From September 26-28, Kathmandu Valley experienced its highest rainfall in fifty-four years, leading to catastrophic floods and landslides. The death toll reached 219, with many missing. Destruction affected homes and infrastructure, prompting rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Organizations like HAMI NEPAL are mobilizing support and donations for affected communities.
Tiger Mountain Pokhara offers stunning views of the Annapurna range and serves as an ideal accommodation for trekkers and triathletes alike. The lodge encourages disconnection from technology, promoting deep conversations and appreciation for nature. Guests enjoy farm-to-table meals and breathtaking scenery, creating a unique and memorable experience in a historic setting.
ASC360 offers essential travel insurance for adventurers in Nepal, covering high-altitude treks like Everest Base Camp and Mera Peak. They provide cashless emergency evacuations, medical coverage for altitude sickness, and local partnerships for effective rescue operations. Their plans prioritize rapid claims, ensuring safety and confidence in rugged terrains.
Bhutan, known as the "Land of the Thunder Dragon," captivates visitors with its breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and hospitality. A trip from Nepal offers stunning Himalayan views and a unique blend of tradition and modernity in cities like Thimphu and Punakha. Hiking to the iconic Tiger's Nest Monastery is a must, alongside experiencing Bhutan’s vibrant nightlife and delectable cuisine, making it a memorable destination.
The author's recent two-week trek to Mera Peak, guided by Thamserku, was both challenging and rewarding. Despite the relentless rain and tough climbs, the journey offered stunning views and warm hospitality from local tea houses. The summit at 6,474m was exhilarating yet exhausting, culminating in a helicopter ride back to Lukla for a celebratory day.
The Five Films for Freedom event in Kathmandu showcased LGBTQIA+ stories through selected short films, including Dragfox and ARKESTA. Curated by the host, the event featured discussions with speakers about storytelling and representation. The turnout of over a hundred attendees highlighted the need for greater visibility and creation of queer cinema in Nepal.
LOUD OUT 2025, the UK’s premier Nepali music festival, returns to Rushmoor Arena on August 30. From 1 PM to 10 PM, expect a vibrant celebration featuring top Nepali artists like Bipul Chettri and Sabin Rai. Enjoy street food, beer, and community atmosphere. Tickets are limited; secure yours now!
The audio streaming platform SPOTIFY only launched in Nepal in February 2021 but listeners have been busy! Spotify exclusively shared that "Nepal has listened...
The Sustainable Startup and Entrepreneurship Conference 2025, organized by MIT Group Foundation and UNDO, focused on diaspora investments in Nepal's sustainable economy. Key discussions highlighted the need for skill development and mentoring within Nepal. The Future Roots Award recognized innovative startups, underscoring the potential for further diaspora collaboration in fostering economic growth.
Over 60% of Nepal's terrain is hilly, increasing landslide risks. The Pratibaddha II initiative aims to strengthen disaster response by utilizing bio-engineering strategies for slope stabilization while fostering community collaboration. My visit to Lamche Dhunga highlighted successful local efforts, supportive technology, and ongoing projects addressing natural disaster preparedness and community resilience.
Dr. Chitra Mabo's MUKKUMLUNG recently concluded its nineteen-day performance at Shilpee Theatre, showcasing the Kirati people's traditions through a community-driven narrative. The play highlights the conflict between indigenous preservation and commercial development, urging a recognition of the cultural significance of sacred sites like Mukkumlung. Development must respect indigenous connections to the land.
From September 26-28, Kathmandu Valley experienced its highest rainfall in fifty-four years, leading to catastrophic floods and landslides. The death toll reached 219, with many missing. Destruction affected homes and infrastructure, prompting rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Organizations like HAMI NEPAL are mobilizing support and donations for affected communities.
From September 26-28, Kathmandu Valley experienced its highest rainfall in fifty-four years, leading to catastrophic floods and landslides. The death toll reached 219, with many missing. Destruction affected homes and infrastructure, prompting rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Organizations like HAMI NEPAL are mobilizing support and donations for affected communities.
