URBAN LUMBERJACK

When you base an outfit on the iconic boot, it’s hard to not go for the lumberjack look which is highly fall appropriate. Pair the iconic boots with modern straightfit jeans. Fit your tops with a plain t-shirt under a flannel shirt and throw in a down vest. Play with your colors to make the layers pop and you’re set to go out stomping.
BOOTS, JEANS AND PUFFER VEST FROM TIMBERLAND
SHIRT- MODEL’S OWN

INTO THE WILD

The fall season is the perfect time to go hiking around the valley. For that, you might want a good pair of hiking boots. Wear a modern pair of cargoes that’s been slimmed down, and keep warm with a functional jacket. This one is water proof as well.
BOOTS,CARGO PANTS, DOUBLE LAYRED JACKET, BACK PACK AND CAP FORM TIMBERLAND

TSHIRT MODEL’S OWN.

SCALING THE CONCRETE JUNGLE

Timberland’s new collection consists of athletic shoes with FlyRoam that allows you superior mobility. Mobility means possibilities. Wear it with a pair of joggers, a long line tee, and a ribbed hoodie for added texture. Layer not just in lengths, but in materials as well.

LONG-LINE T-SHIRT AND RIBBED HOODIE FROM THE WALL JOGGERS AND TRAINERS FROM TIMBERLAND BRACELET FROM MASALA BEADS

MODEL:SEKHAR SUBEDI | CONCEPT:NIRVEEK PPJ SHAH | PHOTOS:SHASHANK PRADHAN

We have been hearing the line “you are what you eat” too many times to count. But not necessarily. If that was the case there would be no room for exploring all the amazing dishes that are available. And it is not that we will become Italian when we eat Italian food or any other nationalities. Luckily, we have the options now as we can get a diverse range of food in the valley. Such one place is Temptino in Jhamsikhel which has made a point to provide us with authentic Italian food. To know more we had a chat with Mr. Suraj Raj Karnikar. Here is what he had to say.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA OF OPENING AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT?

This is a family owned business so I am partners with my sister and my brother-in-law. I’ve been in this industry for a long time because I also own Ghangri Restaurant and it has been in the market for a long time and is very reputed. So, after Ghangri was established and was doing well for its name, I decided to experiment with some diverse cuisines and Italian is one such cuisine that has been well appreciated by Nepali people. Comparatively, the customers are also very open to trying new dishes than in the past. Once the cuisine was finalised, we were yet to pin down on the location. And, Jhamsikhel area was locked down as it is an area on the rise with many restaurants, fastly becoming the food capital of the country. This is how Temptino started. However, the name took a lot of time to be decided. I had selected a few names but eventually, I opted for Temptino which is not an Italian word in itself but it is derived from temptation and it sounds like an Italian name.

TELL US ABOUT THE INTERIOR AND THE AMBIENCE OF THIS PLACE?

We chose a professional designer to help us with the designing of the place. He is a great guy who has designed various other restaurants here as well. I had a meeting and we came up with a concept and it turned out great. The ambience is set as such that the people who come here may get a feeling of being outdoors while sitting indoors set with warm lights and lots of plants and also trees.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR SPECIALITIES?
It is a known fact that people first eat with their eyes. So, the food has to look good. Secondly, the taste factor is important. So, being a restaurant we try to keep our minds open to people who still want food that we have been eating since a long time. Hence, the menu has been designed in a way that we get authentic Italian food which has creamier texture and is subtle in taste, as well as dishes that are familiar for the Nepali taste palate.

DID YOU GO THROUGH ANY CHALLENGES? AFTER ALL YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE HOSPITALITY BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME?

The only challenge in the restaurant business is promoting diverse cuisines and people actually trying them rather than opting for mo:mo and chowmein or something sandeko. But, patience is the key as we can’t force anyone to order a particular dish. So that takes a lot of time but we hope to get there eventually. Our pizzas here has been well appreciated by our customers and more so our Temptino Pizza. In the dessert section, the Tiramisu is very well liked as well.

WHAT ELSE ARE YOU DOING TO PROMOTE TEMPTINO?
We are doing our part of advertising through social media which is the best to inform people in masses. We have events here at Temptino and we tend to continue that. We have been featured in various print media as well.

HOW HAS THE CULTURE CHANGED FROM THE PAST TO NOW AND WHERE DO YOU SEE IT GOING IN THE FUTURE?

People have started going out which is the main thing. Yes, 10 years back too people went to restaurants but it was only on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries but now people have made it a lifestyle to go out and eat on a regular basis without any occasion as well. So much that it has become a social stigma if you don’t go out. Talking about food has been a topic of discussion while having a chat among groups. Social media plays a big role in knowing what people have been up to and that is one reason why we see so many food related posts on Instagram and Facebook. Every month there is a new restaurant opening up in different areas and people don’t have to go far away to a certain restaurant like in the past, there is probably one in their locality. The food delivery business is booming so we have a lot of options now than in the past. And the future looks great from where we are now.

HORSEBACK PRAWNS

Prawns? Yes please. Bacon? Hell yeah! Both? Please stuff that in our mouths right now!!! It’s not every day we come across this dish which, in our humble opinion, is the epitome of appetizers. In summary, it’s happiness wrapped in happiness.

PEPPERONI ROLL PIZZA

It’s a universal fact that good goes up to better and then best. That’s the rules of grammar and superlatives. But did you know that the best could get better? We didn’t either and we were thankful to Crust for showing it to us. How? By rolling it. Yep. They rolled their pizza. You need to have a first hand experience on how it is, so you need to go there.

OLIVE CHICKEN

One of the things you want in a place that promises good Italian food is olives. Lost of it. Crust does not disappoint. Not only with the olives, but with the chicken as well. When we pictured the dish in our heads, it was just a chicken with olive toppings. What came to the table was a work of art. We had a hard time eating it because driving a fork and knife through it seemed disgraceful. But we have a job to do. The end of it was met with a pallet seduction. The chicken is further stuffed with olive stuffing to make sure you enjoy this with your eyes closed.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CRUST PIZZA AND BREAD?

Kathmandu does not have a lot of good places to eat. And those that are, are all clustered up in Jhamsikhel, Thamel, or Durbarmarg; all the places where the everyday person does not live. I has a sports bar in Jhamsikhel and that’s how I came up with this conclusion, and also had a change of heart. See, if people wanted to get a birthday cake, they had to go all the way up to Annapurna, and for most people, that’s a bit far. What I believe is that Baneshwor is centrally located for most, and a lot live in this area, including myself. So I just wanted to open up a place where someone can get quality without having to commute far.

AGREED. SO WHY LAND ON THE NAME CRUST?

One thing pizzas and bread have in common is the crust, the outer shell, or the bokra. Since we specialize in these two items, I thought it was an appropriate name. And since the crust is generally rigid, we make our pizzas in firewood to give it a crunchy crust rather than the mediocre chewy one.

SO YOU MENTIONED YOU WANTED TO OPEN A PLACE TO EAT WITHIN HAVING TO GO FAR. BUT YOU COULD’VE GONE FOR CHINESE OR NEWARI, OR ANYTHING. WHY PIZZA?

When I was in the US, I used to work in a pizzeria myself. So I had plans to open up a pizza joint. Since I had the experience, and I felt that if the need arises, I can work in the kitchens myself.

THE MORE YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR PLACE THE HUNGRIER WE GET. WHAT’S SPECIAL ON THE MENU?

I think it’s a good time for me to say this: we have things on the menu that you can’t anywhere in Nepal, and I’m pretty sure nowhere else. First of all, we have the Chicken Roll Pizza. It’s been blowing up on instagram and people have been loving it. Similar to that is the Pepperoni Float, which has been a crowd favorite too. With these two, we have tried to change the traditional look of the pizza, and I think we’re in a position to be proud about it. Then there’s one with nachos which has a similar taste to that of samosa chat. Apart from these, we have stick momo which we make on the firewood. We top it with oregano and cheese to put a different twist to it, and the people have given good response to it.

WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT THE ROLLED PIZZA. JUST LOOKS SO GOOD. SO ARE ALL OF YOUR INGREDIENTS LOCALLY SOURCED?

Most of it, yes.

WE HAVE TRIED TO CHANGE THE TRADITIONAL LOOK OF THE PIZZA, AND I THINK WE’RE IN A POSITION TO BE PROUD ABOUT IT.

THAT’S VERY NICE. AND WHO DO WE CREDIT FOR THE INTERIORS?

My wife! She’s a doctor by profession, but she’s very passionate about these things.

