Tag Archives: travel

Traffic chaos around the world

Posted on September 7, 2012 | 16 comments

When I think about traffic, I think there is no way the traffic can be as bad anywhere else as in Asia like in Kathmandu, Bangkok, India, Vietnam , Hong Kong, etc. but in the past few months I have been surprised that in Europe, the traffic is worse than in Nepal.

I know Kathmandu has more cars on the road than the road can handle. To cross the bridge from Kupondole to Thapathali, it can take you an hour but believe me that is not as bad as what I saw while touring around the world.

While I was in India, I asked the driver why his car’s side mirrors were closed. He said, it will get scratched (by other cars) if it is opened so he left it closed. Imagine my horror to be in that car for weeks knowing he doesn’t even have side mirrors in use. I was definitely scared about my and my parents’ safety. But after a few hours on the road, I realised that not only the car we were on that had its side mirror closed but every vehicle on the road was using the same trick.

Then I got to experience tuk tuk in Bangkok and I will tell you it is not a great experience that I will cherish. There are so many cars and tuk tuks in Bangkok along with motor cycles and bicycles that you wish you were not sitting in an open vehicle in the summer heat stuck in traffic.

It was the same story in Vietnam with the traffic but in Vietnam we had booked air conditioned car which made our journey bearable. I couldn’t imagine being on a non AC car for 4-5 hours in the summer heat.

But there is one thing common in all these places I have mentioned above. They all have narrow roads with too many vehicles on the road and traffic chaos along with very slow traffic like 40km/hr.

In US, the traffic seems to fine expect in New York. In New York, cars were not even stopping for pedestrians on the pedestrian crossing even when the crossings are so big that you could see it easily from 100 meters away. In other parts of US, they have very wide roads and I really loved their freeway with their exit numbers. Even in peak hours most of the roads seem to cope a lot better than in Asian countries.

My perspective of traffics changed when I landed in Europe for my last holiday. I took a bus tour around Europe but in England we did our own driving.  I drove a very small car for a couple of days and was shocked to see narrow roads everywhere. The good thing was that at least everyone was following the traffic rules so things were under control. While in Germany, we were on a no limit highway where there is no speed limit for cars and we could see that cars were zooming away in front of us. Funnily enough these types of highways are the one that have the least accidents.

Anyway travelling around Europe, everyone told us that wait till you get to Italy and you will realise what crazy traffic is. In my mind I was thinking, I am sure I have seen crazier traffic in Asia.

But the day we reached Italy, Italian drivers proved me wrong. OMG Italian traffic is a real example of chaos. Especially in Rome, there is no room for error. People were driver cars as if they were walking so there were no signals and they were driving the car wherever they can fit it into. And the worst thing is the roads are very small. On top of it, vehicles are parked on both sides of the road. In one occasion, our tourist bus had to reverse almost 500 meters in a tiny road because the place we were supposed to turn right at had a car parked on the corner making it impossible for bus to turn into the road. There was no other option but to return in reverse. I really believe that Italians are really good drivers after driving on those roads for years.

When we left Italy, I thought I had seen the worst traffic in my life but oho boy, how wrong was I. As soon as we entered Paris, I saw more extreme traffic chaos. The freeway we entered in Paris was so busy that we were crawling. The guide was telling us that our hotel was only 15 minutes away but it took us almost an hour to get there. I saw a bike colliding with a car just in front of us as well. Also one of the days we were there, I noticed the main city roads had no white marking so we didn’t know how many lanes it had. To top all this, motor bikes and scooters were everywhere squeezing in wherever they can.

I am sure I still haven’t been to any places like China and Mexico to see more chaos that traffic causes but I am glad I went around at least to these places because it made me realise that we definitely are in a better place in Australia. Next time when I am stuck in traffic, I won’t get frustrated as I have seen worse. I really appreciate the roads and rules we follow in Sydney. I guess all the people who whinge about Sydney’s roads and traffic need to have a round trip to Asia as well as Europe to appreciate how good we are compared to there. I know there are better roads in the world but definitely we don’t have one of the worst ones.

Safe driving everyone!!! Remember no life is worth reaching 5 minutes quicker to any places.

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Venice by night and Venetian dinner: Italy

Posted on September 5, 2012 | 9 comments

It was afternoon when we reached Italy. Our guide told us that we will have a few hours free before we go to Venice for dinner so me and AS with a few others from our group decided to go on a shopping spree. I was so happy to find a mall close to the hotel. And we ended up buying 2 small suitcases for hand carry on the plane. As we travelled we had bought lots of souvenirs so we were running out of space on our suitcases. I am so glad we bought the suitcases as I was able to do my own shopping and fill up the extra space they allowed. I ended up buying 4 pairs of shoes and 4 dresses. I was so happy that we went to this mall and happier still to find dresses and shoes in my size.

