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Ludo, the modern version of the classic Indian strategy board game Pachisi, these days comes in many funky mobile avatars. As such, it is quite popular among the youths (When was it not, really?). Every day, countless invitations are sent out on Facebook to join and play Ludo Club. This scribe, for instance, gets invited to the Ludo Club several times a day.

Perhaps no popular tea stall or eatery in Nepal is without a small group of young people huddled together to play Ludo over a mobile phone. It’s handy, too: You don’t need a physical board, or money, or any other special arrangement—only your trusted phone.

Until a few years ago, Ludo was considered a largely family board-game or a pastime for close friends. You also needed a physical board.

Sanat Kumar Regmi, 30, from Kathmandu, reminisces how it was playing Ludo on a paperboard. “Playing Ludo on an actual board had a certain appeal. Gathering of friends for Ludo felt like special occasion.” However, for him, playing Ludo on the mobile phone is also a good way to beat lockdown boredom. “It is an easy way to keep myself entertained when I am alone.”

Although the feeling of excitement is different, playing Ludo through Facebook as an instant game is no less entertaining for Regmi. Players can chat with each other and play at the same time, he says. In addition, they can be in-call with other players through messenger while they play. And as it is on Facebook, anyone around the world can play with you.

If you are conscious of your phone’s storage, Facebook Ludo is nothing to worry about either. It is tiny compared to other games and with a good internet doesn’t take more than a mouse click’s time to load. Since Facebook launched Ludo Club in 2016; at any given time, it now has 18 million active players.

Achyut Nepal, 24, from Hetauda, says he plays Ludo through Facebook everyday. “Especially, when I play with my friends or relatives abroad, it feels like a reunion. I become so happy to connect with them,” he says. He has also installed Ludo Neo-Classic from Google Play. “Though the offline game is not as interesting as online playing, I, as a Ludo lover, can go for 2-3 games in a day against my phone.”

Reshma Bisunke, 18, from Dhading, claims Ludo Neo-Classic is light in size in both online and app versions. “Unlike Free Fire and PUBG, it consumes far less internet data,” she explains.

Facebook Ludo is also simple, and the rules are easy. When played on mobile phone, you just need to tap your screen. There is no fear of catching the dreaded coronavirus from someone else, nor do you need a high IQ. Perhaps these are the reasons the game is so popular among people of all age groups.

But Facebook’s recent removal of the Games tab from the Facebook messenger app is a little annoying for some. Now, you can invite friends to play only through the Facebook app. “Yes, it’s a little irksome. But since we can do it via the Facebook app, it’s not a big deal as well.”

And you can always play offline by yourself or with friends through downloaded apps.

A popular Nepali app

Ludo Neo-Classic, an app developed and published by Jeevan Shrestha in 2015, has already crossed 25 million downloads in Google Play, with an overall rating of 4.1. It is the first Nepali app to reach that milestone, leaving other popular Nepali apps like e-Sewa and Hamro Patro far behind. There are hundreds of other Ludo apps in the digital stores, and they too have significant user bases in Nepal. This speaks of the growing popularity of Ludo as a mobile game in the country.

“At first, it was mostly people from India and Pakistan who downloaded the app. But later Nepali people got quite interested too,” says Shrestha. “Downloads from Nepal is increasing by the day.”

Ludo Neo-Classic is also customized for online playing, but it’s not available for all users at the moment. Enthused by its popularity, Shrestha is working to make it available for all those who want to play online.

Going through some travel sites recently I was drawn to an amazing array of gadgets available for travellers these days. An odd washing machine contraption which takes one t-shirt at a time because “what is hand-washing?”; a tiny vacuum to draw air out of your luggage, so you can fit more in; a sand-less beach mat, because the last thing you want in the beach is, sand… Who even dreams up these things?

Most likely on your ‘must have’ list are a go-pro camera, portable solar panel, or battery to recharge your stuff, laptop/ipad/ tablet, smart phone, GPS, drone, Bluetooth speaker, and a huge amount of cable to go with everything. With that amount of expensive equipment in your bag you might also want some good insurance and a sturdy padlock.   

While spending so much time in the house these past few months, I had a bit of a cleanout of old drawers and found my stash of ‘must have’ travel gadgets from 30 years ago. The year 1990 was when I set off for my year-around world trip. I might not have gotten around the world, but the ‘trip’ is still going.

I had four, what we can call gadgets. One (a camera) snatched from my hands in Indonesia when travelling with my mum around 25 years ago, one currently in daily use, and two found in that dusty drawer.

The one still used daily is a travel alarm clock. It sits by my bed and until the advent of smart phones, came with me on any weekend or longer trip. Made in Germany by Braun, the tiny light and seconds hand do not work anymore. It was a very expensive clock I seem to recall, which I bought in John Lewis in Edinburgh. It used to have a front cover which had a table showing comparable times around the world, but that has long been lost. But 30 years on and still going strong that clock has been worth every penny.

My mother gave me a gift before I left home. When asked what I wanted I chose a pair of binoculars. Japanese, Minolta brand, also not cheap I guess. These were used a lot in various conservation areas and national parks around Asia but were last used from the back row at the Bryan Adams concert in Dasharath Stadium.

