Until the next issue,
swadhwa@vow.com.np
i see it
editor’s pick
If I were any better, I would be twins!
Charu Chadha
The sweltering heat outside was almost too much to bear when I came across a little girl of about five or six who was selling flowers at the traffic light junction. Barefoot, straggly hair, a missing front tooth and the most endearing smile… I thought to myself, she should be in school right now but here she is working under the scorching sun helping her family make ends meet… through compulsion or choice, it didn’t really matter. Her little survival meant selling a handful of flowers. I prayed that afternoon that this little girl be allowed to dream and realise her dreams. Incidentally, later that evening I ended up watching a film called Mr Holland’s Opus. It’s a story that could relate to anyone who has had to postpone their dreams because life gets in the way. A story that many of us can relate to—some fulfilling their family’s needs, some caught in a job they do not love but must make do with, some waiting to raise their kids, some tending to a sick family member, some who just do not have the money right now… The movie is based on the character of a music teacher called Glenn Holland who is frustrated by his lot in life. He dreams of becoming a composer, but his wife gets pregnant which means that he must become a teacher at the local high school. Added to this, his son is born deaf and Holland feels that he has nothing in common with his child. The movie concludes as a testament to the power of pursuing dreams… and how eventually he finds that bond—a father and a son— despite the odds. In retrospect I concluded that when life throws the odd balls, when it tests your limits, when it takes you to a breaking point, as a human being, you really have only one choice and that is to make the most of the challenges and in it find a way out. Struggling incessantly, fretting and feeling sorry for yourself, lamenting your fate are normal, but then you need to stand up, shake off the dust, wipe away the tears, examine the odds and explore the possibilities, every little bit to turn things around. There are hundreds and thousands of living examples… in fact each one of us is each of us is an example of the human spirit of survival. Experience tells me that one must learn to celebrate life’s trials as much we do the triumphs. You can’t change everything that you don’t like nor can you run away from everything that doesn’t suit you. If the pressures of life starts dictating your life then you stand to lose the very essence of life. But it helps to remember that as we grow into our years, we have been given the opportunity to reflect on our life, accept the negative experiences, pick out the good, and carry on.
the w ay
Experience tells me that one must learn to celebrate life’s trials as much we do the triumphs.
I came across this line on the internet—and it struck a chord. Why not?—I thought to myself. Corporate Associate Editor After all I am my best friend, and above all why would I not live with this approach to my life—IF I WERE ANY BETTER, I WOULD BE TWINS! It’s an amazing attitude and one that would definitely help me evolve into a better person in all my days. I wouldn’t say it’s easy; it’s tough mostly, but definitely an attitude worth adopting. And the story I am about to share with you will actually sum up what it really means… There was once a guy who was always positive, motivating, encouraging and inevitably found a glimmer of hope in just about the worst of things. He was special! He would wake up each morning with a simple thought—you have two choices today—to live the day to its fullest potential or to be down and out finding fault… to be a victim or to choose to learn from life. It couldn’t have been easy to be this man, but there he was spreading positive energy and receiving abundant love in return. One day, he was shot in an armed robbery and rushed into emergency fighting for his life. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. And every time someone asked him how he was, he would laughingly respond, “If I were any better, I’d be twins”. He also recounted that as he lay covered in his own blood, he thought to himself, I could choose to live or I could choose to die. He also said that when he saw the expressions of the doctors and nurses, he was terrified because in their eyes he could read, ‘he’s a dead man’. And that’s when he haltingly and rather dramatically told them, “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead”. A true story or not, I would like to live like this man… a person who finds the extraordinary in the ordinary… to witness my life with courage and no regret… to have the ability to appreciate life and live in the moment as undeniably as I can!
july 2011 Volume 7 | Issue 10
beauty Beauty Tips 24 Lux Fighting those pesky blackheads makeup tips 26 Lakme Leg makeup is essential too! Beauty Q & A with Dolly Singh
28 68
Sunsilk hair expert Minimise the helmet effect on your hair! My Beautiful life Sanju Kala Koirala tells us about her favourites
savor 54 Innerview The art historian
Dr Dina Bangdel
57
Special Feature Meet the winners! 7th Fair & Lovely VOW Top 10 College Women Competition
43
Living the twin 66 Woman to Watch Excelling herself everyday Reema Bishwokarma
dream! Chase down your passion like it’s the last bus of the night.
-Terri Guillemets
The power to cre eate ate change
july 2011
regulars 11 The way I see it 11 Editor’s Pick 17 Let’s Talk 18 My Cup of Tea
Enough is enough: Public participation on national issues
32 Hold My Hand 36 Relationship
When you are sorry and you know it!
52 Short Story
Please don't go...
70 Guest Column
Co-existence in Jerusalem, the way I saw it.
52
80 VOW Sex Rules
Is oral sex the "Big Bad"? You decide
career & finance & Lovely 38 Fair Career Guidance 39 40
Watching porn in the office? Get a grip! Career Q & A with Dr Niti Rana Woman at work Fillings with care! Dr Jana Mathema
child care for 30 Shopping her first bra...
Do's and Don'ts!
74 Exerfile Toning the legs 76 Health Bulletin Health 76 Mental Q&A with Dr Sharad Man Tamrakar
All you need to know about seizures in pets Pet Q&A with Dr Saroj Yadav
96 Star signs
What the stars tell you about your erotic zones!
male menu you call it 35 Would quits when you feel it's over?
health, fitness & nutrition Feature Q & A with 72 Health 76 Medical Understanding that Dr Bharat Rawat discomfort in the stomach... Is your indigestion something serious?
82 Animal Anecdotes
78 79
Dr Neil Pande Dr Ruchi Saxena Dhakal
Well Being Celebrity Workout with Sandesh Exercise that works! Fitness Q & A with Sandesh Palungwa Limbu
entertainment 22 I spy Quiz & Polls 84 VOW How spiritual are you? 86 VOW Spices Picks 91 Flick Your guide to happening movies, music and books
92 94
Musical Conversation Man of words! Kali Prasad Rijal New Spark
vow Cover Look
Publishing Committee Managing Editor/CEO - Shalini Wadhwa Editor - N P Shrestha Corporate Associate Editor - Charu Chadha Photo Editor - Sanchit Lamichhane
Editorial Assistant Editor - Poonam Maharjan Reporters - Evelyn Moktan, Samridhi Rana, Pramila Rai Interns - Malvika Biswas, Ojashwi Pathak
Art & Design Designers Bindu Kumar Tandukar, Anup Man Shrestha
Art & Design Support Recently seen in Swor and Tyo 10 Ghanta, turn to page 66 to learn more about Reema Bishwokarma. Photo: Rajiv Shrestha Makeup and Hair: Reetu Pradhan Wardrobe: Lucky Ace, Teendhara, Pathshala, Durbar Marg Accessories: Bentley, Durbar Marg, Tel: 4220006 Cover design: Bindu Kumar Tandukar All editorial enquiries should be sent to Charu Chadha at GPO Box: 2294, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal Fax: (977-1) 4782100, Email: editorial@vow.com.np All advertising enquiries should be sent to Charu Chadha at GPO Box: 2294, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 4780450, Fax: (977-1) 4782100, Email: marketing@vow.com.np Pokhara Office : Pokhara, Naya Bazar Tel: 061-538913, Mobile: 9856026572 is published monthly from Kathmandu, Nepal by Speciality Media Pvt. Ltd., GPO Box: 2294, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal. Tel: 4780450, Fax: (977-1) 4782100, Email: vow@vow.com.np VOW
The contents of this publication may not be published in any form whatsoever, without the prior written consent of the publishers. All materials©vow. A note to readers The views expressed in articles are the authors’ and not necessarily those of VOW. Authors may have consulting or other business relationships with the companies they discuss. While every precaution is taken, no responsibility is assumed for the return of unsolicited material. All opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect on the publisher. The contents may not be reproduced in any form without the prior consent of the publisher. All rights reserved. Publisher – Speciality Media Pvt Ltd CDO Regd. No 33/061/62 Printed by Jagadamba Press Pvt Ltd Tel : 5250017, 5250027(Fax) Pre-press (CtVP) by BiG CtP House Pvt Ltd Tel : 4036219 Distributor: Kasthamandap Distributor
Senior Designer - Bikram Chandra Majumdar Designers - Ajit Sharma, Sudin K Shrestha
Photography Photographers - Nibendra Pradhananga Sanu Raja Maharjan, Shankar Bir Byanjankar
Marketing Assistant Manager - Budhi Katel Senior Executive - Binod Thapa Executive - Abhishek Bhakta Shrestha Marketing Assistant - Insan Dheke
Subscription & Distribution Manager - Raju Singh Bajiko Executives - Radhya Shyam Gambanjar, Rakesh Prajapati
Support team Chief Accountant - Birendra Dhoj Shrestha Executive-Accounts - Jaya Prakash Shrestha Editorial Secretary - Abish Bhattarai Secretary Administration - Alisha Shakya
Great going VOW!
I find your magazine very informative. Though I am not a regular reader, I enjoy reading VOW whenever I get a chance. Compared to other magazines, VOW is truly dedicated to women and their needs. It is great to see how women, be it from urban or suburban, get transformed after being covered in your magazine. VOW is a self-realisation for women which I find very amazing. Please keep us empowered with your innovative ideas to strive for a better life. And I would also like to congratulate the entire team for organising a fantastic event, the 7th VOW Top 10 College Women Competition, in Pokhara. Wish you all the best in your future endeavours and hope to read more great real-life articles! – Pamela Moktan, Kumaripati
Complete package!
I felt that the cover of the June issue was quite good. Sushma Karki looked beautiful. I have also been trying the celebrity workout exercise with my friends and although we find it really hard, it is also a lot of fun. I like VOW for all the information it provides. From entertainment to health, it is a complete package. It also brings talented personalities closer to us which always makes it a good read. – Anita Silwal, via email
VOW J’adore
I believe, to be born as a girl is the greatest victory in one’s life. Furthermore, Shalini and Charu have come out as 'the' Godmothers to show us the path to success and triumph. They are the ones who build confidence and generosity in my life. I recently got attuned with VOW and truly it’s ‘fabulous’. The contents are incredible. The articles left me speechless and inspired. The Way I See It is very encouraging, especially the sentence— "Winners compete to find their place in the world" … it touched my heart and I felt empowered. Shalini is 'awesome'. Editor's Pick left me spellbound with Charu's factual emotions and thoughts. For me, the All letters on this page recieve a gift hamper from Foot Fetish, foot and body treatment. Tel : 4700701
best section of VOW is Hold My Hand. I am truly amazed the way people's delicate problems are tackled. I equally love all other articles, but I especially like Let's Talk where common people like us can actually share our true feelings regarding VOW. In addition to that, I just adored the interview of Sapna Thapa and was really impressed by her dedication in the education sector. All thanks to VOW for presenting her story to us. VOW has conquered millions of hearts and will always do. And I simply can't wait to grab next month's issue! Love you VOW! – Sudati Shrestha, White House College
I can now swim without worrying about my skin!
Your article on skin care for swimmers was of great help to me. I love swimming and I am a member of one of the clubs where I go to swim everyday. Earlier my skin used to get dry and patchy after my session in the pool, but now with your instructions in the magazine I am ensured that my skin remains healthy and of course, hydrated. Thank you so much! I also equally love and regularly follow the Hair Expert column. – Sumnima Karki, Satdobato
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My Cup of
Tea
Come host our next session of
My Cup of Tea Tell us what you want to talk about & who you’d like to invite.
Let’s discuss issues, exchange notes or
simply gossip send us an e-mail at editorial@vow.com.np
Please collect your gift from the VOW office, New Baneshwor Tel: 4780394 subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 17
Date: 12 June HOST Shreedeep Rayamajhi, Social Activist; Writer PARTICIPANTS Anil Chitrakar, Chairperson, Himalayan Climate Initiative Reecha Palikhe, Director, PAGE Dr Neil Pande, Dental Surgeon, Healthy Smiles Abhaya Subba Weise, Singer Suman Joshi, CEO, Laxmi Bank decade of civil war, people's revolution, almost epidemical political awareness amongst the people and then its conversion from the 'Kingdom of Nepal' to the 'Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal'… this little country has come a long way, and so has its people—us Nepalis. And with all these changes, we just have one wish within—to have a secured future for ourselves and our loved ones. Known for our humbleness, tolerance, compliancy and innocence, those on the power seats have taken unfair advantage of the silence. Meanwhile, the woes of the common man have grown manifold even as corrupt political power play has ensured derailed development. But like they say, everything reaches a saturation point. Today, the entire nation is not ready to stand aside and silent anymore. Take for example the programme organised at Khula Manch on 21 May by Nepal Unites, a campaign 'for change' that started as a group on facebook with the slogan My Country, My Responsibility. The event saw thousands of professionals—young and old, students, unemployed youths, and common people who had reached there through word of mouth… diversely unique, they were there to show all concerned that they cared, to warn the power players that answers will be sought. To celebrate this wave of nationalism and to learn more on how we can clean the garbage that we have collectively accumulated, we invited a group of professionals who, despite their hectic schedules make sure to participate in any activity concerning the welfare of Nepalis, to discuss why public participation on national issues is a must. Read on to learn what they have to say about their passion for the nation as our host, writer and social activist Shreedeep Rayamajhi conducts the session…
©VOW photofile/Shankar Bir Byanjankar
Public participation on National issues
18 | VOW | july 2011
I believe that if you are proud to say “I’m a Nepali” then you should now say it aloud and find out how many more people will join you in saying it. It’s high time we all accept the reality that we are dissatisfied with whatever is happening, or whatever is not happening, for that matter. We are concerned about the much awaited constitution to have missed two deadlines, we are concerned that the constitutional assembly members don’t really seem to be serious enough to ensure us the constitution… we are concerned that after all these years of conflict and struggle we Nepalis don’t yet have an optimistic future! So there was a point when I strongly thought that enough was really enough. And when I saw the facebook group Nepal Unites, I decided that that was the platform for me. When I initially joined in, Nepal Unites meant more as a cause to me and nothing like a campaign. What was more important to me was to speak my mind and to see how many people thought alike… and Nepal Unites provided me that platform to network and reach thousands of Nepalis—students and professionals alike—and not only to understand the cause better, but also spread awareness among people confused about what the future holds for us. What is encouraging is that people are actually responding, and it’s overwhelming to see so many people are actually concerned about their future—about our common future as Nepalis. You know, I believe that if you are proud to say “I’m a Nepali” then you should now say it aloud and find out how many more people will join you in saying it. I guess we have endured far too much, and in a way, it’s also our mistake to have not united in time and given all the responsibility to our so-called leaders who have taken much advantage of our indifference. We need to correct that mistake and let them know that we care… that we are not just limited to watching soap operas on TV or facebooking to pass time… we are also concerned about our future… the future of our nation.
Shreedeep Rayamajhi
We need to forget everything else and recognise ourselves as a Nepali first because our personal identities have nothing really to do with constructing a stronger Nepal. When you travel in the diverse nooks and corners of Nepal, it almost naturally occurs to you why unity among all of us is the utmost necessity of our country. And I strongly believe in this fact that if you want something concrete to happen in our country then all of us should unite irrespective of what social, economic or political background we are from, otherwise nothing good is going to happen here. You know one question that's in all of our heads now is when will the constitution be drafted. A simple answer could be, 'when we all unite'. And how will we unite? By finding a common ground wherein we will forget all our differences—a musical concert maybe or a soccer game or making an anti-statement about someone! Even if you look into history, you can find ample examples on how unity of people have done wonders, and at this moment, to be united is the only opportunity for us to organise something good for the country and its people, of course. However, after decades of conflict amongst ourselves due to all reasons political, economic and social, we are still not in a state to totally trust each other. So our first course of action is trust building where we need to sit, discuss and build trust among ourselves. We need to forget everything else and recognise ourselves as a Nepali first because our personal identities have nothing really to do with constructing a stronger Nepal. Now, what I see is that Nepal needs leaders who have strong ability to align positivity among the people and make negativity totally irrelevant. We need leaders who can take a leap from just knowing to actually doing what they know. Facebook has been an amazing platform to share what we think, and how we can work together. Because ultimately, after the constitution, our main focus as the people of Nepal should be in nation building and to reclaim its place in the global community. And although I don't think it'll happen instantly, I am positive that this can surely be achieved if we remain united.
Anil Chitrakar
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 19
Get out of your comfort zone. Don't just wait. Prepare. Be active. Do things to build your own life! First of all, I want to clarify that I have not been participating in the Nepal Unites or any other national campaign to bring about changes in the lives of everybody—I have my own selfish motive behind it… as a banker I want to get assured that I can work freely; as a family man, I want to see my children prosper and not get entangled in a web of uncertainties created by self-centred politicians who are in fact supposed to think about the betterment of all people! By getting into the Nepal Unites campaign, we are also trying to put forward the message that protesting does not essentially cause pandemonium. When people get together and try to make their voice heard, they don't necessarily have to disrupt other people's day to day life by jamming the traffic, blocking the roads or calling a bandh. The main concern is we had been bearing all the brunt of the vested interest of a handful of the so-called leaders of our nation. Looking back, I feel that we lacked the feeling of nationalism. But I am glad that we are inculcating it now. And the feeling of nationalism doesn't mean just shouting slogans and participating in protest campaigns… no. Nationalism also means an individual focusing on doing his best in whatever field he is in—but since there is no such environment in our country yet, we have to make our voices heard so that later we can excel in whatever we do. The other thing to keep in mind is that young people have boundless energy, and it should be mobilised in a positive way. And I think Nepal Unites is one positive movement that could benefit them and the country as well. We should also work towards encouraging the common people to step forward and try to make a difference instead of complaining and whining about things that will not change without some effort from their part. I would say: Get out of your comfort zone. Don't just wait. Prepare. Be active. Do things to build your own life!
Suman Joshi
Isn't it time for us to seek answers for ourselves? We call it culture—how we start looking for solutions to our problems only when we arrive at the point of saturation— and so often blame it for everything going bad. But what we need to realise is that WE make the culture, so we need to be the ones who have to make changes. It's the same with nation building. Blaming everything on the old politicians and leaders of today will be of no help unless we have some concrete ideas in mind. Isn't it stupidity to just complain and not do anything ourselves? Always concerned about my country, I was really happy the day I came across Come on Youth Stand Up (CYS) group in facebook because there were like-minded students talking exactly about the things that was on my mind. This group was a platform for me as it was for many others to come together, share ideas, and work hand in hand to bring about changes in the attitude of the youth who believe that sitting in a café and complaining about how Nepal and its politicians suck will work. Isn't it time for us to seek answers for ourselves? Since young people are blessed with fresher minds, why don't we utilise it and come together to find the solutions to our problems? All we want is a better country, a better system, a better future for all of us. We know it is not going to happen overnight but we are willing to strive and continue to work at it. You know it's funny how some people comment that the youths involved in CYS want to become politicians. My answer to them is, so what? Why can't we become politicians if we want to, and even better, if we have the ideas matched with energies to bring about positive change, why can't we be politicians? They skip their responsibilities and act as if they are not accountable to anyone, so why can't we replace them? As aware and conscientious citizens we need to throw away our lackadaisical attitude and start demanding answers… come what may.
