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What is your proudest accomplishment so far?

- To have received so much love for my first official song, "Udi Jau Na".

Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?

- I would rather drive a car.

What would you sing at Karaoke night?

- “Rock Me Right” by Susan Tedeschi. Love the energy of that song!

 If you could go back in time to change one thing, what would it be?

- I wouldn’t change a thing! 

Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion?

- Wide legged pants and turtleneck tees.

What celebrity would you like to meet at Himalayan Java for a cup of coffee?

- Saruk Tamrakar

A Nepali musician you'd love to collaborate with?

- Rajesh Nepali

If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

- Where do all  my missing socks go?

What would you do with your “15 minutes” of fame?

- I would express my appreciation, and then give back whatever minutes are remaining.

What fashion trend do you just not get?

- Oooh! The fake tattoo cloth sleeves. Just don’t get it!

Community-level transmission of Covid-19 is now likely in all major population clusters of Nepal. Biratnagar and Birgunj, the country’s fourth and fifth most populous cities, have re-imposed near complete lockdowns. Syangja district of Gandaki province has also witnessed a troubling spurt in infections. On July 28, Kathmandu valley reported 53 new cases, the highest single-day jump to date. Even as the corona menace grows, the number of tests has decreased, from nearly 10,000 a day a month ago to under 4,000 a day today. The federal government says it is planning a significant ramp-up in testing. People are justifiably skeptical. 

Why was testing curtailed at a time India, which shares an open border with Nepal, was breaking records in its daily corona-positive and death tallies? The reduction in testing seems intended to keep a lid on the number of detected corona-positives, reducing criticism of the government and preventing the public from panicking. This is warped logic. When the media raised questions about the questionable handling of the pandemic, Health Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal accused government critics, who were incapable of seeing its good works, of being blinded by cataract.

Meanwhile, the infighting in the ruling Nepal Communist Party is taking the attention away from the corona crisis. KP Oli’s in-party critics are on the mark when they accuse the prime minister of bungling the corona response, among its other signature governance failures. They want Oli to step down from both the posts. But the late-sexagenarian is in no mood to bow out easily. Nor are his party colleagues willing to give up their dogged stand to unseat the prime minister. Oli is rightly faulted for his cavalier handing of the corona crisis. But were they not so focused on their own political calculations, Oli’s party colleagues could have actually forced the prime minister to come clean on his coronavirus mishandling—something the weak opposition parties have not been able to do.

The government messaging when it announced the lifting of the nationwide lockdown on July 21 was poor too. It failed to convey the gravity of the risks people still face. In fact, it increasingly looks like the government lifted the lockdown to honor a Supreme Court ruling on tax collection rather than to ease public suffering. The country has been put on a dangerous corona course. A wrong turn here or there could lead to a catastrophic accident. 

Sony has unveiled its new full-frame mirrorless camera, the Sony a7S Mark III. The Alpha a7S III is the successor of Sony Alpha a7S II released in 2015. Now, the a7S Mark III offers a new image sensor and a new image processing engine. Sony a7S Mark III comes with a 12.1-megapixel image sensor and BIONZ XR image processing engine.

While the new Sony camera seems to be promising for photographers, the a7S Mark III lacks features like 8K video recording. This can be disappointing for many videographers as the a7s Mark II is a video-focused mirrorless camera. Plus, Canon recently launched the EOS R5 mirrorless camera with 8K video shooting. But Sony claims that the a7S Mark III shoots 4K videos in very dark light conditions.

Sony a7S Mark III: Specs and features

- Sony Alpha a7S III uses the E-mount system. The camera features a flip-out 3-inch LCD touch screen display. The camera brings a redesigned menu system with touch screen interface.

- The a7S Mark III comes with a 12.1-megapixel back-illuminated full-frame Exmor R CMOS image sensor and BIONZ XR image processing engine. The successor of Sony a7S Mark II features an ISO scale of 40-to-409,600.

- There is a fast hybrid autofocus system in the a7S Mark III with 759 point Phase detection AF sensors covering 92 per cent of the image sensor. The camera offers real-time eye AF and real-time tracking.

- For the video recording capabilities, Sony Alpha a7S III include 4K at 120p, 10 bit 4:2:2 color depth, All-Intra recording, XAVC HS format with H.265 codec and more.

- There is 5-axis optical in-body image stabilization in the new a7S Mark III for better handheld shots.

-The a7S Mark III comes with dual CF express Type A card slots.

(Agencies)

A guitar model/brand that you dream of owning?

Factory guitars aren’t my thing but I would surely love to own some high-end boutique guitars. I’m a huge fan of Padalka guitars, Skervesen Guitars, Ormsby Guitars, and many more.

If you had to build a guitar for someone for free, who would it be?

Not really sure about that but we know we will definitely NOT build guitars for people who cannot make the most out of our guitars. 

One artist that’s on top of your playlist right now?

