Facebook Timeline.

What is this Facebook Timeline?

It is just a way to make your life busier.
Not with productive work but with Facebook!

I got the Timeline 5 Days back.
Since then I am addicted to  it!
It is fun and for a Stalker like me, its cherry on top of the cake as I get to see all that people did Since they were Born (which  is so funny and lame!) But the fun part is, I get to see everything they did since they were on facebook!

It does get annoying to actually read your own status from 2008 and see how much you have grown as an individual!

While some people are loving it, I just read a friend's status that said, "Oh dear god please never turn my profile into the Timeline thing that my friends are loving at the moment."

From places you've been to and the pages you've liked, it gives a clear image to anyone who is visiting your profile!
The map I had was very sad! I checked into 4 places till date! That too 2 in Nepal and 2 in India. That was so sad!

With so many changes that facebook goes through once in a while, it gets difficult for people to adapt but its fun too! Change is always good for the breaking of the monotony!

But this Timeline can be troublesome when it comes to using it on the phone. The 3G internet connection I have also takes more than a minute to load! So maybe there should be a Facebook version for the same!

For the ones using it already, it should be fun!

Enjoy timeline! =]

Love?

I don’t really know what Love is but I think I have been in love a couple of times!

I grew up reading “Mills and Boons”. For those who don’t know what it is, Mills and Boons is the publisher which has books basically for teenage girls who always fascinate about their prince charming. This could easily relate to any teenage girl because I don’t mind confessing, I always wanted to fall in love with a handsome hunk who could just sweep me off my feet, who would watch me sleep, cook me food, someone I could spend the whole life with and have plenty of kids with-yes, I am very fond of kids- in a small house with a fireplace and a chimney, not to forget the barbeque on the porch and a small garden with pretty flowers. Yes, I needed to grow up! But if it is a girl reading this, she will know what exactly what I am talking about because at some point of time, she has had the same feeling as well!

My first heartbreak was over a stupid infatuation I had with a neighbor boy when I was a 7^th grader.  It happened over Hi5! As I think of it now, it makes me laugh because I was so obsessed with him! Scribbling his name everywhere, thinking of him, and telling him that I loved him a billion times! Well this all didn’t last long because he found a cougar and broke my heart into a million pieces! It was then that I decided never to date again!

The thought didn’t last long and I had a number of LOVE affairs after that! This thing, Love and relationships, they don’t really make sense do they? My parents were married when my Mommy was a 9^th grader and my Dad was 10 years elder to her. They didn’t know each other at all and they were pronounced Husband and Wife and made promises to spend the whole life together. Not to forget the “Saat Phera” Seven rounds of the holy fire during the ceremony this meant that they would not only be together for this life but seven lifes!  But they still managed to get survive and be happy! Amidst the gazillion small fights they have every day, they love each other! And no matter how big the fight was in the morning, they still have so much to talk about at the end of the day. I don’t know if they do actually forget about the fights in the morning or they just pretend to forget it! Same case is with my grandparents who have been married for 58 years. My granddad who is the cutest person on earth teases my grandma by telling her that now that almost all of his teeth are gone, she will probably run away with someone else.

Being a pure Sagittarian, I believe that my lover will be either an Aries man or a Leo man or just like me, a Sagittarian; the three fire signs! And by co-incidence, all of my lovers till date are either one of them! I don’t pick or choose but it just happens. Plus, I am not the kind of a girl who would like to be flattered and loved with a lot of attention. It might sound like an animal, but I like to Hunt! And when I find the perfect one who understands me well, who would show interest in reading the things I wrote- That is a MUST! Not just for me, but to anyone who writes I guess-, accept the fact that I am so very irritating at times that they might just want to throw me out of the window! Ha-ha!

Well, I don’t know what got me write this article! It dates back to December 1^st week and I just found it today, half written this lazy Saturday afternoon! So, just ending it up here! They were probably random thoughts sprouting up like mushrooms!

Happy Weekend Folks! =]

Ray- Bans!

From Tom cruise to Malvika Subba to you, Ray Ban has always been a hit and now getting into the world of glasses!

If you have watched Tom Cruise in "Risky Business", you will remember two things: the first is the scene where he comes sliding into the living room dancing in his underwear, and the second how good he looked in those sunglasses. Cruise sported Ray-Ban sunglasses in this movie and they became as big a hit as the movie itself. The movie was made in 1983; however Ray-Ban had already been making popular sunglasses for 46 years but this movie catapulted Ray-Ban into ‘must-have fashion gear’. Tom Cruise again made Ray-Ban famous with the use of Aviators in the movie “Top-Gun”.

