Nepal Diary: Gorakhpur Trip 1
Posted: April 29, 2008 Filed under: My bandwagon 9 Comments »What are the odds of me coming back to Nepal, going to Lumbini, and finally visiting Gorakhpur? I don’t think it was likely, so while I was in Bhairahawa why not hit roads to Gorakhpur India.
I had been to India just once before, took a flight from Kathmandu to Delhi, took a cab from Delhi airport to All India Medical Institute, and same way back to Kathmandu. My point is I haven’t seen true India. Gorakhpur would definitely give me more insight, and I would also get opportunity to visit Gorakhnath Temple. Read the rest of this entry »
Nepal Diary: Pawan ko Peda
Posted: March 27, 2008 Filed under: My bandwagon 6 Comments »One of my desires when in Bhairawa was to have “Pawan ko Peda” (sweets from store called Pawan). When I was a kid I loved Peda from Pawan. I could only have that if some of my relative brought it along on their way through Bhairawa (that was once in few years). Not only I enjoyed the taste of Peda but also it’s texture and design. So when in Bhairawa how could I miss that chance? Read the rest of this entry »
Nepal Diary: Taxi & Politics 101
Posted: March 5, 2008 Filed under: My bandwagon, Randomization of randomness 10 Comments »After failing to drive by myself, cab was the best medium of transport for me. Though they were successful in ripping my money I can’t argue how convenient they were. Like one of my uncle said, cab in context of Kathmandu is way better than having a car: you don’t have to endure driving in mad traffic, you don’t have to queue up in lines forever to get petrol, you don’t have to worry about parking, you don’t have to pay for insurance, you don’t have to hire a driver, all you have to do is stand in the street and just wave your hand and the cab would be there. If you get into a traffic jam, just get out of that cab and walk few blocks and wave your hand again: how’s that for a convenience? Read the rest of this entry »
Lumbini in pictures
Posted: February 24, 2008 Filed under: Let the picture speak, My bandwagon 5 Comments »I had never been to Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. This time, it was one of my top agenda. I was surprised to see the infrastructures there, built by different countries. The temples (or Pagoda’s) were unbelievably clean and very well maintained (that’s not typical of other temples in Nepal). People knowledgeable of that place say that if there was absolutely no corruption, Lumbini Bikash Kosh (a trust taking care of that site) had enough money to pave all the trails with silver (don’t quote me on this). The only big disappointment I had was that the public toilets were nowhere close to the standard maintained by those temples.
I was impressed with Hotel Hokke in Lumbini. It had rooms designed in Japanese, European and American Style. Japanese rooms were unique to me: their bath tub, bed, as well as sitting room were completely different than European/American style. If you plan to stay overnight in Lumbini, Hotel Hokke seems like a good choice. I couldn’t stay overnight there, but will definitely consider that hotel for next time.
Picture: Peacock in Hotel Hokke’s garden
बिरालो बांधेर श्राद्ध
Posted: February 21, 2008 Filed under: My bandwagon 7 Comments »नेपालमा भिसा नविकरण गर्नु पर्छ, पुगेको भोली पल्ट नै गर्छु भनेर यतै बाट फोटो समेत खिचेर लगेको थिंए । नेबिल ब्यैंक महाराजगंज मा बुझाउनु पर्ने रहेछ भिसा को फारम, मेला नै लाग्दो रहेछ त्यता त । पहिला गएर टोकन लिनु पर्ने, घण्टौं कुरे पछि बल्ल फारम बुझाउने पालो आउंदो रहेछ । बुज्रुक भएर फोटो यतै बाट खिचेर लगे पनि फारम भर्न भने बिर्सेछु, आजकाल electronically फारम भरेर त्यसैलाइ प्रिन्ट गरी बुझाउनु पर्ने रहेछ । नेबिल ब्यैंक को छेउमै रु. १००.०० प्रति ब्यक्ति फारम भर्ने अफिस रहेछ । “कस्तो महन्गो” भन्दा “हामी expert छौं फारम भर्न लाइ, हामीले भरेको मा केही गल्ती हुंदैन त्यसैले १०० रुपैंया लिएको” भने साहुजीले । पहिलै टोकन लिएर जानु पर्ने रहेछ, फारम भरेर फर्के पछि फेरि कुर्नु पर्यो ।
