Expectations twist

High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectations. One targets certain goals, and walks to meet the expectations. It sounds smart when you design the expectation of yours, and move accordingly, but in the real practical world, expectation is the main reason behind the dissatisfaction.

As said, the ‘best things in life are unexpected because there were no expectations’. You expect certain things to take place or happen, and if does not, it hurts and you grow dejected. Let me clarify, aim and expectation are two different aspects. Designing something for the future zeroes in on aim, and hoping something to happen is expectation. You are free to develop an aim, because it motivates you to work hard at present. But, when you expect something, it is different. The aim to be doctor, and the expectation of being a doctor are two different entities in two different directions.

Why to expect anything to happen when you are not sure of it? Expecting to receive a laptop from your uncle and when you receivec cell phone, it definitely hurts. Only if you had no expectation, the cell phone would have made you happy. When things happen not as per your expectation, it becomes a miracle. For those who don’t expect, miracles take place every now and then, and for those who expect thousands of miracles don’t count. You don’t expect the price of cell phones to go down, and when it goes down, you can call it a miracle for sure.There is no hard and fast rule that you must expect something in reality. Simply clarify your vision, and move ahead; those unexpected stuffs will gift you ample happiness.

Why to expect promotion at your job place? Work hard with honesty, if the company is honest they will definitely hand you your promotion. Expecting to get distinction, and if you don’t get it, it hurts. If you have not expected it, everything could be normal.

Expecting is like hoping, so minimize the level of your hope. Death after all is the common expectation after birth, but we never work as per the expectation, therefore we are in this stage. Life would certainly not turn out to be so exciting if we keep in mind the expectation of death. It is understandable that it is a tough task to live without expecting in real life, but let’s try to commit that we will minimize the level of expectations.

PUBLISHED IN THE HIMALAYAN TIMES (NOVEMBER 17, 2011)http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Expectations+twist&NewsID=309504

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Keep your cool

It’s already time for chilly winter, and everybody must be well prepared to welcome the cold season. It is definitely a wonderful time as we get to stay under a blanket for a long time, get to wear a lot of clothes plus have lots of hot stuff. Nepal has a moderate sort of climate as we don’t have to freeze under temperatures below zero, nor do we get steamed by 50 degree heat.

The days get shorter and the nights get longer during the winter season, which makes our working schedule really tight. Darkness comes over you as soon as your office time is completed, and hence you have no option but to go home. The weekends during the winter has separate fun as whisky really helps you to stay pleasantly warm. I am not writing to explain the impact, advantages or disadvantages of winter; but this is a suggestion that some things have to be taken seriously during the season.

Water is a necessity for our body from every point of view. We drink water not only to fulfil our thirst but also because it’s necessary for our body. Water regulates the body temperature, promotes healthy skin, acts as a natural lubricant for the body, helps in digestion and removes wastes from the body. It is not that our body requires water only during the hot season, we require an equal amount of water during the winter as well. Our body gets dry during the winter and hence water can remove the dryness.

Nothing can replace the role of water for our body. Soft and hard drinks suck water from our body more than contributing it. Now, how wise is it for us to drink cold water during this season? It’s okay if you can control your body, but I call it wise if you drink hot water every day which will keep the germs of the common cold along with various other diseases far away. When we have such huge benefits, why don’t we drink water during this season? It would be somewhat foolish to make a resolution for the upcoming year to drink a certain amount of water daily and fail to fulfil it.

Hot water contributes to keeping our body warm as well, which is really essential during this particular season. Let’s make an attempt to keep our body fit, warm and healthy simply by drinking hot water time and again during this season. I am sure you have completed your tasks of washing old jackets, sweaters or purchasing new ones. You must probably have thought of ideas to keep your room warm during this season.

As we are poor in electricity, let’s even make a contribution to reducing load-shedding by consuming less power during this season by using electric heaters less.


PUBLISHED IN THE KATHMANDU POST (NOVEMBER 16, 2011)http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/11/15/oped/keep-your-cool/228265.html

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BIPPA is a boom, but can be curse

There are various criticisms and praises on going for the recent Bhattarai's act of Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) with India on his recent visit. At the time when the stage has brought a political controversy in Nepalese politics right after the controversy of two ministers being settled, the agreement seems the next challenge for the present Government equally. I am not associated with any party, nor am I influenced by any ideology. I am simply the student of Business. So being student, I feel the BIPPA made with India has to be welcomed by the business world. Why should we welcome this? I don't know what Congress has to say, nor do I care what UML explains, and I am no way associated with PM's party either.