Ray-Ban is the product of meticulous, original styling that translates the best of the latest trends into an ever-contemporary look for millions of Ray-Ban sunglasses wearers around the world. From commoners to celebrities everyone swears by the brand. Trouble maker Lindsay Lohan, talent bundle Jake Gyllenhaal, Twilight superstar Kristen Stewart and even the fashionistas Mary-Kate Olsen have been caught in the lens of the paparazzi adorning their loyal eye-wear. Not forgetting our own Malvika Subba who goes by the brand.
Under the big umbrella of Ray-Ban brand, there are many other sunglasses that steal the show: Aviators, Wayfarers, Polarised, Highstreet, Active Lifestyle, Clubmaster, Under current and Outsiders Sunglasses. All models are identified by the Ray-Ban signature engraved on the arms and stamped on the lenses.

One of the most prominent ones is the Aviators. Clean design and sophisticated look make them an unmistakable ambassador of style that never goes out of date. The Ray-Ban Aviators fit well, provide excellent protection and great visibility. Initially created to satisfy the increasingly demanding requirements of US Air Force pilots, the Aviator style of Ray-Ban gradually earned its place as an essential fashion accessory for both sexes. Aviator Ray-Ban sunglasses live up to their name by offering maximum wearer protection while delivering the distinctive style that has become world-famous, thanks to the many Hollywood stars who have chosen to wear them. 

My familiarization with Ray-Ban dates long. When I was a small girl, whenever my father came home, he would take off his helmet, carry me in his arms and swing me back and forth before shoving up his aviator glasses high on his head. Most of the memories from my past with my father have his aviator glasses on it. 

As the best-selling brand worldwide, the fashionable Kathmanduites have been parading the same and fighting the cruel heat with uber-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses. Both male and female are seen sporting the glasses which give them a classy and to-die-for look. So what are you waiting for? Get Ray-bans, Today! =]

Man on a Mission~ Amrit Gurung

Amrit Gurung, the man who has travelled over 70 districts in Nepal, most of them on foot shares his travel diaries.

Traveling, it feels like a middle name to me. I love traveling and if you are looking for a reason for why I travel so much, I really don’t have any! The things I see, hear and understand while on a trip are awesome and nothing compares to that feeling.  I started by traveling a little since childhood. Being a Gurung, we have a tradition of traveling and walking all the way to see our relatives. But my real travels started from 1984 which was a small trek to Yangjakot that wasn’t planned. I may not remember the math formulae I studied during my school days but I remember every face clearly and the tiniest of details by heart till date. And after that short trek, there was no stopping my travel diaries.

I asked inquisitively, “What are the places you have not been to then? Visiting 70 districts is something wonderful!”  He answered with a smile, “Why not ask me where I have visited first?” Talking about my favorite places, Nepal is so beautiful that one life is not enough if you want to see all of it. You will need another life if you really want to travel through the whole of Nepal. It’s a beautiful country and the people are beautiful with diverse features and the various Nepali languages spoken all over the country amused me. As a child, I always had an interest in geography but studying about Nepal in text books and seeing it in real life does make a difference. 

Talking about my trips, some made me ecstatic and made me jump up a feet high while some things drove me close to tears. I will tell you about trips to the  Himalayas because they have been much loved and walking between them make you feel like a yeti!   While walking to Humla once, we came across a place called Hilsa which is right next to the Humla Karnali River which acts as a border to Tibet. The police check post there is situated in a local hotel while there has never been a health post here.  Across the border is a small village in Tibet, Taklakot. People cross the river using an ill maintained bridge that could break down any time and as soon as you cross the bridge, you will see a black-topped road with trucks, jeeps, and busses lined up and Chinese soldiers dressed in smart uniforms providing high security at the checkpoint. Isn’t this the same world we are all living in? Why are we so under developed? We are both human beings, we eat the same food; we have the same blood running down our veins.  The only difference we have here is political leaders and the Government. This is the situation of the country- The geographical features are beautifuland the political/social issues are devastating. We claim to have the second highest resources in water. We do, but has that been utilized properly? While travelling I was shocked to see water everywhere, but people are dying of thirst. Why is that happening? Do we call it lack of system and technology or just lazy manpower?

Just to change the topic, I popped up with a random question, “So what are your favorite places?” He responds, “If I start telling you about my favorite places, Living Magazine will run out of spaces and you will have to print a magazine exclusively for my travel tales!”  Talking about beautiful places in Nepal, it is spread all over. If you want to go on foot, the Himalayas would be the best and if by car, riding through the Terai would be breathtaking.

