If you are raising your eyebrow after reading the heading, I don’t blame you. This post is listed under my “I love to drink” blog category, so those who are regular to my blog can pretty much expect what’s coming up. As most of you might know how my loss of appetite for liquor has hurt that particular blog category, but I still find a way to get around it. Today I’m writing this post under the influence, not the liquor but general anesthesia 
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Category: Ramblings on life
There was a time when I absolutely loved drinking, no matter if it was a social drink or simply drinking to get drunk (big time). I never used to shy away from any possible opportunity to drink, and on few occasions established some notorious reputations too
But times changed now, without even knowing about it, I ain’t the same drinker that I used to be. I had to sit around with some of my old pals to finally realize that. Now I am more of a social drinker, who if tries to push beyond that suffers a great deal the next day 
I know it’s all good considering possible health as well as monetary benefits from my less enthusiastic drinking. However, my blog is in loss because of that. I have a blog category called “I love to drink” where I post all the creative ideas that I acquire during my drinking sagas. I doubt if I will have any more updates to that category. But I am optimistic that any substitutes (if any) to my drinking habits can also produce equally interesting and inspiring accounts for me to share 
There used to be time when wisdom was all about age, we have a saying in Nepali “आगो ताप्नु मुढाको कुरा सुन्नु बुढाको” which meant “for fire use timbers for knowledge listen to the elders” (not exact, but close enough translation). The idea was that with age a person garners lot of knowledge & wisdom based on their experience. I grew up with that mind set, especially when you are forced into believing that elders are always correct.
Now call it a generation divide or information technology boom, the conventional wisdom seems to be fading. Don’t believe me? simply look around the kids, think of the conversation you had with them (and remember yourself at that age). Elders are no longer the sole providers of knowledge, there are numerous other sources.
When it comes to philosophies of life (for example relationships) elders might still edge out in wisdom; but don’t expect the kids to buy the notion that “elders are always correct” as they definitely have edge in knowledge.
First of all, I would like to wish you all a very happy New Year 2009. Although a wise man would argue that every day is a new year, people often tend to use new year for: fresh starts, bold moves, quit bad habits, etc. I also have made numerous resolutions during different new years, mostly those were related to quiting bad habits. Some I did accomplish, some I kept on defering to the next new year.
This year, I would like to further reinforce my commitment towards family and friends. I must stop getting carried away by material world and forget my sense of duty towards my family, must invest more time towards my friends, and be more generous. I hope to remain calm during pressure and stress. And finally, never forget the power of ‘now’: losing sight of priceless moments of present while in hopes and pursuit of better future.
I wish and hope that you all would accomplish your goals and objectives for this year.
थाहै नपाई मौषम र ट्राफिक को समाचार सुन्नु दैनिकी जस्तै भएछ । नेपालमा हुँदा मौषम समाचारमा घाम लाग्छ भने पानी पर्छ र पानी पर्छ भनेको दिन घाम लाग्छ भनेर मजाक गरिन्थ्यो । यता मौषम र ट्राफिकको पुर्व जानकारी अपरिहर्य नै रहेछ । हाइवेमा दिन को २ घण्टा वर दोर गर्नु पर्ने भएपछि यसको महत्व मेरो लागि पनि बढेको छ । मौषम को जानकारी बिशेष गरी गाडी चलाउने बेला हिउं र बरफ पर्न सक्ने संभावनाको लागि सावधान हुन, र पानी पर्न सक्ने संभावनाको लागि गाडी पारकिङ गरेको ठाउँ देखी अफिस वा घर सम्म हिंड्न छाता बोक्न सम्झिन को लागि चाहिन्छ । ट्रफिक को जानकारी १ घण्टा को यात्रा ३ घण्टा को हुन नजावस भन्नको लागि । म अफिस हिंद्ने बाटोमा जहिले पनि कुनै कुनै दुर्घटना भइनै रहेको हुन्छ, पुर्व जानकारी भए बाटो छलेर उम्किन सजिलो हुन्छ ।
Louisiana बाट East Coast तिर सरेको आहिले सम्म रमाइलो नै लागि रहेको छ, तर यो मौषम र ट्राफिक को हेक्का गर्नु पर्ने काम थपिएको भने खासै मन परेको छैन ।
सानो छंदा दशैं धेरै कारणले मन पर्थो, जस्तै कि : धेरै लामो विदा, चङ्गा, मिठो परिकार, नया लुगा, दक्षिणा, भेटघाट, र अन्तिममा मात्र मान्यजनको आशिर्वाद र टिका |
नवमिको दिन एक जना नेपाली परिवारको घरमा खान बोलाएका थिए | Lafayette का १० – १२ जना नेपालीहरु त at least भेट हुन्छ भनेर दन्ग परी म पनि गएं | तर अप्रत्यासित रुपमा त्यहां त झन्दै ३५-४० जनाको जमघट भयो | खुब रमाइलो भयो, नाच गाना, हंसी मजाक, Scotch को साथ साथै खशीको मासुको sample पनि चाख्न पाइयो |
राति ढिलो सुतेकोले टिकाको दिन उठ्न सार्है गार्हो भयो, घरमा फोन पनि गर्नु पर्ने भएकोले पुरै इच्छा शक्ति जगाएर उठें | दशैं परेको हुनाले सबैले घरमा फोन गर्दा हुन्, मरिगए फोन लागेन | धन्न नेपालबाट अनलाइन आएकि प्रज्ञालाइ भेट भयो, अनि उसैले मेरो घरमा फोन गरिदे पछि घरबाट पनि अनलाइन आए | अनि त skype बाट मज्जाले गफ भयो |
हिजो रातिको अनिंद्रा, उछलकुद र dehydration ले गर्दा गाथमा पनि अलि आराम भएन | दिउंसो त fast food बाट खाजा खाइयो, अनि दशमीको दिन खालि निधार लिएर dinner Wai Wai पकाइयो | Wai Wai खाइ सके पछि मलाइ दशैंको के मन पर्छ भनेर फेरि सोच्न थालें : मान्यजनको आशिर्वाद र टिका, भेटघाट, मिठो परिकार, धेरै लामो विदा………………..
Last year I was in the field, middle of a swamp, when one of my relatives called me to wish “Happy Bijaya Dashami”. I was surprised that I didn’t even sense it coming, and then I made an immediate effort to call home. I forgot about Dashain not because I am not into my religion, but with the type of surrounding that I am in I could not even sense it coming. There are absolutely no temples in Lafayette and negligible Nepalese community. Since I moved to Lafayette, I have been to temple four times: two times in San Antonio, one time each in New York and St. Louis. This time I will make sure that I at least call my family and friends.
While I was in graduate school, we celebrated Dashain by worshipping our car (using Coconut instead of animal sacrifice), going to the temple, and having a pot lock in someone’s place, and of course playing card games. Senior Dai’s and Didi’s also used to give us tika. It was not comparable to how Dashian was in Nepal, but at least we did something. But here in Lafayette, I guess best I could do is call family and friends. It will be my fourth Dashain without family.
But those of you who have the luxury of being together with family and friends, I wish you a very Happy Bijaya Dashami. And I would also like to wish those who won’t be fortunate enough to be around your loved ones, remember you are not the only one.
