Fashion/Modesty/Stupidity

Why do we wear clothes? The first and simple answer would be ‘to cover ourselves’. Homo sapiens started covering themselves or cover their modesty with the beginning of the human civilization. In a way, we can say that clothes are the symbol of the civilization of the human beings.

As the time passed away, the symbol of civilization has now turned into the symbol of modernization. Today, clothes are not only the means to cover up ourselves but it’s the way to make ourselves look more beautiful, smart and moreover fashionable. The clothes made out of simple leaves have now been transformed to variety of fabrics. The fashion or the trend of wearing what and how is growing rapidly with the words ‘modernization’ and ‘globalization’. All these kinds of fashions and trends have been the means to the people to make themselves appear richer, classy and atop of every other being.

Nepal, a multi-ethnic country has diverse set of cultural ethnic dresses but there are very less Nepalese clad in their traditional ethnic dresses. The influence of Westernization, I must say. One can easily find any kind of western or eastern dresses (which is not Nepali) anywhere from the roadside vendors to the fancy branded stores. I may not be bluffing while I’m saying that there is no brand in the world which is not available in this K-town. With this availability of branded and branded-ized clothes, we can see youngsters in every styles across the world in this city.

It’s good to keep up your pace with the trends which is changing every now and then. I, myself is not a big follower of ongoing hot trends in the fashion world. Don’t be surprised when I tell you that I haven’t gone shopping for two years now. But I did get some Tees, couple of jeans and stuffs once in a blue moon. Neither I’m stylist not I’m pro-fashion-ist, but I do have objection when I see somebody wearing nice dress and shoes but is walking uncomfortably like s/he has been constipated for weeks.

It would not be fair that I criticize those people and toss comments on what and how they are dressed up but I just can’t help myself. For me, I should feel comfortable in whatever I’m wearing. And as I mentioned earlier clothes cover our modesty instead highlighting it. To my understanding (just for an example) Hip-Hop is all about wearing over-sized and low waist-ed clothes but boys who show their ass off in the name of Hip-Hop, at least get the name correct, its Hip-Hop, not Hip-Up. Girls, if you have to wear short dresses and high heels then walk with your head held high. Stop walking like you've stolen those dresses and shoes and stop limping.

The only thing I want to say is that if you don’t feel comfortable and confident in what you are wearing then wear something else you feel comfortable in. Simple pair of pants and shirts won’t make you look like a moron; flat slippers and long dresses will not lower your confidence and cover your beauty up.

If you feel comfortable and easy then ultimately you’ll look smart, bold, beautiful and confident. After all, it is said that dress that you wear defines you.

National Festival of Nepal; BANDA

Kathmandu is not Kathmandu when in Banda. The empty streets, vehicle less roads, silent buildings and carefree traffics. Only crowd in the midst of streets is that of those organizers of Banda and the children playing in the middle of the road and people taking walk seeing the bright side of Banda. In a way Kathmandu looks beautiful and peaceful without the smoke coming out of the crowded vehicles and roadsides full of pedestrians and street vendors.

Still people who work walk hard to their destinations despite of scorching sun or heavy downpour. I personally thank god because shops are open inside the Gallis, be it very few but they serve our small needs during Bandas. Its actually  very healthy for Kathmandu if there are Bandas once in a month. Kathmandu can breathe fresh air, children will get to play in the open roads in a situation where they don't have enough playing spaces in the middle of the mushrooming buildings and our ears and mind get some peace taking rest from those irritating and mind busting horns and screeching of tyres.

Okay, I understand country will have huge economic loss in Banda, be it a day or two. But the loss is nowhere to compare with the peace and rest felt by the million of people of the country, the feeling of people getting out of their hectic life. Be it little but fuel will be saved as there will be no vehicles running around, which will contribute to control a bit, the bigger picture of the fuel crisis around the world.

Banda has also been the reason for the lazy folks getting break from their work. Almost every students wish that there were Banda every week, hoping to get break from their assignments and daily dose of hours sitting in the classroom listening to the lectures. I, personally enjoy Banda in most of the cases, cooking for my family and having little refreshing time for myself. While there is bunch of people wishing that there were Banda but there are people who wish there were no Banda at all. the daily wage laborers face even more problem for hand-to-mouth in the day of Banda. Thousands of daily errands are actually obstructed just because of the Banda.

But even with all these pros and cons, I see Kathmandu is more relaxed during Banda and Kathmanduites are even more relaxed. Kathmandu is more beautiful than ever in Banda. Thanks to Banda!!

Gray, Smoke and End!!