NICE! WE MUST SAY THAT THE PLACE FEELS VERY HOMELY. MUST BE THE JUTE MATS AND WICKER CHAIRS.

Thank you for saying so. See, these bora panels here are a part of our CSR initiative. And if you notice the pictures that we have hung up, they’re more than just art. It’s a social service we’ve been doing since the start of our establishment. With the purchase of each picture, we donate Rs. 4800 to a foundation called Let Me See. With one purchase, one can help 3 people get a surgery for their cataracts. It just feels nice when art has a purpose.

WHEN WE WALKED IN, WE WERE GREETED WITH SMILES AND POLITE WELCOMES. THAT IS HONESTLY HARD TO FIND. DO YOU TRAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES?

Sort of. See, what I have noticed is that we Nepalese are introverted by nature. This puts us into a disadvantage when we go up to international levels. So I just want them to be at an advantage and help them to be more interactive and hospitable. I want to groom them to be in a better place than I was when I went out.

WE LOVE THE SOUND OP THAT. SO WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN THE FUTURE?

Talking about the menu, we surely will be evolving. We won’t go out of the Italian but changes will be made. And we hope to open up a chain in Pokhara, not in the lake side area however, it’s just too saturated. And perhaps even in Bhairawa. We’ve decided on the location and now are dealing with the engineering part. It should be done within 2 years, but between that time frame… let’s see.

WORDS:NIRVEEK PPJ SHAH | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

1) LOOK YOUR SUBJECT IN THE EYE When you’re talking to someone, you want to engage in the conversation and to do that you establish direct eye contact. The same theory works with photography. Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person’s eye level to find and express the connection in the photograph. For children, that means stooping to their level. And your subject need not always stare at the camera. All by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.

2) USE A PLAIN BACKGROUND: Whenever you take a photograph, make sure you keep the background in consideration. A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you look through the camera viewfinder, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure no poles grow from the head of your subject or cars come out of the side of their head.

3) USE FLASH OUTDOORS: Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on.

4) MOVE IN CLOSE: If your subject is smaller than a car, take a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Your goal is to fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. Up close you can reveal telling details, like a sprinkle of freckles or an arched eyebrow. But don’t get too close or your pictures will be blurry. The closest focusing distance for most cameras is about three feet, or about one step away from your camera. If you get closer than the closest focusing distance of your camera (see your manual to be sure), your pictures will be blurry.

5) MOVE IT FROM THE MIDDLE: The middle of your picture is not the best place for your subject. Bring your picture to life by simply moving your subject away from the middle of your picture. Start by playing tick-tacktoe with subject position. Imagine a tick-tack-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your important subject at one of the intersections of lines. You’ll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder.

6) LOCK THE FOCUS: If your subject is not in the center of the picture, you need to lock the focus to create a sharp picture. Most auto-focus cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the picture. But to improve pictures, you will often want to move the subject away from the center of the picture. If you don’t want a blurred picture, you’ll need to first lock the focus with the subject in the middle and then recompose the picture so the subject is away from the middle. Usually you can lock the focus in three steps. First, center the subject and press and hold the shutter button halfway down. Second, reposition your camera (while still holding the shutter button) so the subject is away from the center. And third, finish by pressing the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.

7) WATCH THE LIGHT: Next to the subject, the most important part of every picture is the light. It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. On a great-grandmother, bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles. But the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles. Don’t like the light on your subject? Then move yourself or your subject. For landscapes, try to take pictures early or late in the day when the light is orangish and rakes across the land.

8) TAKE VERTICAL PICTURES: Don’t be afraid to experiment with vertical shots. All sorts of things look better in a vertical picture. From tall buildings, trails leading you into the forest or a photo of your grandmother resting in a rocking chair. So next time out, make a conscious effort to turn your camera sideways and take some vertical pictures.

PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI | MODEL:UTSUKTA BISTA

Ps: these items were so comfor table that I cried when I had to return them.

LUMBERSEXUAL

Red flannels have a bad rep for being the “shirt of the year” but hey, they look hella good. If you’re still worried, fret not; these shirts are reversible. Plus, the pearl tab buttons make the whole process of dressing so much more easier.

-Reversible Flannel Shirt

-Tapered Fit Jeans

RACING TO A CAFÉ

I love leather jackets but I feel that it’s still a bit warm for it. So the next best option is the denim jacket, which is great in it’s own regard as well. If you’re going to pull off the denim on denim look, just make sure that the jacket and the pants are of different shades.

-Distressed Denim Jacket

-Super Skinny Jeans

-Vintage Logo T Shirt

CONTEMPORARY MINIMALISM

It just seems that people these days are obsessed with the whole concept of “less is more”. One can’t blame them however. You really don’t need prints to look good, just good clothes. If you insist on that pop, make sure it’s a small accessory like the watch here.

-Mandarin Button Up in Pink

-Grey Jumper

-Super Skinny Jeans in Black

FOR A DAY OUT

T Shirts are probably one of the most important inventions from mankind. Hence, there’s no reason why you should not wear one. Layer it up with a denim shirt since the weather these days tend to be cold and you’re set to hit it up with your boys.

-Dark Striped T Shirt

-Light Wash Denim Shirt

CONCEPT:NIRVEEK PPJ SHAH | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI | WARDROBE COURTESY:LEVI’S

Italians are passionate people; they’re passionate about cars, women, love, hate, and ofcourse food. This is part of the reason why there are so many restaurants whose claim to Italian Cuisine and experience fall painfully short of expectation. It is important to remember that this passion in cooking often plays a pivotal role in Italian culture. It’s the glue of the family, the center of socializing, and often times the backbone of being Italian. And that’s true about almost any culture, including our own. However, replicating the Italian passion in food and experience is not easy, and there are very few places that seem to have done this successfully in Nepal.

In fact, there might only be a handful of names that really come to mind. Now, amongst these names, The Vesper Café and Restaurant has always contended for podium position. Known for their good food and splendid wine collection it’s always a joy to visit.

Unfortunately, they suffered a major setback when their infrastructure crumbled during the earthquake. However, this failed to douse their passion and efforts and they have started with another establishment that is situated in Bhaisepati. Christened ‘Pink Salt by Vesper’, the new restaurant is located in the quickly growing area in the outskirts of the Capital. Reflecting the aforementioned passion in its ambience and food, Pink Salt is a promising new eatery for anyone who loves Italian food. As luck would have it, sometime last month, we found ourselves chatting with Alex Muktan, Co-Owner of the business and we got to know more about the new place.

TNM: HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS? DID YOU HAVE ANY PLANS AS SUCH OR DID SOMETHING ELSE INSPIRE ITS INITIATION?

AM: We started Vesper back in 2009, and we did it purely because of our love for good food and wine. I’d like to think that hospitality is in our bloodline and we are inclined to do so professionally as well. I’m not saying it’s an easy job that anyone can do, but I was lucky enough to collect valuable experience and knowledge about how the industry works during our stay abroad. Furthermore, I personally think that the Nepali market had this gap in terms of a place that that provides premium quality service and exceptionally good taste.

This was also important in our decision to initiate Vesper back in 2009. The earthquake was a difficult time for the entire country, and we were amongst the many that suffered the brunt of the blow. We were operating Vesper Café and Restaurant in a beautiful Rana styled building in Jhamsikhel. It was an architectural splendor but it was also a very old building, and the earthquake brought it down. We quickly shifted to a nearby property where we continued our business.

TNM: YOU HAVE A STUNNING ARRAY OF CHOICES FOR WINE. HOW DID THIS COME ALONG?

AM: We’ve always had a love for wine and there came a point in time when we realized that there was a dearth of high quality wines in Nepal. One thing led to another and we ended up starting a wine trading business to ensure that there was a place for people go to for good wine.

TNM: Now, back to Pink Salt: how did you end up choosing this location?

AM: To be honest, the beauty of the location at Bhaisepati really took us aback. Apart from the visually appealing landscape, this location ticked all the right boxes: it is a fast-developing residential area that is quiet and well managed, it’s away from the bustle of the city but not too far away, there aren’t many restaurants that focus on Italian cuisine and a large array of wines, and it is convenient because we live nearby. Long story short, it is a great place to open a restaurant.

TNM: HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME PINK SALT?

AM: The Himalayan Pink Salt as an ingredient always fascinated us. Also, during our travels, we learned that many people consider pink salt as a healthy ingredient. Moreover, it was an interesting name and seemed to match our dining ambience so we referenced it in our restaurant’s name.

TNM: TELL US ABOUT THE WINES AVAILABLE HERE?

