Manakamana JewellersBudda Galli, Bagbazar,

Kathmandu, Nepal. Ph: 01-4232803,

e-mail: niranjanbh@enet.com.np

Manakamana JewellersBudda Galli, Bagbazar,

Kathmandu, Nepal. Ph: 01-4232803,

e-mail: niranjanbh@enet.com.np

This month the VERSE office was abuzz with all things innovative, youthful and distinctly Nepali. Realising the potential in our smart, fun-loving and sometimes whimsical generation, our team of budding writers interviewed inspiring young Nepalis breaking new ground in unconventional fields. Their stories are not meant to impress insofar as they encourage us all to think outside the box, believe in the power of one’s dream and, ultimately, be bold enough to make those difficult decisions that many would rather avoid.

Marius and Nils, the brains and craftsmen behind Arniko Skateboards Nepal, converted their love of boarding, art and design into a successful international business that manufactures Nepal’s first and only skateboards; the hardworking gang at Junction Café took charge of their own future by becoming self employed restaurateurs; and Niraj Thapa Magar overcame adverse working and practicing conditions to become Nepal’s first snooker champion.

This month we were similarly spoiled with a collection of photographs that capture the spirit of the Nepali imagination. Thomas Kelly and author Claire Burkert, offer us a sneak into their book on Himalayan design and architecture, while Anisha Maharjan, contributing from America, brings to life a delicate blend of fashion and dreams in the fields of Denver.

If that is not enough, our hitch-hikers travel antics, tales of Nepal’s tabla master and a fiction piece that makes you think twice, will deliver a moment of escapism in our banda filled lives.

As you come to the closing pages of this, our second edition, VERSE is excited to report that things are coming together! Endeavouring to fill a space in the Nepali magazine sector VERSE will bring you the very best of the alternative. Funky art, burgeoning musicians, quirky fashion, inspiring people, new gadgets and a different take on travel. Above all, VERSE seeks to bring you that ‘wow’ factor- something you read or see and think ‘I wanna stick that on my wall.’

VERSE is a place that encourages the different and thrives in an environment where young people are not afraid to branch out from the ordinary. Pick up VERSE and see for yourself, I dare you.

Editorial Team Laura McManus

Gokul Sharma

Creative Team

Sujin Joshi Ghanashyam Neupane

Kishor Maharjan

Photographers

Rajan Shrestha Prabin Lal Manandhar

Sumit Shrestha

Writers Amrita Gurung

Rhea Gurung Gokul Atreya

Marketing Team

Anuj Bista Binit Khadka

Rabina Dangol Minnat Joshi

Promotional Team Kiran Shahi

Kelsang Wangdu

Distribution RB news (Kathmandu)

Safal Media House (Pokhara)

Printing

Print Point Publishing(3P) Tripureshwor, Kathmandu

4249674/75

Verse magazine is published 12 times a year by Line Media Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the published. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication.

Each Issue: Rs. 50, Annual Subscription: Rs. 500 | Send us your subscription requests to subscribe@verse.com.np

Publisher: Line Media Pvt. Ltd. Manbhawan, Lalitpur, Nepal. Tel: 01-5546194 Regd. 251/067/068

info@verse.com.np www.verse.com.np

Consultant Dr. Bipul Man Singh

Contributors Ajit Baral, Akriti Shilpakar, Barsha KC, Lata KC,

Gaurav Dhungana, Manjil Shrestha, Marina Lama, Michelle Lama, Nils Amar Tegmo, Rajib Sayami,Renasha Ghimire, Reshika KC, Suraksha Nepal

on cover Nils Amar TegmoPhoto : Rajib Sayami

m a g a z i n e

m a g a z i n e

Launch

Marius Arniko Arter and Nils Amar Tegmo

share their story on crusing the skateboard.

Thomas Kelly and Claire Burkertgives Verse a glimpse

of their new their book

Himalayan Style

Kiran Bhakta Joshi

Disney to Incessant Rain

cont

ents

2940

Marius Arniko Arter and Nils Amar Tegmo

share their story on crusing the skateboard.

Arniko Skateboard:Made in Nepal

Anisha Maharjan shows her creative side on glamour magnetism

FashionHitchiking

18 34 56

Seeking out the Language of Rhythm 16Bollywood is a time machine 49

Sunanda’s Trends for Summer 54People of Clay 66

Hitchikers, on their way to making their best trip ever

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Deals in all kind of vehicles BUY | SALES | EXCHANGE

MAITIDEVI AUTO CENTER Pvt. LTd.Location: Ratopul, MaitideviTel: 00977-14443441Fax: 00977-14443441e-mail: maitideviautocenter@yahoo.com

M a i ti d e v i A u t o C e n t e r

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Photojournalist Club announced the Winners of the Mega Bank Photo Competition 2067 amidst a ceremony at the Nepal Art Council. The photo of a schoolgirl trying to escape the clash between police and students by Yalu Joshi won the Best Photo Award. Other winners include Kapil Dev Khanal (news category), Bikram Giri (daily life category), Ramesh Tamang (tourism category), Rajendra Manandhar (nature and wildlife category) and NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati (photo story category).

Nepalese from all walk of life, students professionals as well as a broad alinces of citizens are now following the slogan “Jyala pura liyau, aba sambidhan deu”.

“Jyala pura liyau, aba sambidhan deu” is organized by Nepal Unites. Nepal unites is an informal group of concerned Nepali citizens demanding the timely draft of the Constitution and the conclusion of peace process. These people share the common ground for activism , digital media.

This growing mass of Nepal unites (coined as twitteratis; very, very angry youths, white color urbanites from our respected critics) is organizing rallies, events, concerts and interned base campaign to make the law maker understand those ninety five minutes they provided to writing constitution on Nepal in last three years was their incompetence and dishonesty to Nepalese citizen.

http://facebook.com/nepalunites

http://www.nepalunites.com/

People at Keshav Narayan Chowk, Patan Muesem where thoroughly enjoying the fourty five photographs from 19 years old Shisir Maharjan.

“Life in Black and White” was the first exhibition of Shisir, who express black and white photography as a powerful medium to bringing life in a frame. The 45 photographs include portraits, lifestyle, candid pictures, cultural and natural images of Nepal. The photographs showed true emotions undisturbed by colors. Each photograph in the events was priced at Rs. 6000.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41686346@N06/

Activism via Social Networking

Life In Black and White

Mega Bank Photo Competition

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new

s /

even

ts

3RSLyrics Indy, Albatross and Joint Family International where at historic Patan on may 21st to bring three genre of rap, rock and reggae together. There powerful groups Lyrics Indy, Albatross and Joint Family International where brought together by House of Music to mesmerize music lovers through good music. At the event Lyrics Indy performed some powerful freestyle along with JCS. Joint Family performed reggae covers and Albatross hit the stage with their new album “Atti Bhayo”. Final jam session by Albatross and Lyrics Indy was a treat to watch.

KJC Faculty In ConcertOn 16th, a Nepal Bandh day, Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory gave us another jazzy evening. Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, a jazz school at Jhamsikhel, organized a fund raising concert for KJC scholarship fund.

The slow and fast Jazz pieces were obviously soothing to ears and the performance was pleasure to eyes. Subani Moktan, a vocal teacher from KJC performed “Lucky before he cheats” which was highly appreciated. Mariano Ernest Abello, Marcus Dengate, Misun Kim, Ian Eustis Campbell, Inap Raj Shrestha, Hemraj Chhetri, Rajat Rai, Mahesh Tandukar were among the performers.

Tribute to DylanBob Dylan an American singer-songwriter, poet and painter turned 70. Quixote’s cave a bookshop at Jhamsikhel organized an event at Jatra to celebrate the occasion. Poets and Gandharva shared the stage to pay their tribute to the poet. Gandharva performed “Bhannai Nahune” and “Ghatana” and poet Yukta Bajracharya, Swarup Ranjit, Nayan Sindhula and Ujjwala Maharjan performed poems like “Blowing in the wind”, “Last thoughts on woodie Guthrie, “Master of wars” and “Hard Rain”

Raj JewellersPyukha Tole, Kathmandu9851077804 (Geeta Joshi)

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Nokia E7General: 2G Network GSM 850/900/1800/1900 3G Network HSDPA 850 /900/1700/1900/2100 Display: Type AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Size 360 x 640 pixels, 4.0 inches - QWERTY keyboard - Nokia ClearBlack display - Multi-touch input metho - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off - Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate - Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display Features: OS Symbian^3 OS CPU 680 MHz ARM 11 processor Broadcom BCM2727 GPU Messaging SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Colors Dark, Grey, Silver White, Green, Blue, Orange GPS with A-GPS support; Ovi Maps 3.0

HTC Incredible S

General: 2G Network GSM850/900/1800/1900 3G Network HSDPA 900/2100 Display: Type S-LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Size 480 x 800 pixels, 4.0 inches - Multi-touch input method - Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off - Touch-sensitive controls with rotating icons Features: OS Android OS, v2.2 (Froyo), upgradable to v2.4 CPU 1GHz Scorpion processor Adreno 205 GPU Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, IM Colors Black, Red GPS with A-GPS support

