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Comedy Night with Comedy Tuk Tuk

8 pm, Saturday, November 2

House of Music

Thamel, Kathmandu

Comedy Tuk Tuk is back with a bang after the festive season, with a line-up that includes Shraddha Verma, Aayush Shrestha and Fedor Ikelaar

Visit

Com Cos Con 2019

10 am, November 1-2

Labim Mall

Pulchowk, Lalitpur

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time of the year again! Com Cos Con is back and this time, the first Anime and Pop Culture Convention of Nepal will have free entry for all visitors.

Eat

Super Momo Festival

1 pm, Saturday, November 2

Da-Pow

Gairidhara, Kathmandu

Celebrating its first anniversary, Da-Pow invites you all to the Super Momo Festival. Enjoy sumptuous varieties of momo with great music via Everest Music System, plus many fun games. Entrance is free.

Learn

HubTalk: Pink Capitalism in Nepal - Sunil Babu Pant

6:30 pm, Friday, November 1

HUB

Thamel, Kathmandu

Nepal’s first openly gay parliamentarian Sunil Babu Pant—who was instrumental in adding aspects of LGBTQI rights into the current Nepali Constitution as a member of the Constituent Assembly—will talk about the potentials of the lucrative ‘Pink Economy’ in Nepal.
 

Hike to Champa Devi
In Kathmandu

Champa Devi is a famous hiking spot in the south-west of Kathmandu valley. From this third-highest hill around the valley (at 2,278 meters), you can witness beautiful mountain ranges such as Mount Everest, Ganesh Himal, Annapurna, and Gaurishanker. You also get a glimpse of historical places like Khokana, Bungamati and Pharping. It takes around two hours to reach Champa Devi from Hattiban Resort in Pharping. Go walk it!

Weave with straws
In Pokhara

Learn straw-weaving from master weaver Mina Devi Ranabhat. Her three-hour class offers a wonderful insight into how Nepalis have for generations used straws to weave everything from small baskets to larger buckets for heavy load. The class costs Rs 1,700 ($15) and after it finishes, you take home a souvenir to use as a decorative piece in your living space. Call 9818421646.

Go boxing
In Kathmandu

Boxing is a full-body workout that provides useful balance between resistance and cardio training. Boxing workout can increase endurance, strength, and speed. Join Gymkhana Muay Thai in Maharajgunj and get trained by experienced trainers. There is an Olympic-size boxing ring and a fully-equipped boxing facility. If you wish to join the class for a year, it will cost you Rs 4,500 a month. Along with training and personal attention to safety and injury prevention, the cost also includes steam, sauna and Jacuzzi. Call 01-4371438.

   Q. Who inspires you the most?

A. Shiva Lamichhane.

Q. What is the most important thing in your life?

A. My passion and my dream to sing, which I am doing right now.

Q. What is music to you?

A. My best friend, which supports me in every phase of life.

Q. What is one thing you want your fans to know?

A. Song making is an experiment. No one can predict its success or failure during its making.

Q. How would someone get your special attention?

A. By being humble.

Q. An opinion you hold that most people would disagree with?

A. Money is everything.

Q. What is your favorite childhood memory?

A. Time spent with my family.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure?

     A. Reading books and imagining myself in place of the main character.

After the 2015 Indian blockade, Nepal concluded a series of trade and transit deals with China. Yet there has been no progress on either front. Why?

It is true that we have been unable to increase our trade with China. The first reason is lack of connectiv­ity. Our transport networks have not been properly developed. Of the six open border points between Nepal and China—Humla, Mugu, Mustang, Keyrung, Tatopani, Olangchungola and Kimathanka—only two—Tatopa­ni and Rasuwagadhi—are connected by motor roads. And even they are in a bad state. The problem is not on the Chinese side, which already has the needed infrastructure.

The second reason is Nepal’s low production and productivity. Although over 8,000 Nepali prod­ucts have duty-free access to China, we have not been able to export much. In the last fiscal, total imports from China totaled Rs 205 billion while exports were worth a mea­gre Rs 2 billion. Even the little we do export—products like medicinal herbs, vegetables, woolen carpets, Thangka paintings, handicrafts—end up in Tibet. We have no export at all to mainland China. The third reason is non-tariff barriers—those related to quarantine, food standards and administrative hurdles. Language is also a barrier as communication between Nepali and Chinese traders is not easy.

How do you view the 20-point agreement signed during Presi­dent Xi Jinping’s visit?

The agreement has strategic sig­nificance as it is focused on con­nectivity, mainly rail connectivity. Yet bringing the Chinese railway line to Nepal is time-consuming and costly. But if we could at least develop north-south roads, Nepali territories will be better connected with China, making trade easier. The multi-dimensional connectivity and trans-Himalayan connectivity men­tioned in the 20-point agreement is a milestone development and could potentially enhance bilateral trade—but only if accompanied by prod­uct-development and enhancing our productive capacity. For that, we need more Chinese investment. China’s labor-intensive industries are relocating to South-East Asian countries. China itself is focusing on high-tech goods and services. As wage levels rise in China, it has found labor-intensive industries non-competitive. Why not bring some of those industries here?

