Category Archives: Published

Recycling and reusing in Nepal

Posted on April 30, 2013 | 9 comments

This article was published in +977 (a Nepalese Lifestyle Magazine in Australia) in April 2013 issue.

recycling post blog

My recent visit to Nepal has given me inside to many things and one of them is recycling and using anything and everything possible.

Recycling is very important, but even better is reusing. I was really impressed on reusing skill on people from Nepal. From old metal cans, plastic bags, old newspapers, packing containers and old clothes, Nepali housewives especially found ways to give second life for simple items around their home by reusing them.

I really think people living in west are spoiled and they really need to learn how to reuse and recycle than buying things that are use and throw. I have to admit, even though I am conscious about recycling and reusing, I have a long way to go to be anywhere near these housewives. I am going to remember from now on that not everything is destined for the rubbish bin. I need to think before I throw.

No matter how rich or how poor people are, most Nepali people reuse lots of thing and this is what I observe.

  • Plastic grocery bags used as small trash can bags.
  • Ziplock bags washed and reused.
  • Worn out clothes used as rags to clean floors and windows.
  • Margarine and butter tubs used as takeaway containers.
  • Everyone unwrap their gifts very careful so they can reuse the wrapping paper.
  • Shoe boxes used as storage containers for small items.
  • Old toothbrush used to clean hard to reach areas like around the sink, your drains, faucets and grout.
  • Newspaper used for cleaning windows and mirrors. Also it is used to clean up after pets.
  • Old glass bottles from tomato sauce or honey used as storage container for herbs and spices in the kitchen.It can be also be used as a stationary organiser.

  • Small jars from jams used as candle holders.
  • Old saucers used as soap dishes.
  • Mugs are used as utensil holders.

  •  Leftovers are put in freeze and used in fried rice the next day.
  • Any kind of boxes used as storage containers or organisers.
  •  Plastic milk jugs, juice containers, big coke bottles used to store water.
  •  Small plastic water or soda bottles used to take water with you while out and about.

If you are interested in any of the ideas, please Google and you will find heaps of ideas on how to turn your trash into treasure and you will be surprised how good they look. Also it will help you save some money and you are doing your bit to save the environment.

Do you recycle?

Till next post, take care.

M from nepaliaustralia

XOXO

You may also like :

*Paragliding in Paradise 


 *Forever Blackout 
 *Bolne ko pitho bikchhare, nabolne ko ta chamal pani bikdaina
 

9 Comments

Posted in Nepal, Nepal 2012 / 2013, Published

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Fashion from Nepal

Posted on March 27, 2013 | 4 comments

This article was published in +977 (a Nepalese Lifestyle Magazine in Australia) in March 2013 issue.

Fashion from nepal blog

Inspired by my recent visit to Nepal, I am putting together fashion clothes and accessories from Nepal that are fashionable, chic and environment friendly.

In Nepal, I noticed that there are some really awesome accessories and the range include different types of earring, necklaces, rings , bangles , bags, wallets, coin purses and bracelets made out of sliver, brass, beads, wood  etc.  as well as Pashmina and woollen sweaters, scarfs, gloves, hats and many more items.

Looking for unique, stylish and customizable fashion wear? Instead of buying goods that are made using child labour, unsafe and unhealthy for environment; help great organization like Fair Trade Nepal by paying fair prices for handmade, high quality products that bring joy to one’s life and also make great presents.

You can buy clothes and accessories, bags, swollen products as well as recycled products. Please visit following sites for details.

http://www.thirdworldcraft.com

http://www.creationnepal.com

http://www.serrv.org

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*Pretty in Pastels this SUMMER *Spring 2012 Trend Alert: Hello, PETAL! *Hot Trend Chunky Statement Necklace

/category/nepal

4 Comments

Posted in Fashion, Published

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Paragliding in Paradise

Posted on March 25, 2013 | 22 comments

This article was published in +977 (a Nepalese Lifestyle Magazine in Australia) in March 2013 issue.