My third travel item was something I had anyway, an AWIA walkman, the must-have of everyone in the 80’s! I just checked and yes, it still works. It’s a pretty impressive one with bass, treble and super bass buttons as well as a radio and ability to record. I see it has a belt clip on the back. So I must have looked very cool with that strapped on my waist. My best memory of the walkman is sitting on a train in India watching the country listening to Tracy Chapman. A ‘must do’ of every traveller.

Have you noticed that it is the young folks who are travelling with those other (soft) gadgets? Such as horseshoe pillows on flights, noise-cancelling headphones, travel blanket, sleep mask, travel hair dryer, etc? Whatever happened to the universal sleeping bags, earplugs and (this being my first week out until I realized no one cares at all!) standing under the ceiling fan to style ones hair?

Now like everyone I travel with my phone, which acts as camera and music player. Sometimes I travel with a very small and light laptop. Those wires and having to recharge, and finding the corresponding multi-plug for each country, are such a pain. How do other people handle all that technology, all their gadgets, on the go? 

Since 1934 the national School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination has been considered the most important educational milestone in the life of a Nepali. Passing the SLC exam opened the gate for civil service and higher education. In 2017, the government changed the name of SLC to SEE (Secondary Education Examinations) and replaced the marking system with the grade system.

For the first time in the illustrious history of this exam, the 2020 version of it had to be canceled due to the Covid-19 crisis. The plan is now to evaluate students based on their performance in other exams conducted throughout the academic calendar. But this provision has also confused many students. APEX caught up with some students who were scheduled to appear for SEE 2020 to solicit their views on the cancelation and the prospect of getting certificates without clearing the exam.

Health is wealth

Sadikshya Ghimire

Canceling the Grade 10 SEE and promoting students to grade 11 without it is a good decision. We couldn’t risk our lives by going to the exam center. As we were taught, health is wealth. We now hope the way they are going to mark us is sorted as soon as possible.

A+ hopes dashed

Anurag Sahani

Canceling SEE is not a good idea. It’s worse for me. I was hoping to get A+ with hard work. But if we are to be evaluated based on previous tests and internal exams, I will get only ‘A’. I am mighty upset. 

Precious time saved

Sujan KC

There was a genuine fear of the spread of Covid-19. Had the government not acted so quickly, precious time of the students would have been wasted. For me, it was a good decision to cancel the nationwide SEE and evaluate students based on the already-conducted school exams. I also advise the government to start Grade XI at the earliest possible date.

Stuck with old grade

Kushal Shrestha

SEE was my last hope to improve my GPA. Since one month ahead of the scheduled exam, I was studying hard and revising the whole course. So the cancellation of the SEE didn’t exactly thrill me.

Responsible thing to do

Prabha Poudel

Canceling SEE was the best possible decision amid the ongoing crisis. If Covid-19 virus had infected someone during the exam, who would take responsibility? And delaying the decision would have made matters worse for students. We have sat in many exams during our school life. Our hard work can be evaluated on that basis.

Hard work wasted

Sinoj Ranapal

It is not good. I was not as serious in preparing for internal tests and exams as I was for the SEE. I was actually studying really hard. I am also a bit skeptical about the transparency of grading. It is likely that only the students close to the teachers will get good grades in internal assessment. 

Made peace with it

Prabin Giri

I think the government did the right thing. One can only imagine what would have happened if one or more exam centers had been infected. Health is more important than studies. Though my tests and internal exams were not that satisfactory, I am nonetheless happy with the cancellation.

Topper bias

Pranjal Siwakoti

I strongly disagree with the government decision. For class-toppers who had studied well for internal exams, this is perhaps okay. But I am not satisfied with its impact on average students who had a very high expectation from the SEE.

Your personality in three words.

Extrovert, sarcastic, straight-forward

A common misconception about you.

That I am a very difficult person.

What one thing annoys you the most?

‘Tomorrowism’ (Procrastination). I will do it tomorrow. I will send it tomorrow. Your payment will be deposited tomorrow.

Do you have a song that reminds you of a relationship?

“Bol Do Naa Jaraa” from the movie ‘Azhar’. And it’d have been even more suitable if it had a female version. My husband Rajiv is the quiet type and I sing this to him. And he has to sing, “Nita jaile risaune, Nita jaile risaune,” time and again.

Have you ever tried something you knew you were really bad at?

Singing!

One fashion trend you just don’t get.

Those ‘extremely grunge’ jeans.

What’s the coolest thing you remember learning, and how did you learn it?

Whistling. I used to volunteer at a school and a kid from the fifth grade taught me. 

What’s the first trend you remember loving?

I remember I was in the seventh grade and the latest trend was wearing box pants with tight t-shirts. I still love wearing box pants.

What job would you least want to have?

A chef’s job because I am a good eater, and not a cook.

If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

“51st date.” I just love how Adam Sandler tries so hard to make Drew Barrymore fall for him everyday. I want my Rajiv to try to do just 1 percent of that.