Tiger Mountain Pokhara offers stunning views of the Annapurna range and serves as an ideal accommodation for trekkers and triathletes alike. The lodge encourages disconnection from technology, promoting deep conversations and appreciation for nature. Guests enjoy farm-to-table meals and breathtaking scenery, creating a unique and memorable experience in a historic setting.
ASC360 offers essential travel insurance for adventurers in Nepal, covering high-altitude treks like Everest Base Camp and Mera Peak. They provide cashless emergency evacuations, medical coverage for altitude sickness, and local partnerships for effective rescue operations. Their plans prioritize rapid claims, ensuring safety and confidence in rugged terrains.
Bhutan, known as the "Land of the Thunder Dragon," captivates visitors with its breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and hospitality. A trip from Nepal offers stunning Himalayan views and a unique blend of tradition and modernity in cities like Thimphu and Punakha. Hiking to the iconic Tiger's Nest Monastery is a must, alongside experiencing Bhutan’s vibrant nightlife and delectable cuisine, making it a memorable destination.
The author's recent two-week trek to Mera Peak, guided by Thamserku, was both challenging and rewarding. Despite the relentless rain and tough climbs, the journey offered stunning views and warm hospitality from local tea houses. The summit at 6,474m was exhilarating yet exhausting, culminating in a helicopter ride back to Lukla for a celebratory day.
The trek to Tilicho Lake through Manang Village offers stunning landscapes, challenging terrains, and memorable experiences. Starting in Kathmandu, the journey includes scenic drives, acclimatization treks, and visits to Chingdi Lake and Green Lake. The completion of the trek is rewarding, culminating in a return to Kathmandu after a fulfilling adventure.
The Five Films for Freedom event in Kathmandu showcased LGBTQIA+ stories through selected short films, including Dragfox and ARKESTA. Curated by the host, the event featured discussions with speakers about storytelling and representation. The turnout of over a hundred attendees highlighted the need for greater visibility and creation of queer cinema in Nepal.
LOUD OUT 2025, the UK’s premier Nepali music festival, returns to Rushmoor Arena on August 30. From 1 PM to 10 PM, expect a vibrant celebration featuring top Nepali artists like Bipul Chettri and Sabin Rai. Enjoy street food, beer, and community atmosphere. Tickets are limited; secure yours now!
The audio streaming platform SPOTIFY only launched in Nepal in February 2021 but listeners have been busy! Spotify exclusively shared that "Nepal has listened...
The Sustainable Startup and Entrepreneurship Conference 2025, organized by MIT Group Foundation and UNDO, focused on diaspora investments in Nepal's sustainable economy. Key discussions highlighted the need for skill development and mentoring within Nepal. The Future Roots Award recognized innovative startups, underscoring the potential for further diaspora collaboration in fostering economic growth.
Over 60% of Nepal's terrain is hilly, increasing landslide risks. The Pratibaddha II initiative aims to strengthen disaster response by utilizing bio-engineering strategies for slope stabilization while fostering community collaboration. My visit to Lamche Dhunga highlighted successful local efforts, supportive technology, and ongoing projects addressing natural disaster preparedness and community resilience.
Dr. Chitra Mabo's MUKKUMLUNG recently concluded its nineteen-day performance at Shilpee Theatre, showcasing the Kirati people's traditions through a community-driven narrative. The play highlights the conflict between indigenous preservation and commercial development, urging a recognition of the cultural significance of sacred sites like Mukkumlung. Development must respect indigenous connections to the land.
From September 26-28, Kathmandu Valley experienced its highest rainfall in fifty-four years, leading to catastrophic floods and landslides. The death toll reached 219, with many missing. Destruction affected homes and infrastructure, prompting rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Organizations like HAMI NEPAL are mobilizing support and donations for affected communities.
The Anmol Effect is already happening! The first song release from his next film CAPTAIN is already trending on YouTube. The superstar will be seen in the character of a footballer in the film by Diwakar Bhattarai. Keeping it in the family, Captain is produced by Bhuwan KC. Anmol is starring in the film alongside Upasana Singh Thakuri and Priyanka MV. The first release from the film is the song by Sugam Pokharel and Anju Panta where the KC is seen falling in love with Upasana.
