मान्छेले नै भन्ने गर्थे दुख पछि सुख अवश्य आउछ भनेर, तर खै कहाँ छ त्यो सुख? मेरो लागि त सुख “आकाशको फल आँखातरी मर” तुल्य भएको छ । मेरो जीवन एक सरो लुगा त परै जावोस मुखमा माड लाउन पनि गारो छ मलाई – म एक्लोलाई । त्यो एक सरो लुगा पनि पोहोर बिष्णुमतीको किनारमा प्लास्टिक टिप्न जाँदा भेटाएर लगाएको । तपाई आफै विचार गर्नुस खोलाको किनारमा भेट्टाएको लुगा कस्तो हुन्छ भनेर । आफुलाई आफैले चिनाउनु पर्दा म एक अस्तित्वबिहिन मान्छे भन्छु, तर अरु सबैले मलाई खातेको संज्ञा दिएका छन् ।

हुनत म काठमाडौँमै बस्छु, कहाँ सुत्छु र के खान्छु भन्ने ठेगान नै छैन । “हे भगवान! कस्तो जीवन पाएछु, मैले पूर्व जन्ममा के पाप गरेको थिएँ र आज यो सजाए दियौ? सानैमा बाबा आमालाई नलेगेको भए पनि त मेरो यो आवस्था हुने थिएन । म त केवल पृथिवीको बोझमात्र भएछु । अब के गर्ने? यस्तो बेलामा त काल पनि आउदैन ।”

हुनत आत्मा हत्या गर्ने मनसाय मलाई नआएको पनि होइन । एकचोटी जीवनबाट हार खाएर सुन्दरीजलको त्यो ठुलो पोखरीमा हाम फालें । लाग्यो म मरे । तर आँखा खोल्दा अलौकिक संसार हो कि भनेको त वीर अस्पताल पो रहेछ । तर म कसरी बाँचे थाहा छैन मलाई । लाग्यो मेरो भाग्यमा मर्न लेखेको रहेनछ । तेसैले आहिलेसम्म पनि झिनो आशा लिएर बाँचेको छु – भविष्यमा केही गर्छु कि भन्ने आशा अझै मरेको छैन ।

सानो हुँदा काठमाडौँको पुरानो बसपार्क र सडकका फुटपाथमा अनि गल्लीमा माग्दै हिँडथें । उमेर बढ्दै गयो, माग्ने भएर पैसा माग्दै हिडदा मेरो भित्री मनले “येत्रो लाठे भएर पनि माग्दै हिड्छ्स, बरु अरु कुनै काम गर” भन्यो । अनि माग्दै हिड्दा लाज पनि लाग्न थाल्यो । देख्दा पूर्ण निरोगी छु तर भित्र भित्र खिइएको छु । तैपनि काम गर्ने आँट गरें । तेसैले आज म खोलाका किनार, फोहोरका थुप्रामा प्लास्टिक टिप्ने काम गर्छु । तिनै थुप्रा र खोलाका किनार आजका मेरा बासस्थान हुन् । धेरैलाई आफ्नो हितैसी बनाउने प्रयास गरें तर कहीं कतै सफल भईन । यसको कारण पनि मलाई थाहा छैन ।

समाजबाट म हेपिएको छु, बहिष्कृत भएको छु, सबैले मलाई नराम्रै दृष्टिले हेर्छन्, लाग्छ यहाँ मान्छेभित्रको मान्छेनै छैन कि जस्तो । म सोच्न सकिरहेको छैन कि म के गरूँ । कसलाई गएर भनूँ मेरा मनका बेदना र पीर-व्यथा । सुन्ने कोही छैन । म बिवश छु, मौन छु र स्तब्ध पनि । तेसैकारण आफ्नो दुखसंग आफै खेल्छु । थाहा छैन सुख कस्तो हुन्छ, दुखलाई नै सुख सम्झेर बाँचेको छु ।

इच्छा छ तर परिपूर्ति हुदैन, आत्मीय जोश छ तर बाह्य जाँगर शिथिल छ । म गन्तब्यबिहिन पाइला बोकेर शहरका गल्ली-गल्ली चाहरिरहेको छु, शायद गन्तब्यबिहिनता नै मेरो गन्तब्य हो ।

This bill will award substantial amount of 140,000 green cards per year to Indian and Chinese(IC) resulting in little or no quotas available to the rest of the world.

All concerned people are advised to sign the opposition petition that goes to the representatives as well as to the president Obama. The petition takes less than a minute and can be filed by going through:

http://www.petition2congress.com/5677/oppose-hr-3012-its-companions-1857/

Below is a copy of the letter to the Capitol Hill.

We are writing on behalf of all citizens concerned with an immigration bill- HR 3012, that eliminates the per country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants, and increases the per country numerical limitation for family based immigrants from 7% to 15%. I think we should consider the following points before moving the bill any farther:

- The bill is retroactive to October, 2011 and offers a 3 year implementation transitional phase when it provides worldwide applicants a merely 15% reserved visas. But the fiscal year has already started, and by the time the bill becomes a law, that reserve will be completely consumed, which means- for the rest of this fiscal year, these categories will have no available visas at all. This would inevitably send a wrong message to the employers.

- The bill proponents estimated (!) a ridiculous 70-year waiting for some employment based applicants, but they hide the fact that the actual spillover rule that currently helps the backlogged EB2 applicants and will help EB3 applicants in foreseeable future! At the moment, the oldest applications of EB2 category (mostly Indians) are enjoying the spillovers (about 15% of all visas) from EB1 and EB5 and are moving at a very fast pace.

[Source: http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/Web_Annual_Numerical_Limits.pdf]
[Source: http://www.travel.state.gov/pdf/EmploymentIndia.pdf]

At this rate they will soon reach the cutoff dates of all other countries, and old applications under EB3 category will be qualified to receive them. This will drastically reduce even the backlogs waiting time by several years into a single digit year period. It is worth noting that due to the spillover rule, in reality, some 30% of the total visas went to applicants from India and China in 2010. [http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/yearbook/2010/ois_yb_2010.pdf]

- The country quota had been placed a few decades ago to prevent too many doctors and nurses from Philippines backlogging the system. What was fair for doctors is no longer fair for IT professionals- the very group that has the highest number of H-1B frauds? Why should rural IOWA loose a doctor who reverse migrates because of long waits at the expense of an IT professional?

- Generally speaking the return migration flows appear to correlate more closely with the ease of circulation, than with economic condition in receiving countries. The matter of the fact is, the long wait understandably has not caused a reasonable return migration in India. Research shows, “sustained economic improvements in Eastern Europe are widely thought to have facilitated the large scale return migration of Poles and certain other Eastern Europeans”. [Source: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/lmi_recessionJan09.pdf]. So, at the end of the day-the real loser will be the US businesses and all the drivers of US economy.

Photo courtesy energyandmotivation.com

Finals are harder especially if they are cumulative, also because lots of us are hoping to raise our grade. We are all trying to hyper learn intensely these 2 weeks. It feels like this much time is simply not enough. If it is so for you too, always talk to your professor. Sometimes, they can generous enough to extend your time or raise your points a little if failing situations. Even so, there is simply no way we can change our grade or go back in the past month and make ourselves work harder. All you can do is study for it, now. Yes, studying at the end is hectic, but don’t pull all nighters. You would actually perform better if you rest well, trust me. I have been there. Please, make sure to eat enough food. May be, if you can, go for a protein diet. Protein recovers our newly formed nerve cells or prevents from degenerate it. So, we could retrieve more memory for finals.

If things don’t work out, don’t strain yourselves. Some classes might seem like this might mean more to your career, but things will work out at the end. This is not the end of the world. Life will move on, Semester will be over, and sun will still rise tomorrow.

ए एन ए मा आफुहरु मात्र आधिकारिक सदश्य ,अन्य र अधक्ष्यका दुवै उम्मेदवारहरु पनि सदश्य होईनन भनि उम्मेदवारी रद्द गर्नु अनि आफुहरु ५ जना चाही बैधानिक सदश्य भनि आफै पदाधिकारी घोषणा गर्नु आफैमा एउटा बृहत ढाचा (ग्रान्ड डीजायन)हो lयो फोहोरी खेल खेल्ने यहाहरुको बिबेकको मुल्याकन समुदायले गरिसकेको छ lअन्यलाई झारपात ठानी हचुवाको भरमा विघटित सदश्यता प्रमाणीकरण(MVC)समितिले गरेका काम कारवाहीहरुको नमुना यहाँहरु समक्ष स-प्रमाण प्रस्तुत गर्ने जमर्को गरेको छु lए एन ए मा मैले पुर्व संचालक समितिको सदश्यको हैशियतमा काम गर्ने अवसर प्राप्त गरे र थोरै समयमा धेरै कुराहरु परिस्थितिले जान्न बाध्य बनायो lए एन ए संस्था २००२ मै खारेजी (रिभोक )भै सकेको पछिल्लो अनुसन्धानले देखाउछ lअनि के को लागि आधिकारिक पदाधिकारी हौ भनि अदालतमा नालिश हाल्नु भएको हो ?अब ,बुद्दिको बिर्को खिल्नु होस lअधक्ष्य र आजीवन सदश्य पनि परापुर्व कालमा थिए भन्ने हुन्छ किनभने संस्थै मृत भै सकेको अवस्थामा छ lयदि यहाहरु बिजयी हुनु भएको सत्य हो भने पदस्थापना(installation) र सपथ ग्रहण(Oath ) कार्यक्रम सार्बजनिक रुपमा मनाउने हिम्मत राख्नु होस्lमे २५ तारिख ,२०११ मा म्यारील्याण्डमा अर्को ए एन ए भनि दर्ता गरि सकेको हुनाले त्यो यहाँहरुले नै यहि प्रयोजनको लागि दर्ता गरेको रहेछ भन्ने कुरा अहिले सबैको आखा खुलेको छ l

नेपालीउखान ” लाटो लड्छ एक बलड्यांग,बाठो लड्छ तिन बलड्यांग भनेको यहि हो lकृपया प्रस्तुत गरेको सबुत प्रमाण राम्रो संग हेर्नु होला र कैयौ अरु सदश्यहरुले पनि पुरानो बिधान अनुसार मार्च ३१ तारिख भित्र तिरेको रसिद सन्दूसमा राखेका छन ,बिधान २९ औ सम्मेलनले संसोधन गरि सकेको छ र क्रमस; यहाँहरुलाई उनीहरुको नामावली र यहाहरुलाई तत्कालिन समयका महासचिबले पठाएको हरेक डाक (ईमेल )सुरक्षित राखिएको छ l अनि भन्नु होस् यहाहरुले आफै कोठा भित्र तैयार पारिएको सुची आधिकारिक र ठिक ,हामीले पठाएको सुची चाही गलत अनि अबैधानिक ? आफुले आफैलाई पदको घोषणा गर्ने भए मैले पनि श्री ३ महाराज बिगतमा घोषणा गरेकै हु ,खै त् समुदायले पत्याएको ? अधक्ष्य पदमा पराजित भएका व्यक्ति कसरि उपाधक्ष्यमा पदमा चुनाबमा मैदानमा उत्रिन सकेको ? यसलाई आफुले आफैको मुल्यांकन घटाउनु भनिन्छ र यो पनि समाजले पचाएको छैन l

सदश्यता प्रमाणीकरण समितिका (Membership Verification Committee )प्रमुख संयोजकले नेपाल मंच रेडियोमा दिनु भएको सार्वजनिक अन्तर्वार्तामा उक्त समितिले गरेको काम कारवाही गल्ति भएको र उक्त प्रतिवेदन(Report)फिर्ता लिएको जानकारी गराई सक्नु भएको छ lए एन ए को संजालमा(वेबसाइट )स्पस्टसंग सदश्यता प्रमाणीकरण समितिले कार्यकारी समितिलाई बुझाउने र अनुमोदन गरि मात्र अघि बढने हुदा हुदै भ्रम फैलाउने पूर्ण उदेश्यका साथ न्युयोर्कबाट संचालित एक संजाल(वेबसाइट)मा त्यो अस्वीकृत प्रतिवेदन अझै सार्बजनिक रुपमा नै राखिएको छ ,गोप्य सूचना प्रदान गरि सार्बजनिक रुपमा प्रकाशित भएको हुनु पर्दछ lत्यहाँ पनि नियत खराब र षड्यन्त्रको माला बुनिएको छ l उपयुक्त समयमा त्यहि कारणबाट त्यो प्रमाणीकरण समितिलाई तुहाईएको छ lप्रमाणीकरण समितिका संयोजकले यो प्रतिवेदन विचार मात्र हो र प्रतिवेदनको उपसंहारमा पनि विचार मात्र लेखिएको छ lचुनाबमा पराजय हुन्छ भन्ने डरले र बागडोर कब्जा गर्ने उदेश्यको साथ क्षणीक ढाढश र नियोजित ढंगमा प्रवेश गर्नु भएका खारेजी भै सकेको परापुर्व कालका ए एन ए का पुर्व अधक्ष्यहरु र अन्यहरुको उदेश्य सत प्रतिशत आज सबैले बुझ्ने मौका प्राप्त गरेका छन l

ए एन ए मा धेरै बर्ष देखि अमुल्य समय प्रदान गरि सक्नु भएका एक मित्रले राजा उपाध्याय अस्ट्रेलियामा हुदा शंखास्पद तरिकाले वहाको नामबाट बिजयी उम्मेदवारहरुको नामावली प्रकाशित गरेको डाक (ई-मेल) राजा उपाध्यायले स्वीकार गरेको हू भनि सार्बजनिक रुपमा घोषणा गर्नुहुन्छ भने ,सुर्य पुर्वबाट हैन पश्चिमबाट उदाउने छ ,त्यो भनेको पनि अहिले जस्तो लाग्दछ l केहि समय पश्च्यात उही मित्रले भन्नु भयो ,मैले डुबुल्की नमारी सतहीरुपमा मात्र हेरेको रहेछु वास्तविकता अर्कै रहेछ lहातीको खाने दात एउटा र देखाउने दात एउटा !राजा उपाध्यायले मैले गरेको हु भनि लेखिएको बिधुतिय पत्र (Email)सुरक्षित राखिएको छ l

यो प्रमाण बिशेष त संचार कर्मीहरुको लागि उपयुक्त हुन् सक्दछ र पहिलेको बिधान अनुसार ,मैले मार्च २७ तारिख मै नवीकरणको लागि भुक्तानी गरेको रसिद हुदा हुदै ,सदश्य हैन भनि चुनाब नै नगरि आफ्ना नजिकका संचारकर्मी मार्फत आफ्ना व्यक्तिहरुलाई बिजयीको घोषणा सार्बजनिक गर्न लगाईएको थियो ,बास्तविकता यहि हो l यिनै घृणित कार्य र अन्यायको चरम सिमा नागेको महसुस गरिएकोले कलम चलाउनु मेरो बाध्यता अनि धर्म हो l विघटित सदश्यता प्रमाणीकरण समिति(Membership Verification Committe) ले आखामा पट्टि बानी आफ्ना व्यक्तिहरुलाई बिजयी गराउने गरि उदेश्यले गरिएको यो सबै भन्दा पछिल्लो षड्यन्त्र हो !

