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APEX BUREAU : A fitting finale for the online Blackstar Guitar Com­petition was hosted on March 17 at the Shisha Terrace Café and Bar. The event saw both the con­testants and the panel of judges wowing the live audience with their skillful performances.

Organized by Guitar Shop in collaboration with Blackstar Amplifications, the online gui­tar competition had over 100 Nepali guitarists participating with their entry videos posted on Facebook every week. The four-week-long competition then selected a winner each week with the help of the panel of judges: renowned guitarists and instruc­tors Dev Lama, Manoj Kumar KC and Deepak Moktan.

The four winners—Ritesh Tamang, Gaurav Lama, Arun Philharmonic and Manoj Ruchel— received certificates of recogni­tion, as well as guitar accessories and Blackstar ID Core 10 ampli­fier, each, in prizes.

Melamchi project ‘Drinking Water Bina Magar has promised that the water from Melamchi Drinking Water Project will arrive in Kathmandu valley within the next four months.

She said this after visiting Melamchi municipality of the central Nepal district of Sindhupalchowk, the water-source. Since the final leg of the project, tunnel construc­tion, is also nearly complete, she said, there will be no more delays.

The project was started in 2009 and aims to bring 170 million liters of water a day into the parched valley. APEX BUREAU

King Gyanendra Shah appears concerned about the status of monarchy in the country, as he summoned the second tier leaders of the three parties that the Ras­triya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has split into for a discussion on the topic. The discussion took place at the Himalaya Tea Gar­den in the southeastern town of Damak. (All the three RPPs have as their majority the leaders who were backers of the monarch’s direct rule before the 1990 democratic change.) Taking part in the discussion on March 18 were Buddhiman Tamang, Bhaskar Bhadra and Prahlad Shah from the Kamal Thapa-led RPP; Rajaram Shrestha, Sagun Lawati and Suresh Acharya from the Pashupa­ti Shumsher Rana-led RPP (Democratic); and Taranath Luitel, Dr Sharada Acharya and Keshab Shrestha from the Prakash Chandra Lohani-led United RPP (Nationalist).

A participant informed that the ex-king expressed concern about how the par­ty’s split had undermined the issue of monarchy and repeatedly stressed unifica­tion. According to the partici­pant, the former king argued that the split not only under­mined the issues of monarchy and Hindu nation but also jeopardized the very exis­tence of RPP.

The discussion began with the former king inquiring about contemporary politics and election results. He asked why the party, which had performed relatively well in the second Constituent Assembly elections, had fared badly in last year’s polls. All the participants attributed the party’s poor performance to the split. They also blamed lack of resources and deviation among top leaders from core party principles—and they unanimously argued for party unification.

“Don’t delay unification,” the source quoted Shah as say­ing. “I will help find resources.” The former king remarked that citizens were disillusioned with the current state of politics in the country and that addressing the disillusion­ment would require leaders to go to the public with the twin agenda of monarchy and Hindu nation.

 NON-FICTION

The Perils of Being Moderately Famous

Soha Ali Khan

Published: December 12, 2017

Publisher: Penguin India

Pages : 256 (paperback)

It seems every Bollywood actor, at one point of time, sees the need to come out with a book—on their spectacular flashbulb-lit lives, how they beat the odds for a comeback, or even a diet book, if nothing else. But Soha Ali Khan’s debut book ‘The Perils of Being Moderately Famous’, a collection of personal essays, doesn’t feel like an actor, one who belongs to such an illustrious family for that matter, boasting and bragging about life and its luxuries. Instead, as she recounts what it was like growing up as the daughter of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore, and being Saif Ali Khan’s sister, and Kareena Kapoor’s sister-in-law, Soha, with her wit and self-deprecating humor, narrates things so refreshingly that it makes her relatable, despite her star status. The book feels like a one- on-one conversation with the writer.

As a part of some notable and some forgettable films, Soha is what you could call ‘moderately famous’. But as Asian Age rightly noted, “Star­dom may have gone to the brother but grace seems to be a legacy received by Soha”, and it’s the grace with which she has penned her book that makes it such a delightful read. This is one memoir that’s not in your face, heavy with ‘brutal honesty’ and ‘frankness’ that feel forced.

She’s not trying to get you to like her or think well about her through her writing. She’s simply telling you her story. The ease with which she talks about those one off date nights and serious affairs and then her college life and foray into acting makes you wish the chapters were a bit longer. Life could definitely use a little bit more of her wit and insight.

And while she makes you laugh time and again, there are also moments in the book that are stir­ring and get you thinking. Bits where she talks about her father and her relationship with him as well as the pain of losing a parent whom she loves and respects in equal measure make you take a moment to remem­ber all the people and things you hold dear in your life.

What’s also remarkable about the book is that nothing feels over the top and there have been no attempts to sensationalize things. That is not Soha’s style. She is all about keeping it simple, humorous, and classy as she shares her personal expe­riences with warmth and a lot of integrity while offering some nev­er-seen-before images of her family, childhood, and her daughter Inaaya. Reading ‘The Perils of Being Moder­ately Famous’ affirms the fact that experiences are universal and that you don’t have to be famous, even moderately so, to enjoy the little things in life and be grateful for what you have.

The world of advice is a crowded space. Everyone has an opinion about everything and every­body seems to know what’s best for you. And a quick look down the self-help aisle at your local bookstore proves that for every problem you have many people out there have ‘just the right’ solution. But if there is one person you would enjoy lis­tening to, then it’s probably Mark Manson. He doesn’t just tell you how to live a good life by identifying what’s important and what’s not, but is so brutally honest about his own problems that being able to relate takes away half your worries.Now, while not giving a fuck may seem simple on the surface, it’s a whole new bag of burritos under the hood. I don’t even know what that sen­tence means, but I don’t give a fuck. A bag of burritos sounds awesome, so let’s just go with it.