Captain stars Sunil Thapa, Saroj Khanal, Prashant Tamrakar Wilson Bikram Rai, Rajaram Paudel, Surya Mala Khanal, Buddhi Tamang, Amit Shrestha and more. Anmol was last seen in the film KRI alongside Aditi Budhathoki. Former captain of the Nepali national football team Hari Khadka recently shared about his pleasant experience working with Anmol for Captain. Actor Saroj Khanal will star in the film as KC’s father.
Producer Bhuwan KC spoke about Captain saying “Even though footballers are seen at large as celebrities, the realities they grapple with is not very well known. We are trying to bring the lives of footballers into the limelight,†KC said, “The film, we hope, will turn out to be inspiring for aspiring footballers.â€
That’s just in Kathmandu!People are using 4.7 million to 4.8 million plastic bags in the capital city everyday. The figure was shared as part of the Drowning in Plastic oped on The Kathmandu Post by Srichha Pradhan.
Plastic bags are super convenient to carry and it’s so easy to say “YES” when someone offers you one but we need to make a habit of saying no. We also need to make a habit of carrying our own cloth bags.
Here are some reasons why plastic bag use should be reduced:
Plastic bags pollute the land and water (look at the rivers and the streets)
They are made from non-renewable resources
They never break down!
They are harmful to wildlife and marine life (have you seen the photos on Instagram?)
They’re actually harmful to human health
PS.The photo supporting this blogpost is of volunteers making a map of Dead Sea in Kathmandu earlier this month by using 10,000 plastic bags (used). This was done to bring attention to the harm that plastic waste is having on the world’s oceans.
MAYARATIH COUTURE, a designer from Indonesia has taken inspiration from Nepal to create this stunning look. Modelled by Rovika Sanap, the Mayaratih look has been named “The Goddess of the purity”. The ethereal golden design takes inspiration from the Limbu ornament Siribandi. Kudos to the designer for giving credit and writing that this was inspired by Nepal. It’s stunning!
With 2018 nearly over, the largest porn-site PornHub has released it’s data for this year! That’s right, PornHub stores all the details from what you watch, search and how long you spend on the site! Now the list is endless and they really have broken it down to a lot of sections, however what comes as a complete surprise is ‘NEPALI’ landing among the Top Trending Searches on PornHub Australia! The term ‘Nepali’ saw an increase by 201%! Woah!
Now that makes me wonder, what’s the population of Nepalis in Australia?Â
An article published by The Himalayan Times on December 11 reveals that “Nepali migrants died at a rate of one per day in Malaysia” in the year of 2017. The figure has been obtained from the Embassy of Nepal, Malaysia. Unfortunately, the current year does not seem to show any drastic improvement with 2018 figures currently at 322 deaths.
The reason for the deaths are many and range from suicide, deaths at the workplace, violent encounters to various medical conditions. If you’re wondering how many Nepalis are actually in Malaysia then the figure currently stands approximately around 383,000. It probably is a lot higher than the official figure.
These figures come as no surprise as a previous article by Nepali Times reported 425 Nepali workers death between July 2014 and July 2015.
We already have dates we need to block out for TWENTY-NINETEEN!Nepali Music Festival UK has announced the date for their 2019 event. If you enjoyed the live music event this year with Nima Rumba, Naren Limbu and Adrian Pradhan and Phiroj Shyangden – The Original Duo then you may want to save the date for Saturday, April 13 when the festival marks a return. The 2019 event is presented by Nepal Food and will be organised by G9 Entertainments at the Electric in Brixton.
The musicians will be announced very soon. I’ll have all the details coming my way and will be sharing ahead of any other websites. Nepali Music Festival UK 2019 is supported by 32 BOX, Chyause D’One, Mountain Nepal Media, Not Just Travel – Travel Wonder and HAB amoment.
ENJOY NIMA RUMBA’S PERFORMANCE FROM NEPALI MUSIC FESTIVAL UK 2018
Nepal has officially crossed the 1 million foreign tourist arrivals mark!!!! Nepal Tourism Board revealed that tourist arrivals totalled 1,001,930 between January to November this year. That is an increase of 17% over the same period in 2017. This only takes into account of air arrivals and not overland figures.