LG Optimus

General: 2G Network GSM850/900/1800/1900 3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100 HSDPA 850 / 2100 Display: Type TFT resistive touchscreen, 256K colors (65K effective) Size 320 x 480 pixels, 3.0 inches - Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate Features: OS Android OS, v1.6 (Donut), upgradable to v2.1 CPU 600 MHz processor Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, IM Colors Black, White, Pink GPS with A-GPS support

gad

get

s

www.verse.com.np 15

HP-G42

Processor: Intel Core i5-460M 2.53 GHz Memory: 2GB DDR3 Hard Drive: 500GB 7200RPM Optical Drive: DVD+RW/+R Display: 14.0” HD LED HP Brightview Widescreen Graphics: 512 MB ATI Mobility Radeon 5470 Webcam: Webcam with integrated microphone Intercace: 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader Dimensions: 34.2 cm (W) x 22.8 cm (D) x 3.15 cm (H) Weight: 2.20 kg

Lenovo S10-3s Wind

Processor: Intel Atom Processor N475 1.83 GHz Memory: 2GB DDR3 Hard Drive: 250GB SATA (5400 rpm) Display: 10.1” widescreen SD LED Glare Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Intel GMA 3150 Webcam: 1.3 MP Camera Interface: 4-in-1 memory card reader Dimensions: 27.94 cm (W) x 17.53 cm (D) x 2.0 cm (H) Weight: 1.25 kg

Dell inspiron 15R(N5010) Processor: Intel Core i3-380M 2.53 GHz Memory: 2GB DDR3 1333Mhz Hard Drive: 500GB 7200RPM Optical Drive: DVD+/-RW Display: 15.6” HD WLIED TL Graphics: 1GB- ATI Mobility Raedeon(TM) HD 5650 Webcam: 2.0 MP Camera Interface: 7 in 1 flash memory reader Dimensions: 37.6 cm (W) x 2.62 cm (D) x 3.18 cm (H) Weight: 2.648 kg

Sony Vaio VPCEB33N

Processor: Intel Core™ i3-350M Processor 2.53 GHz Memory: 3GB DDR3 Hard Drive: 320GB SATA (5400 rpm) Display: 14.0” WXGA: TFT Colour (VAIO)e Graphics: 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon Webcam: 1.3 MP Camera Interface: Memory Stick Duo, SD Memory Card Reader Dimensions: 34.58 cm (W) x 23.87 cm (D) x 2.73 cm (H) Weight: 2.3 kg

specifications provided by Virgin Mobile and Mero IT

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Seeking out theLanguage of Rhythm

It was Friday night and I found myself going to a concert. A concert in Kathmandu! As much as I lovae ‘90s rock covers from bands in Thamel and a good weekly dose of Upstairs Jazz, it was nice to be doing something different, which Taal Vidya, a concert by tabla master Navaraj Gurung encapsulated. Joined on stage by a host of Nepal’s finest musicians, we transcended into a captivating world where tradition met contemporary and the eclectic sounds of blues and folk seamlessly fused with jazz and rock.

The concert, presented by the Kathmandu Music Centre, was to launch Navaraj’s forthcoming album and to “get together with friends” he smiles, describing how busy schedules often keep them apart. Family, friends, teachers, travellers and the best of Nepal’s music industry managed to cap off an audience of approximately 900. One of the most important guests was Navaraj’s father, Sri Ram Hari Gurung, himself Nepal’s most venerated tabla player and his son’s most observant critic.

“I didn’t tell him what I would play, I wanted it to be a surprise,” Navaraj explained, “plus I didn’t want him to tell me, change this or that.” But all the music we hear from Navaraj is essentially the music of his father. “Whatever I play is from him” Navaraj continued, nostalgically remembering how as a youngster his father introduced him to the tabla. The family’s music repertoire doesn’t end there. Fortunately, for the longevity of traditional

tabla playing in Nepal, Navaraj’s nephew, Ashesh, has also taken up the instrument, similarly passed down the skills from his grandfather.

Ashesh Rai is what I will describe as a 17 year old music prodigy. With a Bachelors in Tabla already to his name, the modest GEMS student says “age doesn’t matter. It is the passion and practice that makes all the difference.” Sharing the stage with his uncle, Ashesh was the perfect accompaniment for Navaraj’s opening solo performances. Powerful, deep and delivered with passion, Navaraj brought to life the tabla in a way that I have never heard before. Wanting to “express the tabla not just as a rhythmical instrument but as one also capable of playing melodic lines” his body moved naturally with the music, the emotions of the moment clear in his expressions.

With hands and fingers moving at incredible speed, dynamically, the music became louder, quicker and more intense. Playing perfectly in sync and occasionally singing the beat to maintain momentum the uncle-nephew duo, accompanied by Santash Bhakt Shrestha on the Esraj, read the music in each other’s eyes, wowing the audience with their on-stage chemistry. When asked how they achieve such a connection, Ashesh again brings it back to practice. “Classical music cannot be learnt without training. After practicing for so long it becomes easier to anticipate where the music will go next.”

Wanting to learn more about Nepali music, Laura McManus found herself in the presence of musical greatness front row and backstage at the concert launch of Taal Vidya.

www.verse.com.np 17

So the tabla is neither hobby nor an occupation. It is a way of life.

The entire mood changed as more musicians joined for the second half of the show. With Umesh Pandit on flute, Roshan Sharma on guitar, Nikhil Tuladhar on drums and Pravin Shrestha on bass the classics met their fate with contemporary instruments and sounds. Nikhil, also the drummer in Nepathya, says he feels comfortable playing alongside other ethnic percussion instruments needing to only control the dynamics, allowing greater room for improvisation. Although fusion music had its origin in the blending of genres, in recent years it has gained greater popularity as a collaboration of traditional instruments with their modern successors. The movement towards modernising and popularising instruments such as the table, esraj and ektara are part of greater efforts towards cultural preservation in the face of globalisation.

Navaraj identifies a greater funk influence in his music and enjoys performing with contemporary artists. While encouraging more collaborations of this kind, he does urge both artists and the audience to enjoy the music but also know about the instruments. Not wanting to disappoint I get Ashesh to show me his khanjira, a south Indian instrument similar to a tambourine, the face of which is made from snake skin. I similarly try to strum the ektara, a one stringed instrument used over the subcontinent.

When pressed together the contours of the wooden neck change the pitch creating a uniquely distinct sound, albeit one that is impossible for an amateur to create after a few minutes of practice.

But uniquely distinct sounds were the order of the night. Joined next on stage by Mariano Abello, the founder and director of Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, the mood took a swing towards jazz with the introduction of the saxophone. It was evident that this was a group of musicians brought together by a passion for what they do and an appreciation of different genres and styles. “It’s a fantastic experience to play in a group like this,” Mariano exalts. “There is such a different energy.”

The finale, and my favourite piece of the night, was Rhythmic Motion. Milen Tandukar on the violin helped take the rhythm

to its energetic climax. The dynamism that fused the sounds together made it difficult to sit still- I had to suppress the urge to dance in the aisle! The combination of the tabla, khanjira and drums created an electrifying effect. Watching each performer as they delivered their final solo, Navaraj couldn’t help but smile with Ashesh as they brought the show to a close just as they had opened it.

From their music and explosive stage presence it is hard to imagine that the group had not been together for years. All brilliant and internationally acclaimed musicians in their own right, I was astounded to learn that rehearsals began only a week and a half before the concert day. Sharma explains “we got our steps from Navaraj and then we practiced at home before bringing it all together.” While there were some learned parts most of the performance was improvised. Yet, the trading between artists (the flute paired with the tabla and violin with guitar) and their flawless transitions were refined to perfection. In this way “all you have to do is create one theme then the music creates itself.”

“Percussion,” Navaraj expounds, “has no note or melody so when we play the music, it speaks.” Indeed Taal Vidya - the language of rhythm- spoke to all of us in the auditorium. If, as the idiom goes, a picture tells a thousand words, then Taal Vidya

conjures up thousands of images, essentially speaking a whole lot of words. Mingling with audience members after the show I wanted to know what story they heard through the music. “When the sax came out I felt like I was in New York swept up in the new jazz movement,” one student of KJC reflected. Another, a traveller from the Europe, says “the combination of the flute and the violin in the last song made me think I was back in Ireland.”

Fusion was the order of the night. As Navaraj’s first concert of this magnitude, he was relieved, excited and happy it all came together. With the album, Taal Vidya, launched in spectacular fashion, the CD is now available at all music stores in Kathmandu city for only 300 Rupees.

TEXT : Laura McManus

mu

sic

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Get Cruising!When, in 2007, Marius Arniko Arter, came up with the idea of manufacturing skateboards in Nepal he had already tried making boards out of bamboo in Vietnam. “The skateboard has to be strong and flexible at the same time,” he said, adding that he “dropped” the idea of a bamboo skateboard because it didn’t qualify for the quality he envisioned his boards to be. Besides, he wanted to be home away from home. Marius, a Swiss citizen, was born in Nepal in 1984 and lived here until the age of four before permanently living in Switzerland. At that time his parents were working in hydropower projects in Nepal.

cove

r st

ory

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“If there is any place in the world where I would want to live and work ---it has to be Nepal”

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But, for Marius Nepal remained his home even until today. “If there is any place in the world where I would want to live and work ---it has to be Nepal,” shared Marius who is accompanied by Nils Amar Tegmo who similarly comes from what he calls a “mixed background”. Nils has been living in Nepal on and off since 2000, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Human and Natural Resource Studies from Kathmandu University. What brought them together as friends was their sheer love for skating. “Cruising” is how they would describe the sport they both learned as kids and loved so much that Marius went on to manufacture them with his own hands. Nils has since supported his mission hoping to make it an accessible part of a Nepali’s lifestyle.