While travelling, I came across a village that promoted Polyandry marriage. Larke, which is a neighbouring district to Kathmandu, has such practices while people are shouting out slogans for Land Reforms and Anthropology in Kathmandu.  From my travel experiences, there are times when you feel like asking yourself, “Am I in Nepal?” Because it is so beautiful and every picture you take could be published in the National Geographic Magazine.  If you take the same trail, you will reach Annapurna Sanctuary which is also known as the world’s best trekking trials. And this has been my personal favourite for the tasty pizzas, steaks and internet connection available there unlike other places. I would love to have travelled alone but after Kanak Dixit’s accident, my colleagues don’t allow me to do so and I travel with porters and friends. 

The Forbidden Valley in Mustang is like a desert, a Tibetean plateau where you have to hunt for people. The only visible people there are old people grazing their cattle. From the outside, the place looks like nothing but once you are inside a person’s house, you will see that every house has a Gumba of its own. And what you look for, there are high chances that you will get it only if you have cash. During my stay there, I even wrote a song called, “Yesto Thauma” where I sing about the life in this trans-Himalayan region which is very harsh. I wrote it out of respect for the hardship and tolerance of people of Mustang living closely with nature. One of my favourite places in Nepal is the place which has been featured in the movie Caravan as well, Phoksundo Taal which is a dead lake. It is so beautiful that I can assure you  that anyone who visits that place will be mesmerized by its beauty. Personally, I feel Caravan movie has portrayed the beauty of Nepal better than any promotional video ever made.

If I have to give advice to the Tourism Board of Nepal, -instead of making plans for NTY 2011, they should first try to see what problems prevail all over Nepal- from roads, to water problems to employment and what not? I cannot go to places as a tourist and be happy about places, take pictures and smile all the time; I am a Nepali and seeing my country in such a devastated state makes me want to cry but doing so too would not solve anything.  If you are making plans, try implementing them first rather than jumping to another new plan.

From Kitchen to The Table!

Sizzling meat, wine drenched fish bursting into flames, steam rising in clouds from freshly made sizzlers, melting cheese bubbling in pizzas freshly out of the oven. How do chefs work their culinary magic in the kitchen of one of the most popular restaurants in Nepal? Here’s an exclusive look into how ordinary ingredients are transformed into mouthwatering picture-perfect dishes in kitchens while we wait for our orders.



If you have ever watched one of the prolific and highly popular cookery competition shows on TV, you have probably envisioned scenes of the head chef shouting profanities, the clatter of the pans and the cutlery, the loud thuds of knives hitting the chopping boards and the sous chefs working in wild frenzy in front of blazing flames. Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef, Iron Chef and all their British or American franchises are all reality competitive programs that show the drama and the atmosphere behind the swinging doors of the kitchen restricted to us. Who hasn’t trembled while watching Gordon Ramsay shout and swear at the lagging cook? Or maybe you think all the drama in the kitchen was just enacted to bring more ratings to the shows. Whatever the case, we at Living Magazine were curious to know what the atmosphere is like back in the kitchens of big restaurants. What goes on while we chat and laugh and wait impatiently for our food at our tables, often cursing for being served late?

“Raju! Have you stir fried the shrimps yet?” The head chef, Ajay Pudasaini, shouted from across the lavish bustling kitchen at Lobster’s Restaurant, Sherpa Mall to his sous chef. Raju who was sautéing potatoes in one pan and flipping an omelet in another looked up and said “They’re almost done, sir!” With a harassed expression, he turned his attention to the sizzling shrimps and gave them another stir with a huge wooden spatula.  The head chef took a glance over his shoulder at the clock ticking relentlessly behind him and gave more orders to the cooks making them run around the kitchen in hubbub. He says, “There is always some level of chaos in the kitchen because the customers want the best food in the shortest time and we want them to be gastronomically satisfied.”

We found ourselves  being jostled as the cooks and helpers dashed around to get the food ready as the orders popped up every 2-3 minutes. We had decided to get out of everyone’s way and had confined ourselves to one corner, watching their activities with bemused expressions. Pudasaini kindly invited us to watch as he cooked in the common area where Chicken Sizzler and Chopsuey were being prepared.  He was making Wild Mushroom Risotto with sea food that we had asked him to prepare. It was a rare opportunity for us to see what the chef was preparing step by step before your own eyes at a restaurant.

