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 The Toastmasters movement in Nepal is growing, with the addi­tion of six new Clubs— Professionals Toast­masters Club, Founders Toastmasters Club, Gan­daki Toastmasters Club, Pokhara Toastmasters Club, Dharan Toastmas­ters Club, and Banesh­wor Toastmasters Club. There are now 18 Toastmasters clubs in Nepal with over 500 members.

Similarly, Nepali Toastmasters are also gaining international exposure. Dis­tinguished Toastmaster Ranjit Acharya has now been elected in Top 3 Lead­ership position of District 41, which comprises India (North India, Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh), Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. He will now be working as the Club Growth Direc­tor and oversee growth of clubs in the entire district, which has a total of 214 clubs until now. This year the District conference “ORATION-2019” was held at Kolkata where Nepali Toastmaster contestants participated in different speech contests.

Alfa M. Shakya from KUSOM Toast­masters Club won first runner up award in International Speech Contest, the highest award for a Nepali Toastmaster thus far. Asira Khanal from the Himalaya Toastmaster Club won the second run­ner up in Speech Evaluation Contest.

Now, Division ‘A’ Nepal is under the leadership of Distinguished Toastmas­ter Suman Shakya. Twelve more clubs are planned in Nepal this term ( July 2019-June 2020), taking the country total to 30.

Inside the pristine forest of Shivapuri National Park lies the Nagi Gompa Nunnery. Here, after a morning hike of around two hours, you can have lunch with the nuns in a peaceful environment while enjoying the amazing view of the Kathmandu valley. The lunch along with the trek will cost you Rs 12,500. The price includes an English speaking guide (in case you need one), entrance fees to the national park, and private transport. For more information, visit socialtours.com/trip/lunch-with-nuns.

Knocking down the ‘Iron Gate’ is not easy. Years in the pipeline, the last few months of the process can be incredibly stressful. So, at the end of it, three months of holidays is not only well deserved but also enough time for students to rejuvenate before they join high school. In this time, they can pick up some fun activities that help them explore their interests and in their overall growth. If you’re wondering what you can do with your time, fret not. We list some fun activities just for you.

LEARNING MUSIC 

One engaging hobby most students pick up during this time is music. They can take up an instrument and learn to play their favorite songs and learn music theory. The music schools listed below may be worth exploring.

1) Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC)

Location: Jhamsikhel, Contact: 01-5543554 

KJC makes you spoilt for choice. Students can pick between vocals, bass, piano, drums and guitar. A popular school for aspiring musicians, KJC also offers elementary, middle and higher diplomas. Admission for elementary two-year diploma opens coming August. Students get a 30 percent discount if they enroll for lessons between 10 am and 12 pm, Monday to Friday. 

2) Nepal Music Center

Location: Karuna Marg, Sinamangal, Contact: 01-4465463 

Run by a guthi, Nepal Music Center offers lessons in guitars, keyboard and western vocals. Enrollment cost is Rs 500 and monthly lessons, Rs 2,000 (for eight lessons a month). You will be required to keep Rs 3,000 in refundable security deposit with the center. 

3) Sushila Arts Academy 

Location: Jana Marg, Maharajgunj, Contact: 01-4015643

Sushila Arts Academy offers a variety of courses in performance arts, including on piano, guitar and violin. The basic course (Rs 4,500) is of six months, but we recommend a diploma of two or three years. In addition, the academy offers lessons on kathak, bharatnatyam, freestyle, flamenco, hip hop and contemporary dance forms. 

PICKING UP A NEW LANGUAGE

Learning a new language is difficult when you’re inundated with schoolwork. So the break is a great time to acquire a new vernacular. 

1) ALTA VISTA, A school of Spanish Language 

Location: Putalisadak, Contact: 01-4010529 

The basic one-month, 30-hour course costs Rs 8,000, with Rs 1,000 in discount for SEE graduates. The instructor is a native of Spain and teaches in English. You get a certificate after the completion of 30 hours. Students nearing their high school graduation and applying abroad may also enroll.  

2) GOETHE-Zentrum Kathmandu

Location: Thapathali, Contact: 01-4250871 

This institute of German language offers new sessions every August. A student can choose between normal and intensive courses, which are of two months and four months respectively. Normal course costs Rs 12,000 while the price for intensive course is Rs 14,000. 

3) Nepal Japanese Language School 

Location: Puspalal Path, Contact: 01-4365555

Love anime? Students interested in Japanese language can enroll here. The school’s introductory course (N5 level) spans over six months long and costs Rs 2,000 a month along with a one-time registration charge of Rs 500. Students can opt for more advanced level courses later if they plan to go to Japan for higher education. 

