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Nepal’s major political parties have started intra-party consultations in order to make their respective positions on the possible power-sharing deal. Similarly, top leaders of major parties are reading each other’s minds through their trusted lieutenant. Second-rung leaders of the Nepali Congress such as Purna Bahadur Khadka, Prakash Sharan Mahat, and Prakash Man Singh are meeting the leaders of CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN-UML. The leaders have not spoken about the contents of such closed-door meetings. The meeting of the five-party coalition is taking place on December  5 which is likely to hold a preliminary discussion on power-sharing. The Maoist has already started internal deliberations on the issue. The first meeting of top leaders of the party on December 3 provided a conflicting message about the party’s position on power-sharing. The party had said that it intends to keep all options open on government formation. Many have read its position as a play to increase the bargaining chip with the NC. At the same time, party leaders say their first priority is go ahead with the current coalition. Speaking with media persons on December 4, Maoist leader Dev Gurung said: “As the coalition remains intact, our first effort is to continue the current coalition.” He said they have not yet thought of any alternatives. Before the elections, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal used to be vocal about this claim for the premiership as he had hoped that his party would play a decisive factor which somehow still remains but without around 30 seats in the national parliament, his position has weakened. The situation is different now. The NC and UML could secure majority votes  without the Maoist support. But, the government will be a fragile one. Inside NC, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has started consulting with his core group. The weakened position of the Maoist party has provided a space for Deuba to claim the PM. Before the election, Deuba was morally obliged to accept Dahal as the prime minister, given the latter’s unconditional support to form a government under his leadership following the Supreme Court order in 2021. The first preference of the NC is to convince the Maoist party to form a coalition government under its leadership. If the Maoist agree to form a government under Deuba’s leadership, it stakes a claim on vital positions. But, state institutions including Nepal Army and external powers could show concerns over power-sharing. In this scenario, the president may go to CPN (Unified Socialist) but the Maoist may not settle merely for the speaker. Some NC leaders are also floating the proposal of forming a government under its leadership sans Maoist, bringing all fringe parties and independent candidates on board. But this is not a feasible option for the party because it will make it difficult to form governments in the provinces because it does not have a single majority in either of the provinces. The CPN-UML, which has emerged as the second largest party, is closely following the ongoing talks among the members of the current coalition. The party leaders are saying that external meddling has increased in the government formation. If the current coalition splits, the new government led by the UML or the Maoist party cannot be ruled out. Despite having a souring relationship between Oli and Dahal, the two parties could come together to form coalition government cajoling fringe parties on board. Inside the UML and the Maoist, there are strong urges that left parties must come together, but the ego of Oli and Dahal is preventing that from happening. Another option being floated in the political circle is the NC-UML coalition government. Through some NC leaders, Oli has conveyed this message to PM Deuba. At the same time, there are opinions inside both parties that as two parties are each other’s key competitors, both should not stay in power making the opposition front weak. Those leaders are of the view that one party should lead the government and another stay in opposition. But, there are strong voices inside both parties that for the stability of the country and to counter the emergence of new forces, the two parties should form a strong government. If two parties come together, it would be comparatively easier to share vital positions.

