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“Microwaves are life savers,” says Laxmi Neupane, a young working woman. “I use micro­wave ovens almost daily. My hus­band and I are both busy. Micro­wave ovens give us the flexibility to prepare quick meals or to heat up the leftovers.” While there may be many fans of microwave ovens in urban cit­ies like Kathmandu, few seem to know the threat to health that they pose. They effectively poison your food.

To understand the ‘magic’ microwave ovens work on our food, we need to understand how a microwave oven actu­ally works. Microwaves, as the name suggests, cook food by injecting them with microwaves, a form of energy. Inside the guts of a microwave, a device called magnetron channels electrical energy from a power outlet to a heated filament, creating a flow of electrons that in turn transmits microwaves to the cooking cham­ber through an antenna.

Microwaves bounce around in the chamber and cook food by radiation heating—exciting molecules within an object—by becoming lodged in water, sugars, and fats.

The harm lies not in the device itself, but mainly in the plastic containers used to heat food. These containers contain two components that health experts are most concerned about: phthalates and bisphenol-A (BPA). The compounds are often referred to as endocrine disrup­tors because of their ability to affect estrogen and testosterone levels in humans.

They could also hamper with the development of the brain and reproductive organs in grow­ing foetuses.

Some may argue, ‘it’s the food we eat, not the container’. But according to Bhupal Govinda Shrestha, assistant professor at the Department of Biotechnology at Kathmandu University, you should care about the container, too, because after heating, the molecules holding the container vibrate, and loosen, causing some BPA and phthalates to leak into the food. The same with plastic wrappers: they tend to melt (not physically or in a way obvious to the naked eye) and drip, and contaminate the food.

The signs on the containers that read ‘microwave proof’ or ‘micro­wave safe’ only indicate that they are going to blow up and set you house on fire while cooking. They offer no guarantee whatsoever of being ‘leakage proof’, which is, if you think long term, is the greater evil.

So what should you do? As Shrestha of Kathmandu Universi­ty puts it, “Fire-cooked meals may take a little longer to prepare, but they pose less risk health-wise”.

“Where do you send your kids to school?” is a com­mon question I get from those with school-going kids. I tell them where my boys go and I see an unfamiliar expression on their faces. Because they go to a very com­mon school, not so “fancy” in other words, and thus not very popular. The season of graduation of young kids is on. Schools and parents are both competing—schools with other schools to attract more students through innovative programs and services; parents against each other to send their kids to well-known schools. Thousands of parents are eyeing schools like St. Mary’s and St. Xavier’s that provide good edu­cation at affordable fees.

The same parents who strong­ly oppose “examination” while their kids are in preschool, des­perately want their little ones to “prepare” and sit for the “entrance” exam for grade one. I find the pressure on the children around just six to go through this new “iron gate” worrisome.

Equating fees and the brand with quality of education has also created a kind of class divide among the low­er-middle, middle, and upper-mid­dle class urban Nepali families. It gets associated with status—high­er the school fees paid, higher the social status. Education is no doubt important but should you spend so much? There are schools charging monthly fees equivalent to 11 grams of gold. Has education become a new luxury good?

I graduated from 10th grade two decades ago from an inexpensive school that focused on nothing but bookish knowledge. I never had a chance to learn dance, play sports, or do anything that would make me stand out from the rest, besides my academic performance (which I wasn’t good at). I always hoped I could at least compete in some spell­ing contests, but that didn’t hap­pen either. Unlike me, kids growing up today by default learn different activities at any school, and their learning continues beyond school. They have many mediums to learn from. Internet at their fingertips, is of course, one example. Parents’ willingness to give them more, is another. Yes, working parents may not have enough time to do that but time planning is crucial; the kids won’t have their childhood back.

Nepali parents sponsor their chil­dren’s education until, in most cas­es, up to the Bachelor’s Level. The amount spent in primary or high school education could be saved and invested in higher education.

If parents spare some time for their young ones, involve them in things they do, encourage them to build their strengths, and teach them to keep their feet on the ground, not only would the family ties be stronger, the chase for a “good” school would also perhaps end.

By PRERANA MARASINI
[email protected]

The comedian duo-turned-hu­manitarians now want to build the largest stadium in Nepal. The pro­posed Lord Buddha Internation­al Stadium will spread over 500 ropanis (62.5 acres) and the main stadium will have a seating capac­ity of over 40,000. Importantly, it will meet the International Cricket Council standards to be able to host international matches. Not just that. The stadium premises will also be equipped with the latest facilities for the players.