SHAPING UP

Most teenagers take an interest in fitness during this holiday. A healthy approach to improving and maintaining a good physique can yield many benefits. While heavy lifting is not recommended at 15 or 16, having an instructor teach you cardio and basic workouts can come handy. 

1) The Physique Workshop 

Location: Kumaripati/ Maharajgunj/ Maitidevi, Contact: 01-5521190

TPW offers gym and cardio facilities in packages ranging from 1 month, 3 months, 6 months to 1 year. There are a variety of equipment for weight training. The one-month basic package costs Rs 3,000, which goes up to Rs 25,000 for a year. Your admission fee of Rs 500 may be waived off in case of referrals or group-attendance.

2) RAGE fitness

Location: Sama Marga, Naxal, Contact: 01-4411288 

Or why don’t you join RAGE fitness, a popular space for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training? RAGE offers training for MMA, Boxing, Cardio Kickboxing, Zumba, BodyAttack, TRX, Aerobics, and a fully equipped gym. Among the younger age group, boxing is said to be the most popular choice. The option costs Rs 3,500 a month, with sessions taking place four times a week. 

3) Banu’s Total Fitness

Location: Kamalpokhari, 01- 4434830

Another popular gym, Banu’s Total Fitness, offers services such as boxing and weight-training. The monthly gym membership costs Rs 4,520 and monthly boxing membership costs Rs 4,500. An instructor is always present to guide you. Unlike most other gyms, Banu’s is open even on Saturday mornings. 

WORKING THE LENS

With Instagram feeds becoming more aesthetic and YouTube gaining popularity, learning how to operate a camera can give you an edge, in just about anything you do.

1) National School of Photography 

Location: Chabahil, Contact: 01-4488616

This is the place to be if you want to nurture your inner photographer. The National School of Photography offers a wide range of courses in photography, photo and video editing, and videography. Yes, SEE graduates get special discounts. The cost for a month-long basic level course is Rs 10,500 whereas a higher level three-month ‘Foundation’ course costs Rs 35,000, after which students have the option of internship. The school provides certificates for all students who complete the program. 

2) Nepal Photography Training Institute

Location: Kamaladi, Contact: 01-4216291

For beginners, the training institute has courses on photography, photo editing, videography and video editing. The 21-day photography course costs Rs 7,000; the photo editing course is priced at Rs 4,000. Likewise, the month-long videography course costs Rs 15,000; the video editing course is priced at Rs 10,000. After the completion of basic courses, students have the option of pursuing advanced courses. 

3) School Of Creative Communications

Location: Kupondol, Contact: 984-1242307 

The courses offered here are tailored to people of diverse interests. SEE graduates and +2 students can enroll in the courses here regardless of their chosen stream. The 30-hour, 15-day photography and photo-editing course costs Rs 5,500. Admissions open the first week of every English month. The school also offers need-based scholarships. There is a creative writing course, too, if you are interested.

Kanchan Amatya has become the first Nepali to win the prestigious “Princess Diana Award”. Amatya was awarded for her work in boosting women’s financial standing, which she did in affiliation with the United Nations.

After the fatal car accident of Princess Diana in 1997, the British royal family had started this prestigious award, to be given on Princess Diana’s birthday to the ones contributing to the welfare of the society. Every year, her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, hand it out in the house where their mother spent her childhood.

Amatya, a graduate of St. Mary’s School in Kathmandu, is currently in the United States, where she is a student and also working for
United Nations Youth and Women Rights. She has also gotten several other awards. Moreover, the US House of Representatives has appointed her to advocate for the cause of Nepali youth and
women. 

Over the past few weeks, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his fellow co-chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal have reportedly been drifting apart after Dahal publicized the power-sharing deal with Oli. Dahal maintains that the agreement, whereby the two co-chairs becoming PM for two and half years each, should be implemented in its letter and spirit. But those close to Oli see this as a plot to change the government and push the country into another bout of instability. Kamal Dev Bhattarai talked to senior NCP leader Devendra Poudel, a close confidante of Dahal, for some insights.

There is a lot of public dissatisfaction over the performance of the federal government. How you react to this as a senior leader of the main ruling party?

First, with the formation of the two-third government, people’s expectations were sky-high. But there has not been the expected level of delivery. Second, opposition parties have consistently blown up government weaknesses, which has given the impression that the government is not performing well. Third, the party has failed to complete its unification process on time and there were thus lapses in government performance. Yet it does not mean the government has done nothing at all.

Are you suggesting that there has not been the desired level of coordination between the party and the government?

