Monthly Archives: November 2006

Indian Movie in Nepal: My Impression of Dhoom 2

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Hritik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in the movie Dhoom 2

Yes, the sizzling pair of Hritik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai is definitely HOT in the movie Dhoom 2 but the movie itself is not so much praiseworthy From the blog body: “Ash is definitely hot in the movie,” I wrote, “and she herself feels that in a scene when she asks ‘don’t you feel hot?’ to her ‘partner in crime’ while taking off clothes after stealing a sword from a museum.” I know Sunahari of Dhoom 2 isn’t the Paroo of Devdas.

I am talking about Dhoom 2. I had no plan to write this blog on the movie but the comment I got from Sudeep Shrestha, my colleague in the business bureau of Kantipur daily where I work as a reporter, this morning propelled me type these words. I wanted to write what I felt and I did just that in Kantipur. That was more of my personal impression of the film then a standard review. My opinion is that the film isn’t as good as everybody is portraying it to be.

Everybody is praising about Dhoom 2, including Sudeep, a great fan of Hindi movies and a keen follower Nepali film industry. He put the Dhoom 2 in the list of top three movies in the year: Rang De Basanti, Lage Raho Munna Bhai and Dhoom 2. So far I have trusted his criticism of the movies and found him accurate in judging films. Be it in the technical aspect or the directorial perspective. This time I couldn’t. I enjoyed Dhoom 2 but didn’t find it to be one of the best movies of the year, definitely not one of the top three movies of the year. I think I am going against the tide by criticizing Dhoom 2. Let it be.

Hritik Roshan In the movie Dhoom 2

Hritik Roshan in the movie Dhoom 2. His dance is one of the major attractions in the film.

By taking the cop to Brazil following the thief the film poorly tries to expose the Indian ambition of wanting to become a global player. We know Indian economy is growing phenomenally and with that the Indian aspirating of becoming a global player is growing in the same rate. But the time hasn’t arrived yet that they can send their investigators around the world and run an operation. We have seen in Hollywood movies the American FBI running international missions in countries thousands of miles away from home. They are perfect and seem convincing given the widespread American influence around the world. But I found some flaws in the execution of that part in Dhoom 2. It doesn’t seem suitable.

Sudeep wrote in a Short Text Message: “Disagree. Who cares suhaunchha ki suhaunna [suits or not as long as] it entertains. [I am] not talking about bike chasing [which was better] in first part [but] Mr. A is high-tech thief who does miracles. Bollywood is doing great whether in RDB or D2. Do not expect realism in film.”

abhishek bachhan in dhoom 2 movie
Abhishek Bachchan in Dhoom 2

My other complain about the movie was lack of originality. The star cast lineup is great. The pair of blue eyed Hritik and Ash is superb. The dancing skill of Hritik Roshan is awesome. But the ‘originality’ ends here. For those who have seen Mission Impossible series, XXX or any Bond movies, Dhoom 2 constantly reminds them various scenes from the previously mentioned movies. That’s what I felt. Even Aishworya Rai’s much talked about blue bikini, I read in this website this morning, is copied from “the one worn by a popular UK model Keeley Hazell and featured in her official calendar”. How can you put this movie in the same list where Rang De Basanti and Lage Raho Munna Bhai are featured? RDB and LRMB are original stories or presentation from the Indian perspective. Nevertheless, the film is a total fun and a great time pass. I must admit I enjoyed watching it.

Okay, I have praised the Ash outlook through a quote in my Kantipur write up. “Ash is definitely hot in the movie,” I wrote, “and she herself feels that in a scene when she asks ‘don’t you feel hot?’ to her ‘partner in crime’ while taking off clothes after stealing a sword from a museum.” I know Sunahari of Dhoom 2 isn’t the Paroo of Devdas. Aishworya Rai’s glamour, which used to be hidden in long saris and make ups in the movies like Devdas or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is now exposed in Dhoom 2 where she wears short clothes and appears hip. The talk of her new outlook is the only thing that I feel is attracting audiences to theaters.

This blog was written on Tuesday, 28 November and was first published in the blog: Topics from 192 countries. Here is another impression of Dhoom 2 on Zade Xpress.