“I hope to work full-time for Arniko Skateboards in a few months time,” Nils announced. Arniko Skateboards Nepal was first launched in May 2009 on the second floor in the Mandala Street complex, Thamel. “Even though 80 percent of the customers who buy these

boards are foreigners purchasing them for themselves or friends back home, the number of Nepalis who have been showing interests and enthusiasm over the new sport is quite good,” he said, having seen locals skateboarding on the bumpy streets of the capital.

While the busy roads of Kathmandu are not entirely skate-friendly Nils and Marius, who are also neighbors, manage to find their way around Jhamsikhel and other spots in the city to skate. “Nepal bandhs give ample space and an easier ride in the otherwise chaotic streets of the city.” During these current episodes of Nepal bandas Nils and Marius had can be seen skating around Jhamsikhel, hanging out at their spot or just doing their groceries.

In addition to selling skateboard s and various board parts, Arniko Skateboards Nepal also designs its own t-shirts, hoodies, pullovers and accessories. Asked why he added clothing to the skateboard store Marius said, “at a small scale, skateboards alone wouldn’t be able to pay the rent, the clothing is sold more than the boards, and I like to design them.” Nils added, “skateboarding is a lifestyle and it perfectly fits with the clothing Marius designs.” Nils has also recently begun designing prints and motifs for t-shirts and boards hoping to provide Arniko with a mix between traditional

Nepali and contemporary prints and designs. The boards then, with a well crafted fusion of designs etched into the plain wood, are uniquely Nepali.

Using this idea of a mix of contemporary and Nepali art, most designs are made

in Switzerland by Marius’ friends and colleagues involved in Arniko Skateboards Switzerland. The skateboards are made from thin plies of Canadian Maple wood which he imports from Canada, informs Marius. “It wasn’t possible to make boards with Nepali wood and maintain the quality to be sellable throughout the world,” Marius made it clear.

Before establishing himself as an entrepreneur, Marius was working as a carpenter in Switzerland. “Carpentry gave me the knack in the craft,” he said, “building skateboards was just an outlet”. Today, the skateboards made in Nepal are sold all over the world via the Arniko website (arnikoskateboards.com), and are also for sale in his store in Zurich, Switzerland, which also bears the Arniko name. “People really are excited about the skateboards manufactured in Nepal as they are different and uniquely designed,” Nils said showing the image of TENZING NORGAY engraved in one of the 1980’s style boards on display in the shop.

There were other unique designs such as one that was influenced by thangka paintings, and other motifs from Nepal’s traditional art which is so very unique to the world. “More than anything, it was the joy of skating that led me to cut and press my own skateboards,” said Marius,

The craftsmen eagerly take up the task of decorating the plain boards as it in turn challenges them because it requires immense handle-with-care gesture as the woods ar extremely thin.

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“but that was not all. To make the boards beautiful and to at least be sellable in the hordes of skateboards that conquer the global market today, it needed to be different and unique from rest of the boards, and that is how and why we incorporated the great skill of Nepal’s wood carvers, some of the world’s best craft.”

It’s the unique feature of these hand-

made skateboards that has left its many buyers awe-struck around the globe. “It’s the concept that matters,” said Nils who is also excited to put his energy in making

world-class products in terms of designs and quality. Apart from that he is also keen to contribute to the well-

functioning of the store. He and Marius really feel that Kathmandu should have a skate park which would enable the Nepalis to come together and skate. “There are Nepalis who skate but there has not been any group or organization that has really united the skaters in the city,” remarked Marius.

The craftsmen eagerly take up the challenge of chiseling designs out of

the plain boards as it requires immense coordination and coordination because the wood is extremely thin. The recent buzz among the skaters was that Nepal’s first National Skating Festival was to be organized in late May but nothing substantial seems to have taken place. Nils and Marius believe that, “only if skaters could have a place to meet, skate,

and share their lifestyles, could this dream be possible. It would be great if anything of that kind of festival was to take place in Nepal,” Marius stated.

There is hope that a skate park and then perhaps a skate festival or competition would bring Nepalis, as well as foreigners, together to interact through skateboarding. But, in Nepal’s case, it remains to be seen whether such efforts

will actually be taking place any time soon. The poor infrastructure backed up by the growing land prices, has mounted the frustrations of those who would want to create spaces of interaction and an environment for learning to ride the skateboards in Nepal. “Until skateboarders work together to meet this goal as a community or collective, the

The recent buzz among the skaters is that Nepal’s first National Skating Festival was to be organized in the late May but nothing substantial seems to have been taking place till this time which makes it an impossible, and ruthlessly a far-fethched idea altogther.

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wait will just be longer” Nils believes. The problem, it seems, is not only the high price of professional quality skateboards Nepalis would have to buy, but also the unavailability of the space and a platform where they could actually learn skating.

The Arniko Skateboards range from Rs. 20,000- Rs. 23,000 with the full setup and necessary hardware. “The reason why these skateboards are expensive is because everything except the board has to be imported,” informed Marius. The deck (or wooden part of the board) costs around Rs. 7000. “The boards are still expensive because of the Canadian Maple wood, special glues required, and other necessary tools which are all imported items,” he said arguing that it is still a good bargain compared to other skateboards produced from

giant factories. The skateboards are manufactured in Hattiban in the outskirt of the capital where they have their own studio for also stitching the clothing.

The skateboards produced here are designed for cruising, the professionals said. “These aren’t meant for freestyle skating or tricks,” claimed Nils, who showed the basic technique to get onto the boards. “In order to balance, your weight should be on the leg that is on the board,” he said demonstrating while his other leg was on the floor to push. These cruising boards are influenced by the 70s and 80s retro-style decks and are perfect for beginners, or anybody who enjoys skating around rather than doing tricks.

Nils pointed out three tips to begin skating.

1. Stand with one foot on the board

2. Balance the body perpendicular to the ground, and

3. Push with the foot on the ground to move forward.

He said these are three easy steps to learn to skate but, there is no room for overconfidence as this might just get you flat right on your chest.

Arniko, anyone?

TEXT: Amrita Gurung

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SKATEBOARD TRICKS

No Comply Over Block ThingsNo Comply’s are a fun, old school trick. Back in the day, they were very popular. Nowadays, not so much. Anyways, the no comply is where the skater brings their front foot off the board, pops the tail down, and slides their back foot up the board to level it out while in the air. It’s like an ollie with your back foot doing all the work.

BS Pop Shove into FS 50-50 GrindAnybody who skates enough to where they have learned a handful of flip tricks and a handful of grinds/slides is eventually going to want to try to combine the two. Obvi-ously there are countless options when it comes to this.. But honestly, some of them are pretty hard. The backside pop shove it into 50-50 is likely the simplest trick-to-grind combination. Thus, it’s likely the one you’ll begin with when it comes to this stuff.

WallridesWallrides are a simple, yet complex maneuver. Simple in mo-tion, but complex in weight shiftment, and timing. They are a very fun trick once learned, and eventually mastered. You can do them on virtually anything you want as long as the wall’s surface is rideable. You can take them to stairs, into banks, over flat gaps, over transfers, and much more! There are many ways to do wallrides. Usually done with the aid of a ramp, bank, etc. I find that being the cheap way to do them.. So I’m going to teach you guys how to do them the not-so-easy way, which is being done from flatground.

PHOTOS : http://www.flickr.com/photos/arniko/

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We don’t really see a fourteen year old kid holding a cue stick and practicing snooker- especially not

in a country like Nepal, where snooker is mostly popular among the urban kids. That too is usually only among the male members. Commonly a “smoking junction” among the youths in Nepal - snooker houses are often filled with young enthusiasts, some actually playing the game while some sit and watch to learn the game that, so far, hasn’t been centralised at a national level.

But that didn’t stop one dedicated enthusiast from doing something about it. Niraj Thapa Magar, a renowned national snooker player had to go through a lot to earn the title he has today. Working at a guest house as a waiter Niraj, at the age of fourteen, began hitting balls around the snooker table for something to do. The guest house with two snooker boards were always circled by young people betting things and money and yelling at themselves for not hitting the ball right!

All this enthusiasm had a positive effect on Niraj, so much that he didn’t hesitate to practice the game even in the witching hours. As a waiter, Niraj was not allowed to enter the snooker house when there were other people. “I liked the game, but as a waiter I was not allowed to enter the snooker house because our manager was very strict about this.”

Yes, not always in life you get to do what you want to do. But this seldom discouraged Niraj. Taking his evident talent and passion for the game into consideration, the managers were lenient enough to let him hit some stick during the night after the closing hours. “I used to enter the snooker house after midnight and practice for as long as I could under the table light that barely reached the table,” says Niraj.