Reecha Palikhe
20 | VOW | july 2011
I am really glad to have stood up for myself, for my family, society, community and the nation at large. The first and foremost thing is that all of us need to boast about our feelings for the country. Wherever we go, we should make conversation about political issues because most of us like to talk about politics here in Nepal, and outline sentiments for the nation. In this way we can actually have a mass of people thinking and believing alike. After all, we need a horde to develop a nation. Of course we shouldn’t get harder on the subject and also shouldn't hasten solving political issues since it is a very, very long process. What we need to do is walk slowly and make sure that we have a definite milestone. We have to plan it in an organised manner. With the mass thinking alike and a small venture in which we all believe in, we can actually build an enhanced Nepal together. And of course, we need leaders who are able to shoulder responsibilities come what may. They can't get away by saying that the realm didn't give them any responsibility. What leaders should understand is that true leaders don't wait for the command, or anyone's approval for that matter—they stand by their own and just do it, considering their responsibility to everything and everyone they are liable to. But the present leaders don't have any sense of responsibility in them. Therefore I am really glad to have stood up for myself, for my family, society, community and the nation at large, and I believe that if you are willing to do something good for your homeland, nothing is superior to that. And it's time for each of us to step up and show our concern towards the country because already there's too much of darkness here and our future is grim. All of us should be clear about where we are heading, and much like my song says, Andhyarolai todne hamro shakti, every Nepali must know that when there is darkness in the country you are the one who needs to articulate. I think that is what we all need to do. And that is what we have to do now.
Abhaya Subba Weise
The time to act is NOW! In our time, politics was not taken as a valuable line of work. We preferred becoming an engineer, doctor or even a journalist, since we used to believe politics was for the stumpy ones. But now, things have changed… almost drastically. To see how professionals, youth and every Nepali are today aware about politics, and how they are showing their concern towards nation building—it's overwhelmingly optimistic. For the general public to have this we-have-had-enough and that we-can-be-the-next-leader kind of energy is awesome because finally, people are accepting the fact that getting into leadership, or into politics, is a good thing. In fact, we are in dire need of new leaders and an educated mass to get into politics, because at the end, it is politics that makes a system work in this world. And no, we cannot let Nepal be driven by old ideas. Of course old ideas and experience are necessary, but there is a lot that the youth can contribute to the nation. If the old ones knew the right thing to do, they would have most certainly done it, so it's us who have to be concerned, and the time to act is NOW. But then we also have to learn to be accountable for our own actions. We can no longer get away playing the blame game. Also what we should understand is, especially the youth, that we are no less than anybody in the world. Now whether we really care to make our country no less than any other country in the world is up to us. So this is the right time to trigger off new comers—people who are educated and people who feel for the country. Nonetheless, we should also not ignore the general mass that are not educated but still are willing to contribute anything for the bright future of Nepal. We ought to try and make common people involve in national agendas as there are scores of populace who are standing by to rally round in this nation edifice process.
Dr Neil Pande
Text» Poonam, Evelyn, Pramila and Malvika Photos» Sanu Raja Maharjan subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 21
i spy ko kati pani ma
Ram Chandra Poudel
it's raining girls, hallelujah!
Prachanda Man Shrestha
light my fire! adding glamour to women's life
knots n crosses
Rajiv Shrestha and Ruby Rana
Samson Rana
ŠVOW photofile/CC/SL/NP/SRM/SB
love me, love my beer! Nima Rumba
those were the days my friend Rachana Gurung Sharma and Srijana Yonjan
22 | VOW | june 2011
expressions!
stop... zebra crossing!
i spy tooooo!
Radhesh Pant
Raveena Deshraj Shrestha and Prabhat Rimal
light... camera... action!
two blind mice!
Manisha with HP Kulkarni, Niraj & Dev R Dangal
human right or wrong?
Rajendra Khadgi Bhuwan KC
the boss! blowing my trumpet
Sahana Bajracharya
Fighting those pesky
blackheads
Sweat and oil resulting from the scorching heat not only irritates but leads to one of the biggest problems for your skin—blackheads! They are follicles that have a wider than normal opening and are filled with plugs of sebum and sloughed-off cells and have undergone a chemical reaction resulting in the oxidation of melanin. This gives the material in the follicle the typical black (or brownish) colour.
How to
fight blackheads?
Although blackheads can be caused and aggravated by a number of reasons including heredity, hormones, diet, certain medications, stress, skin irritation, etc, it’s always best to keep the basic skin care tips in mind and prevent them from occurring. Start by considering the following points.
Don’t ever pop the blackheads out.
The temptation to do so can be very high, but remember that it could leave a scar on your skin which might be very difficult to get rid of later.
Be aware that scrubbing hard does not equal clean skin.
In fact, harsh scrubbing can actually lead to more breakouts. Gentle exfoliation during cleansing is all you need so that they don’t build up and clog your pores. You should also try to avoid toner, astringents and chemical masks, which can irritate sensitive skin and possibly lead to more breakouts.
Be careful to keep oil from your hair away from your face.
If you suffer from acne, wash your hair daily or pull your hair back from your face to minimise oil and dirt being transferred to your skin. This is especially important in summer or while you’re at the gym. Hair care products such as gels, pomades and mousse generally contain a lot of oil, so you should avoid or limit their use as well.
Though you may not be aware of it, many items you use daily can cause or exacerbate breakouts.
Think about all the things that touch your face or rub against your skin, such as cell phones, backpacks, helmets and even tight fitting clothes. Even leaning your hand against your face can spread oil and bacteria, so try to avoid touching your face with your fingers or hands throughout the day.
Don’t forget that beautiful skin is the result of sound health.
Drink lots of water, get sound sleep, eat a healthy and balanced diet, and de-stress every now and then.
A few easy-to-do-at-home remedies to fight and prevent pesky blackheads: • Peel cucumber and blend it until it’s of a pasty consistency, but not too watery. Now apply the paste as a face mask and leave it on for about half an hour. This not only clears the blackheads but also cools down your face and makes you feel refreshed. • Cut a lemon and rub it on the problem area. Leave it for about five minutes and then wash your face with cold water. Do this twice a week for effective results. • Mix corn flour with vinegar, and apply the mixture over the blackheads and leave for 15-30 minutes. Then wash off with warm water. • After cleansing your skin at the end of the day, slowly rub the skin with a slice of raw potato. This not only eliminates blackheads but also prevents them from forming later. • Thoroughly scrub your face and body with a mixture of three tablespoon of honey and a cup of sugar. This gritty easy-to-make-at-home scrub helps you remove dead skin cells, eventually minimising the occurrence of clogged pores. Do this once every two weeks.
Q&A BEAUTY
I’m a 24-year-old girl, and I have wrinkles around my eyes in spite of good sleep and regular use of a proper eye cream. I am really sad, because I believe I am pretty young to start getting wrinkles around my eyes. Please suggest what I should do. – Mann Enjoying a monthly facial is an excellent idea. Having your face, neck and shoulders massaged for an hour will most definitely make the skin feel revitalised and renewed. Eye cream is a vital part of your skin care regime. The skin around your eyes is much finer than the rest of your face and body and cannot absorb a heavy moisturiser. If you were to apply your usual facial moisturiser to the eye area, the moisturiser would have nowhere to go, and would in fact create puffy, baggy eyes. Also for the same reasons never use eye creams on the eyelid before going to sleep. However, you can use an eye gel sparingly under the eye area. Other ways one can reduce the appearance of wrinkles is to drink lots of water, this will prevent the skin from looking worn out. Getting enough rest is also vital in eliminating some of the stress and tired look around the eyes and thus preventing the tired look that is apparent on many faces. For further queries, don’t hesitate to contact me in any way.
Leg makeup
is essential too! Minis and shorts are girls’ new best friends—especially this summer. But how many of you have actually cared about giving those legs a finishing touch? Yeah, we are talking about leg makeup… which is essential if you are one of the many women who love flaunting their legs. Consider leg makeup more if you have stretch marks, varicose veins, blemishes and scars on your legs.
Making up your legs…
Prior to the application of leg makeup, cleanse and exfoliate the skin of your legs. Sloughing off the dead skin cells on your legs will help the makeup adhere and conceal evenly. When your legs have been prepped and ready for application, relax in a room with bright lighting and prepare your legs for makeup application.
DOLLY SINGH, proprietor of Dolly’s Exquisite Creations, will answer all your beauty and makeup queries. Email your questions to editorial@vow.com.np Contact her at 4445080.
• Enhance your skin tone by using a cosmetic product shade that is close in colour to your own skin tone. Work a manageable amount of makeup into the skin in a circular motion. Focus on the outer edges of the application and blend thoroughly. • Use an appropriate concealer to even out stretch marks, blemishes, scars and varicose veins. • Once the makeup is applied, diffuse and blend any remaining lines with a translucent loose powder and a brush to set the makeup. • Then, to highlight the legs and enhance their length, brush a shimmer powder straight down the front of the calves. • Last but not the least, get a good pedicure done.
One tip:
Even if you don’t want to use any makeup products on your legs, don’t forget to protect it from the sun’s harsh rays—sunscreen is a must!
Minimise
t c e f f e t e m l e h e th
! ir a h r u o y on
If you ride a bike to and from work, go on a ride with friends during weekends or take your mom shopping on the twowheeler, you most certainly know what helmet hair is. The unruly, stuck-to-the-scalp hair that appears just as you take off your helmet is probably the worst fun-spoiler of twowheeler riding because the helmet compresses and flattens hair against the top of your head, causing your hair to lose its shape, style, body and bounce. But worry not, here are some tips which will help minimise the helmet effect on your hair…
Minimise the effect of helmet hair. Try these tips:
• Choose the right helmet. Use a ventilated helmet. Although this will not prevent helmet hair, this will definitely make your hair less sweaty and smelly when you remove the helmet. Misting your hair with a light hairspray before putting on the ventilated helmet will help you even better. • Carry a small bottle of hairspray in your bag. As soon as you get off your bike, get into a bathroom or a private place, spray some of it on your hair, and style it as you want. • Wrap your head with a scarf before wearing a helmet. When you are done riding, remove the scarf, comb your hair and get hair with the least helmet effect!
• Distract. Create a diversion. As soon as you take off your helmet, clap on a pair of sunglasses on the top of your head. This will help draw the attention away from your hair to the sunglasses. However, do run your fingers through your hair once or comb it just to make sure your hair doesn’t look all messy. • Spray water over your hair after your ride. This will help you avoid helmet hair. If you have a wavy hair, water will help your curls look better. • Try sponge curlers. Wrapping your hair around sponge curlers before putting on your helmet can also help you only if there is enough space between the curlers and your motorcycle helmet; you don’t want too tight a fit. • Keep it simple. Do not style your hair elaborately if you need to ride a bike. This will only make it look bad. • Comb it. Carry a wide-toothed comb and comb your hair as soon as you take off your helmet. A wide-toothed comb will be less painful for the unruly hair and less time consuming as well.
Helmet hair has to be taken care of because it not only makes your hair unattractive but might also be a big no-no for your personality, especially if you ride to work. Besides that, helmets might also lead to damaged hair and dandruff. Therefore, besides the tips offered in this article, you should also regularly oil massage and condition your hair to avoid an itchy scalp, dandruff, dry and damaged hair, and split ends.
child care
Shopping for her first bra...
do’s and don’ts! Remember how excited you were when you owned your first pair of bra? And also the oddity, discomfort, and overconsciousness that followed? Well, for a young girl, a bra is more than an article of clothing… more than a mere necessity—her bra is her symbol of maturity and growth, an item of fantasy! And if you are a mother of a young girl, it’s about time you start acknowledging the fact that sooner or later, your daughter is going to hit puberty—that her body will undergo several changes and with that her needs. Help your little girl in her first steps towards womanhood... First of all, it is important to know the right time to get her the first bra. Usually the need starts from ages 8 to13. However, it might differ according to your daughter’s body type. The best bet is to buy her a pair when you can easily figure out nipples outside her dress. It might be difficult to talk about these issues with her but this is something you have to do with little or no awkwardness. Below are some guidelines that will help you in shopping for your little lady’s first bra:
If your daughter freaks out at the sight of two mounds under her t-shirt, back off and let her wear what she’s comfortable with—a camisole with a soft bra top plus another shirt is fine. Many girls wearing bras for the first time just need something to cover their nipples, not to support their budding breasts. Another option could be to remove some padding from the cups.
Size her
Try sports bras with cups
You two can do it easily at home: Measure her rib cage just below the bust to get the band width. For cup size, measure her at the fullest part of the breast, then subtract the band measurement from this number. A difference of one half inch or less is AA, one half to one inch is A, and so on. 30 | VOW | march 2011
Don’t push the look
They give A-cup-size girls support without creating cleavage. If your daughter wants to wear a dressier top, offer her a sports bra with thin straps. Sports bras are also durable—perfect for kids, who aren’t exactly conscientious about caring for their under (or over) garments.
Key points to consider • Explain why she needs to wear a bra, but never panic her. Tell her what it is like but don’t make her feel that everything has changed overnight. Once she’s ready, help her find the right size and style. • Find out what she likes and gift her some matching sets of bras and panties. Do not bother her with faint colours. Give her something special, something a young girl will love. Also keep in mind that dark colours show through light coloured clothes, so beware while selecting the colour. • Do not take her to shop in a crowded mall or somewhere familiar to your known ones. She might end up embarrassed. Surfing online and recognising her taste, and then shopping for a similar kind is a good idea. • Avoid padded bras… at any cost! Consider the fabric too—cotton is the best option. • After she is done trying her first pair of bra, make her wear a t-shirt over it to make her realise how good her shape looks. Also ask if she’s feeling uncomfortable and see how you can help her. • You know much more than her, but don’t talk to her like a professional. Do not laugh or get irritated either. This will only make it difficult for her. • If your daughter does not feel comfortable about her father knowing about the new addition to her wardrobe, keep it a secret.
hold my hand He was married against his will… but we cannot live apart from each other Hello. I am from England. I am a 28-year-old woman and it’s been about three years that I have been out of Nepal. I have a boyfriend who is here in England as well. We’ve been in a relationship for five years now. The problem started after I left Nepal. His family, mainly his elder brother who is like the head of the family, forced him to marry a girl a year after I left Nepal. When I came to know of this I was shattered. He cried and begged for forgiveness and said that he cannot live without me. Although he got married he was not able to accept that woman as his wife. At first I thought I would completely forget about him. But our love made me weaker. We really cannot live without each other. Eventually he also applied for and got a job here. He’s been here for one and a half years now. He wants to sort this whole thing out and has been trying to tell everything to that woman. But he fears that when she learns about the situation she might do something to herself. We believe that she may know a little about us as he has not been in touch with her all this time. But she’s acting normally. His parents were very happy about our relationship earlier, but now since everything has changed, they’re totally against it. I can understand them. They don’t want to spoil the life of that woman, neither do we. We wanted to let her know ASAP but we are not able to. He is living with this guilt. Since he married in the presence of only limited people (just family), our common friends and my family do not know about this marriage. They are all insisting that we get married this year. But we cannot until everything is solved. He always tries to talk with his family to help him sort out things and 32 | VOW | june july 2011 2011
Shalini Wadhwa
is convincing them that no one in this marriage can be happy. But they are not helpful at all. Perhaps, they are right in their own place but we know we cannot be happy being apart. I cannot see someone else in his place. We are really struggling to get through this situation. Things have gotten very complicated. We want to solve the situation and tell my family as well. I really don’t know what to do. Since I am not able to share this with anyone, I decided to write to you. What shall we do? Shall we just forget about each other? Are we being selfish? – name withheld It’s a difficult place to be in and we can completely empathise with you. You must be going through a lot of inner turmoil, doubts and apprehension, but the only thing that you can do is to hold the bull by its horns and face the consequences. Your boyfriend is not a child… how could he be forced into marriage? Even if he was… it is time that he set things straight. This is a situation of his making and you are unnecessarily bearing the brunt and the anxiety of it. What does he mean by “she will do something to herself”? Well, if he cares so much, then he needs to make a choice to go back to his wife and look after her. We are sorry, but the truth is glaring you in your face. All you need to do is take a stand and learn to live your life without fear. It’s not easy and we understand that you fear losing your love… but there is also an equal chance that things will work out your way. It’s better to at least lay this uncertainty to rest and get on with your life whatever the consequences. Take heart and be strong. All the best!
Charu Chadha
I miss my best friend! Hi, I’m simple girl of 18. I am confused about a relationship, and I believe that you will respond to my problem. I have a best friend and the problem is that he doesn’t behave as before. We have been friends for three years now. Although he had a girl friend, he was very close with me. We shared almost each and everything, and I was happy for him and his relationship. But because of family problems they had to break up, and that was the time that we got even closer. He often came home and we talked and spent all our time together. We were in fact so used to being together that both of us became very sad if we couldn’t meet for even a day. Even then, we would chat online all day. We would also often call or text each other. But now things have changed. He neither calls me nor sends me an SMS. He isn’t even fond of talking to me like he used to. He gets annoyed if I ask him to spend time with me, and this change happened after he patched up with his girlfriend. He now also has new friends who are girls. He even used to hug and kiss me. He still does, but the feelings and emotions aren’t there anymore. He even ignores me when he is with his new friends. Without him I feel alone, empty and sad. I asked him for a reason behind his changed behaviour, but he replied that he has not changed, and that he carries the same place for me in his heart, just like before. But his behaviour shows that I am now a burden to him. I miss him a lot. The days that we spent, our talks, our laughter, our promises…
I miss it all. Whenever I tell him this, he just asks, “Do you really miss me?” I’m really sad. Is it just my negative thinking towards him or has he really forgotten me, our days and the promises we made to each other, because of his girlfriend and new friends? Does a girlfriend or boyfriend really bring so much change in one’s life? I still trust him and think of him as my best friend. What should I do? I’m totally lost. Please help me get my best friend back. – name withheld
You are confused but deep inside you do have the answers yourself. Your best friend has moved on and is living his life, but you have confused the status of your relationship and are caught between a strong infatuation and dependability on him. Best friends don’t kiss… not in this part of the world, they don’t spend days on end with each other all the time. Your friend has been having the best of both worlds… and at this age it all feels alright! But you need to think things through and understand what it is that you really want from him. Are you in love with him? You say you are happy that he is in a relationship, yet you want him all to yourself. What if you were his girlfriend and she was his best buddy? Would you have enjoyed or encouraged the proximity that you share with him? Only the wearer of the shoes knows where it pinches. You need to give him breathing space and above all, you need to understand yourself and then go on and make new friends. At 18, the world is your oyster waiting to be explored, lived and enjoyed! Don’t waste your emotions like this. Negativity has never helped anyone. Be glad for him. The truth is that if he wanted you as his girl, he would have already made that choice. As for you, focus on your studies, college life, making new friends, extra curricular activities, new and varied experiences in life… Don’t you want to travel the world? Hold a job that you love? Be a successful and motivated individual? You can have it all… simply shift focus and learn to find and appreciate the beauty of this gift of life. And don’t forget to have fun! Send your questions to editorial@vow.com.np
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 33
male menu
Would you call
it quits
when
you feel it’s over?