बडा दशैं नजिकिदै छ ,असत्य माथि सत्यको बिजयीको पर्व भएको र यहाहरुले धाधली गरेको र बहकिएर गरेको भनि सार्बजनिक रुपमा क्षमा मागे बैतरणी तर्न सक्नु हुनेछ l

विजय थापा

मैले नवीकरण गरेको सक्कली सबूत प्रमाणको एक झलक: (click to enlarge the photo)

लहरो तान्दा पहरो जान्छ’ भने जस्तै ,धेरै गोप्य कुराहरुको खुलासा भैरहेको छ lसिमन ढुंगाना बोस्टन सम्मेलनमा अति महँगो (अतिथि गृह)होटलमा सित्तैमा बस्यो भनि ठुलो हल्ला चलाईयो तर मेदिनी अधिकारको तत्कालिन समयमा लेखिएको ईमेल (बिधुतीय पत्र ) बाट सबै कुरा छर्लंग भएको छl बिगतमा प्रलाद के सी र यिनीहरुले गरेका सम्पूर्ण कालो कर्तुतबारे समुदायले यिनीहरुको चरित्र र दृष्टि प्रति प्रश्न चिन्ह उठाएका छन l २००२ मै खारेजी भै सकेको संस्था बर्षौ बित्ता पनि वास्तविक कुरा बिरालोले गू लुकाएको जस्तो लुकाउनु र ए एन ए लाई दुहुनो जर्शी गाई बनाई अनुचित रुपमा व्यक्तिगत फाददा उठाउनु हो l न्यायालयमा मुद्दा विचाराधीनमा छl दुधको दुध पानीको पनि छुटिने छ भनि सारा ४००० हजार सदश्यहरु कौतुल्ताको साथ धैर्य धारण गरि रहेका छन l

निलम्बितमा परेका ए एन ए का निर्वाचन अधिकृत राजा उपाध्यायले आफु अस्ट्रेलियामा हुदा शंखास्पद तरिकाले क्यालिफोर्निया वा कोलोराडोबाट आफ्ना व्यक्तिहरुको नाम प्रकाशित गरेको (बिधुतिय डाक )ई-मेल गर्नु ले नै यो सम्पूर्ण कलहको बिजारोपण भएको हो र वास्तबमा यिनै राजा उपाध्याय आजीवन सदश्य नै रहेनछन lडि सी सम्मेलनको साधारण सभामा बिजयीको घोषणा गर्न नसक्ने प्रलाद के सी र समुह ,अनि हामीनै आधिकारिक पदाधिकारी हौ भनि न्यायालयमा मुद्दा दिनु नै एक हतोत्साही मनस्थिति र कायरताको परिचय हो lडि सी सम्मेलन गैर ढंगले आयोजना गरिदै छ भनि हामीलाई बारम्बार निरुत्साहित गर्ने ,कायरता दर्शाई बहिस्कारको बहाना गरि अनुपस्थिति हुने र सवाल जवाफको सामना गर्नु पर्छ भनि हिम्मत नहुने यहाँहरुको उद्देश्य अहिले सबैलाई स्पस्ट भएको छ l ए एन ए डि सी सम्मेलन ईतिहास मै पहिलो पटक पूर्ण पारदर्शिताको साथ आर्थिक प्रतिबेदन प्रस्तुतिले ईमान्दार व्यक्तिहरुको पहिचान समुदायले गरि सकेको छ l

बोस्टन सम्मेलनमा सम्मेलन अधक्ष्य मेदिनी अधिकारी र सुन्दर गुरुङ संयोजक हुदा हुदै म नै प्रमुख हु भनि हस्ताक्षर गरि सम्पूर्ण जिम्मा लिने तर आर्थिक कारोवारको हिसाव चै कसले दिन्छ ?डि सी सम्मेलनका सम्पूर्ण संयोजकहरु बधाईका पात्र भएका छन lए एन ए ले जीवनमा कहिले नगरेको काम ईमान्दारीताको साथ तन ,मनले काम गरि अपार सफलताको साथ सम्पन्न गरि दिई ए एन ए को छबी उच्ह राखी दिएका छन तर यहाँहरुलाई यो कुराले छटपटी पारी रह्यो किनभने सम्पूर्ण संयोजकहरु धुरु धुरु रोएको हेर्न चाहनु हुन्थ्यो तर सत्य र धर्म नछोड्ने यी अनुभवी समाजसेवी र विभिन्न संघ संस्थामा लाग्नेहरुसंग यहाँहरुले थुप्रै कुराहरु सिक्नु पर्ने हुन्छ lयो सकारात्मक खबर र उन्नति देख्न नसक्नेहरुको बोलि बन्द भएको छ lए एन ए बोस्टन सम्मेलनमा आर्थिक क्षति देखाउनुले यस भित्र आर्थिक अनिमियता हुन् सक्ने प्रशस्त सम्भावनाहरु भर्खरै प्रलाद केसीका थुप्रै प्रकाशित कागजातले अझ शंखा र उपशंखा जगाएको छ l ए एन ए सम्मेलन कहिले घाटा हुदैन ,घाटा देखाईन्छ l हर हिसाब उचित र दुरुस्त राख्नु पर्छ , फुपूको श्राद गर्ने सोचियो भने आर्थिक मामलामा फसिन्छ र वास्तविकता नै यहि होl

यहि २०११ मे ,मा मेरिल्याण्ड राज्यमा अर्कै ए एन ए संस्था दर्ता हुनु पनि एक अर्को ठुलो रहश्य छ l ६-७ जना खारेजी भएको ए एन ए को एकादेशका पुर्व अधक्ष्य मध्ये एकले नै यो संस्था दर्ता गरेको देखाएको छ l२९ बर्ष ईतिहास बोकेको ए एन ए संस्था भएको कारण बृहत आशाको साथ एउटा मार्गचित्र बनाउन सकिएला भन्ने उदेश्यका साथ युवाहरुमा लागेका छन् l नया शंकास्पद र निजि स्वार्थको लागि दर्ता गरिएको ए एन ए को पछाडी कदापी लागेका हैनन र लाग्ने पनि छैनन् lए एन ए को छात्रबृद्दी प्रति हाम्रा कैयौ सवाल छन l डि सी सम्मेलनमा प्रलाद के सी ,तथाकथित स्वयम् घोषणा गर्ने पदाधिकारीहरुसंग सम्पूर्ण कुराहरु ओकालिने छ भनी तैयारीको साथ प्रतीक्षारत सम्पूर्ण जुझारु सदश्यहरुलाई निरुत्शाहित गर्नु भयो lसमस्यासंग जुध्न नसक्ने नेतृत्वसंग हाम्रो कुनै सम्झौता हुदैन र कहिँ न कहिँ सार्बजनिक रुपमा अवश्य भेटने बचनबद्द गर्दछौ lसबैले न्यायालयको निर्णयलाई मान्नै पर्छ l

ए एन ए ले उत्तर अमेरिका भित्रै काम गर्नु पर्ने हुन्छ ,चन्द्रमामा काम गर्दैन lसमुदायलाई काधमा काध मिलाई हिड्नु पर्ने हुन्छ Iहामी २०० जना मात्रै आधिकारिक हौ र त्यसमा पनि कैयौ आजीवन सदाशयता नभएका प्रदाफास भएकोले , ४००० सदश्यहरुलाई अस्विकार गर्ने र प्रजातान्त्रिक रुपमा घोषणा गरिएको चुनाब चाही आधिकारिक हैन भन्नुले कालान्तरमा यो प्रलाद के सी र समुहले कसरि समुदायमा काम गर्ने आट गर्ला भनि सारा समुदायले निहाली रहेका छनlयहाहरुले मुद्दाको लागि ठुलो धनराशी क्यानाडा सम्मबाट संकलन समेत गरिएको कुराले समुदायले घृणाको दृष्टिले हेरी रहेका छन lयो मुद्राले त् एक छाक खान नपाएका भोका नांगा बाल बालिका र अन्य पुण्य काममा मात्र लगानी गरि दिनु भएको भए मात्र पनि समुदायले आरती उतार्ने थियो l त्यसो गर्नु भएन,यहाहरुले बरु ,कसैले नगरेको काम विश्व किर्तिमान राख्ने अभिप्रायले सत्ताको मोह र भोगको लागि नेपाली दाजु भाईहरुलाई नै मुद्दा हाली बिरताको परिचय हैन कि यहाँहरुले आफ्नो दरिद्र मानसिकताको परिचय सारा विश्वलाइ दिनु भयोl जीवन भर सत्ता कब्जा गर्ने गलत सोच राख्ने कर्नल गद्दाफी यिनै आफन्तबाद ,परिवारवाद र कृपाबादमा सत्ता हस्तान्तरण गर्ने प्रवृतिको कारण जनताले फ्याली दिए , झन्डै ३० बर्ष ईतिहास बोकेको ए एन ए ,को ईतिहास, २००२ मै खारेजी सकेको भएता पनि सारा समुदायलाई गुमराहमा राखी केवल कुर्सिको मोह र बिभिन्न स्वार्थको साथ आफन्तबादहरु बीच मात्र सत्ता हस्तान्तरण गर्ने प्रवृतिको ज्वलन्त उदाहरण भर्खरै मात्र यहाँहरुद्वारा आफै स्वयम् घोषणा गरिएको पदाधिकारीहरुको सार्बजनिक घोषणा होl यो भन्दा ठुलो उदाहरण कुनै पनि हुन् सक्दैन र समुदाय अब मौन बस्दैन l

Iहामी नेपाल आमाका सन्तान हौ ,जति सुकै बिदेशी आकाशमा रमाएर उडौ ,आखिरमा हामी यथार्थको धरातलमा उत्रिने पर्छ ,देशको लागि एक पल (मिनेट) सोच्ने फुर्सद नभए पनि हामी नेपाल र नेपाल आमा प्रति श्रदा र माया गर्दछौ यहि हाम्रो पहिचान हो l नेपालीपन र नेपाली हुनुमा हामी गर्व गर्दछौ lआज मुलुक अशान्तिकोभुमरीमा जेलिएको छ ,अस्तित्व जोगाउनु पर्ने अपरिहार्य छ र विदेशमा छरिएर बसोबास गर्ने सम्पूर्ण बुद्दीजीवि वर्ग र आम नेपालीहरु एक जूट भै बस्नु पर्नेअवस्थामा आफै स्वयम् घोषणा गरि हामी नै सक्कली पदाधिकारी हौ भनि केवल सत्ता प्राप्तिको लागि मुद्दा दायरले सारा नेपाली समुदायको छबी अरु समुदाय बीचधमिलिएको छ lसम्पूर्ण नेपालीको आस्थाको केन्द्र बिन्दु ,प्रतिष्ठाको प्रतिक पशुपति बुद्ध मन्दिरलाई पनि विवादमा मुसी सारा उत्तर अमेरिका बासीहरुलाइ अपमान गर्नु भएकोमा समुदायले कदापी माफ दिने छैन l ईश्वरले सबैको रक्षा गरुन !ओम शान्ति !शान्ति !!शान्ति!!!

अस्तु

विजय

ए एन ए को महा-सचिबको उम्मेदवार

We are seeing the same situation in NRNA. This is an open secret that the appearance of Mr. Prahlad KC in the position of Senior VP was very controversial. Without any doubt Mr. KC hijacked this position in a very shameful manner. Still dedicated members and well wishers of NRNA accept him for this position just to protect the growing public support to this organization. This is unfortunate for NRNA team that Mr. KC’s same unethical and shameful strategy to hijack the President position of Association of Nepalis in Americas (ANA) without letting other practice democratic election is jeopardizing the name and fame of NRNA.

Mr. KC and his team shamefully declared themselves as elected Offices or ANA when all the Nepali communities in the US know that ANA election is still underway and will be over in August. His team declared themselves ANA Officers and in the same time ridiculously boycotted the ANA DC Convention 2011 at Chantilly, VA. Mr. KC, Sr. VP of NRNA, blamed this Convection as illegal, unauthentic and with no public support. Except him all the NRNA executives authorized ANA DC Convention and participated with successful NRN forums. Now the question is: where does Mr. KC stand in NRNA? More than 3000 Nepalis participated in the ANA DC Convention, and Mr. KC is saying the convention has no public support. Thousands of ANA members are willing to participate in the democratic ANA Election 2011, and Mr. KC and his team are proudly claiming that ANA belongs to these handful people and rest are not ANA members.

Now, it is crystal clear that Mr. Prahlad KC is a problem in Nepali community. He created problems in NRNA, now he is creating problem in ANA. If all the NRNs don’t find a cure for such a problematic character in NRNA, NRNA will no doubt face grave challenges in the near future that may lead to the formation of another NRNA in the US. It is the choice of NRNA Executives whether to get rid of this rotten potato or all get rotten to be permanently discarded.

