Submit your Article

 7 pm, July 6, Saturday

Club Fahrenheit

Thamel, Kathmandu

Bollywood singer with Nepali roots, Aditya Narayan Jha will be performing in an exclusive concert this weekend at Club Farenheit.

 6 pm, July 6, Saturday

LOD: Lord of the Drinks

Thamel, Kathmandu

GATC is an Indian Hard Rock/Melodic Rock/Heavy Metal band originally from Gangtok, Sikkim, which was brought together in 2009 by vocalist Girish Pradhan.

 10 am, July 6, Saturday

Food Truck Park

Nagpokhari Marg, Kathmandu

An open event full of fun activities, games, market stalls, rain dance, live band, and a lot more! Dress Code: Swim wear or waterproof clothes.

 11 am, July 5, Friday

Attic

Gyaneshwor, Kathmandu

Black and White Portrait Session is an event where you are invited to have your classic Black and White Portrait taken. The event encourages participants from different fields to capture professional portraits of themselves.

 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.