You talked about the big trade deficit. Can you name four or five products that Nepal can profit­ably export to China?

We have to focus on niche prod­ucts. For example, we can pro­duce medicinal herbs in our hill and mountain regions for Chinese markets. To that end, we have to create large farms for cultivating and processing medicinal herbs. Similarly, the government should invest more in research and devel­opment. Currently, the herbs found in the Himalayas are collected and traded in raw form. There is no val­ue addition or processing. And these products are exported informally. We have to formalize this. We have to develop specific economic zones for specific products like medicinal herbs, wool, mountain goats and sheep, and pashmina.

Another vital exportable product is handicrafts. Thanka and various types of statues can also be export­ed to China. We should also bet­ter explore the Chinese market to understand what they really want. It is a dynamic process; we cannot stick with the same products all the time. Again I focus on connectivity. All trade with China today is via ocean routes, which takes 40 to 45 days. If we can use land routes, it will come down to 10 or 12 days.

There is a big debate about the cross-border rail line and its costs. Instead of the railway, should better cross-border roads be our priority?

We have to consider both, but the priority should be roads as they are both cheaper and quicker to build. For railway lines, we need heavy investment, technical manpower, and a lot of time and effort. In the short term, railway is not viable economically. It can be justified only if it links India and China via Nepal. Chinese President Xi has said that he will help Nepal be a ‘land-linked’ country. But India is mum on this. If both India and China are willing to trade through Nepal, a railway line may be justified.

In high-volume trade, transport via railway is cheaper than transport via road. But, again, in the current low-volume trade, building a railway line may not be justified.

We signed the Transit and Trans­port Agreement with China in 2016, and this year the two coun­tries finalized its protocol. But is it at all feasible for Nepal to trade with third countries via China?

It is very important to have Chi­nese transit facilities as strategic options. But in practical terms, it would be difficult to replace India with China in transit. The nearest sea-port in China is 4,000 km from the Nepali border while the nearest Indian port is just 700-800 km away.

What other technical difficulties will Nepal face in using China to transit goods?

The first is the long distance, which entails higher cost. Second, there is no railway connectivity up to the Nepal border, and transport networks are fragmented. Third, as goods will have to be transferred between, say, railways and trucks, that too will add to the cost.

There is a need for a comprehen­sive study on the movement of cargo via both Indian and Chinese routes to third countries, which will tell us which route is more viable.

Even if transit via China is costly, can’t we profitably trade with the Chinese mainland by developing proper linkages?

The Chinese mainland with its major population centers are far from Nepal. Tibet itself is eight times the size of Nepal. It has a limited absorptive capacity in the sense that it has just three million people. Just crossing Tibet will cost a lot. What we can do is develop distribution centers or parks in cities near Nepal like Keyrung. If you request China to develop such distribution parks with big areas, exporters from Nepal can send their goods there and Chinese traders can pick them up.

India still places many restric­tions on the import of Nepali goods. If most of these restric­tions were lifted, would Nepal need to explore other options?

Almost 60 percent of our export goes to India. Almost two-third of our import is also from India. Still, there are certain barriers while exporting goods to India. Practi­cally India does not impose any custom duty on Nepali agriculture and industrial products and only three items—alcohol, tobacco and perfume—are on its sensitive list. But there are many non-tariff barriers. The trucks carrying Nepali tea are stopped at the border. A tea sample is then taken to a laboratory in Pat­na. It takes five to six days to get a final report, which makes the whole operation costly.

In that case, is there a possibil­ity of China replacing India as Nepal’s biggest trading partner?

I do not think so because import from China is increasing and we have to do a lot to increase exports. Until we enhance our competive­ness it is difficult to increase our exports. We have an open border with India and there are many sim­ilarities between the two countries. So it might not be possible to replace India with China in the near future.

LG rolls out AI washing machines

LG Electronics (LG) is expand­ing the availability of its innovative front-loader washing machines with ThinQ AI powered by the company’s proprietary Direct Drive™ to most markets world­wide by the year’s end. With the benefits of AI DD™ the new wash­ers are able to deliver thorough yet gentle cleaning by determining the weight and fabric character­istics of each load for faster and better laundry results.

LG’s AI DD technology leverages big data on 20,000 pieces of information related to washer usage and applies settings based on the volume and delicateness of the garments in each load of laundry to provide the most optimized washing cycle. This guarantees exceptionally clean laundry every time with the added benefit of an 18 percent reduction in damage to the clothes, prolonging the life of every wardrobe.

