| Sajha.com Archives | |
| Username | Post |
| Gokul | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 05:47 AM
Ashu, Congratulations for the job well done. It seems you sounded like Seinfeld though you probably looked like George Kostanza, not to say Kramer in your funny outfit. http://www.kantipuronline.com/kalarasaili.php#1 |
| rbaral | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 06:17 AM
Congratulations. Can't wait to hear something first hand. |
| ashu | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 08:28 AM
Gokul, Rishi and friends, What can I say? Though I did suffer from a serious pang of 'performance anxiety' in the afternoon, I was lucky that I ended up having a great time anyway, doing the show in the evening in front of about 100 or so people for half-and-hour. The whole experience was like gioing down-hill skiing . . . I mean, once you get going, you just go . . . swish, swish and swish . . . left, right and center . . . until you reach the end of the mountain -- both exhilarated and exhausted, gasping for air!! Judging from the peals of laughter all around, it sounded like the audience members too enjoyed the half-hour performance. And what a relief that was, not having to hire professional laughers to go around tickling others :-) I am just thankful that the show went really well, and that my brand of humor did amuse people. Quite a few Sajha friends showed up to lend support. Maybe they can share their impressions, suggestions and even criticisms. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| ashu | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 08:33 AM
What follows is from The Himalayan Times daily, March 31, 2004. Enjoy. ***** Laughter on the side Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, March 31: Better known as a staid economist who has been signing his e-mails for the last eight years as “Oohi Ashu”, this individual has decided to break away from the mould and make a new beginning starting April Fool’s Day. Oohi Ashu will be on stage delivering punch lines at Dhokaima Cafe, Patan Dhoka from 6pm in the evening. “Psychologists have discovered for a fact that the shortest distance between people is humour,” shares Oohi Ashu who is a business consultant by every normal day. “When you use humour, it relaxes and releases tension. Laughter is a gift that we humans have. You don’t see dogs laughing or cats smiling. Humour is also a sign of intelligence.” And while he is trying to juggle this new identity, Oohi Ashu juggles apples for us and delivers some punch lines that are really funny. Why suddenly does he opt for stand-up comedy? “We live in troubled times,” he says. “Both the government and rebels make absurd pronouncements. We can only look at them with crooked eyes and use humour to keep sane. ”During the Panchayat era, it was Madan Krishna and Hari Bansa, the MaHa duo who used humour as a powerful tool. The original purpose of humour, states the newfound comedian is to point at the truth from a different point of view." “Humour can’t be made up,” he explains, “It is truth that must be explained from a different angle. It keeps you honest.” Donning a reflective look, he adds, “This is a brave but foolish decision. I am otherwise a very serious person. I’ve been spending sleepless nights wondering what I will do. I love Seinfeld but what I’m setting out to do is start something so people with more talent can come forward. Just set a pace, this is not a career change or whatever. I’m just getting myself out of the comfort zone.” Sarita Mishra and Salil Kanika will set the mood for Oohi Ashu’s humour. The duo with Mishra on the tabala and Kanika on the didgeridoo have been playing together for three years now and they share that it is magic playing together. “Both are percussion-based instruments and we follow a beat together,” share the musicians. “It is like lighting a fire and suddenly we connect with the rhythm of life, the intensity connects as the tempo builds and we create a world of our own with just the tabala and didgeridoo.” |
| tabasco | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 08:39 AM
.ashu dai is it documented ??? can ya see if you can arrange it online. dying to see... ;) |
| Deep | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 08:49 AM
Ashu sir le dhokaima tahalka machai ra bela ma afu chai jhyalaima basera miss gari rahe. Aba nepal tira ek raund hanna jam ki soch.dai chhu--tyai mauka ma Ashu sir le machchaune tahalka dhokaima bhaye dhokaima nabhaye antai bhayeni herne/sunne mauka paiyela ki? |
| mitra 2 | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 09:01 AM
Ashu, I'm dying to see it too. Let's see it online. I can provide a server space for you to upload if that is an issue. It supports real video streaming only. |
| paramendra | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 09:12 AM
Ashu: always in news! What were some of your lines, by the way? Congrats... Keep 'em coming. |
| SITARA | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 09:21 AM
The downhill part... did you break anything? ;)))) |
| Rusty | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 09:49 AM
Ashu lai mero tarfa bata pani badhai cha |
| Dilasha | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 12:05 PM
