Friendship: Relax Relationship

I was cruising through web pages, and i landed on one article at bignepal.com. I found this article very nice, so sharing through blog. Hope you will enjoy it. If you want to go to original page, scroll below and click on link. Enjoy the Story!!

I've been spending some amount of time in my thinking to explain to myself what a friend is, and is not. Friendship is the bigger statement. Lots of people are lovers but aren't friends. Lots of people are relatives and aren't friends. Lots of people work together who aren't friends. You can appreciate or admire someone, but that doesn't make them a friend.

We're take friendship as a casual word, but sometimes things happen that take the casualness out of it. When I had my near-death experience last year and the following long recuperation, I had a lot of time to think about what makes someone a friend. If they are scared of you when you need help, sorry, that's not friendship. If their attitude is "for better or worse," if they stick by you through thick and thin, that's when you can tell it's friendship. I do have some friends, but not as many as I thought.

My uncle used to say no matter what your family is there for you when you need them. Last time we talked about this, after my catastrophe, I said him "we know that's not true." And there was a time, when he really needed me that I didn't come through for him. I remember hanging out in my happy suburban house, with the statuesque friend, and the freshly minted fortune, and not getting on a damned plane to help him through the loss of his GF. Luckily I did get to apologize for that, in this lifetime. As always, with me at least, he didn't bear a grudge, he just waved it off as not important.

Most people use the term Friend far too casually. But if they had reason to pause, to think if so and so is really a friend, they would realize they either don't know (the relationship hasn't been tested), or they are not.

I don't have a tidy answer about me and friendship. Sometimes we were friends, and other times, clearly, not. But I guess there's something remarkable in two people overcoming the barriers to friendship that family imposes, especially one as brutal as ours, to find some real communication at some point. Just to connect, for just a few moments, is rare, exceptionally rare.

By: miss contingency
htt://bignepal.com

Finally OSCARS for Scorsese

US mob drama The Departed has won four Oscars, including best film and best director for Martin Scorsese, who had missed out on five previous occasions.

Dame Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker collected best actress and actor, and there were three Academy Awards for Mexican fairytale Pan's Labyrinth. Alan Arkin won best supporting actor for Little Miss Sunshine, which was also best original screenplay. And Jennifer Hudson earned best supporting actress for Dreamgirls.

Scorsese said he was "overwhelmed" as he clutched his award and asked: "Could you double-check the envelope?" Dame Helen, who had earlier said it was "amazing" to be nominated for best actress for The Queen, was thrilled about her victory. "All kids love to get gold stars, and this is the biggest and the best gold star that I have ever had in my life," she said. Whitaker - who won for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland - struggled for words before pulling out a pre-written speech.

Environmental film An Inconvenient Truth was best full-length documentary, and Melissa Etheridge's I Need to Wake Up - one of the tracks from that movie - won best original song. Dreamgirls lost out in that category, despite having three of the five nominations, but it did win best sound mixing.

There was a sound editing award for Letters From Iwo Jima, while Babel had top original score. And staying with soundtracks, a lifetime achievement Oscar was given to Italian composer Ennio Morricone for his "magnificent and multi-faceted contributions to the art of film music". Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was presented with the Academy Award for best visual effects, while Happy Feet was best animated film. Also receiving Oscars were German production Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others), named best foreign-language film, plus Marie Antoinette, for best costume design.

The Danish Poet was best animated short film, while West Bank Story collected best live-action short film. The Blood of Yingzhou District, a Chinese film about the effects of Aids, won best documentary short. US comedy star and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres presented the glittering ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. She teased the gathered nominees by joking that "everything is on the line for you", reminding them not to make fools of themselves because "there's a billion people watching right now".

Multiple OSCAR Winner

4: The Departed

3: Pan's Labyrinth

2: An Inconvenient Truth

2: Dreamgirls

2: Little Miss Sunshine

Protest and Band in Kupondole for RS 10 ; Accident in Chitwan kills 14

Irate microbus owners protesting against the beating up of a microbus driver by Maoist cadres on Tuesday staged demonstrations and obstructed traffic in Lalitpur's Kupondole area for five hours since early morning.

According to the protesters, driver Saroj Shrestha and conductor Tirtha Shrestha of a microbus (Ba 1 Ja 5916) plying the Lagankhel-Ratnapark route sustained serious injuries after being beaten up by the cadres of Maoist affiliated Tamang Mukti Morcha (TMM) yesterday.

