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Head to the sixth floor of Civil Mall in Sundhara for some cool fun. Ice-skating is a recreational activity that also ensures that you burn enough calories. In the synthetic ice rink of Civil Mall, you can spend an entire day skating for just Rs 600. The cost includes necessary gear and even a trainer. It is a great way to spend time with your family and friends. So why don’t you skate your way to fitness and fun?

A home-stay in Panauti ensures quick break from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu. Panauti, which is just an hour’s drive from Kathmandu, is a beautiful historic town with an ancient, nostalgic surroundings. One of the oldest towns in Nepal, it has many temples dating back to the 15th century or even earlier that are still intact. Visiting Panauti is an opportunity to be close to the authentic lifestyle of the Nepali people. It is also considered a great example of a well-preserved heritage site that is rarely visited by tourists! Have a fun day out visiting this Newari town!

The Matka Café can be found not just in Thapa Gaon, New Baneswor. It is ubiquitous on Twitter, where owner Prakash Pyakurel (@Jitpur) regularly tweets and communicates with his customers, and where he debates contemporary topics—even about how expensive the tea is at Matka!

 The Matka, probably the only café in Nepal with a strong Twitter presence, is also the hub for a big group of Nepali Twitterati who spend hours socializing and chatting in the cozy café. Free wifi, a separate smoking zone and good company make it an ideal place to spend one’s leisure time, or drop by for a quick bite.

 The debate over the pricing of Matka’s Rs 120 masala tea served piping hot in a hardened clay cup (matka) is just an excuse for its followers (or non-followers) to have a bit of fun, we think. The APEX food sleuths have had more expensive tea at far less appealing joints.

THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Milk Masala Tea

- Mutton Khaja Set

- Saadheko Mo:Mo

Opening hours: 8 am to 8 pm

Location: New Baneshwor

Cards: Not Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 1,000

Reservations: 9851075260

Q. Who do you respect the most?

A. My parents.

Q. Could you share any of your secret tricks?

A. Practice, practice, practice.

Q. What advice would you give to other aspiring DJs?

A. Take a three-month course, at least!

Q. If you could eternal­ly be stuck in one year’s music scene, which year would it be?

A. Definitely 1998.

Q. What is one mis­take you see a lot of up-and-coming DJs making?

A. They don’t focus and just practice a lot on their set.

Q. What is something that bugs you about the DJ scene?

A. Unprofessionalism.

Q. What is one super­power you want?

A. The ability to fly.

Q. What is one track that never gets old for you no matter how many times you hear it?

A. ‘Chyangba hoi Chyang­ba, suna suna hoi Chyangba’.

Q. What is one track that got popular that you can't stand?

A. ‘Gucci Gang’.

The recently appointed 18 High Court judges have taken their oath of office. The five new judges nominated for the Supreme Court will face a parliamentary hearing in the next few days. Yet the storm of controversy the Judicial Coun­cil’s judge nominations kicked up refuses to subside. Rightly so. At stake is no less than the judiciary’s inde­pendence and impartiality.

The all-powerful Nepal Communist Party runs the federal government. Likewise, Nepali Congress is easi­ly the single biggest opposition party. Even as the two parties differ on myriad other issues, they were ready to divide the judicial nominations among themselves, making a mockery of the concept of parliamentary check and balance. The Congress likes to rail against ‘creeping authoritarianism’ of the communist govern­ment. Yet few take it seriously because on matters of mutual interest, it readily colludes with members of the same government. No wonder PM Oli so easily dis­misses the opportunistic NC leaders.

With a clear majority of political nominees, the composition of the Judicial Council that nominates high-level judges is flawed too. In its current form, it is hard to see it acting impartially and picking judges based on their qualification and competence rather than their closeness to this or that political party. A recent conference of judges rightly asked for the coun­cil’s rejigging so that those from a judicial background are in the majority.

What is happening right now is state capture by stealth, as the ruling alliance slowly tightens its grip on all levers of power. The compromised judiciary, instead of being neutral arbiters of disputes, including the con­stitution’s sole interpreter, will increasingly be behold­en to their political masters, to grave consequences for the health of Nepali democracy.