Here is what I wrote in Kantipur:

सुनहरीको जादु

‘फ्रन्ट स्टलको मात्रै छ,’ सोमबार दिउँसो राजधानीको जय नेपाल हलमा फोन गर्दा जवाफ आयो- ‘त्यो पनि केहीबेरमा सकिन बेर छैन ।’ सहरमा ऐश्वर्याको धूम छ र दर्शकहरू चलचित्र ‘धूम-२’ हेर्न हलमा झुम्मिएका छन् । हल हाउसफुल भएका छन्, गफमा ऐश्वर्या छाएकी छन् । ‘केटाहरूले झन्डै ढुंगा हानेका !’ बाराही मुभिजमा दुई दिनअघि उक्त फिल्म हेरेका एक तन्नेरीले भने- ‘टिकट नपाएर ।’ त्यति भनेपछि उनले सिनेमाका डायलग सुनाउन थाले, ‘ऐडा’ भनेको के हो अन लागे । ऐश्वर्याको प्रशंसा गर्न त के चुक्थे !

आफ्ना अघिल्ला सिनेमाका तुलनामा कम कपडा पहिरिएकी र वजन घटाएकी ऐश्वर्यालाई धूम-२ मा धेरैले ‘हट’ पाएका छन् । ‘डन्ट यु फिल हट ?’ साहसिक चोरीमा एउटा संग्रहालयबाट तरबार उडाएपछि कालो रङका कपडा उतार्दै उनी आफ्ना पार्टनर ‘इन क्राइम’ अर्थात् अपराधका मित्रलाई प्रश्न गर्छिन् ।

भारतीय प्रहरी एउटा शैलीवान् चोरलाई पछ्याउँदै ब्राजिलसम्म पुग्दा अकासिँदो आर्थिक वृद्धिदरसँगै पलाएको विश्वव्यापी बन्ने भारतीय चाहना फिल्ममा अप्ठेरो लाग्ने किसिमले झल्किन्छ । हलिउड सिनेमामा अमेरिकी अनुसन्धान संस्था एफबीआईले विदेशी भूमिमा गएर खोजी गरेको सन्दर्भले अमेरिकाको विश्वव्यापी प्रभावको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्छन् । धूम-२ मा पनि त्यस्तै गर्न खोजिएको छ, जुन कताकता नसुहाउँदो लाग्न सक्छ । हलिउडका टम क्रुज अभिनीत ‘मिसन इम्पोसिबल’ शृंखला हेर्नेहरूलाई कताकता त्यसको झल्को मिलेपछि धेरै दर्शकले ऐश्वर्या र हृतिकको जमेको जोडीका कारण फिल्मको शैलीलाई ‘कुल’ पाउने छन् । जोडी त जमेको छ नि, नीला आँखा भएका र सिनेमामा पहिलोपटक सँगै प्रस्तुत भएका दुई मुख्य पात्रको ! अब त्यो लजाउँदै गरिएको चुम्बनलाई पनि कसरी बिर्सनु ! नृत्यमा हृतिकलाई कसले भेट्टाओस् ! ‘कृश’ मा उडन्ते पात्रको भूमिकामा देखिएका नायकले यसमा पनि एक्सनप्रधान दृश्यमा क्षमता देखाएका छन् ।

मोटरसाइकल लखेटाइ सासै थमाउने खालको छैन तर त्यसबाट निस्कने आवाजले ‘थि्रल’ अनुभव दिलाउँछ । मुख्य कथा चोर-पुलिसकै हो तर बीचमा प्रेमकथा पनि छ, जसले दर्शकको संवेदनालाई समाउँछ । हलिउड सिनेमाका दर्शकलाई ‘धूम-२’ प्रयुक्त स्पेसल इफेक्ट खासै ‘कुल’ नलाग्न सक्छन् । त्यसैले ‘रंग दे वसन्ती’ जस्तो आफ्नै खाले कथावस्तु खोज्नेहरू यसबाट निराश हुन सक्छन् । फिल्म पक्का टाइम पास छ, कमै मात्र चिनिएका उदय चोपडाको पात्रले बेलाबेला हाँसो सिर्जना गर्छ ।

सञ्चारमाध्यमहरूमा स्त्री पात्रहरूको जतिसुकै चर्चा भए पनि तथा पत्रिकाहरूमा जतिसुकै ठूला र ग्ल्यामरस फोटा छापिए पनि भारतीय अभिनेत्रीहरू आपmनै नामबाट सिनेमा चलाउने हैसियतमा पुगिसकेका छैनन् ।