People keep changing, and so do relationships. You might no longer love your boyfriend’s obsession with his six-packs five years into the relationship, but that’s the same set of packs that drew you towards him in the first place. What if she gained 10 kilos and can't stop talking about food all the time and you begin to wonder what brought you together in the first place? Or, simply if the chemistry fizzled out, or you no longer talked to each other in the real sense anymore... While many of you might gradually accept the little (or large) changes and still love your partner the same way, there are times when the changes, no matter how insignificant they are, can make you fall out of love. So when you are hit by the bitter fact that you are falling out of love with the person whom you once loved so so much, what do you do? Are you forthright with your partner; or do you silently pray that things will get alright even when you know that the chances are remote? We asked five men if they would carry on with a failing relationship just to avoid hurting their partner. Read on to know what they had to say…
Sabin Shakya, CEO, Maxmedia
Raj Ballav Koirala, Actor People get into relationships because it is a beautiful feeling that every person wants to experience. But I would not be in one just to please the partner while I live in a dilemma. For me, love cannot stand on a fake pillar. There is a Turkish proverb that says, “No road is long with good company”. I subscribe to it—I think if the journey is dull and tedious for even one of us, it’s better to confront the truth and allow time to heal, than pretend that all is well.
A relationship stands on the two basic foundations of love and trust between two individuals. For me, love is about feeling concerned about the wellbeing, safety and happiness of one’s partner, and trust is the bond which holds a couple together lifelong. When you slowly start to have feelings for her, you would like to always listen to her and be with her; you would try to take care of her and make her the happiest woman on earth. You would never attempt to hurt her and the thought of losing her just shuts your world down. If I have all of these feelings for my partner, I would definitely never leave her and would continue the relationship for life. But I would also never continue with the relationship just to keep her happy for the moment. It would be a fake relationship, equivalent to cheating and playing with her emotions. One day when the truth is revealed, she will be in excessive pain which may devastate her life. So it’s better to clear up the issue right from the beginning.
male menu
Prem Pokharel, General Manager,
Bluebird Mart
Of course, I would keep the relationship. Love is much more about giving than it is about gaining. Yes, getting hurt in a relationship can bring in many awful emotions. But as one gets more and more into a relationship, one will feel more content. If a person really wants to make his relationship flourish, he is supposed to know how to make the other feel satisfied all the time. Although it’s hard work to keep your partner content all the time, it surely pays to do the extra toil! In my opinion, those who care for their partner’s happiness will do whatever it takes to make the relationship stronger. Sometimes, walking that extra mile means you are going to be with each other every step of the way.
Ajay Mulmi, Sales Manager, Corporate Learning Solutions, LABA Losing someone you love leaves you with a dull, heavy weight in your chest that often, without warning, explodes into lacerating pain. But just for the sake of sparing someone from experiencing such bitter pain, I would not be in a relationship if it was not sailing smoothly. Yes, a relationship is worth saving, but it is hard to do it all on your own, especially when things are not working and the partner is bringing extra baggage of her own. True communication and bonding takes time, persistence, practice, and commitment. I will move on and find somebody that can help me redefine my relationship and myself. I think it will be worth it rather than being in a catch-22 situation of misunderstandings.
Toby Vivek Rana
President/ Founder Principal, Devoted & Radical for Environment & Animal Movement Society (DREAMS) I don’t believe breaking the relationship is the answer; however I do believe it is not healthy to drag on in an unhealthy relationship. Staying stuck in an unhappy relationship can get hard on your health—it could affect both your physical and emotional wellbeing. We all know from experience that no man or woman, nor any relationship, is like the fantasy we dream of in our minds; this is why relationships need unconditional love, communication, understanding and respect. I would never hesitate to pull the plug and move on for the good of both of us.
36 | VOW | july 2011
Text» Malvika Biswas Photos» Nibendra Pradhananga
Watching porn in the office?
Get a grip!
With internet becoming a basic utility both at home and at work, access to everything in the World Wide Web, including porn, is just a click away. While watching porn is not an issue really, Sexual Health Expert and Life Coach, Dr Poonam Thapa says, “It is not at all normal to watch porn in the office. There is such a thing as appropriate time and place for everything including porn. Those who watch porn at work think that they can, and that there will be no consequences if found out. Often in offices it is young men who look at it and management either does not know and if reported they could turn a blind eye because they think men will be men! Even with men however much depends on who is looking at it. If it is men at a lower level with no contacts, they will be reported quickly by women than someone with contacts. It is all part of the pecking order in offices and women are as aware of how power works as any one else. However management will sit up if you also make it an issue of effect on office productivity (having fun on someone else’s money and time) and sexual harassment (if a woman sees it or there are insinuations it is harassment).” The Cabinet on 23 October, 2009, approved a Bill against sexual harassment at the workplace, but it is still pending in the parliament. Advocate Sapana Pradha Malla informs that there are many amendment proposals on it. The Bill, initially drafted by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, proposes punishment for sexual harassment in all forms and manifestations. It defines sexual harassment not only in terms of physical contact, but also in terms of the use of obscene expressions and gestures. Once the Bill becomes an Act, sexual harassment will be taken up as a criminal offence. Here is more on what the Bill has to offer…
38 | VOW | june 2011
Salient features…
• Offenders may face three-month custody and fine up to Rs 25,000. • Not only physical contact, but also use of obscene language and gestures may be deemed as sexual harassment. • Institutional head is liable to make the office environment healthy. • CDO to investigate and award punishment to the offender if the head of the office fails to settle the case. Sexual harassment is defined as uninvited behaviour of a sexual nature that is offensive, embarrassing, intimidating or humiliating, and may affect a worker’s job performance, health, career and livelihood. Source: ILO—Sexual Harassment in the Workplace in Nepal. Research Team: FWLD
SMRITI SHRESTHA, Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager, ActionAid International Nepal (AAIN) As an HROD, what are your thoughts on employees watching sexual content at work? As an HROD Manager, if I come across any such behaviour, I would have to take the matter forward as per AAIN’s Human Resources and Organisational Development (HROD) Policy that regards downloading/ viewing inappropriate website contents as a grave misconduct. The staff would have to go through a disciplinary process and depending upon the hearing from the inquiry committee, a decision would be made, which could also lead to dismissal. We induct our staff about the organisational values, expected behaviour and norms, so they are aware of zero tolerance to such behaviour and the subsequent consequences—so they really ought to know better! ANONYMOUS, Banker, Male Do you think it is okay to watch porn in the office? Even though porn is outlawed in most societies, people still take to watching porn behind closed doors or what might be called a perceptive cocoon. One such cocoon would be the workplace. One might argue that watching porn in the workplace is difficult with open work spaces here and computer monitors always visible. However, I think, people who want to watch it, will do it eventually. Now, it would be impulsive for me to judge people who watch porn because I’d say ‘to each his own’ but watching it at the work place would definitely be counterproductive. It would not only lead to disengagement from work (bringing its own set of problems) but would also violate company policy and strain relationships (especially with female colleagues).
Q&A CAREER I was short-listed for a vacant position in an NGO. The exam schedule for the same was postponed because of a strike. Later, without any information regarding the date and venue of the examination, it was conducted. In fact, I had even contacted the NGO earlier for this information, but I didn’t get a proper response. So I couldn’t attend the exam. I am now seeking you for suggestions as to how I can avoid such problems in the future. Was the NGO’s action justifiable in any way? – Paree Plans and schedules being messed up is a part of our daily existence these days thanks to our incompetent government. Somehow we have to factor this dismal reality into our lives and still function to the best of our ability. Your unfortunate situation brings up the importance of doing constant follow up ourselves and not depending on others. There is a saying that “if you want something done right, do it yourself.” Instead of just calling this NGO, perhaps you should have visited their office and shown your determination and persistence. To answer your question “was the NGO’s action justifiable in any way?” You already know the answer to that one! But there is nothing we can do about it now except to learn to accept what one cannot change and move on from there. As Bill Gates has said often “life is not fair.” The other thing to ponder on is that perhaps this job was not meant for you. Maybe there is a better option ahead of you—you may be glad you didn’t get this position after all! Who knows? However, what we do know is that the vacant position in this particular NGO is out of reach. So the next best thing to do is to look ahead and cover all bases when the next opportunity presents itself. All the best!
Dr Niti Rana, professional
trainer and motivator and director of The New Era Career Development Institute, will answer all your career queries. Email your questions to editorial@vow.com.np Contact her at 4471957.
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 39
woman at work
Tell us about what led you towards this profession...
I was born and raised in Czechoslovakia, and as a kid, I always dreamt of becoming someone other than a doctor. But due to my friends’ pressure, I tried my hands at medicine. After completing the degree, I chose prosthodontics since I was very artistic in nature. I earned my Master’s in Dental Surgery (MDS) from Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia. While studying, I was also working in a dental clinic. I moved to Nepal after I received my professional license. Here in Nepal, it was a brand new chapter in my career. As I didn’t know English or Nepali languages, I had a tough time communicating with people. For the first few months, I worked as a teacher in an International Playgroup School. Then I joined Dr Raj Tilak Basnyat's Oral & Dental Clinic. After two years I went back to the Czech Republic and ran a dental clinic there for four years. I came back to Nepal in 2002 and continued to work with Dr Raj Tilak Basnyat.
How’s your typical workday?
As a family woman, every morning is busy for me. I prepare breakfast and get my girls ready for school. Then my professional work starts at the clinic from 10:30 am; it goes on till six in the evening.
Fillings with
Care...
Dr Jana Mathema
MDS (Prosthodontics) Cosmetic Dentistry, Oro Plus Dental Clinic
Twenty years of dentistry—that’s what Dr Jana Mathema can lay claim to. And she is not your ordinary dental surgeon—she is also a cosmetician as well as a therapist. This outspoken mother of twin 10-year-old daughters, Anne and Catherine, came to Nepal in 1996 with her husband, Dr Basant Mathema, a plastic surgeon. Still not very confident in speaking Nepali, Jana, in halting English, shared with VOW some of her career experiences. Excerpts: 40 | VOW | july 2011
What is it that you like the best and the least about your work?
The best thing is that you meet different kinds of people. And the flipside is that people here believe that dental treatment once done properly will forever save your teeth. That is not true. I have seen many patients come and tell me to save their teeth. I can treat a tooth or do a permanent filling but after a couple of months or so that tooth or filling will need re-treatment. Time and again people find it difficult to understand that nothing lasts forever.
What do you do when you have to deal with cases you have little understanding of?
When I face difficulties I think of my teachers and imagine what they would have done and told me to do. Also I continuously update myself – in almost 20 years of my career, I have attended various dental seminars and workshops here in Nepal and abroad to improve my knowledge. These seminars help me understand the latest technologies in use and broaden my knowledge with new cases of dental problems. I believe when one chooses to become a doctor, s/he needs to study throughout his/her life.
You are also doing lymphatic drainage massage and ultrasonic cavitation besides dental surgeries. Would you briefly tell us about these treatments?
Drinking alcohol, consuming too much sugar, drinking too much tea and coffee, and living stressed lives in polluted cities are some of the reasons why our bodies are full of toxins. And lymphatic drainage or lymph drainage massage is a technique that helps increase the lymph flow to remove harmful substances from the tissues and improve the immune function. Ultrasonic cavitation is a new esthetical treatment replacing liposuction. This ultrasound technique breaks the fat—unlike liposuction; it is done without surgery or anaesthesia; there’s no pain involved in it. The treatment not only results in fat loss but also in body shaping, cellulite decrease and skin tightening. If done regularly as per your body’s necessity, this technique can have a dramatic toning and slimming effect. However, one should also combine this technique with a healthy diet and moderate exercise for the desired results.
What has been your career goal?
In your view what's the biggest benefit of lymphatic drainage massage?
Since our lifestyle is getting unhealthy due to our busy, complicated lives, our body’s immunity is weakening, thus making our body prone to many illnesses. So to safeguard your body from harmful toxins, lymphatic drainage massage is essential. I would personally recommend it because it is beneficial and good for your overall wellbeing. And its cost is also affordable in Nepal compared to in the West.
My career goal was to open a clinic of my own. And today, I have one, Oro Plus Dental Clinic in partnership with Dr Pratibha Pradhananga (Shrestha); I am proud of what I have achieved.
When you are not working, you like to…
Be with my family, go to the gym and spend time with my friends. I often go to the tennis court as my children love to play tennis. I also find it very relaxing if I go for a few days of trekking in different parts of Nepal. Text» Evelyn Moktan Photos» Sanu Raja Maharjan
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 41
savor
Living the twin
dream! the twin
Chase down your passion like it’s the last bus of the night. -Terri Guillemets
You were a passionate dancer as a school kid and dreamt of life under the arc lights someday but time taught you to get that job in accounts because it would pay the bills… Perhaps you write songs and music in your head but your job requires you to write dry news reports for the local daily… You always wanted to be a fashion designer but your relatives question why would you want to become a damai… How many of us give up the little shiny spark inside that wants to conquer the field of magic, bar tending, becoming a wedding planner, a motivational speaker, writing fairy tales or teaching in some far corner of the country, maybe becoming a wildlife photographer or shining on the silver screen, a fitness instructor, football star or a social entrepreneur… perhaps even a politician… But it all just remains a dream as you get caught in the cycle of life where bills have to be paid, responsibilities met, or simply the family’s expectations and prestige have to be met. But do you really have to give up on your dream? Can’t you chase it just a little more… plant it once again, nurture it and enjoy the bloom? It’s never too late, say the 13 individuals who share with us ‘living their twin dream’… Despite full careers, they soulfully balance their interests in more ways than one. Juggling masterfully through diverse interests, they stand proof to the age old adage ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’. Get inspired to shake a leg, or adopt an old dream and breathe life into it… follow your heart, chase your dream. Text» Poonam, Evelyn, Samridhi and Pramila Photos» Shankar Bir Byanjankar / Sanu Raja Maharjan
savor
the twin
Living dream! Anupama Aura Gurung
The licensed nurse who is an aerobic s instructor, a marketing executive, a freelance TV anchor and a part time model! You may remember the stunning host of Mega Model season 2 aired on Image Channel… Well, it might surprise you to learn that she is an aerobics instructor, and that she works as a marketing executive at PartyNepal Outdoors! Confident, independent and versatile, Anupama Aura Gurung, at just 22, is also a part time model, and a licen sed nurse, and slipping into either of these roles comes pretty effortlessly to her. Someone who loves to go with the flow of life, it might seem like this second year business student at Islington College is just confused about wha t she wants in life and thus is trying her hands at just about everything, but Anupama has to say otherwise, “The ultimate goal of my life is to become an entrepreneur, and wha tever I have been doing today is in preparation to become a successful businesswoman som eday.” she states.
Prerana Shah Rana actively into ga instructor who is pro yo The entrepreneur cum animal welfare activism
stature, A woman with a taller-than-average her in tall ds stan also h Sha Prerana Rana Sigma achievements. Managing Director of ,a iture furn dly Furniture selling eco-frien animal ctive proa a and r, ucto personal yoga instr out ies carr ker i-tas mult this ist— activ welfare As a child her responsibilities with much flair. , but even rian rina vete a me she wanted to beco her ged, chan ies stud of se cour though her was post It ct. inta d aine rem als anim for love take shape marriage that she found her dreams for ion pass e sam the ed over when she disc lling across trave r Afte . and husb her in als anim itions of the Nepal and seeing the pathetic cond - they cow al anim onal nati the animals - even rete and conc g ethin som do to ded deci mutually al Anim ent ronm founded Devoted Radical Envi h cras a r Afte ). AMS (DRE Movement Society Prerana and course in veterinary science, today cated dedi of her husband along with a team s and cow uing resc are rs experts and voluntee the from on irati insp s gain She ess. oxen in distr does she as lives she touches, even as much joined in from the local communities who have her efforts.
, and Tough cop SSP Navaraj Silwal on duty , duty off al Silw sagacious litterateur Nava t nden rinte supe or seni en this soft-spok a of police wanted to lead the life of ra afte , back s year scholar as a child. 20 , force e Polic al Nep the into y fateful entr the young man with a craving to read , chose Shakespeare, Shelley and the likes ng Havi ds. worl both of best the to have ali written the lyrics of more than 50 Nep ction colle a d ishe publ songs and having of shor t stories and essays later, this d unassuming cop has not only re-define also but n ema polic the image of a eve is exemplified what a person can achi lly, tiona Addi ms. he stays true to his drea to ber mem lty facu ing visit he is also a universities in and outside Nepal.
Navaraj Silwal
e litterateur The tough cop who is also a sensitiv
big. “When Usha Gurung believes in dreaming least a at get itely defin will you you dream big, 25-year-old this life,� in led fulfil it of ion port ll sma elf stands businesswoman quips. And she hers into the red ente Usha . says she t proof to wha with an 14 of age the at ce mer com of d worl high school investment of only Rs 5,000. Just a to dance in ion pass her ok forso Usha , graduate by taking ily fam order to meet the needs of her business le lesa who a from ting up business - star store on the ing cloth a ing open to ath footp on the in a span of glitzy Durbar Marg, and that too just s of success lade acco iving Rece s! a mere 10 year dancing her from her work, Usha ricocheted to for her n know is and skills - B-boying in 2008, rt woman sma g, youn this y Toda es. freestyle mov and PINK s is the owner of two clothing store for orm platf a , tute Insti ce PURPLE, a B-Boy Dan m, drea their as ing danc ue purs to rs youngste dap. and a Bingo Parlour in Bhrikuti Man
Usha Gurung
o B-boys! The businesswoman wh
savor
the twin
Living dream!
e to his persona than This veteran pilot definitely has mor d him hit the right chords as just steering airplanes—we’ve hear be it in music videos, well gly incin a singer and perform conv g happened by accident advertisements or films (he says actin a TV talk show to his has while singing is just a hobby). He also to say the least, has a, Lam Vijay e. Whit credit called, Black and with a positive attitude glamorised the aviation career. A man strongly believes that he ms, and a passionate follower of drea y want to do it. About reall you if hing anyt there’s enough time for , he says “A life without a the importance of chasing dreams, s!” eles dream is like a soulless body—us
Vijay Lama
The airlines captain who sings, acts and hosts a TV show!
