LOVEMANDU



The very essence of the universe is love. And the more we share of it the more we get back in return is what this mega best-selling book “The Secret- The Power” that am reading right now tells me.

And after having gone through several chapters of the book I have come to a grand realization of the grander mistakes that I had been committing in my life, one of which falls into the context of my column here for Friday.

The life of your dreams has always been closer to you than you realized, because The Power - to have everything good in life - is inside you.
To create anything, to change anything, all it takes is just one thing...
THE POWER. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BOOK. AVAILABLE IN MOST NEPALI BOOKSTORES. GET ONE FOR YOURSELF. FEEL THE POWER.

Around two weeks ago, when returning from a movie, my brother made a remark about the “parking at your own risk” signs that was plastered all around in the parking lot.

“Why do they charge such hefty sums for parking and yet claim that it’s done on our own risk?” he said. “You should write about it” he suggested.

I came home that night and posted on my Facebook requesting everyone to place a comment about their “ What-the-hell Kathmandu moments” and there it was my BIG sin according to the book.

Will come back to that later but what amazed me that night was the downpour of comments and wall posts from Nepalese living in the country and those abroad registering with me their woes. Here, let me attempt to share with you some of the complaints they had.  

·      Why the high parking charges, its not that I applied to buy the land.



·      Why do we hold up traffic for the “taukeys (biggies)” and free their way for faster commute when all they’ve delivered is delayed non-work?

·      Why the hell did the world's cheapest car still waltzed into Nepal all expensive?
Tata nano the one lakh Indian rupees car is currently holds a price of Rs. 7,90,000 to Rs.11, 78000 in Nepali Market. Sad No :(


·      Its stupid how big INGO owned vehicles don't pay taxes and yet the environment friendly cars are heavily charged.
In a country/city with such heavy traffic jams, the least the government can do is to encourage the citizens to buy electric cars like Rewa which not only is small and swift in traffic rush hours but also highly environment friendly.  There is of course the loadshedding woes to worry about but, electric vehicles is still by far the better solution than petrol/diesel run vehicles. Because ELECTRICITY WE CAN PRODUCE, petrol we cant. Rewa which is around Rs.3 lakhs in India sells for over 12 Lakhs Rupees here. Again sad no :( 


·      What is up with load shedding even during this heavy monsoon?
The otherwise immovable Bagmati river of Kathmandu saw heavy flow this monsoon and yet the loadshedding continues. Event if its for a couple hours. 


·      How is anyone/everyone allowed to shut down cities and the country in the name of “bandh” any day/s they want? Lame.


…and there were many, many more and No, I am not exaggerating. In fact, I bet you had some “WTH Kathmandu episodes” bubbling up in your head yourself.

So according to the book, my action qualifies as a sin because I initiated a conversation that invited nothing but negativity and too much of negativity meant lack of love. That is probably why, I never got to finish what I wrote that week, missed my deadline and there was no “Kathmandu Chapters” printed. To which I’d have to talk with the author if that in fact was the price I had to pay for starting a wave of what was opposite of love, but for now, here is the new theory that I have adopted ever since that incident.

“Try to love everything you see and your life will change in front of your eyes”. After all it’s the perspective that needs to be changed first before we change a system, a country, this world.

So, here I go, a list of things why I love Kathmandu and perhaps why you do too, but were too busy seeing just the bad side of it. Let’s explore the good parts of the city that destiny put us together to be.

·      For the sunny, breezy, mild and moderate climate that we’re blessed with.  Fact: People actually die of depression in countries with gloomy weather.
Ahhh the blissful, sunny blue sky we get see all year through. That's a blessing we should cherish. 



·      For everybody acknowledge strangers as dais/didis. Wouldn’t we be delighted if in a foreign land, somebody addressed us as more than just a “hey”.

·      How the people here are getting increasingly talented (or that we’re discovering) by the day. I occasionally browse Nepali channels and the amount of talent sprouting everywhere in the many contests amazes me, makes me happy.

