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Located in the quiet neighborhood of Bansbari (inside the Standard Nursery near British Gur­kha Academy), Around the Corner is a multi-cui­sine restaurant and event venue. With plenty of open spaces and a luscious garden, it is one of the few children-friendly restaurants in Kathmandu. Food at ATC is like any other regular multi-cuisine restaurants with the menu offering the standard appetizers and main courses. What separates it from others is the peaceful ambience it offers and plenty of space to host different types of small events and gatherings. Be it live music or ‘dog socializing week’ or even festive gatherings, ATC hosts it all.

 THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Mustang Aalu

- Hot Chicken Wings

- Mozzarella Cheese Stick

Opening hours: 10 am – 9 pm

Location: Bansbari, Ktm

Cards: Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 2,000

Reservations: 9861631197

“In the Nepali case,” writes David N. Gellner, “it would be anach­ronistic to speak of a diaspora before the modern period and the age of nationalism.” This quote is borrowed from ‘Global Nepalis: Reli­gion, Culture and Community in a New and Old Diaspora’, a new book Gellner, a professor of social anthro­pology at the University of Oxford and an old Nepal hand, co-edits with Sondra L. Hausner, a professor of anthropology at the same university. There has always been small-scale migration to and out of the Himala­yas since time immemorial. Yet there was no Nepali diaspora to speak of because there was no entity called Nepal with a well-defined boundary.Even today, old people from out­side the capital refer to Kathmandu, where the country’s seat of power lies, as Nepal, complicating their sense of belongingness.

This, however, has not stopped scholars from systematically studying the out-migration of people from the areas that now are part of the nation-state called Nepal. As the Rana rulers had cut off the country’s contact with the outside world until the political changes in 1950, what little migration was there was limited to India in the south and Tibet in the north. This helped create small pockets of the Nepali diaspora in these two places.

While interaction with the rest of the world was limited, starting in 1815, members of some hill com­munities began serving in the Brit­ish Army, which took them as far afield as the Indo-China, the UK, and Europe. Still, before the rein­statement of democracy in 1990, only a few Nepalis had travelled beyond India. But slowly less educated Nepalis started migrating to the Gulf countries in search of blue-collar work.

Those with better means went to the US, the UK and Australia to study; many of them never returned. The outbound trickle quickly turned into a flood and today there are people of Nepali origin in 112 of the 138 coun­tries with which Nepal has diplomatic relations, with Nepali diaspora orga­nizations present in such unlike­ly places as Zambia, Lesotho and Mozambique.

‘Global Nepalis’ is the first book of its kind to study the Nepali diaspora in one volume, and what an enrich­ing read it is. Comprising 18 detailed case studies from 21 authors, the book explores the always-unfold­ing phenomena of Nepali diaspo­ra formation, the influence of this process on Nepalis living abroad and the ways they relate to the coun­try of their origin. The case studies are from around the world: the UK, the US, India, Southeast Asia, the Gulf countries, and even Fiji (where Nepalis first landed as indentured laborers starting in 1879).

Identity is a difficult concept. Whether you identify yourself pri­marily as a Nepali or a Madhesi or a Gorkhali is your choice. Or is it? In a brilliant case study from the UK, Mitra Pariyar writes about how the Nepali Dalits continue to be discrim­inated against by the broader Nepali diaspora in England even though many of them would have migrated precisely to escape the ‘casteism’ back home. Willy-nilly, the Dalits carry the ‘untouchable’ tag wherev­er they go. The book is packed with many other rich articles. It is a must read for those who want to under­stand the Nepali diaspora’s evolution over the past two centuries. Even for casual readers, it offers plenty of insights into what it means to be a Nepali in the 21st century.

Contributors to ‘Global Nepalis’: Krishna P. Adhikari, Radha Adhikari, Tristan Bruslé, Sienna R. Craig, Florence Gurung, Nawang Tsering Gurung, Susan Hangen, Sushma Joshi, Chandra K. Laksamba, Kelvin E.Y. Low, Kathryn March, Mitra Pari­yar, Anil Sakya, Bhimsen Sapkota, Jeevan Raj Sharma, Bal Gopal Shres­tha, Bandita Sijapati, Anna Stirr and Mélanie Vandenhelsken.