According to the victims, the TMM cadres, who had boarded the vehicle at Kupondole, began beating up the after the conductor refused to accept a torn 10 rupee note while collecting fares.

The driver and the conductor further claimed that the cadres took them to their party office where they were tied up and meted out further beatings.

Meanwhile At least 14 people were killed and 31 injured as a Birgunj bound bus from Kathmandu veered off the road to plunge into the Trishuli river at the Prithvi Highway's Darechowk stretch in Chitwan in Monday night.

The injured have been rushed to Kathmandu and Bharatpur and are undergoing treatment at the Bir Hospital in the capital and Bharatpur's Bharatpur Hospital and Medical College. According to the police, most of the travelers in the bus were Indian nationals. The bus fell some 130 metres down from the highway.

Stop Monkey Business

I was passing through Maitighar Mandala and I saw one hoarding board just below the hoarding board of "Hinsha Birodh, Shanti Athot" on Rhesus Monkey's export to University of Washington, US in the name of research. There's picture of monkey with research tools added to it's body/head and saying Stop Monkey Business.

Following the Indian ban on the export of rhesus monkeys for use in bio-medical research, Western research labs now seem to be eyeing Nepali monkeys. Washington National Primate Center (WNPC) and its Nepali counterpart, Nepal Natural History Society (NHS), have established a breeding centre for Nepali rhesus monkeys at Lele, Kathmandu Valley. The monkeys in future are to be exported to the US and undergo painful and sometimes deadly tests.

Rhesus macaques are preferred subjects for biomedical and behavioral research primarily because of their willingness to breed in captivity. But often monkeys are caged in solitary confinement and develop self-injurious habits such as biting their own bodies, hair-pulling, and repetitive motions.

Animal rights activists express concern that Nepal's decision will open the floodgates to export Nepali monkeys and other animals to countries like Japan and Germany, for medical research. The decision comes at a time when research institutions are increasingly finding alternatives to the use of non-human primates in research, which is why a growing number of countries have banned such research.

Critics allege that the US is looking for lab monkeys to conduct bio-terrorism experiments. The government can earn up to US $300 per monkey for sale to American labs. Nepali Government should not allow Nepali monkeys to die a slow and painful death there just for the sake of enriching a few dollars.

Monkeys and snakes aren't the only animals under threat. Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation spokesperson Mohan Prasad Wagle says the government will facilitate the commercial breeding of other wildlife species like crocodiles, black bucks, pheasants, barking deer, spotted deer, sambar deer, hog deer and various kinds of birds.

Let's be united to save Nepali Monkey and other animals from painful deaths and deadly tests. In the past also, America and other developed countries have used Nepali people or animals to test their products like Hepatitis Vaccine, Family Planning methods like pills etc. among others. We Nepali either human or animal are not subject to tests and research. Let's start it with pressuring government to stop monkey business.

Workaholic: Am I?

Am I being workaholic? The question began hitting me ever since I began working in new project and pondering over scripts. I am thinking about my work wherever I go. Whether I am on the bus or with friends, I think about how to make my drama wonderful or script catchy and interesting. Most of times even with my friends instead of talking about other aspect of life, I talk about my working life - My office is moving this way now, I am working on it or my character of drama is like this or I have to go for interview and such questions I need to ask or etc. So I tried to find out the definition of workaholic. Wikipedia defines term workaholic as " A workaholic is a person addicted to work. This addiction may be pleasurable to the victim or it may be burdensome and troubling." Wondering why I am feeling so, it's because now I have started liking working extra hours, think about the work even while not working. So I decided to find it out more.

Wikipedia further defines, "Workaholism is believed by some to be a disease, akin to obsessive compulsive disorder. The problem is that workaholics believe that if they do not work, their world will collapse. If a person thinks he or she is the only person capable of performing their work, he or she is most likely a workaholic. Although most workaholism is associated with a paying job, it can also be associated with people who excessively practice sports, music, art, or blogging, for example."