·      Kathmandu is such a melting pot for cultures, tribes, races and religions. Every one has a “gaun” they come from, native stories of their locales to share. This city is just so colorful.
What looks like 8 KTM girls coming together to pose for a victory moment, can be symbolized for the perfect amalgamation of the innate Kathmandu essence. Girls from Mustang, Manang, Jomsom, Okhaldhunga and others coming together as one.  The beauty of our country indeed, lies in our diversity. BTW on the bottom row to the extreme left, thats me ;0) 



·      Kathmandu is a lot safer city for girls than cities of other countries.


 Ladies here are also at liberty to don truly fashionable attires and guys are equally neat and groomed. No wonder the world is getting its share of talented designers like Prabal Gurung and Sanyukta Shrestha (yes, please google her she will surprise you) from our country.


         LIKE HER ON HER FACEBOOK PAGE HERE>  www.facebook.com/pages/Sanyukta-Shrestha/249028695113233?ref=ts
      


Yes, those are Sanyukta's designs. Oh pretty pretty!

·      How people here are so net savvy. How there are several hit young youtubers like Promise Tamang, Natasha Shah, young influential bloggers like Lex Limbu all from Nepal. How we always help fellow Nepali people win net-based worldwide competitions. Basically the Internet unites us all Nepalese in a magical way, that’s difficult to explain.
Promise Tamang, the Nepali Makeup Magician goes from her simple herself to the following mind-boggling and totally awesome transformations...

Promise Tamang as the AVATAR 

Promise Tamang as Michael Jackson 
Promise Tamang as Maryline Monroe

And this one ... gosh ... Promise Tamang as Angelina Jolie was the first video I watched of her and was loss at words for the enormous talent she has. Hats off, truly, to a fellow Nepali lass.
Subscribe to Promise's Youtube Channel here> www.youtube.com/user/dope2111




The extremely funny Nattu Shah with an equally enchanting voice will make you fall in love with her in an instant


VSubscribe to Nattu's Youtube Channel here> www.youtube.com/user/Natashah83


And finally LEX LIMBU- who will awe you with his information collecting skills. Despite of living and studying in England how he manages to gather news concerning Nepal and Nepalese from around the globe is simply amazing. An A-class blogger in the truest sense, he is my internet hero. 
VIsit his website> lexlimbu.com today and you'll get what I mean. But if youre a Nepali and a net savvy Nepali at that, your chances of not knowing this celebrity blogger is pretty slim. 


·      And finally, how we’re surrounded by such rich cultural heritage all around us. Fact: The Patan Durbar Square was built even before the country US of A was founded by Mister Columbus, now that’s something to ponder upon, take pride in and perhaps aim at moving on the same pace of “genius-ness” that our people once did several centuries ago.




This magnificent structure was built by Nepalese even before the United States of America was discovered.

So these were the few of the many reasons that I managed to squeeze in, in my word-limited column here. For more excuses to fall in love with this place all you have to do is explore your heart. I am sure, with time you will find a zillion reasons to love Katmandu a zillion times more.


This world is exactly the way you want to see it. If you think it is a hell , you will see hell. If you think you see paradise, you will see paradise. Therefore the power is upto you to fill love in everything you see and you see nothing but a world abound with love. 


Comments

  1. The main reason I love Kathmandu is that my best friends, they all are here, no matter where they are from ...

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  2. Haha...you know why the owner has plunked that WTF notice with absurd parking rates? 'coz he wants to purchase a land. lol. Is that Tata Nano a smart car? It almost gives me an impression of smart car or is it just an ordinary hatch back car? The reason it is pricey is owing to hefty import tax. In a way, it's good for Ktm denizens 'coz I believe it will discourage people to own one or at least put 'em off. There are far too many vehicles Ktm roads can handle. Recently I was in Ktm and guess what my balls were up my mouth. Damn! you need at least six pair of eyes to see motorcyclist swopping inch close to your wing mirrors. Also I saw lots of zebra crossing. Who ever came with that idea is plain stupid; I can bet my sweet arse on that. Total waste of paint. Without cascading proper information to drivers and public, there is less likelihood of its compliance.

    I don't fancy Bettle (grapes are sweet), let alone that Electric car (in the inset). I'd rather cycle. :p Dang! I'd bought some land near Bagmatic river, looks like I'd a bad investment. :p No no it's not just abundance of water that produces electricity. You don't want me to remind me of my final project ''Feasibility study of …River".