In some areas, the government has made substantial progress. All three levels of governments have come up with their budgets, which are now being of implemented. The tasks of building roads, highways, and other infrastructures are moving apace. But people had expected a lot in the terms of governance. You do not need huge budgetary support or FDI to change governance. There have been some lapses and we have to correct them immediately. 

There is much talk about the power-sharing agreement between PM Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal after two and half years. What is the reality?

Let me give you an example first. In 2006 the Maoists joined the peace process, and we agreed to invite the United Nations to assist our peace process. We had some differences with Nepal Congress-led government of the time. But we signed some agreements with then Girija Prasad Koirala government and we fully implemented them.

The Maoists had some ideological differences with then CPN-UML. Yet we could agree on party unification. All this could happen because there was a level of trust between the two sides. It is impossible to move ahead in politics if there is no trust on political agreements signed between two sides. 

Most of the Maoist and UML leaders were not there when the power-sharing agreement was signed. There were several issues and the two chairmen settled those through mutual consultations. The two then signed a power-sharing agreement. This is a real document whose implementation is based on trust and honesty. In fact, the very basis of unity was the power-sharing deal. Party unity could be achieved only after this agreement. Until there is new agreement, the agreement signed during party unification stands. Politics will move ahead smoothly only if this agreement is honestly implemented.

Is the agreement about the handover of either PM or party president to Dahal? Or does it deal solely with a change of PM?

We should not sow confusions about the agreement as two parties are now united. We should not provoke top leaders. We should not blow up the issue to the extent of party split; instead we have to work together to keep the party united and effective. We want to unite not just the party. We also want to take the main opposition Nepali Congress into confidence.

For party unification we skipped some core ideological differences, with a view of settling them in the general convention. But the power-sharing agreement clearly mentions that government leadership will be shared on rotational basis. There is no mention of specific date of change of prime minister, but it is again a matter of honesty. Now, KP Oli is the prime minister and no one wants to remove him right now. Even Chairman Dahal has made it clear that there would be no immediate change in government leadership. But we should also remember that the power-sharing deal has a time frame.

The party unification agreement stated that the General Convention would be held within a year of the deal. But is it possible to hold the convention right now?

It is agreed that all things would be settled through mutual understanding until the general convention. The first GC after unification will be held on the basis of understanding between two sides, keeping the spirit of party unification intact. It is not possible to hold general convention within a year so it will be postponed. But all things will move ahead as per the understanding reached during party unification.

In response to the power-sharing deal, some leaders and advisors of PM Oli have publicly spoken of ‘plots’ to derail the Oli government.

I have met friends who are making such remarks. They have one logic and it is justified too .They say talk of power sharing at a time when some forces are trying to weaken the government, including international forces, opposition and bureaucracy, would affect government functioning. But some friends are also publicly saying that there has been no power-sharing agreement and even if there is one, they would not own it. Some leaders say the party would not recognize the agreement between PM Oli and Prachanda. They cannot take such a position and make public speeches. Such irresponsible statements will only lead to a split. We should avoid them to keep the party intact.

What about the ideological differences between the former UML and Maoist cadres?

I think it is clear enough now. There was a lack of clarity over the party’s future course. Two ideological positions have been brought together under the same rubric of ‘Janatako Janabad’.

Oli is concentrating power and his ambition is piling up. What if Oli refuses to hand over government leadership to Dahal?

It is an important question. At the same time, it is very difficult question for us to speak about. KP Oli is the prime minister as well as our chairman. He was elected by the parliament. Even in the party PM Oli is elected. The PM’s success is our success and success of the whole country. So, it is our responsibility to protect him, to support him and help him pursue his projects. I am committed to it.

But I would suggest that he expands his advisory team. Many friends from the party are keen to support him and they should get the opportunity. The leaders who want to support the PM should have an access to him. Even former prime ministers have not been able to properly consult with the PM, and I feel the same. Also, I think the PM is trying to consolidate power in order to smoothen government functioning. But if you concentrate power and yet fail to deliver results, there comes a time when you have to justify such power-concentration. 

How do you evaluate the recent frequency of meetings between your co-chairman Dahal and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba?

The meetings between Dahal and Deuba are not related to government. Dahal would not engage in such childish games. NC, which is in the opposition, is a signatory to the peace process. A big component of this peace process is transitional justice, which is yet to be settled. To settle it, there is a need for national consensus, which is impossible with Congress support. The two have been meeting to settle this issue.

Similarly, there is a need of collaboration with opposition on the issues of development, peace and prosperity. It is natural that the government is reaching out to opposition parties on common national issues. There is no chance of an immediate government change, unlike what Deuba may have been saying following his meeting with Dahal.