Paragliding for blog

We have all heard about Paradise but we have never seen it. Today I am happy to announce that I have been there and it is called Pokhara, 200 km away from Kathmandu, capital of Nepal.

Pokhara is heaven for domestic and international tourists with its luscious green hills, snow-capped mountains and beautiful lakes. These days Pokhara is also famous for its various adventures like paragliding, gliding, ultra-light flight and zip fly.

I have been waiting to sky dive for ages so I thought paragliding would be a great step towards it. So when I went to Nepal this year, I went to Pokhara where I saw the paradise from a bird’s eye view with the magnificent mountains up close.

We booked the paragliding through the hotel. So the company picked us up at the hotel. Initially, it was only me and my husband who were planning to glide but my mother in law also joined us for the flight once we asked her. They took us to their office first where we filled out forms and signed a no liability statement. From there we were off to Sarankot, which was around 30 minutes’ drive from the office.

The drive was a bit bumpy at times but the driver was giving us lots of information about the paragliding. He told us that even an 80 year old man had done the paragliding from their company. Once the jeep stopped, we had to walk a few minutes to reach the top of the hill where I saw many gliders were already taking off from the mountain and floating away. We were each assigned a pilot and I got Vlad from Serbia. He has been flying for over 10 years all over the world and seemed well trained. He buckled me up with the gears and a few instructions on how to take off. With a little bit of fear and a whole lot of excitement, I was ready for my flight.

After checking all the equipment and wind flow we ran together to take off. I was quite surprised how easy that take off was as we glided off the cliff and I naturally fell back onto the seat and began drifting peacefully. It was great to realise that I was in the air flying. I was already high up on the sky when I saw my husband and mother in law taking off from the hill. Once in the sky, I could see lots of colourful gliders filling the blue sky on the sunny winter day. I could see eagles circling below us as well.

The pilot informed me that we were cruising above 8000 feet in the air and I could see the magnificent view of the Himalayas, hills with pockets of green forests, beautiful lakes and Pokhara city.

As we climbed higher, the view of Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and Manasulu were so close and breathtaking. We cruised for almost 20 minutes while the pilot pointed out a few places. Also it was fun trying to find my husband and mother in law among many gliders as we could hardly recognise any face from so far away. As the flight was smooth, I asked the pilot if I can take my own camera from my pocket. He said it would be fine so I took my camera out and took a video and photos of our flight.

After a while the pilot asked if I was ok to do some acrobatics in the air. I was scared but I said yes so he let me hold his camera as he prepared for some spinning and spiralling. I put my own camera back in my pocket and we did some acrobatics over the lake swinging back and forth and dropping in the air. It was such an adrenalin rush and I would have liked him to keep going but it was almost time for us to descend and land next to Fewa Lake.

He asked me to put my foot up and not try to touch the ground when we landed so I did as I was told and I was safely on the ground. My husband and mother in law had already landed and we all were very happy with the experience.

Once they packed the equipment, we were back in the jeep on the way to their office where we waited for our photos and video. They also gave us certificates for the flight!

It was an incredible experience and is totally worth a try 🙂

You may also like :

*Abseiling *Oceanwalker *Zoo visit in Nepal 

22 Comments

Posted in Adventures, Nepal 2012 / 2013, Published, Travel

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Pretty in Pastels this SUMMER

Posted on February 12, 2013 | 4 comments

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

977fashion

Pastels are so sweet, soft, romantic and ethereal. Pastels may be pale in hue, but combined with right jewellery and shoes give them a bright look. This summer pastel is not only for kids but everyone who wants to make a fashion statement. You can look sweet despite the heat in a rainbow of taffy-coloured hues.

You can choose outfits from a beautiful pale pink, gold, green, blue, salmon rose, milk caramel, velvety peach, powdery mint, banana, guava, lavender, baby blue and many more. Bags in pale pink, banana, lilac or mint are winners this summer.