    I can blabber longer than your blog and bore you to death but I'll spare you. "Try to love everything you see and your life will change in front of your eyes''. Whoever said that have left a huge space for imagination. Did he not mention about what change? A saying comes to my mind '' if you try to please everyone; you'll please no one'' which I am inclined to believe. Trust me if you try to love everything you see, dear lady you are asking for a big trouble. I can, once again, bet my sexy legs on that. ;) Wise words are for dreamers; real world is different. It's brutal. And you know that! :)

    You may find my comments off the track but कुलो र कुरो जत्ता लगेनी बग्छ रे ! I couldn't agree more with your list of things why you love Ktm. If you minus traffic jams and pollution, Ktm is Jolie. Sexy!

    I may have been full of negativity but it has always been a source of my wider imagination. It's a fuel that helps me strive for best and living practical life. If you differ with what I say I am absolutely on for open discussion (by the length of my feedback I see your retreat he ha ha :p).

    I am not one of those people who drop by JUST to say ' Sam that's good; you are such a good writer, wow, this and that'. But I must admit you are an aspiring writer. I can't write myself but sure can wind up writers. :D


    Si

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  3. I see everything around me with love and love is what i get back. It works for me, anytime, everytime. I smile, i laugh - and have thoroughly trained myself to see the brighter things of life. And yes sometimes i cry i get sad, but trust that happiness is just around the corner and would i know what joy was if I hadnt known wat sorrow was? highly unlikely right? So i thank both for coming into my life and teaching me how to live. You SI as i see it ... u have adopted what you put as a "practical" take on life and well as long as it works for you...i say all the best and wish you a wonderful life.

    I have found a way around life that works fabulous for me too.

    And about you not being able to give me anything more than "sam youre an aspiring writer" I say youre darn right and thankyou so much. If you read my "i am a rambo kid" blog down there somewhere you will know that i used to fail my english back in school and today when i hear my name being associated in any way with the word "writer" in your case "aspiring" it strengthens my belief in the saying "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure" every time.

    So thankyou again for taking time out to read my blog and post a comment as lengthy as you have. really appreciate you spilling your thoughts here.

    Finally, You say this world is brutal, and the instant i read that I thanked god for not making my world one.

    Have a wonderful day SI and I wish you a fabulous life ahead.

    best,
    SAM :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I messed up, didn't I? At hindsight I realised I shouldn't have brought that topic. It wasn't necessary. I got carried away and it's unfortunate that it didn't make past your moderation. Hence, you deserve a sincere apology from me.You know, it wasn't, in millimeter, my intention to upset you in any way. I understand you would have been okay to bring about the subject in other circumstances, but I flunked in my capacity of perception. I know I've erred, however, I stand corrected for what I said. I was only being honest with my thoughts (blatantly). It's the divulgence that failed on me if I assumed correctly? I was apologetic, if you realise, not to instigate you. It makes little sense to repent, but as a damage control all I can is say sorry.The best I can do. Aah! and I didn't skip the lesson. If you have anything to say or wanna cuss on me you can e-mail me at imyours007@live.co.uk :))

    Si

    ReplyDelete
  5. hummmmmmmm...............thought provoking, because as i step out of my house i'm bombarded with all the negativity around me. for example; I ride on my bike the "handy boy" in the micro sticks out his head and "thoo!!!" the bloody mucus blob's its way towards me.....of course i'm riding a bike can't do any matrix stunts..............then "splat" and i know that thing is stuck somewhere!!...................obviously making me furious and i imagine having a huge something to splatter the guy into a similar blob........but what i have read here is something that has made me appreciate the city itself.............it was a good read!!! Thanks!!

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  6. I love KTM no matter what tho I'm in the most advance city of the world at the moment. Nice blog! :)

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  7. nice post! we know that ktm isn't in it's best conditions but what should the people living there do? go in the corner and cry? i don't think that this is the best solution out of this. sam, ur motto is great. i think optimists have a better life. and I think ur a good example for this!

    and sry for my bad english. i'm living in germany, we don't talk so much english over here ;)
    greets, sonia <3

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