‘धूम-२’ को हकमा भने त्यो सोचमा हल्का परिवर्तन आएको देखिन्छ । यसपालि धेरै दर्शकले ‘ऐश्वर्याको फिल्म हेर्न जाने’ भनेको केही भारतीय लेखमा उल्लेख छ भने काठमाडौंमा ‘धूम-२’ बारे चर्चाहरूमा ऐश्वर्याको नयाँ स्वरूपले बढी स्थान लिने गरेको पाइएको छ । लामो सारी या प्रशस्त मेकअपमा ऐश्वर्याको ग्ल्यामर लुकेको छैन यो सिनेमामा । पारो र सुनहरूमा धेरै फरक छ । सुनहरी अर्थात् सुनौली केटीका रूपमा उनले आफ्नो छवि यसरी प्रस्तुत गरेकी छन् कि परम्परागत रूपमा ‘सेक्स बम’ मानिने पो पूरै छायामा परेकी छन् ! ऐश्वर्याको प्रशंसा या चर्चा उनको अभिनय क्षमताका कारण निश्चयै भएको होइन, केवल उनको बदलिएको छविको समाचारले दर्शकलाई फिल्म हेर्न प्रेरित गरेजस्तो देखिन्छ ।

फिल्ममै पनि एक ठाउँमा महिलालाई अनुभव गर्नै सकिने गरी पुरुषको तुलनामा कमजोर र असहाय देखाइएको छ । जस्तो- आर्यन (हृतिक) का तुलनामा सुनहरी राम्ररी बास्केटबल डि्रबल गर्न पनि सक्दिन, स्कोर गर्नु त परै जावस् । पुरुष पात्रलाई महिलाका तुलनामा त्यसरी अब्बल देखाइनुमा निर्देशकको उद्देश्य ‘हिरो’ लाई बढी क्षमतावान् प्रमाणित गर्नु हुन सक्छ तर ठ्याक्कै त्यही कुरा महिलालाई कमजोर प्राणीका रूपमा नदेखाई पनि गर्न सकिन्थ्यो ।

फिल्मका यस्ता अपुग पक्षले भने बक्स अफिसमा प्रभाव पार्ने देखिँदैन किनकि ऐश्वर्या कत्तिकी हट देखिएकी छन् भन्ने जान्ने चाहना सम्भावित दर्शकहरूमा अचम्मै पार्ने खालको छ । त्यसैले आउँदा केही दिनमा काठमाडौंका हलमा ढिलो फोन गर्नेले टिकट फ्रन्ट स्टलकै पाउने छन् ।

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Unpressed Shirts And My Crusade Against Ironing

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dinesh wagle unpressed shirts

I am posting this photo six hours after it was taken (today morning). As I predicted at the time when the photo was taken, the outlook of my shirt has changed. It’s not different than a pressed one. So why waste time, energy and the electricity! Pic by Email

I hate spending (wasting) time in pressing shirts and making them look ‘great’. Why? What the hell you are asking? Why re! I just hate. You know the precious time, you can do so many other things during that time instead of carrying the load of iron (”estri” is the word that our tailor in the village used to call the thing. I don’t know what’s there in “estri” that males love to press their clothes.) So I was about to wear this pura jhyaure and khachhyak khuchhuk khumchhiyeko shirt this morning, my brother ‘wisely’ suggested me to use estiri to make it ‘wearable’. “What? Press the shirt?” I fired back. “No way! Look, I am wearing this now and it will be okay after a few hours, on its own.” Ramro banera kaslai dekhaunu chha ra?

“You are covering it with jacket,” he said. I smiled!

“Boy, note this down,” I told him. “If you ever write my biography, don’t forget to mention that ‘Dinesh Wagle was a great fellow who never pressed his shirts. He always wore unpressed clothes. What an inspirational figure. Anti-estri movement will remember him forever. History will record this man’s habit!’ Ha, ha. That will be interesting, man, to read after 50 years.”

“Hya,” he dismissed my request and fired a question. “Where do I keep that biography till then?”

“Here comes the idea!” I scream. I almost threw the shirt away and my pant nearly went down! “Take out the camera and take a snap. I am going to write a blog. I hope people will be able to search it after 50 years!”

Then two Wagles started the great work of photo session.

I developed this habit of anti-estri when I was in hostel. Especially when I was in the 10th standard in Bhaktapur. I have never pressed my pants in the past 10 years. Even in hostel, the previous one, when I had to do the job, I would simply avoid doing so. I was fine with unpressed pants and I am fine now.

