Quarter Life Crisis?

Am I living it right?

Why, why Georgia, why?

I rent a room and I fill the spaces with

Wood in places to make it feel like home

But all I feel's alone

It might be a quarter life crisis

Or just the stirring in my soul.

Quarter Life Crisis?

Why Georgia- John Mayer.
I had never pondered upon the lyrics until today.

What was it? Then like an inquisitive mouse, I Google-d the meaning. The first thing that popped up was a definition from Wikipedia. The quarter-life crisis occurs shortly after a young person enters the "real world”. Woah. I thought to myself. Was I in a quarter-life crisis? I remember someone telling me that I had an Identity crisis. I bet he had it too! Well everyone does at one point of time! No one is perfect. Yes, going back to the quarter life crisis, I looked up on the internet for more information;

• Q: What is a quarter life crisis?
• A: The quarter life crisis, or QLC, is essentially a period of anxiety, uncertainty and inner turmoil that often accompanies the transition to adulthood.

Then it got me thinking. I am weird these days. Is it the phase when I am away from home and I am almost crazy? No, I have used that excuse for too long now. Is it because I don’t socialize much? Might be. I loved meeting new people and I was someone everybody would remember because I had a very quick rapport with even people I know for a few minutes. I have stopped doing that. I am a lazy person who tries to hide her face or just turn away when being introduced to someone new. I go to college JUST for the attendance. I sit in the first row of the class just so I don’t have to get involved in the talks with friends behind me. I take off as soon as it’s time to go home. I have said NO to going out with friends, giving one reason or the other. But strangely enough, they understand. Well, the closest one understands. What is it? My love life sucks. Because I am too self absorbed. I go online on Facebook to talk to people and whenever someone pops up a Hi, I appear offline. My mobile is switched off most of the time and I don’t like talking to anybody. I found a camera in my luggage last week which was forgotten because it doesn’t function well. But hey, it can still take pictures and the Auto timer works! So all I do basically is take pictures!

Could this be a Quarter life crisis?

After having written exactly 456 words, I think the idea of a Life crisis is not so true. And it is a psychological thing. I had heard somewhere that writing helps. Well never thought it would this quick and in a weird way. I deleted a few- well more than a few- sentences from the paragraph above and I got into a point where I wrote something that totally took my breath away. There are some things that I have completely forgotten about myself.

I am no saint to be suggesting you to do this but, you should. Not because you are happy or your life is perfect or the other way round, write for yourself. Write what YOU feel. And when you start, the words will just start pouring. And there is a point that you are touching the core of your real presence.

And this was a stirring in my soul at last!
Just like me, I bet so many of you have had the same thing happen in your life. So the big mountain was a oversized Hersheys Kisses afterall!:)

Blogging about ordinary lives.

A lazy Saturday.  

Well, super-lazy to be precise.
After washing the second pile of dirty clothes that I was too tired to wash yesterday, I made myself a bowl of Oat Porridge. Tastes like nothing but what not to get into perfect shape?  Following a late YouTube night over a super bad mood, my eyes opened up at 5 A.M. They never EVER open this quick on weekdays, why on weekends? Sigh. I turned around to my right and saw my Roommate sleeping peacefully and I cursed her. Then remember that I am being kicked out of my PG (Paying Guest House) because I have apparently made my roommate, Annu too distant from her mother. Well that is what she accused me of. What? How could someone who is practically a stranger steal a daughter from her mother? And honestly, I don’t even notice Annu being around in the room. I am either squinting my eyes to read the tiny letters in the big fat novels or playing my guitar or most of all sitting in front of my laptop with earphones dug deep in my ears. So, I will be homeless in say, woah I just checked the calendar and in less than a week!

So, I made up a teary face and confronted my landlady this morning and told her I have nowhere to go. And she tells me to give her daughter back. I wish Annu was a packet of Kurkure so that I could pass her around. Annu who is always either texting or talking on the phone with her boyfriend has not stopped crying since last night. And I thought, maybe she likes me. Or else why would she cry for me?  

So I didn’t care. I had to move out in a week. Yeah. So what? I will figure out. I always have. I am an independent girl in her 20s- well exactly 20- who believes she can handle situations like this! I wish I were saying this out loud right now. But even if I did say it, if I could do that, would just be icing on top of the cake. I might seem strong, well no doubt but I am also very shallow within. No one knows this but me.   
   
Just when I am raving about everything, let me just get back to why I wrote this blog post. I watched 3 movies back to back. A Good Year, Lost in Translation and Julie&Julia. They were all splendid movies but the last one I finished was about how a writer who loved cooking blogged about cooking and she made it to being a writer to a Bestselling book.