I flew from Kathmandu to Lukla as I wanted to get to the Everest Base Camp, and see Mt Everest up close. As a travel entrepreneur, I have been to the Khumbu region in the past, and every time I have gone there, I have felt that my stay had been too short. The Everest region has a lot to offer trekkers like me—the world’s most popular snow peaks, Sherpas, monasteries, yaks, local museums, gigantic suspension bridges, and the terrain itself.   Namche Bazaar is a happening place in the Everest region. Like most of the other trekkers, I spent a day acclimatizing at Namche as I didn’t want to take any chances. During my stay at Namche Bazaar, I blended with the locals and explored this bustling town. At the hotel I was staying at, one of the hotel staff said, “Don’t forget to see the Sherpa museum.” There are Wi-Fi-connected hotels, restaurants, and equipment stores for tourists arriving here to trek, along with pubs, bakeries, and even a yak farm.   I acclimatized for one more day at Dingboche (4,360m), enjoying the views of Ama Dablam, Island Peak, Cho Oyu, and Makalu. I knew for a fact that the roundabout length of the classic Everest Base Camp trek was around 130 km, and I had already completed half of it. The trail to Lobuche was quite easy initially. I passed several trek groups and realized that some people walk fast for some time and then wait and rest before continuing. Others walk at their own pace. Interestingly, I even saw a herder taking his horses somewhere. I tried my best to walk consistently but slowly. After all, the Everest Base Camp trek is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. After trekking for about two and a half hours, I reached Gorakshep. The altitude change, from 4,910m to 5,140m was not very much, but still, it was a tiring trek. Gorakshep is a tiny settlement with a handful of tea houses where you can spend the night. This is the closest settlement to Everest Base Camp. I checked in at the first tea house. The dining room was cozy, and I felt happy, enveloped in its warmth. I ordered a bowl of soup and while serving it, the waiter said, “I presume you are heading to Everest Base Camp, and you will need a lot of energy. How about lunch?” That sounded sensible so I ordered rice, lentils, and curry. After all, I had to muster energy to climb up to the Everest Base Camp. After lunch, I readied myself for the final leg of the journey. From the lodge, the trail took me slightly downhill, and I arrived at a flat but muddy area. Then the path started to incline, slowing me down. The whole landscape seemed rather dull and empty. The cold, however, pierced through my multiple layers of clothing. As I hiked, I heard the sounds of rock falling, which worried me a bit.  But after a while, I could see the Khumbu glacier. I was amazed by how the glacier changed its color, from gray and dirty to sparkling white and even bluish at times. Finally, I reached the Everest Base Camp—my dream destination. I could see the fluttering prayer flags and bright yellow tents holding tightly to the Khumbu ice. Those tents belonged to the very ambitious ones—those who were aiming to reach the top of Everest itself.  At the Everest Base Camp, I congratulated myself. I took out my camera from my backpack and clicked a dozen pictures. To return home, I headed back to Gorakshep. My tired muscles were quite happy as I treaded downhill, but just before reaching the Gorakshep, there is a short uphill that you must climb. From there, after a day’s rest, I’d be heading to Kala Patthar to see the sunrise over Everest and the surrounding mountains before returning to Pheriche. The next day, I woke up before dawn and set out with several other trekkers to see the sunrise on Everest. With headlamps and thick layers of clothing, we braced the harsh elements. But it was worth it as the view from Kala Patthar is mesmerizing. As the sun rose, it started to get warm, and I could clearly see the surrounding mountains: Mount Pumori, Mount Nuptse, Mount Changste, among others. The Khumbu glacier and Khumbu icefall both looked fabulous. After enjoying the views to my heart's content, I returned to Gorakshep for breakfast. A sense of accomplishment seemed to have taken over. I was also happy that there were no more uphill trails to climb, and that the descent would be way easier. After a few days, I eventually reached Lukla and flew back to Kathmandu, fully refreshed and recharged. The time I spent on the Everest region trek was intense, and the trip taught me that the mountains challenge, inspire, and transform us. If you feel the mountains are calling, you must go. Believe me, the moments you spend in its company have the power to change you completely. The author is the founder and CEO of Discovery World Trekking, a trip operation company