This is just an example of the kind of lines Manson’s not-so-subtle book on letting go of everything that’s not important in your life is filled with. And that’s what makes reading the book such a delightful experience. But despite the profanity, The Sub­tle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is actu­ally incredibly inspiring and deeply philosophical. Add to that the fact that Manson has a wicked sense of humor and you have a self-help book that feels like a heart-to-heart conversation with a friend where you are forced to reexamine what you really care about in life.

Manson argues that life is essen­tially an endless series of problems and the solution to one problem is merely the creation of another. He says life sucks for those who con­stantly try to get away from prob­lems. So, he suggests, instead of trying to find out how you can get rid of your problems, you just have to find problems that excite you, and those for which you are willing to make some sacrifices.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck could very well be the reality check you needed about confront­ing your problems, fears, and expec­tations, and learning when not to give a f*ck about them. Because, if Manson is to be believed, caring less about things is the only way to lead a good life. APEX BUREAU

The French Embassy in Kathmandu is holding the fourth edition of ‘Goût de France /Good France’. Goût de France/Good France is a unique global event held across five continents in over 150 countries, involving French embassies and chefs from around the world. It unites all of them on March 21 with one common objective: to celebrate French gastron­omy with local products and talents. The fourth year of Goût de France /Good France will see some 3,000 participating restaurants worldwide.

“There is a traditional link between diplomacy and gastronomy,” says His Excellency Yves Carmona, the French Ambassador to Nepal. “There was a cuisine ‘à La Française’ already in the 14th century, well before there were permanent Embassies [16th century]”.

He said the event was not about diplo­macy but business. France decided to promote its attractiveness to add to the already healthy tourist arrival rate in the country (89 million in 2017). Gastronomy has helped them in this regard. The ‘Gas­tronomic meal of the French’ has been declared as ‘Intangible Heritage’ by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The event is growing popular in Nepal and is running in its third consecutive year in Kathmandu. Eight restaurants and school are taking part in this year’s prestigious event. On March 21 they will serve special French cuisine.

“Although the origin of the event is French, it can be considered a very Nepali event since almost all restaurants and schools are run by Nepalis,” says Carmona.

The restaurants and schools that are participating this year are

- The Old House Pvt. Ltd, Durbarmarg, Kathmandu

- Garden Terrace (Soaltee Crowne Plaza)

- La terrace (Global Academy of Tourism and Hospitality Education)

- Rox Restaurant (Hyatt Regency Kathmandu)

- The Chimney Fine Dining (Hotel Yak and Yeti)

- Silver Mountain School of Hotel Management

- Olive Garden (Radisson Hotel)

- Pauline’s Garden, Baluwatar, Kathmandu

Kathmandu: Veteran Indian writer of Nepali descent Indra Bahadur Rai passed away in his home town of Darjeeling on Tuesday. He was 90. Rais is considered one of the most erudite and acclaimed writers in the Nepali language. In a career spanning almost seven decades, Rai authored over a dozen books in sev­eral genres including novels, short stories, essays and literary criticism.

There’s a Carnival Today, a trans­lation of Rai’s novel Aaja Ramita Chha, was launched in Kathmandu last year. Long Night of Storm, a translation of 16 stories picked from Rai’s two short story collections—Bipana Katipaya and Kathastha—was launched here last week. The novel and the short story collection were translated by writers Manjushree Thapa and Prawin Adhikari respec­tively.

General Secretary of the CPN (Revolutionary Maoist) Mohan Baidya ‘Kiran’ has announced a ‘new revolution’ in the country following his party’s merg­er with the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplab’-led Communist Party of Nepal. Baidya made the announce­ment at a joint program organized in Bharatpur, Chitwan. “The two parties will work togeth­er to start a new revolution,” said Baidya. “But unlike the previous revolution, it won’t be violent.”

Baidya argued that another rev­olution is necessary because the Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachan­da’-led Maoist Center—which has now merged with KP Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML—has ignored those who were killed, disappeared or injured in the ‘People’s War’. Therefore, the responsibility of fulfilling their demands has fallen on the shoulders of his and Biplab’s parties.

Taking a jab at Dahal, Baidya said the country’s hero has turned into a villain. “How can we trust some­one who, when he lost the ability to go at it alone, has tagged along sometimes with the Congress and at other times with the UML? At a time when those who contributed to the ‘People’s War’ are behind bars, Dahal is indulging in power politics. This has compelled us to choose a revolutionary path,” said Baidya.

Baidya accused Dahal of working to protect the same system that he once waged war against. He claimed that the much-touted left unity between the UML and the MC won’t last, notwithstanding the country’s need for a stable government.

Baidya also challenged the govern­ment to arrest Chand, after it issued an arrest warrant against him.

Ranbir Bam, politburo member of the Chand-led CPN, said it had now become glaringly obvious that Dahal was working against Maoist princi­ples. “In the past, many asked us why we splintered from the mother party. Time has provided the answer to that question,” said Bam.

“It was the ‘People’s War’ that gave birth to Dahal. But he ended the war only to be part of the old establishment. How can someone who couldn’t manage the needs of the families of those who fought for the revolution manage the needs of the entire citizenry?” asked Bam. “That’s why Nepal’s revolution remains incomplete. So we’re wag­ing another revolution.”