Bijay Thapa,
2011 ANA General secretary candidate and
A well wisher of NRNA

I panicked. Everywhere I listened, all I could hear was, “My grandfather was in the Vietnam War!” or “My great-great-great-great uncle, three times removed, signed the Declaration of Independence!”. You can imagine my panick. What could I write about a tiny country which people think is in Alaska?

Our first step in the project was to interview two people in the family: a parent and a grandparent (or more, if possible). I sat down with my papa, realizing that perhaps I could get in a few lines on each of the questions, or atleast even just a word. My journey to myself started right then and there. By the end of the interview with both my father and his mother, two printer papers (both front and back) looked as if I had scorched it with black ink. My family had a story. I had a story.

Through this project, I found out about my great-great-great grandfather’s involvement in the Gurkha War, which eventually helped to unify our great country of Nepal. I found out about the sacrifices of leaving home and family, and fighting with the best of them all, the Gurkhas. I learned about the art of such a simple yet profound thing: gathering firewood. Spending time with family through camping and hiking was reminded to by both members of my family who I interviewed. I learned about my grandmother, whose independence and strength I can only hope rides on in me. I learned of her beginnings in the farm, the simple games and the simple life that she has lived through since her birth. By my papa, I was reminded yet again that when the world turns sour and gray, there’s a always a ray of sunshine deep behind the clouds.

I forget how I take things for granted sometimes. Even in current world affairs, such as the Middle East crisis or the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, things were lost. The death toll may be a number to us watching CNN, but it is real people and real lives that were lost. Spending life hidden inside a cave certainly did nobody any good. But most of all, the best thing that my sophomore theme taught me was the importance of loving your roots, because after all, you need them the most to be down to earth and have your feet guarded firmly on the ground.

Book of the Week

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Amazon.com Review: In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he’s a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then a life of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until he was just like all the other “child people,” dragged around by his desires. Like Hermann Hesse’s other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader’s ear down to hear answers from the river.

App of the Week: Cube Runner

Song of the Week: Phoolon Ka Taroon Ka

It’s good to be positive. I mean it’s really awesome to believe “There is a better tomorrow”, “Everything happens for good”, but what if it’s not. What if there is no better tomorrow? Now “better” can mean different thing to different people. But the point is how long will one wait for a better tomorrow? And if that tomorrow never comes – what then? Get mad, get upset, cry, scream, again? Seriously nothing is going to change even then.

Many things that happen is not in our power. At times we cannot change things for better. Obviously we do not know what happens tomorrow therefore there is no point assuming either it will be good or bad. It might be better, it might be the same or it might be worse. What I am saying does not mean, we should not try for better. We should always work on making things better. All I am saying is, maybe we need to take a different approach to life.

Many years back, things weren’t going very well with me. Or at least that’s what I used to think. I remember trying to convince myself saying, things will be better. Waited for sometime, only to realize – things were either the same or sometimes worse. I would be sad, depressed and was always looking for something better, or lets say looking for happiness.

Then one fine day, out of the blue I realized something that changed my life. What if what I am looking for is not there? I realized I couldn’t sit and wait for happiness. I realized I couldn’t go around searching for happiness. That’s when I took a step and took a different approach to life. I did not give up; lets not confuse my statement. I simply made peace with myself. Instead of wasting my time finding happiness and running away from the troubles, I worked myself into finding “The Balance”.

28 yrs. of my life and I am not a millionaire. I am not a Harvard graduate. I am not an extraordinary person to the society. However, I am that one thing that’s the most important of all. I learned to live my life in an extraordinarily happy way. I became an extraordinary person to myself. I realized an important key to being happy. I found “The One” person that can make me happy and that one person is “ME”.

Instead of looking for happiness everywhere, I learned to find happiness in everything that comes along. I have finally realized, nobody can make me happy if I do not want to be happy myself. Sometimes, people get confused when I say, “ I simply want to be happy”. People ask me, what does happiness mean to you? Or do you know what will make you happy? I think happiness is very simple, but we tend to make it complicated. When I say, I simply want to be happy, all I mean is I am just happy for whatever it is. I do not mean I am looking for something that will make me happy.

I have started to accept everything that comes along. When things don’t go the way it’s supposed to, I deal with it in the best way possible. When things go right, I still deal with it in the best way possible. Nothing makes me super happy or supper sad no more. Happiness and sadness comes and goes. So instead of being over happy or over sad, I am simply at norm. Nothing is really a big deal.

Life is not completely black or white. It has its share of black and white. I should probably take my words back – life is actually fair. Fair, meaning in between. If there were no night, day would not have had a value. And if you think night is nothing but darkness, look at the stars, and darkness will have a whole new meaning to it. Instead of searching for happiness or trying to run away from sadness, try to find that “YOU” inside you who knows how to be OK with everything that comes along. If happiness or sadness is the question, the only answer is “The Balance”.

Nisha Pradhan
Irving, Texas
12/28/2010

There is definitely no doubt Anuradha Koirala deserves every bit of recognition and appreciation for what she has done and because of her if Nepal is known to many more people, it is fantastic. As months passed by, I got involved and learned more about human trafficking and Maiti Nepal. Today I have come to realize, the whole thing is just so much bigger than being recognized as an individual or as a country.

Once some guy I know cursed me. That day, I came home, locked the door, did not even turn the lights on, it was pitch dark and I cried. I cried for hours and hours. I cannot literally describe how exactly I felt, but I can assure you I did feel like dying. Today when someone asks me, how does a victim of sex trafficking feel? I think of that day, and I simply say, you know what, I cannot even imagine.

As a woman who cannot even take few nasty words from a man, how can I imagine how it feels to be deceived? How can I imagine how it feels to be sold? How can I imagine what it feels to be abused?

Every girl has a dream, no matter where she is born, no matter if she is rich or poor, educated or not , but every girl grows up with a dream and honestly it is like a fairy tale. Girls dream of prince charming, they feel some day her prince will come to her life, love her like crazy and take her away to a land of fairy tale.

Sometimes I cannot sleep and I think, what would go through me if, that man I have always dreamt of comes to my life, makes me believe he loves me like crazy, makes me believe he would take me to paradise. And as I am still dreaming of my paradise, I am waken up to realize It was all a lie. I realize I have been deceived and I have been sold in a market for couple hundred rupees. At that point, I wonder what hurts the most? Being sold? Being deceived of being loved? Being stupid for believing in love? or Being alone?

I am a woman, an educated woman and I cried for hours over some nasty words by some guy. What would have I done if I was one of those women who are being sold? When I think of it, I go numb!

What goes through a trafficked woman is beyond imaginable, lets not even talk about the innocent children who go through this hell. I might not be able to know exactly how much it pains, but I do realize it pains a lot.

After going through utter torment, some of the women get lucky and escape. Not forgetting most of them are victim of deadly diseases. Yet, they get back home thinking they can at least live the rest of their lives in peace. Instead they are hated and disgraced by their own people and society. First she is a victim of trafficking, then she is a victim of disease and again she is a victim of disgrace.

Anuradha Koirala being nominated as CNN Hero does not only represent herself or Nepal. She represents all the women and children who survived human trafficking. She represents me, who believes human trafficking is wrong. Many times, I am asked why do I support her? I support her because I stand against Human trafficking.

I vote and I wish she wins the CNN Hero of the Year award. Not only because she deserves the award, not only because Nepal will be known to many more – when she wins the award, it will not be her victory alone, it will be my victory, it will be the victory of every single person who stands against human trafficking.

Every single vote for Anuradha Koirala screams against every single person who is involved in this crime. Personally I feel, when these people see how many of us are against their act, maybe hundreds or at least tens will realize how wrong of a business they are in and they might even stop such heinous crime.

If you know why you are doing something, you will do it better. Don’t just vote or ask for vote, be informed. Understand why this is important, why do you have to vote, realize how important this issue is to you. It is very important to believe in something you do. I believe Human Trafficking is wrong and Anuradha Koirala as a CNN Hero can help stop human trafficking, this is why I vote and support her.

Now “Why” do you support?

P.S. – If you know your “why” and if think it’s worth your time, Here is the link to vote. Love your “why” and keep your love alive. Keep voting.

Nisha Pradhan
Irving, Texas
10/28/2010

Related Blog Post
Anuradha Koirala Makes it to the Top Ten of CNN Heroes 2010 – Final Voting Now Open

The Maoists combatants are charged with being caught outside the Maoist cantonment with arms, seizing property, looting and mistreatment of women. However, no action has been taken against the combatants due to political pressure. Although there are enough proofs of wrong doing, government could not tackle those of Maoist cadres due to political crisis and unstable government.

Every working organs of the country, especially journalism and education, have suffered from this political instability and particularly from the activities of the Maoist Party. Only because of believing in honest journalism and writing the truth about what is going on around the country made me one of the victims which resulted of getting troubled, physically and mentally tortured and finally made me ran out of my own country.

The Maoists have formed their youth wing, The Youth Communist League (YCL) who is found to have increasingly involved in committing inhumane activities like abduction, murder, beating and issuing threats. The National Human Rights Commission has not approved of the YCL activities as they have violated the fundamental rights enshrined in the Interim Constitution, Comprehensive Peace Agreement and international humanitarian laws.

Due to the violent style of Maoist political activities and militant nature of its youth wing, the YCL, the other political parties have desisted from allying with Maoist that has led to a political deadlock. The international organizations, foreign countries, political parties have wanted the Maoists to renounce the use of violence and terrorism and the YCL to abandon violence and criminal activities. But the Maoists seem to have renounced their violence activities just in words and not in their actions.

The Maoists are still involved in robbery, kidnapping and other criminal activities, and they never showed the symbol of positive change. Criminal activities are deeply rooted inside the party. Due to the fear of abduction, journalists have not been able to write their views on the paper and if they do then they sure have to pay for that. Even more are the women journalists who have to face mistreatment by the Maoist and there are dozens of cases like this. But due to the fear and Maoists pressure they have not been able to file a suit in such cases.

The political deadlock inside the country has created a great obstacle to the Nepalese economy. Businesspeople have to do their work in fear and panic of getting themselves or their family members abducted. Most of the businesses have been closed down. The rate of unemployment has gone up. The youths are found to have been the main victim as they are obliged to leave the country searching for security, good education, jobs, and better life.

May God give these people mercy and teach them few humanitarian lessons.

Shruti Gorkhali
Houston, Texas

Image Courtesy of TX DPS

I went to the Irving Drivers License office to renew my license. First I filled up a form, showed the lady all the required documents and she said, “Everything is fine, wait to be called.” It seemed to be a busy day there and I understand the work pressure. I waited patiently for one hour for my number to be called. Finally it was my turn. I stood in line1 for another good 10 minutes.

As I approach the service counter, this elderly AMERICAN lady at the counter asks me, “What are you here for?” I said, “I’m here to renew my license.” Then she says “License?… or are you here to renew your Temporary Visitor’s Card”. This is where her attitude starts, apparently now we are not supposed to call it a license, which is not a big deal for me as long as I can drive.

She says, “Show me all the documents.” I showed her a faxed “letter of recognition” from my college, my I-20 and my passport. She looks at the letter from the University and says, “This is in Garland, what are you doing in Irving.” I said, “My university is in Garland and I live in Irving, there’s my my address on the letter.”

She gives me a cold look and says, “I know where you live” then she looks at the letter and says, “you are only taking 6 credits, you are not even a full time student, I cannot accept this letter.”

I explained to her that our university has a quarter-semester system and I am allowed to take 6 hours being a graduate student. Then she says, “I cannot accept this letter because it’s an email.” I told her, “It’s not an email, it’s a fax.”

Then she goes on saying, “This is not an original copy, you could have made it yourself.” I replied, “There is a phone number of the university on the letter itself, you can call the university and verify.” She says “I cannot call the University, it’s your job to bring the paperwork”.

For another 10 minutes she tells me how people come in with fake papers and say they are students but do not even go to school. She adds, “You want me to give you a driver’s license for one year relying on the papers that do not look real”.

I showed her my original I-20 which has the international advisor’s signature that matches the signature on the letter of recognition. She tells me, “You could have forge that”. She says “People do that all the time.” She made me listen to her complains about foreigners for another 15 minutes. And finally she says, “Well, I will do you a favor this time and give you the license.” I was shocked to hear what she was telling me, so I said, “OK”, and she says, “Sign here..” and hands me a yellow card.

As I am about to sign she tells me, “ You know what, I do not feel like doing you a favor.” I asked her what she wants me to do, she says “Go and bring original papers” and I simply left.

The way she was yelling, I felt like everybody was staring at me, I could not wait to get out of the office.

My time was wasted, I was accused of trying to show false papers, and I was humiliated.

I have some questions which might not be very pleasing yet I have to ask them.

1. How can a Government office hire someone so illiterate, who does not know what a fax or an email looks like? She did not know how many credit a graduate student can take, she knows nothing about the university system. She was even unable to compare the signatures.

2. If The department of public safety wants to confirm if the international student is going to school or not, why don’t they simply call and verify with the University, instead of humiliating a legal F1 student in the office?

3. If the fax copy was not good enough – why was I not told in the first place? Why was I made to wait for one hour? Then why could the officer simply not tell me it’s not good enough and that I have to bring the original copy instead of lecturing me for 20 minutes? What gives her the right to accuse me and humiliate me in front of all the people?

Just because I am brown, it does not mean I am illegal or I am a terrorist.

USA claims to be the most civilized and the greatest country in the world and yet cannot educate its own people well enough to know human beings all around the world are still as human as American citizens are.

The American people (who feel Godly of themselves for being born in America) need to go out of their own country and know more about other countries just so they can broaden their general knowledge.

Well, if you, people at DPS office, do not even know a quarter-semester university and the graduate level credit requirements in your own state, how can I expect you to know anything about the outside world.

After living in United States for 8 years and being a LEGAL STUDENT all this time, I have realized that no matter how many years pass by, no matter how many great people sacrifice their lives, America will always remain a racist country. If Americans hate foreigners so much, you should speak with your government and stop any kind of foreigners in this land, period. There is no point inviting foreigners as students or tourists just to hate and treat them like they are nothing while portraying Americans as above-all-people. As an international student, I have paid an international tuition which was and is way above what American citizens pay. So NO! your country or your government is not doing me any favor just by renewing my driver’s license, or letting me stay in this country. I am paying for everything.