“Ha… that’s why you have this big collection of t-shirts,” intervened Email. “Who needs to press t-shirts? And you always wear jeans.”

That’s right. I love wearing t-shirts, mostly UWB t-shirts, WSJ t-shirts, Palpasa Cafe t-shirts, Batsyayana Book t-shirt, and, recently, Hot Zone t-shirts. I have become a living and moving hoarding board advertising my websites, books and other missions. It’s actually a distinct experience. Whenever I wear Palpasa Cafe t-shirt, some people in the office think I am doing so to please my editor and author of P Cafe Narayan Wagle. That’s not true but I haven’t refuted those ‘allegations’ because they don’t deserve my refutation. They don’t comment on people who wear Harry Potter t-shirts and tease me for wearing Palpasa Cafe t-shirt. Funny! But the same people hardly noticed it was Batsyayana book’s t-shirt when I was wearing the t-shirt (it was in English). I told those critics of me wearing Palpasa Cafe t-shirt: what do you have to say about this? Do you think I am wearing this t-shirt to please Batsyayan? [By the way, was I wearing that because I didn’t have to press that? ha ha, who knows! Tyo ta haina, tara I like wearing such t-shirts. I also like Ma Parivartan Chahanchhu t-shirts!]

As long as the clothes are clean and free of dirt, I don’t really care if they are looking great or not! I am not in the league of being cool by spending time in selecting clothes that I wear. I don’t have time. I give about 4 minutes to change and get ready to get out of the house in the morning. So no way I spend time in selecting lugas that I wear. Not even while interviewing models! Again, Ramro banera kaslai po dekhaunu chha ra? :)

Related entry:
1.Iron Man: Conversation With a Press Wallah

In A Nepal Monastery Ramon Magsaysay Jr. Talks About His Dad

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[Here is another report on the visit of Magsaysay Awardees in Nepal]

ramon magsaysay jr in nepal

The senator son of former Filipino President talks about what it feels like to be a Magsaysay. Plus, hear him praising Gmail!! In the photo above, Magsaysay Jr. (right) is flanked by his son Francisco in Kathmandu’s Tilganga Eye Center. Pic by Dinesh Wagle

By Dinesh Wagle

“Many journalists have interviewed you,” this scribe started a conversation with Ramon Magsaysay Jr., the son of former Filipino President, in a monastery in Kathmandu and asked him to guess what my first question could be.

Without thinking much he said “Of course my impression of Nepal.” And without waiting for a follow-up question the 68-year-old Filipino senator rolled on: “It’s very positive. I see a lot of possibilities for Nepal that is facing challenges on peace, poverty and competitiveness in the globalized world.”

As he paused to breathe it was this scribe’s turn to shoot: “But I had a different question in mind. How does it feel to grow up with the brand name called Magsaysay?”

Seemingly puzzled, the man looked toward the horizon for a few seconds but quickly collected his breath and said, “It’s a deep honor.” Then the Senator briefly recounted his personal story fusing the past and present. “My late father started his public service during the World War II. I was a four year old boy. Fast forward to 2006. I am an old man, about to finish my second and last term in the Senate. Many a times I wonder am I being as good as my father or not quite up to him? With this question in mind, I just keep dong my best.”

ramon magsaysay jr in nepal

Photographer Magsaysay: Trying to capture Kathmandu from the Pullahari Monastary in Kapan.

Magsaysay Jr. was 18 when his dad died in a plane crash in 1957. He had no choice but to jump into politics to carry on the family legacy. While campaigning for a congressional post at the age of 27 in the same constituency that once elected his father, Magsaysay Jr. realized how much people wanted him to be like his dad. “People would say ‘oh your dad did this, you should also do the same; he wore wooden shoes, why are you wearing rubber shoes?’ Over the years I have learned to develop patience. Just respond them with a smile and accept whatever they say.”

Though he is a senator, Magsaysay Jr. is essentially a businessman, dubbed the “Father of Cable Television” in the Philippines for his role in setting up blueprint for the sector. Magsaysay Jr., a mechanical engineer by training and a graduate of Harvard Business School, finds it difficult to prefer politics to business. “Politics is interesting,” he said, adding, “You can have bigger and faster impact. But I also like business because your life is in your control. Profit and customer satisfaction are the key.”

