Random hits on the keyboard

I decided to go to Dakchinali on Saturday. Friday night was a bit of 'Friday night' - a few pegs and I was on Pathau to drive home. I woke up a few times at night, waiting for the morning. Finally, it was four and I was ready. I took the Bhaisepati trail - it was dark and dogs were looking at me suspiciously. The GPS app was set wrongly and showed me the long vehicle route. I had to return, about a km back to the dusty, dark and empty road. Down from Baisepati towards MagarGaou to Khokana and Bagmati river. Passing by the paddy field was full of nostalgia, the smell of wheatfield and the chilling air rewind my good memories to those good old days. I was enjoying the narrow routes, a suspension bridge, uphills and downhills and chautari.  The smell of the Bagmati River was awful. The sin of the sinners in Kathmandu was evident. The river has turned sewerage, which is open. All the devotees visiting Pashupati have no meaning. The planners of Kathmandu Valley are naked.  Ok, on t...

So, it’s been a month, trying to reduce the screen time. A good progress, I have to say. And I am proud of it.  And, the more I avoid screen time, I start to think about the wasted screen time I could have used in - for example -reading or walking or running. This morning, I am happy that I was not lying on a bed scrolling - I decided to run. Today, the destination was Kritipur. And the trail. By 05:15 am, I was at Chobar, uphill and downhill and again uphill. But I am worried - seriously worried - about the new generation. I checked my son’s screen time. 5 to 6 hours per day is worrisome. I am researching ways which are less ‘intense’ for behaviour change for kids and myself. Here is a list of the things that can be done snatch the phone from the kids. Be rude to them and shout on them. These pampered kids have no idea the physical and psychological effects. No - don’t do that. Slowly. Give alternatives. 

I feel accomplished. Today I had my the longest run. It was nice to be able to complete without weary feeling of fatigue, followed by usual office day. No competition and no deadline, just keep runing. I started with a podcast freakoniomics episode, very interesting discussion on Daniel Kahneman and his psychological economics. As I proceed, I felt tired, I switched to something very different - energetic. Yes, it was songs from Rage against the machines. I don’t have any rage. I kept going. Was it the playlist? 🤯  It has been one of my favorites bands for running.  Running has taught me many things about my body, my endurance, my strength and my areas of improvement. Not only in the sense of running, but overall lessons. I learn that action is much much more impactful than reading motivational books. I realise, anytime is a good occasion to start good thing. Consistency is the key. Most importantly, being healthy outweighs all other priorities. 

The new year always brings new hopes and freshness. As with all the New Years, I have no New Year's resolutions and I do have some thoughts for a year. The new year starts with Namaskar to Sun - from the core of Kathmandu.  I visited Bhaktapur to see Biska Jatra. Not while the precession of Jatra was going on but to see the chariot of Bhairav. This was my first time, I should have enjoyed this earlier. Better late than never and I should see the actual procession soon. From Bhaktapur, we drove to Ghampe Danda. Overnight on the top of a hill with kids and family, overseeing Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, was the best way to start the year.  And .. here we go. Today is already the 6th of Biasakh. It's scary to think how fast time flies, makes me feel that the year will pass in the blink of an eye. The same happened in 2080 and is likely to happen this year. Time flies like a gust of wind sweeping through the trees, whispering secrets of the past while propelling us towards an uncertai...

I participated in a marathon for the first time and have so many stories to share. It was an amazing run and I can't wait to participate in the next one. I participated in the shortest Manju Shree Trail Race, 10 km, to test myself. It was challenging for me, not because it was difficult, but due to my ignorance.  The trail running was completely different to running in the plain. Downhill was hard on my legs and the uphill in the sun exhausted me completely. I was excited initially but nervous as well. I was surrounded by professional-looking participants. To my surprise, they were companions, not competitors. They were supporting, guiding and cheering each other. I made some good friends while running. I realised that runners have a whole new world. Their topics of discussion were out of my world. Now, I am learning a few running terminologies- zone two, posture, VO2 and BPM etc. Plus, I met some superhumans who ran 30km, 50 kms, 100 kms and 100 miles. They were simply amazing cre...

I'm sitting at my computer, trying to book tickets online for a family movie day out. The kids are done with their exams, but unfortunately, I'm stuck with some office work. Bummer, right? But hey, at least I can still make sure they have a good time. Now, let me tell you about the online booking system - not the friendliest thing out there. It took some figuring out, but eventually, I managed to pay online and snag those tickets. No more hours-long queues like back in the day when we were kids. It's kind of nostalgic, actually, reminiscing about the old ways while also marvelling at how lucky the younger generation is with all this technology at their fingertips. Speaking of the old days, let's rewind to around 1985 when yours truly was just a little tyke. I had my heart set on seeing this movie called 'Hami Ek Hau'. Now, movie day back then was like a national holiday. There were only five movie theatres in the whole Kathmandu Valley, so getting a ticket was l...