The 1 million mark was a goal for Nepal Tourism Year 2011 but we finally did it in 2018. It would be better to see how much income tourism has brought to the country in 2018. A growth in tourism spending and travel businesses would raise everyone’s spirit! Let’s see how things go for Visit Nepal 2020! I already have a few plans up my sleeve!!!! Yesss!
Rock and heavy metal bands dream of playing at the DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL in the UK and the UNDERSIDE from Nepal will be living that dream in 2019. The band made the big announcement by sharing the poster of Download UK 2019 recently. From Metallica, Korn, Aerosmith, AC/DC to Guns N’ Roses, they have all performed at DOWNLOAD at some point in their career and it’s historic that a heavy metal band from Nepal will also be performing right there at the same festival.
Download UK takes place at the Donington Park on 14, 15 and 16 June, 2019. Some of the key bands for next year include Def Leppard, Slayer and Slipknot. Tickets for the premier rock festival in the UK are on sale! If you love rock and heavy metal music then I am sure you know this news already – keep an eye out for UNDERSIDE!
Dubbed “the first tented luxury eco-villas in Nepal”, The Pavilions Himalaya Lake View is set to open from the new year. The tented villas are set in the midst of rice fields offering a stunning view of the Phewa Lake. The eco-village will consist of eight luxury eco-villas and will require a boat transfer to reach them. It definitely sounds like a hidden paradise which we will probably see flooding our Instagram very soon!
PHOTO: Bijay AmatyaPHOTO: Bijay Amatya
The opening offer is priced at $200 per person based on double sharing and it includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. They’ve also packaged it nicely with boat transfers and a complimentary half-hour ayurvedic massage, rowing/kayaking session and nature walk led by local naturalist.
The wait will officially be over by tomorrow!Miss Nepal 2018 Shrinkhala Khatiwada has won the heart of Nepalis globally and along the way she has also bagged the Miss World Multimedia Challenge title and Beauty With A Purpose award – automatically placing her in the finals for Miss World 2018. The twenty-three year old beauty queen’s introduction video wowed many with incredible footage of the best that Nepal has to offer and she, well the team, took it a step further with an amazing Beauty With A Purpose project. Hats off for the support that her and her team have shown towards the Chepang community – they built an entire health post – now that is next level! Well done to everyone who contributed towards Miss Nepal 2018’s BWAP! I hope Shrinkhala and team continue this mission and like she said in her recent interview – I hope she continues to build more in areas of need.
I’ve admired how Shrinkhala presents herself in interviews and how her simplicity comes across. Apart from winning the multimedia challenge and Beauty With A Purpose award, she was the second runner-up for Sanya Tourism Promotional Video award and was in the TOP 32 for Top Model competition.
Miss World 2018 will take place on Saturday, 8th December at the Sanya City Arena in Sanya, China. According to Neeraj Pun, you might be able to watch MISS WORLD 2018 on ZOOM TV from 4.45PM onwards. I am sure there will be online streaming links somewhere!
Continue voting for MISS NEPAL on MISS WORLD by visiting the website here! [You need to LOGIN to vote – so you need to SIGN UP and REGISTER]
Bipin Karki and Namrata Shrestha’s PRASAD is a week away from it’s Nepal release date! The film will be released alongside Priyanka Chopra produced Pahuna – The Little Visitors in Nepal on Friday, December 7. Over in Europe, Prasad is set to have a number of screenings with the first UK screening taking place on Friday 14th December at the Himali Club in Bramcote. Presented by lexlimbu, HAB and G9 Entertainment in the UKÂ the screening details of Catterick, Grays and Woolwich will be announced soon.
The biggest screening of PRASAD will take place on Saturday 12th Januarywith Namrata Shrestha at the Princes Hall in Aldershot. The screening will present a rare opportunity to see the actress who will talk about her role in the film and PRASAD. Namrata will also be attending a separate Meet and Greet event in Aldershot (more will be announced in the coming week).
Nearly 40,000 people are estimated to be living with HIV in Nepal. The Nepal HIV Strategic Plan 2016-2021 reveals the figures obtained after research at the end of 2015. The report also states that only 30% of people living with HIV are currently receiving treatment. In Nepal, the first HIV case was detected back in 1988 and some of the key population that remains a focus for HIV work in the country are female sex workers, transgender sex workers, male sex workers, clients of sex workers, transgender people, gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, mobile, migrant and displaced populations.