Getting the things that you want in life does not come easy. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Yes, when sometimes Niraj visited the snooker house he was scolded and beaten not only by the managers but by customers too, often for the simplest of causes. However, most were a site of encouragement. “I was a cute young boy and I used to get healthy tips from some customers” he adds. Keenly watching game after game, the customers soon caught on that Niraj was both good at and enthralled by the game.

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THE PERFECT POT

“I liked the game, but as a waiter I was not allowed to enter the snooker house be-cause our manager was very strict about

this”

TEXT : Gokul Atreya PHOTO : Prabin Lal Manandhar

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The staff would always call him for a game or two and bet with him as they knew he received good money from the customers. “The staff in the guest house knew about my passion for the game and would call me in the hall for a game and put a bet with me,” continues Niraj. But sadly he lost most of the time. He had to pay money for each time he lost. This however, motivated his passion for the game and fuelled his thirst to improve. He continued playing during off hours. By this time the managers decided to change his job from a waiter to a marker at the snooker table. This is where he really learnt about his game and went to become a mature player. Niraj is forever indebted to his managers for that little change they made with his job.

With enough encouragement, Niraj participated in the Asian Games 2064. After that he played various domestic tournaments and has established his name as one the top players in the country.

With increased coordination in organizing such events, our players could do a lot better and represent themselves

in various international events. But the development should always start from the grassroots level, therefore, organizing domestic competitions should be given a top priority that will encourage more players which will turn to increase in high competition and eventually bring out good quality players. Only making new snooker houses won’t help. There are many determined players like Niraj who can actually do something for the nation through this game, only with a little bit of support. Billiards, Snooker and Pool Association (BSPAN) which was formed in 1994, looked promising but is no longer in business like it used to be. Only after continuing major tournaments, people like Niraj Thapa Magar will be able to go international and make our country renowned to the rest of the world.

Otherwise snooker, too, will be just another story.

Niraj's Snooker Tips

Playing snooker has a lot to do with psychology. If you are confident then you play better. Be positive, make your mind up what shot and play it. What ball do you look at when you strike the white? The answer is always the object ball. This is always for every player. You do not look at the white or the end of your tip, just the cue ball.

Being good at snooker is a real pleasure. After all you practice hard, you reach a good standard and the game is so enjoyable. It is vital to play on different tables. Of course it is good to play a lot on one table because it can give you confidence but you must get used to playing on all types of tables and conditions. To be a champion is not just about talent, it is about dedication and determination.

The reason why Junction Café is more than just a chill place to hang-out is that it represents an initiative of four young men, each leading a different life but together running this quirky little café in Manbhawan, Lalitpur. Atypical to other twenty-something college kids, Sajan, Anish, Susan and Binay have started a business, and a successful one at that. Running Junction Café this all on their own the guys exchange the roles of the cook, waiter, cashier and delivery among themselves. With limited prospects of landing their dream job in Nepal’s difficult job market, the four friends didn’t want to wait for the world to come to them. Instead they took the bold move to jump straight out into the world.

While larger, fancier restaurants were mushrooming all over Kathmandu, Junction café started off with one shutter. Yet it soon grew into a more spacious café with a kitchen out the back, making the guys the proud owners of an established and popular eatery. This is expansion was facilitated by the gutsy decision to take out a loan from a finance company. They really did then take control of their own future.

Such motivation to do their own thing stemmed from the instability and weaknesses in the current job market. A government job, explained the waiter of the day, will not go far without corruption and a job in a private sector is unfulfilling as it is a platform for rich to get richer and poor to get poorer. With the growing competition in the market, these four decided that they had to make place for themselves on their own. Instead of shoving and struggling, we find the owners quite relaxed, moving about with the sureness and enthusiasm of young business people and efficiency of old timers.

Upon entering the café you are greeted with a warm self designed interior which pulsates with love, enthusiasm and warm vibes. The menu is simple and the owners, friendly. People frequent this place for the ambience and its food. Over all, these guys have done a great job!

Outside of café life, each of the owners have different pursuits that you wouldn’t normally think correlate with that of a restauranter. Sajan Shrestha, who handles the counter and customer service is a computer enthusiast and fixes computers as a hobby. Anish Nepali, who is responsible for the cooking,

is a momo specialist and a former A-division footballer for Brigade Boys Club. On the other hand, Susan Kapali, who is actually a priest (wow!), handles the delivery. Finally, Binay Nakarmi who is there for customer’s service also works at a bank as a junior assistant. They are hopeful of expanding the café and dream of running a chain of restaurants in the future.

Theirs is a simple yet inspiring story which reminds one of the saying ‘little things are little things but having faith in little things is no little thing.’ I hope the spirit that they hold now, takes them far in life. I also hope their initiative strikes a chord among the youths here: to get off that couch, get some friends, start a restaurant, start a band, start a book club, whatever it takes to make that something little bit extra special of your life.

TEXT: Rhea Gurung

Junction Cafe:From little things big thing grow

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Today’s Technology...Yesterday’s Memories...

MITSUOKAMitsuoka Motor Co. Ltd., Japan

Showroom: Jawalakhel (next to Jawalakhel football ground), LaitpurPhone No.: 977-1-5551594 / 5551595

Website: www.mitsuoka-motors.com

For Test Drive 9851130150

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Author Claire Burkert and Photographer Thomas Kelly are collaborating on a book that celebrates a range of Himalayan architectural styles and design. They explore sacred spaces and indigenous styles of built structures found in Tibet, India, Bhutan and Nepal. A section on contemporary style in the Himalayas includes distinctive new museums, public gardens and fine crafts. An introduction by acclaimed Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman points out the cultural and spiritual foundations of Himalayan aesthetics. The book is entitled Himalayan Style and is due to be published by Roli Books, Delhi, in 2011.

Thomas L. Kelly first came to Nepal in 1978 as a USA Peace Corps Volunteer, and has since worked as a photo-activist, documenting the struggles of marginalized people and disappearing cultural traditions all over the world. His editorial work has appeared in publications worldwide, including, the New York Times, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic. He currently represents Hinduism Today and is based in Nepal. His wife, Carroll Dunham is the Founding Director of Wild Earth Pvt. Ltd www.wildearthnepal.comNepal.com

Thomas Kelly has researched and photographed the books: Sacred Landscape-Pilgrimage in Tibet: In Search of the Lost Kingdom of Bon, Tibet: Reflections from the Wheel of Life; The Hidden Himalayas; Kathmandu: City on the Edge of the World, Abbeville Press, N.Y., N.Y., Fallen Angels: Sex Workers of South Asia, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Roli Books Int. New Delhi, India,) Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World, Viking Penguin, N.Y., N.Y. and Cultural Traditions on Hinduism-Sadhus, Cuerpos Pintados, Santiago, Chile. www: THOMASLKELLYPHOTOS.COM

Claire Burkert is an expert on crafts preservation and design. In Nepal she founded the Janakpur Women’s Development Center, which preserves and promotes the Maithili painting tradition. For many years she worked closely with ethnic minorities in Vietnam to revive traditional textile traditions and to help adapt them for new markets. With The Poverty Alleviation Fund she has assisted artisans in Tibet to develop and promote their crafts. She has written extensively about traditional art, crafts, and dress of Asia. She is based in Kathmandu with her husband Thomas Schrom, a designer and specialist in restoring Himalayan buildings.

HIMALAYANSTYLE

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Hotel Del’ Sherpa:Anthony Robert reading in the colorful dining room of the Hotel Del Sherpa.

Sherpa Kitchen:The traditional kitchen of the home of Jamling Sherpa’s grandfather, AngBabu, who founded Chiwong Monastery.

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Chiwang Monastery:Floating clouds below Chiwong monastery, SoluKhumbu.

The Spirit in the Landscape:Stringing fresh prayer flags between Buddha’s all knowing eyes.

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Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust: A view of pagoda roofs from the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust, which is active in restoring the Patan Durbar Square.

Garuda: The bird-god who kneels on a pillar in front of the Krishna Mandir on the Patan Durbar Square.

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Tusahiti: A small royal stepwell built in 1607 in the courtyard of Sundari Chowk, Patan Darbar Square. With over 70 carved stone religious statues, it represents one of the masterpieces of Newar stonecarving.

Thimi Ceramics :Expert hands at Thimi Ceramics produce a range of contemporary pottery for local and export markets

PHOTO: Thomas Kelly

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We knew it was almost impossible but our belief was injected with a tremendous amount of hope and courage to have

one of the best hitch-hiking trips ever. So despite the strike, scorching sun and the thirst, we went on. Travelling on public transport and motorbikes had completely ruined our reasoning power of distance. We expected a familiar place to arrive after a certain bends but it was only after dozen similar bends that we finally would come to the resting point. The stereotypical Nepal actually begins after we farewell Kathmandu and her two sister cities.

The strong rumours that Kathmandu Valley would be closed for the day had ignited this plan in our head. We wanted to do something that was much productive than just staying idle in Freak Street. It was only after arriving at the border of Dhading and Kathmandu that we found out it was a strike in Dhading, not in Kathmandu. But what could stop a heart that has been craving for something adventurous and exciting? We looked at each other and we knew right away that no one wanted to go back to the unplanned and chaotic civilization. We had one tent, and only one sleeping bag since Sarah forgot hers in a shop at Kalanki), a small guitar, a bottle of water, a battery operated Lantern, and clothes to change. Prabin, with his Nikon D80, captured the entire trip.

