My BFF  aka Best Friends Forever had come to visit me  this winters. I had to show her around the valley and also took her to all the tourist places from The Royal National Park – Chitwan, Lumbini , Bandipur, Pokhara to all the historic places and sight seeing  . She is a nature-freak and she loved every bit of this place. The best place she went crazy for was at the Sarangkot hilltop. ” What a mesmerizing view, I never thought i would be standing so close to the mountains. I just feel Heaven has come to earth.” – she said. Photography being her passion she had taken some amazing pictures. I fail to understand photographers when they take the same shot with every different angle possible.  She wanted to do more of  adventurous sports, but as it was freezing cold we skipped on quite a few of them.

Anyways, she also promised that  she would come to Nepal again once she retires and would spend the rest of her life. I was so amazed on hearing this. I asked her if the  load- shedding timings never bothered her. She said it was fine unless it went on for days without no lights in the capital. I was taken aback by her response and asked her in an assertive way what did she not like about this place . There had to be some thing that she did not approve of around the place as i could just see the love that she had for THE LAND OF HIMALAYAS.

So while she started talking, she pointed out quite a few of problems that  all of us are going through. The first one started with the street lights. It  gets  dark in the evening  early  as the days are shorter , and it gets so difficult for a traveller to find place and even for the commoner it gets pretty hard to walk around as the road construction is happening everywhere with holes and pitfall.  And then it went on to the electricity problem . I told her it does bother you. So she reverted back by saying , for you its fine, you can afford to get an inverter and the batteries , i am just thinking about the people who spent 10 hours in a day in candles and lantern. I wonder how they carry on their household chores and the children their studying in candle-light with no heaters in this cold.

When i gave it a thought myself , i could not visualize myself without the power- backup, Electricity is such a prime thing in our day to day life  and there are so many people who have totally been deprived of this facility !!

Foreigners in our slang kyures are always prepared for their holidays. Usually they choose their holidays to be an adventurous one. They want to or end up traveling alone. There was this guy sitting next to me when I was traveling from Mumbai to Kathmandu. He started a conversation when I was reading the best pat of the newspaper THE HOROSCOPE. Colin asked me so many questions so fast. I think it was faster than the earth revolves. When he got to know that I belong to Nepal he was more inquisitive and wanted to know more about the town, I kept talking, I guess it was a non- stop 20 mins talk on how beautiful Nepal is. In poets words SUNDER, SHANTA AND VISHAL.

I told him there’s something about this place: Futile, Insignificant, Yet it will sweep your breath away. The weather is just so pleasant.  The wind rustles the leaves in the driveway that soared in the air. The rain with hailstones is a sight to see. And the sun going down the mountains is Heavenly. One could just fall in love all over again The dimming lights in the city makes it so beautiful. The birds fly in a fleet in the clear sky in and around the trees make you want to take their place. High peaks with the highest mountain in the world Mt. Everest surrounding the valley shows the art and craft of nature which is amazing. It will just be too less to describe in words. One has to visit the place to see its beauty. I still wonder why do people leave this place and stay somewhere else. Even if the youngsters go out for there higher education which is very common they should get the potential and use it in the development of the country. In some fields there is no infrastructure, that’s true but one has to make the start and the road will lead.

The people here are full of warmth and concern that is very rare to find in today’s era. Even a stranger who passes by you or while you use the public  transport gives a smile and that look that you have known them forever. People are way adjustable. It’s just the political   instability and security that gives this magnificent place a drawback. There are loads to be done and if we come together we can and will do it easily. The city as I say has its own charm.

And now I get a mail from Colin saying: Loved my stay. There is something about Nepal and I miss it all the more when I am back in my hectic, busy life. And also my horoscope was true it said:” I will meet people from different cultures”

I am talking about my Grandpa, an icon. He is one person who has come a long way. He is 85 and can walk 4 kms till the office till date. He is one of the most active man of his age that I know of. There are qualities in him that I would want to acquire but he does not really discuss about his journey from sack to riches. He is pretty supportive and protective.

I am really grateful to have a grandpa like u. He has done so much for his family what we are where we are is all his hard work .He has his own rules and regulations and there is a world that revolves around the family .Very kind at heart and humble. You are from an era which I must have never seen; things that you think are probably correct form your side. But if you think from our point of view  you will be more involved. We will have a common topic to talk on and connect that ways.

