Aerobic kick boxing

Posted on November 11, 2011 | 7 comments

We recently joined Aerobic kick boxing classes.

Aerobic Kickboxing is a non-contact kickboxing combined with the energy and vigour of an aerobic class format.

Its is spring now and summer will be here in no time. So in order to get our body fit for our Christmas holiday, we decided that it would be a good idea to join some fitmess class so we would exercise regularly. It was really hard to exercise during winter as it was so cold and most of the days, by the time we returned home from work, it was dark outside.

I really find it funny that both me and AS are very disciplined and go to class regularly when we pay for some classes. Before this we have also gone for Thai kick boxing classes and it was great.

After the first class, both our bodies ached for days but we still loved it. We have a gym and a pool in our building but we didn’t use that in winter.

When it is summer, we are much better as both of us love to swim.

Anyway, when we decided to join Aerobic kick boxing, we thought it will be somewhat similar to Thai kick boxing we went to earlier but it is not at all similar. Thai kick boxing is mostly working with a partner with gloves on. They will show you how to punch, kick and guard. But aerobic kick boxing have no contact at all. We normally dance on Adel and Rihanna’s songs.

I am sure if AS had known of this before we joined, he would not have gone with me for the class but now he is loving it.

The class is conducted in a basketball court of a local school. The class normally has 15-20 people, mostly gals but there are a few men and kids too. Our instructor is really good. I think she is in her 50’s, but super fit. There are so many combinations of techniques she uses sometimes I feel lost. The funniest part is I always mess up my right from left :).

Normally we do warm up for first 10 minutes followed by 5 minutes of sit ups. I thought I was in good shape but she proved me wrong. Then work out will have punches, guards and fast drills which is definitely working out my body. And it is concluded by doing stretches. By the end of an hours class, I feel as if I have been working out for hours.

Hope to lose few inches before summer!!!

7 Comments

Posted in General

Tagged , , , , ,

How to make Newari “Wo” / Bara with Mugh beans

Posted on November 10, 2011 | 5 comments

Wo is a Newari word which is mashed lentils cake and it  is prepared from the black lentils or green lentils (Mugh beans). Wo  is called Bara in Nepali. There are different kinds of Wo depending on what is put in it and how it is cooked but I am making vegetarian one today.

This recipe was given to me by my MIL.

Ingredients

  • ½ kg Mugh beans (Split or whole)
  • Vegetable oil
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 small onions
  • salt according to taste
  • 2 teaspoon ginger paste
  • 2 teaspoon garlic paste
  • water

Steps 

  • In a big container, pour Mugh beans and add at least 1000ml of water. As these beans increase in size after soaking, it is a good idea to add lots of water in a deep, large container.
  • Leave them overnight to soak if possible otherwise soak for at least 5-6 hours.
  • After 5-6 hours, they will absorbed water and will be swollen and soft.
  • Wash the beans and take some of the green bean coats out. The green coating is very healthy so no need to take a lot out.
  • Put the beans in the mixer with salt, ginger and garlic and grind until it becomes a thick paste.
  • Grind carrots and onion separately.
  • Now mix the bean paste and the carrot onion mixture..
  • In a flat frying pan, add one tea-spoon of oil and let it heat.
  • Put two table spoons of the mix and make a circle around 4-5 inches using  the spoon.
  • Cook on low heat and when the Wo is crispy and brown on one side turn it over.
  • It is best to use slotted(as shown in picture) as it is easier than other spoons.

    Slotted turner

  • Pour one spoon oil again and cook this side till it is crispy and golden brown.
  • Your “Wo” is ready. This is best served hot.  You may also like :

    *Aloo chop *Chatamari *Gundruk Aloo Bhatmas Curry

5 Comments

Posted in Newari Food, Recipe

Tagged , , , , , ,

Black nail polish

Posted on November 9, 2011 | 6 comments

I was talking to one of my older relatives a while ago regarding how my Dashain went. She told me that she saw my Dashain photos in Facebook and really liked the fact that I was traditional and wore sari while doing Puja and even made an effort to grow Jamara. She was happy that I was holding on to my Nepali roots. Then she said everything was perfect but…

I wasn’t sure what was coming next but she said, “Everything was perfect but you were wearing a black nail polish. Red would have been 100% perfect.”

Seriously I didn’t even notice what nail polish I was wearing until I talked with her.  I know I was wearing a Red sari and all the traditional jewellery but it didn’t occur to me to change my polish according to my sari.

Anyway I love black nail polish. I have been wearing them for a decade now. I find is easy to maintain and goes with everything I wear. I have never have Goth look but I find it looks great with short filed nails. And these days there are so many companies that are doing black nail polish with different shade and glitters. I had Chanel black nail polish which was the best so far as it was used to last so long that I didn’t have to maintain for weeks.

Different people have their own opinion on black nail polish. Few years ago, one of my male friends told me that if you see a girl with black nail polish in a night club it means that the girl is ready to mingle. Then I have few friends who see black nail polis as bad omen but for me I like the way it looks on my hand.

I am definitely not wearing the polish to mingle with anyone nor do I believe in bad omens. I know we have all seen them on witches or vampires in horror movie but that is just movies. After all, we haven’t stopped eating apple pie after watch American pie!

I have seen lots of celebrities wearing black polish and in every fashion magazine I have read, they think black polish are so in so I don’t care what people say I am not going to give up on my black nail polish. Also I think 100% perfect is boring, you need to have

You may also like :

*Pretty in Pastels this SUMMER *Hot Trend Chunky Statement Necklaces *Spring Cleaning and Shopaholic

some degree of uncertainty for life to be exciting  🙂

6 Comments

Posted in Fashion

Tagged , , , , , ,

Donate blood, save life

Posted on November 7, 2011 | 8 comments

Did you know 1 in 3 people need blood? But despite this only 1 in 30 people will donate blood.