AM: A good wine compliments the meal, and we select our wines with this in mind. Luckily, we import all our wine directly from the producers so we get the liberty to choose the wines we want. Currently we have over 100 different labels of wines from the best wineries in the world. We make our selection based on what goes best with the meals favored here in Nepal. It’s like they say, when you combine good food, wine, ambience and music it elevates the whole dining experience and that is what we are shooting for at Pink Salt by Vesper.

TNM: THERE ARE LOTS OF RESTAURANTS POPPING UP IN THE VALLEY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY SETS PINK SALT BY VESPER APART FROM THEM?

AM: First of all, there aren’t many restaurants that cater to authentic Italian cuisine. And I say this in the most polite way because we ourselves are not perfect and we are working consistently to get to that level. What would really set us apart is the entire experience that we provide to our customers. We have amazing chefs that have been trained by the best from around the world, a soothing environment, vibrant ambience, and qualified staff all at a reasonable price. As, I have already mentioned, the top quality we maintain and the range of wine selection also works into our appeal.

TNM: HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THE STANDARD THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY SET IN THE MARKET?

AM: We’ve been in the business for more than 8 years and we have been doing our best not just to maintain the brand name Vesper but also the overall experience for our customers. Consistency is what we aim for. We keep revising and updating our menus so that we ensure the quality is top notch. It is not easy in terms of manpower to get things done in a fixed time but we do keep adding a few different things every three months, and this effort really seems to be appreciated by our visitors.

TNM: HOW HAS THE RESPONSE FOR PINK SALT BEEN?

AM: We have made sure that we maintain our quality in food and service by utilizing the same management team that made The Vesper Café and Restaurant a success. So far, we have had very positive response and we look forward to continuing this and possibly improving further.

GAMBERI ALLA GRIGLIA CON PEPERONIE AGLIO ORIGANO SALSA

A mouthful, I know, but it’s actually Italian for “good lord this is good!” When the waitress brought this to our table, we were taken aback by the display. Now, often, the display tends not to come to par with the taste, but with this, everything matched up. The prawns were succulent and the mix of bell peppers, black olives, mushroom, garlic, and oregano was a party any pallet would be more than happy to host.

GRILLED HERB CHICKEN

Chicken is a universal favorite. When you pair that with a creamy sauce and lay it on a special bed of veggies, the best gets better. The chicken was tender and as always, one of the best displays we’ve seen so far.

PIZZA VEGETARIANA

As meat loving omnivores, veggies don’t come to our mind. But, as we have come to learn, these non-meat dishes are as good. So we had high expectations about this pizza, which were not let down. An arrangement of stewed aubergines, peppers, mushrooms, spinach sat proudly with shredded mozzarella, and ever so gently on our mouths.

WORDS:SHREYA SANGROULA AND NIRVEEK PPJ SHAH | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

Within the circle of music enthusiasts we have a new name that has been gathering popularity with his amazing skills. We may know him by the name Rajan Shrestha who has been a part of underground bands like Elysium, Cadenza, Atomic Bush and Jindabaad. But now he has changed his genre to what he refers to as Post-Adhunik Electronic music. Here, you may get to know him as Phatcowlee as he goes by that moniker. He is also a part of the amazing Fuzz Factory series called Fuzzscape in which he creates music. The experience he has had in the music scene is praiseworthy and this talent is equally exemplary. We had a talk with Rajan Shrestha and got to know more about his past and what he plans for the future.

YOU’VE BEEN A PART OF POPULAR BANDS FOR A FEW YEARS NOW? AND NOW YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SOME PROJECTS ON YOUR OWN AS WELL. HOW DID IT ALL PAN OUT?

I was always interested in music and have been playing the guitar when I was in my school days. It started out as a hobby but got more serious when I knew that music was what I wanted to do. I got into small band competitions and then worked my way to joining some big underground bands like Atomic Bush and Jindabaad. I did try to get into other creative fields as well but somehow I did associate more with music more than anything else. That is how I started with Phatcowlee which is my solo project which is a mix of my own self-expression mixed with some post contemporary Nepali music from some of the artists I admire.

YOU HAVE WORKED FOR BANDS AND ALSO INDIVIDUALLY. HOW IS IT DIFFERENT WORKING IN A GROUP THAN WORKING INDIVIDUALLY?

Well, as you said the difference is in the question itself because a group includes more people which results in more people making decisions and it also takes lots of commitment to stay together and have that mindset of making music that satisfies everyone. Yes, it is a lot of people and we make amazing memories and some amazing ideas come through when working together but yes we have to compromise from time to time as well. It has its highs and its lows like everything, after all it was a relationship with whom you were with most of the time. However, working individually leaves a larger room for doing what I want to do and in my own time and it is more about personal expression.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME PHATCOWLEE?

It was completely random, I hadn’t decided on a name for myself. It actually is a literal mix of the vegetable cauliflower and a cow and I randomly added ‘Phat’ infront of it to make it sound better. The story is that my mom was holding up the said vegetable and in a field nearby was a cow. And I saw both the things at the same time. It is a weird and funny story but it made me come up with this name. That is a good example of ‘Inspiration can come from anywhere, you just have to look’.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THE TYPE OF MUSIC YOU ARE MAKING AS PHATCOWLEE?

Well, it was all on a trial basis. Listening to music from old Nepali movies is what inspired me. I was listening to a few songs and it was nostalgic and great, and I decided to add my beats to just see how it would turn out. I sampled a few song and tried to put my own spin on it. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out initially but it was the start of my project. And these are the songs that are still relatable to people, so people who grew up listening to these songs recognize it in their own ways and people into electronic music can resonate to it as well.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?

My inspiration comes from various places, one being my own personal feelings. Apart from that, Nepal is this huge melting pot of cultures. I have travelled and some of my work do reflect the authentic culture of some place, recently such project was the third episode of Fuzzscape where we went to Birjung and got close and personal with the music and the instruments they play there.

We had an amazing experience and the result that came out did reflect what Nepal is outside of Kathmandu. I also take inspiration from Old Nepali movies and music maestros like Narayan Gopal Guruwacharya and Gopal Yonzon to name a few. It brings out nostalgia of what we are as a community and what it comprises of.

WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

There is no such standard process I go through. It can come to me when I’m just in my house or maybe even someplace else with friends. If I have an idea in my head I use my computer to bring it to life. ANY HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SOUND? It is a form of electronic music that’s a bit dark. As a person I am quite talkative and easy going around people but my music reflects the darker, or maybe a weirder side of me.

HOW HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN?

Well, I didn’t have any expectations as such, I kind of did it for myself but the response I received was great. And I was happy about it and I was motivated to do it more. So, the positive response was the cherry on top. It is a niche market because this genre is quite new because it is abstract in some ways but the people interested are the people I cater to including myself. I hope to keep doing what I want and people who listen to my music like it and that’s all it is actually.

LASTLY, A GENERAL QUESTION, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE OVERALL NEPALI MUSIC INDUSTRY?

Music is something that is always a good thing, people who understand music technically or not. That is the beauty of it. Music makes people imagine and get connected to their own selves or with other people as well. However, people have turned around and left their passions for something else because there is not much money and that is the sad part of it. Parents still get skeptical about their children’s earning if they pursue music professionally.

This is proof that this industry is not be appreciated. Whatever, we have seen or heard commercially in Nepal in terms of music is just a fragment of what is there to explore. If you get out of the valley and explore the places still not appreciated by the public, there is a creative gold mine for artists like us. Then, we can see the richness in our culture, the way of living that can be reflected by it, it is very beautiful. So, we couldn’t have gotten a better place to make music other than here in Nepal but unfortunately, the resources and the conditions might make it harder to showcase all that. That being said, we do have a huge scope which may even put us on the global map.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MUST BE DONE IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE PRESENT SCENARIO?

It is a gradual process but for that some contributions must be made, collaborations would be a great idea to start off. People coming together from different creative fields and putting their best possible effort into bringing the result on screen. And some appreciation by the public of course.

WORDS:SHREYA SANGROULA | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

I have an abnormal morning routine to which I have been religious to for a couple of years now. I wake up at 4 am and get myself out of the house by 5 am for school. An hour just to get ready? Not really. So what do I do in that time frame? I shop online. I do very much love me some shopping, almost to a dangerously addictive level. But I am okay with it, as long as I have sudrz.com on the top of my bookmarks list. I came across this site a year ago when I realized that I needed a new pair of shoes. I wanted me a pair of Vans specifically and I landed on the mentioned website. I was new here, and from the very first impression, I was impressed with the interface and selection. So I made the jump.

Then I get a call at 12 pm. “Hello, this is Sudrz, when can we make the delivery?”

