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On February 14 at around 6 pm, Base Camp, an outdoor bar and restaurant in Arun Thapa Chowk, Jhamsikhel, was buzzing with a young crowd. ‘Single ready to mingle—a speed date event’ was taking place and I was excited to take part. I have never met potential partners using dating apps like Tin­der and Tantan, which are gaining in popularity in Kathmandu and Pokhara, because I do not want to just look at a photo and a descrip­tion of a man and decide whether to meet him or not. Speed dating, on the other hand, was an idea I found interesting in that it gives you an opportunity to meet scores of single people in one spot within a short period.

Organized by a youth-cen­tered souvenir shop called Little Things, the speed date event allowed me to meet 20 men in less than two hours. (I would talk for five minutes with one man and immediately with anoth­er for the next five minutes, and so on until I talked with all 20). We couldn’t reveal our last name during the event, but after it was over, we could give a card with contact details to people we found interesting.

“These kinds of events now are popular among the youth because it is an easier and cheaper way to find people to date,” Chaitanya Mishra, sociologist 

When I reached the venue, I saw groups of people talking and laughing. There were a few who had come alone and looked nervous; they were sitting in a corner with a drink. We were all assigned a num­ber. I got number ‘7’ and a man in his late 20s came and sat beside me. “So how do we do this?” he said with a nervous laughter.

I giggled and told him I had no experience with speed dat­ing. Later I found out none of the men had been to a speed date before. The concept is still new to Kathmandu and many aren’t famil­iar with it. When I told my parents about it, they were confused. But after I explained it to them, they found it interesting.

The conversation with the first man I met started off with where we live, what our hobbies are, how long we have been single and why we decided to come to the event. He said that a friend of his had just come back from the US and wanted to take part. And he had cajoled him into registering too.

It didn’t take me long to realize I was having almost the same con­versation with each guy. But a few did manage to add some spice to our conversation. One guy, as soon as I sat beside him, said, “Let’s play a game. I am going to tell you three statements, one of which is a lie. You win if you can say which!” I lost but it was fun. As I looked around, I could see the participants laughing loudly, playing blinking games, some eager to impress and some having very awkward interactions.

Most women in the event were writers and most men engineers. Many men told me they were introverts and found it difficult to approach a woman and ask her out, so this event was a good opportunity for them. “Where do you find singles anyway? I do not have the time to go around ask­ing people if they are sin­gle. One of my friends told me that I w o u l d have to wait until s u m m e r when cou­ples usual­ly break up, because in winter, they need a part­ner to cuddle! I was not able to find a woman I liked, and here I am meeting many. It’s convenient,” was how a man responded when I asked him why he was taking part.

Abha Dhital, the organizer of the event and co-founder of Lit­tle Things, says she organized it because many singles who visited her shop requested her to do so. “We had been toying with the idea for a while but did not know what to expect. We are pleasantly surprised that it created a buzz. As many as 114 people registered.”

There were two time slots: 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm, and 56 people participated in total. The participa­tion cost was Rs 500 per person. Dhital says since the Valentine’s Day event was so successful, she is think­ing of organizing such events on a regular basis.

This was my first experience with speed dating and I am glad I went. Even though it was quite tiring to talk to 20 men continuously and I did not find anyone who I want to see romantically again, I met some great people who I would like to meet again.

Chaitanya Mishra, a professor of sociology at Tribhuvan University, says that the changing dating sce­nario in Kathmandu is a result of young adults becoming increasingly more individualistic and trying to assert more freedom. “These kinds of events are now popular among the youth because it is an easier and cheaper way to find people to date,” says Mishra.

The Na: Pukhu Café at Ittachhen, Bhaktapur, is every­thing the historic city stands for. It’s a multi-cuisine food court, a coffee shop selling exclusive flavored coffee and a bakery with various assorted sugary delights. Located right across the ‘Na pond’ in Bhaktapur, the Na: Pukhu is a favorite joint of locals and tourists alike.

 Na: Pukhu is housed in a vintage building which is a part of the historic settlement of the Bhaktapur city. It overlooks the crowded streets of Na: Pukhu, Ittachhen and lets its visitors witness the colorful lifestyle of the busy antique city. Specializing in momos, Na: Pukhu serves a variety of other food and also takes orders for birthday, anniversary or any other celebratory cake too.