So just in between so many things happening in my life, here I am Blogging. Sitting in a position that I do all the time, I am writing. And you are reading it. Sitting in your own favorite position and now you are probably smiling. If you’re not, Please do!
I write for myself first. No doubt but knowing that there is someone else reading to whatever I write, makes me want to type all day long! And it felt good sharing my lame-ass story with you! I hope you have a Great day!:)Loads of love!

Adios Facebook!

I am out of Facebook for 3 weeks straight today.  

I actually feel proud to state that! Coming from someone who spent almost 4-5 hours (or more sometimes) on Facebook uselessly stalking people, it is an achievement! When I deactivated it, I thought that it would just be for a few days and I couldn’t stop myself from using it. My phone vibrated every time there was a notification and there again my battery died early. I came home from college and sat on my bed, and stayed in the same position staring at my Laptop up until I went to sleep. No home-works, no food, no life to be precise!

The decision that I took with a heavy heart has done wonders! I spend time cooking, playing the guitar and I have yet again started reading novels! And, I do all my assignments from College in time! Also, I update my blog more often! So its something good that happened! And strangely enough, I am happy and I don't miss Facebook as much! Not that I would never get back on Facebook ever again but I will after some time!

Till then it is Goodbye Facebook! =]

 And just as I was done writing this, I looked up on Google for some pictures for the article and it made me laugh for a while to find out that there is a disorder called, Facebook Addiction Disorder. Wow, so this thing happens for real! And there are help groups for the same! Jeez! I was not THAT addicted as I think of it now! But on the second thought, life without it is certainly better! =]

Dreams are places where you are the storytellers.

The good part about it is, no matter what, they are all bestsellers! 

From Nibuwa to Maya~

I don’t know about what other kids dreamt of when they were little; but apart from going to the moon, being on TV has always been one of mine.  But when I got into writing sometime back, the thought of TV switched into hardcore writing. But every time I interviewed a celebrity, their charm, glamour and the whole aura always fascinated me. And my childhood dream was just a dream until one day my then boss at Living Magazine, ECS sent me an email for one of the write-ups.  It was a call for fresh faces for a TV show meant for kids. I re-read the email and without a second though, I looked up for my CV, updated it and emailed it as an application for the TV Host.

It was not weeks until I got a phone call asking me to walk in for an interview along with a video of me interacting with kids. Don’t ask me how but I managed to get the video ready with the help of a dear friend who then acted as a director! The big day for the interview was nothing like I had expected it to be like. I was expecting a round table meeting but it was a very nice and cozy chat with Shrijana Singh Yonzon, the show Producer and one of her colleagues.  The selection process was a long one so skipping that part and going to one of the big days- the day to meet my co-host. I was nervous, he was the one who would be seen with me and we would be cousins on the show. Would I like him? Would he be annoying like the neighbor next door- or even worse?

As I was sipping coke in the scorching heat at Shrijana Yonzon’s porch a young chap came up to the entrance looking for her. His eyes never left the reflection that he got on the window glass. Constantly fixing his hair, he was still in his school uniform. Thinking that he was one if her daughter’s friend, I paid no attention and enjoyed my drink. Just after a split second, Shrijana walked out with this boy with a smile on her face and old me that he was my co-host.  I gave him a warm welcome and introduced myself and he told me his name was Ninad but I could call him Nins. I laughed to myself and thought, he is a typical 16 year old!

Moving on to the show, it was a Children’s show  called Maya & Max (Where I am Maya and Ninad is Max) are cousins who are set out on an expedition to fulfill their childhood wish list of travelling into diverse places and out to explore different parts of Nepal and meet children from various areas and backgrounds. Maya, loved the name already and Nins told everybody to call him Max starting that very moment! I didn’t have to ask everybody to do the same with me because the moment I met the whole team, I was introduced as Maya and no one asked me for my real name either.





The whole team was set out to travel to the places that Maya and Max had set out to visit as a child in their wish list. We went to Chitwan, Pokhara, Lumbini, Sauraha and shot at the villages in it. The shoot for 12 episodes took almost a month. The whole unit was like a family where Shrijana Yonzon was the Prime Minister and Maya&Max were the King and the Queen. But what hit me was the fact that we just see two people on screen and think they were the heroes. The real heroes or say the Reel heroes are always behind camera. From spot boy to the cook- they all had their piece of important work that had to be done at all times. The idea of being a TV host was amazing and the whole experience was really good. The worst part of it was make-up. No matter how light or nude it was, the make- up still took almost half an hour everyday with a bit of touch-ups throughout the day. My favorite part was being looked after all the time. If anyone spotted me standing, they would run over and grab me a chair and request me to sit down. As soon as I uttered the sentence, “Its so sunny”, someone would stand next to me with an umbrella and a bottle of water.