Agrees Magsaysay’s son, Francisco, 38, who looks after Magsaysay Jr.’s cable business. “I will not join politics,” declared Francisco, who is in Kathmandu with his dad. “I am hoping to help out the country in a small way. I want to inspire the youth by proving that you don’t need to be in government to help your community.” He argues that politics has changed compared to that of his grandfather’s time. Francisco also shares with his father the experience of being a Magsaysay. “There is the pressure to maintain certain type of integrity,” said Francisco. “We have to conduct ourselves in a way that is commensurate with grandfather’s integrity. My father always tells me to remember grandfather.”

“Why even successful businessmen lunge for a political post?” reporter asked. “Business and politics are interlinked, aren’t they?”

“Yes, yes,” he said and told in detail how he was forced to pay ‘tax’ to the aides of former dictator Marcos when Philippines was under the marshal law. “They are. It helps if you have political connections.” Francisco shared this view but said he doesn’t like to pull political strings to promote business interest.

“Okay,” said Magsaysay Jr. and turned the table against this scribe, “Let me ask a few questions to you. What’s the situation of Internet usage in Nepal?”

This reporter explained him that Internet users, especially the young crowd, in Nepal were growing over the years, and in many colleges in city area you are considered unfashionable if you don’t have an email address. “My recent article about Gmail attracted more than five hundred invitation requests from readers,” said the reporter.

“That’s a very positive sign,” he said and added that increased awareness about technology would be helpful to advance society. Then he had some words of praise for the Gmail, “I also like Gmail because of big space and search facility. Let me give you my private Gmail account.”

[This article appeared in today’s edition of Kathmandu Post and it’s Nepali version in Kantipur]

Inviting Nepal To Gmail: An Experience

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Nar Phu blogs will be posted daily. Please check below

dinesh wagle gmail communication image

I emailed from new Gmail address two years ago to express my excitement to myself. And, as you can see in the photo above, in the next email I congratulated myself!

A new job is keeping me busy in the last few days. I have become a distributor of Gmail, so to speak. Four days ago I wrote an article titled “Jamana Gmail Ko” [Gmail’s Era] and I felt it was my duty to provide an email address at the end of the article so that readers who might want to give a try to the service but have no one to get invitations from would write to me. That’s what happened and I started getting emails in numbers that I hadn’t expected. I didn’t realize that so many people would be reading teh article or (even if they read) be interested in trying out Gmail. I had hoped to received a few dozens requests for Gmail invite but as of now, the inbox says there are about 500 messages. Five days after the article, requests are still coming in.

It’s a time consuming act though. Nevertheless, I am enjoying inviting these folks to the world of Gmail. This is also part of my passion of sharing information like in journalism. First, I shared the information I knew about Gmail with the readers of Kantipur and now I am sharing my Gmail experience with them by inviting them to join this cool email service from Google. Many of the requests contain interesting messages and those kept me smiling.

Here is the article that I wrote in Kantipur.

जमाना जीमेलको

दिनेश वाग्ले

एउटा पुरानो प्रश्न- कम्प्युटर निर्माता एप्पलका प्रमुख कार्यकारी स्टिभ जब्स र एक फेसन डिजाइनरबीच के फरक छ ? उत्तर- दुवै आफ्ना उत्पादनको बनावट र सौन्दर्यप्रति अति रुचि राख्छन् । आइपोडको कामुकता चर्चा गरी के साद्दे ? तर बितेका केही वर्षमा फेसनेबल, कामुक र लोभलाग्दो हुने दौड गुगलले जितेको छ । जीमेल पछिल्लो र सशक्त उदाहरण हो ।

जीमेल छैन भने तपाईं के ‘फेसनेबल’ ? ‘कुल’ कसरी भन्ने ? दुई वर्षअघि ‘अपि्रल फुल’ मा आएको जीमेलका फ्यानहरू भन्छन्- हटमेल र याहुमेलका दिन गए, जे छ जीमेलमै छ । हुन पनि जीमेलको दुई जीबी स्पेसमा नअटाउने कुरै के रह्यो ? अनि गुगलको चकित तुल्याउने खोजी-क्षमताले जीमेललाई पनि धन्य पारेको छ जसका कारण दुई वर्षअघिका सन्देश एकै क्लिकमा फेला पर्छन् । खोजी-क्षमताले हटमेल र याहुमेलको टाउको दुखाइदिएको छ, उनीहरू चुस्त हुने अभियानमा छन् । त्यसैले हालै हटमेलले ‘विन्डोज लाइभ’ ब्रान्डअन्तर्गत सेवा थालेको छ भने याहुले नयाँ डिजाइनसहितको इमेल प्रणालीको परीक्षण गरिरहेको छ ।

