Quick questions with Elena Gurung

Q. What is something that is important to you that you never really get to talk about?

A. My family.

Q. A quote you live by?

A. “Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches”.

Q. Something your fans wouldn’t believe about you?

A. I study hard when my exam approaches.

Q. If one of your wishes were to be granted, what would it be?

A. Better life for my family.

5. What’s the best part of your day?

A. Waking up to my little broth­er’s sound and halla.

6. If you could be anything, what would you be?

A. What I am right now.

7. Your favorite getaway?

A. For now home because I have been so busy lately and have not been able to spend time at home.

8. What would you like to make a video about next?

A. Skinny friends complaining about weight gain.

9. What is one outfit you can­not go wrong with?

A. Baggy t-shirt and jeans.

10. If you could have coffee with a Nepali celebrity, who would it be?

A. Aryan Sigdel, since he is receiving a lot of hate com­ments over his wife’s pregnan­cy photos and I do not like it.  

It's time to Try sound healing in Pokhara

Sound Healing Nepal is a movement, initiated by Anup Panthi, to bring wellness to people's lives with the help of sound and vibration. The course focuses on healing using external stimulation through vibration originating from nature's sound, or sound emanating from singing bowls, bells, tingsha, drum, gongs, etc. Situated just five minutes away from central lakeside, Pokhara, Sound Healing Nepal offers sound healing therapies and sounding courses ranging from 1 day to 30 days. The courses are mostly arranged oneto- one. You can even design your own course depending on your interests.

Experience the most ancient yoga of sound (Naad yoga)!

Call +9779823475236 for more details.

It's time to Hike to dhulikhel

If you want to go on a hike but only have a day off, then this one is perfect for you. This Kathmandu- Nagarkot-Dhulikhel hike organized every Saturday by SherpaShah Experiences assures that you get to see traditional Nepali villages, beautiful farmlands, and dense green forests, along with spectacular views of mountain ranges like Langtang, Annapurna, Manaslu and Ganesh. The Rs 3,000 per person charge includes a guide, round trip transport, food, permit costs and first aid. The hike will take you away from urban life, and close to rural Nepal, as you walk through the villages.

To book call +9779801002974 or shoot an email to [email protected].

Crude political tool

As the acrimonious and seemingly nev­er-ending divorce of Great Britain from the EU shows, referendum is a crude political tool. Britons voted to leave the EU despite oodles of evidence that such a separation would hurt the British economy, increase joblessness, and dent the country’s international standing. It may even break the UK apart. But Brexiteers wanted to take the country back to the glory days of the empire, when the world revolved around Great Britain. In the changed world order, this was an impossible dream. Yet the majority let nostalgia trump their better sense.

 

The 2017 referendum on the independence motion of the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia was even more fraught. While most people always vote with their hearts, it is even more the case on the kind of emotive issues that referendums evoke. Those who voted for Britain’s exit from the EU ignored all credible economic data to confirm their bias.

 

In Nepal too the issue of referendum comes up fre­quently. The one time it was held, back in 1980, people voted in favor of retaining the Panchayat system. Now General Secretary of NC Shashank Koirala wants a ref­erendum on the country’s federal, republican and sec­ular status. Meanwhile, despite his recent agreement with the government, CK Raut is still for a referendum to determine if Madhes should remain a part of Nepal.

 

In either case, the winners of such referendums are likely to be chest-thumping populists rather than those who offer dry logic. Once a referendum is declared, it takes its own momentum, and there is plenty of room for manipulation. Now, seemingly, even ex-king Gya­nendra is looking to make a comeback via such a refer­endum, and the monarchists in Congress and various hues of RPP have his back.

 

While independence for Madhes is out of question under the current constitution, decisions on referen­dums on the kind of issues Koirala raises should not be taken flippantly either. Rather than saddle the country with another prolonged and costly transition, which such referendums will result in, the effort of all demo­cratic forces should be directed at preserving the post- 2006 gains and helping the country along on its path of peace and prosperity. Koirala conveniently ignores that it was his party under the redoubtable GPK which had taken the lead in establishing the new order. With their desire to turn the clock back, Koirala and his ilk do great harm to their party and country.

 

Feast like royalty, all day

If you’re someone who abides by the popular saying “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper,” you’ll love the Best Brew for its all-day breakfast menu. Located at Jhamsikhel (near the famous Herman Helmers Bakery), Best Brew specializes in Italian and Continental cuisines and a set of hearty, heavy breakfast options with freshly ground Nepali coffee.
 