After shopping we went back to our hotel and got ready to go for our dinner trip. We took the bus till the port and then caught a motorboat to go to San Marco. The islands looked so beautiful with old buildings and lots of history. The guide was on a microphone explaining to us what each of the building were.  It was evening by that time and the sunset over the water was beautiful.

We walked to St. Mark’s Square, passing famous buildings, small bridges and inner canals to a typical Venetian restaurant for an aperitif including wine, mineral water and coffee before the four-course dinner. We had bread roll and butter on the table along with wines. We were seated next to a Canadian family and a couple from Brisbane. It was a fun night. The first course was a tomato and goat cheese platter followed by pasta. By then I was really full but main was still to come. For the main I chose chicken and AS had fish. Finally we were served homemade tiramisu as desert. It was really yummy but I couldn’t finish mine as by then I was stuffed like Turkey on thanksgiving. I am not a big fan of 3 course meals; imagine my state when it was four.

After dinner we had some time to explore the area. So we went to St. Mark’s Square and enjoyed listening to the musicians who were playing beautiful music in nearby café. From there we went for a walk and saw beautiful Venice with a cool breeze blowing in from the lagoon; the lanterns coming on, the peeling plaster glowing in the moonlight.

The evening was balmy and we felt quite relaxed, enjoying lovely Italy. There were people in the gondolas enjoying a nice evening ride and some of the shops selling masks and souvenirs were still open. We decided to wait till the next day to shop around. There were still lots of people out enjoying the music and dinner.  It was a really nice evening and I was so happy to have my husband next to me.

We stopped over at Rialto Bridge which is one of the famous bridges in Venice that cross the Grand Canal. In this area, which originally housed the food market, there has always been a canal crossing, at first, a simple bridge of boats, and later a real wooden bridge, made from two inclined ramps with a mobile section in the middle, in order to allow the passage of ships.

Rialto Bridge, a stone arch, was constructed under the supervision of Antonio da Ponte, between 1588 and 1591. We took a few photos there and it was almost time for us to board our boat to go back to the hotel.

On the way back to the mainland, it was a beautiful ride and I could see the beautiful place fading out on the horizon. I was really excited to come to Venice again the next day for proper tour and world famous gondola ride.

 Please click here for more photos.

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Austria

Posted on September 3, 2012 | 8 comments

Vienna is extremely clean with beautiful architectural buildings and stunning statues everywhere. We had our local guide to take us through the Ringstrasse and numerous magnificent buildings, such as the MAK, the State Opera House, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum, the cultural district the Museums Quartier, the City Hall and the Burgtheater. She was really good with lots of information.

On the way back to the opera we passed by the Belvedere Palace, the former summer residence of Prince Eugen, which houses the largest and the most precious Gustav Klimt collection in the world.

 Hofburg Palace

Hofburg Palace was the home of the ruling Hapsburgs until 1918, when all royalty was wiped out by WWI. It’s a beautiful and massive complex, and the main building now houses the National Library. The initial part is a museum of “Sissy” – Elizabeth, wife of Franz Josef, who was popular and well-loved Queen of Austria.  She was originally Bavarian and revered by everyone at the time as the most beautiful person. At the age of 15, she was chosen over her sister Helena to marry the Prince of Austria. Sissy was considered beautiful and mysterious, and became a cult figure similar to Princess Diana when she was tragically assassinated in her later years. Her life was extremely interesting.  The rest of the palace houses the imperial apartments.  Every citizen had the right to a private audience with the emperor, so many of the rooms were geared to this event.

In front of the palace there is the statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy. He was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna.

From there we went to  St. Stephen’s cathedral .

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

The St. Stephen’s Cathedral has a very pretty exterior.  The church sustained serious damage in WWII when a fire broke out; the roof burned and its large bell crashed to the floor.  Originally built in 1240, it is a beautiful church in the Gothic style.

The cathedral is large and beautiful. There are tombs where the old Bishops are buried. Since its earliest days, St. Stephen’s Cathedral has been surrounded by cemeteries dating back to Roman times, and has sheltered the bodies of nobles and commoners. It has always been an honour to be buried inside a church, close to the physical presence of the saints whose relics are preserved there. Those less honoured were buried near (but outside) the church. Because of the colourful glasses on windows, multi-coloured light surrounds the cathedral making it bit difficult to see things as well as to take some nice photos.

We were there in the morning and it was quite busy.

Salzburg

Salzburg is just beautiful with its medieval Old Town . Salzburg is set on the edge of the Alps and the Fortress sits high atop a mountain overlooking the town.  We crossed the Salzbach River to the Old City and headed to the famous Getreidegasse.  All the stores on this street put up iron signs above their doors with images of what to find within for those who couldn’t read.  And it is nice to see that till date the tradition has been maintained. Salzburg Cathedral was really beautiful even though it was destroyed in WWII.