Its a gray day  of fall, sun has become weak, every life is cold, vapors  are steaming up from the cup of hot coffee and the smoke coming out of the cigarette is forming different artistic shapes on her table. And here she is sitting motionlessly in front of her pen and notebook, stiff and lifeless just  like statue. Its been ages that she hasn't touched her pen and the notebook. She is still wondering what made her so busy that she almost forgot writing. The thing she is pretty sure about is that she has forgotten what fun is. She has forgotten to have fun, to enjoy and to be excited. God, she is not like what she was before in anyways. She's still pondering  about what killed her excitement and enthusiasm so badly. May be the situations around her made her so emotionless that she hardly care about anything these days. She is staring at the cigarette and watching how it is slowing ending up into ashes and smoke and that steaming hot cup of coffee has now already become cold. She is still thinking hard and trying hard to find out the reason why her feelings about everything changed so abruptly. her mind is void ad she cannot concentrate on what she is thinking right now. She is not finding any words to put down on that paper its like she's lost, like she's falling deep down into abyss.

Outside the window of the moving bus

Bus is moving smoothly, sometimes bumping

Through the roads of the plains

Not a short journey

It’s a thirteen hours ride

It’s a month of December

And the day is cold

Sun is behind the clouds

Its appearance is as of the silver coin

Sometimes thin rays of the sun fall on the earth

Thick fog is accompanying the clouds

Most of the passengers are asleep

Old Bollywood songs are coming out of the stereo

Outside the window

I can see the beauty of the plains

There I can see empty paddy fields

Haystacks in the shape of small huts

Green sugarcane fields and

Yellow mustard fields

Farmers still working despite of cold

My eyes are getting heavy

My thoughts are drifting with the cold air

Ahead I can see the road so straight

Slowly my vision is getting blur

Slowly my eyelids cover my world

When I was travelling in my virtual world

The bus is taking to my actual destination

Beauty and the beast

She was like a morning ray of sun 

Spreading warmth and light to all the souls

She was the purest beauty of all

For her any man could easily fall

She was happy, pretty and the best

And then the time came, she met the beast

Beast was mean, furious and cold

Then that was the beginning of the greatest story ever told

Uncivilized beast was turning soft and decent

Beauty was devoted to turn him into human

Ignition of love was already warming his cold heart

And the beauty was dreaming of his already from the start

Now the beast was calm, gentle and caring

One fine evening together they had the dancing

In the moment of bliss, they had the kiss

Beast had kissed his true love, so he was free from the curse

In front of beauty standing there was handsome prince

Shower of happiness and love, they were beauty and the beast!!

One of my wish!!!

It is known to all that we should first dream to fulfill our dream. Every other youth in the world, wishes the things to be in his/her way and so do I. I was born in this city and I’ve grown seeing the city change. The city has changed so much since I’ve known this city and I do not like the trend of its change.

Due to the rapid immigration of the people from rural area to the city area, the population of this city has increased much in this past decade. The population growth is the main reason for the rapid and unmanaged urbanization long with its consequences. The agricultural land of the Kathmandu valley is turning into the residential areas with buildings mushrooming day by day. And the increasing pollution has degraded the aesthetic value of the city. The city which was once known as city of gods and temples is not very far from getting the tag of “City of garbage and waste”.

And I don’t want my city to be like that. I want my city to be managed and clean and model for other cities. To make the city beautiful and clean, I feel that there should be less pollution. It’s not only the government responsibility to manage the waste but also the citizens. We cannot transform the face of the city from its present condition to a new and improved one. But we can take little steps to check our behavior and make ourselves more aware about not contributing to any form of pollution and damage to the environment. We can also spread awareness to the people who are close to us.

We’ve grown in the world where small contribution are belittled and it’s not any fault of the beholder why they shouldn’t. Effortlessly, human beings are considered intellectual at superlative degree or are we? We have garnered enough ideas to live in comfort. However, is this enough? May be a little thinking would be nice. You know; walk a little, throw garbage at specific place and save the environment where we let our domicile stand at. There is absolutely nothing to prove. It’s just that “Live and let live”. Being nice is good but acting responsibly is what defines maturity. I hope this speech didn’t oblige you all but I actually care and want all of you to take care of our environment building a better city. On the other hand, it’s only a wishful thinking. 

Girl under the RED umbrella

Night was silent and dark

Black clouds overshadowed the moon

Darkness was reigning over the world

Heavy rain pouring down

There was a girl under the red umbrella

Walking fast along the dark alleys

She was on her way back home

Little late than the yesterdays

Her eyes were alert checking every dark corner

Her heart pounding, legs to sprint

One hand is gripping the umbrella

Other turned into tight fist

She’s been praying all the way long

Feeling foreign to her own neighborhood

Just one wish is all she wants right now

To get home safely and all good

Every girl in town becomes this particular girl

The girl under the red umbrella

No girl can enjoy her freedom like boys always do

No alley, no street, no neighborhood is safe for her

Now the girl under the red umbrella is strong enough

She is brave and ready to fight back

Every girl under the red umbrella should rise

Against those stares, those creeping hands and shameless talk