Le do le le le le: Can’t you see, She’s at her feet!?! Pic by Wagle
By Dinesh Wagle
Wagle Street Journal
Saturday Blog: Life out of politics. Well into a different one!
Thamel is the one place in Nepal where West meets East in a style. This style makes it distinct compared to other precincts of Kathmandu. What’s not there in Thamel? “I was offered everything available under the sun,” told one of my Californian friends who was staying in Thamel couple of years ago. Just imagine a scene: disparate Tiger Balm vendors trying to sell the “magical product” budget travelers with backpacks full of aspirations to go around Nepal in the cheapest package available. Those scenes will be rare as the tourist season is nearing an end. In its best times, Thamel is always full of goras from all parts of the world representing varieties of cultures. Foods taste cosmopolitan in Thamel. So if you don’t frequent to Thamel, you will definitely miss something. And if you were not in Thamel today, boy, let me tell you, you missed so many things.
Oh… those awesome girls, in their tight jeans and free flown black hair, with their gajalu aankha full of messages, and yes, their skill in twisting their narrow waists in such a way that you would be forced to forget the Columbian diva. As Thamel started disappearing within the sounds of “wherever, whenever” this afternoon, the main street was crowded with many Shakiras. It was the day of Peace Project, a DJ event in its fourth year that has been branded as Music, Dance and Street Festival by the organizers Party Nepal.
Like in previous years, you could feel the true urban atmosphere in Thamel today. Dance and do the masti, don’t even think if you will live until tomorrow or not. Forget everything. What the hell is happening in rest of the country that’s not your business. The war has ended (by the way, there never was war in this part of society) and the peace has been restored. Don’t talk about politics but don’t be surprised if you face politics. The only politics here is: tyo pari lai kasari patyaune! [how to impress that damsel and vice versa] There in lies the biggest politics and, be assured, this is no less intense and important than what Prachanda and Girija are playing in Nepal.
The best part, after the dance of course, was the varieties of dresses that the girls were wearing. Jeans were dominant but, wow, what a mixture that was. The temperature of Kathmandu is cooling down but here in Thamel you will feel so hot in a cotton shirt that you will throw it away (and dance!). A diamond cuts another diamond. Dance a good dance to impress another equally good dancer. Dance is your weapon. Use it to your utmost advantage.
Look at that pair. Without caring about what these spectators are thinking about them, they are busy dancing. They are the only two dancing superbly and this is what everyone is feeling (needless to mention, from the Shakira song):
Whenever, wherever
We’re meant to be together
I’ll be there and you’ll be near
And that’s the deal my dear
Thereover, hereunder
You’ll never have to wonder
We can always play by ear
But that’s the deal my dear
Meet Kamala Serchan and Asim Thapa, (all pics above) both 18 years and new to Nepali lifestyle. Born and raised in Singapore, Kamala came to Nepal four months ago and since then she has been to almost all discos and hip bars in town. “It’s better in Nepal,” Kamala compared the life in Nepal and in Singapore. “There are no street festivals in Singapore. The society is no as open as in Kathmandu.” And she gave her verdict on the Nepali capital: “It’s vibrant.”
Lucky you were born that far away so
We could both make fun of distance
Luck that I love a foreign land for
The lucky fact of your existance
Baby I would climb the Andes solely
To count the freckles on your body
Never could imagine there were only
Ten Million ways to love somebody
Asim, who was born and raised in Brunei and came here two years ago, feels the same. “You know Brunei is a Muslim country and everything is closed. It’s good here.”
Both of them were dancing on the street this afternoon as if they were in their own world, not caring about what the crowd watching them might be thinking. They kick started the dance on the street at around 2 PM. “No one was dancing even as good music was being played,” Kamala said. “So we thought why not start. May be other people are feeling nervous.”
But that nervousness disappeared as the clock hit 3:30. The whole crowd was shaking their body as different kinds of music, Nepali and English hip hop to Nepali and Hindi remix numbers. Helmets on the hands or tied on the waists were not disturbing boys from dancing with girls: eyes fixed on the eyes, ears closely following the beats and feet acting as per the beats. “Life is to enjoy,” a sixty year old woman from upper Manang told me as she was heading toward her destination via Tridevi Marga, the street where young souls were dancing. “Only thing is that you should realize the limitations. Otherwise, it’s fine. Enjoy! There is nothing that you can take with you after you die.”
