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I was running late for my interview at Site59.com whose offices were just a few short blocks away from the World Trade Center. The role there was for an accountant and I had just started my senior year of college and was already interning at Merrill Lynch's Wealth Management division in the Empire State Building. My interview was scheduled for 9:00 am and here I was at 9:50 am, still trapped inside the train that had taken two hours to get to City Hall! On most days, the commute would've lasted 45 minutes or less.

As soon as the train halted at City Hall Station, I darted out and once on the street, I was taken aback seeing both the North and South towers of the World Trade Center on fire. I had no clue as to what had happened and saw people queueing up everywhere to use the public phones. Realizing that I still had my interview to go to, I tried using my cell-phone to let my interviewer know that I was a few minutes away but the phone wasn’t going through. I continued walking briskly and even stopped to stare at the two burning buildings along with a crowd of people.

Fixated at my destination, when I reached two blocks away from the Site59 office, a rumble ensued and people began screaming that the towers were collapsing. A crowd, including me, ran into a Duane Reade and I then felt the earth shake twice as hard as any previous earthquake I'd ever experienced!  As soon as it stopped, everyone in the store made a dash towards Pier 17, South Street Seaport. Outside, there were debris everywhere and the dust and smoke gushed towards us, trapping us from all angles and within no time, the entire zone was covered by dust and soot-fog so thick, it was impossible to see anything, even a foot away. As it cleared, I could see police officers directing us to go uptown via Water Street.

As we walked a few more blocks uptown, the smoke and the burning stench in the air subsided. I brushed the soot off my shirt and pants and continued marching with thousands of people. It was only when we got to Chinatown did I turn back and stop to look at the North Tower that was still belching smoke into the air. Within a few minutes I watched it pancake, throwing a vast cloud of smoke and debris which then left me with the realization that we were at War and there would be severe consequences.

The volunteers and police officers then told people on the streets that all public transport were shut down for the day. Since I needed to get back to Astoria, I then joined a crowd that continued uptown via 2nd Ave. It was a strange sight to see no vehicles on the road that day and after walking for what seemed like an eternity, I stopped to rest as the scorching sun burned hard upon us all. I then joined a group listening to the news being broadcast on the radio of a parked truck. Everyone collectively gasped when we heard that a plane had hit the Pentagon. It was one shock after another that left us pondering, “What’s next?”

Realizing that I still had a long hike and was completely dehydrated, I entered Health Nuts on 44th and 2nd to buy a bottle of water. Carrying out a small conversation about my ordeal, the cashier asked if I was Nepali. Surprised, I said yes and he mentioned that he was one too! It finally felt good to have someone I could talk to after nearly two hours of silence and self-contemplation. I never met him after but what remains in my mind is that the Sherpa dai refused to take any money from me.

Once on the lower level of the Queensboro Bridge and on finally crossing it into Queens, I could finally see automobiles on the streets. The livery cabs were packing people like sardines charging each individual a $10 fare. A few days later, I heard some cab-driving friends of talk of drivers who made more than $2,000 that way. It made me sick to hear of the heartless advantage being taken. Even today, when people and the media talk about the collective generosity of New Yorkers during 9/11, they must’ve never looked into this aspect.

Still walking, I called a friend who lived on 28th and Broadway in Astoria and went over for lunch. We watched the news for the next hour and no one had any clue as to who was behind this atrocity. Some blamed Saddam, some Arafat and a few linked Al-Qaeda. Arafat then came on the news to redeem himself of any involvement via a shivering face that looked like it had just seen a ghost. As we sat on the roof of my friend's building along with two more buddies all we did was look at the smoke still rising in the horizon of what was once the World Trade Center.

While our discussions continued, F16 jets continued to fly overhead from Queens into Manhattan and below on the street, all shops were closed and the always vibrant Broadway in Astoria was a dead zone; a scene straight out of a zombie movie and it was not even 3 in the afternoon! That was when realization finally dawned upon us that things would never be the same again.

(Note: Back in 2002 site59.com was purchased for $42 million in cash and is now a part of Travelocity)

Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork, Caribbean Pepper Pot Soup, Cabbage and Salt Fish, Jamai­can Juicy Patties, Potato and Mango Pick-a-Peppa are some of the exotic Jamaican dishes being served at the Sunrise Restaurant in Hotel Yak & Yeti, Durbarmarg from September 5 to 15.

The hotel is hosting the Jamaican food promotions “to take the guests on a gas­tronomical journey to experi­ence the diverse flavors of the tropical Caribbean Island.”

The Piano Bar alongside is also serving all-day special snacks and cocktail menu for the period. Some of the exciting snacks on the menu are Calamari and Shrimp Fritters with Tartar Sauce, Jerk Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip, Mini Burgers with Crispy Fried Onion, along with drinks and cocktails such as Mojito Royal, Bacardi Rum Carrot Colada, Jamaican Fever, CaribbeanLicious and many more

 Patan, one of UNESCO world heritage sites, is a not-to-miss place if you visit Nepal. Even Kathmandu folks go to Patan to experience the rich Newari heritage. Foreign tourists in particular have of late been fascinated by the idea of going and staying in traditional Newari homes in Patan that offer warmth, coziness and rich art. It’s good business too. They are ready to pay as much as $45-$100 a night for the rich, immersive experience of living in old, traditional homes. Rather than air conditioners, televisions and oth­er modern amenities, these places offer a vintage experience. Tourists may come for short stay or longer for work.