With very little support from the government on HIV and AIDS program, it is the work of international development partners that have been able to improve access to anti-retroviral treatment (ART) for people living with HIV.
THINGS TO DOÂ
Get Tested. Know Your Status (Positive/Negative)
If your test comes out POSITIVE – then start treatment immediately to protect yourself and to protect your loved ones. Remember, being on treatment can ensure a long healthy life.Â
ENJOY SAFE SEX – CONDOMS ON
December 1st happens to be World Aids Day and on Saturday 1st, I will be running a 10KM RED RUN in London to raise money for the charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) who work on educating people about HIV and supporting people living with HIV as well as informing people about sexual health. I have raised over £200 of which £170 was a personal donation. I will continue to support THT in 2019. Another news from the UK that will be of inspiration to many is this video of Labour Member of Parliament Lloyd Russell-Moyle sharing his HIV positive status yesterday.
A month ago when I saw Bohemian Rhapsody, I knew very little about Freddie Mercury. I was amazed to learn that he happened to be gay and was even more surprised to learn about his HIV positive status. There is so much stigma around HIV and I hope the lessons from history and the figures that continue to spread education around HIV will be able to change the way we view HIV.
The RAMRI ALERT feature is back after one whole year and during this time away, I thought a lot about whether I should continue RAMRI ALERT and THITO ALERT. For me one of the biggest reasons why I chose to continue this was to bring a variety of faces and people that are good looking to me. Growing up in the UK since 2000, I have been surrounded by Caucasian faces. White, blonde, light eyes were majority of what I saw when I grew up and pretty soon I found that sexy and appealing as that was on TV, magazines and films. However, there is change taking place albeit slowly. It’s becoming more common to see people of different colours, shapes, sizes and tongues in the West and just like that, I want to continue this section to share the diverse Nepali faces BUT now with stories that I hope packs more of a punch.
Though this post doesn’t boast of high quality photos like you may have seen on previous Ramri Alert features, it definitely has better questions. Of course, some of us will always enjoy the questions where I ask people if they prefer this or that actor but I decided to give those fun and forgettable questions a break and dig slightly deeper. Enjoy this RAMRI ALERT feature with Sareeta Shri Gyawali!
LEX: Hi Sareeta, Thank you so much for making some time for the blog. First off, you are a face that many wake up with every morning on Good Morning Nepal, how has the ride been so far?
SAREETA: Thank you Lex – for this opportunity to answer few of your questions for Ramri Alert and making me feel beautiful. Feels great! Talking about Good Morning Nepal, we are almost a year old and will be celebrating our one year anniversary on Dec 16th. It has been a great journey so far. Having to wake up at 5AM every day and going live is not something that I thought I was capable of but awesome co-workers and the platform where we can share our views and opinions on concurrent issues and hot topics makes it very intriguing. The fact that media plays a vital role in changing the society and us being able to contribute to it is very exciting.
LEX: I don’t envy the early wake-up call! As it’s a live show, can you share any hiccups or hilarious moments that have happened when you’ve been on?Â
SAREETA: Oh My God! Tell me about it! First of all, I am a very laid back and take it easy kind of person from what I have heard from my family and friends. My presence makes any formal event informal. So now you can imagine a person like that on national television going live every morning! Small glitches happen almost every day which we laugh off as our show is not scripted. But the worst one was when I said, “Namaskar and you are watching Good Morning America” Yikes!! Not once but twice. “So, you still think you are in America”, was the comment made by boss, Mr. Bhushan Dahal when he met me. After that I made sure I always said Good Morning Nepal and have been doing a good job so far!
Sareeta and her Good Morning Nepal co-host Sameer alongside Rishi Dhamala
LEX: That’s actually hilarious! Outside of the TV box, you are also the Principal of Corona School. How did this come about?