It’s Thamel, baby! Expect the world here.
It was indeed a challenge for all thoes DJs to keep the crowd dancing.
When you puff may be you will get energy to dance?
Oh baby when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body
And I’m on tonight
You know my hips don’t lie
And I am starting to feel you boy
Come on lets go, real slow
Don’t you see baby asi es perfecto
Oh I won’t deny my hips don’t lie
And I am starting to feel it’s right
All the attraction, the tension
Don’t you see baby, this is perfection
Shakira, Shakira
Oh boy, I can see your body moving
Half animal, half man
I don’t, don’t really know what I’m doing
But you seem to have a plan
My will and self restraint
Have come to fail now, fail now
See, I am doing what I can, but I can’t so you know
That’s a bit too hard to explain
Baila en la calle de noche
Baila en la calle del dia
United We Blog 
Comments
31 responses to “Oh Baby When U Dance Like That, U Make A Boy Go Mad!!!”
Wow! Wagle busy with Peace enertainment!!!
Lets see how far we can go. Those who see it is easy to bring the waves of change with the people’s movements, civil war and revolution but hard to change in the workings of the government with new structure will in long run do the things as before in the government and political process.
Those who dance in freedom at peace festival think or not but the country’s grip is under those government employees, police and army that will make things go opposite. Because they lack completely new structure for workings of the goverment to meet the aspiration of the people.
The aspirations of people are for civil liberty, economic development that can give equal opportunity to all.
That’s still not there.
So lets dance in the air may be good but still people need to be serious for real change in the workings of the government.
Hey! as the saying goes, ‘Make Love, Not War!!” As a person who grew up in Thamel in the nineties, would have loved to be there, and I do miss the gallies!!!!
I guess this would be class of culture in the eyes of Maoist. Let the freedom reign.
Dinesh Dai,
Oh u have been there ?Really peace project.Awesome gals ,full of goras and many more
Thats the article dinesh dai long but tasteful
yes the energy seems to be good, even in Chabahil I saw people taking dance courses this is good for health
than fight, nice article.
I was wondering if the two dancing in the pictures above -Sherchan and Thapa (probably Thapa Magar) who seem to be from a well to do families qualify as “feudals” as the two Brahmins Pushpa Kamal and Baburam have been harping about.
guyfromktm-what f*ck are you talking about?
guyfromktm, sherchans family background is singapore gurkha police force and thapa magars family background is british gurkhas, then maybe GRU (gurkha reserve units) of sultan. they r hard workers arsehole…
pats.. that is exactly my point.. I have nothing against any particular class or clan… but was merely raising a question asking for clarification about what Pushpa Kamal has been terming as feudals and the ruling class… is it only people from particular caste/class or does it involve every one who is doing “well” right now, many of whom, like you have suggested, have worked very hard to be where they are today! Pushpa Kamal and his gang have made this their msot favorite slogan for the last 12 years and it is time they defined what they mean!
guyfromktm-‘have worked hard to be where they are today’? Yeah, right! Have worked hard taking bribes, smuggling, indulging in scams, siphoning off public funds meant for the poor and generally robbing this country blind. Over 50% of the rich in Nepal have got rich in this manner. I don’t call it being ‘feudal’ they are just crooks, that’s all. The parents of those kids,if they are Singapore Police/GRU, are honest workers and the kids are enjoying the fruits of their parents honest labour. Not many rich kids or rich parents in Nepal can claim that.
kirat– your dichotomy (those who are GRUs are very hard working people while most of the rich in Kathmandu are corrupt) is very misplaced and sweeping statements like these will serve no purpose. There are hard working people living in Kathmandu (whose parents have never been working abroad) who deserve a much better respect that what you are according them. I agree that there are very corrupt people who have become ultra rich through illegal means but please don’t mix everyone else with those bunch of thugs.