Max got homesick a couple of times and Shrijana, who could win the Sweetest Boss on earth award and I got together and teased him and asked him questions about the girls in his class and he would flee away from the spot.  She was more like a mother to us looking after us and taking care of us like her own babies!

We usually started the day really early so that the scorching heat in the Terai wouldn’t eat us all up. But no matter how early we started, the day would always come to an end late with no time to sit around and have fun. There were times when I thought to myself “Woah! It is difficult to be on TV.”  Working incessantly in the broad daylight right under the sun in peak summer was a difficult job and by the time the last episode was shot, I was two shades darker. Amidst all the fun and the joy we shared, we have so many memories to cherish and so many things to learn. The biggest lesson we learnt was what the show was really meant for. Children in Kathmandu seem to be happy with the toys and all the comforts they are given around but children outside Kathmandu, all over Nepal are as much happier. The only difference is that their toys are replaces with natural sources like swimming in the river, playing with stones and looking out for fun in everything.

All in all, the whole process was an exciting, thrilling and amazing experience. The fun we had putting it up for you will surely keep you entertained and informed at the same time.

February, the month of LOVE.

I don’t want to offend anyone here but what does a Month have to do with Love anyway?

If you loved your lover today and its January 31^st will you love her Twice or more tomorrow? Hell no!

Love is love! 

Be it November or December or whatever!
=]

Things are always better on the other side~ 





P.S. Note that the other side keeps on switching itself like an ass

Damn you F****ng Swear-er!

 “You swear to a woman and it shows what kind of family you come from. #losers”
I just read this on someone’s Facebook Status.
Does this really happen for real? I swear on everybody. Not all the time but when they piss me off. My parents raised me just right. Don’t you swear too? I think you do! Almost everyone I know swear! And as for the guys, they are from good families too! They were probably pissed at someone (Be it a boy or a girl) just as much as we get pissed at times! Gone are the days when Girls used to be weak, its time they should be standing side by side with men! Not just when it comes to swearing but in everything!

=]

But again, this thing is what my heart says! Doesn't promote swearing though!

SAY NO TO SWEARING GUYS!
BAD HABIT! :P

Traveling Soldier~

So, where was I the whole time when I was lost?

I was in Nepal!
Hometown! Damn I can never get enough of these visits!

However, this time I didn’t want to go but my mum was persistent on me coming over and so, just to make her happy, I left Delhi for a whole good month!

Not that I don’t love home or I don’t love my family or anything, once you start travelling way too often, you come to realize something.

 You are a part of two different worlds, full of different people. And you give them a surprise visit. They love you just as much as they did when you left, but they have moved on with their lives just as you have. They have a different life now. And you fit the puzzle board perfectly but it’s the piece which was lost for too long and doesn’t know what is happening around! You adjust finally and then BAM! It’s time for you to go back!

And the same thing happens here. So, maybe this is the usual story of a traveler!

So, this is for all the travelers who go through this, I know your story!



This note has nothing to do with this song, but listen to it: Dixie Chicks-Traveling Soldier

Meow~

Updating my blog after a whole month today.

It had been so long that I forgot my password and had to ask for a new one! Jeez! That got me wondering, why do I keep a blog anyway? Not to please anyone else or to make someone else happy. I love writing. It is something that I do- all the time. The notes of my phone are full of mixed emotions. When I need to express myself, my feelings/ things I need to say straight go to the notes section of my old-est model of iPhone which again should not be underestimated because it has the most convenient way of storing notes compared to the phones I have used till date.

So, going back to where I was telling you why I write- It is like an addiction now. Why do people sing? Why do they bite their nails? The examples might just sound so lame right now but, yeah words are like blood running down my veins. At times  I get so finicky that I get up from my sleep and look for my phone with one open eye and write down what I have on mind right then.

So now, instead of ranting about why I like writing, why don’t I write good stuff to keep you smiling and entertained?

=]
The write marathon begins! (The formal writing and posting I mean :P)

2012

The year that is most talked about is here!
Hoping that we will get to see 2013! :)

P.S. Ignore my super cute wallpaper! =]

I am dying to read this book though! :)

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!

:*

Organic Café

I was first there a few years back right on the day it was inaugurated. Taking my cousin from America around Basantapur, we saw the “Organic” sign and you know how quick the people living in the western countries are on promoting organic food. So we sat on the stairs for a while and chomped on the delicious Carrot cake with homegrown coffee. It was all history only that I saw Bipin Dai, the owner of Organic more than too often at previously called, Razzle Dazzle.
Only last year, my friend suggested s to meet up there. I did not quite remember the name of the small restaurant but when he said, behind Sandwich Park, I knew exactly where he was talking about. It was where I ate the amazing Carrot cake!