Seldom do movies celebrate fatherhood. At least not in a way where the loving, compassionate, sacrificing, vulnerable and frail side of a father is portrayed on the big screen without glamorizing the stereotypical ‘manliness’ of screen dads. “Appa” is a movie dedicated to all the fathers. By the end credits, the audience agrees that the common perception of fathers is grossly wrong.

Written and directed by Darjeeling-based filmmaker Anmol Gurung, “Appa” has Kollywood’s own Daya Hang Rai playing ‘Birkhey driver’ and ‘appa’ (father) to Siddartha (Siddhant Raj Tamang). Birkhey, a happy-go-lucky driver who ferries tourists around the treacherous Siliguri-Darjeeling road, causes a fatal accident one day, partly because he is drunk. The accident kills a whole family of Bengali tourists with only Sid and Birkhey surviving the crash. Ridden by guilt and with natural protective instincts, Birkhey gets close to Sid, who in turn starts calling him ‘appa’. What follows in their lives is what “Appa” is all about.

The plot is simple and organic, so is the casting and the production. Rai as the loveable Birkhey finally makes an impact he had initially achieved in “Loot” (2012). After a string of movies that had him in repetitive and forgettable roles, Appa provides his fans a breath of fresh air. Birkhey, despite his drinking habits, is an affable chap, someone you’d love to know in real life. Rai has put so much life into the character that you feel every bit of emotion with him.

Also commendable in their roles are the youngsters Lama and Allona Kabo Lepcha as “Kavya,” his high school love interest. The couple look cute together and the best part is that they do not overdo the romantic bits. The innocence around ‘first love’ is rather sweetly maintained. Legendary filmmaker/actor Tulsi Ghimire also makes a comeback on the silver screen as a catholic priest/teacher with suiting dignity. Albeit in a supporting role, Aruna Karki as the friendly “anggie” (auntie, in local dialect)—a Sherpa woman who runs an eatery on the highway—is another kind-hearted, caring and immediately likeable character you’d want to meet for real. She’s a veteran and that’s how veterans should act. (Pun intended post-Dal Bhat Tarkari and Kumva Karan.)  

The best thing about Appa is that the young filmmakers from Darjeeling manage what most seasoned producers and directors in Nepal fail to—capture the essence of their location as well as of the local dialect. The cinematography is amazing and proves why Darjeeling is called the ‘Queen of the Hills.’ But more admirable is the characters in the film internalizing the ‘Daarj lingo’, which is quite popular even in Nepal for its unique diction and embedded humor.

The hills of Darjeeling resonate with music and director Gurung, who also takes credit for the film’s soundtracks along with Saikat Dev, has been able to capture the musicality that nature has given them. The songs in Appa are beautiful and the background score just fitting.

The film is evidently a low-budget production but Gurung has done a commendable job of holding together the screenplay for 1h 40m. The second half does get irritatingly Bollywoodish and at times lacks creativity, but all the good things about the film make up for these minor lapses.

Who should watch it?

Daya Hang Rai’s fans who have never lost their faith in him since “Loot” will definitely be proud of his role in “Appa”. Also, this is a family entertainer with an important message. It’s thus for everybody.

Rating: 3 stars

Genre: Family/Drama

Run time: 1 hr 40 mins

Director: Anmol Gurung

Actors: Daya Hang Rai, Allona Kabo Lepcha, Siddhant Raj Tamang, Tulsi Ghimire, Aruna Karki

Those of us who came of age in the 1990s and 2000s will never forget the unmitigated thrill of popping Orange Balls, those round orange sweets in transparent wrappers with yellow letters. The memories still make us drool. Sujal Foods has now stopped making these delicious delights, spelling an end of an era when the sweet Orange Balls and their close cousins sweet-and-sour Rimjhim Balls (also known as Black Balls) were the undoubted kings of the Nepali sweet market. Cheap too, as four could be had for a rupee. (APEX recently hit the streets in search of these candies but in vain.) There is a Facebook group, with more than 10,000 followers, dedicated to these two candies. People still post on Facebook and Reddit querying about their origin, recipe, and writing their personal stories. We bring to you some old fans of these candies and their incredible memories.

Elena Gurung, Video creator, 19
I and my cousins were very naughty when we were young. Just to make us sit down for a while, my grandmother used to ask us to draw. If the drawing was nice, she would give us 25 paisa each. It was a big deal for us then because we could get one Orange Ball for that money. When our grandma gave us money, all of 75 paisa, the three of us cousins would then run to the store. One of us would get a Black Ball and the other two would get an Orange Ball each. We would divide the spicy Black Ball into three pieces, eat it, and only then eat Orange Balls.