I have stopped listening to music, for a while now. But that said, David Maxim is playing in the background as I write this. 

Best gift you’ve ever received?

Can’t really remember because I don’t like surprises... but may be a shirt? 

A message to your younger self?

Don’t panic so much. Everything is going to be fine. 

Who do you admire the most?

I admire people that are honest, simple, and polite, as well as people who make music with love.

What is your favorite song?

I don’t have a favorite song, honestly. Neither do I have favorite riffs. :P 

If you had one superpower, what would it be?

Heal everyone.

What is your least favorite type of music?

Anything that has repetitive arrangement with no interesting sections.

If you had only one day left to live, what would you do?

Drink beer

The recently released budget smart band from Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi is now in the Nepali market. Although there is no word from the authorized distributors yet, various online retailers have listed the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 for sale at an average price of Rs 5,500.

An upgrade from its predecessor—the Mi Band 4—Xiaomi’s smart bands have always dominated the market for the range of features they offer despite the low price tag. The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has a similar design to the Xiaomi Mi Band 4, with an oblong-shaped tracker set into a colorful strap. The body is 47.2 x 18.5 x 12.4mm and either 11.9g for the standard model or 12.1g for the version with NFC. (NFC version is not available in the Nepali market yet.)

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has a 125mAh battery, which Xiaomi claims can last for up to 14 days. That’s notably less than the 20 days of claimed life for the Mi Band 4, but Xiaomi’s previous band really did live up to that claim. A full charge should take around two hours, and Xiaomi has changed the charging method, opting for a magnetic dock rather than a charging cradle. This means you don’t need to take the strap off the tracker to charge.

Apparently, the Mi Band 5 also has a faster chipset compared to its predecessor, along with NFC (in some models), Bluetooth 5.0, 16MB of storage, and 512KB of RAM. There’s also a barometer (to measure atmospheric pressure).

As for the fitness features, the Mi Band 5 is water-resistant up to the depth of 50 meter so you can take it to swimming or wear it even in the showers and heavy rain. It also has 11 sport-tracking modes (such as running, cycling, yoga and pool swimming), and a heart rate monitor that can keep tabs on your heart rate 24 hours a day. The Mi Band 5 also has sleep tracking, and unlike its predecessor, can track how long you spend in REM sleep (as well as your time in light and deep sleep).

Nepal is battling with the double-whammy of unchecked Covid-19 spread and incessant monsoon rains. Early morning rooftop talks have shifted from the inevitability of widespread coronavirus contagion to the number of daily lives and properties lost to floods and landslides. There is a sense of pervasive fatalism. The KP Oli government has gotten its coronavirus response wrong from the start, and there is no sign it is learning. Likewise, people feel the state has learned little from these water-borne disasters that strike every monsoon. In both the cases, there was ample time to prepare. 

Even with well over two months remaining till the end of the South Asian monsoon, the death and destruction in Nepal is already the deadliest in years. As of this writing, around 200 people were dead or missing in different parts of the country. In Sindhupalchowk district, whole settlements have been wiped out; in Dhading, the major road into Kathmandu valley, its lifeline, is damaged. Major towns in he Tarai like Birgunj and Janakpur are under water. Yet more rain is predicted. Now that the nationwide anti-corona lockdown has been near completely—and rather controversially—lifted, the hope is that the state will now train its focus on controlling water disasters. 

It will still be a herculean endeavor. Besides moving those at risk to safety, and tending to their necessities, there is little that can be immediately done to make the country more resilient to water risks. There is also an imminent risk of the spread of water-borne diseases like cholera and dysentery from pooled water and damages to normal water-supply systems. And when water levels start receding at the start of winter, the families that have lost their homes will be at the mercy of the elements. 

In these testing times, one thing that will definitely help is greater coordination among the three tiers of government in channeling flood relief, taking care of the diseased, and resettling those displaced. This kind of coordination was missing on Covid-19 control, which made the contagion worse. As local level units have given a reasonably good account of themselves during the corona crisis, the federal government should start trusting them more. There in fact is no other way. It is hence vital to develop a functional coordination mechanism in the next few days, with clear-cut responsibilities of different tiers. Many likely damages form this season of water woes can still be avoided. 

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

I want to change many things. But I would say equal rights for everyone no matter the nationality, race, religion, sexuality, gender, color, etc.

What is the most precious thing you own?

My life and wellness, which is more valuable than anything else.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Fly! So that I can fly around the world without a visa.

On a scale of 1-10, how good are you at keeping secrets?

Two.

Favorite junk food?

Momo

If you could be a member of a reality show, which one would it be?

‘Man Vs. Wild’ with Bear Grylls

What is your favorite type of workout?

Meditation and yoga

What are you proud of but never have an excuse to talk about?

My accomplishments and financial independence.

If you had only one day to live, what would you do?

Something adventurous. Maybe skiing in the Alps.

What job would you least want to have?

A regular, 9-5 desk job.