Prakash Sahrestha the tions office to rv From the rese io d u st recording
Sandip Gurung
The architect who lives to DJ
“It is important to chase your dreams and do what you love, even if your dream is to drive a cab. It is always deeply satisfying.” An architect during the day and a Disc Jockey by night, Sandip Gurung is living his twin dream. Architecture is the product of his interests - drawing and math. He loves how different elements come together to form a space that is going to be home to someone. DJing happened when he had gone for his architecture degree to Newcastle and that is where he played at various clubs like the Empress and even met DJ Play of Bumsquad DJ, one of the top DJs based there. With DJing mostly on the weekends, the only time he has to rush to the club from his office is when he works overtime. The not-so-happy reason being, “parties in Nepal start very early”. While he loves both his professions, he does architecture for a living and lives to DJ.
beyond all the fame Prakash Shrestha is a humble man years of his musical 38 the in er that he has gained as a sing ing the table in the beat e whil , days ol scho his career. Back in his friends, he with g alon tune of a madal and avidly singing the hear ts win to sing ally actu ld had never thought he wou gives credit ally nostalgic of people far and wide in future. He his eve achi to him for to his friends who paved the way eve achi go t, talen ing shin a have you dreams and says, “If he lai’ gi jinda timro tyo your dreams.” With hits like ‘Safal e mor for sung and s song has recorded more than 1000 14th his se relea to set all now is He . than 150 Nepali films in Chhauni, he manages solo album in a few months. Living io and his office, Nepal stud his time between the recording has been working as a he re whe ), (NAC ion Airlines Corporat s. Fully devoted to year Reservations Officer for the past 25 er the income from offic NAC an as es fulfilling his responsibiliti living but also fuelled where has not only help him run his ing, Prakash Shrestha sing his journey to living his passion of reciated and trusted “App . days off ng records his songs duri and recognition that I have for my work at office, and the love what I consider to be my are earned from the Nepali audience . says he biggest achievement,”
savor
the twin
Living dream!
The business scion of Nepal’s first multinational company, Chaudhary Group, Basant Chaudhary has different aspects to his personality - a dreamer who believes that dreaming teaches us how to live, he is a passionate lyricist, poet and writer who takes his interest in art and literature very seriously. He acknowledges business as his profession but claims that without indulging in his passions, life would be very dreary and incomplete. And that’s not all, for about 20 years, he contributed to various vernacular newspapers like Drishti, Prakash Saptahik, Rajdhani and was a columnist for Nepal where he wrote about political and social issues. Not actively writing of recent, he says that he’s just taking a hiatus and plans to take it up soon again. He has three books and four music albums to his credit. Already established as a romantic writer, Basant says his contemporaries often say he could do better as a businessman. “It is because I am a poet and I think with my heart and not with my head”, he smiles.
Basant Chaudhary
The business scio
n thinks with his he
ar t
She makes ‘wearable art’ as she term s it, painting on silk sarees, scarves and Pashmina shaw ls, and it’s been more than two decades that she has been pain ting and making clay products. Besides being a creative artist and a passionate potter, Binita Basnet also is an astrologer. While astrology was just a hobby for her since the age of eight, it was because of the increase in the number of people coming in for astrology consultation that she decided to take it forward as a serious career. Today, Binita juggles her time between her art stud io Clay Crafts and More and her office located within her house where she helps people with her predictions. Talking about her achievements, she says, “On a personal level, being a convincing astrologer is what I count as a major achievement. I feel deeply satis fied by reaching out to people emotionally at an emotional level.”
Binita Basnet
The artist cum potter who can read your past, present and future!
Varun SJB Rana
The model architect
The name of Varun SJB Rana sketches the image of that cute model sway ing his body in the popular music vide o Luki chhupi chup chap ke maya laga unu amongst other videos. But only a few know that this stylish model is also a professional architect who has his own designing firm -Varun Rana Des ign Studio. For Varun, his passion in architecture stems from the time when Baber Mah al Revisited was being built by his fath er, Gautam SJB Rana. He rememb ers how amazed he was to witness how easi ly the architect convinced his father simply by drawing some designs on a shee t of paper! And modelling? “Well, it totally happened by chance, but I have enjo yed every bit of it,” he quips. However , he confirms that his priority lies with his design work, unless “I’m offered a project where the shooting will take place in, say, Spain!” he exclaims. We can soon see him in the upcoming film Miss You. So, whatever he does, from desi gning houses to doing music videos and now films, he does it with élan. Scor es of women wooing over his looks, he poin ts out to some of his successful addi tions to the structure of Baber Mahal Revi sited as his greatest achievement till date.
savor
the twin
Living dream! “The man who can get things done ”—this is how most people know Keshav Sthapit. Anyo ne who has come across the Maitighar Mandala remembers this social architect for the contribution he made to Kathman du’s development as the then mayor of the metropolis. An interesting man with shrewd vision and a never-say -never attitude, Keshav Sthapit, had even learnt the complica ted Bhairav dance as a means to arm himself to fight against the Panchayat regime. And today, he has establish ed himself as an entrepreneur with an aspiration to help in the process of nation building. His ventures inclu de an art gallery, a shop dealing in various precious gem s of Nepal, and an acupressure and acupuncture clini c among others. At 52, still enthusiastic to get things done , this intuitive dreamer says he would consider it his achievem ent if young people could beat his energy, guts and drive.
Keshav Sthapit of ct heading myriad
The social archite ncer once a Bhairav da ventures who was
Samridhi Rana
The freelance physiotherapist who
is a VOW reporter
to the reporter Samridhi Rana brings much Charming and affable, VOW’s full time t rapis iothe phys A gy. ener r shee and dedication table in terms of passion, creativity, still and y happ aged to keep her physio-clients with a passion for writing, she has man is not a rts, interviews and her physio-clients repo t even ling meet her deadlines. Jugg s to kend wee and ks brea h lunc her ifice to sacr cake walk though—Samridhi often has due. over le artic an with a client, or to work on accomplish her physiotherapy session from the articles published under my me know le peop “The satisfaction is that th,” she physio-clients just through word of mou name, and it’s flattering how I get my rapy, iothe phys in ee Samridhi says, “With a degr quips. So, is she living her dreams? ra neve is ing learn ve belie I And are for life. my skills and knowledge I have gained happy to am I ent, pres at es, hous ia med best loss. While as a writer for one of the le and interacting, meeting interesting peop be doing what I always liked—writing, go you n whe fun only is life s, She conclude exploring something new each day.” after your aspirations and dreams.
Madan Lamsal
The business jour nalist who also si VOW | july 2011 ngs and w50rit|es songs
alism With his dedication to business journ today sal Lam an Mad al, Nep for over 15 years in ness Busi New it cred his to ons icati publ has three t Apar yan. Abhi Age, The Corporate and Aarthik ightforward from his journalistic career, this stra Calling too. ist lyric a and er sing a is n gentlema non’ ome Phen ‘New a this new career chapter as i Ekla m albu t debu his sed relea of his life, Madan s. year ous oner Eklai after learning music for three me. Without “Dreams are the driving engine for g,” says dreaming, we lose the purpose of livin dreams Madan twin his nce bala to r orde In an. Mad y single day, prioritises what he needs to do ever go. let to t wha and do to t choosing wha
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short story
. .. o g t ’ n o d e Pleas Alok looked at the watch… it was past 3 am. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all. He peered at the dark stillness outside his window and shuffled inside his pocket to look for a light. Inhaling deeply, he watched the ember on the tip of the cigarette he had lit and Reshma’s voice echoed in his ears, “Don’t you love me enough to quit smoking that horrible cancer stick?” How he ached to see Reshma, touch her, feel her breath in his ear, shift slowly so that he wouldn’t awaken her in the morning. Her soft laughter that suddenly reverberated into a loud guffaw, when she sneaked behind him and nestled into his back, the cups of tea they shared as they dreamily gazed at the clouds, counting stars together, splashing in the sudden rain… teasing, laughing, fighting… “Oh, Reshma, why did you have to go away…” Alok was an only child, orphaned at an early age and brought up by his father’s brother albeit always in boarding institutions. Holidays did not mean much. He would either get invited to friends homes or join a programme arranged by the school. He didn’t understand close 52 | VOW | july 2011
human relationships much. He didn’t really know the meaning of coming home. But he loved the outdoors… he felt he knew what it meant to come home when he camped under the stars, or conquered a mountain. That was until Reshma happened to him.
He remembered their first meeting… on a trek. He was helping out a friend by leading a group on a short four-day trek. “What the hell… I don’t have anything better to do anyway,” he had thought when he had said okay. The group turned out to be six young women who were college mates once… a reunion of sorts. Reshma was quiet until you got to know her, clumsy—always stumbling on things or spilling something… but her eyes were magical—filled with life and laughter. She was the last to wake up, the last to sleep. If they were going one way, she would ask why not another trail. She had to know everything. Her questions often exhausted him—what was that plant… was the sky always so blue… where do the local kids go to school… what was his best colour… did he always drink his tea with two spoons of sugar… what was his favourite nursery rhyme… what were his dreams… Before he knew it, he was looking forward to their conversations. “I’ll miss her,” he thought to himself. The days just whirled past… and it was time for them to head home. The trek ended and they parted ways. Reshma slid a bar of chocolate into his hand when they said goodbye. Alok realised that he didn’t know a single thing about the girl who had captured his heart the night before. The slow irritation at her offbeat ways had turned to amusement and then to
a quiet fondness. Reshma was a true soul… she always found a way to make everything magical. Her sheer curiosity and drive for life left him spellbound. The night before they parted ways, they had sat at the edge of a cliff under the canopy of the stars and softly talked about their lives. He told her that he wanted to get to know her better after they returned home… and she had teased that he’d have to find her first. As they laughed and murmured into the wee hours, a strange sadness tinged her eyes as she got up to go to her room. She simply said, “Always remember me with a smile.” A week later, Alok was desperately trying to find Reshma’s number and address. She had simply disappeared. He quizzed his friend for details but to no avail. Much later he found the address of one of the group members and finally the road to Reshma’s home. Her mother opened the door. “Reshma’s sleeping,” she informed him even as she invited him in for a cup of tea. They sat in an awkward silence. He was surprised that she would be asleep at this hour. It was just past 4 pm in the afternoon. Suddenly, he heard someone shuffle into the room. He did not even have to turn to know it was her. Her presence permeated the room like sunlight entering the dark and changing everything. He turned back with a huge grin which stopped short of spreading across his face. Her hair tumbled across her shoulders in a crazy mess… she looked just the same, but tired. There were dark shadows under her eyes and she seemed a lot thinner.
“I found you,” he whispered. She smiled back quietly and joined him on the sofa. “Hi,” she replied softly. “Are you okay?” he asked and she nodded her head. Her mother slipped out of the room. Over endless cups of tea, they chatted about this and that, but deep inside Alok couldn’t wait to confess his love for her. Abruptly, he got up from the sofa, kneeled before her and simply said, “Complete me… complete this journey of life with me.” Reshma was silent for a long time… there were tears in her eyes and she mumbled, “It’s too late Alok… I am dying.” Then she told him about her cancer, a rare form, they didn’t know how much time she had… a year, two… maybe more, maybe less. With tears of anger, he stormed out of her house. Life is unfair… so darned unfair. He could fight anything… but death. Death is inevitable. Reshma got up from the sofa slowly. She loved Alok. She always had… right from the beginning… but she knew they had no future. Alok called her after two days… two days where he spent endless hours on the internet looking for some sign of hope that he could save Reshma, save himself. He then made up his mind… he loved Reshma but why was he questioning the time they had… if she would have him, they could be together now. After hours of cajoling, arguments and debates, she finally agreed. They would live together… they would seek and live the precious little time they
had in loving each other. And they lived each moment like it was their last… talking into the night, making tender love, kissing and hugging, laughing and crying, trying not to think about the end. It almost felt like she was okay… and then it happened… she was fine when he left for work that morning, a bit weak lately but doing fine. He received a frantic call from the maid saying that she had collapsed and was being taken to the hospital by the neighbours. It was almost as though all the wind had been knocked out of his body… he felt a chill run down his spine as he stood immobilised with tears streaming down his face. Then he panicked and rushed to the hospital… cursing at the traffic even as he prayed… “Please don’t take her away from me, dear God, please… it’s only been five months, please don’t take her from me…” She was in ICU. Her mom stood outside—silent and sad. She took him into her arms even as he silently wept like a child. Nothing made sense anymore. The doctors came and said that the end was near… a few hours, a day… no more. Their eyes sympathetic but cold. Reshma never woke up again… and with her some part of Alok died. It has been two years now and the chasm of pain never closed… the sun shone each day, but Alok never felt its warmth. Alok never found his home again. – Urahc
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innerview
Dr Dina Bangdel Associate Professor, Asian Art History, Virginia Commonwealth University; Art Curator & Art Writer
he grew up surrounded by art, a father who loved to paint, a world of art and artists. The famed artist, late Lain Singh Bangdel instilled in his daughter, Dr Dina Bangdel a profound love for art. Lain Singh Bangdel, a renowned writer, painter and an art historian, born in the beautiful, misty hills of Darjeeling, was a proud Nepali in every sense; he is acknowledged to be the artist responsible for introducing the modern trend of western art into Nepal; he ushered in what is called the “Bangdel Era� of art in the country with his pioneering exhibition in 1962. He studied art in Paris, a city of great artists like Pablo Picasso and George Braque. In 1961, he was invited by the then king late Mahendra to work in Nepal. Decades later, in 2010, one of his books Muluk Bahira Ma, edited
Favourites
art
PIECE OF ART: Boy! I don't think I can single out just one piece of art. I have a number of favourite pieces from a number of different time periods and cultures, so to say what is absolutely my favourite piece of art, even just in Nepali art, is really difficult. Generally, I love the art of the literary period; traditional art is probably the most beautiful, it is aesthetically extremely interesting. I am also very interested in the Newari paintings that date back to the 13th and 14th centuries. ARTIST: Again, I have a whole slew of favourite artists. I don't think there is a single one. I think it is like asking you, "Do you have a favourite book?" (Laughs) It is that sort of a thing. I would say it depends on the moment and what inspires you at that time.
by his daughter Dr Dina, went on to win the Book of the Year award. After walking through the lane of the Bangdel Colony in Sanepa, when we reach Dr Dina's house... a home that treasures memories and an intimate tryst with the world of art and its history. It’s a house whose walls are full of Bangdel’s canvases. Reminiscing about her childhood, Dr Dina guffaws as she tells us how she had assumed that everyone’s life was like hers. Growing up, she says, she was surrounded by art, its nuances and history—these
I had first met her at Siddhartha Art Gallery where she was delivering a lecture on “Newar Pauba Paintings in the Past and Present”. Smart and warm, she had grabbed the audience’s attention with the clarity of her tone and expression. Dr Dina has been teaching art for 13 years now. As an associate professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), she now takes classes on Asian Art History, with her areas of specialisation being Nepal, Tibet and India. However, her primary area of research is Nepal and Tibet. After taking a graduate degree in western
comes to Kathmandu, she gives a series of lectures at the Tribhuvan University for the Buddhist Study Programme and at Lotus Research Centre in Patan. She takes immense pride in Nepal’s “amazing” artistic heritage and says she feels fortunate to be able to teach something that she loves, and then motivate her students in the US to learn more deeply about this rich tradition. “One of the things that I hope our younger generation understands is about the preciousness of our cultural and artistic heritage; but we sort of take it for granted. It is very important for our kids to understand that our heritage really needs to be valued. The younger generation must have a sense of pride and do all they can to preserve it." Dina has also served as a co-curator in the exhibition on Tantric Buddhist Art, The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, organised by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and in one organised by the Columbus Museum of Art, in 2004. Along with Don Messerscbmidt, she has also penned a biography of her father: "Against the Current: The life of Lain Singh Bangdel, Writer, Painter and Art Historian of Nepal."
became an intimate part of her life. Every morning the first thing her father would do was to paint, says Dina; however, it was not painting that she would take up—it was the history of painting and the life of painters that caught her imagination; this was what moulded her into becoming an art historian. She explains her field of expertise: "For art historians, any piece of art is like a text book—we look at the development of art from how it was during the long bygone days to how it is at present, and study what it has to say about the society, the time, about politics, and about the perception of human beings." Her father did a lot of contemporary art but he was also interested in the preservation of traditional art. And that is precisely how Dina got into the study of both contemporary and traditional art.
art, she earned her postgraduate degree in religion and philosophy. Interestingly, she also studied Sanskrit in the US. She then went on to specialise in South Asian and Himalayan Art for her PhD. During this period, she came to Nepal to study Newari Art. After finishing her doctorate, she started teaching art history at Michigan University, and then also became a faculty member of the Ohio State University. Dina lights up while talking about how she loves being an art history teacher. "It is absolutely fantastic, especially because I think there is a great deal of interest in the West both in terms of Asian Art and in terms of what Nepal has to offer. I have students who are focusing on Nepal for their PhD and Master's." Whenever she
Happily married and mother of two—15 and 9 year olds—Dina says with an endearing smile, "I am fortunate in that my husband has been incredibly supportive and encouraging." Apart from art, she is passionate to learn about the special needs of the differently-abled, especially in Nepal, because here, she says, "there's nothing for them". Her main focus is on autism. "That’s partly because my younger son is autistic,” she says. “He is absolutely fantastic at art and computers, but with autism, the social skills are limited. If a child is autistic, which school should he go to? What should parents do then? Many private schools would not include somebody with a different ability. That’s a challenge that exists in Nepal. Here, differently-abled usually only means ‘physically challenged’, and I feel that other forms of different abilities too need to be paid attention." Text» Samridhi Rana Photos» Shankar Bir Byanjankar
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56 | VOW | july 2011
top10
Meet the
winners!