Nepal is located between two world's greatest markets, and when India shares open border, culture and same class of people, Nepal definitely can make a huge gain from this Agreement. BIPPA brings the opportunity of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Nepal. Although introduced in 1992, the following Maoists insurgency made the investors depressed, and as a result Nepal could not get their cup of tea out of it. When will Nepal be able to bring such huge capitals, technology and management skills? Atleast, after welcoming them, it can get its possibility. The painful truth that the economy of Nepal is completely dependent with the remittances makes a clear indication that there are maximum peoples working abroad simply because of unemployment facilities in Nepal. Bringing new investment will welcome new business firms in the country which again will be helping the domestic unemployment problem to the country. People of Nepal will again get to use improved products at the cheap rate, manufacturer of Kurkure if enters Nepal, Nepalese will get to use of it in the cheap rate. They will not be
compelled to pay forty rupees for the product of thirty two.

Government can again earn huge amount of revenue out of these Indian firms. When India opens firms in Nepalese territory, they themselves will try to remove the hindrances that Nepalese are today facing in
the carriage. Balance of Payment (BEP) will be increasing at this very time. As a whole, Industrial Development will gain a speed in the country. This has to be clear that India would never come to this stage if British rule have had not been in India at those periods. It is through British's FDI in India; India made the development process easy and effective. Had not there been FDI from British Rule then, India would be in some what similar condition to Nepal. It is something foolish to curse our history for the bravery, but we still have the power for it. Nepal was more developed than India during the medieval period, and some what had the similar sort of condition during the period before Rana rule in Nepal and British rule in Nepal.

The fact of development possibility in India due to FDI must not be ignored. Parties agitating against the decision are not wrong either. There exists the possibility of loss of Sovereignty in Nepal, but when it is
for India, the chances are comparatively low. The another disadvantage mentioned in my book regarding this is Intense competition, Kurmure would have the worst time competing with Kurkure then, but there are simply fewer domestic products that would go such stage. High Dependency is the third point, but the agreement is for ten years. Resource outflows could act as disadvantage, as the vision for them is in the hydro power sector, Nepal must be able to make enough demand for itself of hydro power before making export in such cases.

The worst part of agreement that has brought the entire controversies is due to the agreement made 'to pay the compensation if the firms shut down due to internal cause of Nepal.' Since Nepal had been headlines as international news in the past, and there had been the image for International vision that Nepal is unsafe for investment, the agreement shows clear possibility and welcoming of investors in
Nepal. Nepal had to take certain bold step to welcome them ensuring the investors that the political disturbance would not trouble their investment, and through BIPPA, Bhattarai did it indicating that now
even more than one half of Maoists are looking for good relation and trade relation with India which was against their principle earlier.

However, exactly like Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat said, signing the agreement is not a conclusion in it. There are other important things to be noted down. There has to be peaceful environment now, and
Industrial sector must be declared a peace zone providing enough securities to them. The various bandas, chakkajams, loadsheddings and politicial disturbance must be stopped immediately and let the industries conduct their activities in peaceful way, else the treaty would not be boom but curse.

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Taken for a ride

OCT 17 -
Highways are meant for smooth and safe travel over long distances. The word “highway” brings to mind a wide road ranging from four to eight lanes, open spaces with farms on either side, vehicles moving smoothly at a certain constant speed and police patrols to provide highway security. But do we have the same sort of highways in Nepal? Obviously not! We are not among the rich countries. So it is understandable that we lack massive freeways but have to do with bumpy and winding roads as we live in a hilly region. But the transportation system has made travelling on highways really uncertain.

No one knows how long it might take you to reach Pokhara from Kathmandu, a distance of 200 km. It can be five hours or 15 hours. Who is to be blamed? The bus driver? The citizens? Or the government? Every time I get on a bus, there will be some one promising not to travel with this bus company the next time by the time the trip is half over. But they forget that all the buses are the same.

First, I blame the government which lacks a clear policy and vision. Second, I blame the bus management which is ready to stop the bus every time somebody on the roadside raises a hand. And finally I blame us citizens who are comfortably numb. It is we people who don’t give a damn when the vehicle breaks down. The driver gets enough time to rest while the local people wait for traffic jams to boost their business. We don’t look for specialised tickets. We seek discounts rather than quality service.

Let a group of people go to the ticket counter and demand quality service by paying more. Will they not be compelled to provide better service? Who cares about the capacity of the road? There are vehicles that carry more than the maximum permitted load, and the people don’t care that they are ruining the roads. There have been instances if highway protests when a chicken gets run over by a bus. And when it is clear that there is a likelihood of a traffic jam at Thankot, why don’t these buses move out from Kalanki an hour earlier?

Let me not forget to mention the expensive roadside food! I always enjoy travelling from Pathlaiya to Dhalkebar where there are forests on both sides with less disturbance, and the travel time is somewhat fixed. But there are other places where the journey is delayed, sometimes because of traffic jams, sometimes because the vehicle breaks down and usually because of the hand waving system. It is high time we acted to make travelling on Nepal’s highways less torturous.