“We already have a mas­terplan. We are looking to finalize the venue within days,” says Kattel. “The government is helping us find a suitable piece of land. We will start as soon as we select one.” The Dhurmus Suntali Foundation has put together a team of engi­neers, sports experts, advisors as well as donors from all over the world to complete the estimated Rs 2-billion project. “Since the day we announced the stadium, we have received overwhelming support from Nepalis all over the world. With their contribution and govern­ment support, we will complete the project in record time,” Kattel says.

The government’s job?

With Prime Minister KP Oli and Sports Minister Jagat Bishwakarma pledging support, the foundation has already gotten the government’s green light.

But isn’t the government, which is collecting billions in taxes every year, the right body to undertake such a plan, instead of a charity formed for a completely different purpose? Kattel laughs and asks in return, “If we do not, who will? Are we just going to sit there and blame the government for everything? The government has its own priorities. It may not always be possible for the government to fulfill all our needs. You can think of the foundation as a mediator to speed things up.”

The foundation, after its success­ful rebuilding campaigns, is shifting focus to sports in line with public demand. “Our boys have been mak­ing us proud in the international are­na although we lack even basic facil­ities. We thought, with a little effort on our part, we could encourage our players as well as inspire the youth to take up sports seriously,” Ghimire says. “Before, we were working for small communities. Now this project is for the pride of the whole country and we believe every Nepali will take part enthusiastically.”

The only fully operational crick­et stadium in Nepal right now is the Tribhuvan University cricket stadium at Kirtipur, with a stand­ing capacity of around 20,000—not an ideal venue for international competitions. Another proposed cricket ground at Mulpani has been ‘under-construction’ for almost 15 years with no final date given for its completion. Also, Dashrath Ran­gashala, the only multi-sport arena in Nepal, is in a dismal state and is being reconstructed for the SAF games in 2019. In this context, a full-fledged sports village had become a necessity and the pro­posed Lord Buddha Inter­national Stadium looks to fill that void.

“We will not just build a stadi­um but also make it sustainable in the long run,” Kattel says. “After its completion, the stadium will be operated by a committee comprised of government officials as well as our team members. Any profit made will be pumped back into Nepali sports.”

Politics looms

Capitalizing on their household screen names, both Kattel and Ghi­mire have put brakes on their suc­cessful careers as actors to devote time to social work. After the 2015 earthquake, the duo was seen less on television and more on quake-af­fected sites in different parts of Nepal to help affected communities rebuild and rehabilitate. “We used to make people laugh as comedians and we now still make people hap­py with our humanitarian work,” Ghimire says. “We do miss acting though. But right now the stadium project has our full attention.”

After making the jump from acting to social work, would they ever consider going into politics? 

“You never know,” Ghimire says. “Till the earthquake, we were living for ourselves. We were at the peak of our careers and had plenty of time for ourselves and our families. We had never thought we would be involved in social service. But things changed after the disaster. We changed as persons. If, in the future, time and situation demands Dhurmus and Suntali be involved in politics, we are ready to accept that role too, just to keep people happy”.

Tarang Entertainment in association with Live&Loud events pre­sented Pandora’s Jukebox show on April 30. In its second edition, the event showcased different bands from diverse genres of music—rock, heavy rock, funk and metal. Five bands—featuring Tumbleweed Inc. with special guest ASM, Deplore, Kramasha Nepal and The Mellow Malady—ignited the stage promoting only ‘original music’. “It is a platform, and also an appreciation for those involved in making original music,” Suyash Rajbhandari, the coordinator of the event told APEX. “The purpose here is to promote Nepali artists making their own composi­tions.”

Music enthusiasts gathered to witness the talented bands performing in the crowded venue at Club 25 Hrs. The Mellow Malady, a band, per­forming on stage for the very first time, set the mood for the evening. Performances from Deplore, ASM, Krama­sha Nepal and Tumbleweed Inc. followed. All the artists performed their original com­positions, from their albums as well as singles to an awe­struck audience.

The turnout was big. The atmosphere outside the venue was cold and breezy. But the people who entered with their jackets and hoodies on, were soon throwing their clothes away as the event progressed. There were plenty of head-bangers and ad lib artists among the audience. “I know my neck will ache for a couple of days” said Binod Chhetri, a music-lover attending the event. “But, it’s worth it, these bands are just superb.”

The first edition of Pando­ra’s Jukebox was held in Pur­ple Haze last year. In recent times, musicians and artists making original music have been overshadowed by cover singers who garner popular­ity by singing old songs that are already popular. With restaurants, bars, clubs and YouTube taken over by cover musicians, Pandora’s Jukebox is an event created to support young Nepali musicians who compose, record and perform their own songs, thus greatly contributing to the Nepali music industry. APEX BUREAU