Another of my post is published in The Himalayan Times , one of the leading daily papers in Nepal.
I am honoured and happy to be a part of the paper again.
It was published in 24 July 2014 under Blog Surf section. If you are in Kathmandu, get the paper and find me on page 8 and for those who can’t, here is how it looked :).
And here is the link to their epaper.
http://epaper.thehimalayantimes.com/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate=7/24/
Take care ,
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
Sometimes it is easy to ignore what you have and to appreciate how good you have it. That is the case for me when I sometimes forget that I live in one of the best countries in the world in terms of economy and safety. We also have many nice people around us. From time to time things happen that reminds me the very thing.
Last week AS forgot his bag on a bus coming back from work. He didn’t realise that it was missing until he was almost home. He was reading on his tablet when this happened so it took a while to realise.
Anyway he came home and told me. We went through what he had in his bag: work pass (important), lunch boxes, sunniness and some odds and ends. Basically everything in the bag was easily replaceable but still because it was his bag, he felt a bit bad. We googled and found the lost and found number for the bus company but unfortunately it was closed for the day.
The next day, AS called the number and reported that he had forgotten the bag in the bus. The woman on the other side took his details and promised to call back if anything turned up. Lucky for us, she called him a few hours later and told him that they have the bag in the depot.
How great is that? We had almost given up hope because it is a normal bag with ordinary items which anyone could have picked up and taken with them. So AS went to pick up the back this morning and everything was there. This definitely made us appreciated that people are pretty honest and do not to take others’ belongings.
In a a similar incident a few years ago my brother left his phone on the train while on the way to work. He didn’t realise that it was missing for a while. In the mean time, I got a call at home from his number. The person told me that they had found the phone on the train and dialled the number called home to see if they could return it.
I told her it was my brother’s phone and he will come and pick it up as soon as possible. She left her mobile number in case my brother’s phone died. The next day, my brother picked the phone up and thanked the kind woman. Incidents like this make you believe in good Samaritans and good deeds.
Do share if you have similar incidents?
Take care everyone ,
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
Posted in Australia
Tagged lost found, M from nepaliaustralian, Nepali, nepali australian, Nepali blog
This article was published in +977 (a Nepalese Lifestyle Magazine in Australia) in July 2014 issue.
I have always had cursing on my bucket list but never thought it would happen soon.
During Christmas 2013, I was desperately looking for places to go for our holiday. After evaluating our list and considering our finances, we booked our first cruise on Carnival Spirit to New Caledonia and thus our journey began.
Once we booked and paid for the trip, it was time to do our research and I have to admit there were so many different opinions on the internet that it was hard for us to make up our mind on what to expect. We both decided that no matter what happened, we would try our best to make the cruise holiday memorable.
The first thing we noticed when we went to Circular Quay to board the ship was how massive it was. We joined other excited holidaymakers clearing the customs and boarded the ship. Our luggage was checked in and would be taken directly to our room.
Embarkation was as easy as giving them our credit card and getting a Sail & Sign card (Sail & Sign is Carnival’s on board cashless credit program, which allows you to charge all your services and purchases during your cruise to your room.) We were told to wait on the top deck where drinks and lunch was waiting for us until our rooms are ready and the luggage is delivered.
As we walked in, we noticed that the ship was huge and amazing with Christmas decoration everywhere. I was excited to see so many different bars, lounges and restaurants on the map. It was as if I was in a different city and it was going to be our home for the next 2 weeks.
Once we finished lunch, we were told that our room was ready. We got a room with a window and it was just perfect. It was not very big but enough for two with en suite, a big wardrobe, TV and mini bar. By the time we went to our room our luggage had already arrived. While unpacking, I was really glad that I didn’t need to re-pack until the end of the trip. I also didn’t need to learn a new culture, to speak a different language or to stick to transport schedules but could just relax and enjoy our time on board and look forward to an awesome time in New Caledonia.
The first impression for both of us was really good, starting from the nice lunch to the room, we were assigned and the things we learned. I was quite surprised by how much there is to do on a cruise ship. It is your choice, if you like to have a day full of nonstop activities or simply relax on one of the deck chairs or hammocks and read a book. Every day there is an enthusiastic voice through the loud speaker system, telling us what is happening that day, where we can go, what we can eat and what we can buy on an hourly basis so you are always informed.
We utilise all the facilities on board and were always busy doing one thing or another. My best place to relax was definitely the Serenity area and it was always fun to go and ride in the Green Thunder.
Food was always available no matter the time of day or night. We had most of our breakfast and lunch on the Lido deck and dinner in the Empire dining room. The few times we had afternoon tea, we were very impressed by the selections of cakes and fruits. We saw kids running around with pizzas and ice cream all the time. We had no complains about the food at all.
The one thing I really loved on board the Carnival Spirit was the entertainment. There was always something happening especially during the night that we had no time to be bored. Most nights we were going from one event to another fully enjoying each performance. From stand up comedian to hypnotist, juggler, Vegas style show they had everyone covered. If you are into trivia and games, you could always find one area hosting the event.
They tried their best to make the sea days more entertaining and full of activates to every kind of travellers. Apart from kids club for the young ones, they could be entertained in many other ways. They will definitely enjoy the rides in Water Park so just get wet. They will love the Chocolate extravaganza day and they will never worry you regarding food.
Port days were fun and well managed. If you want to know the details on what to do, please research before you board so you can Google the images and read reviews of the things to do in each island.
Disembarkation at all ports was easy and no stress at all. We really enjoyed different ports in New Caledonia but we were glad to come back to the ship and carry on with our holiday with awesome food waiting for us each time.
I might sound vain but I also enjoyed the fact they made our room twice a day. Every time we came back to our room, it was clean and the bed was made :).
After reading, my experience if you are wondering if cruise is your cup of tea, here is the list of pros and cons I experienced which I hope will help you make up your mind.
Pros
Cons
I hope this has given you some useful insights and helps you make up your mind if Cruising is for you.
Happy Cruising!!!
Take care everyone ,
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
Posted in Carnival Spirit, Published
Tagged +977, +977 magazine, +977 Nepalese Australian magazine, Behind the Fun Tour on board Carnival Spirit, Carnival Spirit, chocolate covered strawberries, christmas, Christmas crackers, christmas decorations., Christmas lunch, christmas on Carnival Spirit, christmas on ship, crew training centre, Cruise ship, dining room, engine control room, holiday, Isle of Pines, itchy feet, laundry room, Lifou, Merry Christmas, Nepali, nepali australian, Nepaliaustralian, New Caledonia, new year, nouema, plus977, Serenity Deck, travel budget, travel plan, travel tips
Chana chatpat is a snack I used to love while growing up in Kathmandu. They were usually sold by street vendors and I used to love it. Now every time I go back, I feel like having it but am scared of getting sick so I decided to try to make my own home made Chana chatpat. I am happy with the result even though it might lack the touch of the street vendor.
I think it is healthy and definitely tasty snack perfect for anytime.
Ingredients
Method
Note : It needs to be consumed immediately otherwise the puffed rice will go soft and it won’t be nice and crunchy as it is supposed to be.
Hope this will bring back your childhood memories as well 🙂
Take care,
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
Another of my post is published in The Himalayan Times , one of the leading daily papers in Nepal.
I am honoured and happy to be a part of the paper. It was published in 20 June 2014 under Blog Surf section. If you are in Kathmandu, get the paper and find me on page 10 and for those who can’t, here is how it looked :).
And here is the link to their epaper.
Just finished watching the game between Germany Vs Ghana. What a great game by Ghana.
Have a great weekend,
Take care ,
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
nepaliaustralian 