I huh-ed because I wasn’t sure. This confusing exchange of dialogue went on for a bit regardless of of how clear the reception was. I just couldn’t believed what I was hearing. See, my previous relationship with online shopping has been not that great. I ordered something, would get a call from them a couple of days after just to make sure that I had ordered it or nah, then have it delivered to me a week after, by which I would have already forgotten what I had ordered. Some would say that it would be like receiving a gift, but it ain’t a gift if you’re paying for it; it’s just sucky service! Sudrz? Far from it. Lightyears.

Long story short, those shoes arrived by 2pm. I have not been successful at relocating my jaw after this, but my wallet has been faithful to them, and the 200+ brands and 7000+ items they proudly house. It just is an honor for me to meet Ram Kumar Baniya, the man behind my favorite bookmark.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH A NOTION TO START AN ONLINE STORE?

Four years back, I was a frequent online shopper. Going to the shops just seems like a tedious chore to me and with the sites that were available then, I did not get my money’s worth. I would spend a thousand and a half or a couple on a tshirt and with in two days it would frey, or something order was far from the picture that was shown in the site. I was basically tired of the cheap stuff and poor service, so wished for a place that offered just branded items. Then, I thought that it’d be best to make one rather than just to wish for one.

So, on a trip to India, I met a friend of mine who had an e-commerce site and he encouraged me to bring it to Nepal, like a franchise. I did not like that idea that much, and from there, we thought of starting my own e-commerce site. And that’s how Sudrz came into being. HOW DID YOU GATHER THE TEAM? Well, it just fell into place. A partner and me were developing it, and after he left for Qatar I was working alone. Then the guys in the team knew I was working on this, so they just tagged along.

HOW DID THE NAME COME TO BE?

When we started out, we were brainstorming on what kind of an ecommerce site to be. Since the fashion and lifestyle sector was not very prominent online, we thought it’d be beneficial to have a go over there. That was just a part of the problem. Part II was to find a name, and boy did we look for one. Someone came up with stuff like “Jaam Kinam” and what not. I was looking for Spanish and French names and eventually, I came to Sanskrit. There’s a word called Sudrisya, which means ‘good looking’. The contraction of it is Sudrz, and that is our name now.

WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU FACE WHILE YOU WERE STARTING?

To be honest, I have no background that favors a career in IT or ecommerce, I just wanted to do something like this. So having no knowledge about it, gathering a team was a must, and that too was a hard thing to do. Establishing the various departments and putting people in them took me some six months. Then along the way, I was educating myself, especially on the coding language of React. We wanted to make a single page application that was easy and fast, so we gave it to a brother of mine.

Then, seven days prior to the launch of the site, the whole language completely changed and became a whole lot messy. Fortunately, I met a guy from Ekbana Solutions who said he could make a site in seven day based on the language oo PHP. The problems didn’t end there for I did not know anything. But after tackling them one by one, I guess that we made it. We had a lot of resources, such as Amazon and Flipkart, and we adopted all the good features from them.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

With the rate of how the internet is growing and is making its way into the lives of the people, e-commerce is the future. More and more people are starting to make a business and go online with their brand name. So it definitely going to be huge. Who knows, maybe the future will hold a whole new way of shopping, but then again, by the way it’s going at the moment, e-commerce is promising.

WHAT SETS SUDRZ APART FROM THE REST?

Our primary concern with all of the products we deal with is the genuineness of it. If a customer complains about a product being a copy, or one of those “high copies”, we get it back from them with a issue full refund with an apology letter from the dealer, and then we stop working with that dealer. When we promise quality, we don’t want to deliver any less.

We have a high customer satisfaction rate to back this up. (As a loyal customer, I love this part the most about them.) Also, we are not just a platform for selling. We are a hub for brands and entrepreneurs to showcase themselves and their name. Along with international brands, we feature Nepali brands that are consistent with their high quality. And we do our best to make the deliveries on the day we get them.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

Soon enough, we hope to launch a Marketplace in Sudrz. We aim this towards the ladies as they tend to not wear a dress they’ve already worn. So, this feature will allow them to sell it at a fair price. Then, we have a very exclusive part of the website where we will feature designer jewelries and clothes. We also want to start a Youtube channel to feature brands, tutorials, and DIYs. Maybe we’ll pick out people from various colleges to be our face for a month. We have various plans like that that we’re excited to initiate.

We don’t have plans to be the biggest site or anything like that, we just want to be good and consistent with it. We’ll be taking it nice and easy.

WORDS:NIRVEEK PPJ SHAH | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

SAY IT WITH PATTERNS

You don’t have to put much effort while wearing Kurtas. Just pick a pattern you like and wear it proudly.

ON WEDNESDAYS WE WEAR PINK

Not the manliest of movie quotes, but it is manly to wear pink. Don’t be shy.

FOR THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF STYLE

General rule of thumb: light for day, dark for night. This dark patterned Kurta could not be any more perfect for night time parties.

EFFORT? WHAT’S THAT?

Pardon me for repeating, but Kurtas are effortless to pull off. Just be careful about the fit, and throw in a Nehru Jacket. Weather forecast: A heavy rain of compliments.

CONCEPT: NIRVEEK PPJ SHAH | PHOTOS: PRITAM CHHETRI | MODEL: RIYAJ DHOJ JOSHI | WARDROBE: FABINDIA

TOMATO SOUP
Tomato Soup is not something one goes to a restaurant for. To be honest, it’s something you have when you’re down with the flu or something. However, with Kava there’s always a however, their Tomato Soup was different. From the presentation to the taste, everything was melt-in-your-mouth. The only down side we would like to point out here with this dish is that it ends too quickly. You keep spooning it until you realize that you’re scraping the bowl. The flavor just keeps your eyes shut and your mind in utopia.

INGREDIENTS
BASIL
SALT TO TASTE
GARLIC
OLIVE OIL
GARLIC BREAD

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
Grilled Cheese is something one can have whether it’s rain or shine, day or night. This holy matrimony of cheese and bread is magical enough, but Chef Gogoi seems to have made it more than what it is to the eye. The only time the word “gooey” is apt, the cheese was just that and was pure pleasure to rip the sandwich apart.

INGREDIENT
WHITE SANDWISH BREAD
PROCESS CHEESE SLICE
BLACK PEPPER
FRENCH FRIES
HERB SALAD

CHICKEN CURRY
On instinct, we were about to put some of this over the biryani, but the burning eyes of the chef did not allow us to do so. And it’s good to be told not to do something sometimes. The chicken itself was tender and succulent, and with the creamy curry it was bathed in… dear god.

INGREDIENT
CHICKEN TIKKA
MAKHANI GRAVY BUTTER
SALT TO TASTE
JEERA POWDER
GINGER GARLIC PASTE
DEGI MIRCH POWDER
KASOORI METHI

VEGETARIAN BIRYANI
As omnivores leaning towards the traits of a carnivore, when we were told that we would be served some Veg. Biryani, all we could do was put on a pseudo smile and say “nice”. However, it only took a shove of the spoon into our mouths for our fake smile to turn into the most authentic one.

INGREDIENTS
BASMATI RICE
CARROT
CAULIFLOWER
GREEN PEAS
BEANS
MINT LEAF
GINGER GALIC
PASTE SAFFRON
SALT TO TASTE
GARAM MASALA
KEWRA WATER
ROSE WATER
CURD

DUDH MALAI
Kava obviously has Indian influences, so it would be incomplete with some sweet, burst-in-youmouth Dudh Malai. Unlike others, this one was oh-so silky with a light, yet flavorful milk around it. As a sweet tooth, I would get out of bed at midnight just for these.

WORDS:NIRVEEK PPJ SHAH | PHOTOS:PRITAM CHHETRI

We first knew about Max (Manohar) Basnet when we saw him on Star Sports slugging it out in the Super Boxing League organized by Professional Boxing Organization India. But he has been in the Nepalese professional boxing scene for a long time now. Max has won 4 national championships, and was declared the ‘Best Player’ at the 25th Men’s National Boxing Championship. He struggled to get where he is today, training under financially grim conditions in India. But he has always been a fighter in and out of the ring. When he raised his voice against the corruption plaguing the Nepalese Boxing Association the authorities imposed a ban and stopped him from boxing for 3 prime years of his life. However, his effort to develop the sport in Nepal has been unrelenting.

The world witnessed the biggest fight in history on the 26th of August 2017 when boxing legend Floyd Mayweather defeated the most celebrated UFC player of all time, Connor McGregor in a professional boxing bout. Following one of the biggest hypes in modern fighting history the showdown ended in the 10th round when the referee stopped the fight. McGregor started off brilliantly but fatigue started setting in around the 6th round and Mayweather did what he did best, extending his undefeated streak to 50-0.