Well I do not think so much that not working would make my world collapse but it surely makes me feel good if I am engaged in some sort of work either that's official or others. And I do have feeling that I am the best in my work no matter how poor my evaluation results are. I do whatever I feel like I could do or whatever that interests me. Blogging, working, studying, involving in various activities etc all are pointing towards same. Then I saw another line, "The term is often used inaccurately to describe an energetic person who devotes a lot of time to work despite having good relations with co-workers, taking pleasure in other non-remunerative activities, being well rested, and attending properly to family and social life. Workaholics do not necessarily love their work or try to excel in their work." But I love my work and I always try to excel. I love to be in gatherings, parties and other social activities. I always care about my dear ones and give high priority to them. I do my work not just because others want me to do but also because I love to do. So may be I am not workaholic instead energetic person. May be…….

Story of Grasshopper and Ant: Is it applying to Nepal?

I just got this email and it made me think about Nepal's present scenario. Instead of working for New Nepal, we all are busy demanding this or that. Many demands are surely urgently needs to be addressed but many……. God Knows. People come to street protesting road accident instead of letting police to do it's job. Property worth millions are destroyed, roads are turned to black (if pitched one then more black) with burning tires, many injured or even death. This is just a small example, you know rest. Please read below and give thought a chance.

OLD VERSION.....

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

MODERN VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving and calls for a Nepal Bandh to protest this 'Soshan'. Kantipur, Image and Nepal 1 show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. The nation is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? The Civil Society steps in and stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house and a concerned group goes on a fast along with other grasshoppers demanding that grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter. Amnesty International and Ban ki Moon, the eighth Secretary General of the UN, criticizes the Nepali Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the grasshopper. The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance). Immediately laws are tabled to prevent Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among ants and grasshoppers. Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act [POTAGA]", with effect from the beginning of the winter. The ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the grasshopper in a ceremony covered by all TV and media. Everyone hails it as "a triumph of justice and revolutionary resurgence of the downtrodden". Ban ki Moon invites the grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly. Many years later... The ant having lost everything has since migrated to the US in despair and set up a multi billion dollar company in Silicon Valley. As for the grasshopper well thousands of grasshoppers continue to die of starvation…..

The morale is, if we don't act sensibly now, may be our country might be full of such grasshoppers and hardworking people like ants be forced to migrate and Nepal would be doomed. So pelase let's think twice before we act. Many people are relating this story with Nepal's need of democracy and even began questioning democracy, but we believe Democracy is the basic thing for human if he wants to live as human. If there's no democracy, there's no life. Such hard times come and passes as well. Democracy is like a tree, which needs time to grow up as big tree but gives immense fruits when it's ready as well.

Microsoft: Woes Continues on Security System

Was just passing through the sites i found this news regarding Microsoft's plan to fight against vulnerabilities. Experts have been involved in discussions over Microsoft's (MS) new system Window's Vista which have motto of "Wow" but it seems, we really need to say WOW. Wondered why, MS delayed it's product by almost 3 years stating it needs to work on security to make it most protected system ever, but ops! it seems there have been many loopholes. Worked so hard and still problems? Who don't say "Wow! Still problem? Great Job Hacker." Reports have been that many crackers have already cracked it's strong holds. On February 1, 2007 MicroSoft admitted it had loopholes.It admitted that speech recognition features in Vista could be hijacked so that a PC tells itself to delete files or folders. Vista can respond to vocal commands and concern has been raised about malicious audio on websites or sent via e-mail. In one scenario outlined by users an MP3 file of voice instructions was used to tell the PC to delete documents. Microsoft said the exploit was "technically possible" but there was no need to worry.

To add more pain, now there have been other problems for Windows XP/2000 users also. See the news below taken from BBC.

Windows users are being urged to install Microsoft's February security update which contains 12 patches for 20 vulnerabilities. The bumper package includes fixes for loopholes that malicious hackers are known to be already exploiting.

Another vulnerability is in the program Microsoft designed to spot viruses and spyware that has infected PCs. Half of the patches in the update have been rated as critical; criminals exploiting these could take over a PC.

Hijack trick

The fixes were issued as part of Microsoft's regular monthly security update that falls on the second Tuesday of every month. Loopholes in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer and Microsoft's Malware Protection Engine are closed by the updates in the patch. Versions of these programs used on Windows 2000 and XP could have these loopholes.

Users worried that they are at risk are being encouraged to check information about which programs are vulnerable via Microsoft's security site. Some of the loopholes, particularly those in Word, have been actively exploited by malicious hackers for several weeks.

Many Windows XP owners are likely to get the patches automatically, but any user can download the patches from the Windows Update site. The "critical" rating usually means that a cyber criminal exploiting such a vulnerability could take over a PC via a booby-trapped webpage or by tricking a user into opening an attachment on an e-mail. None of the patches affected Vista - the newest version of the Windows operating system which was released on 30 January.