अन्य इमेल सेवामा नपाइने जीमेल सुविधा ‘च्याट’ हो जसका लागि मेसेन्जर चाहिँदैन । इनबक्समा छिर्नेबित्तिकै इमेल सूचीको बायाँपट्टी ‘सम्पर्क’ हरू अन/अफलाइनमा देखिन्छन् र च्याट स्वतः सेभ गर्न (या नगर्न) मिल्छ ।

सुरुवातमा जीमेल केही विवादमा थियो, इनबक्समा देखिने शब्द-विज्ञापनका कारण । जीमेल भण्डार हुने कम्प्युटरहरूले सन्देश स्वतः पढ्छन् र त्यहाँका शब्दसँग मेल खाने विज्ञापन दायाँपट्टी देखाइदिन्छन् । त्यसले प्रयोगकर्ताको गोपनीयता भंग हुने गुनासो आएको थियो । सन्देश मानिसले नपढ्ने तथा कम्प्युटरले स्वचालित रूपमा त्यस्ता विज्ञापन राख्ने भएकाले गोपनीयतामा कुनै समस्या नहुने जीमेलले बताएको छ । विज्ञापन सबै इमेलमा हुन्छ, झन् अरूमा ध्यान विकेन्दि्रत गरिदिने झिलिमिली ब्यानर हुन्छन् ।

प्रयोगमा सहजता र भण्डारण क्षमता जीमेलको सबैभन्दा आकर्षक पक्ष भएको यसका प्रयोगकर्ता बताउँछन् । सुनौं ओजस्वी राणालाई जो मलेसियाको एउटा कलेजमा ‘लिबरल आर्टस’ (स्नातक) पढिरहेकी छन् । ‘वास्तवमा धेरै स्पेस भएकाले जीमेल मन पराउँछु,’ जीमेल च्याटमा कुरा गर्दै ओजस्वीले भनिन्- ‘उसो त हटमेलले पनि धेरै स्पेस दिन्छ तर जीमेलले जित्यो । जीमेल सेवा छिटो छ । अँ साँच्ची, जीमेलमा त्यो च्याट प्रणाली समाविष्ट छ जो मेसेन्जर प्रतिबन्धित स्थानमा प्रयोग गर्न सकिन्छ । जस्तो, मेरो कलेजको पुस्तकालय !’ पहिलेदेखिका र धेरै सम्पर्क त्यहाँ भएकाले हटमेलको मेसेन्जर अझै प्रयोग गर्ने गरेको ओजस्वीले बताइन् ।

जीमेलेको ‘स्पेस’ दुई जीबीभन्दा बढी छ र प्रत्येक सेकेन्ड चार बाइट बढिरहेको छ । अर्थात् सन् २००९ सम्ममा जीमेल स्पेस तीन जीबी पुग्नेछ । ‘कुनै सन्देश मेटाउनुपर्दैन’ भन्ने जीमेलको नारा छ । ओजस्वीको जीमेलमा १ सय ७४ एमबी भरिएको छ । ‘चार महिनाअघि मैले असावधानीवश सबै इमेल मेटाएँ,’ उनले भनिन्- ‘नभए यसको झन्डै पाँच गुणा बढी थियो ।’ अरू इमेल प्रयोगकर्तालाई जीमेलले सुरुमा अचम्मै पार्छ । ‘लामो समयसम्म हटमेल प्रयोग गरेकीले जीमेलमा फोल्डर नदेख्दा अप्ठेरो लागेको थियो,’ ओजस्वीले भनिन्- ‘तर लेबलबारे मैले छिट्टै कुरा बुझें र यो सजिलो लाग्यो । सुरुमा स्पेसले चाहिँ मलाई साँच्चै उडायो !’