Hero launches Xpulse 200

In a strong reaffirmation of its aggres­sive premium product strategy for the Nepali market, Hero MotoCorp— the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer—this week launched its highly popular premium motorcycle XPulse 200 in the country.

Introducing a new 200cc adventure biking segment, the distinctly characterized XPulse 200 is now available at Hero MotoCorp dealer­ships across all major cities in the country.

Earlier this month, Hero MotoCorp had launched two new premium motorcycles in the country— the XPulse 200T and Xtreme 200S. Hero MotoCorp forayed into Nepal in 2010 with Nepal General Marketing Pvt. Ltd. (NGM) as its exclusive distributor in the country. The XPulse 200 has been attractively priced at Rs 385,000.

Krishna Bahadur Mahara. Mohammad Aftab Alam. Parvat Gurung. Over the past one month three federal lawmakers have been linked with grave crimes, from mass murder to attempted rape. Other lawmakers also routinely get into fishy stuff. Abuse of office and corruption are even more pervasive. What does all this say about the state of our politics? One obvious answer is that those in positions of power feel they can get away with literally anything in a country steeped in a culture of impunity.

Our lawmakers, after all, represent the society they inhabit. When nearly the whole bureaucracy and political leadership are corrupt, we cannot expect our lawmakers to be saints. Yet how could someone like Alam, with documented evidence of burning people alive against him, walk as a free man for over a decade? Even more egregiously, how was he elected to the federal parliament? An optimist might argue that justice, though late, has been done. Tell that to the families of his victims.

Even so, they are comparably lucky. The families of those who were killed or forcefully disappeared during the decade-long conflict have waited for justice for even longer. The former Maoist guerrillas have always argued that even the most heinous crimes from the conflict period should be treated as part of a political movement rather than as punishable offenses. The army is as averse to seriously investigating war-era crimes. By design, the two transitional justice bodies have been rendered toothless.

The rape and murder of Nirmala Panta is still unresolved, more than a year after the fact. The police then botched the Mahara rape investigation. How do people believe they live in a law-abiding society? There is now a widespread belief that our politicians and MPs have only gotten richer and more powerful after the advent of the federal democratic system; the police, meanwhile, are thoroughly corrupt.

The best way to clean up our parliament and political system is to set strict criteria on candidate selection for provincial and national elections. All those with criminal backgrounds should be strictly barred. But that is not enough. Along with this, there should be a hard cap on campaign financing. Our elections have gotten more and more expensive with time. It is now impossible for someone to contest a seat in the federal parliament without at least Rs 20 million.

It is said that democracy is an imperfect system, except that all other political systems are even more flawed. It is the responsibility of its supposed custodians to ensure they do not destroy it beyond repair.

Attend

Krama

4 pm, Oct 19-23
Commoń Room Gastró Loungé
Soaltee Crown Plaza, Kathmandu

An art exhibition, displaying the rise of contemporary women artists in the 21st century, “Krama” explores the flowers of creativity that have bloomed in an ever expanding art form that grows more and more popular.

Listen

Jazz Bazaar

2:30 pm, Saturday, October 19
Gokarna Forest Resort
Thali, Kathmandu

Escape the city for a marathon of music at the lush Gokarna Forest Resort. The festival lineup, with top musicians from Nepal and across the world, will take turns on stage before joining hands to jam under the stars.

Visit

Nepalinked Tattoo Festival 2019

11 am, Oct 18-20
New Dakshinkali Village Resort
Dakshinkali, Kathmandu

In times of commercialization of tattooing and mushrooming of tattoo conventions, the team of Nepal Inked wanted to create an alternative space for more personal interaction between tattooists and their artworks. So it decided to leave Kathmandu and take the visitors on a journey to Pharping, around 15 km from the capital.

Walk

PINK Walkathon 2019

7 am, Saturday, October 19
National Hospital & Cancer Research Center
Jawalakhel, Lalitpur

Walk to raise awareness on breast cancer. The walkathon starts from National Hospital and Cancer Research Center, Jawalakhel and ends at Patan Durbar Square, Mangalbazar, Lalitpur.

Q. Your personality in three words?
A. Straight-forward, emotional, logical.

Q. A common misconception about you?
A. That I have a humongous attitude.

Q. Your favorite fictional antagonist?
A. Ashutosh Rana’s iconic role in the Bollywood movie ‘Sangharsh’.

Q. An advice to your younger self?
A. Be real, don’t be plastic. The more you explore yourself, the more it will help you in life.

Q. Your spirit animal and why?
A. I can’t relate to any animal because they are too innocent to be compared with humans.

Q. Favorite Nepali movie so far?
A. Balidaan, especially Haribansha Acharya’s role that was a marked contrast to his comical stereotype. By far the best actor in Nepali cinema created a character that brought tears to my eyes.