It is interesting how American people think that foreigners like to come and live in America, take their jobs, take place in their country and blah blah, Which is true, in many cases. People do come here looking for a better lifestyle, better opportunity, better education. That is what I came here for too.

After being here for all these years, I have realized how shallow this country is! How nicely you welcome foreigners and when they get here, how miserably you treat them! For the people who hates foreigners I hope this will make you feel better – I regret coming to your country.

But since the damage is done, all I want to do is complete my studies. I guess I am very much thankful to the United States of America for letting me stay here all this time (which now seems like it had been a big deal) and I am so glad I was not born American, or else I would still be figuring out the difference between an email and a fax.

Comments or concerns – please post them below and the author will receive them.

This is originally taken from the game show, “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” Let’s face it, after about four years, we’ve had enough fifth grade questions. Let’s move on to the sixth grade, shall we? (I didn’t come up with the questions, but I did come up with this.)

How to play? There will be 20 questions that you will answer. The answer will be in between the (  ). To see the answer, highlight it, or click the right button on your mouse and click “Select All”.  As you’re going, count up the points to see if you’re still a pro in the sixth grade. Just remember to have fun:)

1. What two continents did the Silk Road connect?

(Europe and Asia)

2. What world peace organization replaced the League of Nations?

(the United Nations)

3. Is the past tense of the verb “prefer” spelled with two or three “r’s”?

(three (preferred))

4. Did Scott O’Dell write Island of the Blue Dolphins or Treasure Island?

(Island of the Blue Dolphins)

5. How much is 8 times .05?

(.40 or .4)

6. What do surgeons remove from a person’s body during an appendectomy?

(the appendix)

7. What’s the official language of the Netherlands?

(Dutch)

8. Which country still has an emperor: China, Japan, or North Korea?

(Japan)

9. ”Our neighbor gave us a kitten.” Which word is the indirect object?

(us)

10. Which U.S. President was once a movie star: Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan?

(Ronald Reagan)

11. Which city is divided by the Danube River: Budapest or Istanbul?

(Budapest – in Hungary)

12. Is a “third-world” country highy industrialized or still developing?

(still developing)

13. If you’re “in the doghouse,” are you in trouble or sharing space with a dog?

(in trouble)

14. All of the earth’s oceans are connected. True or false?

(true)

15. How would you measure the volume of a room?

(Multiply length by width by height.)

16. Is acid rain produces by carbon monoxide or sulfur dioxide?

(Sulfur dioxide)

17. Is the strip of land known as Baja California an isthmus or a peninsula?

(a peninsula-surrounded by water on three sides)

18. What people conquered Greece around 44 B.C.E.?

(the Romans)

19. Give the plural of the word “sheep.”

(Sheep)

20. Did Louis Armstrong play mainly jazz, bluegrass, or hard rock?

(Jazz)

Grading!

Grading!

Grading!

0-5: Better luck next time.

6-10: Brush up on your sixth grade skills and all will be well.

11-15: Ooh! So close. Maybe you should look over some things.

16-20: Whoa! You are smarter than a sixth grader!

(Leave a comment. Are you smarter than a sixth grader?)

Picture of the Week

Book of the Week

The Lovely Bones: Alice Sebold

Summary: Alice Sebold’s haunting and heartbreaking debut novel, The Lovely Bones, unfolds from heaven, where “life is a perpetual yesterday” and where Susie narrates and keeps watch over her grieving family and friends, as well as her brazen killer and the sad detective working on her case. As Sebold fashions it, everyone has his or her own version of heaven. Susie’s resembles the athletic fields and landscape of a suburban high school: a heaven of her “simplest dreams,” where “there were no teachers…. We never had to go inside except for art class…. The boys did not pinch our backsides or tell us we smelled; our textbooks were Seventeen and Glamour and Vogue.”

Everybody wants to be better than last year, right? I hope so, atleast. So, in honor of being bigger and better than ever before, I’ve compiled a list of things that can make you the student that gets the grades worthy enough of making it on the refrigerator.

1. Take notes and lots of it.

When your teacher repeats something like a broken record, it probably means it’s worth listening to. Always have a notebook and pencil handy. Yes, pencil, not pen. (Unless required.) You can erase off a pencil mark, not a pen mark. Also, as you start getting older, learn to use the art of shorthand, because lessons can go by pretty quickly and you won’t have time to jot down every last word.

2. If at once you fail, try, try, again.

If you’ve been getting A’s and B’s all your life, you’re probably not going to start getting 100′s on all your report cards right off the bat, because there’s probably someone who has been getting those grades all his-slash-her life and will continue to get those grades. Don’t stop, though, because I promise you, if you give effort, you will see results.

3. Learn to say no.

This sort of goes with hanging out with the right crowd. If you’ve got friends that party it up till 2 AM on Wednesday night, I’m going to take a plunge and say it’s probably not because you’re learning about deoxyribonucleic acid. You are allowed to have fun, but don’t abuse the priviledge! So, a few times a week, learn to say “no” to your friends and finish your homework and your chores. In the long run, it will matter.

4. Dress to impress.

You have to learn to look good and approriate at the same time. Just because you’re dressing for school, though, don’t wear big baggy sweatshirts and throw-on jeans, either. Clean up your looks so it’s healthy and savvy at the same time. (Something great to wear is polo shirts!)

5. Start early and finish right.

Just because it’s summer does not mean that you can’t study. You can. Nobody wants to learn during break, but it’s THREE MONTHS long. Trust me, you’ll have forgotten way more than you’ll have learned. The last month or so, sit down a few times a week and refresh your memory. If you’re really feeling up to it, grab some books on classes you’re taking in the fall and brush up so you’ll be ready to impress. Also, finish right! Yes, you have to do your homework everyday. Yes, you have to learn everyday. It’s a part of life. Just remember, the harder you try today, the easier your life will be when you grow up.

Nepali Word of the Week

Namaste [nʌmʌsˈte]: hello.
Example: Namaste, my name is Bhabika.

Book of the Week

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Shay Bourne – New Hampshire’s first death row prisoner in 69 years – has only one last request: to donate his heart post-execution to the sister of his victim, who is looking for a transplant. Bourne says it’s the only way he can redeem himself…but with lethal injection as his form of execution, this is medically impossible. Enter Father Michael Wright, a young local priest. Called in as Shay’s spiritual advisor, he knows redemption has nothing to do with organ donation – and plans to convince Bourne. But then Bourne begins to perform miracles at the prison that are witnessed by officers, fellow inmates, and even Father Michael – and the media begins to call him a messiah. Could an unkempt, bipolar, convicted murderer be a savior? It seems highly unlikely, to the priest. Until he realizes that the things Shay says may not come from the Bible…but are, verbatim, from a gospel that the early Christian church rejected two thousand years ago…and that is still considered heresy.

Change Of Heart looks at the nature of organized religion and belief, and takes the reader behind the closely drawn curtains of America’s death penalty. Featuring the return of Ian Fletcher from Keeping Faith, it also asks whether religion and politics truly are separate in this country, or inextricably tangled. Does religion make us more tolerant, or less? Do we believe what we do because it’s right? Or because it’s too frightening to admit that we may not have the answers?

Song of the Week

Carrie Underwood – Undo It

Picture of the Week

From restartmyheart.tumblr.com!

It’s not a wonder that you wish for things that aren’t in your periphery. A vision of sorts is always on the back of your mind, a better life, the grass that is truly greener on the other side. Your face looks better on Megan Fox’s body and your body looks like the amount of money BP is losing every second – with Aishwarya Rai’s face, of course.

Then there are those things the less shallow ones feel for. Finding the cure to the disabilities they still believe they were blessed with. Getting out of a halfway house, because, as many have said, it truly isn’t home.

Sometimes you miss things you used to have, as well. For those paralyzed, the ability to move, and for those suffering from depression, the ability to love. For me, it’s not that I’ve lost it, but more that I’ve lost in touch with it.

My family. Mia famiglia. Sure, I have a five minute “Namaste, ke cha?” with my family once a week, but that is nowhere in comparision to walking arms in arms with your hajurbah or hajurmah down a crowded street that smells of momos and biryani. What I miss is knowing who your neighbor is, playing “Antakshari” in the back of the two-hour long school bus ride, not getting asked everytime I say that I’m from Nepal if I’ve ever climbed Mount Everest, having friends – Nepali friends - that can actually speak the language of their beloved motherland, and having teachers that berate you because you refuse to speak English during lunch hour.

That is what I’ve lost intouch with. And the power to change that relies heavily on fate. On that note, here’s to a wish that everyone can one day be reunited with their families, no matter if you’re just missing them, or if you’ve been taken away from them. Best wishes are always in the way of those with the best intentions.

Website of the Week

Other than www.texasnepal.com, check out this cool website I found, that, let’s just say will help you get to know more about…me. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=who+is+bhabika+joshi <<<<Check it out!!

Song of the Week

Simsime Panima – Prem Raja Mahat.
Listen to the ORIGINAL song here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QSCkCvXlTg&feature=related.

Photo of the Week

Me withe none other than Prem Raja Mahat, the singer of Simsime Panima at the 2010 ANA Convention held in Boston.

Video of the Week

The Only Exception – Paramore

Book of the Week

Mortals: Hayden Roux Chronicles by Bhabika Joshi

Synopsis: 

Imagine being stuck in a world where every blade of grass is green, it’s all trimmed to the perfect size and every child is well-behaved just as their parents would wish them to be. This is what Hayden Roux has to go through day after day, from beginning to end, but what she doesn’t know is she’s about to be thrust into an eccentric place, where a very big secret is waiting for her. Her difficult life of being hated by everyone takes an upturn when she finds herself in the midst of White Grover.

While trying to fit in at school, she has the big, challenging task of finding the beloved Pearl. Through broken friendships and lost trust, Hayden experiences a journey that she won’t soon forget.

There’s just one simple question: Is she willing to die?

Mortals will take you into her world to discover the answer to that very scary question!

In our new generation, we rely on apps to do so much for  us. For today, I’ve gathered some of the best, free iPhone/iPod apps that I’ve tried and fallen in love with. If you have your own app to add to this, suggestions are very much welcome.

Facebook. On a larger picture, over 400 million people have a facebook, which means pretty much everybody has the facebook app. Why shouldn’t they? With the click of a button, all your FB media is open. Photos, wall posts, unread messages, and even ”like” pages are available on the Facebook app. This is easily one of the most useful apps in the app community. Best of all, it’s free!

Mail. This app doesn’t even have to be purchased. It is already downloaded on your device when you buy it. It is simpy the easiest way of checking your email when you have more than one. For example, I have four email addresses, and with this app, all I have to do is click it open and it checks all four without me having to type in a password/username/personal id for every single email. (To add email addresses, check out the settings and click the box labeled “Mail”.)

Dictionary.com. This app not only tells you the definition of a word, it can also find a synonym, and antonym, and a reference to that exact word. And it runs without the need for wifi (except for the reference part). If you shake your device, it can also take you to a random word. If you’ve forgotten what word you looked up last, there’s a tab for every word you have looked up. With internet connection, you can also get the “Word of the Day” delivered right to your device!

Google. What is there to complain about google? Nothing. In this handy app, you get all your google answers in a little app. Search “James Avery” and you will find anything from the actor who played Will Smith’s uncle in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to James Avery Craftsman American, “the maker of sterling silver, gold, and gemstone jewelry.” This app, for iPhone users, even has a voice command button. Speak and it’ll answer your wishes.

Wikipedia. All the world’s knowledge within reaching distance of a fingertip.

Music. These are some of the best music apps around. I will admit there are more good ones, but all of these are free. First, Pandora is a streaming radio. All you have to do is pick an artist, song, or album you like, and Pandora will set up a list of songs that match your pick and you show you music you might like. Great if you’re looking into trying new things. The second app is amazing for looking at what’s hot and what’s not. It gives a list of every year from like the 80′s and the top 100 songs in those years. In the 2010 list, you are sure to find artists such as Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, and the two biggest hits right now: Katy Perry and Usher. The third app, every single person has: Tap Tap Revenge. Come on. Admit it. It’s addictive. Along the likes of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, Tap Tap is sure to have you r-r-r-r-rocking.

    

Sunny Side Up by code poet on Flickr is in the running for one of the most viewed pictures on Flickr. As of right now, this picture has been viewed 1,510,715 times.

Book of the Week

Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter

Synopsis (from allycarter.com): When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when she faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.

Now the danger follows her everywhere and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide.  When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart.

Song of the Week

Pray For You by Jaron And The Long Road To Love.

See it here! Jaron And The Long Road To Love – Pray For You

Any where from the controversy of the Jabulani ball that has slipped the hands of more than one goalie to the excitement over Ghana’s win as the first African country on African soil to ever take the winning game title, this world cup has everyone on their seats. Who am I rooting for? The team who wins of course! I’m kidding. I’m hoping our friendly Brazilian friends from South America wins.

Cuju

So where did football start? There was a  military document found in China that corroborated a game called Cuju, played around the second century B.C. It  involved a sport very similar to modern day football; it was played by ”kicking a leather ball through a small hole in a piece of silk cloth strung between two high poles.”

FIFA

In 1904, Frenchman Robert Guerin founded FIFA. Today, it includes 208 member associations. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association.

*SPOILER ALERT* If you haven’t watched the games and don’t want to know information about the 2010 FIFA World Cup, don’t continue! *SPOILER ALERT*

The Talk Around the Block

I would love to shed some light on some topics that have caused some ruffles in the FIFA community. Please do share your thoughts in the comment section!

First: the ball. The Adidas Jabulani has raised some eyes ever mostly since goalkeeper Robert Green let go of the ball that sealed a tie between England and USA, which otherwise would have just been a win for England. And, seeing their last game, England probably need that win. You tell me. Is it the fault of the new and “perfect” ball or the fault of the players?

Click here to watch: Robert Green Mistake.