A Newari house is characterized by the intricate wood carvings and brickwork, use of natural resources, welcoming atmosphere and low ceilings. Small entry doors that require guests to bend while entering signifies respect for the place they dwell.

If you are wondering where you can find a place to enjoy some quiet time and to experience living in a traditional Newari home, here are three hotels among around a doz­en in the periphery of the Mangal Bazar area.

Swotha

Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood of the medieval city center, Swotha is easy to spot as it is smack-dab in Swotha chowk. Just a two-minute walk from Mangal Bazar, this bed and breakfast place offers incom­parable hospitality. A beautifullyrestored 70-year-old Newari residence, there are altogether nine rooms, each with a private balcony. There is also a Swotha café which offers food and beverages in a soothing ambience. The price range of rooms is $80-$160.

The Inn Heritage Hotel

Right beside Swotha, you can enter The Inn Heritage Hotel which is another traditional Newari

boutique hotel. You enter an open private stone-paved courtyard where you can relax while having tea. This brick and timber Newari house, whose original features

have been kept intact, has been restored by conservation architect Rohit Ranjitkar. It offers 10 spacious rooms with modern amenities such as solar hot water, in-house restaurant and free wi-fi. The average room rate is $100.

Newa Chén

Just five-minute walk from Mangal Bazar, there is Newa Chén.

Even though the streets outside is full of people, as soon as you enter this beautiful tourist accommodation you will feel like you are

in a quiet home. Built during the Malla rule in Nepal, this traditional home was restored under a

UNESCO project. The Newari courtyard outside has books that one can read while sitting in a Newari arrangement. There is even a new gallery which exhibits traditional Nepali art. The prices for the eight bedrooms with personal seating areas and private suite bathrooms start at $45.

If you visit these hotels during off-season or through travel agents and websites, you can get cheaper deals. Hoteliers say they are usually fully-booked during the season, between October and March, so it is recommended that you book a room at least three months in advance. Next time you want a typical Newari home experience, you know where to go!

Photos by Pritam Chhetri

On a busy thoroughfare in the West End of Edin­burgh, Scotland, is an unassuming restaurant sur­rounded by other, more glam­orous cousins. But never judge a book by its cover. Inside is a place that is simple on the eye but anything but simple on the palette. The Khukuri at Haymarket in Edinburgh has been run­ning since 1997. Around nine months ago the original owner retired and it came under the new management of Mukesh and Sunil Sharma. While sim­plifying the décor—getting rid of those cliché moun­tain pictures that dominate Nepali restaurants around the world—and adding even more authentic Nepali khana to the menu, there is a continuity that works well, in that the current manager also worked under the previous owner.

The Sharma brothers arrived in the UK in the 1990s, studying hospitality and web design respectively, so they understand the local as well as Nepali preferences. For them it is all about customer service and satisfaction. The person who really interested me, however, was Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, the manager.

Having come to Scotland in 2009, Shrestha spent the first month wondering what he could do in this new land. Fortunately, he came in con­tact with the original owner of the restaurant, who was known for helping Nepalis in Scotland. “I came here not knowing anyone but within a month I got a job at the Khukuri, where I worked for two years. I came back to the Khukuri in 2014,” explains Shrestha.

“Today, under the new management, there is defi­nitely more customers and we are thinking of opening a sec­ond branch where we staff will have shares,” says Shrestha. “We get many Nepalis coming here—for example Gurkha sol­diers who train nearby.”

Working in the Khukuri are nine other staff, seven of them Nepalis. Mukesh is studying under the restaurant’s chef to improve his knowledge of Nepali cuisine. “We are in the process of introducing sekwa and items such as channa chatpate, black dal, tare ko aloo, and lal mohan”, explains Sunil. The restaurant is sourc­ing saag but at the moment it is not finding exactly what it is looking for, “so are thinking of growing saag in our own small garden at the back”.

“Our customers are extremely important to us and whatever we are doing seems to be working. We are now 67th in Trip Advisor for Edinburgh, whereas before the restaurant stood at num­ber 326th,” Mukesh chimes in. “What’s more, today we are number one among Nepali restaurants and number seven among Asian restaurants in the city.”

And, the menu? What got me to the Khukuri was the fact they have bara (Rs 450), an all-time favorite of mine, and kheer, which is something I haven’t seen in other Nepali restaurants around the globe. Momos (Rs 700) are a feature, with a momo madness day held once a month, when customers can satisfy their craving for these little pack­ets of flavor. Other things that caught my eye were kwaanti soup (Rs 700) and chicken or lamb choyla (Rs 700).

I sampled the bara, adver­tised as made with ground black lentils. I was told that this did not prove popular with Nepali customers, thus the revised version comes over as a heavy bread-like pancake, which is now much loved by Nepali and non-Ne­pali customers alike.

I also tasted the chicken curry, with garlic nan, in their ‘Namche’ style (Rs 1,700; plenty for two people). The sauce contains jimbu and timur, again favorites of mine. I could do with more timur as I like my tongue to go numb! I was delighted to see Ever­est beer and Khukri rum on the drinks menu. Definitely something for the home-sick Nepali, and me!