–         Australian Red Cross Blood Service

The first time I went to donate blood, they weighed me and said “You are underweight to donate blood.” 

It was a bit embarrassing but I couldn’t do anything about it then. 

After a few years, I tried again and yeeepiii, I was eligible to donate blood. 

Since then I have been donating blood nearly every three months if I am in Sydney and AS has been donating blood since he came here. He used to do it before as well but not in a regular basis but now both of us do it regularly. 

 I just got an email and my next donation is next Monday. I am looking forward to it as it feels good that I am doing my small bit to help someone who needs blood to be alive.

For those of you who have never given blood, you should consider it as it is not difficult or even painful. All you have to do is go to a collection location which can be easily found on the Red Cross websites. Make sure you have a good meal and plenty of water before you go. You need to go there with a form of identification and they will give you a questionnaire to fill up. Once you have filled it up, they will interview you regarding your general health, check haemoglobin levels and blood pressure to ensure you are eligible to donate blood.

 Then you lie down on a bed, they will put a needle in the vein (believe me it is not painful, you won’t even feel it) and take out about 470 ml of the blood and all done.

 They even provide snacks after you give blood. Normally it is a piece of fruit, some chocolates and water so once you are done you sit down in the waiting area for 15 minutes, have the snacks, make sure you are ready and fit to go back.

The whole process takes around 60 minutes for the first time and if you donate regularly, it will take around 30 minutes as you don’t have to do the long interviews again when you have a Donor card.

My blood donor card

 Here are the few facts from Red  Cross Australia website 

Who can give blood ?

 Most people are able to give blood if they:

  • are fit, healthy and not suffering from a cold, flu or other illness at the time of donation or in the previous 7 days
  • are aged between 16-70 years (in QLD and WA 16-17 year olds require parental consent)
  • weigh more than 45kg (16-17 year olds need to weigh more than 50kg)
  • are prepared by having plenty of liquid the day before donation, especially in warm weather. In addition, in the 3 hours before donating, please drink at least 3 good-sized glasses of water/juice.
  • eat something in the 3 hours before donating
  • bring ID. Please bring at least one form of photo identification.

 And here are some more interesting facts

  • negative blood is universal and can be given to anyone
  • Platelets have a shelf life of only 5 days
  • 470ml of blood is collected when you donate blood
  • Australia has one of the safest blood supplies in the world
  • Within 24-48 hours of giving blood, your blood volume is completely restored
  • You can donate double platelets- helping twice as many people

Hope you will consider giving blood and save 3 more life. 

 

8 Comments

Posted in Personal

Tagged , , , , ,

Ta, Timi, Tapai and Hajoor

Posted on November 6, 2011 | 11 comments

Compared to English, I think, Nepali is a very complicated language. Just to say “You” there are so many ways in Nepali. In English “You” is a second person pronoun of both singular and plural but in Nepali it is a totally different story.

Ta – used for someone younger than you, as well as for someone of lesser stature or when you are trying to dominate someone. You also find that friends use it casually among themselves as it can also show closeness among friends. (If not among friends, Ta is considered rude.)

Timi – used for a person younger than you or of similar age/ stature.

Tapai – for a person older than you and to anyone who you respect/ of higher stature

Hajoor – Mostly used by Brahmins and Chhetris for addressing older people and to show lots of respect to people of higher statute. Other ethnic groups don’t use Hajoor but use Tapai instead.

The reason I am writing this post is how these words have affected my life after my wedding.

Before our wedding, I had known AS for almost 12 years and we were friends. So I used to address him as “Timi” and he used the same for me. It was perfectly fine and there were no issues.

After we got engaged, my mum heard me talking to AS using “Timi’ so she told me not to use “Timi” but use “Tapai”. I ignored her suggestion and kept using “Timi”. I felt more comfortable and I was used to it anyway. I also felt bad that he was allowed to call me “Timi’ but I had to change to “Tapai”.

Before the wedding, I had to go and meet my MIL for shopping. AS was in Australia then, so it was just me and her. In that meeting she told me, try to use “Tapai’ for AS when there are people around us but “Timi” is fine when we are alone. I understood her point. She didn’t want other relatives to talk about me being disrespectful of my husband just because I didn’t live in Nepal. So after our wedding when I was in AS’s house, I switched from using “Timi’ to “Tapai” all the time. It was easy for me to follow just one way of addressing him and not changing it depending on whether someone was near us or not and because it was just too confusing otherwise.

When we came back to Australia, I didn’t realise that I was calling him “Tapai” all the time. I got used to it and I know he liked it so I didn’t bother to go back. Also I didn’t want to say “Tapai” only when we were Skyping with our parents.

Now, some of my friends tease me saying that I am being “a good Bhuhari” and some say I am acting weird after the wedding. I have many married couples around me but apart from my cousin K, who was married in Nepal and lived there two years before coming to Australia, no one addresses their husband as “Tapai’. They all use “Timi” and they find it odd that I use “Tapai”. I am sure they must have gotten used to this by now but I still feel that a lot of times, people look at things I do in a negative way even when I do the right thing. It would have been perfectly fine if I had been a Nepali Bhuari but people find it hard to believe I use “Tapai’ as I am an Australian Bhuari.

You may also like :

*From independent, confident strong women to dependent, needy wife *With love, to my dear husband  *Making a cup of tea…

11 Comments

Posted in Marriage

Tagged , , , ,