Second: the referee. Koman Coulibaly “disallow[ed] a Maurice Edu goal in the 2010 World Cup match between USA and Slovenia” that has heads buzzing. The goal obviously went in and everybody saw it go in, but because of this unnecessary move, USA tied with Slovenia in what clearly should have been a win.

Click here to watch: Koman Coulibaly.

Third: the French fight. Not only did France catcha big surprise with  Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, they caught us again. On half-time on the game with Mexico, striker Nicolas Anelka got into a dispute with manager Raymond Domenech which caused his immediate dismissal from the team. The next day, team captain Patrice Evra and team trainer Robert Duverne got into a heated argument that resulted in the team’s practice having to be canceled. Let’s hope France picks up the mess and returns to our dear hearts soon!

Click here to watch:Robert Duverne VS. Patrice Evra

Fourth: the vuvuzelas. Ech! The buzzing sound heard in the background of the World Cup games is a little instrument called a “vuvuzela”. According to published news reports, the players and viewers have been trying to ban them from the World Cup, but the FIFA President will have none of it. He believes since they are in South African soil, they should adapt to South African culture, much like the vuvuzelas themselves. But, of course, that won’t stop football fans watching from their homes to swiftly press the mute button. After all, it’s really about the game, isn’t it?

That’s all the controversies and it has barely been two weeks! But, what really counts are the goals. If you go to: http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/schedule/, Yahoo! will provide you with every score (Like Portugal’s AMAZING 7-0 game!!) of every 2010 FIFA World Cup score so far and upcoming games AND times.

World of the Week

ensign (noun): a flag or banner; a badge of office or authority; a sign, token, or emblem; the lowest commissioned officer.

Picture of the Week

Book of the Week

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Synopsis (B&N): 

The celebrated author of The Last American Man creates an irresistible, candid, and eloquent account of her pursuit of worldly pleasure and spiritual devotion.

By the time she turned thirty, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern, educated, ambitious American woman was supposed to want—a husband, a house in the country, a successful career. But instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she was consumed with panic, grief and confusion. She went through a divorce, a crushing depression, another failed love and the complete eradication of everything she ever thought she was supposed to be.

To recover from all of this, Gilbert took a radical step. In order to give herself the time and space to find out who she really was and what she really wanted, she got rid of her belongings, quit her job, left her loved ones behind and undertook a year-long journey around the world, all alone. Eat, Pray, Love is the chronicle of that year. Gilbert’s aim was to visit three places where she could examine one aspect of her own nature, set against the backdrop of a culture that has traditionally done that one thing very well. In Italy, she studied the art of pleasure, learning to speak Italian and gaining the twenty-three happiest pounds of her life. India was for the art of devotion, where, with the help of a native guru and a surprisingly wise Texan, she embarked on four months of austere spiritual exploration. Finally, in Indonesia, she sought her ultimate goal: balance—namely, how to somehow build a life of equilibrium between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. Looking for these answers on the island of Bali, she became the pupil of an elderly, ninth-generation medicine man and also fell in love in the very best way—unexpectedly.

A memoir of self-discovery, Eat, Pray, Love is about what can happen when you claim responsibility for your own contentment. It is also about the adventures that can transpire when a woman stops trying to live in imitation of society’s ideals. This is a story certain to touch anyone who has ever woken up to the unrelenting need for change.

Song of the Week

Live It – Cherryholmes

Some people are proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish this year. Others are not. Around my own school, I’ve been hearing a lot of There’s-always-next-years and I-can-try-agains or even This-year-I will-make-the-honor-rolls. To those people, trust me. It really is not that hard. You’re in a country where dreams can always blossom. Somehow, setting your mind to program a little bit less on FarmVille and a little bit more on Othello can make a huge difference.

And since there has to be a reason why I’m talking about how to do better in school, I now bring you: best-websites-to-go-on-even-if-you’re-bored,-or-you’re-just-doing-homework-that-will-surely-help-you-with-your-homework-no-matter-what-media-has-taught-us.

You know when you need to find the answer to a history question, but no matter where you look, you can’t find it? Well, I’m going to list websites that have provided tremendous help to me and might provide help to you as well. Here goes!

Answers.com

In this website, all you need to do is type in a keyword (for definition) or a question and it will provide you with the answer. Example?
Q: Who was the first elected prime minister of Nepal?
A: Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala. He led the Nepali Congress, a social democratic political party. He was the Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960.
(Help from Netra for this one!)

CIA-The World Factbook

If you want to know about the geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, or transnational issues about any country on Earth, this is the place to go. They have page after page of information about every single country and even a page dedicated to the world, giving facts about the Earth as a whole. Example?
Q: How many airports are in Nepal?
A: 47 (in 2009)

Google

There is no doubting the maginifique power of the mighty Google. It provides answers to almost any question on Earth, but sometimes, you must really search deep down and look around before you find something. Nonetheless, how many of us haven’t started our queries on Google? C’mon, we all do it. Example?
Q: What is the capital of Nepal?
A: Kathmandu.

Wikipedia

I don’t care how much people bash Wikipedia. It has worked 100% of the time for me, and I trust it. I once read an article titled, ” Wikipedia is the greatest source of information ever [citation needed].” The author stated that Wikipedia has led some wrong answers and it is not trustable, although many college students seem to think it is so. Sure, it may been an easy way out, but sometimes you don’t have time to read a book on who won the Grammy in 2003 for Album of the Year. Example?
Q: Who won the Grammy in 2003 for Album of the Year?
A: Norah Jones for Come Away With Me. (Found in 36 seconds, using a stopwatch!)

No Fear Shakespeare

Ever need help on Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, Henry IV, Part I, Henry IV, Part II, Henry V, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, any of his sonnets, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, or the Twelfth Night? This website is here for the rescue. No Fear Shakespeare provides a side-by-side version of Shakespeare’s original play and a modern version that we all can understand. Example?

Original (Prologue in Romeo and Juliet):

Two households, both alike in dignity
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, naught could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage—
The which, if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

Modern:

In the beautiful city of Verona, where our story takes place, a long-standing hatred between two families erupts into new violence, and citizens stain their hands with the blood of their fellow citizens. Two unlucky children of these enemy families become lovers and commit suicide. Their unfortunate deaths put an end to their parents’ feud. For the next two hours, we will watch the story of their doomed love and their parents’ anger, which nothing but the children’s deaths could stop. If you listen to us patiently, we’ll make up for everything we’ve left out in this prologue onstage.

CliffsNotes

Like No Fear Shakespeare, CliffsNotes helps the reader understand what something means in a college-bound book. The website has in-depth analysis or short-cut summaries. It has a character map that shows how each character relates to the other. I used this website to help me study for a test about The Odyssey and without it, my ‘A’ would not have been guaranteed. Example?
Q: What does the first chapter of the Kite Runner mean?
A: Chapter 1 opens with the words “December 2001.” A nameless narrator immediately refers back to the winter of 1975, when the narrator “became what I am today” and obliquely mentions an event that occurred in an alley when he was twelve years old. The narrator then mentions a phone call last summer from a friend in Pakistan, Rahim Khan, and unatoned sins. Going for a walk, the narrator notices kites flying in the San Francisco sky. He recalls Hassan, the harelipped kite runner and list names such as Baba, Ali, and Kabul. The chapter ends with another reference to 1975 and the assertion that the event that transpired in the winter of 1975 “made me what I am today.”

Word of the Week

Contumacious(adjective) stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient.
Provided by: dictionary.com

Example

“He was a world of trouble to you, ma’am,” said Mrs. Hubble, commiserating my sister.

“Trouble?” echoed my sister; “trouble?” and then entered on a fearful catalogue of all the illnesses I had been guilty of, and all the acts of sleeplessness I had committed, and all the high places I had tumbled from, and all the low places I had tumbled into, and all the injuries I had done myself, and all the times she had wished me in my grave, and I had contumaciously refused to go there. (CliffsNotes)

 

Picture of the Week

 

 

A Philippine soldier blows his bugle along the halls displaying engraved names of soldiers fallen during the World War II at the commemoration of US Memorial Day at the Manila American Cemetery in Fort Bonifacio, Manila.

It was the stubborn glaze of sunlight sifting in through the window in tiny grains – like a surveillance video watching my every movement – that was bothering me, I realized. I clamored over the window and gazed at the last specks of sunbeams that had lasted through nine. Somehow things had started disappearing, taking the only bright, yellow object with them. An iota of time later, the stars would scrambled around the sky like the puzzle laying out across my desk. One tiny part fitted into the next, but if you looked just close enough, a gap seperated them and gave them their individuality.

The day, if you must know, was December 31, 2008. I was in bed snugly by ten, the warmth well into its full array. People across the district were gathered amongst themselves, a chance to see their loved ones first thing in a brand new year. 2009 was supposed to bring something to the world. It could have been a thinner, more beautiful you, or a top-of-the-class-engineer-graduate you. Whatever it was, something felt desonantly right.

People grabbed magazines off the racks and experimented with their brains. They wore high heels or walked for the first time. For an autistic child, his or her resolution would be to talk the following year, while a paralyzed man sitting amidst flowers on a hospital bed may want to glide through the open air as the fireworks shattered the sky every eve. You may have wished for an “A” in Advanced Biology, and I could’ve wished for one, too. There were wishes blooming everywhere; at least that part was true.

I was only thirteen. Thirteen and a half, but high school looming in like ever before. The thought of being an adult in five more years just didn’t appear to me what a creamy chocoloate sundae would look like to a child. There was nothing appetizing about having to start living for myself. As Mahatma Gandhi once quoted, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” That was exactly what I was afraid of on New Year’s Eve, 2008, a year so many people were ready to leave behind. That was exaclty what I was afraid of: making a mistake.

I’ve lived my life like it’s the start of something new. I’ve never felt that this was the peak of my living. There was always something that could be bigger or better. 100 in an Algebra test? Could’ve been better. Twelve page short story? Why not thirteen? More than someone pushing me, I’ve pushed myself. That one mistake I was fearing would demolish chances, I thought. I was wrong. It would only teach me black from white, right from wrong. Like my 8th grade history teacher told us, stop looking for the gray when there really only is a black and a white.

It has been less than two year since that day, but I have learned so much. I know when I am fourty-five what happened to me thirty-two years ago won’t make a minute difference.What matters more is that today, even if I make a mistake, I’ve learned to release that fear and never make that same mistake again. The greatest mistake I could ever make is fearing my whole life that I was going to make one.

As the clock rang twelve and fireworks burst through the still air, I closed my eyes and whispered, “I will make a difference in 2009.”

I took chances that year. When will your time come?

Happy May, everyone.
Love, Bhabika

Word of the Week
nepal (noun)
1. a constitutional monarchy in the Himalayas between N India and Tibet. 22,641,061; ab. 54,000 sq. mi. (140,000 sq. km). Capital: Katmandu.

Picture of the Week

Taken by yours truly, Bhabika Joshi

Challenge of the Week
The definition I gave for Nepal was bland. Can you give me your definition of what the word, “Nepal” means to you?

नेपाली भाषा तथा सास्कृतिक बिध्यालयका उद्देश्यहरु निम्न छन
१ ) नेपाली भाषा तथा अक्षरको ज्ञान
२ ) नेपालीको भौगोलिक अवस्था को परिचय
३ ) नेपाली धर्म, सन्स्क्रिती, चाड, पर्वको ज्ञान
४ ) योग तथा ध्यानको अभ्यास र यसको फाइदाहरु

यी उल्लेखित उद्देश्यहरु प्राप्तिका लागि हाम्रा अभिभावकहरु तथा volunteer मित्रहरु हरेक शनिबार नेपाली स्कूलमा दिनको १२ बजे देखी २ बजे सम्म जम्मा हुन्छन | नेपाली स्कूलको शुरुवात हरेक हप्ता नेपाली राष्ट्रिय गान बाट हुन्छ | यस पश्चात हाम्रा volunteer साथीहरु द्वारा योग तथा व्यायम सिकाउनु हुन्छ | केही समय देखी हाम्रा विधार्थी भाई बहिनिहरुद्वारा नै योग तथा ध्यान को अभ्यास गराउदै आएक छन |लगभग ४५ मिनेटको योग तथा ब्यायाम पछी १५ मिनेटको ध्यान गराइन्छ | योग तथा ध्यान गर्न सपूर्ण बाल बालिका र अभिभावकहरु धेरै उत्साहका साथ भाग लिन्छन |

आफ्नो देशको सन्स्क्रिती, कला र पर्बहरु बचाइ राख्नको लागि नेपाली स्कूलले विभिन्न कार्यक्रमहरुको आयोजना गरिरहेको हुन्छ जस्तो कि गुरु पुर्णिमा, सरस्वती पूजा, होली पुर्णिमा, शिवरात्री, बुद्ध जयन्ती का साथ साथे कवी गोष्ठीका र कबिता वाचन | मलाई लाग्छ हाम्रा यी बाल बालिकहरु यो बिदेशी भूमीमा रहेर पनि आफ्नो देशको सबै चाड, पर्व तथा सन्स्कृतिबाट नजिकिएका छन | नेपाली स्कूलमा आएर मैले नि धेरै कुराहरु सिक्न पाएको छु | हरेक कार्यक्रमहरुमा हाम्रा अभिभावकहरुबाट विद्यार्थीहरुलाई खाना तथा स्न्याक्स का लागि देखाएको उत्साह सर्हानिय छ |
डा. चिन्तामणी योगीज्यूले जहिले आफ्नो भमणमा डालसवासिको तारिफ गर्नु हुन्छ भन्नु हुन्थ्यो यदी तपाईं डालसमा हुनुहुन्छ र आफ्नो छोराछोरिहरु नेपाली स्कूलमा जान्छन भने ढुक्क हुनुस् | वहाँको नेत्रित्वमा पछील्लो २ वर्षको समर क्याम्पबाट हाम्रा बाल बच्चाहरुले धेरै कुराहरु सिक्ने मौका पाए | वहाँले सिकाउनु भएको बिहानी मन्त्र, भोजन मन्त्र र रात्री मन्त्रहरु आज सम्म पनि हाम्रा बच्चाहरु सबैको घरमा पालन गरी रहेका छन | यस बाहेक समर क्याम्प बाट हामी अभिभावकहरुले समेट धेरै सिक्ने मौका पाएका छन |