Source: BBC NEWS

HamroLyrics - Home for Nepali Lyrics

Searching Nepali Lyrics but no avail? Having rough time with wrong lyrics or site's interface? Now there is going to be an end to such problems. HamroLyrics.com has more than 700 songs and it's growing bigger and bigger. It surely is user friendly and looks pretty attractive. Searching song's has never been so easy. There are wallpapers (of course of site) but are pretty good.

Younnovation strongly recommends the site Hamro Lyrics for any Nepali Song's lyrics. Go there and Enjoy Nepali Music and lyrics,.

Snow in Kathmandu after 62 Years

Kathmandu Valley witnessed the first snowfall in 63 years on Wednesday which brought people out into the streets, school children ran out of their classrooms and the mobile phone system was paralyzed for an hour as people started calling each other. The snow was part of a westerly disturbance that had earlier dumped about 20 mm of rain all over Nepal. The last time there was rain in Kathmandu was in the year 2000 BS when there was five inches of snow.

It was a beautiful experience. It was raining heavily and suddenly there were something with rain like bird's fur. First thought it was hailstorm but they are not so soft. It took few more minutes to realize Man! it's snow. People were shouting and going mad Kathmandu was seeing snowfall. The snow was falling and environment was looking white everywhere. It was like thousands of white furs are falling down.

The temperature hovered at 7 degrees all day Wednesday, but this wasn't cold enough for the snow to accumulate in the Valley. However, the hills surrounding Kathmandu had snow down to 1,900 m with roofs in Thankot, Dakshinkali and even Budalnilkantha with accumulation.

Photo source: Rajesh K.C.(blog.com.np)

Valentine's Day: Few Suggestions

Today's 14th February, Valentine's Day i.e. a day for love and celebrations. How this day started could be another topic to discuss or write about. Today is the day for followers of cupid. You are not being able to express your love? Do it today.

But today weather is causing problem for many lovers. Kathmandu is seeing rainfall since last night and still going very hard. So many couples are may be not being able to meet or stay together and roam the city.

On the other hand this chilling temperature may also being fruitful for some lovers who wishes to remain in closet having fun together (Not that what you might be thinking reading this line).

And planning to give some gifts to your loved ones? We suggest you to keep in mind following things before you decide and buy something.

·         Create your own Valentine's Day card.  Compose a poem or an expression of love that expresses your personality.

·         Create a " recollection collection" scrapbook filled with favorite photographs, love letters, keepsakes from special occasions, and cherished mementos.

·         Make a CD of your favorite songs as a couple including love songs that you both enjoy listening to. Buy some romantic CDs, classic videos or DVDs and wrap them all together with red ribbon.

·         Jewellery is always a favorite. For the woman in your life, buy a heart-shaped locket and put a picture of yourself in it. Personalize the locket with your loved one's initials so she'll have something to wear that's hers alone. Package it in a heart-shaped box or tied to fresh flowers. For your man, a good choice is the classic sterling silver ID bracelet or cuff links with his name or initials custom-engraved.

·         Give silk or glass flowers, which will last forever. If your beloved has a green thumb, give a flowering plant to put in the garden to enjoy year after year.

·         Prepare your loved one's favorite dinner and serve it on a romantically set table and dine by candlelight on Valentine's Day. For the sweetheart with a sweet tooth, make a decadent dessert such as a chocolate fondue with melted chocolate mixed with a touch of heavy cream, and serve it with fruit or cookies.

·         Give the man in your life a personalized gift for his favorite hobby such as personalized golf or tennis balls that say, "I love you," "You're a hit!" or "Be mine," or a monogrammed humidor for cigars.

·         The gift of togetherness is precious, given today's busy lifestyles. Plan a romantic, surprise travel getaway. Take lessons together to share in each other's interests like dancing, cooking or sailing. Hire a personal trainer to inspire you to exercise together, or visit a spa together. Spend a night out at the theater and have dinner at a quiet and romantic candlelit restaurant.

 

And if you are planning to propose, these could be good ideas.

1.      Prepare ahead of time and make sure your intended will be available for your surprise.

2.      Use the media... Your local radio, TV or newspaper may be looking for a romantic proposal idea to feature for Valentine's Day.