स्पेसकै कुरा गर्दा अब जीमेलमा वर्ड फाइलहरू पनि जस्ताको तस्तै भण्डारण गर्न सकिन्छ- इनबक्सको माथिल्लो भागमा रहेको ‘डक्स एन्ड स्पेडसिट’ मार्फत । ‘फरवार्डिङ’ सुविधाबाट कुनै एउटा जीमेलमा आएका सन्देशलाई स्वतः अर्को ठेगानामा पठाउन या आउटलुकमार्फत कम्प्युटरमा झारेर अफलाइन हेर्न सकिन्छ । हटमेल या याहुमा भएका सम्पर्कलाई जीमेलमा ल्याउन सकिन्छ जो जीमेल खोल्ने बित्तिकैको सन्देशमा हेर्न सकिन्छ ।

यति पढेपछि जीमेल प्रयोग गर्न मन लागे त्यो हुने साथीसँग निम्ता माग्नुस् । चिनेको कसैसँग छैन भने, विषय हरफमा जीमेल चाहियो भन्दै blogmandu at gmail.com मा इमेल गर्नुस् ।

Internet and email habit of Nepali people has changed over the years. More and more young people are becoming loyal consumers and heavy users of Internet and email in cities like Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Pokhara. They want to try out new technologies and services. I have found that the more and more young users are not just limiting their internet usage in Chats or messaging. In my interaction with young internet users in various cyber cafes in Kathmandu couple of months ago, many said that they were logging on to look for universities in the US or UK or Australia. Some of them wanted to be in touch with friends they made during their stay abroad.

Even if we are one of the poorest countries in the world, emailing has become a very necessary part of Nepali life; that is to say in the city area. I can’t imagine working without Email though we went through that horrible experience for a week following Feb 1, 2005 when King Gyanendra dismissed democracy, imposed autocracy and emergency, cut off telephone liens and switched off Internet connections. Emailing has emerged as new cultural phenomena in Nepal that is changing the way people communication. An email account is a must if you are studying in private colleges to be considered that you are not unfashionable. No email, you are considered backward. Young people have found it easier to communicate via email things that they can’t say in telephone. Instant messaging and chat are other examples. Not to mention the growing popularity of mobile SMS phones among youth.

Hotmail and Yahoo Mail are the most popular fee email service in Nepal. More than 95 percent of the requests I received were from Hotmail and Yahoo addresses. Sorry Bill Gates and Jerry Yang but Gmail is so cool that I want many people to try it once. I don’t mind if they don’t like the service and stick with old addresses. I have noticed that Hotmail and Yahoo have also upgraded their services and space which is definitely good.

So my friends were asking me if I was hired by Gmail as they saw me writing article on Gmail and inviting readers to it. No, I am not hired by Gmail or associated with Google. I wrote the article because I thought it was important for readers to know about the service and I gave the email address to make sure that those interested would get opportunity to try the service as it can’t be used without invitation.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Gmail (and Google in a whole) and I am immensely enjoying the service since the third week of April, 2004, 22 days after it was launched by the search engine company. I wrote an article in Nepal Magazine about Gmail at that time. My request to try Gmail for that article was reciprocated by someone at Gmail and I got the invitation from Google. I have abandoned Hotmail since then (though I have reactivated the account for reporting purpose) and I rarely use my Yahoo accounts. And I am totally into Gmail chat that is incorporated into the inbox. I rarely use MSN messenger (though I have been logging in to the service once a day these days for reporting purpose) that too with my own domain email address.

I have invited many people in Gmail and those I invited have also invited many others. Gmail network in Nepal is growing day by day. I think people will be enjoying Gmailing until a new service with better features comes into effect.

Note: Okay, if you still don’t have Gmail and want to give a try, email me at blogmandu (@) gmail.com. Don’t forget to mention “Wagle, Malai Gmail Chahiyo [I want Gmail]” in the subject line!

From America, With Love (Made in China)

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[Nar Phu diary will be posted from tomorrow]

dinesh wagle hot zone cap

Caption? See the other pic below

I love wearing caps and I wear all kinds of caps (fav color: black) but I am not Kathmandu based photojournalist Min Bajracharya who has a big collection of caps that he wears, or Nepali pop singer Nabin K Bhattarai whose cap habit was so much in news until he took that off to reveal a partially bald head. Neither my cap habit is remotely similar to that of Indian singing sensation Himesh Reshammiya who never shows his head sans cap and that’s the subject of talks and newspaper articles. I had almost stopped wearing caps in the recent months but yesterday was a different day.