SAREETA: I have been the principal of Corona School for the past eight years. This happened after my husband and me decided to move back to Nepal for good and we thought what could be better than sharing our knowledge and experience that we learned abroad with smaller children. It feels like I am a mother of not jut two kids at home but also of 400 kids at school. It is a big family and I am loving it. The best part is when we share something to a child we are not just sharing it with them. They go home and they share it with their parents, grandparents and their relatives. This way we are sharing and educating the entire community. It feels awesome to be able to raise the globally compatible next generation of our country.
LEX: In terms of education that one receives in Nepal, what do you believe can be counted as a strength of students in Nepal?
SAREETA: I personally believe that the quality of high school education here in Nepal provided by the private sector is in fact better than most countries in the world. I wish I could say this about the overall condition. Knowing the fact that good education is the basic right of a child, the government lacks the effort in public schools. However, awareness about the importance of education and good teachers and teaching materials has increased drastically in later days and here’s to hoping that not only the private sector but also the government schools and education sector are equally compatible. Since we are mark sheet/result oriented, I think Nepali students are academically strong/book strong.
Sareeta and Sameer with guest Sapana Pradhan Malla
LEX: Staying on the area of education again, this happens to be one area that many people strongly believe in needing a major improvement. What do family, friends, teachers need to do in order to make wholesome students that go onto become a fine young adult in your view?
SAREETA: More practical learning is what we lack. Parents/ teachers are happy as long as they have good marks on their tests and exams. I think it makes it difficult for a student to enter the real world with just the book knowledge. Student exchange/interns/practical should be a part of learning to prepare our students for tomorrow. At the same time, updated teaching materials and regular teachers training should be provided to the teachers as they are mentors of these kids who have access to internet and smart phones these days.
LEX: Ramri Alert – as a feature often makes one think of beauty and beauty only. What makes you feel ramri or ramro?Â
SAREETA: Being content with who you are makes you ramri/ramro. Good attitude toward the rest of the world makes you feel good. Good looking face nice physique, good fashion sense is obviously an icing on the cake!
LEX: As a woman who works, is a mother and a family person – you are in the group of women that are juggling these different roles and making it happen. What else do you aspire to achieve in the coming days?
SAREETA: As Shakespeare said this world is a stage and we all are the characters playing our roles, I think that’s all what I have done so far as a woman at work, a mother and a family person doing my things and fulfilling my responsibilities. But if you ask about me personally, I have yet to live my life. I am a dreamer, a believer and haven’t really done anything yet! Hopefully in the days to come I will make myself and family and my country proud of me.Â
LEX: The accessibility to social media today has brought much good and bad. Unfortunately, many feel pressured to be beautiful, to have a flawless skin, a good body, muscles, to be fair, to have bigger eyes – whats your perception on beauty?
SAREETA: It is totally up to you on how you take things around you. Either you rule otherwise your surrounding will rule your world. This pressure has always been around. Nowadays it is social media but there has always been society, family and friends. I was raised as the only tanned skinned kid in my family and my entire family happened to be fair. Everyone who came to visit us mentioned “lau chori chai kali bhayechha, chora kasto goro”. But I never let those comments get to me and have never used fairness creams. I felt bad when people passed those comments but soon I realised how blessed I was to have this skin! Again it all depends on how you see the cup, half empty or half full?
In October I shared two short interviews with Manil Singh and Vibek Tuladhar where they spoke about their sexual orientation and coming out. I simply shared the stories to mark the National Coming Out Day on my blog and along the way, I saw how well the blogposts were received. Since then I had been searching for a story to share of a transgender man and today I have a short – to the point – interview with Elyn Bhandari.Â
I will aim to continue this section and share coming out stories of gay men, lesbian women, transgender men and women, intersex, bisexual, queer or questioning and more. Please let me know if you like this new feature.Â
LEX: Hi Elyn, how are you doing today?Â
ELYN: Hi Lex , I am doing well. Life is blessing me in many ways.
LEX: That’s always good to hear. Can I ask you to give me a short introduction on your childhood?
ELYN: I was born in Kathmandu at Teaching Hospital. I studied in Academy Boarding High School in Kathmandu. I completed till +2 and joined Bachelors and later I couldn’t complete my Bachelors because of my gender identity.
