Repondre s’il vous plaît

          Zara shirt | Empty Closet pants

Cher ami,

Dernièrement, j'ai été très occupé avec le travail. Je n'ai pas été en mesure de passer du temps avec vous. Permet de répondre pour le dîner demain à 8h. Nous allons boire du vin et ont un bon moment. Préférez la cuisine Italienne?

Bisous,

EC

Little Branden

           Empty Closet dress

It had been a hectic week and the Saturday ‘long sleep’ was the only activity I was looking forward to.  At the eleventh hour, a 10 o’clock meeting was called on Saturday. I grumpily walked out of my house to attend the meeting. And, little Branden raced past me on his little blue bicycle.

Branden is my friend Tina’s nephew who lives in the same neighborhood. He sees me and screams, “Aunty, wait!” He recklessly rides towards me on his blue bicycle with a black plastic bag hanging from the handle. Panting, he takes out two sweets from the bag and hands them to me. I ask him if it was his birthday and he grins, “Uncle Gopal had a baby!” He then races off distributing sweets and spreading joy.

At the meeting, I am savoring a sweet and smiling at the thought of little Branden speeding on his blue bicycle with a black plastic bag jingling with sweets.

A week later I went to visit Tina’s mother. I ask for Branden but he was out playing. As I finished my drink and prepared to leave Branden enters. He walks in with dirty clothes, flushed cheeks and a happy smile. He then does the most unusual thing- he bows before me and asks for my blessing. I am stunned by his gesture. Overwhelmed and speechless I hold him and say ‘dhanyabad’ instead of ‘bhagyamani.’

A small gesture by a child lightens spirits and their innocence and pure intentions only bring happiness. But as we get older we lose this charm. Why cant that innocent child remain within us for eternity…

…

EC

The Crown

 We or at least I have sat in front of the television and criticized their accents. I have skimped through newspapers and questioned their intelligence. I have flipped through magazines and ridiculed their ensembles. This has been the definition of Miss Nepal, in my dictionary.

I have never signed up for Miss Nepal pageant to compete for the crown in front of millions of people. It has never been my dream to win the title. So I may be out of line, judgmental or just ignorant with my views.

All the crowned winners pledge for a cause they say they believe in. But in a year’s time do they forget about their commitment or does the commitment last only till the crown is on their heads. Again, I could be judgmental or ignorant.

However, my cynicism is evolving into optimism with the crowning of Miss Nepal 2012, Shristi Shrestha. She is a gorgeous woman with a genuine heart.  Even before winning the title she was a humanitarian. She is dedicated irrespective of the crown on her head. Her endeavor to help the people of Siraha is commendable. Crown or no crown, each one of us should take the driver's seat instead of sitting in the back seat and directing where the country should head.

Support Shristi Shrestha for Miss World 2012. If a cynic like me can vote for her so can the rest of you

.…

EC

                                                                   Video  by: Plexus Inc

Spanish brand in town

           All products available at Zara store, Civil Mall.

When a store on the 1^st floor at Civil Mall opened its doors, Nepali women heaved a sigh of relief.  There no longer would be phone calls to friends and relatives living abroad binding them to a string of wish list- Zara tux, Zara chino pants, Zara blouse, Zara dress, Zara heels or Zara bag.

For others, that little black dress or that cute 70’s dress or that perfect fit chino pants in the display lures you into the store as you make your way to QFX Cinema. Can you blame them? The brand that has masterfully replicated high-end fashion is a must-have in every woman’s closet. The fabric, cut, detailing and finishing makes Zara ensemble comfortable and chic.

The new arrival has a mix of summer and cocktail dresses, casual tops, animal prints, high heels, ballerina, boots, sequin scarves and lace neckpieces.

My favorite is the dark sandy chino pants; I had set my heart and soul to it. Unfortunately, my size is out of stock but I have coaxed ‘sauji’ to find me a pair. I hope to hear some good news. Fingers crossed!!!

Thank you Niki, Majorie, Shradha and Sonam for being such a sport!

…

EC

Attention Men!!!

            FMirror Clutch (Available Soon)

Yes we wear skirts that may be a little too short. Yes our blouses may be a little too tight. Yes we wear high heels that accentuate our figure. Yes we have make-up on most of the time. However, note that it is not an invitation for your perverse intentions.

We may wear the skimpiest clothes but ingrain this in your minds, ‘We are not luring you!’

The incident that took place on the night of 9^th July 2012 at Guwahati, India is a manifestation of a woman in a man’s mind. A mob sexually molests and strips a minor girl for more than half an hour on a busy road and no one comes to her rescue. Unfortunately this is not the first, there have been many in the past and worst, most have not been reported. Women are made to believe that they instigate men and hence women are to be blamed for sexual assaults inflicted on them.

Mr. Gaurav Jyoti Negog, the reporter who filmed the incident said that he carried out his professional duty as a responsible journalist and had the nightmarish incident filmed to fulfill the social responsibility of identifying the molesters to get them arrested. Mr. Negog thought it better to wait and capture evidence so that it is easier to arrest the culprits later rather than stop a horrific incident from occurring and help the victim.

Mr. Negog and all the men and women, if the victim were your mother, sister or daughter, would you wait, film the incident, send it to the media and police hoping the culprits be arrested or would you help her and try to stop the incident from occurring?

…

EC

In-her-shoes

                                    Chiffon asymmetrical dress | Aldo purse

Pregnant and unmarried; of course it was not planned- it may or may not be a mistake, it may or may not be carelessness, it may or may not be foolishness but is it wrong? It is questionable how we are conditioned to respond to pregnancy; we are elated when a married woman is pregnant. The birth of a child is celebrated. However, an unmarried pregnant woman is looked down with contempt and shame. The answer to her pregnancy is abortion.

Abortion has never been universal. Is it right or wrong? You have to be in-her-shoes to know the answer. The society shakes its head in disdain at the thought of a child out of wedlock. It is not even a child for them; it is an illegitimate or a bastard.

For a pregnant and unmarried woman to make the conscious choice and not opt for an abortion speaks volume. She has accepted her responsibility even if her partner has washed his hands. She has accepted to change her priorities despite the hardship she will face. She is not ready for it but is confident she will learn. She has braced herself for the humiliation she will face from society. She is strong to fight for what she thinks is right even if the world has turned its back. She has no regrets instead patiently waits to love and protect the child.

The child may not have a father’s name but will proudly carry a remarkable woman’s name. A single mother is a brave and honorable woman. The only question I have for the society that raises a finger at her character, “If and when you are in-her-shoes what conscious choice will you make?”

…

EC