Hey there! Welcome to this ordinary little blog – nothing fancy, just some thoughts I had to get out of my head. Thank you for dropping by, seriously! I’m just dumping out thoughts from my head – you know, stuff that’s been bugging me. I’ll be posting about travel, festivals, moods, and my love for Manchester United. Plus, there’s a bunch of other random stuff that pops into my brain. Stick around, and let’s vibe together!
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Budget device? Really?
JBL recently launched a new compact bluetooth speaker called the Go 4. A YouTube tech reviewer in the USA describes it as a ‘budget’ speaker, while a Nepali reviewer also calls it a ‘budget’ speaker. Considering the per capita income in the USA is over $64,000, and in Nepal, it’s about $1,500, it’s easy to see why a $60 gadget is budget-friendly in the USA but it cannot be same in Nepal. This highlights a gap in understanding among gadget reviewers about the economic differences between countries. They often seem to just repeat the usual tech review cliches without considering local market conditions.
OR maybe the reality is different. Perhaps people in Nepal are buying these pricey gadgets, and it’s just me who is not earning enough to spend much on such devices.
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Fear of the finish line?
Sometimes, I do yoga using a mobile app that provides a timer for each pose. There are some poses, plank, low boat along with some others, where I start to feel anxious when the app announces “half the time.” These poses become incredibly challenging, and I often feel overwhelmed and give up before completing them. It seems like I have an anxiety of not being able to finish.
A few days ago, the Nepali cricket team played against South Africa in a World Cup match. Nepal is an emerging team in cricket, and it seemed impossible that we could defeat the mighty South Africans. However, the African team was restricted to a small total, and the whole world expected us to win. Unfortunately, we fell short by just one run, missing out on what could have been our most famous victory. At one point, Nepal was cruising comfortably with a 95% chance of winning according to the win predictor, but we couldn’t cross the finish line.
It feels like these two situations are similar.
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So frequent road disasters
Hey folks, it’s no secret that Nepal’s roads are like, totally synonymous with drama. I mean, just check out the recent buzz – three big accidents in one day, 19 lives gone, and heaps of people injured. It’s like a bad movie, but unfortunately, it’s real life, and it shows Nepal’s road safety is in serious trouble.
But these accidents aren’t just random; they shout out loud about the messed-up things going on in Nepal’s transport game. The roads are a hot mess, full of potholes, falling apart, and with signs that are about as helpful as a chocolate teapot. And don’t get me started on the vehicles – some look like they’re from the dinosaur age, and their tires and brakes are like ticking time bombs.
And then there’s the human factor – the most dangerous of them all. People driving like they’re auditioning for a Fast and Furious sequel, not giving a hoot about rules or other drivers. Speeding, overtaking on blind corners, and just generally acting like they own the road. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
And who pays the price? Not just the poor souls in the accidents and their families – the whole country gets a raw deal. Lives lost, people messed up, and the economy takes a hit. Imagine planning a holiday in Nepal, and all you hear about are these crazy dangerous roads. Not exactly a selling point, huh?
Fixing this mess needs a real shake-up. We gotta get serious about enforcing traffic rules – breathalysers, speed cameras, and giving reckless drivers a real kick in the butt. Fixing the roads is a no-brainer too – good construction, regular upkeep, and signs that actually make sense.
But here’s the real deal – we need a change from the inside. We’ve gotta create a culture where we all play nice on the roads. No more showing off like we’re in a Fast and Furious movie – let’s respect the rules and each other. We can do it with some public campaigns, teach people how to drive without being jerks, and get the community involved.
Nepal’s roads used to be all about the adventure, but now they’re just a hot mess. Let’s stop the tears and tragedy by admitting we messed up. We need everyone on board – better roads, strict rules, and a mindset shift toward safety. Only then can we turn these dangerous paths into highways that actually take our nation forward.
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Derby day disappointment
Manchester United’s loss in the derby day was not surprising. What is a surprise was the team selection, the positions they played and the substitutions made. What the hell was ETH thinking? There is a significant difference in skill level between the two clubs. City players seem to be comfortable with their positions and know what they are doing, while United players appear as though they have never seen a ball before. Certain players like Rashford have no right to be on the pitch. Why the manager continues to play him is a mystery. What does he think is going to happen? Rashford has been crap in every game this season, at least he is consistent. The manager playing players out of their position, and why does he do that.
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Dashain exodus
Dashain, Nepal’s most celebrated festival, is usually a time for family gatherings, blessings, and festivities. It’s not just a religious and cultural event but also a crucial social occasion. What’s particularly striking during Dashain is the mass return of people working or studying in Kathmandu to their hometowns across the country. Their heartstrings pull them back to their roots and loved ones as the festival approaches, highlighting the cultural, emotional, and economic significance of Dashain for Nepalese.
The journey home for Dashain is filled with anticipation and a deep sense of belonging. Traveling long distances, crowded transportation, and sharing gifts, money, and food are common. The salary bonuses they receive enhance the celebrations, underlining the importance of returning home during this festive time.