Young, vibrant, ambitious, versatile, proactive, hardworking and extremely confident—these qualities are precisely what constitute the winners of the 7th Fair & Lovely VOW Top 10 College Women Competition. Academic excellence, participation in sports and extra curricular activities, leadership experiences, involvement in college and community, unique inspiring goal in life—you name them… they have it all, and more. Women with surpassing potentials, read on to know what makes them winners…
outstanding
student Bidha Sharma
20, Kathmandu College of Management
"I feel proud of my achievements, and I have become more confident and focused towards my aim. I also realise that I still have much to do and I am looking forward to it All." Besides the merits that all the top 10 winners have in them, perhaps what makes her stand out is her humility. With an inspiring CV, going through which one will wonder how on earth can a student be able to do so much for herself as well as for her college and community while still excelling in academics (she has scored no less than distinction in all the major exams she's taken till date, and won gold medals in various activities ranging from dance competitions to poem competitions to chess!), Bidha Sharma is someone who is "enthusiastically and passionately hardworking"—to put it in her own words. Currently doing her BBA in Kathmandu College of Management, she aspires to become a successful social entrepreneur, and has been active in her community in many ways, whether it's by establishing a library in a remote village in Dhulikhel or organising an awareness campaign on the use of briquette among corn vendors. Greatly inspired by Nobel Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Bidha wishes to uplift Nepal's economic status, using micro credit as her weapon. Text» Poonam, Evelyn, Samridhi, Pramila Photos» Sanchit, Nibendra
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top10
master’s "Someday in the future, I see myself as an ambassador of my country." Nilima Raut from Dolakha is a correspondent for 'Voices of Our Future' with worldpulse.com—a global media and communication network. Also an international correspondent for Women News Network, it comes as no surprise when she says she wants to use communication as a tool to contribute towards peace and community development, and highlight social issues. Her frontline journal, 'The Red Tent' that she wrote for worldpulse, was also published by Women News Network and later by South Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service. Currently doing her Master's in Mass Communication, Nilima says she wants to continue working in the social sector by focusing in the area of menstruation hygiene through communication, at least for a decade.
Nilima Raut
25, Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus
"I want to become an entrepreneur." Currently a postgraduate student in Business Administration, this petite young lady is hard working, diligent and responsible. Not only does she take academics and social service seriously but wins various sports and extra curricular activities too. Her active participation in dance, basketball, poetry, debates, plays makes her a hands-on competitor. In 2006 she volunteered to collect medicines for the poor and destitute and helped in marketing handicrafts made by physically challenged individuals through Himshikhar Foundation. Utterly impressed by the business philosophy of Mark Zuckerberg, Ushma wants to encourage and facilitate entrepreneurship to achieve profit and economic growth by identifying and capitalising on the untapped opportunities in Nepal.
Ushma Pandey
24, Ace Institute of Management
Prerana Dhakhwa
24, Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSOM)
"I want to be able to impart knowledge and virtue to rural Nepali children." Prerana is a proof to the adage 'Action speaks louder than words'. Quiet but lots of thoughts and dreams nurturing inside, she believes that quality education is the only means of long term prosperity in Nepal. An ideal student herself, doing very well in academics while still finding time to participate in a number of extracurricular activities, currently pursuing her MBA, Prerana dreams of helping provide education to enthusiastic people from rural areas and become a part of the development in Nepal. "I want to establish high schools in rural parts of Nepal which provides quality education at cheaper cost," she beams.
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top10
bachelor's "My ambition in life is to help the rural people of Nepal who don't have the credibility to get a bank loan with the help of a venture capital firm." Rupali Sarawgi is a thorough person when it comes to her achievements— brilliant grades, participation in extra curricular activities in what ranges from sports like basketball, volleyball, badminton and karate to winning myriads of artistic competitions like open hand painting, collage making competition, rangoli competition, among others. Besides, being very fluent in expressing her opinions in a concise and logical manner, Rupali says she undertakes her work responsibly and with an open-minded approach, and states that much like her role model Oprah Winfrey, she has never been a quitter. In future she aspires to develop the concept and practice of "venture capitalism" to the denizens of Nepal for sustainable development.
Rupali Sarawgi
20, Bachelor's, Kathmandu College of Management
Presca Udas
19, St Xavier's College
"I am always trying to move for progressive change, and since I strongly believe that change begins from us, I am doing all I can to bring forth that change." Currently working as an RJ at Star FM and as a programme presenter and producer at Himalaya Television, Presca Udas lists extracurricular activities as her top priorities as these boost her enthusiasm, dedication and energy for her academic performance. Title winner of College Ambassador 2008 female, winner of Prativa Dabu, a national dance competition organised by Image Channel and Best Female Player award at the Inter Corporate Beach Cricket 2011, this easy going winner has also been actively involved in numerous community projects—she's tutored children at Bal Mandir, co-ordinated fortnight water sanitation and health project in Baglung and has been working for HIV/ AIDS at Karuna Bhawan, to list a few. A vivacious social work student, Presca is a strong believer in advocating social issues through mass media.
Sumati Maharjan
23, Kathmandu University School of Arts
"I want to become a writer whose words will echo in every Nepali's heart." Sumati Maharjan, an avid book-lover, has the experience of writing for popular newspapers and magazines in Nepal. This young and charming lady seeks to publish poignant books both in English and Nepali languages in the future, and she has already started working towards it. "I write something everyday and most of it either get published or get posted on my blog," she quips. Besides her love for reading and writing, Sumati is equally an eloquent speaker—she had won the Most Commendable Performance award in the Public Speaking Competition of the South Asian Universities Festival (SAUFEST 2010) held in Bangladesh. Also one of the founding members of Kathmandu Cycle City (KCC2020), an environmental organisation initiated to promote cycling in Kathmandu to preserve the environment, Sumati eventually aspires to work as a Public Relations Officer (PRO) and explore the new dimensions of working together with people from different backgrounds and work for a development oriented organisation in Nepal.
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top10
10+2 "I want to see the youth leading our country by forming an alliance." "Confident and ambitious" as she describes herself, this politically conscious winner aspires to construct a "brighter Nepal". Unsurprisingly, given her ambition in life, she wants to enter politics and become a youth leader of the country. And no, she is not a person of words‌ she has actually worked out the steps she needs to take in order to achieve her goal—her constant travel to the remote nooks and corners of Nepal to understand people of the grassroots level, for example. A bonafide student with a wide range of interests from dancing to essay writing and drama, this 18-year-old winner promises power to create change.
Srijana Tiwari
18, St Mary's Higher Secondary School
Veda Khadka
17, Rato Bangala School
"My ambition in life is to work at the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, America."
Susmita Basnet
20, Nursing Campus, Biratnagar
"On winning, I feel like I have found a way between clouds to reach my destiny." This 20-year-old winner firmly believes that hard work plays a pivotal role in every person's success in life. A nursing student, Susmita Basnet looks up to Florence Nightingale and aims to contribute to the development of the country's healthcare system, "specifically for the welfare of maternal and child health, a must to build a healthy and prosperous nation". Enthusiastic, sensitive and observant, for her serving humankind is the purest form of religion—"I see myself helping people my whole life!" she exclaims in an assuring undertone.
Exuberant and smart, much can be inferred about the mature mind of this 17-year-old winner when she says, "One cannot be a true leader without the ability to inspire others and make them feel needed and confident, or without the ability to walk the thin line between leniency and rigour". Awarded for an amazing blend of academic excellence, leadership experiences and her constant involvement in college and community activities, it takes just a brief one-on-one rendezvous with Veda to acknowledge the winning zing in her. Ambitious and definite about what she wants out of her life, this outgoing young woman lists music and literature as her two great interests, adding, "Writing is an incomparable passion, the thrill of which is insurmountable to anything else."
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 65
woman to watch
Reema Bishwokarma, Actor
Young, ambitious and effervescent, a first glimpse of this pretty actress won't impress you as much, but when you see her interacting with the camera or have a face-to-face conversation with her, you know she's special! Easy with the camera and articulate in her thoughts, showbiz is however, not new for this chirpy actress who's been on television since she was a school-going girl, hosting Jaada Jaadai, an infotainment programme based on travel for children on Nepal Television.
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The woman to watch for this month, VOW had a chitchat with the new actress on the block. She debuted in the movie Swor and was again seen only very recently in Tyo 10 Ghanta.
IN HER WORDS… Things I cannot live without… music, books, family, friends, and facebook! I'm most afraid of losing… my family and prestige. I can't resist… anything sweet! A person I'd like to date… Brad Pitt If I could change one thing about myself… I wish I were able to control my yapping at times. I don't talk nonsense but you know sometimes I tend to explain something for 10 long minutes while it can be done within five! So that can irritate and put a person off. My mom keeps reminding me to talk only when necessary. I am most insecure about… my mom's health. She keeps feeling unwell, and there's always this subconscious fear in my heart that God forbid, if something happened to her… it's also because we are only my mom, myself and my brother in my family and because I know they are the ones who are going to be always there for me whether or not I become a successful person, I don't want to lose them at any cost. My philosophy in life… Live your life to the fullest but at the same time don't hamper anyone else's life in the process. Try to grow up as a better person each day, and never go to bed with guilt in your heart!
IN HER DICTIONARY Glamour… is the way you carry yourself. Beauty… is something that makes your eyes sparkle. Woman… is the ultimate combination of spirit and attitude. Kollywood… is an emerging movie industry. Success… is something that comes when opportunity meets hard work.
Mustard yellow dress and beaded necklace: RD Chaahat, Durbar Marg, Tel: 4225844 Black top and biker's leggings: Lucky Ace, Teendhara Pathshala, Durbar Marg Bag and accessories: Bentley, Durbar Marg, Tel: 4220006
Text» Poonam Maharjan Photos» Rajiv Shrestha subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 67
my beautiful life
Sanju Kala Koirala HR Assistant, Maiti Nepal
Currently in the process of opening a branded clothing store in K-town, Sanju Kala Koirala is the proud mother of a two and a half year old son, Advhay. She is the HR Assistant at Maiti Nepal, and daughterin-law of our CNN Hero, Anuradha Koirala. A woman of many aspiring dreams, a young mother and wife, Sanju shares with VOW what makes her life beautiful...
My life is beautiful because…
Whatever I have wished for has been fulfilled in life. And most importantly it is because of my caring family and friends who make my world blissfully meaningful.
Current cell phone iPhone 4G
Fitness
Hitting the gym, and doing Hula Ball at home to stay fit.
Ideal vacation…
My most beautiful moment in life was…
Shopping destinations
Singapore and New Delhi
Germany
Motherhood. I believe words are not enough to express the feeling. And, oh, when my son called me 'Mother' for the first time! – that is imprinted in my heart.
Makeup
Style icon
Skincare
Diet secret
I enjoy normal Nepali food. Since it is summer, I love to drink fresh juices, especially watermelon! And I religiously drink almost four to five litres of water everyday.
I have normal skin and most of my skincare products are from Clinique. I use Revitalift Night Cream from L'Oreal and Sunblock Sheer with SPF 25 from Clinique.
Sonam Kapoor
I visit a salon for… Manicure, pedicure and oil massage for my hair!
In my hand bag, I always have: Lipstick, lip balm, cell phone, wallet, hand lotion and tissues. 68 | VOW | july 2011
Current watch Croton
Text» Evelyn Moktan
©VOW photofile/Shankar Bir Byanjankar
Style mantra
The brand of what you are wearing and the size of your body don't matter, what matters is the panache you carry yourself with.
I use eye shadows and compact powder from Lancôme and Clinique, and lipsticks from Lancôme, Clinique and Vogue.
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 69
guest column
“What is your religion?”—the security guard questioned after blocking our entrance to the Dome of the Rock. His eyes full of intrigue, he saw no pattern, no similarity in any of us as we all answered at once— ”Christian”, “Muslim”, “Hindu”, “Jewish”… And if the colour of our skins had not confused him, our responses definitely did. Four friends, studying together in a university, moving around the Old City of Jerusalem, we ranged from Canadian white to Sudanese black, and Nepali and Ecuadorian shades of brown. For some of us, the place was quite familiar while completely new for the rest of us. Yet, after wandering around this place of preserved history and antiquity, we all were equally mesmerised by the vibrancy of the Old and Holy City of Jerusalem. This is one of the most cherished memories of my arrival in Israel, Jerusalem in particular, in October last year as part of my postgraduate studies. Besides a unique course, with 19 students from 14 different countries, the exchange of languages, cultures, values or even blank stares in the beginning were incredible experiences. Slowly, all of us became friends, and in the process, learnt a lot about each other. Nine months have already passed since I first landed here, and recently another such event flooded back all the memories from the day I had first arrived here. We were on a two-day trip to the north of Israel. Our trip started from a village called Abu Ghosh, a Muslim village, in the middle of which was an ancient, well-preserved 70 | VOW | june 2011
church built some nine hundred years back where Christian monks (who unlike priests, do not preach), have been living in total peace and harmony with the Muslim residents in a Jewish country. One of the brothers from the church, Brother Oliver, was a great source of inspiration to each of us who visited the church that day. Born in France, he told us with much enthusiasm that he had been in Israel for more than 30 years now and spoke fluent Hebrew. Cordial and open to anyone and everyone who visited the church, Brother Oliver also shared with us his experience of being ordained. Apparently, people from different religious and socio-economic backgrounds had attended his ordaining ceremony. It was awe-inspiring to see (in pictures of the event) bikers on Harley Davidson, a Christian priest, a Jewish priest, Muslim women, young soldiers and general public who had come together, in peace, to celebrate his ordaining ceremony; this was possible only because of the qualities of humility and friendliness— the virtues that was in everyone. This event had brought together those who might have never even run into one another in their entire lifetime otherwise. “I enjoy drinking tea with my Muslim friends every morning,” said Brother Oliver whose angelic voice nearly moistened some eyes when he sang some choirs for us. Co-existence is indeed possible, I realised then. Jerusalem is so unique—especially for Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It’s deemed holy for Jews as it is the city of their
temple; for Christians, it is the city where Jesus Christ was crucified, and hence it underscores the promise of forgiveness, redemption and eternal life; as for Muslims, it is the place from where Mohammad ascended to heaven, wherein today lies the magnificent mosque known as the Dome of the Rock, which gets its name from the rock where Abraham, the father of the three religions, was about to sacrifice his only son in obedience to God’s commandment (of course this did not happen as God was only testing Abraham’s fidelity towards Him). This act of obedience set the example for complete trust in Almighty God which has served as a faith model for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. Interestingly, it is located on the exact place where once stood the Holy Temple for Jews. Whether it is Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, the Dome of the Rock for Muslims or the Western Wall for Jews, all lie in amazing proximity in the Old City. With all this history around, for any outsider, it is a symbol of co-existence. I have not yet come across a Hindu temple here, but I believe that if you speak to God with a pure heart no matter where you stand, you will be heard. I am not trying to say that generally there’s tolerance and co-existence; indeed, I account for only the moments I spent here. You see, if we look for reasons to differentiate ourselves, we can find thousands of them, but if we seek unity, all we need are love and respect for each other. Vinita Sharma, winner of the Most Outstanding Student award at the 5th VOW Top 10 College Women Competition, is currently doing her International Masters in Public Health, at the Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine from the Hebrew University-Hadassah, Jerusalem, as a scholar of the British Friends of Hebrew University.
health feature
What are the symptoms of indigestion?
Indigestion typically leads to one or more of the following symptoms, and are often aggravated by stress and anxiety: • Feeling uncomfortably full or bloated just after you finish eating. • Pain or burning in the stomach. • Frequent burping. • An acidic taste in the mouth. • Excess gas. • Nausea or vomiting. • Diarrhoea. • Constipation.
Who gets indigestion?
Indigestion can affect anyone, but it is particularly common in people who: • Drink a lot of alcohol or caffeine. • Smoke. • Eat greasy and highly fatty foods. • Eat very spicy foods. • Eat too quickly or eat too much food. • Eat while under stress. • Have a history of heartburn.
Understanding that discomfort in the stomach...
Similarly, swallowing excess air while eating too quickly and exercising right after a big meal can also cause indigestion. Also, certain medications including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen, and certain antibiotics, like erythromycin, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole can cause upset stomach.
Is your indigestion something serious?
Indigestion may be uncomfortable, but usually it isn’t a serious problem. Nevertheless, it can be a warning sign of an underlying digestive health problem or another condition, some of which are: • Ulcers in the stomach or duodenum (part of the small intestine). • Gallstones. • Inflammation or irritation in the stomach (gastritis), gallbladder (cholecystitis), or pancreas (pancreatitis). • GERD (Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease). • Lactose intolerance. • Stress, depression, or anxiety. • Irritable bowel syndrome and other intestinal disorders.
Have you ever felt that intense fullness and discomfort, perhaps accompanied by a burning sensation, after a particularly large, greasy meal? If yes, you’ve experienced indigestion, also known as dyspepsia. Often confused with heartburn—which is a burning pain in the chest, adjacent to the oesophagus—indigestion causes upset stomach. Even so, symptoms of indigestion and heartburn often occur together.
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Health problems that cause indigestion
Treatment for indigestion
Because indigestion is a symptom rather than a disease, treatment usually depends upon the underlying condition causing the
indigestion. Often, episodes of indigestion go away within hours without medical attention. However, if your symptoms become worse, consult a doctor. Here are some helpful tips to alleviate indigestion: • Try not to chew with your mouth open, talk while chewing, or eat too fast. This causes you to swallow too much air, which can aggravate indigestion. • Drink fluids after rather than during meals. • Avoid late-night eating. • Avoid spicy foods. • Stop smoking. • Avoid alcoholic beverages.
Prevention is better than cure.
The best way to prevent indigestion is to avoid the foods and situations that seem to cause it. Keeping a food diary is helpful in identifying foods that cause indigestion. Here are some other suggestions: • Eat small meals so the stomach does not have to work as hard or as long. • Eat slowly. • Avoid foods that contain high amount of acid, such as citrus fruits and tomatoes.
• Reduce or avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine. • If stress is a trigger for your indigestion, re-evaluating your lifestyle may help to reduce stress. De-stress yourself by meditating, listening to good music, spending quality time with family or whatever you would love to. • Smokers should consider quitting smoking, or at least not smoking right before or after eating, as smoking can irritate the stomach lining. Also cutting back on alcohol consumption is necessary as alcohol can irritate the stomach lining too. • Avoid wearing tight-fitting garments because they tend to compress the stomach, which can cause its contents to enter the oesophagus. • Do not exercise with a full stomach. Rather, exercise before a meal or at least one hour after eating a meal. • Do not lie down right after eating. • Wait at least three hours after your last meal of the day before going to bed. • Sleep with your head elevated (at least six
inches) above your feet and use pillows to prop yourself up. This will help allow digestive juices to flow into the intestines rather than to the oesophagus.
When to call the doctor about indigestion?