LEX: Thanks for that. Are you currently working at the moment?Â
ELYN: Currently I am working at the Blue Diamond Society.
LEX: Cool! Can you share what it is you do at BDS?
ELYN: I work in a project called Protection and Promotion of Rights of LGBTI children in Nepal. This project goal is to create LGBTI friendly school and family environment for LGBTI children. This work is very motivational for me. Having experienced challenges during my childhood, schooling and also within my family makes me want to work for an accepting environment for the upcoming generation.
LEX: That’s amazing to hear! I really wish you all the best with the project and hope it makes an impact on many. How was your journey of learning about yourself?Â
ELYN: I realised that I was different from other girls at the age of 12. Since childhood I never felt that I was a girl and in my teenage years I did not like the changes that my body was going through as it was making me more feminine so at first it was very difficult to accept myself. The challenges that I faced accepting myself is that I did not get friends or family support till I found Blue Diamond Society. And I used to suppress my feelings and did not share to anyone because I knew if I was going to tell about my identity, people would judge me and I used to be depressed as I did not have anyone who could understand me.
LEX: Can I ask who was the first person you told about your gender identity?
ELYN: To my first girlfriend.
LEX: How have the response been from your family and friends about you being a transgender man?
ELYN: When my family knew about me they had a negative reaction but over time they have become more tolerant towards my gender identity. Talking about friends when I first came out through Facebook some of them blocked me but after many years they again connected with me.
LEX: You’ve come a long way. To accept yourself and to be able to say, “I am a transgender man” or “I am gay” takes a lot of courage and is often the defining point in the lives of many from the LGBT community but it does not end there. How has the journey been till now?Â
ELYN: At the beginning it’s very hard to accept yourself but once you accept the way you are that makes it a lot more easy to face society. Talking about my journey I struggled a lot within society and being in public places as I was discriminated or made to feel low because of my gender identity. I have seen many ups and downs in my life. I faced a struggle around my family and relatives and that was the biggest challenge for me because you feel weak and alone without your family. The positive side of my struggle is that these challenges and obstacles made me much more strong from within and I now feel that I can face anything in life. And when I look back at my life I am proud of myself for coming this far and I am happy that my life is unique and I love who I am.
LEX: Do you have a goal that you are working towards?Â
ELYN: My goal or say career I would like to have is to be a figure for a community for transgender men. I want to work for Nepali transgender men as they are overshadowed by transwomen and people are still not aware about transmen and their issues. So I want to work more on transgender men’s community and help them to come out without fearing society. I want to work towards creating a good environment for them.
LEX: Has the way people perceive you or the LGBT community changed in your opinion?Â
ELYN: I think the Nepali society now is more aware of our community. I have also seen people taking this community positively and accepting us. There are people who struggle to accept our community and I think it depends on the individuals thinking but there has been a change in perception of people now if you compare it to the past.
LEX: What are the daily struggles that you face as a transgender man?
ELYN: I am discriminated because of my gender identity. When IÂ travel in public transport I feel humiliated there because of my voice. Public toilets are another space of struggle for transmen as they are not comfortable in ladies toilet and when they go to gents toilet they are not comfortable there either. Verbal abuse while walking along the streets with people using offensive words like CHAKKA/HIJARA are things that make life difficult for transmen.
LEX: What’s the best thing about being a transgender man?
ELYN: The best thing about being a transgender man is that I was able to live the life of a female and now a male in this one life.
From the articles she writes, news that she shares to the statuses she writes, Rukshana is definitely a figure to look out for! The Newa activist got her moment on The Storytellers as a storyyeller recently. Rukshana shares confidently about the bullying that she faced not only from students but also her principal during high school and coming out as transgender. She keeps it real throughout and in the thirteen minute long video, we get a very small fragment of how it feels to be a trans person in Nepal. Of course, the experiences will vary across but thank you to Rukshana for atleast sharing her journey so far.
To learn more about Rukshana, read her story here on the blog.
The trailer of the Priyanka Chopra produced Sikkimese film Pahuna – The Little Visitors has finally been released! Boy did that take long! Along the with the trailer, the production company Purple Pebble Pictures has announced that the film will finally be released in India on Friday, December 7. Pahuna – The Little Visitors will be sharing the same release date alongside Prasad starring Namrata Shrestha, Bipin Karki and Nischal Basnet in Nepal. The trailer of Pahuna is adorable! It looks like the child stars are ready to win us over.