3.      There may be millions of couples getting engaged on Valentine's Day, but you are special and when you propose, it should be a reflection of who you are as a couple.

4.      Fortune cookies have come to be a popular place to hide a surprise ring. Steaming them open lets you put the ring inside with a piece of paper that says, "Will you be my valentine?"

5.      If you are a couple who likes simple things - keep your proposal simple. A quiet get away, snuggling in front of a warm fire... You on one knee telling her how much she means to you and that you want her to be in your life forever... now, that's romantic!

6.      The bottom line is that proposing doesn't have to be elaborate to be romantic. As long as you find a way to tell her what she means to you and that you love her enough to ask her to be yours

 

Above all, we Younnovaters would like to wish you all Happy Valentine's Day.

Load-Shedding Dilemma: Nepal sees Increase in Power Cuts

Bad news folks, we gonna have power cuts of up to 7 hours starting from today. In valley there will be seven hours of power cut for four days and six hours of cut for two days every week. That brings to 40 hours of load-shedding per week. Every household will have one load-shedding holiday per week that means no load-shedding for a day. At least there's something to cheer about.

In areas west of Lamahi, the existing power cut schedule of three hours daily will continue, while in Lahan and areas east of it, there will be 24 hours of power cut per week. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has said though 80 megawatts of power is being imported from India but will be used only in areas west of Lamahi and east of Lahan because of technical reasons, making it possible for NEA to enforce power cuts of lesser durations in those areas.

In the four days per week when households face seven hours of power cuts, there will be three hours of power cuts either in the morning or afternoon and four hours at night. Meanwhile, in the two days per week when consumers face six hours of power cuts, three hours of cuts will be enforced in the morning or afternoon and three hours at night.

A major chunk of load-shedding hours will be enforced at night, stretching upto midnight. This schedule is expected to last till mid-March. If consumers shift load again, there might be increase in power cuts by one to two hours daily thereafter.

Nepal's power production is largely based on running river projects. So during winter season when water level decreases, so does the power production. Nepal needs around 640 MW of power but have production only up to 540 MW in rainy season. In winter season it decreases drastically forcing NEA to enforce load-shedding. Another irony is during rainy season also, huge amount of power goes wasted. There might be day when load-shedding will overpower the power supply.

 

Facing Problem with Power Cuts, why not sharing with world? Come share, what kind of problems you are facing and let everybody know.

Trying to define Web 2.0

Web 2.0 or simply web2 hasn’t caught the hype in our country but is the next big thing in developed nations. In the yesteryears the concept of websites flowed like this, one information provider and many information consumers. But it is a different setting in the present circumstance, now there are many information producers/providers and many information consumers which create a many to many information sharing base.

Web 2.0 may seem like a very technical word trying to specify the version 2 of the current web infrastructure that is becoming a part of our high tech life. But it is not, Web 2.0 is a word coined by O'Reilly Media in the year 2004, that refers to the supposed second-generation of Internet-based services that let people collaborate and share information online in perceived new ways such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies. So Web 2.0 is straightforward and clear concept that advocates the websites should be a platform where all the visitors can actively participate.

It is quite clear that Web 2.0 primarily focuses on open content and is supportive to open source. Giving emphasis on community, it is encouraging collaborative works. Hence eventually Web 2.0 tries to achieve information for the people & by the people, so as to parting the traditional Web 1.0 environment where content provider was only one and information consumers were many. In Web 2.0 the numbers of information provides and consumers will be almost same. Web 2.0 is a concept that persuades website viewers to participate and feel the belongingness to the website or the web application.

So you might be asking what are the concrete differences in the new concept Web 2.0 and the earlier one? The answers unfold here, earlier we used to peruse through the Britannica Online encyclopedia where one who is reading if s/he finds new things on that topic is directly not able to add or alter any content but in Wikipedia it is easily possible. In any topic by collaborative effort we get great articles from wikipedia that also at no cost and no legal difficulties. Previously people used to have personal websites, now it is the era of blogging. A weblog, which is usually shortened to blog, is a type of website where entries are made (such as in a journal or diary), displayed in a reverse chronological order. Thus, personal websites have now turned in to blogs the personal web diary of people.

Commercially, people paid for advertisement or other pages on the basis of page view but now in web 2.0 the cost is charged on the basis of cost per click. Earlier it was the concept of publishing and not letting anyone comment on it or even copy it. But now in web 2.0 the concept of participation has prevailed. In web 1.0 there used to be directories or taxonomy of the links and all other things but now it’s the age of tagging or folksonomy with a community effort. The lacking social aspect in the websites has been incredibly stressed in the new concept of web 2.0.

