so long and hard to established democracy in the country but they are fighting over power and money now when the country needs them most. While I was in Switzerland, I could imagine that if the infrastructure in Nepal, like better roads, could be developed then Nepal too could attract tourists like Switzerland. The thing we, the people, and also the politicians should understand is that there is no quick and easy way to success.

It is the country’s citizens who decide what the country will be like, for better or for worse and we as Nepalis seem to have followed the wrong path for a while now. Let me give you an example.  Most people heard that “If you spit in the streets of Singapore, you will be fined by the cops”. While on holiday in Singapore, I took a bus tour of the city and we had a Singaporean guide.  She was so passionate about her country that she made sure that the tourists in the bus followed all the rules while travelling with them; like not leaving the empty coffee or juice cups on the side of the road or no chewing gums as they are banned in Singapore. She was there enforcing all the rules that we normally expect cops to enforce. If every Singaporean has that attitude and love towards their country then definitely the country will prosper.

Now I ask you “Have you followed all the rules while you were in Nepal or enforced them on others?” If your answer is no then it is definitely time for us to change and take the responsibility of the country and guide it in the right direction. Many Nepalese who would never throw rubbish on the road or dare to break a traffic rule abroad will do it in Nepal without a second thought.

I just want to ask you a few simple questions:

Have you paid money to get your license?

Have you bribed government officials to expedite your work?

Have you bribed a traffic officer when he caught you doing an illegal U turn or speeding?

Have you bribed an airport official to take extra weight illegally or used someone with influence to make it happen? (Most of us going abroad are guilty of this one.)

There are many similar questions that I can ask but I’m sure you got my point. Be honest with yourself because your excuses are not good enough and you are contributing to the corruption in Nepal. You complain about the corruption and bad politicians of Nepal but when it comes to benefits for yourself, you don’t hesitate to bribe your way out. How can you be such a hypocrite? The worst part is that you would never do that in Australia, America or UK. You don’t hesitate in Nepal because you are confident that you can get away with it. I am not saying that I am a perfect citizen and I know most of are not but all of us need to change.

You might argue it is easy to maintain a country that is already in a good state but difficult to improve a country if it is in a bad state. I do agree with that but consider my previous example of Singapore. In the past Singapore had a big civil war between their Chinese, Indian and Malay citizens due to the difference in language, religion and culture but they rose above all those problems and came up with a solution to improve the country. Now they have four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil. They celebrate every religion and have holidays for the Chinese New Year, Vesak Day, Deepavali, Hari Raya Haji (Eid) and Christmas as well. They are one of the most prosperous countries in the world now.

So there definitely is a solution to every problem and we, the Nepali people, have to see it and work towards it.

The next time you think Nepal needs to change, pause for a moment and think what you can do to make that change? Instead of gossiping about our politicians and their wrong doings, let’s start with something small around us that we can improve. As each brick added makes a house stronger, every improvement that we make, makes the country better. We need to make everyone around us aware that a country is made up of its citizens and they can make or break the country. Let’s take responsibility of our own actions and not blame others for the state of the country. If the government is doing something wrong, we need to understand that they too are Nepali citizens and we have the power to make or break the government too. I am sure we all have learnt that from our experience of democracy until now. We do not depend on people who govern the country, they depend on us.

Let’s all set realistic goals and contribute whatever we can for the betterment of Nepal.

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Kushe Aushi (Father’s Day)

Posted on August 17, 2012 | 11 comments

Today is Kushe Aushi in Nepal which is Nepali Father’s day.  Kush is a type of holy grass. There is a tradition to bring Kush home on this day of Aunshi (no moon day). Hence, this day is called Kushe Aushi.

 As I have mentioned in many of my posts before, Nepal has a different calendar than the Gregorian calendar. So in Nepal people also celebrate Father’s day on a different day than the western calendar. In Australia, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September every year but in Nepali calendar, it changes every year according to the positions of sun, moon and the planets. It falls on the last day of the dark fortnight of August or early September. This year, it happens to be today, 17 August 2012. It is commonly known as Buwa ko Mukh Herne in Nepal which translates into looking at father’s face.

As I mentioned in my previous post regarding Mother’s day, this day is very similar to Mother’s day and we cook yummy food for dad. Mostly mum will be do the cooking in reality but we give that to dad  :). Like Mother’s day Mum makes Sagun and we give that to dad.