Melk Abbey

Melk Abbey is an Austrian Benedictine abbey, and one of the world’s most famous monastic sites. It is located above the town of Melk on a rocky outcrop overlooking the river Danube in Lower Austria, adjoining the Wachau valley.

It is symbolic to the 18th century excess of the baroque period by the religious aristocracy of the time. This is simply a superb place. The 30 year restoration of this Abbey was well done, and it is truly a jewel architecturally. Famous people and royalty have stayed within its walls and one certainly gets a sense of ”place” going through the various rooms.

The Abbey Chapel is really beautiful .There are also beautiful gardens and a pavilion, as well as a bastion and a nice restaurant with terrace rest and relax.

Mirabell Palace and gardens

Mirabell Garden is located right in the heart of Salzburg and is the perfect place to relax and enjoy. There is fortress, fountains, a gnome garden, small hedge maze and a great rose garden. If you have watched Sound of Music, you will realise that “Do-Re-Mi” song was filmed in this garden. A lovely place to stroll through with shade from large trees and overhanging trellises.

Wörthersee: Lake Worth

On the way to Italy we stopped over in this beautiful town called Wörthersee where there is an elongated lake that stretches from the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt in the east to Velden in the west.

The Wörthersee is the biggest of the Carinthian lakes. The lake is crystal clear and the scenery beautiful. The lake is at the base of the mountains with small resort towns dotting the shoreline. In summer you can have a lot of activities, like swimming, surfing, sailing, and fishing making it very popular. We had lunch in the restaurant overlooking the lake.

Please click here for more photos.

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Slow down people, smell the flower

Posted on August 29, 2012 | 16 comments

This morning when I was waiting for the lift in my apartment, one of my neighbours came to wait for the lift as well. I had already pressed the button to call the lift and it was visible as the red light was on. But she kept pressing the button as if it would bring the lift quicker. Once the lift came she rushed inside and I follow her. I press the ground floor button. She was going to do the same floor so she pressed the already pressed button few times. She looked so impatient in the lift and as soon as the door opened at the ground floor, she rushed out. I was just wondering what the rush was about. I have seen so many people rushing to their destination all the time.

I always see drivers’ impatience trying to change lanes in busy traffic even though they know it won’t get them to their destination any sooner. Even though they run red light in one place, I normally catch them at the next red light anyway so I don’t understand why they are risking their own and others life like that.

Today on the way to work I just wanted to observe people who are rushing somewhere. They all seemed a bit grumpy and were just rushing around.

I know we all feel that we are time poor and it makes us to do things quickly whenever possible. But I also know that you can’t run on a moving train or jump off the airplane to get to your destination quickly.

I am equally guilty of rushing all the time. I always want to do things quickly so I want to sit down and relax as soon as possible. Often I find I can’t really relax until the work is done. But lately being married to AS, I have learned how to relax a bit. I still have a long a way to go.

Sometime when I read stories like this, it hits me hard. Often we don’t appreciate small things in life until we lose them.

In today’s world where everyone is running after money and power, there are not many people who will stop and smell the flower. We have so many ambitions and dreams that in order to fulfil them we are forced to work hard and keep working. Gone are the days when people would always have dinner as a family,   visiting their friends and relatives regularly and just enjoy simple pleasures of life.

Have you ever heard your parents or grandparents saying the time has gone in the blink of the eye? It is so true for everyone. One day we will be old and when we look back at our own life, what do you want to see. For me, I want to see a gal and woman who enjoyed every minute of her life with less regrets, surrounded by love and laughter.

Have you ever noticed, if you smile while walking on the street, in most cases you will get a smile back from a complete stranger? That is how easy and simple life is. So stop making it complicated and enjoy the small happiness in life. For some it may come as cooking, gardening, baking, or writing. Whatever you enjoy, just go ahead and do it as this time will never come back in your life.

There is a saying by Will Rogers, “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save”.  So I am making an effort this week to slow down a bit and enjoy things around me. And here are few things on my plan list to make it a better life.

  • I am planning to catch up with family and friends so I can enjoy their company and share life.
  • I will be going to some place nice this weekend and appreciate nature’s beauty. It is almost spring in Sydney and it is so beautiful everywhere. May be a picnic in a park will be a great way to relax.
  • Spend more time with my handsome husband without distractions like TV, mobile or books.
  • I will plan my life more so I don’t need to rush and get frustrated.
  • I always wanted to mediate because I heard that it helps us keep clam. I will definitely try that.
  • I will exercise more and look after my body without making any excuses.
  • I will call my parents and tell them I love them a lot.
  • I will try to get the negative thoughts out of my head and think more positive.

 Will definitely let you know how it goes. Please share your own versions 🙂 and please don’t forget to smell the flowers …

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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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