Have you ever been in situations at work where things didn’t exactly pan out the way you wanted them to? If you have been in the workforce for a while, chances are you have most likely put up with numerous circumstances like those. Did you also beat yourself over and over? Felt guilty at your ‘inability’ to work things out? It’s all too common for us to kick ourselves for the presentation we should have nailed but didn’t. The whole picture keeps playing on in our minds. There’s no forgetting it. We wish we could go back and change the entire story. In mindfulness, which means awareness of the present moment, we refer to two different modes on which we operate. One is the doing mode, which helps us achieve goals that the mind has set. This could mean anything from getting a simple task done to setting long-term goals for our careers. The doing mode constantly compares the present with the past and the future, and measures against what is desired, required, expected, and/or feared. On the other hand, we have the being mode, which is more concerned with the present moment. It doesn’t mean not doing anything and remaining passive. Rather, it embodies a more accepting and non-judgmental nature to what is. Imagine a scenario where you were expecting a holiday on the first of May and had made some travel plans owing to an extended weekend. However, instead of a holiday, your boss gives you a new project with a tight deadline. From a doing mode perspective, you will first fume at the seemingly harsh treatment from your boss for canceling your holiday, ruining your travel plans, and on top of that, piling up additional work burden. Although the doing mode is important for us because it helps us achieve goals, it’s also troublesome in scenarios like this when we constantly want to compare the present (no holiday with additional work) with our desires (of a holiday so that we could travel as planned) and frustrations loom large (because of the discrepancy that is now evident). This is when the being mode is of great aid. Instead of yelling at our boss or venting our frustrations that we are likely to regret later, the being mode helps us take a step back and put things into perspective. Can we change the fact that there is no holiday? No. Hence, an acceptance of this fact is crucial before we can decide on anything else. Now that we have accepted the present, we can now look ahead to see what can be done. Can we decline or postpone the project? Or is there a valid reason why it’s so urgent? Taking a pause allows us to step back and take a holistic view of the situation. A lot of times, we beat ourselves up for matters we have no control over. We feel bad because we had high expectations about how that presentation should have panned out. Doing mode is great, but it no longer serves us if the mind insists on achieving goals that are out of its control. Switching to a being mode allows us to first accept how the presentation went, and then adjust toward setting new goals moving forward. This little shift in mindful awareness to take a pause and switch between doing and being mode can greatly contribute to a happier and more fulfilling workplace and career. The author is co-founder of My Emotions Matter, an education initiative that helps individuals and teams learn the mindset and skills of Emotional Intelligence. You can learn more at myemotionsmatter.com

The menstrual cup, a reusable feminine hygiene product, has become quite popular in Nepal. Jay Prakash Singh, co-founder of Padshala Nepal, says in the past five years, their customer base has been steadily increasing. The store, which also takes online orders, delivers around 15 cups every day. There are even more people visiting the store. The customers, Singh says, are mostly between 18 to 30 years old.  Dr Bhola Rijal, gynecologist and obstetrician, says most of his patients tell him they started using the cup because their friends or colleagues recommended it to them. “Women who are using menstrual cups seem to advocate for it. It’s become popular through word of mouth,” he says. There are many reasons why period cups are so popular among women, one of them being its efficiency. Women ApEx spoke to say that a menstrual cup saves a lot of hassle. You don’t have to buy multiple packets of sanitary pads each month or worry about proper disposal. Some said it has also made traveling easier. Priyanshu Joshi, a 21-year-old student from Sanepa, Lalitpur, has been using a menstrual cup for almost two months now and says switching to it has been the best decision she has made. Earlier, she had to be hyper aware about leakage and change sanitary pads time and again. Not to mention the discomfort that comes with using sanitary pads. Since switching to the cup, her periods are stress free for at least twelve hours at a stretch. “There are times when I forget I’m on my periods since the menstrual cup is comfortable,” she says. Joshi has also been able to monitor her period flow. “I can check the color and consistency of my period blood. That has helped me understand my period better,” she says. She finds it has also helped tackle the problem of period odor.  