If you’re looking to hang out around the Bhaktapur Durbar Square or Siddhapokhari, you might want to grab a bite at Na: Pukhu, for it is both cheap and delicious.

 THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Flavored Coffee

- Cheese Cake

- Momos

Opening hours: 7 am-8 pm

Location: Bhaktapur

Cards: Not Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 800

Reservations: 9869489221

The adventure sport of paragliding has for many years been one of Pokhara’s major attractions. But now, paragliding has also been introduced in the Kathmandu valley in places such as Deurali Bhanjyang and Godawari, where it has been gaining in popularity among domestic and foreign tourists alike.

Shankharapura Paragliding, a company that runs the sport in Kathmandu, has been successful in breaking Pokhara’s monopoly on paragliding and creating a new market, thereby proving that commercial paragliding is viable in the national capital.

Established in 2013, Shankharapura Paragliding has already catered to hundreds of adventurers. The number of tourists enjoying paragliding in Kathmandu has almost doubled in the past couple of years—from about 400 annual fliers a few years ago to about 800 now. Not long ago, starting a paragliding business in the Kathmandu Valley seemed a waste of money. But the success story of Shankharapura Paragliding has proven that notion wrong.   

Shankharapura Paragliding offers solo and tandem flights for its customers. “We have invested about 500 million in infrastructure, land acquisition and other expenses,” says Sharan Adhikari, its head of operations.

Every day, Shankharapura paragliding offers 16 flights, which last anywhere between 20 to 40 minutes. The take-off point is Deurali in Shankarpura village, at a distance of 5 km from Nagarkot and 25 km from Thamel. Deurali is situated at an altitude of 2,100 meters above sea level. The landing takes place at Patap, which is a 30-minute ride in an off-road vehicle from the take-off point.   

The flight offers majestic aerial views of the mountains, hills, rivers, the lush green countryside, as well as the city’s bustling traffic, giving flyers an ‘unforgettable experience’.

The flight offers majestic aerial views of the mountains, hills, rivers and the lush green countryside

Shankharapura’s economy has been transformed too. The increase in the number of visitors means locals have more business opportunities. Hotels, homestays and eateries in the area are doing brisk business. Further, the company has trained and employed four local youths as pilots.  

“We have good relations with the locals, who have been supportive since the very beginning,” says Adhikari. “We aren’t very happy with government bodies though. There is a lack of assistance and support from the government, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the National Association of Travel Agents (NATA), the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) and the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) in promoting paragliding in Kathmandu.”

Kalyan K.C., a BBS student from Maharajgunj, says that Shankharapura Paragliding has helped him fulfill his long-cherished dream of enjoying paragliding.  

Imran Bashir, a Pakistani student, was thrilled to enjoy paragliding in Kathmandu. “Initially, I had planned to do it in Pokhara as I was not aware of paragliding in Kathmandu. My tour agent informed me about Shankharapura Paragliding, so I was able to experience the thrill here,” says Bashir.  

Despite attaining a measure of success, the company is not fully satisfied, as it has not been able to make expected profits. Currently, it offers a package of Rs. 10,000 to foreigners, which includes two-way transport, photography/videography services and a lunch, besides the flight costs. Nepalis get the same package for half the price, and students get another 20 percent discount. Also, on the occasion of the Valentine’s Day, the company providing a 20 percent discount.

For Nepali women, cultural and religious rituals are expected to be part of our daily lives. Major festivals like Teej, Chhath, Swasthani Brata, Gaura Parva among others, punctuate the year. This year, the recitation of Swasthani Brata Katha, which is dedicated to Goddess Swasthani, started on Poush Shukla Purnima ( Jan 21, a full moon day) and ended on Magh Shukla Purnima (Feb 19, 2019, another full moon day). The month-long Swasthani celebrations were marked by daily fasts and recitation of mythological stories.

These festivals, including Swasthani, require women to perform all sorts of rituals, including strict fasting in the name of god, our families, our husbands, and our children. I have always questioned these practices in my own life. Why don’t the men fast in the name of their wives and children? On these festivals, I choose to go out and take photographs. I talk to women and ask them questions about why they are doing what they are doing.