I'm glad it went well Ashu! congrats! that's a good start...could you post some pictures here? |
| Damodar | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 01:47 PM
One Word MAASSHU !! break it down=Ma Ass Hu or is it assshu only..he he Guess some people's ego neva die ! Come.... people's and check out ma achievements 'n while u at it check out ma Bio Data Ahem I am a harvarrr grad !!! |
| ashu | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 08:07 PM
Damodar, If it helps you maintain a non-acid perspective and laugh a little, think of this whole thing this way: I made fun of myself in front of 100 people or so for about half-an-hour, (while earning money for the accompanying musicians at Rs. 100 per guest) and survived all right to tell the tale :-) Sorry that you missed it. Other than that, hey, I fully defend your right to your opinions about me. Go ahead, pal. No problemo!! For the others, many, many thanks for your words. I appreciate them. I'll post what I can in terms of pictures and and a video. Let's see. Please give me some time. A friend -- Manish Paudel, formerly of Washington DC -- has done this audio file. I haven't listened to this myself . . . but here it goes: www.newweb.net/~manish/ashu.rm *** Paramendra, The language was 90 per cent Nepali, and 10 per cent English. oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| M.P. | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 09:47 PM
Wow! I listened to the whole recording, although it was hard to hear everything perhaps because of the quality of the recording. Congratulations, Ashu dai. Next time some journalist comes to you for an interview, tell them you want to change Nepal--that's what Nepali artists are supposed to do. :) ---- On a side--and hopefully not a distracting--note, I see that you talk a lot about Charitrawan Chelas. I thought I would share this piece on Charitrahin Chelas from the latest issue (March 27th) of the Nepal Digest: - http://thenepaldigest.org/Mar04/news_item.asp?NewsID=278 Best Regards, M.P. |
| Biswo | Posted
on 02-Apr-04 10:42 PM
ashu, Unfortunately I couldn't understand any joke in the link. Too many extraneous noises. Anyway, wish you goodluck in your new job. |
| isolated freak | Posted
on 03-Apr-04 01:00 AM
"charitra heen huna yo desh ma kunai certificate chahidaina, charitrawaan chela huna certificate chahincha".- Oohi Ashu Ashu dai, Congratulations! When is the next show? |
| Suna | Posted
on 03-Apr-04 05:38 AM
Can't hear a line!! UGH! Rastaman send the files to SF dude or da quiet man in DC!! ..is it you whoz clogging up newweb with huge ram files?? :) Drop a line! Rastaman!!! I hear things are going well! ;) |
| Nepe | Posted
on 03-Apr-04 11:24 AM
Ashu, You did it. That alone counts a lot. Yes, the quality of the audio record was too poor to catch your words. However, the laughter of the audience told a lot. This is the first time I heard your voice and it was much better (sweeter) than I had imagined. Sorry to tell you this, but my imagination about you was a man with a high pitch voice. ehehe. I liked the joke about missing pressure cooker. When are we going to listen/watch the rest of your show ? Among other things, I am curious to know if you were balanced in coverage. Bhrastachari netas, pressure cooker wala krantikaris ta suniyo, aba raja_ko Mercedes ra Nagarik Abhinandan, which can be sources of good jokes, cover bhaye ki bhayen sunna man laageko chha. If not, next time perhaps. |
| Nepe | Posted
on 03-Apr-04 11:33 AM
And oh yes, when I first heard the word 'Charitraheen Chela', I did think about M.P.'s latest humor at TND. Good humor M.P. ji. Actually, more analogous to Charitraheen Chelis than Ashu's version proclamationwise. |
| ashu | Posted
on 03-Apr-04 06:08 PM
Thank you Nepe, Biswo, Dilasha, Sitara, San, Iso Freak, Rusty, Mitra 2, Tabasco, Deep, Paremendra and anyone else I have missed . . . in all honesty, thanks to your encouragement here on Sajha since January that I was able to do as "well" as I did last Thursday in Kathmandu. I was also lucky that other friends in Kathmandu had also been very supportive. Friends' support, belief and encouragement count a lot. ****** Nepe wrote: "my imagination about you was a man with a high pitch voice. ehehe." To that, all I can say is: :-) :-) :-) BTW, the joke sequences were: 1) Enter stage: juggle three balls while humming Beethoven's 9th symphony. 2) Introduce self as Cheritra Wan Chela, and a whole series on Govinda Raj Joshi and other netas. 3) Jokes about the pleasures and plains of dating a Charitraheen Cheli (Krantikari) 4) Jokes about the history of stand-up comedy in Nepal: from the era of Drabya Shah to Gyanendra. 5) Jokes about my family and myself. 6) Jokes about the organisers: Dhokaima Cafe 7) have someone call me on the mobile on stage, and launch into a 'mobile' joke 8) Jokes about Nepal Accupuncture society 9) Jokes about "a doctor and a bag" 11) Jokes about the Maoists 12) Jokes about the political parties 12) Perform a joke in a sign language 13) Exit the stage. Time: 32 minutes. I'll try to post a video. But let's see. If not, after the "a.pra.tya.sheet sa.fa.la. ta" of this, there's going to be another show -- in a few months' time. :-) oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| ashu | Posted