हाम्रा सिमित स्रोत र साधनका वावजुद पनि नेपाली स्कूल आफ्नै गतिले अगाडि बढीरहेको छ | तर हामीले सोचएको जस्तो राम्रो भएको छैन, हामी अहिले सम्म क ख ग मै सिमित छौ | यसको लागि हामीलाई योग्य शिक्षकहरु तथा भोलेन्टरहरुको खाचो छ | कोही साथीहरुले जिस्काउछन, यो बिदेशी भूमीमा नेपाली स्कूलको औचीत्य के भनेर? जवाफ त धेरै छन तर जवाफ दिएर हिंड्नु भन्दा नि यहाँ नेपाली स्कूल नमूना को रूपमा बिकास गरी देखाउने हामी सबैको धोको छ | तेसैले हरेक शनिबार छोरालाई लिएर नेपाली स्कूल जान्छु, मनमा धेरै आशा र सपनाहरु लिएर | छाती फुलेर आउछ जव छोराले क ख ग पढेको सुन्दा अनी कम्प्युटरमा समाचार पढ्दा छोराले पनि नेपाली पढ्न कोशीस गरेको देख्दा मेरा सबै निरशाका बादलहरु हटेर अर्को शनिबारको पर्खाइमा हुन्छु | धेरै अभिभावकहरुको गुनासो नि सुन्ने गरेको छु, नेपाली स्कूलमा केही सिकेन भनेर | एक छिन सोचउ हप्तामा १ घन्टाले हाम्रो बच्चाहरु ले के सिक्लान ? तर सबै अभिभावकहरु पनि आफ्नो घरमा नेपाली भाषा तथा हाम्रो सन्स्कृतिको महत्व बारे बुझाउन कोशीश गर्‍यो भने होस्टेमा हैसे हुनेछ | तेसैले आउनुस् हामी सबै मिलेर आफ्ना बाल बालिकाको भविश्यको लागि नेपाली हुनु को गर्व र परिचय दिउ ताकी भविश्यमा उनिहरु आफ्नो शिर उचालेर आफ्नो सगरमाथा र बुद्धको देशको परिचय दिन सकोस | जसरी सबै मिलेर नेपाली मन्दिरको लागि जग्गा किन्न सफल भएका छौ त्यसरी नै हामी सब मिल्यो भने हाम्रो स्कूल विश्वमा नमूना बन्नेमा दुई मत हुन सक्दैन |

अन्तमा, डा. चिन्तामणी योगी ज्यू ले भन्नु भएको कुरा याद आउछ, हामी बिदेशमा बसेर नेपालको लागि केही गर्न नसके पनि आफ्ना केटाकेटिको अगाडि नेपाल खत्तम छ वा नेपालको बारेमा नकारात्मक कुराहरु नगरि दिनु होला | हामी सब आफ्नो बाल बालिकाको निम्ती चिन्तित छौ | तसर्थ नेपाली स्कूलमा आफ्ना बच्चाहरु ल्याउन नसकेता पनि भिडियो गेम र टि भि को समयलाई अली कटौती गरी आफ्ना बाल बालिका सँग नेपाली गीत गाऔ र नेपाली अक्षरहरुको गेम खेलौ |

धन्यवाद

स्वयम्भू शाक्य
प्रिन्सिपल

Yes, there is actually a reason why my blog is entitled “qwerty.doc” this week. Let’s be serious, here. How many of you guys have ever titled your word document “jshvdjskh”?

*raises hand* It’s okay. You’re not alone. We usually end up typing random gibberish because we can’t think up of a title. This is the same if you’re writing a book, writing an essay, or writing a research paper. The title is, definitely, one of the most important aspects of writing. When you’re scanning books to read, does your eye inflict on 1000 Ways To Quickly Write An Essay or perhaps 10 Smart and Simple Tips On Writing? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you’re finding out how to do something in an easier way, that you go search up a book that looks simple and sweet.

I know, I know. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Let’s be real here, though. In the 21st century, we want the cover to eye-appealing. So, today, my mission is to make sure you have an easier time naming things.

The first thing you should consider while naming something is the main subject. If you’re writing an essay about a new book you just read that’s title Three Little Words, then your essay may be titled “Reflections on Three Little Words”. Simple? It really, really is.

Say you have no idea on what the title should be and you’re in a random need of a word. I’ve got two solutions. The first one I learned in fourth grade when we had a published author come and visit our elementary school. She told us to go to a magazine and find a word. This word could be the title, name of a character, setting, etc. For your convienience, let me go grab a magazine and turn to a random page. Here is what I’ve found on Page 25 of a random U.S. News magazine.

Title: Lunesta

Time: Morning

Motto: A great tomorrow start tonight.

Wondering what the page was about? Lunesta, the sleeping pill:) Of course, maybe opening up to a random page might give you weird results, but nevertheless it’s a good thing to pass time with. Next, another way to come up with a title is by googling “Random Word”. It works. Here’s the first website it came up with: http://watchout4snakes.com/creativitytools/RandomWord/RandomWordPlus.aspx.

I am on that website. Okay, it’s asking me to list the word type and the complexity. Let’s go with… Adverb and Very Uncommon. What’s my random word? Drum roll…ANDANTINO! Now, tell me that you wouldn’t read a book with the title “Andantino.” They also have Random Sentence and Random Paragraph generators in this website if you ever need entertainment. Here are my sentences and paragraphs:

Sentence: A liquor deeds the algorithm across the touched slave.

Paragraph: Should the ranged award affect Susie? The tragedy blacks a dialect across the guiding triumph. Susie contours Bob. Why won’t Susie imprison Bob?

Hmm…quite fun. Now, if you’re writing a story and you need a name, you can find a name generator on this exact website! Let’s find a name…from the 1850 census (♪We can’t move forward, until you mail it back!♪), a female’s first name, atleast four letters, up to seven letters long, does not being with “F”, and ends with “A”. Here are the top 25 names:

LINDA , BARBARA , MARIA , LISA , SANDRA , DONNA , LAURA , JESSICA , CYNTHIA , ANGELA, MELISSA , BRENDA , ANNA , REBECCA , PAMELA , MARTHA , DEBRA , AMANDA , TERESA , GLORIA , THERESA , ANDREA ,  SARA , WANDA , and JULIA.

Again, this website is: http://watchout4snakes.com/CreativityTools/Main/Main.aspx. If it isn’t helpful enough, there are 27,900,000 results for random word on Google. Hope all your “naming” endevours go perfect!

Word of the Week
Andantino (adv.)
1. slightly faster than andante —used as a direction in music.

Picture of the Week

Boulevard du Temple, taken by Louis Daguerre. This is the first ever photograph of a person/people. (They are along the sidewalk.)

Events

April is Austism Month. Show your support for the cure of autism by wearing blue.

Movies

New movies that came out this past Friday were: Clash of the Titans, The Last Song, Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?, The Greatest, Leaves of Grass, and The Warlords. If you’ve seen them, be sure to tell me if you liked them or not!

१०४ बर्से राणा शासन ढलेपछी २००७ सालको क्रान्ति पछी बिस्तारै धेरै थोरै जनतामा चेतनाको बिकास भयो । आन्दोलनकै रुपमा बिकास हुन नसके पनि २०४६ साल सम्म आइपुग्दा नेपाली समाज मन्द गतिमा रुपान्तरणको प्रकृयामा थियो । राजा र सम्भ्रान्त बर्ग र कथित उपल्लो जातको चाहना नहुँदा नहुँदै पनि शिक्षामा बढ्दै गएको पहुच, चेतना र अन्तररास्ट्रिय प्रभाबले तल्लो भनिने जातिका मान्छेहरु पनि शासनको वरीपरी कताकती देखिन थाले । समाजमा रहेको असमानता हटाउने, सबैलाई समान अबसर प्रदान गर्ने, उनिहरुका जातिय र क्षेत्रिय बिभेद जरै देखी अन्त्य गर्ने भन्दा पनि केही टाठा जनजाती वा दलितका नेतालाई पद र पैसामा भुल्यायर समस्यालाई अल्पकालिन रुपमा समाधान गर्ने प्रयत्न गरियो । त्यही ब्यक्ती छानेर पीडित जनताका आवाजहरु मत्थर पार्ने सिल्सिलामा थुप्रै जनजातिका र केही दलित नेताहरु समेत राजनीतिमा देखा परेको देखिन्छ । फोहोर सफा नगरी लाम्खुट्टे नियन्त्रण गरेर समस्या समाधान गर्ने प्रब्रिती जस्तै त्यो बर्ग माथिको भेदभावलाई कायमै राखी आफ्नो अभिस्ट पुरा गर्ने तर्फ सत्तासिनहरु लागे । तर बागमतिमा धेरै पानी बगिसकेको थियो । त्यस्तै चेतनाको फल्स्वरुप २०४६ सालको जन आन्दोलन सफल भयो । उक्त आन्दोलनमा हरेक तह, तप्का र बर्गका जनताले उत्साहपुर्बक भाग लिए । उनिहरु सबैले उक्त आन्दोलनलाई आफ्नै मुक्ती आन्दोलनको रुपमा सम्झेका थिए । जनताको त्यो अपार समर्थन र सहभागीतामा भएको आन्दोलनले पञ्चायत बिदा भयो । यहाँ सम्म आइपुग्दा बिद्रोह गर्ने अवस्थामा नपुगे पनि पिछडिएका जाती र बर्गमा आफ्नो हक र अधिकार प्रती अनौठो जागरण पैदा भईसकेको थियो ।

जातिय बिभेदको सिकार बनेका दलित र जनजाती, भेदभाव र क्षेत्रिय उत्पिडनको सिकार बनेका तराइबासी र कर्णालीबासिले सोचे अनुरुप २०४६ सालपछी पनि परिवर्तन भएन । न दलित माथि हुने अमानबिय व्यबहारमा परिवर्तन आयो न त क्षेत्रिय असन्तुलनको अन्त्य नै । फल्स्वरुप समाजमा निराशा उत्पन्न हुन थाल्यो । समाजमा बिद्यमान यिनै अन्याय र सत्ताधारिहरुको अकर्मन्यता र अन्त्रद्वन्दको फेरो समातेर माओवादी आन्दोलन सुरु भयो । माओवादीका असल र जनप्रिय कामले भन्दा पनि शासकहरुका कृयाकलाप र सामाजिक बिभेदले उक्त युद्ध फस्टायो । माओवादीको उपयोगीताबादी निति थाहा पाए पछी कतिपय माओवादी बाट छुट्टीयर त कतिपय आफ्नै हिसाबले जातिय र क्षेत्रिय मुक्तीको लागी शशस्त्र र निशस्त्र आन्दोलनहरु सुरु गरिए । समाज एक किसिमले बिखण्डित हुने खालका गतिबिधी हरु हुन थाले पछी जाती जाती बिच लडाईं नै भई नसके पनि तिक्तता बढेको छ । तराइ टुक्रिने देखी जातिय सन्तुलन भत्किएर गृहयुद्धको समेत खतरा देख्नेहरुको सङ्ख्या कमी छैन । लौ बर्बाद भयो, बाँच्न गाह्रो भयो, उपद्रो भयो जस्ता कुरा मिडियामा, चोक गल्ली र चिया पसलमा पढ्न, सुन्न र देख्न पाईन्छ ।

हो यस्ले समाजमा केही खल्बली ल्याउन सक्छ, तनाब ल्याउन सक्छ र सही समाधान हुन सकेन भने जातिय युद्धको समेत खतरा हुन सक्छ । दलित, जनजाती र पिछडिएका बर्गको माग लाई सही रुपमा सम्बोधन गरिएन भने समाज पक्कै बिखण्डित हुने खतरा ईतिहासमा सबभन्दा अहिले बढी छ । उठेको चेतनाको स्तर र लग्भग सबैको हातमा पुगेको हतियारको कारण त्यो स्थिती नहोला भन्न सकिन्न । त्यस्तो स्थितिबाट रोक्नको लागि सर्बपक्षिय, सर्बदलिय र सर्बमान्य सम्रचना खडा गरिनु पर्दछ जस्ले देशभित्रका सबै जात जाती बर्ग र क्षेत्रका जनताको अवाज र जायज मागहरु सम्बोधन गर्न सक्ने सर्बाधिकार पाएको होस् । सबैका जायज माग हरुलाई अग्रगामी सोच सहीत अनुमोधन गर्ने र नाजायज, बिखण्डनबादी र अतिबादी सोचलाई अस्विकार गर्ने हिम्मत सबैमा हुनु पर्दछ । अर्कोतिर समाजमा बाहुन क्षेत्रिहरुको सङ्ख्या र योगदानलाई नजरन्दाज गरिनु हुन्न । २१औ सताब्दिमा पनि खाली जातिय कुरा निकालेर सम्पूर्ण समस्या समाधान नहुन सक्छ । बिगतमा वा पुर्खाहरुबाट अन्जानमा वा नियतबसनै गरिएका गल्ती भए पनि त्यस्को सजाय अहिलेको पिढिले भोग्नु पर्ने अवस्था आउनु हुँदैन । एउटा पक्षलाई अधिकारसम्पन्न बनाउदा अर्को पक्षको हित बिपरित हुनु हुन्न भन्ने हेक्का राखिएन भने त्यस्ले अर्को बिद्रोह निम्त्याउन सक्छ जुन राष्ट्र र आम जनताको लागि हित्कर हुन सक्दैन । गलत परम्परा त्यागिनु नै पर्छ, अन्याय र अत्याचार बन्द गरिनु नै पर्छ, जातिय बिभेद अन्त्य हुनै पर्छ, क्षेत्रिय असमानता निमिट्यान्न पारीनु पर्छ जस्बाट सबै जात जाती र जनताको समान अधिकार स्तापित होस् । जाती जाती बिचको सद्भाव ब्रिद्धी होस्, समाजमा सबै अटाउन् । कसैले पेलिएको वा हेपिएको महसुस गर्नु नपरोस् सबैको चाहना यत्ती हो । आधुनिक नेपाली युबाहरुको आबाज यही हो जुनसुकै जात वा समुदायका भए पनि । तर ईतिहासमा पुर्खाहरुले गरेको गल्तीलाई कोट्ट्याएर सचेत नयाँ पिढिमाथी रिस पोख्नु पक्कै जायज मान्न सकिन्न । आउनुहोस् बिर्सौ पुराना कुरा, नयाँ ईतिहास रचेर नयाँ नेपाल निर्माण गरौ जहाँ सबै बाँच्न पाइयोस, सबै हास्न पाइयोस् अनी सबै नाच्न पाइयोस् । बिद्वेस, अपमान र घ्रिणाको गर्हौ भारी बोकेर शान्त, सुशिल र सभ्य नेपाल कदापी बन्न सक्दैन । सबैलाई चेतना होस् ।