Now, while there were many factors that led to the final decision, fatigue was one of the undeniable factors that influenced the result. Keep in mind that McGregor is 10 years younger and in the prime of his career while Mayweather came out of retirement for the fight. Yet, it was McGregor who lost steam in the fight. That’s because boxing is a sport that pushes your stamina and endurance to their limits.
While McGregor did train his cardio, it seems he underestimated the demands of the squared circle, articulating the notion that not having to throw kicks would save him the energy. What he did not factor in was that a lot of energy would be saved on his back or while grappling on the ground. On the other hand, boxing has very few rest periods and you’re always moving. And if you’re wearing yourself out in the first few rounds you’re going to be gassed pretty quick.

What we’re getting at here is that getting into a boxing ring and lasting 12 rounds will put your endurance and stamina to the test. To get the best perspective on the importance of endurance and how to get there we got in touch with one of the most popular professional boxers at the moment, Max Basnet. Founder of Max Boxing Promotion Pvt. Ltd and President of Nepal Professional Boxing Commission, Max breaks down what he believes is the best way of to improve your stamina and endurance.

“Boxing is a sweet science;” he explains, “Everything is calculated and meticulously planned from how you train to how you perform during the fight.” Max has been boxing professionally for over 14 years now, and training long before that. We met him at Tikathali (a fair distance out from Ring Road), and he led us up to the local gym where he had been training since he was a kid. Then we began our cash course in endurance training. These are the exercise movements you can follow to enhance your endurance and step up your cardio.

SHADOW BOXING
“Shadow boxing is something we use to improve on our shortcomings. You want to better your jab you focus on your jabs, you want to improve your footwork, you focus on your footwork. And the best thing is you never lose a bout when you’re shadow boxing.”-Max Basnet Essentially, what you are doing with shadow boxing is honing your technique, but it is also a great way to prep yourself for what will be equivalent to a certain number of rounds in a boxing match. That means it can be used for conditioning and endurance building. But you get what you put into it.
So aim for completing 12 three-minute rounds with 15- 30 seconds of rest. Work on what you want to improve but keep moving and throwing punches. You might wear out but keep at it and power through, gauging your energy exertion.

BATTLE ROPES
Battle ropes offer full body strength training as well as cardio. They’re especially great for targeting your core and upper body, since those are your primary movers in battle rope training. The ropes create forces and tension from angles that are harder to achieve with basic weight training, they confuse and surprise your muscles into making new gains.

Do a basic alternating wave over 30-second on/off intervals. Start with 3 or 4 intervals and then work up to 6 (or reduce the rest) once you’re comfortable. Once you’ve mastered the alternating waves, work both arms in tandem (the double wave) to ratchet up the intensity.

WAVE: Probably the most common battle rope swing, the standard wave is a great way to focus on your biceps. Tuck your elbows into your sides and alternate pumping your arms up and down, creating alternate waves in the rope. When you’re ready to step up the difficulty, switch to a double wave, where your arms move in tandem.

SLAM: Lift both ends of the rope overhead, and then slam the rope down with full force onto the ground. Make sure to maintain good posture. This move engages your shoulders, arms, back, and core, especially your abs.

CIRCLES: Move each arm in independent circles in front of you. You can rotate each arm outward (left counterclockwise, right clockwise) or inward (left clockwise, right counterclockwise). It’s a great way to focus on your shoulders. You can also hold both hands together and make a single circle with both ends of the rope—start moving clockwise, and then switch to counterclockwise halfway through the set.

FLYES: Squat low and whip each end of the rope in tandem, as if you’re flapping your arms like wings. Keep your elbow bent only slightly. It’s a seriously challenging workout for your whole back.

GRAPPLER THROWS: Keeping both your feet grounded, pivot your torso from side to side. During each pivot, flip the ropes over as if you were throwing them to the floor on the side you’re pivoting toward.

TYRE JUMPS
This workout focuses on improving your footwork and balance. What you do here is basically shadowbox while you bounce on a tyre laid flat on the ground. The tyre is great for balance, and you want to get one that allows you to stands with your feet shoulder width apart. It will give you the hop and teach you to stay on your toes as well as weight shifting. Make sure you get a hang of it at a slow process so that you don’t hurt yourself.

TYRE LIFTS
This is a pretty simple workout that is not supposed to be done with a heavy tyre. The movement engages your core, arms and back while demanding cardiovascular endurance.

PUSHUPS
Another one of the classics, the pushup is a great workout for upperbody strength. To perform the workout, lie prone on floor with hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Raise body up off floor by extending arms with body straight. Keeping body straight, lower body to floor by bending arms. Push body up until arms are extended. Repeat.

WORDS:TNM TEAM | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

Tell us about Milk and Honey.
Well, first off, Milk and Honey in Kathmandu is the Franchise of Milk and Honey Singapore. We offer a dynamic array of flavors and experiences and it is a soughtafter dessert treat. The demand for these delicacies has been booming for the past few years so we were interested in getting its franchise, mostly driven by strong consumer interest in healthier dessert alternatives and innovative product offerings. The layout and the design that you can see here is exactly the same as the Milk and Honey that you find all around the world. And we make sure to get that exact raw materials, the techniques as the main brand to give people the amazing experience of frozen yogurt. Meal replacement, snack or dessert, frozen yogurt caters to all daily meals.

Who do you consider to be your competition? And how are you setting your mark in the industry?
Well, our main competition is most obviously with ice cream because of the high abundance and it being considered the conventional go-to dessert. It also competes with other dessert places or, local gathering spots such as coffee shops, and even juice or smoothie chains. We also serve various kinds of coffee, muffins, brownies and other baked confectionaries at Milk and Honey. Yes, we have some competition but it is not necessarily a bad thing because we are sticking to what we do and try to better our game and stay put in the values of the brand and what it wants to convey along with all the deliciousness of course.

What can we expect to get at Milk and Honey in regard with the flavors and the toppings?
What you can get are truly vast choices of toppings here; lavender jelly or syrup, real red wine sauce, matcha, macaroons, or any fruit of your choice, and that’s just to name a few. Pretentious names aside, what we want to offer are options beside the conventional fresh fruits and options that could enhance rather than rob the taste. We have limited yoghurt base but our decision in ingredients, and stellar aesthetics is given much attention too.

Where do you think this industry is heading? Do you have any other future plans for Milk and Honey?
In my opinion, frozen yogurt is taking its natural course. It is in the market because there is a demand and that demand needs to be addressed. For now, we don’t have any plans as such because being a franchise we have limited control over the operations but definitely more outlets is a probable plan for the future.

What gives Milk and Honey an edge over other frozen yogurt places?
Quality is playing a big factor moving forward. So, we look towards quality to differentiate ourselves in the market. In addition to that, Milk and Honey is a much known brand and that brand goodwill is a plus point as well. Cutting corners is no longer an option to cut cost. Consumers are intuitive and the moment a slip in quality is detected is the moment they question the brand’s integrity. So, we believe in the product first, followed closely by customer engagement and store operations. Also, consumers like options, and endless topping bars and multiple flavors cater directly to consumers’ needs to eat food the way they want, when they want. Milk and Honey is more than one dimensional and meets the constant demands of its followers, including offering up health, variety and innovation. However, at the end of the day, every food concept, trend, provider and shop are fighting to survive. There are just some that are meant to continue on and we strongly believe it’s here to stay.

WORDS:SHREYA SANGROULA | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

Nightlife, partying, clubbing; these are terms cool people throw around around their circle. For those who are alien to these terminologies, they’ve either never participated in it, or they shun it with every molecule in them. The good news is, the former category of people is expanding while the latter is shrinking. This is because a big player has entered the nightlife game and has sent out ripples that have changed the way people see it altogether. Club Deja Vu have been the prime location for night owls and not only do they seem to not get enough of it, but they are dragging in more people with them. The result: a healthy cycle of party goers. So if words like party, fun, excitement, and I’m-gonna-dance-til-I-drop kindle emotions that you’ve felt but not sure where, you can be sure about them at Deja Vu.

HOW DID DEJA VU COME TO LIFE?
We were in the Victory Club team and we decided that it was time for us to move on and start a new club. We gathered friends that we had been knowing for a long time, put together a solid plan, and hence gave birth to Deja Vu.