PUBLISHED IN THE KATHMANDU POST OCTOBER 18TH
http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2011/10/17/oped/postplatform-taken-for-a-ride/227312.html

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The write way

Writing is not my job, it's my hobby. People ask me how I am able to write on such interesting topics and why newspapers publish my mini articles frequently. "I have tried so many times, but they never publish my articles. Why?" they ask me. They even show me their writings and ask me if they are good enough to be published. How can I answer such questions? I am not an editor. But here's the truth about how I began writing which aspiring authors might find helpful.

I began writing in Class 6. I used to look for interesting facts on the Web and write about them and mail the article to a local newspaper. Later, I started writing letters to the editor of various newspapers. Every time one of my letters got published, I became more encouraged. This went on for around three years, and I started writing longer articles. It was not that I wrote to earn
money. The truth is that I had no idea that I would get paid for my writings. I used to write simply because I loved writing. When I found out that I could get money for my writings, I began to write with extra enthusiasm. For example, if you love playing cricket, it's not necessary for you to get paid for playing; but when you get paid, that makes it even better.

For those who really want to write, here are a few suggestions that might be useful. First, you have to read more and more. The more you read other people's writings, the broader will be your knowledge of writing style and topics to write on. So pick an unique, interesting topic. The subject must attract your readers. After selecting the topic, compose the introduction and then the body where your theme must be included. Provide conclusions at the end which can be what you feel about your topic.

Now if you think that you must be good in grammar to write, think again! MS Word is the software that makes your grammar perfect. And you are not presenting information about the topic, but your views. For example, if you are writing about apples and you write that they are red in colour, have a round shape and are tasty, and end the article by mentioning that they grow in the hilly region, everyone knows that. But if you were to present your thoughts like apples would be more popular if they were a bit salty in taste and that even though Humla and Jumla produce a lot of apples, they are not being properly utilised, you may be able to hold your readers' attention. Many wannabe writers get frustrated when their first article gets rejected. I consider the article "not up to the mark" and write another. To let everyone know, only two out of 10 of my writings get published. So don't lose hope for such minor reasons. All of you have potential. So try a little harder. All the best!

PUBLISHED IN THE KATHMANDU POST SEP 30,2011
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Dashain Travel

Dashain has been acting as the reason for meeting the peoples who were ignored for a year. Mother expects her son to come back home and hence son comes back! This festival provides the opportunity to stay together with the year round talk and dine together. No matter where you are. Dashain always encourages you to return back home and meet your family members. No matter
if you are working in Dubai or just few kilometers away from your home, the festival compels you to return to your home and meet your family members. When will you return back? Dashain probably will be the answer. So it's the time you are well prepared to go home and spend the time with your family. You must be well prepared about the time to spent there and things to be taken.

They say more than sixty percent of people of capital come from outside capital. Capital has been the source that provides job, good education and so on. Living in a centralized country, there won't be anything surprising to hear that maximum people from overall country gather at Kathmandu for their definite and specific purpose. And all of the people wants to return back home during Dashain. There are basically two ways of traveling. We don't have water ways and we lack railways. Despite the fact we possess the ropeway, I don't prefer counting it. This makes us limited up to airways and roadways'. Airways are the best source of traveling, but for the big shots. 

The ticket price easily gets raised up to seventy five percent during this season. On the normal time it takes around twenty five hundred to fly Biratnagar but with the opening ceremony of Dashain it gets high up to four thousand and you require 'source' to purchase it. Either you need to book earlier or you have to suffer as there lacks ticket for you. I am a student and I have to reach my hometown, Biratnagar. For me roadway turns out to be effective hence I prefer this easy and cheap source.

However its not that it lacks the side effects. Oh! It's irritating to travel during this time. Firstly they give damn to our identity card. You purchase it or you don't, it's none of their business. They are going to get enough passengers who will be willing to pay full amount. There lacks booking system as well as you need to purchase the ticket before hand, and they will be in benefit if you don't go that day. That's not all! They trouble the passengers during the journey by feeding as much passengers as they can. The roof will be occupied and even the open space in bus will be occupied. You must call yourself lucky if you only manage to take fresh year. Pick pocketers and thieves' trouble a lot. They show you picture of new bus while taking ticket and bring the oldest local bus claiming the damage of new bus!

When we purchase or make the payment for the service, why don't we get good services out of it? I blame concerned authorities for ignoring this part. Let the bus charge fifty rupees more but they must be able to give the best service that satisfies passenger. Only if Agni Yatayat manages to give this service, their ticket will be sold in the beginning plus they will receive goodwill as well. And despite the fact we are well aware about the on going trend, why do we hesitate to make early booking? At least at same price we will be receiving good seats as well. And when we get dissatisfied with certain bus, let's ignore the bus from next time so that they get to feel and realize their mistakes. Have a safe journey! Happy Dashain!

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