Tips to wear pastel colour

  • The most important rule of pastel shades is not to overdo it
  • Wear with a neutral colour like beige, black or white.
  • When wearing pastel make sure to put on more cheek and lip colour
  • Highlight the look with statement accessories
  • Metallic gives pastels a glamorous edge
  • Combine pastel jeans with a white and black top
  • Accessories in pastel shades can also be used separately with full black attire
  • Pastel shoes look amazing in combination with white pants or a light coloured dress
  • Try using a pastel coloured nail polish.
  • A scarf is always a good way to add a touch of pastel to your outfit.

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*Autumn Trend Alert: “Dot On” *Fashion from Nepal
 *Spring 2012 Trend Alert: Hello, PETAL!

4 Comments

Posted in Fashion, Published

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Forever Blackout

Posted on February 10, 2013 | 6 comments

This article was published in +977 (a Nepalese Lifestyle Magazine in Australia) in Feb 2013 issue.

977post

Living in Australia we always hear things happening in Nepal like strikes, Nepal Band, political instability, traffic problem, pollutions and of course load shedding. We always sympathise with the people who have to live with these conditions and we feel sorry for them as they how to put up with all this hardships in life.

I have to admit it is easy to say “Bichara” and move on with our happy life in Australia but it is a different ball game when you are facing the problem first hand. I have been in Nepal for a few weeks now and I had never imagined how much load shedding can affect one’s life until now. How can you lead a normal life if you have to live without electricity for 12 hours a day and it is predicated to be more hours in coming weeks.

Living in Sydney I never have to plan my life around electricity but in Kathmandu you must be a great planer if you want to live a smooth life. Most days, working people of Kathmandu won’t see electricity at their home as there will be no lights when they leave home and there is still no light when they come back  home. It’s like you live in the city that has no electricity at all.

Currently, the only days, I wake up with electricity is twice a week on Sundays and Mondays and rest of the week, no lights during mornings and evenings. If I want to do something that requires electricity, I need to wait till 11 or 12 in the afternoon and quickly finish my chore before electricity goes out again.

It is winter here so if I want to shower with hot water using the hot water geyser, I must run and turn on the geyser as soon as electricity comes on as it is a luxury of only for 4-5 hours. Also I must iron my clothes, charge my entire electrical appliance in that time as well otherwise I have to wait another 7 hours before I can use all the gadgets.

Some people have even water problem because of load shedding. If water is supplied when there is no electricity most people can’t fill their tank which is on their rooftop so they have to ration water to live for day to day life.

We all know that Nepal has a huge hydropower potential. Nepali rivers and the steep gradient of the country’s topography provide ideal conditions for the development of some of the world’s largest hydroelectric projects, approximately 40,000 MW of economically feasible hydropower but currently Nepal has developed only approximately 600 MW of hydropower. Therefore, bulk of the economically feasible generation has not been realized yet.

Nepal is not able to generate even half of the 900 MW peak supply demand during dry season. The electricity demand in Nepal is increasing by about 7-9% per year and so has pollution in major city like Kathmandu so until and unless major hydro electricity projects get started in Nepal, there seems no hope of people of Nepal to expect normal electricity supply in the country.

I hope Nepal will  get its act together soon and generate electricity not only for whole Nepal but also to export electricity to India and China, both of which are in need of more power to fuel their development goals.

There are a few alternatives that people are using in Nepal when power is out like inverter or solar electricity but not everyone can afford this luxury which means people are still using candles everyday like in 1800 in this 21st century to do their everyday tasks.

Most evening if you walk around Kathmandu, the whole street has no light which make the city less safe to go out after sunset affecting lots of shops and restaurants around the country.

Now you can imagine how lucky we are in Australia and rest of the world to have electricity facility and how privileged we are not to have to plan our life around electricity. And I salute all the Nepalis in Nepal who are still happy despite living in a country with major blackouts everyday.

6 Comments

Posted in Nepal, Published, Social Issue

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