Priyanka Neupane, a 20-year-old from Sinamangal, Kathmandu, who is studying to be a CA, has been using a menstrual cup for two years. She says she was nervous at the beginning but since she has always had excessive bleeding in every menstrual cycle, sanitary pads were turning out to be an expensive and unreliable option. She says on days when she doesn’t have cramps, she doesn’t even realize she has her periods. Apart from the physical comfort it brings, Neupane says it has also helped to hide her periods. “Coming from a conservative family, period has always been a big issue,” she says, “But with menstrual cups, no one finds out when it’s ‘that time of the month’ for me.”  Many women still can’t talk freely about menstruation in their homes, let alone protest against the various taboos that come with it. Hima Bista, a women’s rights activist, thinks differently. “Why would you hide it when you should be talking about it openly and breaking the taboos instead?” she asks.  But despite wanting to, it’s not easy for many women to go against norms that their parents and grandparents believe in. They also don’t want to hurt their loved one’s sentiments, especially if they are old and thus rigid in their ways. Aarzoo Nepal, 22, who works at Kantipur Media Group, says it took years of struggle for her family to finally understand that menstruation is a natural process. “These things can’t be rushed,” she says.  Nikki Gautam, 22-year-old who lives in Dhobighat, Lalitpur, says a woman once claimed to feel ill as she assumed Gautam made her tea while on her period. Entering the kitchen, or even touching kitchen utensils for that matter, when on your period is thought to be the harbinger of bad luck. “It’s funny how menstruation is everyone’s problem when in fact it’s not any of their business,” she says. With the menstrual cup, Gautam says, it’s been easy to hide her periods and make it no one’s business but her own.  Anju Thapa GC, owner, Anju Sanitary Pad, a company that makes reusable and eco-friendly sanitary hygiene products, says many women have visited her store in search of menstrual cups, mostly after it was recommended to them by someone they knew. But most of them aren’t comfortable using it immediately after buying it, she says. “Some of my regular customers say they haven’t started using the cup despite buying one a while ago. Many confessed they were scared when using it for the first time,” says GC. However, those who use the cup say it’s really easy once you get the hang of it.  There are certain things that make using menstrual cups difficult. There aren’t good public washrooms, or proper washrooms in most workplaces where women feel comfortable enough to clean their cups. Sushrusha Aryal, 21, who studies at Kathmandu University, has been using a menstrual cup for two years. On days with heavy bleeding, she needs to keep emptying her cup, and that’s always a problem. She always carries sanitary pads to use in case of leakage. “After that, I’m always on the lookout for a place where I can clean up. I almost always have to return home in a rush,” she adds.  There’s also the problem of figuring out which menstrual cup fits the best. Priyanjali Karn, 20, student, St. Xavier’s College, Maitighar, who has been using a menstrual cup since 2020, says she has to use sanitary pads in addition to a menstrual cup on the first two days of her periods. This, she says, might be because the cup is too small for her.  “I bought it immediately after hearing about menstrual cups. As a first time user, I don’t think I knew which size would work for me,” she says. Indeed, women ApEx spoke to claim there isn’t much information on how to choose the right size. They have had to use the hit and trial method to figure out what works. Then there are also women who have bought menstrual cups but are unable to use it as they don’t know how.  “It’s natural to feel the pain or uneasiness when you first try to use it. But greasing the cup can make the insertion smooth,” says Prof Dr Eliza Shrestha, a gynecologic oncologist at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital. She says the best thing to do is to wet the cup or use a water based lubricant to reduce the pain. “A wet menstrual cup is much easier to insert,” she adds. However, like any other sanitary product, a menstrual cup may cause infection. Dr Shrestha says it’s best to avoid using it if you have a history of allergic reactions or vaginal irritation.  Every woman’s body reacts differently when a foreign object is placed inside. Dr Rijal says he has had patients come to him with problems like increased mood swings and pelvic discomfort after using a menstrual cup. He also recommends proper washing of cups, with a good disinfectant, between uses. “Though I normally recommend a disposable cup, if you take good care of the cup and sterilize it properly, it can be a good sustainable alternative to pads and tampons,” he says. Women ApEx spoke to agree—despite having some drawbacks, the menstrual cup has made their periods so much more convenient, they say.