Call your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms: • Vomiting or blood in vomit (the vomit may look like coffee grounds). • Weight loss. • Loss of appetite. • Black, tarry stools or visible blood in stools. • Severe pain in upper right abdomen. • Discomfort unrelated to eating.
Note
Symptoms similar to indigestion may be caused by heart attacks. If indigestion is unusual, accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, or pain radiating to the jaw, neck, or arm, seek medical attention immediately.
sources : everydayhealth.com; webmd.com
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 73
exerfile
Toning the Legs
Strong legs are great any time of the year—they take us wherever we want them to. Wouldn’t it be an added advantage if those legs are toned, and look beautiful no matter what you wear? Fitness instructor Hisako Utsugi offers us just that—a simple workout routine which will help you attain flaunt-worthy toned legs! Just remember to squeeze your stomach and keep your body straight throughout the workout, Hisako offers.
STEP
Stand straight beside a wall, your right palm placed on the wall for support and your left hand on the hip. Now slightly raise your left leg to the side as shown in the picture. Keeping your knee straight, stretch your instep and sole eight times, then switch sides. This strengthens the ankle.
1 © VOW photofile/Sanu Raja Maharjan
Required: two sets on each side (One set = eight repetitions)
STEP
Stand straight beside a wall, your right palm placed on the wall for support and your left hand on the hip. Now bend your left knee keeping your thigh parallel to the floor and then extend your leg straight ahead while exhaling. Next, bend back your knee while inhaling and repeat eight times. Switch legs.
2
Required: eight times on each leg
STEP
Stand straight beside a wall, your right palm placed on the wall for support and your left hand on the hip. Now bend your left knee keeping your thigh parallel to the floor and then swing it to the left while exhaling. Then come back to the first position while inhaling and repeat eight times. Switch sides. Required: two sets on each side (one set = eight repetitions)
3
74 | VOW | july 2011
STEP
Stand straight beside a wall, your right palm placed on the wall for support and your left hand on the hip. Now cross your right leg to the left from behind. Next, lift your left heel while exhaling and place it back on the floor while inhaling. Repeat eight times and then switch legs. Required: two sets on each side (one set = eight repetitions)
4
STEP
Stand straight beside a wall, your right palm placed on the wall for support and your left hand on the hip. Now raise and swing your left leg to the side, keeping your body and knees straight while exhaling and then come back to the first position while inhaling. Repeat eight times and then switch sides.
5
Required: two sets on each side (one set = eight repetitions)
STEP
Stand straight beside a wall, your right palm placed on the wall for support and your left hand on the hip. Now raise and swing your left leg to the side and bend your left knee while exhaling. Then come back to the first position while inhaling. Repeat eight times and then switch sides.
6
Required: two sets on each side (one set = eight repetitions)
7
STEP
Stand straight with legs apart at shoulder’s width, and your back resting against the wall as shown in the picture. Now raise both your arms straight upwards upto your shoulder’s level and bend both your knees until your thighs become parallel to the floor. Hold position for 15-20 seconds while breathing normally, and then come back to the first position. Required: eour times Hisako Utsugi is an America Fitness Aerobics Association (AFAA) and Japan Aerobics Fitness Association (JAFA) certified aerobics instructor, as well as a certified yoga instructor. She is also an exclusive instructor at Lalit Mandap Hardik Club. subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 75
health bulletin
Q&A
Q&A TEETH
MENTAL HEALTH
I am a 19-year-old student, and I have a wisdom tooth that has a cavity in it. The tooth isn’t impacted and gives me no problem. But I want to do a filling. Do they normally fill this cavity? And I also have a tiny chip on the corner of one of my front teeth, it is very small and one can notice it only when they come real close. Is there something simple that can be done with this just to level it up? Thank you. – Rupa Chhetri
My sister has an aggressive character, and she is just 24 right now. She has panic attacks and phobias and she is even paranoiac sometimes. We are really having difficult times understanding and calming her down. She has recently returned from Italy after residing there for five years. Please suggest a good psychiatrist and some medications. – Jenny Karki
Wisdom tooth with a small cavity can definitely be filled. Sometimes, access to the area may be difficult and may not allow the dentist to do a perfect filling. High fluoride containing filling has been found to be very effective in such an area. If there is no harm done by the wisdom tooth to the surrounding area and tooth, it is best left alone by filling it, if there is a cavity. If the cavity is too deep involving the pulp, it is best to be extracted.
It is very uncommon for anxiety disorders like panic anxiety and phobias to manifest with aggressive behaviours. But when it is long lasting without proper treatment there is increase in the intensity of inner restlessness and one might feel getting trapped under one’s own skin. This might give weird thoughts like losing self control, going crazy or even dying. The inner mental tension may boil up so much that it overwhelms one’s coping capacity and then may manifest as socially unacceptable behaviours like aggression, violence and use of abusive substances. There are ample reports on incidents of deliberate self harm and suicide due to extreme anxiety in medical and psychiatric journals.
A small chip on the front tooth can be easily repaired by bonding a tooth coloured composite material. It is a simple procedure, does not require any cutting of the tooth, is protective and lasts for a good number of years.
Another possibility is your sister suffering from a mental disorder like Paranoid Schizophrenia where one has delusions, hallucinations, distorted perceptions and illusions, which make them scary and act aggressively. They live in a self-created make-belief world and react to events in that inner fantasy, and thus their acts and behaviour are obviously incongruous to the realistic world of ours.
Dr Neil Pande,
Dental Surgeon at Healthy Smiles, will answer all your teeth queries. Send your queries to him at neil@smilenepal.com
She needs immediate psychiatric/psychological evaluation and a diagnosis of her actual condition. And at the moment, what is more important than the choice of a psychiatrist is the commencement of anti-anxiety medications as soon as possible to prevent further distress and irreparable complications. A MBBS doctor in an Emergency Department should be able to take care of that. Once a state of calmness prevails then you have all the time to look for a psychiatrist.
Walk people walk…
According to a study by the University of Georgia, sedentary people who regularly complain of fatigue can increase their energy levels by 20 percent and decrease their fatigue by 65 percent by engaging in low intensity exercises like an easy-paced walk, for just 20 minutes daily!
Pain relief strategy: Cross your arms!
And be reminded, medications are to be taken only under doctor’s supervision.
Dr Sharad Man Tamrakar,
health bulletin
Neuro-Psychiatrist at Norvic International Hospital, will answer all your mental health queries. Send your queries to him at editorial@vow.com.np Contact him at 4258554/9851007474.
76 | VOW | july 2011
Crossing your arms may confuse the brain and help fight pain, according to a new study published in the journal Pain. The study suggests crossing arms at the wrists mixes up the brain’s perception of pain signals sent from the hands to the brain and reduces the intensity of pain. Researchers say the findings may lead to new therapies to treat painful conditions by manipulating the brain’s perception of the body. The researchers used a laser to deliver a pin-prick-like pain sensation to the hands of eight adult volunteers in two different positions. The first time, the participants had their hands at their sides and the second time they crossed their arms over the centre of their bodies. The participants then rated their perception of pain. Researchers also measured the brain’s electrical response using an electroencephalography (EEG). The results showed that both the perception of pain and EEG activity was reduced when the arms were crossed. Researchers say the reduction in pain is most likely due to confusion in the brain from conflicting information being sent from the brain’s internal and external maps.
Q&A HEART
Q&A HOMOEOPATHY
I am in my mid 30s and though I do not drink in excess, I do smoke heavily. It is recently that I have started suffering from mild chest pains. They are not as painful as would compel me to go to see a doctor, but I am quite worried because I have noticed that it hurts more after a bout of drinking accompanied by smoking. Is it due to the drinks and the smoke? And should I be consulting a doctor? – Paras Ghale
My uncle is in his late 30s. For the past one year, he is suffering from partial paralysis due to a heart stroke. His left side of the body cannot function properly. He’s desperate to recover fully but the prescribed medicines are weakening him instead of making him better. Is there any chance for him to recover if he takes homoeopathic medicines? I am really concerned about my uncle. Please help. – Sabina Bista
At 30, you need to now become serious about your health. Alcoholic drinks, even when not taken in excess, may have a bad impact on one’s health because of other compounding factors. You might be eating unhealthy while taking drinks, you might eat and sleep later and may skip the next morning exercise. As you mentioned you tend to smoke more while you are drinking. Also people may snore more after alcohol intake. Acidity caused by alcohol is the reason behind the pains that you are describing. Smoking heavy is another factor that’s having a heavy toll on your health right now. If you have a family that you care for, you should immediately stop smoking. I see many young patients with serious heart diseases because of smoking. Overall, I think it’s high time that you become serious about your health and stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Your future will go in vain if you develop any serious illness at such a young age! Quit smoking and drinking alcohol immediately. You might need some counselling to do that. Also, it’s not easy to stop smoking unless you stop alcohol so you need to stop both together. Nicotine chewing gums might help you quit smoking. Get a basic health check-up done with a physician and have your stomach, cholesterol, blood pressure, liver and lungs checked. It might not be easy but it is of utmost importance that you take a U-turn from your current lifestyle while it is available to you for the sake of your own good. Good determination and remembering your priorities and responsibilities especially towards your family should motivate you well.
Dr Bharat Rawat,
Executive Director and Consultant Cardiologist at the Norvic International Hospital, will answer all your heart queries. Send your queries to him at drrawat@norvic.wlink.com.np
Homoeopathy can help to a large extent in the management of post-stroke paralysis. Homoeopathic Constitutional Remedy will be selected after a careful understanding of your uncle’s medical and personal history. Besides, there are more than 500 specific homoeopathic remedies that help in paralysis, most prominent being Lachesis, Plumbum and Rhus tox for paralysis of left side of the body. Further detailed case study would indicate right choice of homoeopathic remedy in your uncle’s case. A multi-disciplinary treatment approach is more appropriate in paralysis. Paralysis Management Programmes (PMP) where homoeopathy is integrated with acupuncture, ayurvedic therapies, yoga, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychotherapy works best for cases of paralysis. Such programme is aimed to: • Improve the current symptoms, • Manage the associated medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, • Prevent recurrence of a major event in the future, • Motivate the patient to recovery by positive self-belief, and • Improve the health of body, mind and spirit. It is important for the family to provide essential emotional support to the patient, as it can help a long way in helping the patient preserve and persist with an untiring will to heal himself.
Dr Ruchi Saxena DhakaL, Consultant Homoeopath at Karuna Healthcare, will answer all your homoeopathic queries. Send your queries to her at drruchi@holisticswasthya.com.
Contact her at 4017511.
health bulletin Sleep Loss May Lower Testosterone
Cutting back on sleep, even for a little while, may have a dramatic effect on men’s testosterone levels. A preliminary new study published in Journal of the American Medical Association shows a week of sleep loss lowered testosterone levels by up to 15 percent in a group of healthy young men. Researchers say low testosterone levels can negatively affect men’s health in a variety of ways, in addition to affecting sexual behaviour. For example, very low testosterone levels or testosterone deficiency is associated with low energy, reduced libido,
poor concentration, and fatigue. Testosterone is also critical to building muscle mass and strength and bone density. Testosterone levels naturally decline in men aged 40 and over by about one to two percent per year. In the study, researchers compared testosterone levels in a group of 10 healthy young men after a week of normal sleep and a week of sleep loss. In the first week, the participants slept eight hours each night at home. Then they had three nights of 10-hour sleep and eight nights of five-hour sleep in a sleep laboratory. The results showed that testosterone levels decreased by 10-15 percent after the week of sleep loss compared with their rested states. This decrease in testosterone levels was also associated with a loss of vigour among the participants.
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 77
well-being
Celebrity workout with Sandesh
exercise that works!
Ball Jumping Jack
celebrity of the month
Usha Khadgi
Proprietor, UR Stylish Boutique Begin with your feet together (toes at 90 degrees), knees slightly bent and hands on the sides.
1
Weight 51 kilos Diet: Normal Nepali food for breakfast, I enjoy seasonal fruits and fresh juices. Usually have rotis for lunch and rotis, pulses and spinach for dinner. Current exercise: I do yoga twice a week. Aim: I want to get a leaner, toned look and reduce lower back pain. Medical history Underwent Caesarean section
TiPs
Bounce to open up back to the 3 Bounce your legs (little wider original position. than your shoulders) and Repeat: Eight times arms (parallel to the floor), keep your knees soft and composed during jack. Change your stance so your feet are facing the right side, lift your arms slightly above 4 your shoulder and circle both hands one over the other (clockwise) for 10 seconds. Repeat the same routine on your left side.
2
Footwork: Please ensure that you are bouncing off the ball of your feet throughout the routine (jack + speedball)
Ali Single Hand Speed Ball
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© VOW photofile/Rajiv Shrestha
Height 162.56 cms
Turn to your left side, hold the dumbbell with your left hand, lift your left hand parallel to the floor and bend at the elbow (dumbbell needs to be near your midline). • Start to circle Start with Switch your feet forward and right hand 1 your left foot 2 backward and lift the dumbbell your around the in front, feet about overhead with every alternate switch dumbbell for 10 hip width apart, (make sure your arms are aligned seconds. hold a dumbbell with the spine during the lift). • Repeat on the close to your chest. Repeat: Eight times other side.
3
Sportswear courtesy: Durbar Marg, Tel: 4221451
Back Strengthening Exercises Hollow (Core) Lie flat on your back, knees bent, feet hip width apart, hands on the sides, palms down.
1 2
Inhale, expand your chest and arch your lower back.
Exhale, push on the pelvic to flatten your lower back. Repeat: Eight times
3
Flexibility/Balance Sit on the floor with knees bent, feet shoulder width apart, keep your torso straight and slightly lean back.
1
Lower your arms, hands behind, back straight, look towards the ceiling and slightly arch your lower back and inhale.
2
• Inhale, extend your arms straight overhead to align with your spine—keep it tall. • Slowly, lean forward to extend your arms forward and exhale.
Q&A WELL–BEING I don’t like to exercise because it’s really painful. I am 22 years old, 5.2 in height and weigh 59 kilos. Though I have been controlling carbs most of the time, I haven’t lost weight. I have only been able to lose two kilos in the past three years. I want to lose at least five kilos in 5-6 months. Please advise. –Srijana Thapa Hi Srijana, according to your height-weight ratio you are approximately five kilos overweight. Your ideal weight is only one of the many factors that makes a difference in your appearance. Exercise and sensible eating benefit you in more ways than you can ever know. Exercise especially helps you gain posture, proportion and symmetry which helps you look good. Proper exercise will not only help shed excess weight, but will also make you feel better and improve your entire health. I have met many people who have disliked exercise initially but by giving it a fair chance, understood the value of it and made it a permanent part of their lives. During the initial stage some level of discomfort and pain is expected but it shouldn’t exceed to the level of extremity. Usually large volume, improper techniques and higher intensity are the culprits. Also your food needs to be healthy and balanced. It’s a big misconception that carbohydrates make you put on weight, instead carbohydrate is considered as the major nutrient in your food chart. Sedentary lifestyle and wrong food choices make you gain excess weight. Weight loss is a result of proper exercise, food and rest. Some tips: 1. Exercise regularly. 2. Find a programme that suits your goal and interest 3. Start slow and gradually increase your intensity according to your fitness level. 4. Rest properly to recover and rejuvenate (body and mind). 5. Use correct techniques and forms to maximise movement effectiveness hence the total outcome. 6. Opt for complex carbs (whole grains), they are ideal for lunch and breakfast, minimise during your dinner. 7. Increase your intake of seasonal fruits and vegetables. 8. Eat moderately and appropriate to your bodily needs.
Bring your feet and knees together and slowly lower your knees towards your right side, turn your head towards your left (exhale)—repeat the movement on your left side.
3
Straighten your legs and slowly rotate to place your left hand midline behind you with the right hand straight to your right shoulder (exhale).
4 5
Slowly lower yourself like in a push up position.