As the websites based on the web 2.0 concept look forward for the participation of all the interested people so it focuses on simple design but rich features. The feature rich interface will give the even novice web users their space to participate in the website. One Nepali website that is totally based on web 2.0 and provides features like blogging, commenting on the text etc etc is http://fossnepal.org. If you know about Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) it is a must see for you, if you don’t know about FOSS then it is a compulsory visit for you.

Eagerly let’s hope that all the websites and webmasters will get the concept of Web 2.0 in near future. Going to Web 2.0 does not mean that you just add a guest book and it’s done. I’m not even advising that all website should follow web 2.0 as a company websites need not follow web 2.0. But if the webmasters transform their Web 1.0 websites to the new Web 2.0 it will be beneficial to both parties the developers and the website visitors.

Geshan Manandhar

About 700 Words

Published in In your face Magazine Feb 2007 Issue , Our blog is also a great example of web 2.0 consider my last post which has a dozen comments.....

And the Grammy Goes to.....

&B singer Mary J Blige and rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers have won three prizes each at this year's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

American Idol star Carrie Underwood and country band The Dixie Chicks also took home three awards apiece.

 

The ceremony was opened by reformed pop group The Police - one day before they are expected to announce a world tour.

Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland played their 1979 hit Roxanne to a standing ovation from 12,000 fans. Sting began with the words: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Police and we are back." The band are expected to confirm their tour at a press conference on Monday.

 

The Grammy Awards are the most prestigious honours in the global music calendar, with 108 categories ranging from pop to jazz to gospel to polka. Blige went into the show with the most nominations, with eight, followed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers with six. Blige's night kicked off with awards for best R&B song and best female R&B vocal performance for her track Be Without You. And her album The Breakthrough was named best R&B album. "I thank you so much," she said, accepting her first trophy.

"For so many years I have been talked about negatively but this time I'm being talked about positively by so many people. This is a great night for me."

 

But she was beaten to the best song prize by Not Ready to Make Nice by country group The Dixie Chicks.

That song was written in response to death threats the female group received after they said in 2003 they were "ashamed" the US President was from their home state of Texas. "For the first time in my life I'm speechless," singer Natalie Maines said at the podium. The trio also won best country album and best country performance by a duo or group.

 

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' single Dani California scooped both best rock song and best rock performance by a duo or group. Carrie Underwood, who won TV talent show American Idol in 2005, was named best new artist - beating R&B prodigy Chris Brown and British singers James Blunt, Corinne Bailey Rae and Imogen Heap.

Underwood also took best country song and best female country vocal performance for her song Jesus, Take the Wheel. Justin Timberlake picked up best dance recording for Sexy Back and best rap/sung collaboration for My Love, featuring TI. TI also won best solo rap performance for What You Know, while best rap song went to Ludacris featuring Pharrell for Money Maker.

 

Gnarls Barkley's smash hit Crazy was named best urban/alternative performance, while their album St Elsewhere was judged best alternative album. Bruce Springsteen also won two awards, scooping best traditional folk album for We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions and best long form video for Wings For Wheels: The Making of Born To Run.

Madonna picked up best dance/electronic album for Confessions On A Dance Floor, while Christina Aguilera, John Mayer and The Black Eyed Peas took home pop prizes.

Revisiting Nora: Putaliko Ghar

Last time when I met Nora, she was waiting for bus to go to her parent's home. She had just left Hemanta, her husband. She had realized that above all she's human first then only someone's wife, someone's mother etc. I was left with question that why she had left Hemanta. After all he had realized his mistake. She should have forgiven him and stayed with him happily.