We took a local bus from Kalanki that left us stranded two kilometers from Tribhuwan Park. By the time Sarah realised that she had left her sleeping bag in one of the shops of Kalanki, the bus came to a halt and going back to get it was simply out of the question. As we left

Kathmandu, where one wouldn’t think twice to assist another in trouble, we encountered many people who were ready to help us just because we were there. We first hitched in a micro bus for a few kilometres, but were soon unceremoniously ejected. The truck drivers, who did not give us a lift, gave us an apologetic expression for not being able to help. The fresh water coming down from the mountains were viewed as no less than the Holy Grail to our dehydrated bodies.

Everyone on the outskirts acknowledged our presence and we never felt intruded or unaccepted. It was only Prabin, Shristy and I with flip-flops and after walking for a couple of kilometres, Yuskey and Sarah had to opt for the same since their shoes added to the heat of the sun. There were only speeding tourist buses and a couple of bikes owning the empty highway. We saw landscapes that could never be seen by travelling in a bus or car.

trav

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At one point, after walking for almost 30 kilometres, we were completely exhausted when all of a sudden a truck, on the way to Birgunj, stopped and gave us a ride on its back. That hitchhike lasted long enough for Yuskey to sing some folk Nepali songs on his guitar. The truck pulled over in a short while since there was a log of wood in the middle of the road with some protestors making the Banda effective. We stopped for a while and then started walking. Sarah and Shristy, were mistaken for foreigners by the locals when we heard one of them say “they have come to Nepal to walk around and see our village life. Strike is good for them.”

Well, strike was neither a good or new thing for Nepal but it surely became momentarily and exclusively for the five of us. A grey coloured Skoda with a tourist number plate, coming from Kathmandu, stopped next to us (you may not be that lucky) and offered a lift. One of the protestors who had seen us walking had requested the driver of the car to take us along if we paid some money. And we did, but very little. On the entire trip that lasted for about 45 minutes, we were smiling and feeling lucky. We knew some divine force was looking down on us and giving us free perks from time and again.

We wanted to go to this waterfall that Yuskey was talking about but, as it had been a year he last visited, we could not find the way. Finally the driver who was listening to our conversation assured us that he knew of a similar waterfall on the way to Pokhara. And it really was the one we were looking for. We bid the driver goodbye and asked him to join us in Kathmandu whenever he was free. We climbed the hill that had the water fall but then there were some rowdy locals who made it really uncomfortable for us to have a good time so we gave up the idea and walked all the way to Abu Khaireni, where we bought noodles, water melon and an apple.

We had seen a lot of good river banks on the way

where we could camp but we still wanted to look

out for more. We started exploring Daraudi River

from one point to another and, for almost an hour, searched for

a good spot. We were searching for a narrower spot from where

it would be safe to cross the river. A man in his early forties came to

us and advised us not to cross the river since it was very risky. Instead

he showed us a better place to camp and went away climbing the cliffs as if

he was a lizard.

Though it was two nights before full moon, it looked almost like one of those

nights were the moon was at its very best and one could stare endlessly at the beauty

of the sky. And, to add to that spell binding night, we were camping by a river indulging

in the perfect company of each other. The synergy of the songs Shristy and Yuskey sang on

top of that splendid aura was so alchemic that it felt like the wind was drifting my soul away. The

girls taught us to swim and we got so hooked with it that we were swimming till four in the morning.

The sunrise was very difficult to wake up to. The hangover of all the fun we had yesterday was filled

with a tremendous amount of body ache. We packed o u r tents, cleaned the river bank, repacked our bags and started on the search of a hotel something to eat. The hotel we chose for our dinner happened to be

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owned by the same person who had advised us not to cross the river. We planned to swim for an hour before having our lunch but we ended up swimming for a couple. The local boys helped us cross the river, taught us swimming and also rescued us many a times.

“Oi, ma dubey hai (hey I am drowning)”- With these words, Yuskey drowned as he courageously tried to cross the river alone. One of the locals rushed in for his rescue and brought him back safely. But after all that practice the night I’m pretty sure that Yuskey would have made out himself. An old suspension bridge with some of its ropes stretching down to the river became a good swinging sport for us.

Three chicken set dinner with Karela, and 2 vegetarian sets with 4 plates of Chana, two jumbo bottles of chilled water and a jumbo coke cost us around Rs.700. The lunch felt very replenishing. We started after a break of half hours. We climbed to the highway and, with the hitching hiking adventures over, took a bus back to Kathmandu.

Hitch hiking, unlike typical travelling, is getting to know a place like a local rather than normal travelers. Travelers get acquainted with spots that have been commercialized and altered for them. It helps you become open towards a life style and culture adhered in that place and is really worth it with all the things you get to explore that would normally be overlooked in normal travelling. For instance, local people are worried and concerned about your safety when you swim in the river near their houses. Try hitch hiking and you will know because no one will stop you from diving off a 12 foot rock by the river even if you don’t know how to swim.

TEXT : Manjil ShresthaPHOTO : Prabin Lal Manandhar

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Photo : Barsha KCPlaying with the lens

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Send us your photography work at info@verse.com.np

Photo : Ozu Joshi

pho

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Mr. Kiran Bhakta Joshi, the founder of Incessant Rain Animation Studios, left his job of 18 years

at the Walt Disney Studios at age 46 to create his own studio in Kathmandu. With a background in computer software, Joshi was working as a graphics software developer for Disney. He was in the team that developed the animation system used for Beauty and the Beast, which went on to be nominated for Best Picture at the 1992 Academy Awards. Leaving an 18 year old job, the post of Head of Production and a team of 250 artists and technologists under him was not easy for Kiran. There were doubts among his friends in Walt Disney if an animation studio in Nepal would deliver the quality and turnaround they were seeking.

2007 was the turning point in his life. When he had come to Nepal for the funeral of a relative, his friend Sanjeev Rajbhandari, suggested opening a studio in Nepal. He then spent three weeks in small animation boutiques and was impressed to see the portfolios of skilled and passionate young artists. He met a 19 year old boy who showed his portfolio and said that his passion was animation but due to pressure from his parents, he had been studying management. He asked Kiran for help, so realizing the level of this boy’s passion, he decided it was time to open an animation studio in Nepal.

Kiran opines that employees are the most valuable assets of a business. He says that it is very important to coordinate with every individual differently because even a single person with an ego can jeopardize the work process. While working with his employees, the first lesson he learnt was that it is easy to train young

Disney to Incessant Rain

His studio’s goal is not just to outsource work from USA, but take the rich folk stories of Ne-pal to the world.

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people rather than old ones. He feels that young people are very creative, more adaptable and energetic about their work once they are convinced.

Since experienced people are more resistant to change, he feels that it is better to have young supervisors and employees in the business. He shares that it is important to make sure the employees are having fun during work but at the same time there should be proper enforcement of discipline. Salaries at his studio are based on the productivity and the quality of the animation that his staff can create. He even helps his staff to go abroad if they wish because he believes those people will gain better knowledge and return back. He admits that hunting for talent is an arduous process and he would love to collaborate with the universities here and start an animation academy to nurture fresh talents inside Nepal.

Kiran shares that setting up of a business is easy but execution is difficult. Since he shuttles between Nepal and the US, is it difficult to execute all the ideas due to time constraints. Challenges he is facing now in Nepal include bandhs (strikes) and load-shedding. He also feels that as his company is growing bigger, the fun element is reducing. Even though he doesn’t have any marketing specialist, his personal one to one networks and visits to several networking programs contribute to his business development. He stresses that networking is very important for entrepreneurs and no one should underestimate its power. His focus is on brand building and creating their intellectual property.

He sees bright hope for Nepal as we have cheaper a labour force, untapped resources, rich cultures and diversity. His studio’s goal is not just to outsource work from USA, but take the rich folk stories of Nepal to the world. He cites the example of “Jungle Book”, a story from India that became a famous animation. He finds Nepal rich in tales of Yaks and Yetis and he has successfully used the yaks and the one-horned rhino for the animation advertisements of World Food Program (WFP) and Ace Development Bank respectively. He believes these would help to showcase our local identity.

SOURCE: Entrepreneurs for Nepal http://e4nepal.com

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The Lion KingOne of the most popular Disney animated musicals, The Lion King presents the story of a lion cub’s journey to adulthood and acceptance of his royal destiny. Simba begins life as an honored prince, son of the powerful King Mufasa. The cub’s happy childhood turns tragic when his evil uncle Scar murders Mufasa and drives Simba away from the kingdom. In exile, the young lion befriends the comically bumbling pair of Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat and lives a carefree jungle life. As he approaches adulthood, however, he is visited by the spirit of his father, who instructs him to defeat the nefarious Scar and reclaim his rightful throne.