OPENING A CLUB, THAT TOO IN A HIGH PROFILE PLACE LIKE DURBARMARG; MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE.
It was. There’s no lying about that. We did want to open a club, and regardless of have a well thought out plan, the location was a hard issue. Initially, scouting for a location took time and getting a fix on it was even harder. Then, when we came to know that the owners of the building, which we are in currently, wanted to put a lease on it. We jumped on it and things just fell into place from there on. It was just a merry stroke of luck in all honesty.

GLAD THAT HAPPENED. WHAT OTHER OBSTACLES DID YOU FACE AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?
To begin with, our main concern was the neighbours. Being in the nightlife industry, disturbing the people around is a thing we need to consider. We were fortunate to be around understanding neighbours and it was pretty much a smooth sailing. We sound proofed our facility so there was no such issue. Then, as a club, we face daily issues any other club faces. It’s not something to be alarmed about, so we have not faced a major setback so far.

GUESS YOU CAN CREDIT IT TO YOUR PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY. HOW DO YOU THINK THE PEOPLE ARE SEEING THE WHOLE NOTION OF CLUBBING AND NIGHTLIFE?
Like you said, we’ve been around for a while. Our experiences date back to 2010. Now, it may not seem like much, but it accounts for coming across a lot of party goers. And we do mean a lot. And with that, we have seen a drastic change.

Back then, nightlife was something that was frowned upon. Along with many others, when we used to go out, our parents would be very discouraging, saying that it’s immoral, or that it’s for the rowdy crowd, or something along the lines of that. Now, those parents ask their kids if they can come along. From what we’ve noticed, in the past, the majority of the people who come to the clubs were youngsters with very homogeneous circles. Now, that demography has morphed into something far more diverse, accommodating party people of various age groups. This is definitely something positive. No under 18 of course; we don’t allow that.

AND WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BROUGHT ABOUT THIS SHIFT?
When we opened Victory, there weren’t many clubs around. Now, we might be wrong in saying this, but Victory had a huge hand to bring this shift. It was something new, and after it, places like Ibiza, Karma, and now Deja Vu followed suite. With this, a sort of a trend started to come up and as more people got involved in it, more interest started to take birth. And hence, a diverse crowd started to come in to fancy their intrigue.

Then, another factor is the change in the standard. The pioneers of nightlife like Platinum, they had their standard. But after a some time, that standard became the minimum, and just out dated. When Victory opened, it set a new bar, which was high. Now, people in general like change, and when hat change it good, the like it even more. That’s why they keep coming back, and bring along new people with them.
Also, there’s the music. With western EDM taking up a bulk of the music industry and being the prefered choice of the masses, they gravitate towards such music. And when clubs play such music, it is pretty much attraction for the audience by default.

YOU MENTIONED A FEW CLUBS THAT CAME UP ALONG WITH YOU. WHAT DO YOU SAY SETS YOU APART FROM THEM?
To state the obvious, our main USP would be the space. Our interiors are like no other and even give real competition to the clubs that are oversea at locations like the US. If you want to do a big event, we have you covered. The reason why big names like Diplo, Jay Sean, and soon enough, Steve Aoki came to is because we can accommodate the space for the energy they bring. Other venues can’t do that.

All of the interiors we have done has been made to make the people feel like they’re not in Nepal anymore, but in an international club. And many have reported on feeling so. We have paid attention to the way the place looks and feels just to put together an ambiance that’s special and different. We have an enormous stage screen that can be seen and felt right up from the entrance. And we’ve paired it up with a sound system that will blow the minds away and make any hip sway.

To add to it, we have three bars in the place. We have a top notch selection of drinks and a menu that surpasses just bar foods. See, when people are dancing, they’re bound to get thirsty and hungry. We don’t want them to go away just to grab a bite to eat, because who knows, they may never return after their snack. That’s a missed opportunity for us. We don’t want that, nor do we want our party people to stop just because of hunger. So we have gone out of our way to put together a menu that will satisfy any sort of hunger. And we intend to add and improve on it further.

NOW THAT YOU’VE MENTIONED ABOUT ADDING TO YOUR BAR, WHAT OTHERS DO YOU HAVE IN MIND FOR THE FUTURE OF DEJA VU?
When we started out, we wanted to make a pub, and a sports house. The pub may not see light, but actually, the sports house is being constructed on the side. It is going to have football, table tennis, air hockey, all that fun stuff. And we also have a rooftop restaurant coming up. All of these are expected to be constructed by next month and you can expect them to be in full swing by late 2017.

WORDS:NIRVEEK PPJ SHAH | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

The popularity of electric scooters shot up post the fuel crisis that hit Nepal two years ago. The crisis helped embellish the importance of alternative energy into the minds of people, especially in terms of finding one for a mode of transportation. But once the fuel crisis dissipated, the newfound interest for electric scooters petered out too. Following a hit and run involving an electric scooter, regulations pertaining to the requirement of a driver’s license for electric scooters were implemented; this too played a role in the dwindling popularity of scooters. Inadequately registered brands of electric scooters further put the sector in negative light.

And it looked like the slow spiraling demise of electric scooters was inevitable. However, NIU Scooters look to be bringing in a beacon of hope.
Unlike most electric scooters that look like a shoddy embodiment of a half assed scooter, NIU’s aesthetics put the snazziest of scooters to shame. The futuristic design language coupled with the badge of a smart scooter definitely puts it in the running as a potential success.

We had a chance to talk with Tarun Bajracharya of Evolution Trading Pvt. Ltd., Co-owner of Level 3 about NIU Scooters in Nepal.

Electric scooters did take off in the Nepalese market a few years ago, but it came crashing back down again. What would you say led to this, how have things changed now?

When the electric scooter market was initiated, there was a lot of stigma around it because people were unaware of the brand and the whole concept was new. Yet, somehow people wanted to try it out and when they did it was obvious that those scooters were lacking in some aspects but or maybe it didn’t favor the Nepali market.

Tell us about NIU and your smart electric scooters.
Well, NIU is a Chinese brand and it takes five hours for a full battery charge and the bike can go 100km without another charge. At 2500rmb, the Panasonic lithium-ion battery is the most expensive part of the bike. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, more environmentally friendly, and last longer. Niu has a proprietary, app for Android and iPhone. This app can show you the location of your bike via GPS, show your last route (if you haven’t shut the bike off yet), display how much battery life you have left and how far that will take you but not accounting for driving style, so it is not an exact figure, link you with repair shops, and send you notifications when the battery is removed or the wheels move.

Tell us about the new regulations regarding electric scooters, and how NIU is working around and with it.
Transport authorities said the decision was taken after it was found that many distributors had been promoting electric scooters with false information that no registration, driving license or helmet is necessary for using them. Although, the rules were also there before but maybe some people misunderstood that license was required. So, all in all it is a good decision made by the government

Describe the scope and potential for electric motor vehicles in Nepal.
The market seems to be growing and the shortage of fuel is not something that will go away very soon. Because we have been exploiting the resources. For a better future too it is high time that we shift towards electric vehicles. Because of the environmental issues even top brands are diversifying their product range to electric vehicles.

WORDS:SHREYA SANGROULA | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

It is true that magic creates wonder. However, in Nepal, it is not well established and we don’t see a lot of magicians but we had a talk with one who has been prominent in this industry in recent times. As they say, better late than never, magic as an art form is gaining popularity in Nepal as well. We had a chat with Mr. Suraj Mainali who goes by the moniker of Mayavi Suraj. In, this interview he talked about his personal journey, his future plans and of course magic. We were also lucky enough to witness some of his magic tricks and yes we were amazed.

WHEN DID YOU START GETTING INTERESTED IN MAGIC? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BE A MAGICIAN?

I was interested since childhood, rather I was amazed to be more precise like every child. But, I had never thought of being a magician. I used to read a lot of books that included ways to do tricks, not to be a magician, but my curiosity was always there to drive me. I lost interest for years in between but finally found my way again and started to identify as a professional magician since 2009.

WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU HAD TO FACE IN YOUR LIFE’S JOURNEY? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT?

I got involved with drugs from a very young age, I was 13 or 14 at the time. The friend group I was in were also into it which made it harder to just leave. I was never interested in school and it showed in the results. I didn’t like the class, the teachers or the other students. I had hope that once I finish my school, I would leave everything behind, but it wasn’t that easy for me and it never happened. Indeed, I was more into addiction during my high school days. I was failing all my tests, I was not attending any classes. Luckily, in the 7th attempt, I passed my 12 boards. This duration was large and finally, it was 2009 when I had a sense of realization. I had an accident during the Christmas Eve of 2009 and sustained a head injury. During this time, I was into a lot of medications and had to receive some psychiatric treatment and counselling. I tried sustaining without drugs for a week, and then it became 2 weeks and eventually a year. A guy who was into a serious addiction made it through a whole year without using and this was an achievement for me. During this interval, I met my neighbor who was a magician. With regular meetings I got close to him and got interested in his magic tricks. Like I said, I had never thought in serious terms about becoming a magician but a certain desire and interest got within me something inside me told me that I should learn this. I learned some of the tricks with him and this was a starting phase of my journey. Since, I knew someone personally as a magician; I was keen to get into this field.