I received a box in my office that someone had brought from the post office: full items presented to me by the people in the United States. On behalf of Yahoo!’s “Kevin Sites In The Hot Zone” team, Lisa Liu had sent me t-shirts, caps and key rings for my contributing to the ‘mission’ when Kevin was here in Nepal earlier this year. Kevin’s year-long One Man Band journalism (SOJO) in major hot spots around the world ended recently and his back up team in Santa Monica, California wanted to acknowledge the cooperation he received from various local journalists like me. It was cool to receive those stuffs and they are all great. Thank you Hot Zone team! But something in the present compelled to write this blog. Caps and key rings were made in China where as t-shirts, it was printed, were crafted in Haiti. What a globalized world we live in! Someone from United States sends a present that is made in China to a person in Nepal. Plus, I am fascinated by the rising economic influence of China, Nepal’s close neighbor. Something sent from California is made in China. What if, my friend said, the caps were sent to Kathmandu directly from China? It would have been faster, he said, talking about the long journey that the caps made before landing on my head.

dinesh wagle hot zone cap

I am amazed by the pace in which China is becoming rich. When I was in the US in April this year, I bought a laptop computer (which I am using to type these lines) that was made in China. Many of the electronic accessories were Chinese made. Chinese economic influence is growing worldwide. (Recently China hosted several African Heads of States and Government leaders. I read with interest all those news about growing Chinese trade surplus and the complaints of United States and the European Union about the value of currency Yuan. Coincidently, I was reading a New York Times news report in International Herald Tribune. In the recent years, Indian economy is also growing rapidly and some Nepali columnists are already starting to wonder about the possible Chinese and Indian economic growth spilling over to Nepal. Nepal’s hydropower potential comes as an example in such columns and recent internal conference in Kathmandu has increased the hope of possible investment in Nepali rivers. Both China and India (especially India in our context) need energy and selling electricity to India will be one of the best options to take Nepali economy forward. Chinese companies are also interested in investing in our water. Lets hope for the best that we will get more benifits then caps from growing Chinese economic power. Again, thanks Yahoo! and “Kevin Sites In The Hot Zone”!

dinesh wagle hot zone cap

I am wearing Kevin Sites In The Hot Zone Cap and T-shirt presented to me by the SOJO’s team at Yahoo!

Related Blogs:
1. Backpack Journalist: Kevin Sites In Kathmandu

2. Meet the Rebels: Maoist Guerilla of Nepal

Here is the NYT news that I was reading yesterday evening:

China’s Trade Surplus Climbs Sharply

SHANGHAI, Nov. 8 — China said Wednesday that its trade surplus with the rest of the world had leapt to a record $23.8 billion in October, the latest sign of this country’s phenomenal rise as a trading superpower. The surplus, which blew past the previous record of $18.8 billion set in August, is almost certain to add to longstanding trade frictions with the United States and the European Union and lead to renewed calls for China to allow its currency to appreciate at a faster pace.

For the last few years, the Chinese economy has been growing at a blistering pace — as high as 10 percent. Its foreign currency reserves, the world’s largest, hit $1 trillion this week, and its factory floors are pumping out millions of toys, textiles, DVD players and laptop computers.

In the first nine months of this year, China says it has racked up a $133 billion surplus with the rest of the world, primarily with the United States and the European Union. In all of last year, China reported a record $101 billion surplus. Indeed, China’s surplus for the month of October was almost as big as its surplus for the entire year of 2004, which was $25.5 billion.

Another report from AP on rising Chinese trade surplus:

China Expects $150B Trade Surplus

BEIJING (AP) — China’s politically sensitive trade surplus should soar to a record $150 billion this year, nearly 50 percent above the 2005 level, according to Commerce Ministry figures reported Friday by a state news agency.

The figures were the government’s highest projection yet for the mounting trade gap, which has fueled strains with Washington and other trading partners. They are demanding that China open markets wider to imports and ease controls that they say keep its currency weak, giving its exporters an unfair price advantage.

The Commerce Ministry said exports this year are expected to total $960 billion this year, with imports rising to $810 billion, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

That would produce a deficit of $150 billion, up from $102 billion in 2005. The government said Wednesday that China’s monthly trade surplus hit a record monthly high of $23.8 billion in October. It was the fifth new monthly record this year. Both exports and imports are growing by double-digit rates, but import growth has slowed amid government efforts to cool off an investment boom that Chinese leaders worry could ignite a financial crisis.

The Commerce Ministry earlier forecast a trade surplus of at least $140 billion this year. The communist government has let its currency, the yuan, rise by about 3 percent against the U.S. dollar over the past 16 months.