लेखनाथ गौतम
यु यस ए

ढुङ्गाले छाएको घर अनी त्यस्को अघिल्तिर खरले छाएको गोठ छ । गोठ्मा दुई वटा भैंसी र दुई वटा पाडी छन् । सोत्तर नहालेर भैंसी गोबरको हिलोमा गडेका छन् । घास खान नपाएर भैंसीको पेट सारङ्गी झै खोक्रो र दुब्लाएर पछील्लो हड्डिमा ठेकी झुन्ड्याउन मिल्ने जस्तै भएका छन् । ति प्राणिहरुको सुसारे भनौ गोठाल्नी पम्फा हो । उस्को उमेर १३ बर्ष छ । कक्षा आठमा पढ्छे । पढाईमा त्यो तेज होइन तर डमी पनि छैन । काम सँग सँगै मिहिनेत गरेर पढ्छे । घरको सबै काम उस्ले नै गर्नु पर्छ । उस्का बाबु प्राय बिरामी परीरहन्छन् । त्यसैले घरको व्यबहार आमाले चलाऊछिन् । पम्फा बिहान सबेरै ५ बजे उठिसक्छे । पहाडको चिसो सिरेटोमा र मिर्मेरे उज्यालोमा पधेरोमा पानी लिन जान्छे । त्यस्पछी घर बढार्नु, गोबर फाल्नु, भैंसीलाई घास हाल्नु, घर लिपपोत गर्नु, घरमा सबैलाई चिया पकाएर खुवाउनु उस्को नित्य दिन्चर्या हो ।

गाउले र पहाडी जिबन सैली अली कठोर हुन्छ । उकाली ओराली र घास दाउरा गर्दा मान्छे थकित मात्र होइन स्वस्थ पनि हुन्छ । काम गर्दा र स्कुल जादा गरी लगाउने उस्को दुई जोड लुगा छन् । बस् त्यत्ती हो । जाडो हुनाले नुहाउन उस्लाई डर लाग्छ । त्यही महिनामारी हुँदाको तेस्रो दिन बाध्यताबस जेनतेन नुहाउछे । अरु समयमा उस्को शरीरबाट एक प्रकारको गन्ध आउछ । आमा बुवा जाडोमा पनि दैनिक स्नान गर्ने अनी पूजापाठ गर्ने गर्नु हुन्छ । पटक पटक उसकी आमाले नुहा भनेर हप्काउछिन् तर उस्ले टेर पुच्छर लाउदिन । एउटा कुरा भन्दा सात वटा कुरा फर्काउन बेर लाउदिन । गाउमा सबैले उस्लाई “लाटी” भनेर बोलाउछन् । पम्फा प्राय कसै सँग बोल्दिन ।

दिन बित्दै गए । पम्फा १६ पुगी । उस्को एस.एल.सी परिक्ष्या पनि सिद्दियो । पारीक्ष्याफल निस्कदा दोश्रो श्रेणिमा पास भइछ पम्फा । उस्को खुशीको सिमा रहेन । गाउमै एस.एल.सी पास गर्ने पम्फा पहिलो केटी हो । आफन्त मात्र होइन गाउँनै खुशी भयो उस्को सफलतामा । तर पम्फा गम्भिर बनी । उ अरु पढ्न चाहन्थी । तर अफसोच गाउमा उच्च शिक्षा पढ्ने कलेज थिएन । उस्लाई शहर जानु पर्ने भयो । उस्का भाई बहिनी सानै छन् । आमाले लैनो भैंसी बेचेर छोरी पढाउन पठाउने भईन् शहरमा । बिस्तारै जाने दिन आयो । चम्पा नुहाइ धुवाइ नयाँ कुर्ता सुरुवाल लगाएर तयार भइ । उ गाउको चिसो पानी र सुद्ध हावापानिले हर्लक्कै जवान भईसकी छ । पम्फा गएको हेर्दै गर्दा उस्का बुवाआमा हर्शित मात्र होइन जवान छोरी बिरानो ठाउमा के गर्ली भनेर चिन्तित भए । तैपनी ठुला बुवा आमा शहरमै भएकोले चित्त बुझाए । पम्फा बाटो लागी ।

पाच छ घण्टाको पैदल हिडाइ पछी थोत्रो बस चढेर पम्फा शहर पुगी अनी पढाईमा लागि । क्रमश पढाई अगाडी बढाउदै लगी । एक्दिन अचानक ऐनामा आँफैलाई देखेर छक्क परी । गोरो जिउडाल, बाटुलो अनुहार र माथि उठेका नितम्ब देखेर भुतुक्क भई । आफ्नो जवानी देखेर उस्लाई कस्तो कस्तो लाग्यो । मनमा अनौठो भावना जाग्यो । उस्ले बल्ल आज जवान भएको महसुस गरी । आजसम्म उस्लाई यस्तो कहिल्यै भएको थिएन । पहिले पनि मनमा अनौठा इक्ष्या र आकान्क्ष्या पैदा हुन्थे तर बुवा आमाको सपना अनी आफ्नो भबिस्यको लक्ष्य सम्झेर आफुलाई सम्हाल्थी । तर उस्लाई आज अचम्मको अनुभव भईरहेको थियो । त्यस्दिन पछी पम्फा जो शहरमा पुगे पछी पल्लबी बनेकी थिइ केटाहरु प्रती आकर्सित हुन थाली । कलेज मा सँगै पढ्ने रमेश सँग उस्को हिम्चिम बढ्न थाल्यो । केटाले गर्ल फ्रेण्ड र केटीले बोइ फ्रेण्ड बनाउनै पर्ने फेसन रहेको जमानामा उस्ले पनि एउटा रोजी । शहरको हावापानी र संगतले उस्मा पढेर राम्रो लोग्ने पाउने धारणा पुरै बदलिएको छ । अब उस्ले आँफै केही गर्नु पर्छ भन्ने सोचाइ बनाउन थालिसकेकी छ । पम्फा नामले मात्र होइन व्यबहारमै पनि पल्लबी बनी सकेकी छ ।

पल्लविको केटो साथी पनि पढाईमा ठिकै छ तर महत्वाकान्क्ष्यी छ । सामान्य परिवारबाट आएको भएपनी धनी बाउका छोराहरुको संगत गरेर उस्को ताल अर्कै छ । बुवा आमाको सपनाको धरोहर भएपनी उस्ले त्यो लग्भग बिर्सी सकेको छ । खेत बिक्री गरेको पैसाले उस्ले शरीरमा अत्तर लगाउछ । बिस्तारै सँगतको फल पल्लवी उस्कै मार्ग अनुसरण गरी । राम्रो लाउने, मिठो खाने र मोज मस्ती गर्नु पर्छ भन्ने सोचाइ बिकसित भयो । फस्ल्वरुप गाउबाट बुवा आमाले पठाएको पैसाले पल्लविका चाहना पुरा गर्न नसक्ने भए । पढाई, संगत र सुचनाको क्रान्तिले उनिहरु अती आधुनिक भनी सकेका थिए । आफ्ना असिमित चाहना र सुन्दर भबिस्यको लागि बिदेशिने योजना बनाउन थाले । बिदेश गए पछी पढाईको चाहना पुरा हुने, बुवा आमाको चाहना पनि पुरा हुने र धन सम्पत्ती पनि प्रशस्त हुने आदी कुरा पल्लविको मनमा आए । दुबै जना बिकसित देशमा जाने र त्यही सुन्दर भबिस्य निर्माण गर्ने भए । तर अफसोच रमेशको भिसा लागेन पल्लविको मात्र लाग्यो । बाहिरिने अघिल्लो दिन एउटा पार्कमा गएर दिन्भर कुरा गरे । उस्ले फेरी ट्राइ गर्ने भयो अनी दुबै जना सँगै बस्ने बाचा गरे । आँखा भरी आशु पारेर दुबै बिदा भए । पल्लबी बिदेश लागी ।

बिदेशको हावापानी भनौ वा यहाँको बाताबरण समग्र परिस्थिती नै यस्तो हुन्छ कि एक्लै बाच्नु फलामको च्युरा चपाउनु जस्तै हो । जोडी जोडी मिलेर हात समातेर अङ्कमाल गर्दै सार्वजनिक स्थलमा चुम्बन गर्नु सामान्य हो । त्यो देख्दा एक्लो पुरुष वा महिला जो भएपनी निरास हुनु स्वाभाबिक हो । त्यस माथि दिन भरिको थकाई मार्ने चौतारी पनि त चाहिन्छ । त्यो चौतारी भनेको श्रीमती वा श्रीमान नभए पनि केटो साथी वा केटी साथी हो । त्यो रहर मात्र होइन बिदेशमा आबस्यकता पनि हो । पल्लबी त्यही अवस्थामा छ । उस्को रमेश त सात समुद्र पारी छ । ईमेल र च्याटको भरमा उस्लाई त्यो एकान्त चिर्न गाह्रो हुन थाल्यो । जवान भईसकेकी अनी दुनियाँ देखी सकेकी पल्लवी अब रमेशलाई कुरेर बस्न नसक्ने भइ । सँगै बस्ने लामो कपाल पाल्ने केटो सँग उस्को उठ्बस सुरु भयो । रमेश सँगको संपर्क दैनिक, साप्ताहिक र मासिक हुँदै अब बन्द जस्तै भयो । उस्ले पुरानो बिर्सी नयाँ माया सुरु गरी । नयाँ ठाउमा नयाँ अध्याय सुरु भयो ।

अहिले पल्लवी “पबी” बनी सकेकी छ । पढाई धान्ने बाहेक अरु गर्नु आबस्यक ठान्दिन । उस्ले आफ्नो बिगत प्रती पस्चात्ताप गर्छे । गाउले जिबन लाई सम्झन चाहन्न । सप्ताह अन्त्यमा डिस्को, बार अनी क्लब धाउनु उस्को बानी हो । छोटा र उत्तौला देखिने लुगा लगाएर हट् एण्ड सेक्सी देखिन मन लाग्छ उस्लाई । मेक अपको समान र कपडा उस्का कती छन् कती । दिन्दिनै नयाँ नयाँ रङमा मेक अप गर्नु, फरक फरक केटाहरुसँग क्लब जानु र शपिङ्ग गर्नु पबीको हबी “शौख” हो । शरीर भरी फरक बास्ना आउने सेन्ट छर्कनु, नितम्बको आकार बढाउन त्यस्तै कपडा लगाउनु, अनी सेक्सी देखिन मेक अप गर्नु पबिको दैनिक कर्म हो । पबी खाना पकाउन भुल्न सक्छे तर यि सबै कुरा भुल्दिन । राम्रो पढेर छोरीले आफ्नो नाम राख्ने बुवा आमाको सपना उस्को लागि अब कुनै अर्थ राख्दैन । पम्फा बाट पबीमा पुग्दा उस्मा आकाश जमिनको परिवर्तन आएको छ । बुवा आमाको सपना मात्र होइन आफ्नै जिबनको लक्ष्य पनि उस्को लागि तपसिलको भईसक्यो । उस्लाई भोलिको होइन आजको चिन्ता छ । दिन्भर “रात” को प्रतिक्ष्या गर्छे । “रात” रङ्गिन बनाउने कल्पना गर्दै दिन बिताउछे । अस्वेत बलिस्ठ पुरुष उस्को आदर्श हो । तिनै रङ्गिन “रात” हरुले पबिलाई सबै बिर्साइदिएको छ । उस्लाई केही सम्झना छैन न घर, न भबिस्य न बुवा आमा न त्यो गाउ न त उस्को जिबनको लक्ष्य नै । याद छ त केबल रमाइलो, मोज मस्ती अनी अर्को दिनको थकाईलाग्दो काम । थाहा छैन त्यो पम्फा पल्लबी हुँदै पबी अनी के के हुने हो । उस्को आत्मघाती यात्रा कहाँ सम्म पुगेर टुङगिने हो ।

घरी कम्प्युटर स्क्रीनमा त घरी थालको रोटी तरकारीमा हेर्दै थिए, टेलिफोनको घण्टी बज्यो । हेरे नम्बर अपरिचित थियो । उठाउ की नउठाउ दोधारमा परे । यता हुदो यस्ता फोनले हामीलाई धेरैनै सताउछन् । कहीले कहाँ र कहीले कहाँ बाट आइरहने यी फोनले हाम्रो मिनटको सत्यानास गरिरहन्छन् । गफ धेरै गर्नु पर्ने हामीलाई महिनामा चार पाच सय मिनटले केको पुग्नु, चट्नी पनि हुदैन । कहीले कामबाट, कहीले क्रेडिट कार्डबाट त कहीले अनाब्स्यक बिज्ञापन र राम्रा राम्रा अफर(फसाउन यस्तो कत्ति हुन्छ कत्ति) गर्दै गरिएका फोन उठाउदा हामीलाई उपलब्ध समय पुग्दै पुग्दैन । त्यस्माथी यो र त्यो भनेर जवाफ दिदा दिदा वाका दिक्क भइन्छ, भन्ने हो भने पीडित नै भइन्छ । होईन कसको होला यो फोन ? चिनेको मान्छेको भए त नम्बर होईन नाम आउथ्यो तर यहाँ त नम्बर मात्र आको थियो । एरिया कोड तिर आँखा लगाए, २१४ थियो । सोचे, यो त टेक्सासकै हो, यतै कतैको हो । छोटो कुरा गर्छु र काममा छु पछि गर्नु है भनेर राख्छु भन्ने बिचार गर्दै लामो सास फेरेर फोन सेटको देब्रे तिरको रिसिबरको चिन्ह भएको बटन थिचिदिए ।