आफ्नो पालोमा फारम बुझाउन जांदा मेरो फोटो भएन रे । मैले झन अमेरिकामै अमेरिकाको पासपोर्ट standard फोटो खिचेर आएको नेबिल ब्यैंक को कर्मचारीले हुन्न रे । किन भएन भनेर सोध्दा त मेरो फोटो मा म कालो आएको छु रे मान्छे भन्दा । हुन पनि हो Walmart मा खिचेको रहर लाग्दो भने आएको थिएन, तर पनि अलि कालो आयो भन्दैमा फोटो नै नमिल्ने भने त हैन नि ? मेरो त्यो फोटोको background चाहिने जति उज्यालो नै थियो, खालि अनुहार अलि tan देखिएको थियो । मेरो पासपोर्टमा आखिर तेहि Walmart मा नै खिचेको फोटो थियो । अनि कस्तो फोटो चाहिन्छ त भनेर सोद्धा अर्काको फाइल बाट फोटो देखाइन । त्यो फोटो त मैले पहिलो चोटि अमेरिका जांदा फोटो कनसर्न मा खिचेको जस्तै रहेछ । अनि मैले ति कर्मचारीलाइ यो फोटो मा त झन Adobe Photoshop चलाएर गोरो बनाउने, लाली लगाउने, पिम्पल हटाउने आदि काम गर्छन्, अनि कसरी यो मन्छे संग मिल्यो र भनेर सोधें । हक्क बक्क भएर ति कर्मचारीले “तपाइं को फोटो अलि कालो भएकोले पासपोर्टमा भिसा scan गर्दा कालो आउंछ” भनिन । अनि मैले अफ्रिकाको मन्छे ले भिसा लिनु पर्यो भने कस्तो खालको फोटो खिचाउनु पर्छ नि भनेर सोधें ।
केहि सिप लागेन, अखिरमा महन्गोमा emergency फोटो खिचेर भोली फेरि आउनु पर्यो । मेरो नया फोटोमा Adobe Photoshop चलाएर गोरो बनाउनु को साथै लाली पनि अलिकति चढाइ दिएको रहेछ । बिरालो बांधेर श्राद्ध गर्ने जस्तै भोलि पल्ट तेहि कर्मचारीले खुरुक्क तेहि फोटो लिइन ।
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Nepal Diary: Right of way?
Posted: February 12, 2008 Filed under: My bandwagon 3 Comments »
Wikipedia defines ‘right of way’ as “the concept whereby one road user has the right of use of a section of a road to the exclusion of another road user with a competing claim”. It was a baffling concept to me at first, when I was preparing for my driver’s license here in United States. After driving for years here, I still couldn’t understand why it took time for me initially to grasp that simple right of way concept. I had mentioned in my earlier post that it was mistake in my part to take the front seat of the car after coming out of the airport, that’s where I realized why it was difficult for me to understand right of way. It was difficult for me because I came to USA from a country which doesn’t have the concept of right of way. As my father drove the car, I felt perhaps roller coaster ride would be less threatening 
. Read the rest of this entry »
के तपांइ संग श्रम इजाजत पत्र छ ?
Posted: January 26, 2008 Filed under: My bandwagon 3 Comments »एक महिनाको मेरो नेपाल बसाइ पत्तै नहुने गरी सकियो, मैले मेरो सामान चेक-इन गरी बोर्डिन्ग पास पनि लिइ सकेको थिए । फेरी कहिले फर्किने हो केही थाह थिएन, मलाइ छोड्न आउने मेरो परिवारलाइ भेट्न म फेरी बाहिर निस्कें । पहिलो पटक बिदा हुंदाको जस्तो पिडा यसपाली कसैलाइ भएन, खुशी लाग्यो नत्र आमाको आंशु संझदै तेत्रो लामो यात्रा गर्न गार्हो हुन्थ्यो । गल्फ एयरको विमानबाट बहराइन, जर्मनी हुंदै अमेरिका पुग्नु थियो मलाइ । बोर्डिन्ग कक्षको खोजी गर्दै म त्रिभुवन अन्तराष्त्रिय विमानस्थलको दोस्रो तला तिर लागें । अध्यागमनको काउन्टर अगावै अहिले अर्कै काउन्टर पनि रहेछ, लाइन पनि लामै रहेछ तर त्यो के हो भनेर कतै राम्रोसंग लेखिएको रहेनछ (पछि नजिक पुग्दा सानो कागजमा लेखिएर राखिएको देखें) ।
कोही त्यो लाइनमा उभिंदै थिए त कोही सिधै अध्यागमनको काउन्टर तिर लाग्दै थिए, मैले अल्मल्लिएर त्यो काउन्टरमा गइ “यो के को लाइन” भनी सोधें ।
“तपाइं कहां जान लागेको” काउन्टरमा बस्ने मध्य एक जनाले सोध्यो ।
“अमेरिका” मैले उत्तर दिएं ।
“कुन भिसामा जान लागेको, खै तपाइंको पास्पोर्ट दिनु त?”
मैले “मेरो H1B” भन्दै मेरो पासपोर्ट दिएं।
“खै त तपाइको श्रम इजाजत पत्र?”
म संग श्रम इजाजत पत्र थियन । Read the rest of this entry »
