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Rajan Thapa is the proprietor of Diamond Hill Resort, which is situated in Panauti, in the midst of nature. His grandparents, who raised him, instilled in him an appreciation for hard work and dedication and he credits that for all the successes in life.

Thapa was born in 1970 in Kavre. He wanted to continue his studies after school but due to a financial crisis in his family he couldn’t do so. However, he passed the Public Service Commission exam as a non-gazetted second-class officer. He then worked in Pokhara and Kapilvastu for a few years. He used to travel a lot and got into a lot of accidents which eventually compelled him to leave the job.

After that, he got a chance to work with German-Austrian businessperson, Walter Schweiger. Schweiger had a hotel inside the Boudha Stupa premises. Schweiger encouraged him to learn German and pursue a bachelor’s degree in Food and Beverage. Thapa was then further trained and given the role of the food and beverage manager at Schweiger’s hotel.

“I admired Schweiger a lot. He used to treat me like a business partner and sometimes like a family member too,” says Thapa. “But I felt he used to dominate me in front of the other workers. What I also didn’t like was that there used to be a sign at the entrance of his hotel saying Nepalis weren’t allowed inside. Schweiger did that as he used to think Nepalis were uncivilized and not of high class. Some royals, however, were allowed in the hotel.”

But Schweiger sent him to Germany for training and Thapa is still grateful for that as he got a chance to learn about wood carving and design during that trip. He returned from Germany in 1997 but circumstances led to him resigning from his managerial post at Schweiger’s hotel. “It was a conflict of working styles, especially with his wife,” he says.

He then joined an American franchise company, Sterling Catering, whose manager was John Matthew. With Matthew’s team he got a chance to visit Qatar in 1999 and slowly started traveling to places like UAE, Bahrain etc. “Whenever I think of those days, I thank Matthew for trusting me and taking me to different places around the world with his team. He also made me the operations manager of four five-star hotels which had over 2000 workers,” says Thapa.

However, there too, Thapa faced the same issue. A part-time French chef was paid more than him. “I realized that Nepalis were dominated everywhere and I decided that I wouldn’t work for any foreign company from then on.” After he returned to Nepal, he considered doing something in the hospitality business. However, the environment wasn’t favorable for launching a new hospitality venture. As he had the know-how of wood carving and design, he decided to do something with those skills.

After a short stint with a wood-carving business, he turned his focus to hospitality once again. He built the Stupa Hotel and Café Dew Drops in Boudha and let one of his friends run the café. In 2012, he constructed Balthali Mountain Resort which is now run by his relative. In 2020, he started working on the Diamond Hill Resort project.  

The construction of the hotel started during the first phase of the Covid-19 lockdowns. The pandemic led to many difficulties in sourcing materials and made construction difficult. However, despite numerous hurdles, the hotel began operations in 2022.

Today, the resort focuses on meditation classes and free yoga sessions as the environment there is peaceful and beautiful.  Thapa says that Diamond Hill Resort is slightly on the pricier side but tourists love the resort and are always recommending it to their family and friends. “It’s so popular that we have already started taking bookings for 2025 and 2026,” says Thapa.

Thapa adds that the focus of the resort is to provide excellent services. Since it’s situated in a beautiful area, they have managed to use the location to their advantage and promote the hotel. “You can see the mountain ranges as well as many migratory birds from up there. You will also get great views of the sunrise and sunset, making for stunning photo backdrops,” he says.

Thapa says he has been lucky that the hotel has been popular even in the off seasons. They haven’t had a dry spell yet, he says. People from the community say that the place has been doing well business wise ever since the resort opened its doors. Thapa has encouraged his family and friends to start restaurants and other businesses near the resort and even those have been growing steadily, he says.

“I was born there and I wanted to do something special. I wanted the place to flourish and make a difference in the community. So, I choose to put in all my efforts, skills, hard work and experience that I have gathered from many countries and utilize it in my own motherland,” says Thapa.

Diamond Hill Resort has only had a soft opening till date. Before the grand opening, Thapa has plans to add a sauna and build a swimming pool as well. He wants the hotel to be unlike any other five-star hotel in the country. Thapa believes Nepalis can dream big and use their skills to achieve their dreams rather than relying on others to make their wishes come true. “All we need is the will to succeed in life, free from negative or harmful thoughts,” he says.

Police have arrested four persons with a huge cache of gold and silver from Nepalgunj.

DSP Narayan Dangi of the District Police Office, Banke said that four persons were nabbed with 34 tola of gold and 10.5 kg of silver from Nepalgunj.

They were apprehended from a jewelry shop in the town. However, the shop owner has managed to flee.

Police have not yet revealed the identities of the arrested.

Police detained them acting on a tip-off.

Two Spanish tourists have gone missing during the Ghorepani trekking. Ghorepani is a famous tourist destination.