When I first started, I used to visit cyber cafes to watch videos on magic. . Back then 10 years from now, internet access was not easy. I had no cell phone. Also, regularly visiting cyber cafes was a tough job to do at that time, so I used to visit once a week. After watching the videos, I used to visit to my teacher, one who used to guide me on those days. I really appreciate him for supporting me, even in times, when my family was not supportive.

WHAT DO YOU DO AS A PROFESSIONAL MAGICIAN?

As a professional, I do shows, especially in the corporate platform. In my struggling days, I used to perform magic in birthday parties. In Nepal, have little idea about what magicians really do. With time, I started getting booked for different types of events like birthday parties, Schools and corporate events. At one point, I went to see some well-known magicians at that time; I visited their shows and found out that all the magicians did have the same pattern of performing the magic tricks. When it comes to magic, especially in Nepal, we are far behind. And at that time, I did realize that this trend needs to be improved and changed.

Now, I have also started joining Charity shows because I do believe that it’s not all about earning money. Also, I have started giving motivational classes relating with the theme of Magic. I do paid shows, but this does not seem to be enough for me. I visit Hospitals, especially the kid’s hospital and the cancer ward. I had lost my father from cancer a few years back and I know what the kids go through. I visit them personally and show my magic tricks. This is not for my monetary gains at all as I believe that I am donating my skills to them, in return for their smiles, as cheesy it may sound but it has a different satisfaction to it. For such pious acts, I am associated with numerous organizations and with them, I do organize many charity shows. To be more specific, I do charity shows once a month or so.

YOU ARE A WORLD RECORD HOLDER, TELL US HOW YOU RECEIVED THIS TITLE?

It was group participation, not a particular record. “Most number of magicians in one magic show” was an event conducted in the SAARC Magic Conference during 2016, April 24. And from Nepal, I was the only magician and I kind of got a holistic picture of the status of Magic art in Nepal. The world record event was held in Italy and the old record was of 150 or152 members and I collaborated with an Indian group composing the total members of 164 with the group name as Indian Brotherhood of Magician and we broke the record as Group Participants. I did even contact the Guinness World Record to verify as I was one of the winner of those group and they did verify that although it was a group I was a winner within that group and with all these assurance, I communicated this news in the media as one of the winner of Guinness World Record.

I HAVE STRUGGLED A LOT AND I AM
HAPPY THAT TO SOME EXTENT I HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO INTRODUCE MAGIC AS AN
ART FORM IN NEPAL ONE OF MY FUTURE
PLANS IS TO ESTABLISH A FOUNDATION
OF MAGIC GROUP AS THIS SHALL ENABLE
ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED
IN MAGIC TO BE A PART AND ENHANCE
THEIR SKILLS AS WELL

HOW DOES THE PUBLIC OR ANYONE YOU SHOW YOUR MAGIC TO RESPOND? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?

I intend not only to perform, but observe the people to whom I have been performing and showcasing my  magic tricks. Obviously, magic is all illusions and it is an art but what I find bad about is the Nepalese society is more into catching the Magic tricks rather than enjoying it. If I show the same trick to any foreigner, they are more appreciative, even if they know how I perform the trick. But in the context of Nepal, they are more curious in finding out exactly how i did it. Trying to be smarter and the dominating attitude is something that I really feel bad about. I find this same reaction every time and this lets me down.

WHAT KIND OF TRICKS DO YOU USUALLY PERFORM?

I do stage illusions, although it is not so popular in Nepal. If we see concerts, then people are eager to jump into by even paying an entrance worth 1000. And if I plan to do a grand magic show, then I rarely think that public will be interested as Magic has been merely established as an Art Form in Nepal. More recently, I am into Mind reading which is all about hacking people’s brain. As Magic is all about psychology playing with emotion. These days I am more into brain hacking, street magic and it all depends upon the spectator. But overall, I do perform every type of Magic and largely depends upon the audience.

AS A MAGICIAN YOU MUST HAVE HAD SOME TROUBLES WHILE DOING LIVE SHOWS. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR COOL DURING THAT TIME?

Yes, I do have such incidents. Being a magician, I need to perform with caution. And every magician intends to use a large portion of their brain with more preparedness including  all the back up plans and the back up plans for those as well. Because we need to be ready to showcase the skills and answer the queries of the spectator. So, almost all of the magicians are technically prepared to handle all the situations even when the tricks intend to fail. I remember one event, where my magic failed terribly. I was supposed to turn blue inked water back into the sparkling clean water again. But due to some unfortunate technical mistakes, I was not able to turn the color of the water. The audience was curious seeking my magic, but something went wrong. As a magician, we need to let that surprise factor get more enhanced during shows. As I could not turn that water into a clear format, I again turned into flowers by relating to the other trick. So, it is difficult to find the mistakes of the magicians.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FUTURE PLANS?

Till date, Iw. Besides that, I am in regular touch with Magicians of international arena and I have got some good offers as well. One of the foreign magician group of Las Vegas, is willing to collaborate for a TV series of Magic Show in Nepal. I have initiated this concept with Kantipur and AP1 and based on the business proposals. But only time will tell if this can happen.

WORDS:SHREYA SANGROULA | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI | LOCATION:CLUB DEJA VU

WORDS:SHREYA SANGROULA | PHOTO:PRITAM CHHETRI

SUNSCREEN

As the name of the product suggests, it screens the sun, meaning it blocks away the sun from your skin. Sun’s ultraviolet rays and other radiations that are harmful for the skin and is the leading cause for the killer C. Also, you can get sunburn, which hurts like a SOB with any movement you make and/or with any contact made to it.

You want to get something that says SPF, which stands for Sun Protection Factor. These tend to range from 15 (blocks 93% of the UVB), 30 (97%), 50 and (98%). If it says anything above 50, it’s lying.

Apart from these, there are two types of Sunscreens, Physical and Chemical. Without getting too much into chemistry, Physical has ingredients like Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide which forms a layer on top of your skin and deflects the sun. Chemical has stuff like Avobenzone and Oxybenzone which are absorbed into the skin and take in the UV rays, convert them into heat and let them out.

Now, there are 2 sides to a coin, so Physical is not that ideal because it will wear out if you sweat a lot or go swimming. However, it is neutral to the skin and won’t block thine pores. Chemicals can cause skin concerns but the tend to stick around for more, ideal if you’re the active kind.

OVER CLEANSING

These days, we seemed to be obsessed with matte finish. Matte cars, matte laptops, matte lipstick, and matte faces. Everything matte is not good, specially when it comes to skin. See, when the face is oily, we tend to think “Why just twice a day? Imma wash my face every hour!” This is where we bend ourselves over. When we face wash, we rip away the oil. But the skin does need a bit of oil, a.k.a, moisture. Without it, the skin will crack and be all crusty, and in no time, you’ll look like the Thing from Fantastic Four. Or get some Harlequin-type ichthyosis. Google it.

CLEANSING

Using a sunscreen is the most important step you can take. The next step is to clean it away. Now, when you live in a place like Kathmandu where roads seem to go through the process of existing and being replaced by a desert, you’re bound to develop a mini desert on your skin. SO you need to clean them out. Get yourself a daily face wash, and an exfoliating wash. The phase was is to be use twice a day, during morning and night, while the exfoliator twice or thrice a week. The purpose of the exfoliator is for ripping away the dead skin cells and giving life to new skin cells.

MOISTURIZE

Since we talked about taking the oil away from the skin, we need to talk about putting it back in. But first, a bit on what if you were not to do so. You ripped it away for the sake of cleaning the skin. But the skin does need the oil so it produces oil on its own to get what it wants. In this manner, it keeps producing and that’s how you end up with so much skin oil that you can fry a bag of chips with. Basically, the concept of moisturizing is to fight fire with fire. Get a good moisturizer so that your skin is nice and moist and not flaking.

CHILL OUT

Did you know that the perfect temperature for your skin to prosper is 31°C, which is lower than the body temperature. So, stay in and in cool places. You can try to use ice, it’s actually really good for closing up your pores. But the downside is, when you’re exposed to areas with A/Cs and fans, your skin will dry up. So moisturize!