This debate reminds me of couple incidents that happened. 3 generations in my family have served in the British Army (till my Dad). I vividly remember, every time my Dad would come home, there would be a bunch of serious looking crooked airport officials trying to take my Dad into some corner/behind closed doors and ask for bribe. They’d give all sorts of reasons saying you cant bring this and that. Once we had like huge heavy kits, and boy I was ashamed the way these officials and their gang behaved .. like scavengers!! unabashedly asking for bribe … they know who will pay and who dont. You wont find foreigners hassled like this in airports, but own Nepalese sidha stand-up guys like lahures being hassled. They think that these lahures are dumbos .. little do they realise that they have travelled the world and they jus wanna get out quickly coz their scavenger teeth stinks of dead remains.
Once my Dad was returning home via Singapore Airlines and found himself seated beside two Nepalese, turned out to be very high ranking govt. officials (I think a little below than secretary level), who’d just returned from some govt exchange program in Singapore. My Dad was humbled and said you guys have respectable job/position, we have to work hard in a foreign country, its really difficult, and those guys said “Please do not think like that, your community brings in a lot of foreign exchange which is like lifeblood for the economy of Nepal”. My Dad was pleased to get such acknowledgement. Sad however, these officials showed their true color when the hostess started serving free drinks. My Dad never felt so embarrassed as these two morons kept pressing the bell again and again and drank like pegs and pegs until they passed out completely and literally had to be escorted out by burly SA officials upon landing. It was downright shameful my Dad said.
The point is (not you Guyfromktm), but a lot of people there think they are high and mighty when they stay in Nepal and get rich by abusing their position and taking bribes. But they fail to see that they are sucking the country dry while hardworking people like us keep filling the economy tank. Unless the realisation doesnt dawn on this former school of people, there’s hope for nobody.
exactly patriot, from the time gurkhas land in TIA, this leeches starts sucking thier sweat n blood which they don’t deserve at all. from policemen to other airport officers, even a brahmin comes with tikas n flowers and ask for money. why aren’t they also terorist?? its similar in comaprison to wat maoist r doing but more worst. at least maoist hand over recipt as donations. gurkhas bring the second highest remittance in nepal, n they r world calss skilled, trained manpower, whcih gov turns deaf ear on. n even doesn’t speak against thier discrimination by british gov. yet some suckers levels this hardworking people as feudals. infact histroy says they were the victims of feudals, but sicne the money has power they were able to expereicne all the priviledges n raising thier standard of living, its a headache for those fkers. bro this people shall never change. untill n unless we do something…………….
and best of luck for guys in (2 RGR) afghanistan fighting against talibans and support company guys who just left for Iraq. hope u guys win MC and VC and preserve the fame of gurkhas…
when i saw the other headline of “parents gone to bringdown their son” and this deadline there big gap of living. some living a life of silverspoon and some fighting for survive in bladdy war. I don’t regret of not being missing some hot checks……. i have seen very beutiful angel in my life….. but one thing is sure that people have to organized this kind of things to be more so called socialised…but nepali gals have a reputation being too hot and [icd] in forign land. correct me if i am wrong???????
by
Ojhel
Kirat, Pats and….
We can go over the long debates regarding the Gurkhs. From some angle, I don’t think that they are respectable. Truly speaking, in overall they haven’t done any good for the community. They are doing good for their family and relatives only. In general,they don’t start bussiness rather will built sophisticated home. It means their money will not create any sorts ofjob opportunies to help the nation. They don’t deserve respect from us at all! What they are doing is well known. Trying to settle in UK and thus they are neither good nor bad. In fact, they are promoting corruption abd other actby their extravagant money. Though it’s not true for all Gurkhas… but most of them are opportunistic!
What the fu*ck is this Kancha talking about? Jealous are you? At least they don’t go around robbing anybody in Nepal. And, FYI, the money the bring back home to spend is already a community service in case you have not realized.
ironic……HA HA HOOO… Don’t worry,, there are bunch of a**hole like you! Mr Ironically idiot: I haven’t mentioned that they go robbing around. But I meant is they don’t deserve so called respect due to their money! Ya, it’s sure that veryyyy few of them had done some community service and I salute them. BUT majority and most of them and their money is no use of nepal. Can you give some examples Mr Ironic of their community service? How you analyse thier migration to UK? They are nither good nor bad! Simply THEY DON’T DESERVE UNNECESSARY RESPECT because they have money!