Chef Andy Tamrakar’s kitchen takes the big challenge of creating gastronomical masterpieces at Best Brew— and he manages to do it just right with a visual flair as well. The apple pies, brownies, baked cheesecakes and almost everything on the menu have a picturesque quality to them. Definitely a place to succumb to your gluttonous being and make a few Instagram posts too.

 

THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Best Brew Big

Breakfast

- Gnocchi Pasta

- Jazz special

Opening hours: 7:30 am to 9 pm

Location: Jhamsikhel

Cards: Not Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 1,200

Reservations: 9818553372

Local reps in Surkhet looking after pregnant women

 “Do you regularly visit the doctor?”, “Are there any complications?”, “Do you take iron pills regularly?” asks a team of local representa­tives led by Mayor Upendra Bahadur Thapa to Sarita Nam­jali, an eight-month pregnant woman. Sarita is a resident of Panchapuri municipality in Surkhet, a hilly district in Karnali Province.

 

Sarita could not open up easily in the beginning. But after the ward chair Hom Bahadur Ramjali requested her, she said, “I get regular check-ups. I haven’t really had problems so far.”

 

After talking to Sarita, the team asked her mother-in-law Kaushila Namjali, to take good care of Sarita and to serve her nutritious meals. They even got the family to sign a pledge to do so.

 

The local representatives of Panchapuri municipality are visiting individual house­holds to observe the condi­tion of pregnant women and advise their families to care for them. They started doing so after they found that preg­nant women in the area were not getting regular check-ups and eating nutritious food, which has contributed to higher maternal mortality and a greater number of malnour­ished children in the region. According to one study, 55 percent of Karnali’s children suffer from malnutrition.

 

“It is important to make sure that pregnant women eat well and receive proper care. They face higher risks if they do not get regular medical check-ups,” says Mayor Thapa. “The govern­ment has a responsibility to ensure that pregnant women are safe. It’s something that we’re sensitive about.”

 

Apart from the elected representatives, local health workers, women volunteers and members of mother groups also visit preg­nant women and give them health-related suggestions.

 

A campaign has also been launched to hoist a green flag in every household that has a pregnant woman so as to identify such houses easily. “We have been closely observ­ing the condition of pregnant women in our locale. When­ever we see a green flag, we visit the household for consul­tation and monitoring,” says ward chair Ramjali.

 

Besides the flags, posters and banners with instructions on good eating habits for pregnant women are posted at the front of these homes. Also, family members pledge to make sure that pregnant women get regular medical check-ups, give birth in a hos­pital and receive good post-na­tal care.

 

Nirmala Singh, a female community health volun­teer, affirms that this cam­paign has contributed to improve care for moth­ers and babies. She also expresses happiness that local representatives are them­selves actively involved in such an inspiring campaign.

 


 

Self-defense training in schools for teenage girls

 

 Surkhet : Female students in about a dozen schools in Surkhet have been receiv­ing self-defense training. The three-day-long classes, which are being run by Global Action Nepal, an NGO, teach girl students what to do in case someone tries to sexually harass or rape them.

 

Mina Bishwokarma, a social mobilizer at Global Action Nepal, claims that the train­ing is helpful in combating sexual harassment that girls face. Trainer Gita Koirala says, “These classes are important for girls. They constantly face the risk of sexual harassment. Those who take this training are able to fight back better.”

 

“We learnt ways to fight sexual assaults. We will teach these skills to others. I feel more secure than before,” says Nischal Koirala, a student who received the training.

 

Kayak in Trishuli

Trishuli is among the favorite kayaking rivers in Nepal. Located centrally between Kathmandu, Chitwan, and Pokhara, it’s the perfect way to break a long bus journey to your next destination. Why sit on a bus for 8 hours when you can raft half of it! It’s one of the most popular day trips in Nepal. Also, Trishuli is good for kayaking all year round. No previous experience is required. One of the most accessible rivers in Nepal, it is a short three-hour drive from Kathmandu along the main highway to Pokhara.

See sun shine in Pokhara

One of the popular things to do in Pokhara is to see the early morning sunrise from Sarangkot. Surrounded by stunning natural sights, Pokhara is a beauty to behold from Sarangkot. You can see sun rays kiss the spectacular Annapurna range from the sunrise viewing spot. If you are staying by the lakeside in Pokhara, you can reserve a taxi to and back from Sarangkot at around Rs 1,500. Make sure to book the taxi a night before so that it is in front of your hotel in the morning. Or you can stay in a hotel in Sarangkot and wake up to the stunning sunrise