Both my parents don’t have their dad anymore so every father’s day they prepare sida daan for a priest. Sida is a holy mixture of rice grains and other pure food materials and a collection of clothes.. They have a shower first thing in the morning and go to the priest’s house to give sida to the priest. During Kuse Aunse Hindus from all over Nepal, whose fathers have passed away descend on Gokarneswar Madadev Temple to worship and take holy dips, and present offerings. They also do Sraddha or pinda daan to their deceased father and some do Shradha at home or at the near river or at any holy place nearby.

Kuse Aunse , Father's Day

Mythology has placed the Gokarna shrine from prehistoric times when Lord Shiva hid himself in the Pashupatinath forest, disguised as a one-horned golden deer, from the gods and mankind. While he spent his days frolicking, the world suffered so Lord Vishnu, the preserver, Lord Brahma, the creator and Lord Indra, the king of Gods, took matters into their hands and searched for him. Finally a goddess revealed Shiva’s disguise. So when they finally caught the deer by the horn , it burst into fragments and Shiva revealed himself. He asked the other three gods to establish his horn in their three worlds. So, Vishnu installed his section in his abode in Vaikuntha, Indra in his realm in heaven and Brahma enshrined it at the sacred site of Gokarneshwor. The following day the gods and goddesses descended and bathed in Bagmati river, paid homage to Shiva and established the present day tradition of ancestor worship at Gokarna.

As I have describe in my previous post, in Nepal the first year of marriage is considered to be very important. So during every festival, there are things you are meant to do. This affects how you celebrate Dashain, Tihar, Father’s Day, Mother’s day and more. Last year, I had my first Father’s day after my wedding and my MIL made sure it was a special one for my dad. Here are some photos from the day.

Kuse Aunse , Father's Day

Kuse Aunse , Father's DayKuse Aunse , Father's DayKuse Aunse , Father's DayKuse Aunse , Father's DayThis year I have sent some gifts for my dad already and he will get them today. After work I am going to Skype with him. It is always so nice to see him happy.

So if you haven’t called you dad to wish him, do give him a call and make him smile. And to all the proud dads out there, Happy Father’s Day.

Here is one of the Father-daughter song form Nepali movie. Hope you will like it.

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Posted in Family, Nepali Culture, Nepali Festivals

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Learn Nepal Bhasa / Newari – Chapter 12

Posted on August 9, 2012 | 2 comments

 

English Nepal Basa
Left De-paay
Right Ja-way
Straight ahead Ta-pyanka
Bridge Taa
City Sa-har
Crossroad Pe-kaa-laa
Farm Buu
House Chhee
Lane Galli
Lawn Khyah
Mountain Paa- haar
Pond Pu-khuu
River Khu-si
Road Laa
Shelter Phal-chaa
Temple De-gah
Tree Si-maa
Village Gaa
Well Tun-chhi

Please click here for previous chapters.

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Learn Nepal Bhasa / Newari – Chapter 11

Posted on August 5, 2012 | 6 comments
English Nepal Basa
Is lunch/dinnerready Jaa-bu-ta-laa? (rice cooked)
What’s for lunch/diner? Thauu chuu tar-kaa-ri? (today what vegetable)
No meat? Laa-ma-du-laa? (meat is not there)
We will have fish tomorrow Ka-nhay nyaa da-ye-ke-gu
Your lunch is getting cold Jaa-khwaa-unn-la
I will cut the vegetables. Jinn ta-ra-kaa-ri taa-naa bi-i
The milk is boiling over Du-ru daa-si wa-la
You can out the pan on the fire. Taa-kyaa de-chuu-saa ji-la
The fire is burning idly. Mi gyaah ju-la.
Something is smoking. Kuu wa-la
The roof is leaking. Paujwah
There won’t be any lights today. Thauu ma-ata-wa-i ma-khu.
The try is dry. Hi-ti-i lah ma-wah
I have been robbed Ji-thay khu-yaa yanka-la
I lost my ____________ Ji-gu ______________ta-na.
My room is on fire. Ji-gu ko-thaa mi chyaa-naa chwa-na

Please click here for previous chapters.

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Posted in Learn Nepal Bhasa / Newari, Nepal

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