Two Spanish- a male, Erik Kasanovas, and a female, Molass Missy- were heading to Ghorepani from Tikhedhunga of Annapurna Rural Municipality-9 of Kaski via Ulleri on Sunday, but they lost contact, according to Bharat Man Gurung, spokesperson at the rural municipality.

Two tourist bags were found unattended near the Bhurungdi River Bridge on Sunday evening. It is suspected that they were swept away by the river as they followed the old route.

"They had registered their names at ACAP check post of Birethanti, mentioning that they were going to Ghorepani on Sunday morning," Gurung said, adding that search for the missing ones is continued, as they are suspected of getting swept away by the river after falling from the stream.

They might have fallen into the flooded river while taking photographs at the stream, he added.

There is a beautiful stream at the place where their bags were found. While searching, a joint team of police persons, locals and people's representatives also found two walking sticks.

The concerned embassy was informed about the missing tourists.

There is an oft-repeated quote that goes like this: “Life is like a rollercoaster, but it’s your choice to scream or enjoy the ride.” It’s a quote that resonates with many of us, and I’m sure most of you have come across it at some point. Personally, I’ve used this quote many times, but its true meaning became apparent when I consciously started to notice my feelings. 

Today, I stand before you to share my journey of self-discovery and personal growth. I did an experiment where I noted down every single thought that crossed my mind for the past two weeks. I took a deep dive into self-reflection. I made it a point to write down my thoughts, feelings, and experiences that crossed my mind every day. I didn’t hold back—I wrote about the things that were bothering me the most, what made me happy, and the challenges I faced. It was like being on a rollercoaster, with ups and downs. There were moments of anxiety and times when I felt overwhelmed, but there were also little sparks of happiness. Through it all, I learned how powerful it is to focus on the positive side of life.

When I summed up what I had jotted down for the past two weeks, I realized that life is not always a bed of roses, and it is up to us to shape our perspective and find the silver linings in every situation. Let me share with you some of the feelings I noted down and the valuable lessons I learned along the way.

Firstly, anxiety seemed to show up more often than I would have preferred. There were mornings when I woke up with a racing heart, unsure of what was causing my anxiety. It felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders, and my mind was filled with worries. I discovered that cortisol levels (stress hormones) are higher in the morning, which is why practicing meditation and mindfulness in the morning can help calm us down. By writing down my thoughts, I started to understand why I felt this way and faced it directly. I learned to take deep breaths, remind myself of my abilities and focus on the positive side of things. This helped me become more resilient and conquer my anxious thoughts.

Secondly, there were moments when I felt like I was going crazy. The daily pressures of life, work deadlines and responsibilities felt like an overwhelming burden, pushing me to the brink of my sanity. Some days, I felt lost and unproductive, causing me to fall behind on my tasks. However, amidst this chaos, I learned the value of self-care and self-compassion. I discovered that by taking small breaks, practicing mindfulness and taking care of my well-being, I could regain clarity and regain control over my thoughts. This project taught me how important it is to prioritize my mental health and find inner peace even in the midst of life’s chaos.

Lastly, there were moments of pure happiness that broke through the clouds. There were days when I woke up feeling energized and content. It was during these instances that I experienced the incredible power of positivity. By intentionally focusing on the positive aspects of my life, even the smallest ones, I could magnify those moments of joy. I came to understand that happiness is not a distant destination, but rather a state of mind. By cultivating gratitude and cherishing the simple pleasures, I was able to create a more meaningful and satisfying life.

Through my gratitude journal, I was constantly reminded that one of the things I am incredibly grateful for is my family. Their love and care are constants in my life, and I appreciate them deeply on a daily basis. They have been my rock, providing support and encouragement through all the ups and downs. Their presence brings me comfort, and their unwavering love fills my heart with warmth. This project reminded me to cherish and express my gratitude for my family, as their presence is truly a blessing in my life.

By focusing on the positive and jotting down my feelings, I have grown in immeasurable ways. I have learned to reframe my negative responses, to conquer my anxiety, to nurture my mental well-being, and to embrace the power of positivity. Life will always present challenges, but it is up to us to choose how we respond to them. I now understand that by focusing on the positive, we can find strength in adversity, joy in the mundane, and growth in every experience.

The quote—life is a rollercoaster—suggests that just as a rollercoaster can evoke a range of emotions such as excitement, fear and anticipation, life also presents us with a mix of experiences and emotions. It highlights the ever-changing nature of life and reminds us that we can’t always control or predict what will happen next.

All those who are reading this, I encourage each one of you to embark on your own journey of self-discovery. Take the time to reflect on your thoughts, emotions and experiences. Embrace the power of focusing on the positive side of life. Let us cultivate resilience, nurture our mental well-being and find happiness in the smallest of moments. Together, let us make the choice to embrace positivity and make a lasting impact on ourselves and those around us.