I got another chance to revisit her and see her full story from the beginning. She was living happily with her 3 kids and husband, Hemanta. He cares her very much and calls her "Meri Maina Chari". He loves her much. She shares her everything to hemanta except one thing. She has one secret which only she knows until she shares with her friend, Leena Bista. She has taken loan from Kedar Adhikari, a lawyer with dreadful past, to save her husband. Kedar had done forgery and to save himself from law, had done another morally unacceptable works. Doctor had advised Nora to take Hemanta away to Madesh otherwise he wouldn't live. She couldn't get money from anyone and at last has taken loan from Kedar. But he had one condition that is she must have her father's signature as witness. But before she could take her father's signature, her father died. So she made forgery signature to take loan. She has been paying regularly but destiny has something in her store. Hemanta has been made manager of bank where Kedar works. Hemanta and Kedar are school friends but because of Kedar's past. So he fires him and Kedar uses Nora's secret to reinstate him. Nora now falls in great problem. She fears if her husband knows then he would die to save her but she doesn't want that. She wishes to die rather than see him in problem. But when Kedar's letter reaches Hemanta, everything is opposite. He becomes too scared about his social status and when Nora tries o explain why she had to take loan, he doesn't listen. For him, she has done great mistake. He decides they can't be together as husband and. For social fear, he cannot send her out of home. Social prestige and status is greater for him rather than his wife's love. But later when Kedar sends another letter stating he won't tell this to anyone and wants to close the chapter, Hemanta becomes very happy. Now he realizes he's safe, so again he wants Nora to be with him. But Nora has seen and understands that she has been living together with stranger for past 8 years. For the first time they become serious and sit together to discuss. He had treated her as his doll, a possession, material property, a thing that can only speak and act strictly as per his command and desires. She searches dignity, humanity and love in her husband but for her but there's none. He had prevented any opportunity for her to realize her potentials as an individual. She has woken up from dream. She realizes she has been wrong in one of her most cherished hopes and beliefs, the belief that her husband would sacrifice his honor at least when he realizes how much she has sacrificed her honor, dreams, and life. So she leaves him.

I don't know how justifiable is Nora's exit but when I saw her and tried to feel her putting myself in her shoes, I find her decision a right one. Relationship is not just about supporting each other in happy times, but also lending arms in sour times. Marriage is that string which joins two souls together. There should be respect, love, tenderness, faith, trust etc. for each other. But in Nora's case I feel there's none. Hemanta had treated her as doll only with whom he can play whenever he wanted. There's no liberty for her. She's lost in doll's house. May be people might question what kind of mother she is, but still deep somewhere I feel she did right thing. I may sound feminist, but searching own identity is not feminism. If Hemanta has left Nora like this, people wouldn't have had problem. See the story in different angle. Not from "the glass is half full" ideology but from "glass is half empty" then may be it would make sense.

This play is adapted from Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House but with Nepali. There have been intense debates about her exit. People in Europe especially Germans couldn't digest the ending and made their own version. Even dramatist Henrik Ibsen had to rewrite another version with happy ending but later he regretted.

There are numbers of Nora in our Nepali society. Some dares to live like her some don't. Have you seen her lately? What's she's doing? If so please don't forget to write.

And how do you feel about her exit? Is it justified? Please comment.

Aarohan Theater Festival is going on at Guruku everyday till February 12 at 4.30 pm. Be there to taste the Theater experience.

Do Kumari System Violates Human Rights?

In the last couple of days Nepal’s unique culture of worshipping Kumari, the living goddess, drew widespread national and international media coverage after the Supreme Court ordered the government to investigate into whether the practice of worshipping a virgin girl violates the rights of the young girls.

Do you agree with petitioner Pun Devi Maharjan, who has said, in the writ petition filed at the apex court that the centuries-old tradition curtails girls’ rights to individual freedom including education, health, sports, entertainment and privacy?

She added such restrictions will have a physical and psychological effect on the girl.

The Nepalese tradition involves pre-pubescent girls from the Shakya caste of the Newari community undergoing rigorous tantric rituals to be designated as a Kumari, or a living Hindu virgin goddess, until puberty is reached.

The chosen girl is then whisked away for a new life in a temple — missing out on normal life and allowed only limited contact with family members.

There are several Kumaris in the impoverished Himalayan kingdom, although the best known is the royal Kumari — who lives near Kathmandu’s temple-studded Basantapur Durbar Square and blesses the king during the annual Indrajatra festival.

Although Shakya families living in Kathmandu see it as an honour to have their child chosen as a goddess, some human rights activists have complained that the girls are essentially deprived of any childhood.

The court has ordered the Ministry of Culture to form a committee and prepare a report within three months to look into the alleged rights abuses and exploitation of girls.

The order follows a petition filed last year by Maharjan, who argued the tradition was a violation of individual freedom.

“The living standards of Kumari girls have improved over the past few years. Although they can’t get all the facilities that a normal girl enjoys, they do get a personal tutor for education,” AFP news agency quoted Hemraj Subedi, an administrator at the Guthi Sansthan as saying.