UpCarl Fredricksen is a 78-year-old balloon salesman. His entire life, Carl has longed to wander the wilds of South America. Then, one day, the irascible senior citizen shocks his neighbors by tying thousands of balloons to his home and finally taking flight. But Carl isn’t alone on his once-in-a-lifetime journey, because stowed away on his front porch is an excitable eight-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. Later, as the house touches down on the world’s second largest continent, Carl and his unlikely traveling companion step outside to discover that not only is their new front lawn considerably larger, but that the predators therein are much more ferocious than anything they ever faced back home.

The best animated movies

Up proves its power within the

first ten minutes showing Carl’s

life and love with Ellie

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Wall-EDisney and Pixar join forces for this computer-animated tale about a wide-eyed robot who travels to the deepest reaches of outer space in search of a newfound friend. After hundreds years doing what he was built for, WALL-E discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL-E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans. Meanwhile. Wall-E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most imaginative adventures ever brought to the big screen.

Toy StoryToy Story was the first feature-length film animated entirely by computer. The star of the proceedings is Woody, a pull-string cowboy toy belonging to a wide-eyed youngster named Andy. Life is perfect for Woody. All the toys in the room look up to him and he is Andy’s favorite toy. Then a birthday present is unwrapped: Buzz Lightyear, an action figure in a space suit who believes he’s on a mission to save a planet. It doesn’t take long for Buzz to win the affections of everyone, and for Woody to strike up a rivalry with Buzz. But when the two are trapped in the neighborhood bully’s house, they learn to overcome their differences in order to reunite with their owner.

Spirited AwayTale of the fanciful adventures of a ten-year-old girl named Chihiro, who discovers a secret world when she and her family get lost and venture through a hillside tunnel. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, Chihiro must fend for herself as she encounters strange spirits, assorted creatures and a grumpy sorceress who seeks to prevent her from returning to the human world.

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Prepare yourselves for 96 minutes of full and fun entertainment- adventure, comedy, fun, romance and little bit of action as well- Rio has it all! Produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha, this animated film is set, as its title suggests, in the Brazilian city, Rio de Janeiro. While the original theatre going film was released in 3D, the DVD version of Rio is equally as captivating in its portrayal of Blu, a blue baby Spix’s macaw, and his adventures.

Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) is the product of a failed smuggling attempt. After being rescued and raised by Linda (Leslie Mann) in Minnesota after she finds him in a box lying on the road, Blu begins leading a life atypical to most of his other feathered friends. As he was smuggled as a baby, who hadn’t learnt to fly, Blu never thinks about flying high into the sky in the years that follow. Instead he remains a flightless bird with intimate

knowledge of the tricks of human life and of physics as well (surprising, but yes he does!). He knows how to open a locked cage, how to walk, how to open a soda can and so many others.

Blu is forced to return to his birthplace when Túlio (Rodrigo Santoro), a Brazilian ornithologist, insists he mate with Jewel (Anne Hathaway) and save his species from extinction. Thus the story of Blu, the flightless bird, who prefers being home with Linda in his cage with his veil and little swing, who is forced out into the real world and facing real dangers. The plot is complicated by the beautiful Jewel, who longs to escape and be able to fly freely in the sky forever. Evading the smugglers and, Nigel (Jemaine Clement) the mean cockatoo, the story follows Blu and Jewel’s travels, the problems that arise, the friends and enemies they make along the way and the little funny incidents, characteristic of this animation genre.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger TidesJack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.

Fast FiveDominic and his crew find themselves on the wrong side of the law once again as they try to switch lanes between a ruthless drug lord and a relentless federal agent.

ThorThe powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

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This is a story about overcoming your fears, believing in yourself and ultimately taking the bold step to be and do something different. Blu, who has not flown for 15 years, is always scared of plunging into the open air and letting his wings guide him. When he managed to do that, I couldn’t help but smile. Blu encapsulates the notion that everyone has their own skills and talents. Though he’s not able to fly, it is Blu’s knowledge of the other things that make all the difference.

There are some parts of Rio that will literally make you laugh out loud and some that will make you make you go ‘aawwww’. The distinctly Brazilian setting offers a glimpse to their rich cultural heritage. The samba beats will make you dance in your seats while the beautiful carnival and the floats are bound to take your breath away. You won’t realize how soon the one and half hour has passed.

With no surprise plot twists Rio remains a sweet story of the birds’ adventures in Brazil. It’s simple and ever pertinent messages of individuality, trust and freedom make it a good watch for both the children and adults alike; you should not miss this movie!

TEXT : Suraksha Nepal

The story of Blu, the flightless bird, who prefers being home with Linda in his cage with his veil and little swing, to flying and facing the dangers, and the beautiful Jewel, who longs to escape and be able to fly freely in the sky forever, is the main part of the movie.

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In February 2005 Sunil Sethi, a journalist, columnist and television presenter, started a weekly program on NDTV called ‘Just Books’, in which he interviews famous writers. He has interviewed over three hundred writers so far. Some of these interviews—thirty, to be precise—have been collected in this beautifully produced book, ‘The Big Bookshelf.’

Many of these writers are literary heavy weights including Gunter Grass, Nadine Gordimer and Salman Rushide; others are the finest exponents of crime fiction such as Ken Follet, Jeffry Archer and Alexandar McCall Smith; others still are the immensely popular writers of the cheap and not chick-lit kind including Chetan Bhagat and Shobhaa De. Engaging the authors on topics such as the craft of writing and why they set out to write, Sethi’s interviews provide a rare insight into the lives of literary greats.

Anita Desai, a writer who twice narrowly missed receiving the Man Booker Prize, reveals during her interview, for example, that:

‘I was a wife and a mother and writing was not what I was supposed to be doing. I had to do it in hiding. I remember I used to scribble away when the children were at school or playing downstairs and quickly put everything away before they came back in. My children always remark that they never saw me writing. And the book would one day appear, as though it just happened, it came from somewhere else.’

Glimpses, such as Anita’s, of the struggles and successes of writing are littered throughout the interviews that make up ‘The Big Bookshelf.’ Interesting to for book lovers and inspirational for aspiring writers who don’t know where to start; this is one title that is a great addition to any big bookshelf.

The Big Bookshelf

- Sunil Sethi

The Sunset Club - Khuswant Singh The latest book by a raunchy man of letters, Khushwant Singh, ‘The Sunset Club’ is a story of three elderly friends--Pandit Preetam Sharma, Nawab Barkatullah Baig and Sardar Boota Singh—who meet at Delhi’s Lodhi Garden every evening and talk about everything under the sun, including, well, love and sex, to while away time. Written in his trademark simplicity, the novel will appeal to those who enjoyed reading ‘The Company of Women.’

Peace Politics of Nepal: An Opinion from Within - Kanak Mani DixitIn ‘Peace Politic of Nepal,’ long-time journalist Kanak Mani Dixit tries to make sense of the peace process that followed the 12-point agreement between the seven-party alliance and the Maoists. The author comes down heavily on UNMIN and the Maoists for unwittingly acting to the extent of sabotaging the peace process. An advocate of a liberal democracy, Dixit says that the republic is a good idea and that some form of federalism is warranted but ethnic federalism is “potentially too dangerous to experiment with.”

Buddhi Sagarka Kabita - Buddhi SagarA collection of 42 previously published poems by Buddhi Sagar, ‘Buddhi Sagarka Kabita’ comes on the heel of his most talked about novel of recent times, ‘Karnali Blues.’ Buddhi Sagar, who first made his name in poetry, is adept at painting his poems with startling imagery and metaphors. Written, as a political commentator with fine literary sensibilities, CK Lal said, in ‘aithan’ his poems are full of pathos and craving for love.

www.verse.com.npGyanmandala, Jhamsikhel

TEXT : Ajit Baral

However, some readers may feel as if they are tucking into an unripped fruit which isn’t quite there yet. That has more do with the fact the collected interviews are the transcripts of a 30-min television program. Being short, the program does not provide time enough for Sethi to tease out more answers from the writers, which would giving the interviews a more-rounded feel. Unlike the ‘Paris Review’ Sethi fails to engage fully with the writer’s oeuvre, often skirting more informed context based questions. Similarly, being a television program having a different—and dare I say, a less bookish— audience, the program skims over fundamental questions about the craft of writing. Inquiries about a texts

plot, writing style, technique, characterization and pace are replaced instead with peripheral and controversial questions such as the break up between Salman Rushdie and his former flame, Padma Laxmi.

These shortcomings notwithstanding, you will find the book interesting—that is, if you are not used to reading ‘Paris Review’ and ‘Wasafiri’ interviews, which are more engaging.

I was a wife and a mother and writing was not what I was supposed to be doing. I had to do it in hiding.

Get 15% discount on producing this page at the Bookworm Store

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Hindi movies are crap. And I know it isn’t the first time you are hearing this, they really are, except for few (very few). But here I am taking this challenge to write against this cliché. No kiddin’.

Hindi movies have a special place in our (Nepalese) hearts. Cheesy as it may sound, but it’s true. Whether you like it or not, whether you admit it or not, it has become a way of life for almost all of us. I don’t mean bollywood movies when I say ‘it’, I mean our secret admiration for the cheap, corny bollywood movies. Now, don’t tell me you don’t, once in a while, feel like doing nothing but sit back relax and watch a hindi movie channel. The fact that those channels stretch an hour long movie into what seems to be for ever with their advertisements matters less. You just want to get hold of the remote and turn off your mind and watch. The ‘mind turning off ’ part wasn’t figurative, you can literally turn it off since you already know (not guess) what’s next in the movie.