DON’T SAG AWAY FROM SAAG

Your mom is right to tell you to eat your greens and veggies. Leafy ones like spinach and other vegetables like carrots are rich in Vitamin A. These typically advocate great vision, but they’re great for controlling oil production. So don’t fight your mom and eat it! Also, you want to stay away from chips and other fried goodies, I know it’s hard. But, think of it this way, the more oil you put in, the more oil you put out. Also, drink plenty of water. Hydrated skin is a healthy skin.

WORDS:NIRVEEK SHAH

I) BECOME OBSESSED
Conor attributes much of his success to hard work: ‘My confidence comes from my performance; from my work in the gym and my work ethic. They don’t work harder than me, and they don’t want it like I want it.’
He has gone further in saying: ‘I feel that to be at the pinnacle of any game, you’ve got to be a little gone to it. You’re not all there. You’re almost insane to your craft. I pay attention to nothing else.’
Conor’s coach John Kavanagh backs this up: ‘If you want to be champion of the world, it’s actually pretty simple: it just has to be your every waking moment.’

II) TAKE ON ADVERSITY
A week prior to making his UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) debut, Conor had to take a huge course of antibiotics to deal with wisdom tooth pain (barely being able to sleep).
He’s dealt with being sidelined for the best part of a year with an ACL tear, and fought in bouts for which he was barely able to walk in the run up to.
While a long list of opponents have pulled out from fights with him (with what Conor sees as minor injuries), leaving him with new opponents on just a few weeks’ notice, Conor is yet to pull out of a fight. He reminds himself that, ‘The true greats conquer adversity’, and lives up to his standard: ‘I don’t bitch, I don’t moan, I get it done’.

III) THE POWER OF VISUALISATION
Conor has said many time, ‘I visualise everything’ and ‘I saw myself as champion from Day 1’.
Through the repetition of a number of mantras—key words or phrases which signify his aims—‘I can go all day’, ‘capitalise’, ‘unify’—his visions become his reality.
This isn’t some kooky twist on the Law of Attraction, but a pragmatic way of developing grand strategy and mentally rehearing fights and training sessions. His adeptness in predicting how his fights will go has given him the nickname ‘Mystic Mac’ and allowed him to quip, ‘I don’t just knock them out; I pick the round’.

IV) BE PROLIFIC
Since first joining the UFC, Conor has fought multiple times a year, allowing him to build momentum and make a name for himself with incredible speed.
He does this by never allowing himself to get out of shape, chanting, ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready!’ It’s always struck me as peculiar that fighters let themselves go after a fight—seemingly more so than other athletes in their off-seasons. The intensity of a training camp and a weight cut is perhaps much more intense which could necessitate it, but in this regard, Conor gives himself a major competitive advantage.

V) STAY HUMBLE
Though many would laugh at the idea of the Irish man’s humility, McGregor indulges in a kind of doublethink of being both champion and the underdog: ‘I am #1 at my craft, but I show up every day as a white belt—as a Day 1 beginner.’
This is something a lot of Winners do, seeing themselves as the underdog, even when they are clearly the best. After his first defeat in March, Conor cited his team’s mantra, ‘We win or we learn’. It’s been proven he’s not invincible, but the act of having convinced the world he was (prior to that defeat to Nate Diaz) is all the more impressive than actually being so.

VI) GET DRIVEN
Genghis Khan once said, ‘I hate luxury. I exercise moderation… It will be easy to forget your vision and purpose once you have fine clothes, fast horses and beautiful women. [In which case], you will be no better than a slave, and you will surely lose everything’.
The exception to the great Mongol conqueror’s statement is Conor McGregor. In one clip of UFC Embedded, when trying on a new suit, Conor said, ‘Luxury motivates. Some it might make comfortable, but for it, it pushes me on’—somehow having re-wired himself to be driven by it.
The fighter takes every experience as fuel to the fire. ‘I am a man with something to prove, and a man with something to prove is a dangerous individual.’

VII) PUNCH THROUGH THE WALL, NOT AT THE WALL
Conor came into the UFC saying, ‘We’re not here to take part. We’re here to take over’. Such grandiose statements and farreaching aspirations are necessary for great achievement, and Conor could only have become the person he is by making them.
McGregor might not always live up to what he sets himself, but it’s not for want of trying.

VIII) FOCUS ON YOURSELF
Conor answers his critics (and opponents who obsess over his antics), ‘winners focus on winning, losers focus on winners’.
Remarkably, he doesn’t adapt his training for who he’s going to be facing, choosing to just prepare generally (which is why he has been able to adapt to last-minute opponents largely successfully). He knows how to pump himself up: dressing in fine suits, training while fasting (especially when cutting weight), and having a beard at all times.
Focusing on himself has given him the self-awareness to break with convention in allowing for a moderate week of training in the run up to a fight—which might seem like common sense, but certainly hasn’t been standard practice. ‘During fight week, stay fresh. You want to be going in with your mind free.’

IX) LOYALTY
Conor sticks with the people he came up with, vowing never to move permanently to the US, but to stay in his home country of Ireland.
He trains with the same team as before he broke through, has the same committed partner, and puts tremendous value in relationships, giving back to those who have given to him.

Sigh…

And a day later, I saw another one with a camo colorway. The next day, a red one. Then a black one. It was within a week that these Anello backpacks were everywhere. In my school, in the alley, in the bus, and in my dreams, haunting with the mocking monotone of “We rule you. You are like everyone. We rule you. You are like everyone. We rule you. You are like everyone.”

I woke up in a pool of sweat. I looked in the mirror and saw my face morph into just a sheet of flat skin with no features. I was losing my identity. I was becoming like everyone.

After some time, I calmed down. I sat down, and I asked myself, is shampoo a body wash for dogs? Or is it the other way around? Do we even have body wash for dogs?

Also, what is so wrong about being like everyone?

Now, I’m someone who likes to have, or at least I like to think so, that I have a unique sense of style. But then again, the idea of being unique is hypocritical because it’s influenced by a lot of people on Instagram, Pinterest, and movies. It is influenced by things that already exist. That’s when the notion of being unique loses its meaning. In addition to that, being a student of literature, I have come to know that life itself is an imitation of events that have already take place. For instance, so many things we do in our daily lives, like the way we talk, are the unconscious act of replicating a scene we saw in a movie. That is kind of why we like to pretend out life is a movie, like there’s a camera following us and filing the trivial things that we do, so we make it as cinematic as we in pure pretence, regardless of it being just in our heads.

Coming back to topic, while I was doing a bit of research, I came across various blogs that give 10 or so points on why you should not follow fashion trends. They say stuff like trends don’t last, fashion is temporary, it is mass produced, and that the sun rises from the east. Well I have news for you Queen Ogbaje, Blogger and Freelance Writer for Huffington Post, I know all of that. Everyone knows that.

What I would like to draw the attention towards is the one point that every article has in common: It robs you from your identity. They argue how trendy clothes makes you look like everyone and you don’t have your own uniqueness. Then they often end with the point: wear things you’re comfortable in. Well, what if you’re comfortable in something that’s in trend? I mean, oversized hoodies are in trend right now and they’re mighty comfy. That’s a real fix ain’t it?

Let’s get away from this and divert to a memory of ours. You must remember having to put on a uniform when you went to school. Your shirt had to be a specific shade of white or blue, the trousers had to be pleated, the socks had to be grey, shoes black with laces, and your ties had to reach your belt and not past it. Everyone had to wear the same thing. The reason why schools have uniforms is because the students look smart in them. They look good in them. So, everyone was made to wear them. Same goes for the army and the whole purpose of high profile cocktail parties and red carpet events having a dress code; to ensure that you look. You don’t complain about looking like everyone then now, do you?

See, fashion houses are businesses. Furthermore, brands like H&M, Zara, Asos, Saint Laurent, and Kanye West are good businesses and they know what’s good for their business. The majority of the items in the collections they bring out are brought out because they look good on the general population and appeal to a lot. Then, people wear them, look good on them, more people see them, think they’ll look good wearing them, and eventually the number of people wearing them multiplies exponentially. That’s how the Stan Smiths came to be popular, a trend, and eventually a wardrobe staple. May I also add that such blogs that I mentioned recommend investing on staples, something everyone wears. So… yeah…

To wrap this up, just do whatever you want. Yes, people do judge you on the clothes you wear, but you have the liberty to do whatever you want. It’s okay if you follow the streetwear scene, the urban dandy look, or just the look-like-a-homeless-personfor-$1000 Yeezy trend, or none at all. It is completely okay. As long as you’re comfortable with what you wear and don’t mind the opinions of others, it is perfectly and completely okay. You do you, fam.

WORDS:NIRVEEK SHAH