Archive for the ‘Kathmandu Valley’ Category
Too slim to sin
Facebook nostalgia for Old Nepal, which has us Like-ing countless images of rustic Nepal, all mud brick houses, undulating rice paddies and gleaming mountains, appeals mostly because of its contrast to the bristling present. But the more you yearn for Old Nepal, the more depressing the New Nepal of concrete and steel appears to be […]
Raining pots and pans in Chobhar
The pointless question of whether Our Man in Heavena is actually a Woman finds a very Nepali compromaij on one of the hillocks shading the cleft of Chobhar, where the Valley sheds its poison (in an offering to Jal Binayak that even his Father would find unpalatable). Turn right off the road to Taudaha and […]
Late-night Buddhas
We were on the way to a Patan pasni when we first saw them. Two huge Buddha busts on man-sized frames on the road leading to Mangal Bazaar, casually positioned by the side of a kirana store as if waiting for their mates to finish buying cigarettes and beer, c’mon it’s the weekend let’s go. […]
Wedekind’s wunderkinder
Intrigued by the premise of the late 19th-century play ‘Spring Awakening’ by German expressionist Frank Wedekind and curious about how far school dramas have moved on in the two decades since I was last on stage, I headed to Nepal Tourism Board for an adaptation by Ullens IB Theatre. The cheerful opening disclaimer along the […]
The best a man can get
As an autonome of sorts, I sometimes miss being pampered. Or, at the risk of sounding like a Britisher who defends the miserly quota of sunshine allocated to him in the Isles with a righteous “it’s no fun if the sun’s always on”, I’d concur that familiarity breeds contempt, while rarity wins admiration. I know […]
Hungry eye – Black Pepper
For me, Jhamel arrived not when St. Mary’s Lane was overwhelmed by the attack of the restobar clones. It happened when trendy Black Pepper Cafe & Pub opened shop just around the corner from my phuphu’s dowdy residence, joining the lane hitherto dominated by local stalwarts Greenwich and Summit. It’s clear Black Pepper is serious […]
Hungry eye – Momotarou
If you know Jhamel, you’ll know Singma, the no-frills Singaporean-Malaysian eatery that’s now branched out into Bhatbhateni. And if you’ve exhausted that menu, head to its companion venue Momotarou, near Sanepa Chok. Itself a branch of an original in Thamel, Momotarou draws you with fairy lights past the chilly outdoor seating into a solidly residential […]
