Influential Korean

       A Little Seoul-Searching (as published in The Kathmandu Post)

On one of my sleepless nights, I was rescued by the country’s beloved radio station. The show played Korean songs one after another. Only a very few words sounded familiar to me, but I blissed out on the enthralling music. I had a good night’s sleep. That radio show provides a deeper meaning than simply giving evidence that Korean trends have become an influential part of the country’s interest.  

Lately, the number of Facebook users has increased by leaps and bounds, but Korean look-alikes are no less in sight. Most Kathmandu teens are flabbergasted. They walk, talk, eat, smell, hear and wear Korean. You will encounter the smallest of accessories to bigger appliances tagged with Korea almost everywhere at nearby shops. Their attire, hairstyles and fashion are being adopted. Kimbap, kimchi and soju are competing with our long-time favourites momos and dal-bhat. Sold-out movie and drama shows are another major evidence. Slowly but surely, these changes will spread in the coming years.

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Like the 35th president of the US John F Kennedy has said, a country can flourish and develop only when its citizens make efforts towards developing it. Korea was one of the poorest countries during the time of the Korean War in the early 1950s. Now it stands proudly as one of the wealthiest countries in the world. After the partition of Korea, South Korea has developed economically. Today, South Korea represents Asia as it is one of its developed countries. Koreans must have strived hard for development which has helped it to rebuild and grow during the six decades since then.

Nepal and Korea share a few distinctive similarities. Both are rich in culture and traditions. Korea is also an agricultural country, and has diverse natural resources. Additionally, Nepal has the advantage of being rich in water resources. It is home to the highest peaks in the world, it is a holy land containing the Buddha’s birthplace and Pashupatinath, and it is filled with historical monuments. That is Nepal, a bountiful land. But what can be the reason for its lagging behind?

Youths have to move out of the country in search of better paying jobs in foreign countries as Nepal either doesn’t provide sufficient jobs or they are low-paid. Poverty, illiteracy, corruption, strikes and political instability overrule the advantages which Nepal owns. Everyday starts with guaranteed bad news. A rise in the price of fuel triggers price hikes in all other household  materials. So the people of Nepal have to think about what can be learnt from Korea and its people besides being awed by its entertainment and fashion only. There is still hope left for development in Nepal. It is high time the government and we thought about ways to develop our country.

Printed on: 2011-08-24

                        Wednesday

P.S. : This article got published in Nepal's English Medium Newspaper, 'The Kathmandu Post'  titled as  'A Little Seoul-Searching'.  I was way too happy when I see my name there!

Two Years

Two years. Two years have passed. She comes and goes whenever she closes her eyes and even when she opens them. Time has passed by but her heart has remained a vulnerable organ, which knows how to beat but has forgotten how to love. She has learned to live without her but she wasn't able to live it as much as  she has thought. She tried to be the old self; who probably is buried deep down. She fails to trigger the self. She tried to reason every way around to find why, is that she left her. But till now the why remained a cryptic code, harder to break than she has ever imagined. She believes that she is watching out for her. But she doesn't know where exactly she is. That's what she has lived for two years. Hoping, believing, living and cherishing with her.

Embarasssssssed

There are times when things work out the way we actually don't wish. Today while I was taking my regular class and teaching my students, one of my student passed me a chit. In the chit it was written,'you bottler is open.' 

I was so embarrassed yet I was extremely glad at the same time for she let me know. She didn't hesitate even once for she might make mistakes while writing the chit, but she dared to inform me. She chose to be an informer rather than  a mistake maker. Thank God people like her exists!

A Child's Effort

Today, when many Tibetans and Himalayan people of Nepal gathered to celebrate His Holiness The Dalai Lama's 76th  Birthday, a cute child was making an effort to climb a slide. Here are some photos of his tremendous but captivating efforts. And my another practice in capturing a beautiful moment.

He thinks through his small steps forwarding

'Let's begin from here.'

'This way seems to be easier.Can I make it up to there?'

'Seems too high for me.'

'Why are my hands shaking?'

'Believe in yourself,mother told me so.'

'I am all too ready to climb.'

As the child made his efforts in every way round, we also need to make effort by believing in ourselves.

Anger Fighter

People are needlessly angry when something goes wrong. The annual anger of the world’s people will definitely exceeds the number of bricks that were used to make ‘The Great Wall Of China’.

The scars were so deep. It is not wrong to presume that it had occurred after major wounds all over his arms. The wounds were the results of his anger. ‘It has occurred because I pinned burning cigarettes on my arm. I was so angry with my miserable life’, said he. As you can guess he is no child but a full-fledged grown man who hurt himself. He has only one reason. He was angry.

Anger is the biggest enemy of all. It is stored within us and takes only a few seconds to come out. If we do not control it within our reach then it cannot be said what may happen after anger exceeds more than necessary. Never let anger get triumphed over your life.

Life is a puzzled pathway, a zigzag road and a tough getaway. There are times when we desire something so bad that we tend to hurt ourselves. Thus, try to calm down first, take a deep breath and think about it over and over again if it is only you who had to live through all the ups and downs. The answer is simple. You know it and I know it too. It will definitely help you get control.

Control whatever you can to fight anger back. Never let anger dominate your life with another bulk of miseries. Be an anger fighter and see how your life will go smoothly.

Glance into Kathmandu

Yesterday, I went to one of the the most beautiful place in Kathmandu,Nepal. The place is calm and very beautiful. It is called Basantapur.

 Below are some pictures I took. They aren't that brilliant but good enough to get a picture of the beauty that Nepal beholds having such old monuments.

For a few days it rained heavily in Kathmandu. So the pictures will portrays more sad feelings than happy. But I hope that is okay with you.

Basantapur is no vehicle zone so you may see some rickshaws in one of the pictures.

Rickshaw pullers and their rickshaws on the queue

Cloudy gloomy Basantapur

Being checked by guards in front of Hanuman Dokha. It is only place in Basantapur where you are being checked before entering.

New temple on the build besides old

Free and carefree sleeping man

Typical Nepali colorful puppets on display

                                                   

                                            Guess what are they doing?

It is a place famous for 'Samosas' called Tip Top. It is not in Basantapur but another place in Kathmandu.People visit here to take a bite into variety of yummy Indian dishes.When you visit Kathmandu, you shouldn't miss eating here.I have never been to this place. A very close friend of mine introduced me with the place. Here, the samosas are super delicious.

Hot samosas on both hands

A man enjoying his share of samosas and a long queue in front

P.S. : I hope you liked a glance into Kathmandu.I will continue updating more in future.