In a kitchen, a cook does not work alone; and when it comes to an efficient kitchen like that of Lobster’s, the team work is seamless. The head chef started off by assembling all the ingredients required for the risotto neatly on the table, barking out orders to the helpers, who scurried off promptly according to his bidding. As one of the cooks reached into the giant refrigerator that was easily three times the size of the ones we have at home to get some ingredients, we managed to get a peek into it. It was huge and had different compartments for everything, jam packed with fresh food, from exotic ones like lobsters, salmon, and shrimps to ordinary ones like butter, wine, vegetables, eggs, asparagus, coriander, cheese, meat and fruits.

With everything set on the table: the salmon, asparagus, coriander, olives, onion, oil, shrimps, rice, butter, tomatoes and mushroom, he finally started to cook on what we of the untrained eye assumed to be a big, flat rectangular frying pan with no raised edges. He placed a slab of freshly skinned salmon onto the smooth hot surface which was already laced with oil. It frizzled and sputtered as he added wine with great flare. The wine, he explained as he expertly handled the heat and wild flames, gives intense flavor to the salmon. As he swiftly took the salmon out of the pan, another cook was preparing chicken sizzler which ‘sizzled’ even more, making our mouths water. He then heated some butter in a pan and added cooked rice to it. His consequent movements were so swift we couldn’t get hold of the steps. His hands flew as he added salt, pepper and cream. While all this time, there was a sous chef standing next to him with a glass of red wine, which he poured directly into the pan making the rice burst into flames. Our stomachs were churning with hunger as the tempting smell of savory cooking lingered in our nostrils. Since lobsters has an open kitchen, we saw some girls chattering in the lounge room and wondered what we would be doing if we weren’t inside the kitchen watching the whole show. A cook fried mushrooms and shrimps for the garnish next to us. Once the risotto was done, he assembled it and the fried mushrooms at the center of a white plate in a pretty round tower shape, topped with the salmon. We watched hungrily and impatiently as he garnished the dish with sautéed asparagus, green pepper seeds, carrot slices and a shrimp on top. He then drizzled a light sauce of tomatoes and garlic around the risotto with a flourish, and our stomachs rejoiced; our food was done!

But with our interesting journey into the mysterious world of cooks, we now understand and we know how much effort it takes to prepare food that is not only appreciated by the customers but food that pleases every sensory organ. And about the swearing part, give your curiosities a break, they don’t swear as much as Gordon Ramsay! 

Pouts~ :*

Wrote this for Healthy Life long time back!
Its winters now and you would probably need this! =]

Is your sexy pout your trademark which got ruined during winter? Are you too ashamed to smile in front of people because your dry chapped lips will be noticed?  But, no matter how full and shapely your lips may be, but if they are dry and parched it can easily spoil the look. Well, yes we know that lips are one of the most sensous part of the body and although we don’t have lips like that of Angelina Jolie, we could always make it look better than cursing winter season. Since our lips contain no sebaceous glands, they can’t moisturize themselves, and the small amount of saliva that reaches our lips via tongue-tip is often not sufficient to prevent our lips from becoming dehydrated. Here are some fabulously simple, delicious all-natural ways to keep your lips moist, soft, and lusciously kissable.

• Starting the day, we all brush our teeth. While doing so, we can gently, I repeat GENTLY brush our lips as well. This will exfoliate and take away chapping, and will also plump up the lips temporarily.

• You knew this one but never seemed to bother: Drink lots of water throughout the day.

•    If you are looking for a home remedy, the best one would be applying a dab of honey on your lips.  This will act as a humectant, drawing moisture from the air to your skin, keeping your lips soft, plump, and kissably sweet

•  White teeth: this might sound like some dentist advice but whitening your teeth is necessary for making your lips popping out.
  
• Your lips don’t act as a chap healer so do carry a nice chapstick with you. Don’t be a miser and go for cheap ones as it will make your luscious lips dreadful.
  
• Before going to bed, you may apply a good lip moisturizer on your lips. This helps in arresting moisture throughout the night, keeping your lips supple and soft.
  
•  If you want to go herbal you may consider applying equal quantity of coconut and almond oil on your lips, before going to bed. Wash it off in the morning with lukewarm water.
  
•  If you want pink lips, then you might apply fresh beet root juice on your lips regularly before going to bed. It is considered an effective remedy for dark lips.
  
•   Avoid intake of caffeine and smoking. This can cause dehydration and skin darkening, thereby affecting the way your lips look.
  
•  To make your lips kissable, go for a kiss! That circulates blood around your lips keeping it healthy.

Happy pouting folks!

:*