Following the German tra­dition of one of the largest ‘Volksfests’ in the world, Kathmandu on Oct 27 held its own version of Oktober Beer Festival. The Annapurna Express was the main sponsor of the event that was jointly organized by lyf.cha, Basecamp Outdoor Lifestyle, and tourlyf. Beer and music lovers—both Nepalis and expats—converged at Tangalwood on the sunny Sat­urday afternoon to taste over 50 varieties of beer as well as groove to the tunes of live bands and DJs.

The event, the second for the organizers, saw an unexpected turnout, especially of foreigners. There were so many people there to witness live music and play beer games, all-day-long, that the organizers were overwhelmed. They plan an even bigger event next year.

 For the timekeepers

 If your loved one fancies a time-piece then there are great offers this Tihar. For some amazing watches for brothers, see the Smartdoko collection. They have good offers for special sisters too.

 For the photographers

 Got an avid shutterbug in your family? Why not give them a camera then? Sasto­deal is offering them at up to 29 percent discount. They have it all: Canon, Nikon, Sony, you name it (sastodeal.com)

 For kitchen enthusiasts

 The ones who are busy in the kitchen would surely love to get their hands on this Sastodeal products, with up to 25 percent discount.

 For women’s clothes

 For the special sisters who are into kurtis, Sastodeal again offers up to 31 percent discount.

 For the no-mo-phobes

 And There are even better deals to be had from Sastodeal if you want to gift a new phone, with up to 51 percent discount.

 For the bookworms

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 For the fragrance lovers

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 For the timekeepers

 If your loved one fancies a time-piece then there are great offers this Tihar. For some amazing watches for brothers, see the Smartdoko collection. They have good offers for special sisters too.

 For the photographers

 Got an avid shutterbug in your family? Why not give them a camera then? Sasto­deal is offering them at up to 29 percent discount. They have it all: Canon, Nikon, Sony, you name it (sastodeal.com)

 For kitchen enthusiasts

 The ones who are busy in the kitchen would surely love to get their hands on this Sastodeal products, with up to 25 percent discount.

 For women’s clothes

 For the special sisters who are into kurtis, Sastodeal again offers up to 31 percent discount.

 For the no-mo-phobes

 And There are even better deals to be had from Sastodeal if you want to gift a new phone, with up to 51 percent discount.

 For the bookworms

 So your brother is someone who always has his nose buried in a book? Why not give him something he loves then? Browse the rich collection at Smartdoko.

 For the fragrance lovers

 For The ones whose scent is their statement, here are some damn good deals on perfumes.Visit: www.smartdoko.com

 For Vans fans

 The ones who love their footwear would love to get these Vans products, again from Sastodeal, with up to 70 percent off.

 For everyone

Search for ‘Cakes’, ‘Laptops’ and ‘Grooming products’ for more great offers on Sastodeal.

Dashain is a dud in Kathman­du. The national capital and its surroundings, which oth­erwise pack in at least three mil­lion souls, is nearly empty during (and immediately after) the 10 days of Dashain. People leave for their ancestral homes to celebrate with their loved ones. Or, increasingly, the whole family goes abroad, to get an exotic taste of Nepal’s biggest festival. It is during the five days of Tihar, when most deserters have come back to light up their homes and welcome Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, that the valley comes alive. There is a tradition of worship­ping different animals during Tihar. Cows, for instance, are worshipped during Laxmi Puja, the third day of the festival, as an incarnation of Laxmi, even though this is a dying tradition; for one, cows are hard to find. We also worship crows, dogs and oxen. In the much-publicized new Nepal, isn’t it right that the ani­mals also have their days?

Likewise, every nook and cranny of one’s dwelling is lit up, mostly with string-lights these days. Per­haps some may miss the sound of the crackers that used to be so ubiquitous during Tihar. The police have done a rather efficient job of outlawing their use. Yet that alone has not been enough to dampen the festive spirit.

Consider the age-old tradition of deusi-bhailo, our own version of Halloween’s trick-or-treat. The old songs used for deusi and bhailo have been given clever twists and made more ‘modern’. Moreover, these days, the youngsters mostly prefer cash over Tihar goodies like sel-roti as their ‘treat’. In other words, our celebration of Tihar is changing in line with the constant social changes we witness all around us.