The NCP already has an absolute hold on the execu­tive and the legislative and only the judiciary seemed capable of holding it to account. But on current form we will see an increasingly pliable judiciary that has no authority besides rubberstamping the government position on vital issues. The parliamentary hearing committee can still stop this travesty of justice at the apex court. Even though the committee too is packed with members of the ruling alliance, people’s chosen representatives are expected to act in the public inter­est. Otherwise, why have such hearings at all?

Nanda Ram Jaisi | Jumla  

 It’s surrounded by tall walls with barbed wires on top. The gates are securely locked and guarded by armed police. From inside the rooms of this prison in Jumla dis­trict, all one can see is the sky above. The 84 prisoners here inhabit a different and dark world. No wonder they feel they are like birds in a cage. But ever since the launch of the ‘Books in Prison’ move­ment two months ago, the prisoners have experienced a semblance of freedom and have gotten an opportunity to learn more about the world.

This drive that started from Jumla has been launched in all prisons in Karnali province. After a library was set up in the Jumla Prison, inmates have started develop­ing a reading habit, which has helped bring about positive changes in their outlook.

Siwani Singh Tharu, a nov­elist, formally inaugurated the bibliotheca on April 6. It was followed by an interaction program where Tharu, some prisoners and a few other speakers shared their expe­riences. “The more we read, the more we want to read,” said Tharu.

 “Studying books not only makes us more informed about various topics but also helps develop positive thinking”

Dal Bahadur Karki, an inmate

Deputy Superintendent of Police Sitaram Rijal said that prisoners were becoming more disciplined and urged the inmates to cultivate a fra­ternal spirit. Chief District Offi­cer Durga Banjade requested the prisoners to be content with the services provided by the state and assured them that they would not be mis­treated in the prison.

The library in the Jumla Prison has a collection of var­ious genres of books, which means the prisoners can read the ones that interest them. The number of books is steadily growing.

Dal Bahadur Karki, an inmate, said, “Studying books not only makes us more informed about various topics but also helps develop positive thinking. We have started find­ing freedom and a whole new world in the books.”

Binod Shahi, another pris­oner, said he used to find it dif­ficult to spend his days. Now, he feels days pass quickly when he is reading a book. “Although we inmates have committed different crimes in the past, this initiative will help us emerge from our crim­inal mentality and to think positively,” said Shahi.

The government has adopted a strategy to reduce the rates of recidivism by instilling discipline and civil­ity in prisoners. Raj Bahadur Mahat, a local civic leader, argues that the future of the prisoners who develop a reading habit is bright when they complete their prison sentence. He underscored the need to take this campaign to all districts of Nepal.

On April 6, all other jails in Karnali province inaugu­rated their libraries as well. Libraries were inaugurated in the districts of Surkhet, Dailekh, Salyan, Rukum (Western), Jajarkot, Kalikot and Dolpa. Senior novelist Sanat Regmi, senior novel­ist and storyteller Nayanraj Pandey and poet Nawaraj Parajuli inaugurated the library in the Surkhet Prison. Similary, novelists Yug Pathak (pictured alongside) and Amar Neupane inaugu­rated the libraries in Kalikot and Dolpa respectively.

If you want to try thangka painting, join a class with Man Bahadur Tamang, who is a professional artist with more than a decade of experience. You can choose to have a class as short as four hours, or a longer course. The four-hour class will cost you Rs 2,700, and you will learn to make something basic; basically, you will be taught the cornerstone techniques of thangka art. Learn the significance of thangka designs and patterns in the company of other enthusiastic learners. You can even take home your own hand-painted thangka art.

To book a place, email support@ backstreetacademy.com.

 Lake View Restaurant on Lakeside, Pokhara stages a two-and-a-half-hour cultural show every evening featuring Nepali folk dances, traditional instruments and ethnic songs. Some dances are associated with special occasions and ceremonies. The show ends with a guest participatory dance which provides a good opportunity for you to practice some Nepali steps. Enjoy this complimentary show with Nepali cuisine and local beer!

Contact +977-61-463854 or email info@ lakeviewpokhara.com