I’m a huge fan of, say, Ron Howard or Steven Spielbergh. And I’m not kiddin’ when I say I watched this movie, as recently as a few months ago, in which the so called ‘hero’ is a dancer, singer, super-man, every good thing you could possibly imagine, and of course romantic at the same time. My point? Is that I don’t ‘not watch’ them. Reason? I feel damn good. Not good as in “wow!!! WTF” good, but “good day, sunshine” good. Now, don’t get me wrong, no, the director of photography of these movies aren’t at all masters, most of them are crap. Well, I know you are dying to know (LOL) where my talk is heading. Ok, here is what I mean.

Imagine yourself as me. No don’t do that. Imagine you as yourself but you are a 10 year old and you feel swell as hell because you just learned how to ride a bicycle by yourself though you sit on top tube instead of the seat coz you aren’t tall enough. You rush to tell your sister that you didn’t even notice you were riding by yourself and that you are “awesome!” Your sis gives a damn coz she is a Sharukh Khan fan and Zee

TV’s showing ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. And you go and lay flat on the couch and start watching, though the sound of people cycling and playing cricket just outside your room in the courtyard makes it impossible for you to fully hear the movie. These are the days when movies start making sense for the first time in your mind. These are the days when you have your first of crushes on a girl in your school. Not because she is a John Petrucci or a Blink-182 fan, but because she doesn’t cry on the way to school or she has neatly cut fingernails.

The movie ends… You stretch yourself up (coz hindi movies are at least 2 hrs long and with the advertisements they are 3 to 4 hrs at the very least) and you dab your tired eyes and you open them to find yourself in the present.

Enough of time traveling. Basically, what I mean is that it’s obvious that hindi movies are the first movies that we relate to. We weren’t born movie critics. We can’t watch the first movie of our lives and tell that the plot of the movie was shitty and all. So, we have no choice but to feel fine watching these movies of our times missing our sisters and our brothers (he was the one backing up my bicycle LOL).

Bollywood is a time machine (no kiddin’)

-Ashesh Maharjan

The fact that those channels stretch an hour long movie into what seems to be for ever with their advertisements matters less.

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The changing phenomenon of the youth empowerment and young entrepreneurship has added another brick in the wall, as the youth led company for creating the better scope and platform for business in a new dimensional way of managing event has been established this year.

The Himalayan Events constructing a perception of event to boost the economy of the business and facilitating such services by bridging the people and the business. Creative and innovative concepts is what matter much for them.

Holding a fresh beginning in the event management, THE is able to kick off the big exhibition and bigger events with its services and facilities. Well equipped electrification system, generators of any need, sound systems, logistic management, media arrangement and planning, HR management, Designing, printing, publishing, publicity and above all breaking through the concept of creative and innovative event designing, managing and organizing events is what they concern about.

With the vision of the broadening the business vision via purposeful, result oriented events by connecting with people and promoting their ideas, services or business towards successful endeavours towards the national benefit and international recognition has already taken initiatives in their first endeavour at Biratnagar named Purbanchal Techno Fest 2011, where trade, science and people come together.

Taking first initiatives in eastern region mainly at Biratnagar which is also known as the second largest city of the country has been deprived of the scientific and technological exposure, but the effort of team members of The Himalayan Events and

local people made it possible as the technological trade along with the scientific innovation, promotion took place where even bigger organisations like CAN and ICT also hadn’t taken steps.

Keeping simple and low objectives, this youth led company runs to create a platform for business houses for newer business avenues where various business houses can be together into a common place to explore prospects for mutual benefits and exploring creative ideas into feasible action and business.

In these days the growth of the event management company has been increasing where one can see a lot of possibilities on it, but keeping eye on the economy of the country the sustainability is also the great question, where event management is Below The Line (BTL) agency for the promotion of the sponsors and not only happening the events but the making the business is what the essence is. Regarding this statement the Executive Chairman Prabesh Lal Joshi makes his statement like this, “forming an event management is a big risk task where in each and every event we have to convince and satisfy each and every persons and institutions, so firstly making business and happening event comes in parallel row. If the event succeed to make the business or catch its objectives then only event will happen and regarding THE, we like to play in this and we are serious how to play with it, we are serious of happening the event for our customers and people”

Well, these enthusiasts are ready to go with any event of your choice, exhibition, parties, seminars, conference, events and they share your burden of the event in their head because they claim, “Just think of your event happening :)”

The Himalayan EventsJust think of your event happening

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Tel: + 977 443 4434www.furnicorn.com.np122Kha Naxal Chaardhunge

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10TRENDS FOR SUMMER

Wide leg pants:

Either sophisticated yet relaxed, sharp tailored. Perfect for mas-culine-inspired looks, be they ver modern or very vintage.Dare to wear it with high heels with a slim-fitting top to balance out the volume on the bottom half. A soft, billowing blouse can also work well but is best broken up with a waist-cinching belt.

Lace:

The main balance of lace in 2011 is to be romantic but not over-girly; sensual but not over-suggestive.Dare to wear them without a slip underneath. Just keep the cut a little more relaxed or the hem a little longer to maintain that perfect balance.

COMPILATION : Barsha KC

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Maxi dresses:

Dare to wear maxi dresses with high heels and wedges to heighten your look or wear it with flats if you’re tired of wearing heels.

Long pendents:

Dare to wear these long gems with loose tops or tight. They make any simple outfit look sophisticated and fashionable.

Red hair:

The redhead isn’t just a hair colour this year, it’s an attitude. Forget the bright copper and

crimson tones: red hair this year is about richly coloured and natural looking red hair.

Leather harness: an accessory trend

Leather accessories styles best when paired with something sophisticated.

Dare to wear it with a pair of wide-leg pants, a flowing maxidress as seen on the runways of Lanvin, a pair of jodhpurs and tailored jacket.

Tassels: the return of luxury trimmingsIn 2011, we see tassels oversized,

extra long, brightly coloured or made to stand out in some way. And it’s no longer just handbags: they’re on ev-

erything from shoes to dresses to belts and hats.

Pleats:

Dare to wear pleats for that feminine and elegant look complete with soft

chiffon or lace fitted top.

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Bags:

I’m not too fussy with bags. I love colourful to simple plain bags...

from sling bags to clutch...

Dresses:

I like floral dress during the day with colourful prints...match it up with chained necklace and a stud...And in the evening, I like to wear plain colours like black, navy blue, red...

Sunanda’sTRENDS FOR SUMMER

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Perfume:

Thierry Mugler - AngelArmani Diamonds Mademoiselle - Chanel

Shoes:

Peep toes, Gladiators, Boat shoes, Platform shoes, Wedge, Ballerinas, Stiletto heels, Kitten heels, Pumps, Sandals

Skin Care:

Mash a ripe apricot and apply pulp or juice on the face and neck or simply take an apricot slice and rub it all over the face and neck. Leave it for 20 minutes before washing off. Apricot has nourishing and firming qualities. It therefore nourishes, rejuvenates and tightens your skin. It also helps in lightening stretch marks and smoothening wrinkles. It is a popular ingredient in many beauty/cosmetic such as face scrubs, masks etc. It is good for all type of skins.

Show Room:Pako, New Road, Kathmandu, Nepal.Ph: +977-1-4263696e-mail: info@anafashionboutique.com arunaashoo@hotmail.comweb: www.anafashionboutique.comFOR ALL KINDS OF FASHION

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Anisha Maharjan has always been amused by glamour magnetism. The virtuosity of lenses and the concept of capturing art fascinated her towards photography and modeling fraternity. She is a new comer, dreaming to colour her amateur concepts through photographic principles. Being a camera and photoshop junkie has helped her to print her alien imaginations into pictures. She has tried deeply to express femininity, conceptual photography and their optical cocktails and came up with this eye scotch through collaboration with various photographers.

Concept and Editing by Anisha Maharjan

Glamour Magnetism

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Photographer : James Beverly

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Photographer: Ake Boonlert

I

Gunjan still plays with her doll. It is ridiculous; I make fun of her, taunt her, and laugh at her all the time. She is taller than Mother and nearly as tall as Papa but she still has that doll tucked tightly between her hands and waist. Minutes after she carefully lays her doll in its cot as if the doll would wake up if you’re not careful enough. I am beside there kicking my feet in the air, laughing at Gunjan. Mother comes and brings me up to my feet, yes, she nags and shakes her dainty little index finger at me and then she sighs and gives up. It just makes me smile more. And I love having Gunjan by herself, when she is so vulnerable. You take her doll away and put it on top of the cupboard, she’ll cry there for hours. The funny part is, she is just tall enough to reach the doll. But that’s Gunjan, she’d rather sit with her hands pulling at her hair and crying for the doll than tiptoe on her feet to bring the doll back.

Like I do.

