Dinesh Wagle's Commentaries

Latest stories – पछिल्ला टिप्पणीहरू

  • A Blog From Inside a Lavatory

    Warning: This blog post deals with a peeing experience in a movie theater lavatory. If you happen to come here via search engines, web links, RSS feeds or directly entering the domain address of the site on the address bar of the web browser, I want to remind you that this might not be a very interesting topic to you. So you can avoid reading it.
    ………..

    It’s not unusual when you have to stand in a queue. A queue could be anywhere: in petrol pump (gas station) or temple or, as it happened with me this evening, a lavatory. It was the interval watching a disappointing Indian (Bollywood) movie called Om Shanti Om in Jay Nepal theater. I had drunk two cups of coffee before the going in front of the screen. That was really at the front. I couldn’t get tickets for more convenient place at the rear and I didn’t feel like returning from theater without watching the much hyped movie I ended up in a seat on second row from the front. I was worried about my neck but, as of now (after about five hours from the end of the show), just like any other necks: fit and fine. (धेरै…)

  • Celebrating Tihar: A Sister Invites Her Brother For Tika

    A festival blog: Celebrating Tihar (or Deepawali or Deewali)[Wagle with Thiar Bhai Tika 2005. From that year’s Tihar blog]

    dinesh wagle with tihar tika. Circa 2005

    The live images of Nicholas Sarkozy talking about France-U.S. relations in Washington are coming on CNN as I am eating dal bhat while also talking to a friend. The talk finished, the food finished, the speech is going on. Sarkozy lauds the American ideals, the ticker on the CNN reads. He is also talking about the Atlantic alliance. I am hear him through the English translator. This beautiful girl is smiling and looking at me from my desktop. I wash my hands and brush my teeth. And while I am brushing, my sister comes from downstairs and hands me over flowers: makhmali and sayapatri phool. “Today is kaag tihar [the first day of Tihar the festival of light when the crow is worshipped],” she says. “I am inviting you for Bhai Tika.” I am almost taken aback by the invitation. I mean that was the last thing I had expected for the day. [Tihar is also called Deepawali in Nepali and Deewali in India.] (धेरै…)

  • Back in the Vally. Into the News Room.

    Final day (6 of 6) of the Hemalbu trek:

    Om, Nama Shivaya! Are words needed to describe this photo?

    24 October: We knew it was our last day of trekking. We were going back to home. We arrived in Patibhyangyang in a jiffy and from there, after eating curd and Chokofun, we started climbing up to Chisapani. Met three kids on the trail, interacted with them. It was an easy walk. Chisapani was just there, above us, waiting for us. We ate dal bhat. I liked the food but Suraj didn’t. The jungle, beautiful jungle, of Shivapuri national park started and the walking in the jungle trail was fun. I couldn’t see many birds this time as it was already afternoon when we reached the jungle. (धेरै…)

  • …and Dish Cleaners

    The faces and expressions of the trailside Nepali kids. Part II [Here is part I]

    22 October: Yes, he wanted to hide his face from my camera! Actually, he was teasing me and was also challenging me to take the shot of his face. “He couldn’t, he couldn’t,” he chanted when he thought I couldn’t take the photo of his face. But then… (धेरै…)

  • The Kite Runners…

    The faces and expressions of the trailside Nepali kids. Part I [Here is part II]

    the kite runners

    22 October: We met a group of kids somewhere near Chisapani who were having fun by flying kite from a small hilltop. We decided to spend a few minutes observing them, talking to them and teasing them. We got a warm response! Here are different expressions and faces from the wonderful group. (धेरै…)

  • Time For Kids To Go Back To School (After Dashain Holiday)

    A girl smiles

    23 October: A girl shyly smiles as I take her photo. She was going back to Kathmandu with her relative uncle along with other friends. We met them on our way to Chisapani. (धेरै…)

  • Tharepati Downward: Pleasant Walk [Helambu Trek Day 5 of 6]

    A girl with a doko

    A girl with carries things in a doko. The things, she wouldn’t say what, were sent by her grandfather, a hotelier at the top of the hill, to her grandmother, a hotelier at the down! The granddaughter was working as a messenger between the old couple!

    23 October [Thangune Bhyanjyang]: It was a long day. We walked for almost 10 hours. We wanted to reach Chisapani but decided to stay here because, one, Chisapani wasn’t far from here and, two, here we found a nice hotel to stay. The trail was all downhill throughout the day, we descended about 1100 meters. (धेरै…)

  • A Boy of Melamchi Khola and His Back!

    A boy at Melamchi Khola and a hole on his trouser

    22 October: I didn’t notice it at first but, when I noticed, I couldn’t stop myself taking out camera and taking the photo. This small boy was playing in front of me. He was occasionally looking at me and when responding to my questions that ranged from his home and the roadside hotel where we were waiting for food to his friends in the area. His mother was cooking food for us and his (older) brother was talking to Suraj. This boy was playing with his (big) sister who, I guess, was two years older than him. (धेरै…)

  • ठमेलमा एक रमाइलो साँझ

    Life of Thamel in an evening

    दिनेश वाग्ले
    यो लेख पहिलोपटक आजको कान्तिपुर कोसेलीमा प्रकाशित भएको हो ।

    ‘हप्तामा एकदिन ठमेल घुमेको राम्रो,’ नेपालका एकजना ख्यातीप्राप्त टेलिभिजन व्यक्तित्व तथा पूर्व सम्पादकले थुप्रै बर्षअघि एकदिन भनेका थिए- ‘संसारका सेलिब्रिटीहरुसँग जम्काभेट हुनसक्छ ।’ पश्चिमा संसारमा अलौकिक सांग्रिलाको छवि भएको मुलुकको यो मुख्य पर्यटकीय केन्द्रमा विश्वका ख्यातीप्राप्तहरुको उति बाक्लो उपस्थिती हुदैन तर खोज्दै जाने हो भने मिक ज्यागरदेखि रिकी मार्टिनसम्मका काठमान्डू महायात्राहरुको कथा भेट्टाइन्छ । त्यसो त ठमेलमा भेटिने सबै स्पेयर्सहरु व्रिट्नी स्पेयर्स हुदैनन्, न सबै फोर्डहरु अमेरिकी कार उद्योगका बादशाह हेनरी फोर्ड या ३८ औं अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपती जेराल्ड फोर्डका नातेदार हुदैनन् । न ती हलिउड अभिनेता ह्यारीसन फोर्ड नै हुन्छन् ।

    ‘एक्स्क्युजि मी सर !’ हालैको एक साँझ ठमेलको जिन्दगी’bout रिपोर्टिङ् गर्न जादा सञ्चयकोष भवन अगाडीबाट चाक्सीबारीतिर हानिइरहेका एकजना रमाइला विदेशीलाई मैले सोधे- ‘तपाईको तस्बिर खिच्न सक्छु ?’ (धेरै…)

  • At Thare Pati After Tough Uphill [Helambu Trek Day 4 of 6]

    Wagle.com.np at Thare Pati. Inspecting the mountains

    22 October [Thare Pati]: We started early but in the morning I was feeling slightly exhausted and feeble. I wasn’t able to walk properly; legs were going out of my control. They weren’t really holding me up. After walking down the hill trail for about two hours, we arrived at Melamchi Khola Bridge, crossed it and ate Rara noodles soup in a hotel just across the bridge. As I am writing these lines, we are waiting for rice that the hotel lady is preparing for us. We hope to reach Melamchi Gyang in 2.5 hours, by 12:30, and from there to Thare Pati by the evening. It’s all uphill and jungle from here (with the exception of Melamchi Gyang in the middle) to Thare Pati. (धेरै…)