Book: GLOBAL NEPALIS Religion, Culture, and Community in a New and Old Disapora (Hardcover)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Edited by: David N. Gellner and Sondra L. Hausner

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Price: Rs 2,392

Pages: 580

A hero with killer looks. A decent plot. Good acting. Clever VFX effects. Combine all this with a comparably fresh superhero who has never before featured in a lead role. The result? A blockbuster that has already grossed over $1 billion worldwide. For the same reasons, at no point does the 2h 23m ‘Aquaman’ feels dull. Deservedly, the movie is well on its way to becoming the biggest blockbuster from the DC Comics universe, dethroning two earlier Batman movies. Again, the biggest strength of ‘Aquaman’ is its novelty on the big screen. The super-talented Jason Momoa debuted as Aquaman in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016), followed by anoth­er cameo role in ‘Justice League’ (2017). In both the films, even when appearing alongside other Holly­wood superstars, Momoa was able to dominate the screen with his larger-than-life presence. In ‘Aqua­man’ Momoa proves he can keep the audience hooked for as long as he wants.

The plot is simple enough. Aquaman aka Arthur Curry is the son of Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), a lighthouse keeper, and Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), the queen of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Arthur is a curious being: half-human, half Atlantian. As the first son of the Queen of Atlantis, Arthur has a legitimate claim to the throne of Atlantis. But Arthur seems satisfied with his bohemian life on the ‘surface’ and ruling Atlantis is the last thing on his mind.

 Who should watch it?

If you like superhero movies, there are unlikely to be many better than ‘Aquaman’. If the only thing that turns you on about a movie is its rich, subtle plot, then (and only then) will Aquaman not be to your taste.

Yet he is one day forced to descend to the water world. If he does not, his half-brother Orm Mar­ius (Patrick Wilson), who is the king of Atlantis, and who endlessly mocks Arthur as ‘half-breed’, will destroy the surface-world Arthur calls home. In order to kill Arthur and conquer the world, Orm seeks the services of Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a pirate and mer­cenary who at one time lost his father because of Aquaman. The rest of the movie revolves around Aquaman’s quest to defeat his half-brother, regain his kingdom and to save the world.

It’s a masterly performance by Momoa, who has just about the perfect physique, tattoos and per­sona to portray Aquaman. He does not disappoint. The softer shade of Temuera Morrison as Aquaman’s father and Atlanna’s doting hus­band is convincing; Nicole Kidman shines in her cameo appearances; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Panther carries the hatred of Aqua­man as his father’s killer with some aplomb. The rest of the underwater characters are also given enough screen-time to make the audience care about them.

There is action, there is (some) romance and, there is nifty VFX work. Yet even with the best VFX work, the underwater world would not have been easy to show. Direc­tor James Wan (of ‘The Conjuring’ fame) gets full credit for making a good fist of it. All in all, it’s a com­plete family package. This mov­ie has been able to capture the world’s attention for a reason. You don’t want to miss out.

Movie: Aquaman

Genre: ACTION, SCI-FI

CAST: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe

DIRECTION:James Wan

 Kathmandu’s favorite breakfast joint is back, after a forced hiatus. Moving from its iconic location in Naxal to an obscure lane in Baluwatar, Mike’s Breakfast is now right where you want it—the Lazim­pat road, near Standard Chartered Bank. Apart from the change in its premises, not much has changed about Mike’s. You still get the same wel­coming smell of fresh coffee, fried eggs and bacon and soft pancakes as you enter. Consistency has been the key to Mike’s success since its opening in 1988.

The prices at Mike’s Breakfast have always been a touch above average and they continue to be so. But, again, quality and consistency comes at a cost. Since it’s re-opening in 2018, Mike’s has brought back its lost customers and gained many new ones, all those who are looking to break their fast like royalty. Lunch and dinner are also served.

 THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Huevos Rancheros

- Eggs Florentine

- Country Breakfast

Location: Lazimpat road

Cards: Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 2,000

Reservations: 01-4424303