Kathmanduites are so used to complaining about bad roads and foul air and the rotten government, they hardly take time to reflect on the good in their lives. Tihar, which marks the victory of light over dark­ness, is thus also a time to put on our optimistic caps.

Tihar is perhaps the right time for our politicians and bureaucrats to renew their commitment to pub­lic service. An occasion for pen­ny-pinching businessmen to be a lit­tle less stingy, for spendthrift young­sters to be a little more respectful of money, and for everyone to lighten up. Let there be light.

Drive to Godawari Botanical garden on the southern fringe of the Kathmandu valley and hike to Phulchoki Danda, the highest hill surrounding the valley, and return to Godawari. This one day tour is sure to uplift your mood. While hiking, you can enjoy breathtaking view of valley and mountains. Also, enjoy a wide variety of birds and flowers. Get lost in the blissfulness of nature. Visit on a clear day to get a good view of Kathmandu.

The Annapurna Base Camp Trek is one of the best trekking routes in Nepal, popular as a “classical route”. The trekking area is to the north of Pokhara valley and just 27 km of aerial distance behind Mt. Fishtail (Machhapuchhere). The main tourist destinations in the area can be viewed on the way up to the Mt Annapurna Basecamp, from where the beautiful ranges of Machhapuchhre, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna and Annapurna (I, II, III, and IV) can be witnessed up close. The walk is mostly through beautiful terraced lands and forests of rhododendron (national flower of Nepal).

The Himalayan range of Nepal is important not only for summiting record holders but, with its innumerable mysteries, also for the geologists, environmentalists and sociologists. The Inter­national Mountain Museum in Pokhara, the one and only mountain museum in the world, strives to maintain systematic records of around 8,000 climbers till date who have scaled one or the other of the eight peaks above 8,000 meter that fall inside Nepal. The museum also records flora, fauna and human activities in the Hima­layas. The unique shape of the museum roof resembles a mountain skyline. This museum is a must-see for anyone interested in the Himalayas and mountaineering. If you are interested, there is a wall-climbing facility inside the museum premise. Contact: 977-61-460742; international­mountainmuseum.org

Any way you look at it, the recent labor agree­ment between Nepal and Malaysia is a land­mark deal. Nepali laborers will henceforth not have to pay a single rupee to go and work in what is Nepal’s number one labor importing country (besides India), with a floating population of around Nepali 400,000 workers. The recruitment service charges, two-way air fares, visa fees, medical check-up cost—all will now be borne by the employers in Malaysia. Nepal government had stopped sending workers to Malaysia five months ago, in protest against the hefty fees being imposed on its poor workers: on average, a worker had to fork out at least Rs 80,000 to cover all costs.

Minister for Labor Gokarna Bista had gotten a lot of flak for it. The south-east Asian country could never be forced to accept Nepali workers, the critics said, when it could easily import cheaper labor from Ban­gladesh and Pakistan. But Bista held his ground, firm in his belief that the quality of Nepali workers was superior—in that they are considered more adept and reliable—than those from other competing labor-ex­porting countries. His faith has been vindicated. This is another feather in the cap of Bista, who in his earlier avatar as the Minister of Energy had also done a com­mendable job.

Manpower agencies in Nepal are now cribbing and complaining. According to the new agreement, they will from now on be paid directly by the companies hiring Nepali manpower. Their cut will amount to half a month’s salary of the recruited worker. They say it is nearly not enough to cover their costs and have threat­ed to stop recruiting people to go to Malaysia if they cannot get at least a month’s salary of the recruited workers. The way we see it, with Nepal exporting an average of around 600,000 workers a year, the man­power agencies can still earn enough. If they want still more, they are in the wrong business.

No business should be allowed to thrive on exploita­tion of some of the poorest people in the society. Hav­ing inked the deal with Malaysia, the government must now not give in to the manpower agencies’ pressure tactics. It is unlikely to, in any case. Rumors are that the government is preparing similar agreements with oth­er big importers of Nepali labor in the Gulf. Perhaps the days of the unscrupulous manpower agencies are truly numbered.