Sabin Karki, Dancer, 23
I still remember getting four Orange Balls for one rupee when I was little. One of my friends had brought like a bunch of Orange Balls to distribute in school on his birthday. I was amazed! He let everyone in the class take as many as we wanted. That day was amazing and remains a fond memory.

Saurav Chaudhary, Actor, 27
Four-for-One: Perhaps the best deal I could have gotten at “Maila uncle ko pasal” for those candies. I vividly remember my friends showing off their colored orange tongues. The funniest part was making ‘colas’ and orange juice out of those candies, which is the best juice I have ever had. I still wish we could get the same candies with same taste and the same type of friends with the same innocence.

Raj Shah, Sarwanam Theater Director, 32
An entire packet of Rimjhim Balls or Orange Balls used to cost Rs 14. We, as children, could not afford it. One candy used to cost Rs 0.25 but for Rs 14, we could get more in quantity. So, my friends and I used to form a group of 5-6 people and each of us would contribute Rs 3 for a packet of that candy. I think it was the cheapest and most famous candy of our generation. We used to take off its wrappers and put the candies in our pockets. Then we would secretly eat it during class hours.

Swoopna Suman, Singer, 23
I was in my hostel back then. One night, I saw a friend of mine take out some candies from his black box. He handed me almost half a packet of Lacto, Orange Balls and Black Balls. I ate them all, at once. Right before I fell asleep, I felt a light sting on my left cheek. The next morning, my left cheek was totally numb. Next thing I realized my left eyelid wouldn’t blink. I don’t know if it were those candies or my body, but I got half of my face paralyzed for the next 3 months.

Kristie Rai Potter, 28
Whoever made Orange Balls is a star. I think at least 60 percent of my childhood body was made out of Orange Balls, haha.

Pratik Dhakal, 26
I used to buy 30 Orange Balls at once and dissolve them in water to make orange juice. And believe me, it tasted great, just like orange juice. That was me when I was just five! Sweet memories, indeed.

Neeru Tharu, 18
Before Orange Balls were 25 paisa a pop and I now hear they are Re 1 per piece. Now this candy is difficult to find. Maybe it is still available at Bhatbhateni. [Ed: No it is not]

In the geopolitical competition between global powers, it is hard to differentiate democracies from dictatorships. The Americans, the supposed global torchbearers of democracy, have repeatedly intervened in other countries to remove democratic governments and install their own puppet rulers. In this they are no different to the totalitarian Soviet Union that in its heyday dotted the world with its own puppet communist regimes, or the modern-day China trying to ‘buy’ influence abroad. By the same token, nor is the democratic India’s desire to maintain its absolute hegemony in South Asia out of place.

This is the central thesis of ‘How They Rule the World: The 22 Secret Strategies of Global Power’, a new book by Pedro Baños, a Spanish army colonel and an ex-member of the EU’s counter-intelligence corps. With the help of his knowledge gained working for various security organizations, Baños says powerful democracies and dictatorships alike use one or many of the same 22 strategies to get a leg-up on their competitors. He argues that on the global stage there are basically two types of countries: “the dominant” and “the dominated”. The first group “exerts control on a regional or global scale” while the second group is “controlled… in various ways—militarily, economically, culturally or technologically”. As the big powers try to get even more powerful, to avoid being devoured by this rivalry, the comparably smaller powers have no option but to fall in behind one of the big powers, or to join an alliance of like-minded countries.

But what are the strategies the big powers use to remain ahead of the pack? They may use the strategy of deterrence (‘winning without fighting’) or the strategy of encirclement (‘outmaneuvering adversaries’). Or they may feign and conceal (‘mastering deception’) or sow seeds of discord (‘defeating enemy from within’). The bottom-line is that these powers have the military and economic strength to compel smaller powers to do their bidding.

Baños says every geopolitical decision, from forging alliances to declarations of war to imposing economic sanctions, has an ulterior motive. “Concepts such as ‘human rights’ may be referred to, but countries will always act out of self interest.” What is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is highly subjective in international relations, he says, and wants us to know of how we are being systematically manipulated. The author’s end-goal, however utopian the idea, is to build an international order “that strives for and prioritizes human security over national security.”

It’s an interesting, breezy read for anyone interested in big power politics. But the book is also a little disorganized. The 22 strategies comprise just one of the four parts of the book and they don’t always mesh well with the other three parts, each of which analyzes this politics through its own framework. A useful primer on the subject though.