Sandesh Palungwa Limbu
a certified professional fitness instructor, founder of RAGE Fitness, also specialises in mixed martial arts. He will answer all your fitness queries. Send your queries to him at ragefitness@live.com
• Return and repeat the movement on the opposite side. subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 79
sex rules
Is Oral Sex the
“Big You Bad”? Decide
It’s always very difficult to ask and inquire about “the topic” but I have to because until I ask how I will really know or get advice? Since you are an expert on the subject of sexual health you understand that people have different types of sexual desires. The one I am going to ask, you may have already received this kind of query and made suggestions on. I know I could send this to a late-night TV programme in Nepal or in India, but I have chosen to write to you instead. Anyway let me put my dilemma here. I have a beautiful and lovely wife, but I have not been able to fulfill my sexual desire with her since we just have natural sex (vaginal intercourse). To be honest, I like oral sex and I wish she liked it Dr poonam thapa, too. Upon my request, we had oral Sexual Health Expert sex once but then she said right then that if she has to ever do it again, and Life Coach, will answer all your sexual health she will divorce me! She even asked me to go somewhere else to fulfill that queries. Send your queries to her at kind of desire. There is no possibility of anal sex either, which I dream editorial@vow.com.np and fantasise about. Actually I wanted to go to “such girls and place”, but I am equally afraid about sexually transmitted diseases. Can you suggest me some tips as to how I can convince her for both? Is oral or anal sex really dangerous? I think being a human, we should try our best to fulfill all our desires while we are still alive. In fact, I am also pretty powerful in bed but she always asks me to finish quickly… it’s like a punishment for me. So I wanted to consult an expert since a long time, but I always hesitated. I am shy as a person, but then I thought how long can I just keep this on my mind? Please help. Yes, sex is a sensitive topic and you are absolutely correct—if you don’t ask the right person and get accurate advice how will you figure it all out. I am glad you have gotten over your shyness and written to me. I have briefly dealt with the topic of oral sex in August 2010; have a look at it in the archives of the VOW website. Indeed I do understand people have all sorts of sexual desires and fantasy and there is nothing wrong with that but I am going to challenge you too in some of your line of thinking. When it comes to sex in a relationship every one of your actions is more likely to have an equal or opposite reaction and sooner or later there will be consequences—some very palatable, some not at all. So be ready for a NO. Your wife’s “no” may be based on 80 | VOW | july 2011
her own attitude to what sex within a marriage should be. For her oral sex (and anal sex more so) is abnormal and she has a right to that opinion until some such day when she changes her mind. Here is the first tip—accept her position for now; it will also make your life easier. Furthermore, just because you have a desire or fantasy does not mean you have to act out every time or every one of them or that she has to join you in the play pen! There is such a thing as a discerning adult, especially a married one. Your wife has a right to feel safe in her marriage in whatever way she deems fit. What do I mean? Here is the second tip—try and understand your own motivations. Correct me if I am wrong but the way you put forward your dilemma it seems like oral and anal sex is an unnatural desire and fantasy for you too and only to be done with “such girls” and in “such places”. Why do you then seek it within your marriage? Is it to establish control over a beautiful and lovely wife? Control is why some men are known to indulge in this type of sex and without the permission of their partner. Or is it because you have heard about it from a friend or seen it on a video so you feel you need to experiment and your wife of course is an easy vehicle? Whatever happened to that loving feeling? Have you ever thought that she may be put off by your sexual approach, technique or even hygiene habits? Because what you are really saying is that you want oral and anal sex and you feel she ought to like it. Well sex within a relationship, even in a Nepali marriage is not that simple these days. Get used to it. Oral sex is very personal and requires great trust and confidence in the partner. How much has your wife been involved in making joint sexual decisions in the marriage? How does your wife know you are not going to use the experience against her as “such women” should she give in? Some men are not unknown to turn tables on their partner when it suits them. Are you understanding what I am saying, if not reflect more. The most important tip of all is—keep the atmosphere normal in the house and start engaging your wife about sex, not demanding it. Start treating marital sex as a privilege rather than just the man’s right. You will see your wife’s attitude towards you change and a greater willingness to try new things in the bedroom. The giving and enjoyment of oral sex by a wife (or a woman) often requires a close and intimate relationship first and foremost. So stop making oral sex a project, it’s a complete put off. It’s positively manly to passionately woo a wife and be conscious of how her comfort level goes up as your own attitude towards sex changes. Oral sex between two consenting adults within a committed relationship is safe as long as there are no mouth or genital infections at the time of contact. Find ways to make your wife more amenable to doing new things like going on a date and having some fun which then could lead to sex! How about not having penetrative sex for some time? How about just stroking each other’s bodies for a few days, just gently talking and admiring each other, extending the foreplay? When the time is right find out what other position besides your so-called natural one she likes. Find out what would please her, she will eventually reciprocate? Try the woman on top position for a start. Did you know that most women orgasm better through oral sex than intercourse? Pass on this information discreetly and explore with her allowing her to peak first. Once she does, she will be more amenable. Women take longer to peak than men so why not test your power to withhold and come later? Forget the anal sex for now, most women find it very painful even with a lubricant and hate it for a variety of reasons. Inculcating sexual variety like many things in life has a learning curve. Open communication, knowledge and patience will take you a long way sooner than you think. All things said and done, if everything else is great and she is still adamant about not having oral sex in spite of your trying, respect her wishes—it is a valid state. In anger she may have asked you to visit “such girls” but it’s really your choice and decision how you wish to move ahead. subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 81
animal anecdotes
All you need to know about
seizures in pets
Many pet owners become very frustrated whenever they find seizure or seizure like symptoms in their pets. For your convenience, I have tried to incorporate every single detail about seizures so that you have enough information to manage your pet’s seizures at home. About the diagnosis Cause:
A seizure (also called a convulsion or a fit) is caused by excessive, disorganised electrical brain activity that is not consciously controllable. For example, epilepsy is one of many medical conditions that can cause seizures. There are numerous potential causes of seizures in dogs and cats. Broadly grouped, the causes of seizures include problems that are confined to the brain (intracranial causes) and generalised problems affecting the whole body, for which the “weak link,” or point through which the symptoms first manifest, is the brain (extracranial causes). Overall, the possible causes of seizures include the following:
Intracranial:
• Problems with the brain (these maybe present from birth). A common example is hydrocephalus (water in the brain). • Infections and inflammation of the brain. For example, meningitis, encephalitis. • Interference with the blood supply to brain. • Head trauma and the development of scar tissue in the brain. • Cancer developing directly from brain tissue or that has spread to the brain from cancer in another part of the body. • Unknown cause within the brain (primary epilepsy). 82 | VOW | june july 2011 2011
Extracranial:
• Exposure to certain toxins, such as when dogs or cats eat certain substances they should not. • Metabolic problems such as low blood glucose and low blood calcium. • Certain advanced forms of liver disease. • And many others .
Symptoms:
Seizures are often preceded by unusual behaviour or a mood change that can last for a few minutes to several days. This time period is called the preictal phase of a seizure and may or may not escape notice because of its subtle effects. The aura lasts for several seconds or minutes immediately before the seizure and is a period of visible behavioural change that may include hiding, attention-seeking, restlessness, whining, or howling. The actual seizure is known as ictus and can last from a few seconds to several minutes. The most common appearance includes altered consciousness or unconsciousness, falling to the ground and lying on the side of the body, rhythmic muscle contractions such as paddling/jerking/“bicycling motion” of the legs and/or “gum-chewing” motions with the jaws, salivation, urination, and occasionally defecation. There is no response to verbal commands because the animal is in an altered state of consciousness while this is happening. After a seizure, the postictal phase occurs. This is the recovery stage after the seizure. Some dogs and
cats continue to lie on their side for a few minutes, and some fall into a deep sleep. Most are disoriented and may wander around, stumbling aimlessly and restlessly. They may appear temporarily blind or deaf. These behaviours can last from a few minutes to a few hours—rarely do they persist for a day or more.
Diagnosis:
Your vet will perform a thorough physical exam and take a complete medical history from you about your pet. Your answers to the veterinarian’s questions are important in helping to determine the cause. For example, you may be asked to describe the circumstances and environment surrounding the beginning of a seizure to try to pinpoint an inciting cause. You may be asked about your pet’s behaviour before and during the seizure, your pet’s age when you noticed the first episode, the frequency of seizures, vaccination and medication history, nutrition, any potentially toxic substances in the household, and any traumatic events. These and many other questions help to confirm that what occurred truly was a seizure and not another type of intermittent event such as syncope (fainting) or neuromuscular weakness and collapse. Sometimes what appear to be seizures occur repeatedly, but the exact symptoms do not allow the veterinarian to be convinced that a seizure and not some other type of episode is occurring, especially since they may not occur in the veterinarian’s office where s/he can see them firsthand. In these situations, capturing the event either digitally or on video can be enormously helpful, and you should do this if possible. In the veterinarian’s office, an additional examination to assess the possible causes of the seizures is the neurologic exam. This is a series of simple physical manoeuvres such as shining a light in the eyes to assess the response of the pupils, checking the knee-jerk reflex by tapping on the patellar tendons, and so on. Additionally, your veterinarian may dilate the pupils of your pet’s eyes and examine the back of the eyes to look for evidence of specific causes. blood tests, such as a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and routine biochemistry panel, and a urinalysis are important in identifying both the possible sources of the seizure trigger and any damage caused by prolonged, sustained seizures. Specialised, advanced radiology tests such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) of the skull may be required. Unfortunately, these facilities are not available here in Nepal, so in many instances diagnosis is not complete.
Living with the diagnosis
A dog or a cat diagnosed with a seizure disorder may require lifelong medication, depending on the actual underlying disorder causing the seizures. Sometimes, seizures may continue to occur despite medication, and in these cases, recheck visits are important to make sure that the medication doses are adequate. It is important to keep your pet as comfortable as possible before, during, and after seizures. If you recognise a preictal phase, you can help prevent injury by not allowing your pet to go up and down steps or to jump on and off furniture, which could be hazardous if the seizure begins at that time. Keep your hands away from the mouth during a seizure to prevent being bitten; during a seizure, the animal has no conscious control or recognition and may inadvertently bite any hand that is near his/her face. The old wives’ tale of patients “choking on their own tongue” during a seizure is not true, and attempting to handle the tongue of an animal during a seizure poses a great risk of bite injury to the human and no benefit to the animal. Talking calmly and softly to your dog or cat may help smooth the recovery. Your veterinarian may ask you to describe the event. It is helpful to write down in detail what you see. Include the length of time, specific behaviours, time of day, and possible precipitating events.
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to find the cause of seizures and eliminate it. This is possible in some cases and not others, depending on the specific underlying disorder that is causing the seizures. For example, lead poisoning, liver disease, meningitis, and
many other diseases can be treated with medications that reduce or eliminate the cause itself, making seizures less likely to occur. On the other hand, brain tumours that are inoperable will continue to cause seizures because the underlying cause cannot be removed. In these cases, treatment with drugs that make seizures less likely to happen (anticonvulsant drugs) should be considered. Seizures that occur so frequently that the dog or cat does not regain consciousness between them are called status epilepticus. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate emergency treatment. If a seizure lasts for five minutes or more, take your pet to your veterinarian or to the closest veterinary emergency centre. Seizure activity lasting 20 minutes or longer can cause permanent damage to neurons in the brain as well as serious problems throughout the body. For seizures that occur occasionally, the cause is treated if it can be determined, as mentioned above. If a specific cause cannot be determined, oral anticonvulsant medication can be given to help reduce the number, frequency, and length of seizures. This treatment is not a cure. It is important to understand that seizures may still occur, regular blood tests are required to measure the level of the medication, and medication may be required for the rest of the pet’s life. Nevertheless, a seizure is not painful, and the frequency of seizures may decrease over time. Some animals have one seizure and then never have another for the rest of their lives. Therefore, with proper medical attention, a good quality of life is possible with many or most pets with seizures.
Signs to watch for
Signs of general illness: weakness, lethargy, decreased appetite, weight loss, hiding more than usual, aggressiveness, or other behaviour changes. A new onset of these may point to the underlying cause of the seizures and should be reported to your veterinarian. Signs that a seizure may occur: subtle mood or behaviour changes, restlessness, pacing, whining, and seeking attention.
Routine Follow-Up
Follow-up visits are required to assess the response to anticonvulsant medication and to measure the level of the drug in the blood. The level is measured each time that a new medication is started and if the dosage is changed.
Dr Saroj Yadav,
senior veterinarian at Animal Hospital and Research Centre, Subidhanagar, will answer all your pet queries. Email your questions to sarojyadav641@hotmail.com Contact him at 4480005
Q&A PET My pet dog is a cross between a Labrador and a Lhasa Apso. She is highly energetic, loves eating raw vegetables, is good mannered and is loved by all of us. However, her frequency of urinating is something that has been troubling all of us. Sometimes she pees every five minutes, and although well-trained, she doesn’t seem to pee only at a certain place. She just lets herself loose anywhere—stairs, doormats, sofa, and once she even peed on my brother’s bed. We are trying our best to understand her signs and take her to one designated place for excretion, but she doesn’t seem to learn at all. Please help. She is six months old. – Santoshi Dhungana During hormonal changes some pets may show the symptoms of urinary incontinence. But there are some congenital defects as well that may show some signs that you have mentioned in your question. Therefore, I would like to suggest you to visit your vet for a definite diagnosis, and proper medication should be recommended. subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 83
quiz and polls
l a u t i r i HowSp Are You? e’s u think you are? Her yo do t ha w — al tu Spiritual or not spiri y devised by personality inventor a m fro d te ap ad author a test Robert Cloninger, t ris at hi yc ps ity rs swer Washington Unive l-being. Sincerely an el W of e nc ie Sc e out the of Feeling Good: Th ue or false and find tr e ar s er sw an g in whether the follow dwelling in you! level of spirituality
1
I often feel so connected to the people around me that it is like there is no separation between us.
6
a. True b. False
2
I often do things to help protect animals and plants from extinction.
a. True b. False
7
a. True b. False
3
I am fascinated by the many things in life that cannot be scientifically explained.
4
a. True b. False
5
I sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems to be part of one living organism. a. True b. False
Sometimes I have felt like I was part of something with no limits or boundaries in time and space. a. True b. False
8
a. True b. False
Often I have unexpected flashes of insight or understanding while relaxing.
I seem to have a “sixth sense” that sometimes allows me to know what is going to happen.
I am often called “absentminded” because I get so wrapped up in what I am doing that I lose track of everything else. a. True b. False
9
I often feel a strong sense of unity with all the things around me.
10
Even after thinking about something a long time, I have learned to trust my feelings more than my logical reasons.
I often feel a strong spiritual or emotional connection with all the people around me. a. True b. False
12
Often when I am concentrating on something, I lose awareness of the passage of time. a. True b. False
13
I have made real personal sacrifices in order to make the world a better place, like trying to prevent war, poverty and injustice. a. True b. False
14
a. True b. False
a. True b. False 84 | VOW | july 2011
11
I have had experiences that made my role in life so clear to me that I felt very happy and excited. a. True b. False
15
I believe that I have experienced extrasensory perception. a. True b. False
16
I have had moments of great joy in which I suddenly had a clear, deep feeling of oneness with all that exists. a. True b. False
17
Often when I look at an ordinary thing, something wonderful happens. I get the feeling that I am seeing it fresh for the first time. a. True b. False
18
I love the blooming of flowers in the spring as much as seeing an old friend again.
19
It often seems to other people like I am in another world because I am so completely unaware of things going on around me.
a. True b. False
a. True b. False
20
I believe that miracles happen. a. True b. False
Yoga Boot Camp Dance/ Zumba/ Salsa Kick Boxing Pilates Aerobics Martial Arts
a) 26%
f ) 16%
b) 3%
e) 10% d) 10%
c) 29%
QUESTION
Give yourself one point for each TRUE answer and 0
desired.
: A practical empiricist lacking self-transcendence. : Highly sceptical, resistant to developing spiritual awareness.
a. b. c. d. e. f. g.
g) 6%
The poll was conducted among 100 individuals who regularly exercise and are members of a gym.
SCORING points for each FALSE answer. 14 and above: Highly spiritual, a real mystic. 12-13 : Spiritually aware, easily lost in the moment. 8-11 : Spiritually average, could develop more spiritual life if 6-7 1-5
Which one of these is your favourite fitness class?
Source: The Time Magazine
As summer kicks in, are you jetting off for a vacation? a. b. c. d.
Yes! I’m taking a vacation, but I am not flying. I’m all about ‘staycation’ this summer. I haven’t decided yet.
Voice your opinion in our poll and make your choice count. Send your answers to editorial@vow.com.np or simply log on to website www.vownepal.com
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 85
spices Hamro Team on air
The much anticipated television series Hamro Team was formally launched at Hotel Yak & Yeti on 7 June. Directed by Bhusan Dahal, it's a story about the power of people coming together to achieve a common goal. Hamro Team is the Nepali version of The Team, an episodic drama produced by Search for Common Ground, Common Ground Productions and local partners in more than 10 countries around the world. Speaking at the launching ceremony, Eelum Dixit, one of the lead actors of the series said, "Hamro Team is an entertaining show despite being cause-driven." The 13-episode-long series is being aired every Thursday at 9 pm on Kantipur Television starting 9 June.
The Indian Cultural Centre presents Charya Dances
The Indian Cultural Centre on 10 June organised a beautiful evening of Charya Dances, a traditional genre of meditated dance and music linked to Buddhist tantric rituals, at Bal Mandir. Dancers Rajendra Shrestha, Meena Bajracharya and Raju Shakya, assisted by Rupkamal Chhetri and Dinesh KC on vocals and Macharaja Maharjan on drums enthralled the audience with their brilliant art performance.
Bhaikaji Manandhar's 'Behind Closed Doors'
Maurice Herzog – Harka Gurung Mt Annapurna Marathon held
Western Region Development Committee and District Sports Development Committee, Kaski in memory of Maurice Herzog, the first person to ascend Mt Annapurna on 3 June,1950 and Dr Harka Bahadur Gurung, the first tourism minister of Nepal. The winners were awarded with cash prizes.
Tirtha Bahadur Tamang of Nepal Army and Yangdi Lama Sherpa, three times winner of Everest Marathon of Solukhumbu, won the First Annapurna Traditional thangkas art Marathon in men and women's categories exhibition respectively on 3 June. The high elevation marathon kicked off from Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) to Dhampus in Kaski district. The 42.195 km race was jointly organised by Adventure Sports Tourism Society, Pokhara Tourism Council, Nepal Trekking Association, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Western Hotel Association, Sanctuary Tourism Association, Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon, Lali Gurans Youth Club, The Nepal Foundation of Buddhist Himalayan Expedition, Annapurnas News, Traditional Fine Arts exhibited a collection of traditional thangkas by Ale Lame and Phurnamgyal Moktan. The exhibition was put up at Bhrikuti Mandap on 6 May on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti. Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma, Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, inaugurated the event.
The Glass Menagerie: A treat for theatre lovers
On Eelum Dixit's direction, 'The Glass Menagerie' a play written by Tennessee Williams, was staged at the Kamalmani Theatre in support of the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre from 10 till 19 June. With each of the actors fitting into their characters articulately, the play was a treat for all theatre lovers. Along with Eelum, the director and one of the casts of the play, were Riva Thapa, Shristi Ghimire and Arpan Khanal. 86 | VOW | july 2011
The Park Gallery organised a solo painting exhibition titled 'Behind Closed Doors' by emerging artist Bhaikaji Manandhar (Bishal) on 5 June. Bishal showcased ancient locks and keys in his paintings. Pratima Pande, Director of Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust and President of Nepal British Society inaugurated the exhibition by opening the gallery's door locked with bhote talcha which is an old style traditional lock of Nepal. The exhibition continued till 19 June.
Art on the streets
From the east and the west of Nepal: The Gandharva Musicians
Artudio and Image School on 4 June completed their art work outside the walls of Hotel Himalaya. The street art event 'WE MAKE THE NATION' is a team of facebook based art and photography promoting platform with a group of young artists and photographers. Their aim is to create clean, and creative historic piece of art work over unwanted political slogans.
The Gandharvas encapture you with their sarangis, their voices, maadal and the stories they tell through their songs. Such was the soiree, on 21 May at the Yala Maya Kendra where the Hri Institute for South Asian Research and Exchange had organised 'Music on the Move'. The Gandharvas had come all the way to Kathmandu to perform, from the eastern and the western parts of Nepal.
Mike Lilly's Save the Animals and Help the Children
Animal Nepal and Pledge Nepal organised a solo exhibition titled 'Save the Animals and Help the Children' by Mike Lilly, an American artist on 8 June at Chai Chai Gallery. His works on display highlight the interaction between humans and animals. Kevin Rushing (PhD), Mission Director, USAID inaugurated the exhibition. All the proceeds from the sale of the paintings will go to Animal Nepal and Sangkalpa (The Pledge)—an educational programme set up for disadvantaged children. The exhibition will continue till 4 July.
Bleak employment and selfemployment opportunities
On 2 June, Dr Robert Monro, country director of British Council Nepal, presented a report on the Youth Survey of Nepal to Hit Bahadur Tamang, Minister of Youth
at a programme organised by British Council in Hotel Radisson. The survey conducted by British Council in association with Association of Youth Organisation Nepal (AYON) reports a bleak situation on employment and self-employment opportunities for the Nepali youths— specifically from Kathmandu, Rolpa, Siraha and Bhajhang where the survey was conducted.
