Hatyo Sara Hilo Mailo
Harayo Paniko Barsha
Bhawani ko bhayo puja
Chalyo Anandako Barsha
Thula Sana Sabai Bhanchan
Dashain aayo, dashain aayo………………………….
Leknath Poudel
Its an uninhabited part of the city, so close to it yet so far from its hustle and bustle. Blue skies above and a vast expanse of green below, I could spend a lifetime staring outside the window or lying on the terrace below the cloudless sky.
The holidays have begun and what more its DASHAIN! And nothing can beat the experience of being in Kathmandu during this time of the year. Flower blossoms, the humming bees,birds flying in flocks across the blue skies and the perfect amount of sunshine, just enough to warm your skin. The feeling is plain Heavenly! Take a walk down the streets and you can see white mountains peeping into the valley from their regular hideouts. Its the capital at its best. Stop for a while to look around while crossin the road ( even the busiest of traffic as in Baneshwore and Koteshwore ) and the world of beauty unfolds. Kathmandu is the melange of the Good, Bad and the Ugly. You walk beside the garbage dump while your eyes savor the sight of the mountains and the dark green painful hills. Can’t see any reason not to fall in love with this city

And before my writing takes up any whacko turns I would like to wish everyone a Mindblowing Dashain and a Wonderful Ramadan!( esp to Hysh and Gazi).
Hmm…given that I am not a social character, what’s the fuss about Dashain? The best part is the weather, ( DUH!)…then nothing really, ah..how can I forget the money part! Very selfish, but after all money is the third-eye opener even for Lord Shiva, I am but a mere mortal. LOL But just got the news that someone passed away
So much for earning that extra “Do”. Maybe I will realize the importance of festivals and being with relatives if I am far from them someday. But “Fat Chance” a weirdo like me could be locked in a room, good music and good books take away the phone, television, even computer ( even though I am da Net ko Kira as my frens say) I would do perfectly fine. And even if I tried to be in the social gang, just can’t. I don’t know how to do anything other than make “Card houses”with the so called interesting cards, by the way what is Langur burja???!! Veggies don’t like the smell of meat too, and am just sick and tired of answering why Gave up meat question too! Come on, how many times do I need to say that : Was six years old and then gave up because they told me in school that killing animals for food was bad. Thank god, my parents respected the choice of a stubborn 6 yr old
So sweet of my buda-budi.

Cabbage RoX
And what about the shopping? It makes me roar with laughter. As a kid, I would cry, yell and throw a tantrum everytime we had to go shopping.Now, I go out with Dhungz and anything I bring home is welcomed with a question :” What’s this, some new cloth to wipe the floor?” What respect of my shopping sense. I am still attempting to improve it.
Any tip is most welcome. If I buy a t-shirt for 600 bucks, my sister goes its worth only 200, if its something that cost only 200, she says only 100, that’s the maximum cost and if its 100 she goes: “wouldn’t have bought it even if it were only Rs 2″! And if the 100 thing is a surprise to you, don’t be this year every thing in town has gone really cheap. The purchasing power parity of us students has surely gone up. I bought a real cool jeans at mere 275 but “Say” told me she bought her pair at 190!!! I would surely love to know where she shops! Wear Cheap, think big and act smart: that’s my style. What’s yours? Not that I wouldn’t love to be a branded person but then a Reebok t-shirt for some thousand bucks! Yeso ganti heri haad nilnu paryo ni, kamai zero and luga chahin hero! That so uncool. It sucks actually.But if you just can’t resist that lifestyle then head to “Bluebird Bird Mall” a new shopping paradise in town, over 60 or so branded shops. Haven’t been there though, just heard of it. Can’t afford a Price Induced Heart Attack, so young.
Moving on to the other aspect of Dashain is “Being with friends and relatives is the best part of festivals” cliche. To begin with “Being with friends” is a white lie, who doesn’t know friends will be busy with their relatives ( in case both aren’t far from their families) and relatives, I feel as though I am forced to know them! It’s a lot easier dealing you people you chose to know isn’t it? But relatives are a compulsion,never an option. As kids you are the inseparables, but as time passes cousins turn into mere familiar faces. Where’s the fun in being together when all that you converse in your rare meetings is what you study, which year and then a abrupt halt. Like a car coming to a screeching halt, knowing not where to head for or rather unwilling to go any further. As kids we were crazy about a sister of ours, always yelling ” …dijju” and all, then we went to hostel, barely saw her family, she went abroad, he went away too and now it only a “Lalmohan khane” place for us! The family bond isn’t so strong in nuclear families I guess. Sometimes I wish ours was a large family too, like a lot of Bahuni sathis I have hahaha..seems like the Bahuns( not trying to be ‘castist’ if the word exists as every “term” seems to erupt a controversy these days and the ambiguos meaning is always there) really yielded to that ” Santan le Dadakada dhakos” blessing in dashain. They seem to have folks living all over the country, all parts of the capital, just everywhere. A fren of mine has over 1000 members in the immediate family tree!!So kool..in my case am the eldest grandchild in my maternal side, come 4-5th in the paternal side too. No one my age, and am not exactly great with kids too. And what more, I and my sister are responsible for naming any new kid born to my maternal uncles!! Have been doing the job since I was 10! Am working on the name of a baby boy at the moment too! Hahaha
Whatever the case, its Dashain so a compulsory time to Relax and have fun! So have the time of your lives flying kites, playing cards, drinking , dancing anything that makes you feel good. (I for one am enjoying these cool fast tracks in my stereo, can’t remember how many times I have jumped out of my chair for a dance as I write this entry.) And my heartfelt condolences to all the little hens, ducks, Bhedas and Chyangras along with the Khasi bokas in line to be murdered for food. Bohohohoohoh
Not to forget the big eyed buffaloes all in the name of an Angry Goddess ( apologies lord). Thank God these Non-Vegs haven’t moved on to eating the Vegs! Well, can’t say don’t eat em but don’t overeat to an extent that you can barely leave one place to put Tika in the other.
Happy Holidays!!
(Well, I am heading for my Mamaghar ( after 10 years man)morrow morning! Yahoo, finally going somewhere
Miss me . Not sure of the others but Kale is surely gonna miss me. Hehehehe I think I am going insane , so excited man.C ya on the other side of Dashain.)
The small creature is not at all confused about what it wants, unlike men and women, who have the ability to conceal their deepest desires. Men and women, after all, can hide their love away.Men don’t chase after cars. Women don’t throw themselves upon cement doorsteps curled up in a heap until somebody opens the door and finally lets them inside.
Among men and women, those in love do not always announce themselves, with declarations and vows. But they are the ones who weep when you’re gone. Who miss you every single night, especially when the sky is so deep and beautiful, and the ground so very cold.
Alice Hoffman (Here on Earth)