“हेल्लो” उताबाट एउटा अपरिचित स्त्री स्वर मेरो कानमा गुन्जियो । “भिनाजु नमस्कार” । “भिनाजु” ? होईन यो को हो मलाई भिनाजु भन्ने ? म आस्चर्यमा परे । भन्ने हो भने म सालीको धनी नै हो । भन्नै लाज लाग्छ । तर धेरै जस्तो त नेपालमै छन् । यता भएका दुईटी साली अन्जु र जमुनाको स्वर यो होईन, मलाई ठम्याउन गाह्रो परेन । को होला यो, मन्मनै घोत्लिए । फेरी मामा, अन्कल भनेको भए अर्कै हुन्थ्यो, यहाँ त भिनाजु सम्बोधन भएको थियो । भिनाजु हुनु चान्चुने कुरा होईन, गर्बकै बिषय हो । भिनाजु हुनु फाईदै फाईदा छ, घाटा कतै देखिन ।

सम्झे साली त आधी घरवाली हो भन्थे उहीले उहीले बुढा पुरानाले । साली बिनाको ससुराली र नुन बिनाको तरकारी जस्तै हो भनेको पनि सुनेको थिए । मेरो एकजना मित्रले त साली नभएको घरमा बिहेनै गर्दिन भनेर अड्डी नै कसेर बसेका थिए । पछि बिचरा साली मात्र होईन सासू पनि नभकोमा परे, खप्परको खेल । हुन पनि ससुरालीमा कहीले काही जादा सालीको महत्व नै अर्कै हुन्छ । मुसुक्क हाँस्दै, लजाउदै वरपर गर्ने “कोहि” भयो भने एक दुई दिनको ससुराली बसाइको रौनक नै अर्कै हुन्छ । मिठो खाँदै, मीठा कुरा गर्दै “घरकी मुर्गि” को टेन्सन भुल्न रमाइलो नै हुन्छ । यी र यस्तै हजार फाईदा भएकोले “सालि” शब्दको भाउ नेपाली बजारमा गतीलै छ, होईन र ? सालीको फाईदा बारे लेखेर कापी भरिएला सकिन्न किन बढी कस्ट गर्नु । यसरी उनले भनेको “भिनाजु” शब्द झन्कार बनेर मेरो नशा नशामा पुग्यो, अनौठो अनुभुती भयो ।

आफ्नो उत्तेजनालाई सम्हाल्दै र रोमान्चित हुँदै मैले जवाफ फर्काए ” नमस्कार को बोल्नु भएको हो ? मैले त चिनिन नी ” । त्यस पछी उनले आफ्नो नाली बेली सुनाइन । नाम रिता, घर काठमाडौं खाल्टो, मामाघर चितवन ब्ला ब्ला ब्ला । परिचय सिद्दिए पछी फोन गर्नुको रहस्य खोलिन् त्यो बढी औपचारिक थियो । उनी र अरु तिनजना साथीहरु मिलेर डीएफडब्लुनेपाल डट कम नामको वेबसाईट सन्चालन गरेका रहेछन् । विद्यार्थी भिसामा अमेरिका छिरेर, कलेजको महँगो फिस तिरेर, काम खोज्न हरेक ग्यास टेसनमा छिरेर पनि बाँकी समय निकालेर मुकुन्द, अनोज, राजन र रिताले यस्तो रचनात्मक काम गर्न गरेको साहसले मलाई उनिहरु प्रति गौरब महसुस भयो । नेपालबाट पैसो ल्याउन नसक्ने विद्यार्थीको लाइफ यहाँ कस्तो हुन्छ त्यो भोग्ने र देख्नेलाई थाहा छ । यस्तो बिसम परिस्थितिमा पनि यी कलिला बिध्यार्थीहरुले गरेको साहस देखेर मेरो मन प्रफुल्ल भयो कुराकानीमै मेरा लेखहरु उनीहरुको साईटमा पनि प्रकासित गर्ने अनुरोध गरिन उनले । कनिकुथी गर्दै दुई चार शब्द लेख्ने यो मनुवालाई लेखिदिनुस् भनेर दिएको सम्मानले म उत्साहित भए । यो महायज्ञमा चरु होम्ने अबसर दिएकोमा उनलाई धन्यवाद दिन कन्जुस्याइ गरिन ।

हुन्छ भनेर भनेर भन्नु अघि एक्छिन फेरी घोरिए । मैले यसरी मनका गाठा जानि नजानी फुकाउन थालेको करिब ३ बर्ष भयो होला । म धेरै जसो पत्रिकाहरुमा छापिने लेखहरु सुरु देखि अन्त्य सम्मनै पढ्छु । राजनीतिक, सामाजिक र जनजिबन सम्बन्धी लेखहरुले मलाई आकर्सित गर्छन् । कतिपय लेखहरु पढ्दा “अहा मैले पनि ठ्याक्कै यस्तै सोचेको थिए” जस्तो लाग्छ । कसैले लेखिसके पछी तेस्तै लाग्दो रहेछ । तर लेख्न थाले पछि कमै मात्र लेखहरु टुङगिन्छन् । बिषय बस्तुलाई छर्लङग पार्न, सुरु देखि अन्त्य सम्म पाठकलाई डोराउन सजिलो काम होईन । आधुनिक पाठक चुजी छन् । उनीहरुलाई छान्ने अबसर र अधिकार छ । त्यसैले रसिलो र स्वादिलो भाषामा लेख्न बडो कठिन हुदो रहेछ । आफैले लेखेका कतिपय कुरा आफैलाई मन पर्दैन, आफु पाठक भएर पढ्दा । लेख्न अघि धेरै पढ्नु पर्ने, धेरै सोच्नु पर्ने र कतिपय अबस्थामा तथ्यान्क समेत बटुल्नु, मिठो सैलिको प्रयोग गर्नु पर्ने भएकोले यस्मा आर्थिक होईन समय र दिमागको लगानी बढी हुदो रहेछ । अझै ब्यस्त अमेरिकी जिबन्मा त यो सारो काम हो । तैपनी “सालि”को आग्रहलाई “नाइ” भन्न गाह्रो लाग्यो । हुन्छ भनेर टाउको हल्लाए । एउटा अपरिचित “सालि” सँग कुरा गर्दा गर्दै काममा जना ढिला हुनै लागेछ । खाएका भाडा माझ्ने जागर र फुर्सद दुबै नभए पछि जुठा भाडा सिन्कमा थुप्रो पारेर बाटो लागे । अस्तु ।

Spring is in the air! Driving by, you can actually see people walking with their families and/or pets. It’s a new day in Texas when we’re not huddled up next to our Xbox. Speaking of Xbox, I’m going to turn on my 90-year-old-great-grandmother button. When I was your age, we didn’t watch television…we read books.

So, in honor of “the good ol’ days” let’s exersize our minds. If you’re a Texas student anywhere from Grade 3-11, you know TAKS is right around the corner, or, for me, was two weeks ago. Although you can’t take textbooks home to cram before the night of the test, you can pay attention in class the whole year. Impossible? I think not.

Sometimes, you have to think outside the box. Just for you, this week is all about education. No, I’m not going to bore you into an indepth analysis on sine, cosine, and tangent. I’m going to give you guys puzzles, riddles, and other cool things that can help you become smarter.

Alright. So first, let’s start out with a Rebus puzzle. In these puzzles, you are given a picture and you have to figure out what the picture is trying to say. It can be depicted by where the words are, how big they are, which side they’re tilted at, and blah blah blah.

I’ll give you the first one. It’s the word “Herring” in red, so the word would be “Red Herring.” Easy, right? Try this one:

Figured it out already? It’s a pretty easy one. If you guessed “small print,” you’re right!

How about a hard one, then we’ll move on to the next thing?

Hard? It’s okay. I couldn’t get it at first either. Here, let me help you. First, look at the arrow. Where is it pointing (up or down)? Then, look at the direction of the arrow (left or right). Combine those two words and the word “stupid” and what do you get? I’ll let you figure it out:)

Next, for a shorter segment is something called an oxymoron. It is a statement or phrase that contradicts itself. It can’t be true. They are two words that mean the total opposite. Like, for example:

Jumbo Shrimp
Same Difference
Pretty Ugly
Definite Maybe
Advanced Basics
Tragic Comedy
Unbiased Opinion
Clearly Confused
Open Secret
and my favorite…Microsoft Works

If you can say the following tongue twister very fast, we ought to give you a prize. (Oh yeah…you have to say it out loud!)

Mr. See owned a saw.
And Mr. Soar owned a seesaw.
Now, See’s saw sawed Soar’s seesaw
Before Soar saw See,
Which made Soar sore.
Had Soar seen See’s saw
Before See sawed Soar’s seesaw,
See’s saw would not have sawed
Soar’s seesaw.
So See’s saw sawed Soar’s seesaw.
But it was sad to see Soar so sore
just because See’s saw sawed
Soar’s seesaw.

Hey, what’s so odd about this sentence: some men interpret nine memos? Some men interpret nine memos. Hmm…seems pretty normal, huh? WRONG! Normal is boring, and I don’t do boring. That sentence is a palindrome, which means that written backwards, the sentence would still be “some men interpret nine memos”.

Here’s a cool riddle:

A man was to be sentenced, and the judge told him, “You may make a statement. If it is true, I’ll sentence you to four years in prison. If it is false, I’ll sentence you to six years in prison.” After the man made his statement, the judge decided to let him go free. What did the man say?

Answer: He said, “You’ll sentence me to six years in prison.” If it was true, then the judge would have to make it false by sentencing him to four years. If it was false, then he would have to give him six years, which would make it true. Rather than contradict his own word, the judge set the man free. (http://www.increasebrainpower.com/hard-riddles.html)

I believe that’s all the puzzles you guys are getting today. Remember, you can always use Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Ask, MSN, AOL, etc., etc. to find other puzzles. Meanwhile, be sure to check this website out where I found most of the wondrous depictions: http://www.fun-with-words.com/index.html.

Word of the Week

paradox (noun)

a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Example: “This sentence is false.”

Picture of the Week

“Muktinath, Nepal” by Devon Cummings on Flickr.

Bonus Riddle

If you either solve this riddle or the one with the four “stupids,” your name will be here…in my blog…next week!

When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer,
compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors.

What is greater than God,
More evil than the devil,
The poor have it,
The rich need it,
And if you eat it, you’ll die?

So, in honor of Texas being so undecisive, here’s what to “expect” in the last week of February 2010. Just remember, I’m using the word expect very lightly. If you expect some kind of weather from Texas, you probably don’t have a high chance of getting it.

Mon, Mar 1:
Rain, 44° – 35°

Tue, Mar 2:
Partly Cloudy, 51° – 35°

Wed, Mar 3:
Partly Cloudy, 53° – 39°

Thu, Mar 4:
Partly Cloudy, 61° – 45°

Fri, Mar 5:
Showers, 62° – 48°

Sat, Mar 6:
Showers, 63° – 46°

Sun, Mar 7:
Few Showers, 64° – 50°

Mon, Mar 8:
Showers, 64° – 40°

If you think I’m some weather-magician and just figured that out by looking out at the day outside, consider yourself disappointed. Weather.com (ironically about…weather!) is a perfect place to check out questions about weather. Just a safety precaution from me: be sure to check the weather before going cross-country on vacation. Make sure to look at signs that say: DANGER! NO ROAD AHEAD! They might prove to be helpful:) And always plan ahead.

Speaking about planning and being helpful, on to my blog for this week. In a year, I will be out driving in the same road as you. In the next couple of years, your brother or sister may be driving in the same road as you. In five years, you may be driving in the same road as us. Just always remember to be careful when you’re going out on new endevours, like, for instance, finding a new job.

I used to babysit when I was as young as twelve. You may already have a job, you may not have any intentions of having a job until you’re 30, or you may be looking for a job. I’m here for the rescue. Duhn-duh-dah!

Brownie points if you can guess what you need to apply for a job…

A résumé, you say? You’re absolutely right. Before you can walk up to Rue 21′s manager, you need to have a résumé on board. What exaclty is a résumé? It is simply a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience. It’s about you, how much time you’ve spent in school, which schools you’ve attended, and what things you are awesomely awesome at( please don’t put that word on your next English essay…unless you’re well prepared for an F-)! Here’s how a typical résumé should look like:

Your name should be BIG

Street Name

City, State – Zip Code

(Area Code) ###-####

Email

(For Pete’s sake, please don’t put in an email like hot.chik@yahoo.com!)

Education

• NAME(LIST FROM LAST SCHOOL TO FIRST SCHOOL), TITLE
•  CITY, STATE/COUNTRY
• (GPA: …)
• Sorry…there should be no bullets for CITY, STATE/COUNTRY and (GPA: …), but I can’t seem to delete it right.

Skills

• Trilingual
•   Computer Literate, etc.

Honors and Activities

• PART OF ANY SPORTS TEAMS, OR “EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH,” ETC.

Work Experience

•  Name of company by most recent                                          (Years Worked)

 So there you have it: the key to your next job. So, in closing, have a great week and…stay out of trouble!

Word of the Week

satire (noun)

1. the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.

Winner of Superbowl Pick

Niranjan KC

Picture of the Week

Kirtipur, Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: Old peasant woman transporting hay. Photo by W.Allgöwer.
Part of Travel-Images.com.

What’s Happenin’?

8.8 Magnitude earthquake in Chile, Winter Olympics, 507-carat diamond sold for $35.3 million, Oscar’s on March 7th.

Movies From Friday

Cop Out, The Crazies, Defendor,The Art of Steal, A Prophet, and The Yellow Hankercheif hit theatres February 26. What are you most excited for?