Extending a helping hand: HRDC
After working quietly towards the betterment of physically challenged children, Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC), celebrated its 26 years of service. To mark the occasion, it organised a fundraising cum awareness event 'Let the Children Walk 2011' at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza on 27 May. Over 42,000 children have benefited from HRDC's medical capacity already, and despite being located in Kavre, HRDC sets up medical camps in different parts of the country every month to aid children who cannot make it to the main hospital.
The Nepal Ice Youth Icon 2011
The Nepal Ice Youth Icon 2011 was organised by Media Land at Rastriya Naach Ghar on 11 June. With 30 participants who underwent training for 18 days, this was yet another pageant where the participating youths—both men and women—were at their best. Richa Thapa won the title of Youth Icon 2011 and took away the cash prize of Rs 50,000. subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 87
spices Celebrating Fulbright in Nepal
Natural disasters on installation art
USEF-Nepal organised an exhibition titled 'Celebrating Fulbright in Nepal' at Siddhartha Art Gallery from 7 to 21 June. The show brought together the diverse artworks of 12 former US and Nepali Fulbright grantees including Ashmina Ranjit, Kathryn Meyers, Kripa Joshi, Lain Singh Bangdel and others, whose pieces represent the richness of the education exchange between the United States and Nepal. Scott H DeLisi, ambassador of the United States inaugurated the exhibition.
An art installation exhibition depicting the tales of natural disasters resembling the flood of Brazil and the earthquake of Japan was organised by Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Centre from 5 to12 June. The exhibition was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Britain, John Tucknott MBE. The installation art on display was the exertion of Michelle Hall holding the theme 'Mother Earth'.
Lead of fusion: A solo show
Rainbow over Mumbai: A documentary on seven Nepali stellar
Designer Collection (DC) organised a solo show for fashion designer Bishwo Gautam, also the proprietor and managing director of DC on 9 June at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza. The event aimed at promoting his brand Designer Collection in the Nepali fashion market along with bringing awareness about fashion.
The Embassy of India presented a documentary that explores the successful journey of seven iconic Nepalis in the art vista of Mumbai. The film was on saxophonist, the Late Manohari Singh, painter, Laxman Shrestha, glamour photographer, Rakesh Shrestha, singer, Udit Narayan Jha, camera artist, Basant Karmacharya, actor, Manisha Koirala and art director, Anjan Gajurel. The movie was a tribute to the late saxophonist Manohari Singh, who had played many RD and SD Burman's compositions like, gata rahe mera dil… from the movie, Guide. Journalist and documentary maker Shekhar Kharel, after spending almost a year on researching, put Rainbow over Mumbai beautifully together to give the feel of Mumbai. The film was screened at Kumari Hall on 3 June.
Environment ay special
Empowering beauticians
Robeus International in coordination with former Miss Nepal and beautician, Ruby Rana organised a workshop on 23 April at DECC Hall. The one day seminar talked about the essence of health, wealth and beauty empowering hundreds of beauticians who were all ears. Ace makeup artist Sophie supported Ruby Rana with theatre and model makeup. The chief guest of the event was senior beautician Chinu Gurung from Pokhara.
SCWEC participation in Delhi SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs Council Members of Nepal - Pramila Acharya Rijal, Shanti Chadha, Maggie Shah and Shreejana Rana participated in the conference, SCWEC Product Quality Improvement Certifications in the Handicrafts, Textiles and Food sectors organised by Chamber and Advisory Network and Cooperation for Women Entrepreneurs, GIZ from 4 - 6 June in New Delhi.
88 | VOW | july 2011
I AM screened
Blue Diamond Society organised the showing of the film, I AM directed by Anirban Onir at Rastriya Naach Ghar on 5 June. The film is a fusion of stories where the protagonists share a common dream—a desire to regain their lives, to regain an identity which has been taken away from them. Nandita Das, Purab Kohli, Manisha Koirala, Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Suri and Rahul Bose play the central characters of the film.
©VOW photofile/Sanchit/Nibendra/Sanu/Shankar
Children for Green New Nepal (CGNN) in collaboration with Alliance Francaise organised a three-day environment film festival, massive awareness rally and art competition/exhibition around Patan Durbar Square from 3 to 5 June. The main objective of the programme was to raise awareness and sensitise the local community about environmental issues.
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 89
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Bisque d` écrevisses
Fish Bisque – Soup
• Saute cray fish and mirepoix in oil. • Add tomato paste and continue sauteing. • Flame with brandy. • Add rice flour and stir. • Add wine. • Add fish stock, tomato concasse, tarragon and seasoning. • Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. • Remove tails from cray fish. • Pound carcasses and put back in soup. • Simmer for 45 minutes. • Strain through cheesecloth. • Add cream and adjust seasoning. • Garnish with diced cray fish meat
Serves 10 Peanut oil Sweet water crayfish White mirepoix Tomato paste 5/1 Brandy Rice flour White wine Fish stock Tomato concasse Tarragon fresh Cream
5 cl 110 g 100 g 30 g 2 cl 60 g 5 cl 2 ltr 100 g 10 g 2 dl
Note:for fish stock use fish bone and rough cut fish and add rough cuts aromatic vegetable and boil for long time around 2hrs for the concasse – blanch tomato and take out the skins and seeds and fine chopped then sauté onion , garlic, fresh herbs with butter / oil and add the chopped tomato and add remaining water during the boiling time balance. Season it with salt, pepper. Culinary journey started from India (Chennai) Worked in various Hotels such as Sheraton, Park Plaza,Park Inn in India The Kohinoor – under Fabulous Paradise SDN.BHD- Malaysia Executive Sous Chef in Soaltee Crowne Plaza Kathmandu,Nepal
Yuba Raj Pokhrel, Chef
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The King’s Speech Director: Tom Hooper Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter Genre: Drama There is nothing but the best one can expect from actors of such calibre as Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. The King’s Speech reaches out to the audience and does not fail to grab their attention throughout the entire period, not letting the viewer meander from the plot even once. Colin Firth cast as King George VI lets us feel his pain, embarrassment, fear and ultimately triumph in his struggle against the speech impediment that plagues him all his life. After his father King George V’s death and the abdication by Edward VIII in order to marry Wallis Simpson, Bertie (Colin Firth) is now the King who must lead his country. The film is about the journey of a man, and not just any man but a leader, who knows he needs more than what little confidence he has to lead his country. His wife Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) is witty and observant, taking Bertie from one renowned therapist to the next until she brings him to Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an unconventional speech therapist. Logue assists the resisting Bertie and eventually helps him surpass the fear that has been holding him captive.
music
Seasons of My Soul Artist: Rumer Genre: Jazz, Soul
“The world needs my songs,” Rumer said sometime in 2004. It was in 2010 that her debut single, Slow, became the record of the week on BBC Radio 2; it was then that the world started believing her. Born Sarah Joyce, the half-British half-Pakistani singer-songwriter, has music greats like Sir Elton John and Burt Bacharach praising her. Her album Seasons of My Soul is a compilation of 11 beautiful tracks, including her single Aretha which is now on the BBC Radio 2 A-List. Her beautiful voice, likened to “melting chocolate” and “Karen Carpenter” by The Telegraph, captivates the listeners among who is the former deputy prime minister of UK, John Prescott, who tweeted, “She sang only one song but it moved me.” So maybe it is time for Rumer on your stereo.
Sula
Author: Toni Morrison From the black community of Bottom where people live each day, not as a step towards a future but simply as a means to forget about the past and endure the present, emerges Sula. She contradicts all that Bottom is, a place where people are more than happy to follow the rigid social conventions and shun those that defy them. She finds a friend in Nel, who comes from a strictly conventional family, and with whom she grows close in spite of the differences in their home and character. But one fateful incident later, they begin to drift apart. Nel settles into domestic life after her marriage and Sula leaves town. She returns after 10 years amidst talks about her promiscuity. She is regarded as the face of evil for her unconventional and wild life which is cemented as she embarks on an affair with Nel’s husband. The people come together in their distrust and hatred for her which ironically improves their lives. The peace comes undone after Sula’s death. This is the second novel of the award-winning writer whose other best known novels are Beloved and Song of Solomon. subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 91
Man of
words!
Kali Prasad Rijal, Lyricist/Poet 92 | VOW | july 2011
In the beginning of the interview, this popular poetcum-lyricist seemed solemn and rigid—only answering a line, and no more. But as our conversation progressed, he grew animated and I caught glimpses of how this veteran lyricist might have conversed with his friend Sur Samrat Narayan Gopal, with whom he had worked closely for many years. Kali Prasad Rijal went on to share with me the tales of his musical journey—of how he, as a 13-year-old boy straight from Dharan, wanted to make a career singing for Radio Nepal, and how he became what he is now—a poet and a lyricist who has won the hearts of many millions; today a living legend. Excerpts... My musical journey…
I would credit my mother’s love of poems by great poets like Lekhnath Poudel, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Bal Krishna Sama and Siddhi Charan Shrestha for getting me interested in poetry and music. I was already writing poems and then songs by the age of eight. I was singing in competitions held in my home town, Dharan, and in Biratnagar. It was after I completed my SLC that I decided to come to Kathmandu, which was a rare thing to do at that time because most people preferred to go to India as it was an easier option. Actually I came to Kathmandu with the sole intent of working as a singer in Radio Nepal and also to meet the poets whose great works I had read as a child. But when I finally met them, the course of my life changed—I no longer wanted to sing or write songs… poetry was the predominant force, and I began writing poetry. I continued with my studies in commerce while still writing poems and publishing them in papers, and then went to Benaras for my post graduation in economics. It was when I was back in Kathmandu and working in the
Department of Information that I first met the great maestro, Narayan Gopal. He had read my poems and came to meet me when he learnt that I worked there. We talked about a lot of things—he even asked my opinion on some songs. Initially, he was surprised to find my opinion more technical rather than general. I specifically told him how a different beat could have improved the song, and where the lyrics could have been stronger. I later told him that I was not a novice to music; that’s when he requested me to write him a song, and that completely put me in a fix. It was almost 20 years that I had stopped writing lyrics and I felt I could not do it again. But I gave it a try anyway, and wrote Aankha chhopee narou bhani bhannu parya chha, and just in case he didn’t like it, I also wrote Jhareko paat jhain bhayo. I was hoping Narayan Gopal would forget about it, but the next time we met, he promptly asked me for the song and I very hesitantly handed over both the songs to him. He read it a few times and left without saying a word. Five days later, he came and handed me a cassette and asked me to listen to it. At home, I realised that he had sung my songs—both of them. And the rest is history.
The music industry – then and now…
There is a lot of difference between working with the likes of Narayan Gopal and Nati Kaji, and the younger generation today. I wouldn’t say there is less talent and ardour for art in today’s generation, but I guess artists today have too many conveniences. For example, in the older days, recording was done live—one little mistake either by the singer or the musician and the whole thing had to be done all over again, but now one can record a song at one’s own pace and convenience. Nevertheless, the biggest difference is that for the artists of the past, music was not about making money or earning a livelihood—there was nothing materialistic…music was sheer passion.
At present, the industry has become a money-churning machine; it’s not about pure art anymore. It’s funny how today people come to me and say they want romantic songs, something catchy that would sell well.
So I doubt if anyone would want to sing Aankha chhopi narou if I had composed it today. It is understandable that we need the market, but creativity should never be sidelined.
Lyrics is the key…
The most important component of a
song has to be its lyrics—at least it is for me. Of course, the whole package—from music to its arrangement to the voice of the singer—has to be good, but it is the words that catch my attention. Unless a song has captivating lyrics, I ignore the song totally—whether it’s a folk song, a filmy number, a gazal or dohori. I love songs with solid lyrics.
A lyricist’s sensitivity…
One needs a sensitive heart to be able to feel and look at things from a different perspective. Whatever is happening in and around me inspire me to write. For example, news about a Nepali dying in an Arab country haunts me…it inspires me to write about what hopes and dreams he might have had, what might be the condition of his family, what thoughts might have been playing in his mind… everything touches me, moves me. I must credit my mother and her love for poetry for instilling this sensitivity in me.
I can’t imagine my life without music…
I was very young when my association with music started, so it is impossible to imagine my life without it. I would say that music is a part of me—an invaluable, indispensable part. It is therapeutic for me—instantly making me feel better when I am down. I love listening to songs irrespective of the mood I am in.
My greatest achievement…
The love of my listeners and the satisfaction I get after I do good work are my greatest achievements. I am my first critic and when I actually feel satisfied with my work, I feel elated.
Kali Prasad Rijal's list of popular songs Kehi mitho bata gara… Maya garneko chhokho maya… Aankha chhopee naraou… Jhareko paat jhain bhayo… Ma ta chupachap... Kahan gayo... Pardesh jane dai... Tadhaibata khali... Phul phulechha... Malai timi... Manma bolun bolun... Jaba dharti... Chhadi gae..
Text» Pramila Rai Photo» Sanu Raja Maharjan subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 93
new spark
new spark KFC adds veggies & more!
A shop with a story
“ChangeFusion Nepal ChangeFusion Nepal has now opened et is a platform for outl The Outlet-A Shop with a Story”. sell their products. and ote prom to s neur six social entrepre eco-friendly bags and Pushpa Basnet sells products such as children. Narayan Giri their and dolls made by female prisoners thereby providing a , offer to ucts prod al from Karnali has herb and Urmila Shrestha market for local farmers. Rita Shrestha deals in handmade i sell Newari craft works. Renuka Regm s Nepali paper case show stha Shre products, while Karuna products. Baber Mahal Revisited y Open: 11am to 7pm, Sunday to Frida Tel: 4265051
KFC has introduced a new set of foods and drinks to its menu card—so it’s no more about meat and more meat for all you KFC lovers. The six new items are-- chilled Iconic Krushers, Rizo Rice with Rizo Gravy, Veg Zinger burger, Boxmaster and Choc Amor. So all you veggies who have avoided KFC, can now change your mind. Annapurna Arcade, Durbar Marg Open: 11am to 11pm, seven days a week Tel: 4226287
All roads lead to Rome
And now, Civil Apartmen ts
©VOW photofile/Sanu Raja Maharjan
As Dashain nears, Civil Homes has launched a pro ject called “Civil Apartments ”; these apartments are to be located in Dhapakhel, Lal itpur. The project promo ters say that despite being close to the city, the apartment s would be an oasis of “serenity and calm”. Bookings are now open Civil Complex, (head offi ce), Soalteemode Open: 10am to 5pm Tel: 4030623
ious lasagne? Want to surprise your family with delic s not only offer du man Kath in ) (DA Dante Allighieri uage lang an cooking classes but also courses on Itali and art nises orga also (with PLIDA certification); it ns bitio exhi art erts, conc vals, festi music seminars, film ote prom to is idea as well as wine -tasting evenings. The try. coun n alaya Him Italian language and culture in this Laxmi Bank lane, Within Help/ Nepal NGO premises, Baluwatar y Open: 10am to 5pm, Monday to Frida Tel: 4421800
Lucky Ace opens in Nepal
The premium brand, Lucky Ace (LA ), is now here in town for all those who love fashion and style. LA supplies to high-street bran ds like Aldo and retailers like JC Penn y. At LA, don’t get surprised when you find clothes that you saw Blake Lively wearing in the “Gossip Girls” series or outfits that you came across in inter national magazines! All products are within the range of Rs 900 to 2,500. Teendhara, Pathshala, Durbar Marg Open: 11am to 8pm, seven days a week 94 | VOW | june 2011
Text» Samridhi Rana
star signs
What the stars tell you about your
Each sign rules a body part and these body parts are responsive to particular types of behaviour. So if you want to stimulate their best senses, take a peek at the list below and feel free to be creative!
Aries (21 Mar – 19 Apr)
This feisty sign is tough to settle down, but since Aries rules the head and the face, touching them in these areas is a good way to get their attention, whether you’re saying goodnight for the first time or you want to reignite their desire for you. Oh, and don’t be shy. They love boldness.
Taurus (20 Apr – 20 May)
Taurus rules the throat and the nape of the neck, but this is the sign that has an absolute mastery over sensuality, so touching in general is just fine too. If you’re really interested, ask your Taurus friend to reach out and show you what they know.
Gemini (21 May – 20 Jun)
Seducing a Gemini isn’t a simple process, but they’re such creative lovers, it’s worth the effort. Once you’ve fascinated their quicksilver brain, you’ll need to get them to quieten down. Once they’re paying attention to you, you should pay attention to their hands.
Cancer (21 Jun – 22 Jul)
This tender-hearted sign will be touched by soft, gentle touches—no pun intended—anywhere. But since Cancer rules the breasts and the abdomen, keep 96 | VOW | june 2011
in mind that they’re probably ticklish. Do with that info what you will...
Sagittarius (22 Nov – 21 Dec)
Leo rules the heart, so your mission is to raise their heart rate when you’re around. You’ll know you’ve gotten to them if you notice they’re breathing heavy and locking their gaze on you.
Sag rules the thighs—which, of course, leads to many wild imaginings in the field of romance. If you’re out to keep them satisfied, don’t skip any workouts. They love to laugh—sometimes even at inappropriate times. They’re definitely not boring!
Virgo (23 Aug – 22 Sep)
Capricorn (22 Dec – 19 Jan)
Leo (23 Jul – 22 Aug)
There’s a very sensitive area on the Virgo body, on their side just above the hips. Rub your fingers smoothly across this area of their sensitive bodies and the rest will be history...
Libra (23 Sep – 22 Oct)
Capricorn rules the knees, and that spot just behind them that’s been written about in every woman’s magazine for years. Caress that spot and they’ll loosen up nicely. This sign specialises in endurance.
Aquarius (20 Jan – 18 Feb)
Librans like nothing better than to be romanced, sweet-talked, and made to feel like they’re the only ones on Earth. They love to make love too, and they’ll be more than happy to accommodate, especially if you touch their hips and hold them against you.
What could possibly be sexy about ankles? That’s for them to know and you to find out—and rest assured that they’re not shy, so you’ll most certainly find out. Oh, and they like to be different, so this affair definitely won’t be lacklustre.
Scorpio (23 Oct – 21 Nov)
Pisces (19 Feb – 20 Mar)
How do you seduce a Scorpio? You don’t, usually. They seduce you from the first moment they lay eyes on you. If you want to keep them, however, you need to be an extremely sexual creature. Better double up on your vitamins!
Pisces rules the feet, so giving them a nice, sensual foot rub—while their favourite music is playing, of course—is the best way to get up close and personal with your Pisces. And don’t forget the candles.
subscribe online: www.vownepal.com | VOW | 97