Kancha…go back to school, I think you need to redo it all over again. You IQ level is simply pathetic. What can I say, from now on “talk to my hand” ! 😀
Ironic: I am in school and thanx for your suggestion! I am a simply a student and learning the things! BUT from where you did your graduation? You need to go to better school such that you really learn rather just making a degree from a so so school! All the best!
IRONICALLY IDIOT:
Just mention few examples of commumity service by them and why they are migrating to UK? Please answer. Show your level of understanding and IQ!
If you don’t, I will suggest you the admission process to a good school! Come on!
really kancha bro?? do u knwo how dharan town was created, can’t u see its an example town in whole nepal where community put thier own money, labour n effort to build roads, markets, infrastructure, water n drains. most of them r ex gurkhas. they hav even build rehab centre for drug addicts. they hav build parks in the jungle n r conserving it by themselves. dharan dhankuta highway was constructed by british as a help to nepal which has some gurkha influence. in nepal’s first ever election after rana it was Queens Gurkhas Signal who provided communication service in whole nepal. who do u think is the founder of bhat bhateni deparmental store, gurkha departmental store in east, many poltry n other farms, gas stations,etc. hav u ever been to any pahads where gurkhas has opened mills for free so that the people don’t hav to carry whole load to teria n bring back again. n the remittance is so high, even though they spend like crazy but the money is being injected inside the nepal. we don’t need respect from u arsholes, we know wat we r doing. yeah they r migrating to UK where they hav better respect n recognition, go to london u can see huge full statue of gurkha soldier, there r gurkha museums, even the locals prefer more gurkhas in thier workforce. if u don’t like gurkhas n thier families just shut ur mouth bro don’t insult…..
the reason they r migrating is not becasue thry r being opportunists, beacue of the crap gov policy who only knows how to ripp them off. had the gov made some effort to utilize this free skilled manpower with capital for some good reason instead of jelousy n treating as second class citizen no one would hav left the homeland, they all want to just stay in nepal n contribute. but who can tolerate such unfair n injustice
Pat, what the hell you are taking bout? Dont yell like donkey! Yelling does not help. Go to the real ground and analyse!
They have done good things in the past but not now!
According to you as well, they are opportunistic! Who is not facing that problem in like infair, injustice………etc in Nepal? Its the only British Gurkha who are facing these situations? If you think so then Good boy! Their remittance is not flowing in nepal. Do understand!
Pat:
The Gurkhas are living in Nepal in grave unfair and injustise! Thats why they are migrating to UK!
Very good judgement! OH BOY!…From where you got this instinct to write this sentence? You are really awesome! Mind blowing logic!
hey kancha arsehole, i don’t need to analyse, i am one of them, i am victim myself alrite. we know wat we r doing. bro wat else is other community doing for nepal?? other than corruption n shits, u don’t like us fine we don’t like u too bro, so just shut ur fuking mouth bro….
Mr PATS: come to the point! Your logic that The Gurkhas are facing injustise in Nepal crosses all the boundary of stupidity! Saying other a**hole and f******** is not the answer boy!
The gurkhas themeselves raised the voice that they are facing injustise and unfairness in UK! They have been paid much lower stipend and pension compared to those of the British Counterpart. Its their word not mine boy! So there is much injustise there rather in nepal in all the way! There are so many points to write but it’s waste of time to talk with you, Lahure ko Chora!!
Nepali cultures are going on well. We all the tenegers haveto move upward and be flexible to others too. Let’s try to make flexible to all of the hosts.
young generation does not mind high or lowcastandeven women drive motorcycle
so goodbey to the old
welcome equalnimity ekwal
अनगिन्ती सुख थियो रम्न सकिएन धोका हजार पाए पनि भुल्न सकिएन तिम्रैअघि हजार दुख पाए पनि हुन्थ्यो मायालुको दुइचार शव्द सुन्न पाए हुन्थ्यो व्यक्त गर्दैछु म आज मेरो मनको व्यथा आउने पिढीं सम्झिने छन् यसलाई छोटो कथा मनको व्यथा आज यहाँ यसै कोर्दैछु दुखेको घाउ आज सबलाई देखाउदैंछु सपनाको संसारमा मलाई हिडाएको रहेछ आफ्नो भन्दै अंगालेर धोका दिन रहेछ कतिसम्
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except thiss blog provides feature based posts.