It was around January then and I can tell this to you without a second thought that we hung out there talking about nothing for at least 5 days a week and have been a regular since then till date! The menu here is nothing extravagant! But the pleasant music coming from a music store coming from the next lane and peaceful typical Nepali environment will lure you to that place more than once. At first, just seeing the place flooded with what we call them, “Kuires” you might think that it is not a place for Nepalese. And that’s where you make your mistake! If the place is in one of the most historic places in Kathmandu, why would you be an outcast?


Anyhow, Naina Didi who is as bright as sunshine looks after the place and makes the best sandwich on earth. Whenever I am back home from Delhi, I make a point to eat that almost every day because that heavenly Goat cheese (Or yak cheese) sandwich with fresh lettuce, tomatoes and I don’t exactly remember what but yummy stuff is not something that you get everywhere! To team up with that, you can either drink fresh brewed coffee or something that you wouldn’t get to drink every day, Mint Tea. Not to forget the mouthwatering chocolate croissants and doughnuts in an affordable price. 


Go there with your friends, with your parents or yourself, I can guarantee you with a good time! If you are a facebook-holic and want to stay home all day long and Like everybody’s status-es, you can do that at Organic as well! With Cyber Station’s superfast internet at Rs. 15 per hour, you can have the time of your life there seated in low Bamboo chairs with comfy mattresses on top!




Location: Freak Street, Basantapur!

With a heart full of wine,
With nothing left to pour,
To pour~

Delhi Lessons!

Some of you have read it on Facebook, now read it on my Blog!
The whole compilation of Delhi Lessons!

P.S. This is about someone who is not from India exploring it and giving comments. This is not meant to offend someone or being them down!

=]

Delhi Lesson No. 1#
Never ask a street vendor the price of something you just "LIKE" 
Just ask if you "LOVE" it! 
They will follow you and annoy you till you give up! 
ARGH!

Delhi Lesson No. 2#
Never underestimate an Auto.
Even though it looks small, it can fit up to 7 people in total!
True Story!




Delhi lesson No. 3#
Dont trust anyone ever.

*Applied all over the world.



Delhi lesson No. 4#
You get everything in the traffic area of Delhi.
From Hairbands, toilet cleaner, amazing toys, chapati roti, books to helmets and Sai Baba posters.
They have it ALL!

Delhi lesson no. 5#
No one cares about Amy Winehouse's death as they can never get over, "Char bajgaye lekin Party abhi baki hai". 
And trust me, it is played EVERYWHERE!
:/



Delhi lesson no.6#
In Delhi, is very normal to give someone elses' phone number which is not in use for over 3 months to someone new by the Network Company.

Yes, I am not Mr Hussain and I dont want to receive calls for him 24/7.

JEEZ!

Delhi Lesson No. 7#
Shah Rukh Khan is a God in Human's from.
You should never ill- talk about him!

:/


Delhi Lesson No. 8#
Beggars here ask for everything they see on your hands.
So far Ive come across, Ice-cream, Water, Money and my shopping bag today!

A beggar-boy told me, " Lagane ke liye Kapade de do"
Seriously?



Delhi Lesson No. 9#
Delhi is DENSELY populated with annoying un-invited flies!

ARGH!

Delhi lesson No. 10#
Mc Donalds is nothing like the TV. 
=(

Delhi Lesson No. 11#
Just because its the Independence Day tomorrow doesn't mean you have to wear Indian Flag printed Tee- Shirts, use Umbrellas and buy Lampshades, Notebooks, Erasers and Mobile Covers of the similar color!
Too much!

No offence to anyone!

Delhi lesson No. 12#
It is very okay for some people to give innocent people wrong directions just for fun!

Argh! :|

Delhi Lesson No. 13#
The Geography lessons in the text books of India need to be revised!
Nepal is not a part of India!
It never was.

Tired of explaining this time and again!

‎Delhi Lesson No. 14#
Earth is an open toilet. Pee/ poop wherever you want to!

Delhi Lesson No. 15#
Staring at random people is a compulsion to Delhi~ites.

:@

Delhi Lesson No. 16#

 Calling Nepalese people "Chinky" is being a racist! 

I bet my eyes can go much more wider than yours!
:/

Delhi Lesson No. 17#
The answer to any question here is,

"This is India"

 Delhi Lesson No. 18#
Be it your newborn child or Aishwariya Rai's, the joy is the almost the same.

Obviously more on her motherhood than yours!

Word.!