I am so looking forward to Pahuna – The Little Visitors! I hope it makes its way to the UK or atleast I get to hear good reviews from friends who watch it in Nepal. The film which is in the Nepali language has been screened at South Asian Film Festival of Montreal, Schlingel International Film Festival in Germany, Toronto International Film Festival and India Kaleidoscope
Fifty-four year old Uma Devi Badi has appeared on this years BBC’s 100 Women of 2018 list. Badi represents Nepali Congress in Sudurpaschim Province and is a notable figure from the Badi community, considered ‘untouchable’ in Nepal. Uma continues the fight to secure rights, opportunities and change perception of the Badi community and Badi women who work in prostitution (regarded as their traditional occupation).
“In 2007, around 500 Badi activists from 23 districts had started their journey from the villages to Singha Durbar putting forward a 26-point demand under the leadership of Uma Devi. Despite making numerous pledges and staging peaceful demonstrations, their voices were unheard. On August 22, 2007, Uma Devi led a procession from Maitighar to Singha Durbar. When they reached the gate of the government seat, security personnel closed the gates. Irked Uma Devi climbed up the gate semi-naked and started chanting slogans against the government.” – Yogesh Rawal – Republica (Jan, 2018)
Uma shares the BBC 100 Women list alongside scientists, creators, freedom fighters to women who are making a difference everyday to their loved ones and directly in their local communities.
Hot Air Balloon will be the newest activity on the growing list of things to do in Pokhara! Launched earlier this week, Balloon Nepal offers three different flights from tethered flights at an affordable Nrs 6000 for Nepalis and USD $90 for foreign nationals, free flight for 30 minutes for Nrs 9000 and USD $120 for foreign nationals and a Magical Voyage experience that lasts for a full hour for Nrs 12,000 and USD $160 for foreign nationals.
Being in a hot air balloon gives you a birds-eye view of the rollings hills and the best view of the Annapurna Mountain Range. The commercial operations will begin from Dhampus, a village near Pokhara.
Back in 2010, Tara Air had announced that it would start hot air balloon services in Pokhara. Unfortunately, we have no information regarding why the service was discontinued. Hopefully Balloon Nepal has a better success with hot air ballooning in Pokhara.
EXPECT TO SEE: Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre, Mardi and Himchuli
Rapoholic get’s social media! After his video from a Nepali party in the UK went viral, it’s not surprising that his new music video for MAYALU OW MAYALU begins with his friend and him checking out a ‘mayalu’ on TikTok! With TikTok becoming the latest social media tool to turn individuals into overnight ‘app stars’, Rapoholic’s song Mayalu Ow Mayalu takes this further as he spots the girl from TikTok in the streets of Pokhara.
Filmed across Byanjan and at the Hotel Hulk in Lakeside, the song makes an easy listen with a somewhat catchy chorus. When the rapper is back in Nepal, he often uses his time to perform live at various events or put out new music videos. It’s nice to see him juggling his job with music – which – continues to be his passion.
Keep it going Rapoholic! It’s a pleasure to hear him after many months.
We have a date with Manisha Koirala!December 15th is the day when Manisha’s book HEALED will hit the bookshelves and start dispatching – making it the perfect Christmas and New Year’s gift. The book follows the actress’s battle with ovarian cancer and the steps she took to rebuild her life. It’s encouraging to see how Manisha is working even more after her battle with cancer – whether that be films or activism and awareness that she’s doing to share about her journey, personal health + growth and issues that affect Nepal, India and the world. I am definitely enjoying seeing her tweets and seeing her share her opinions about various things that continue to happen in Nepal.
HEALED can be purchased from Amazon India from 28th December and you can also pre-order from Amazon UK! It’s time to buy a few copies to put underneath the Christmas tree.
PS. I definitely think they should work on a Nepali language version of HEALED and to Manisha, I hope you continue speaking and sharing your opinions about the various good things and bad things that are happening in Nepal as well (like you already are doing on Twitter).