This one time I found Gunjan in front of Mother’s mirror with lipstick making a clown’s smile on her face. It was one terrible sight but the thing with Gunjan is, she looks at me with that half-scared and half-amused look on her face that

makes every disaster so funny that I can’t help but hoot with laughter. And since I cannot help it, it is certainly not my fault that Mother comes rushing absolutely knowing what she is going to see. Oh then, Mother grabbed her by her arms tightly and gave her a good shaking. I laughed because to and fro is sort of giddy. I laughed harder because Gunjan’s hair was all over the place- on her face, on her shoulders, in the air. Bottles of perfume, lipsticks, lotion cases and make-up boxes flew over heads. I screamed then but not because I was scared like Gunjan was. Mother said that she was sick of Gunjan but she cradled her in her arms again and rocked her silently.

I cannot understand her at all.

Gunjan feeds her doll even though the mouth is but a black thread sown across her face. The oatmeal and milk dribbles down the doll’s already filthy clothes, to Gunjan’s skirt then to mine. It sometimes makes me so mad that I tip the bowl all over the doll. Gunjan does the same but for a different reason. She does it when she scolds the doll for not eating. The doll used to have a white dress but now that Gunjan bathes it almost everyday in her breakfast, it is yellowish brown now. Her hair used to be soft, brown and curly

but now it is frail and frizzy.

But Gunjan carries it with her all the time.

Mother had tried getting rid of it once. I told her that Gunjan would be very angry if she did but Mother was determined to get rid of it. Nobody does listen to me, do they? Gunjan threw a wild tantrum. She threw herself on the ground like a mad person. I felt really bad for her. I told Mother again and again that she should return the doll to Gunjan or else she would probably die. Gunjan got her doll back but whenever I want something from her, I threaten to burn her doll. She clutches her doll like I would carry out the threat that very instance. I told you, it is very funny.

Gunjan is not wrong though.

Gunjan is older than Mother because she is taller than her. How can that be so? She still plays with her doll. She talks to it all the time. Even in my presence they carry out conversations. I can, of course, never hear the doll reply “don’t leave me.” But I do hear Gunjan tutting at the doll, explaining that she has to go get dressed for a party. I can also see her say, “okay, okay, there is no need to cry now, there, there.” And carry the doll

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away as if it actually has a weight. Oh dear, she can be a darling at times. Did I ever mention that Gunjan is very pretty? She has these huge eyes, brown curls that she rests on the window sill. Last week, or was it last month? Well, Gunjan had her birthday and Mother made the best sandwiches ever. I ate mine and the doll ate Gunjan’s. It was okay, Gunjan said, because she didn’t feel hungry then. I thought that was pretty stupid of her so I made fun of her. And also made her cry on her birthday. I threw the doll in the little fishpond we have behind our house.

I ruined my perfect white dress.

Gunjan still has the doll.

Mother comes. Gunjan is telling on me. I want to tell on her too but I don’t want her to lose the doll.

“Gunjan. Gunjan! Where do you have it? Give it to me, this instance.”

“I don’t have it.”

“Where is it?”

“Gunjan’s got it.”

Mother searches me impatiently.

Mother puts her hand in my pocket and takes away that piece of mirror too.

“Good riddance, Gunjan and her stupid doll”.

II

“I cried because she wouldn’t give me my doll. I would run to tell Mum on her. Then I would turn back because she’d get the doll down from the cupboard. I hope she gets her punishment too; Mum is always shaking her dainty fingers at me.

Gunjan threw my doll in the fishpond behind our house. I cried for it for an hour or so. Gunjan would just laugh louder so I ran to the pond myself. But she was such a dear; she ruined that white dress for me. I got my doll back. I fed it as I watched Gunjan dry her pretty brown curls on the windowsill.

III

I wiped my tears. I feared the food would get salty and soggy. It is my daughter’s birthday. My daughter, my only daughter, how pretty she looks with her brown hair on the sill. I cannot cope up with it anymore. My

daughter, she laughs tyrannically to herself and cries madly. I had hoped to bring her up as such a lady. And she still plays with her dolls. Gunjan still plays with her dolls.

I had carried the tray outside. Below the huge tree sat my dear daughter talking to herself in the little mirror she carried. The same mirror that she carried along with her doll. The mirror and the rag of a doll, she always walks around with. Tears welled in my eyes again. I had gone back to the kitchen. Through the window I suddenly saw Gunjan throw her doll in the fishpond and I was somewhat relieved to see the last of that doll but suddenly she herself jumped after it some time later. I screamed.

I got rid of the mirror but the window is still there and so is the pond.

IV

I cannot answer. I am a doll.

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TEXT : Rhea Gurung

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Send us your fiction articles at fiction@verse.com.np

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BoudhaThe CaféHyatt RegencyTaragaon, Boudha4491234

Rox Restaurant Hyatt RegencyTaragaon, Boudha 4491234

Boudha Stupa Restaurant And CaféBoudha2130681

The Bakery CaféBoudha4464438

Babar MahalWalter’s Restaurant & BarBabar Mahal Revisited4253337

BaithakBabar Mahal Revisited 4267346

Shogun Restaurnat & BarBabar Mahal Revisited 4263720

Chez CarolineBabar Mahal4263070

Durbar MargMagic BeansSherpa MallDurbarMarg, Kathmandu4230914

Gazebo Restro LoungeDurbarMarg9841397603

Coffee ShopDurbar Marg4221711

Ghar-E-KababDurbarMarg4221711

Vintage Café & PubWoodland Complex, DurbarMarg4254831

KFC Restaurant/Pizza HutDurbarMarg4226287

KamaladiCourtyard RestaurantKamaladi4253065

Cube The Club With Candles Restro LoungeKamaladi4438017

LazimpatAtticNorth Gate, Lazimpat

Bhumi Restro LoungeLazimpat4412193

Olive GardenRadisson Hotel, Lazimpat4441818

Street CaféLazimpat9841657041

Pizza ExpressLazimpat2161212

Shambala Garden CaféShangri-la Hotel, Lazimpat4412999

Him Thai Restaurant & BarLazimpat4418683

New RoadShisha CaféNew Road4263668

Café Olla Restaurant & BarKantipath, Jamal4232673

Vishram RestaurantBasantapur2012127

Revolving Restaurant Ratna Plaza, 4th Floor, NewRoad4241712

E.D.E.N. Food Court & Lounge BarKathmandu Mall4150062

PatanMokshGyanmandala, Jhamsikhel5528362

Café De PatanMangalbazar5537599

Patan Museum CaféPatan Durbar Square5524694

Dhokaima CaféPatan Dhoka5522113

Absolute BarHotel Narayani Complex, Pulchowk5521408

ThamelRum DoodleJytha Street, Thamel4248692, 424815

Sisha Terrace Bar & RestaurantThamel2091137

JatraThamel4256622

The Factory Thamel4701185, 4701187

Fire and Ice Pizzaria, Thamel4250210

Aqua Java zingThamel4254809

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Located at Pokhara’s central lake side with spacious indoor and outdoor seating, Lemon Tree has the perfect ambience anyone could ask for after a long day’s sight-seeing in the beautiful lake city. It is warm and has every aspect of a complete Nepali house; made out of bamboo, hay roofs, and hanging pot plants outside. The homely, warm welcome topped off with kitsch tables decorated with red and white linen, candle light and a little vase, is matched by the equally tempting mouthwatering delicacies at this eatery.

When arriving I could have instantly devoured the sumptuous food but, as it is always exciting to know a little behind the scenes story, I sat down with Gautam Manandhar, the owner of Lemon Tree, to find out where it all began. Gautam has been in the restaurant business since he was 18 years old. Lemon Tree is one of his much successful grandeur, including ‘Jomali’ in Thamel and ‘Don’t Cross Me By’ also in Pokhara. But Lemon Tree is undeniably one of his biggest and most successful ventures.

While we sat in one of the cozy corners of the indoor restaurant and walked down memory lane with Gautam, one of his recommended dishes of the restaurant was being readied in the kitchen by the head chef, Keshab. Keshab has been the head of the kitchen for 10 years. I understood why he had lasted so long as I sampled the first dish - the fantastic, fresh fish from the lake with garlic sauce. His recipes were the heart of the restaurant. It

was amazing. The aroma and presentation was enough to make my mouth water. The meat was tender and juicy with the subtle garlic sauce to compliment it. I was already full when I had gobbled up the heavenly dish, but lunch was not yet over.

The best part was left for the last. It was their very special Lassi. And trust me it was indeed very ‘special’ because I have never had one like that before and believe me when I say I have had them all; if lassi is on the menu of any restaurant, I will order it, so you should get the idea. The lassi was smooth and cool.

If only I could, I would go there everyday to have the glass of heavenly goodness. And like I said before it was the best part of the lunch, especially in the scorching heat. All that in an affordable price of xxxx Rs. What was even more appealing about the restaurant was that one did not have to wait long for their food to be served. I only had to wait for 15 minutes before my dish was on the table, steaming hot.

By the end of the whole experience, I was not only full, but satisfied too. Gautam wanted me to have more of Lemon Tree’s finest and I wanted to try them all too but I just did not have a single inch in my belly to spare for another dish. The service was great too. To sum it all, I found Lemon Tree a perfect blend of superlative food and absolutely delightful ambience.

Lemon Tree rest

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Partying inKathmandu And Pokhara ev

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