Subedi said all former Kumaris were provided with a monthly pension of 6,000 rupees (80 dollars).

Cultural expert Satya Mohan Joshi said some reforms were needed to ensure the rights of girls living as Kumaris, but he argued the tradition should be maintained to preserve Nepal’s cultural identity.

“As they have to live a normal life once they retire, they should not be deprived of the facilities one enjoys during childhood,” said Joshi, chancellor of Nepal Bhasha Academy, a group working to preserve and promote Newari cultural heritage in the capital.

A Kumari girl cannot be compared with the normal girl. She is believed to have a divine power,” he said.

Note: I found this really good article while browsing nepali blogs. This blog was originally published in bloggersnepal.com. The photo is also taken from same site. Visit original blog for his more articles.

Commemorating the black day: Magh 19

Today is the black day for Nepali democracy and press freedom. 2 years back, on this very day King Gyanendra coup the democracy and started his absolute rule. He imposed state of emergency and all basic rights were curtailed. All phone lines, internet, all means of communications were cut down. Media were raided. We were forced to live as animal who doesn't know what's going on. He promised peace, prosperity and democracy but only in his address or papers.

Like this we lived for more than years. Finally April Uprising woke him form his surreal dreams. Every one of us participated directly or indirectly in the revolution. We showed the world we are for democracy not for any form of autocracy or plutocracy. Our continuous seek for democracy was fruited. And now we are in today's state. May be every dream is not achieved yet, but at least we are in right way to get it. We are free. So let's mark this black day as history and hope no one in the globe has to see such days again. Man is born free and he wishes to be free. Let's be united against such autocracy and support democracy and free press.

Dreams of Mayadevi: blending dreams with reality

Mayadevi is simple mother who is waiting for her son Siddhartha a.k.a. Kale to return home who has gone lost six months ago. She lives alone in her home and there's another character, Lahure who respects Mayadevi as sister and protects her. She talks with her own shadow and with birds. She had only read about wars in letters sent to her when her husband died in foreign war. Lahure and her husband both had gone to war, but Lahure returns being amputee and her husband died there. Lahure had come home seeing enough war but the war doesn't leave him. Battle is raging in his own jungles and people are killing their own brothers or neighbors or someone they know. Mayadevi says, "It's easy to run in moonlight but difficult to hide". She time and again talks about moon and points toward the war. Then a man of her son's age comes to her house asking refuge for night. She lets him in and sees her own son in him. Seeing her pain, the man takes her to the battleground where people are dying and groaning and grumbling in pain. She searches her son but he's not there. Both of them return home. She cannot forget the pain, fear and shouts. Then she sees a dream, in dream she becomes Mayadevi, mother of Lord Buddha. She is going to her matriarchal home. But on the way, she feels labor pain. She gives birth to Siddartha and feels the ultimate happiness. She tries to hold her son but he runs leaving behind lotus petals. She wakes up and finds herself at home, looking at the young man. Then 2 people enter her house and takes away young man forcefully. Then she heard her Kale's voice. She tries to stop him but he goes away. The drama ends her saying, "Mother is happy to know that you are alive, Kale! May flowers bloom with your every step too, my son!"

Dreams of Mayadevi is simple yet powerful drama which connects the story of past and present, war and peace, dreams and reality and above all a tale of mother's love. She had hoped her son would be Siddartha, preacher of peace but reality is different. Lahure knows war doesn't help anyone because he has seen the destruction but he's also helpless. Mayadevi and Lahure present the state of people who are forced in war and are enduring pain. They want it to stop but couldn't do anything. Before they used to play in jungles but all are only memories now. Now in full moon only jungle can be seen, not pain, death, war it hides. Dreams of Mayadevi is full of metaphor and similes. This drama shows the young people who are facing identity crisis and fighting absurd war. Mayadevi dreams of peace and happiness but alas, it's her dream only.

Every character is flawless. Professor Dr. Abhi Subedi has written this play with so supreme command, and he has successfully captured the intensity of conflict. Use of moonlit night and darkness has created surrealistic effect. Directorial command is superb. Design of stage is simple yet powerful. Use of lights, music and themes are wonderful. Clearly a masterpiece.

Aarohan Theater Festival is going on at Gurukul everyday till February 12, 2007. Don't forget to be there and taste the dramatic enjoyment.