You are my greatest icon for me and my role model. And I am sure if I get to learn a little from you it will help me become a great entrepreneur like you are!!

The epoch will keep changing but this sentence “SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST WILL NEVER GO”. In this human age, there is competition everywhere. The time since we are born we practically struggle for everything. I just read in the newspaper that admissions in 98% is so difficult. It does not get you a surety that you will get into the best 5 colleges. It’s crazy. How much do they expect the poor lad to bag! 99.99% or 100%??

As its said nothing comes easy NOTHING: Be it anything for a living, academics, not even advices, that’s why there are consultancy companies which have opened. Even when we travel we need to book our train tickets before 3 months to get a ticket. Thankfully there are loads of quotas and such good connectivity, inspite of that since the movability of people has increased so much that its presently impossible to get a train ticket without getting up at 5 a.m in the morning for the tatlkal ones.  In an ultra milli – second those tickets also go away. If u are lucky enough and the server is not down and gets connected you have survived! This incident made me write about surviving:

My dad gives corn seeds everyday to pigeons in the morning. These birds are so punctual; they sit on the rooftop sharp at 5.45 am. They follow my dad from the time he gets the seeds from the garage. They are so sharp, if there is a new person they won’t follow. As soon as the seeds are given these birds come to the ground and start eating the seeds. They eat so fast one after the other. I had never seen a beak move so fast. Its an amazing sight. And here too they have to STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE !!

I am not a rebellion but I can’t be a Diplomatic. I say what I feel like and I am clear inside out. I can’t pretend to like things if I don’t and act all 2 faced. My folks and my friends can read my face and make out what m feeling. My eyes and my face both are so evident. This totally proves that I am going to be a bad film artist. In a way I feel happy that I am what I am and I am not trying to be someone other than me  but  at the same time this thought strikes my mind that to survive in this HYPOCRITE- PLASTIC world I need to act differently otherwise I would not be able to Survive. It’s said that if you start pleasing everyone you cannot achieve your goals and its actually difficult doing it because people can never be pleased how much ever you try! They will find faults in everything. I fail to understand

Why do people have to have different views on the same subject?  I think its fair of me to ask someone to have one stand on things. U like it u don’t. U approve it or u don’t. U want it or not. You ain’t cool when it comes to others but you are when it’s for yourself.  What the hell.  I can just say is HATS OFF TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO STAND FOR WHAT THEY THINK AND DON’T CARE WHAT THE HYPROCRITE WORLD THINKS ABOUT THEM..

The last time I can remember travelling alone was when I was 4. My uncle came to the airport to drop me and said he was coming in some time and handed me over to an unknown. She had a clear skin, and a neatly tied bun with eyelashes curled and the cheeks nicely puffed with blush-on. So when I reached in the economy cabin with her she kept pampering me and as I a kid I was loving it. I have been an extrovert and the way of speaking to people was a gift that was given to me.  She made me sit on my seat and when I asked her when’s my uncle coming?? She said “He will be here in no time”. So I kept   still and my eyes could not get off the entrance of the aircraft. Soon all the passengers were well- settled and I was anxiously still waiting for him to come. The aircraft doors were closed and when all the air-hostess started giving the demonstration I was puzzled and I did not know what to do. I was so scared and as I could not see my uncle anywhere.  Various thoughts kept rolling in my mind and as a child my mind was diverted towards pessimism. The flight took off and I sat amazed on what was happening. The hostess came towards me with a pack of chocolates and a soft toy and told me I would reach and meet my parents in no time. I knew something was wrong but did not weep out. Instead I started speaking to the old man next to me. And he kept me busy with riddles. That time there were no   small screens.  My time passed by so quickly and I loved my travel. With time I realized I love travelling. And my passion is to meet people of various cultures and see different places.

And since then I have never given the opportunity of travelling alone. And every time I do I meet the wonderful people. I had pen friends when I was a kid but now I have co-traveler friends. Its amazing how one meet can bond people for long? And in no time strangers open up to each other and the meet just does not feel like the first.  Meeting people from different cultures and their thoughts and take on life is so mesmerizing.

I have learnt on going around the planet is: “Each person has their own charm and each individual is BEAUTIFUL “