This annual migration is a heartwarming reminder that, despite how far people may travel, there’s no place like home during festivals.
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Well done, Arika!
Arika Gurung wins a historic silver medal in karate for Nepal at the ongoing Asian Games in China. It is second medal for the country in the Games after a bronze medal glory by the women’s kabaddi team. It is also Nepal’s only third ever silver at the Games, but yet to win any gold medal. Nepal’s history in international sports is marked by very limited success. The country, with the population of over 30 million, has struggled to make a significant impact on the global sports stage. While there have been sporadic achievements in sports like cricket and martial arts, Nepal’s overall performance in major international events has been underwhelming. In spite of facing challenges such as inadequate access to proper training facilities, modern equipment, and qualified coaches, Nepali athletes continue to bring honour to their nation.
Congratulations Arika and women’s kabaddi team of Nepal, we are proud of you!
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Searching nose
While riding my bike, I happened to pass a garden with blooming jasmine flowers, and the delightful fragrance that drifted through the air immediately lifted my spirits. This encounter was rather fleeting, lasting only a few seconds, but it was sufficient to invoke feel good effect. Such occurrences are not uncommon in my life; whether it is walking by a tempting food stall, going for refuelling with distinctive petrol smell, or handling crisp new banknotes, pleasant scents have the remarkable ability to awaken positive emotions within me.
Several years ago, Google played a humorous April Fool’s prank on the public known as “Google Nose.” This prank purported to offer users the capability to search for scents, which, of course, was purely a jest. However, if such a concept were to become a reality, it could potentially revolutionize the way we engage with our environment. The power of a pleasing fragrance is an incredibly effective tool for reducing stress levels.
In a world where we are often bombarded with visual and auditory stimuli, the introduction of smell-based search technology could open up entirely new dimensions of human experience. I’m already imagining a restaurant with food delivery service which allows us to smell the food before they dispatch it.
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Being a temporary vegetarian
I belong to the Newa community of the Kathmandu Valley whose cuisine is a vibrant fusion of flavours, history and cultural practices. Meat, especially that of buffalo, is the central ingredient of our cuisine. Food plays a significant role in social interactions and family gatherings in my culture and being a vegetarian is very difficult. When I decided to be vegetarian for the month of Shrawan, it created a sense of social isolation and discomfort. Friends and family find it difficult to accommodate dietary preferences, leading to awkward situations during shared meals.
Also, transitioning to a vegetarian diet requires a shift in cooking skills. We are accustomed to cooking meat-based dishes, it was challenging to create flavourful and satisfying vegetarian meals. Without the experience of cooking proper vegetarian dishes, we struggled to explore options resulting in monotonous and unappealing meals.
Yet I survived the whole month of being a vegetarian and decided to continue until the end of Gunla festival which is the sacred month for the Newa Buddhists.
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Same, every year
Seems like a normal result between two teams fighting for the same ‘Top 4’ position.
United are predictable and toothless. No ball winners, or incredible athletes, or any variation. Erikson, Mount, Fernandes, McTominay are all the same. No physical power, or ability to control the game/tempo. I’d hoped the new forward would add another dimension to their attack, but he’s crocked already. Rashford isn’t comfortable leading the line. Quite why a club of United’s stature doesn’t have a proven goal scorer can only been a result of long-term mismanagement. Every year I hear rumours of United possible title challenge, either because of players bought or the new manager being Guardiola 2.0.
Yes, United is a gigantic club in stature but not so much on the pitch, at least for the last decade or so. Too many expensive mistakes and it will take more than a few transfers or a new coach to change that. It will take years and a series of good decisions in every area of the club to bring them back to the top. Until then, 4th place is a good place to finish.
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Nepali time
Kathmandu is full of reckless road users, whether they are pedestrians, or bikers, or motorist, or public and school bus drivers, or heavy load truck drivers – whether men or women, old or young or children, they are always in hurry. It feels they value in reaching their venues more than their own life. Unfortunately, that is not the case at all. We are always known for coming late in every program. The term Nepali time is so popular that there is not a single event that starts in time, not a single flight that takes off in time. Even the programs organized by the influential international parties usually have delayed start due to late arrivals of the chief guests. Being late is generally a status symbol, people in power comes late because they have so many affairs to sort out. Irony is that, we have tradition of seeking for auspicious time called sait/muhurt that have accuracy of split seconds which we disregard it nevertheless. This has surely discouraged people who comes in time, who believes in punctuality. In fact, this has actually punished them. I believe this is the reason we don’t give value in time. This is the same reason our development projects are prolonged for infinite time because we think being late is normal, extending times are normal and delaying events are normal.
Now going back to road, I still wonder why people are violating speed limits, why people are crossing roads haphazardly, and what would they gain from saving few minutes more, walking few steps more because we are not reaching our venues in time anyway, our projects are not completing in time anyway. Every year, thousands of people are injured or killed in road accidents in Kathmandu. Many of these accidents are caused because you are always in hurry. Why take risks that can shorten your life? Be cool and use roads safely!