on 03-Apr-04 08:01 PM
The Himalayan Times Online (April 4 2004) Printed from www.thehimalayantimes.com Laughing with Charitrawan Chela Kathmandu: What happens when a Charitrawan Chela decides to become a stand-up comedian and attack Charitraheen Chelis with humour? It definitely becomes funny especially if the Chela also sets out to redefine history. Oohi Ashu took to the stage with ease in a dhaka topi and jeans declaring another identity — that of a Charitrawan Chela. April Fool's Day was more than just funny at Dhokaima Cafe, Patan Dhoka with the music of the didgeridoo and the tabala. "I have nothing against Charitraheen Chelis," said Oohi Ashu, "Stand-up comedy is an art form of subversive humour." April 1 had this one Chela delivering punch lines that had the audience cackling with laughter. His jokes ranged from Jung Bahadur Rana's daring feat to a diagnosis of why our five political parties have a better sense of humour than the rebels. "They did call for a people's movement on April Fool's Day, didn't they?" Oohi Ashu was a refreshing change from the usual humdrum happenings of Kathmandu. To listen to a stand-up comic whose routine traversed the history of Nepal and attacked the situation that affected our lives was a welcome change. "I'm a business consultant," he shares, "And my work otherwise is really tense and serious. This has been fun — to be able to make people laugh. I was never a stage performer and confess I had nightmares that were sponsored such as Dabur Nepal presents this segment of your dream... Funnily enough, I wasn't even nervous today. There is nothing nicer than making people laugh! Truly!" He began with dreams of encouraging people to come forward and stand up for stand-up comedy. He confesses to taking refuge behind comedy to escape his own identity. — Himalayan News Service COPYRIGHT@ 2004 THE HIMALAYAN TIMES PUBLICATION. All rights reserverd |
| ou812 | Posted
on 05-Apr-04 02:32 AM
Murphy's Law #420: An artist is not an artist untill his/her's work is available to download free (illegally) over kazaa. A pledge to any fan of comic maven "Mr A. Tiwari", could you please get hold of MP3 version of the show and post it in Kazaa? Thank you. P.S Mr Tiwari Sir, hope you don't mind a little piracy. We in the land of doom, gloom and rain waiting with bated breath to tickle our funny bones. |
| ashu | Posted
on 05-Apr-04 06:28 AM
Dear OU812 et al, I really, really regret NOT being able to share the stuff with you guys. I mean, over the past few months, most of you have been incredibly supportive and enthusiastic about my doing the show. But ke garne? The audio-visual guy gave me "dhoka" at the last minute last Thursday: hence I do not have good enough video clip to post here. I understand that someone from Image Metro Channel video-taped the show, and I am trying to get hold of it to post it here. No promises, but please be patient. As always, many, many thanks for all your support. It really means a lot to me, especially when, truth be told, NOBODY -- and I mean, NOBODY -- really believed that I could, with a serious face, get people laughing on and on for half an hour. :-) Meantime, good news: Another Cafe with a vibrant music scene has approached me to do the show there. With some new masala, I might do one for them there later this month to usher in the Nepali New Year. This is really surprising, but looks like this s tand-up comedy is going to be a pleasant "side-career" in KTM. I guess, my spending all those hours watching Seinfeld reruns is starting to pay off!! [Problem: this means that my opportunity cost for posting stuff on sajha will go up :-( As such, I might do more for-fee stand-up comedy and make fewer postings on Sajha :-(] Then again, before I get too full of myself, let me quote this wise and humbling proverb: "Lato desh ma gado tannay.ree"!! oohi ashu ktm,nepal |
| rauniyar | Posted
on 05-Apr-04 07:13 AM
Ashu ji, kudos on the new venture that you have gotten into. I do believe that your expressions through "Humour" would be much more justified than putting it plain in black and white in the newspapers and articles. If I am reading you right, the outlet through humours is nothing but get to the same point through a differnt medium. In the war of ideas, it is people who get killed (J.Lec) last but not the least, I remain here sharing couple of proverbs that are apt to this thread. The ability to laugh at oneself and recognize one's own human weakness is a desirable quality of leadership. ( Paul Petzoldt) ... this one is for you Ashu Ji Once you get people laughing, they are listening and you can tell them almost anything. (Herbert Gardner) Uhi Rajeev! |
| paramendra | Posted
on 08-Apr-04 02:18 PM
Ashu. You mention Seinfeld. Why only. Seinfeld. Jay Leno. Letterman. They all hire writers. Why not use your Sajha audience to dig up some material? Right here... People like M.P. and so forth? Good work. |
| ashu | Posted
on 08-Apr-04 04:04 PM
Paramendra, I take your point well. Yes, I have long admired The Sinking Nepal's correspondent M.P.'s sense of humor. In fact, I have even urged Nepali Times' Kunda Dixit to allow for diversity in his "Under my hat" column by inviting people such as M.P. to write humor from time to time. To play on an old phrase: We are all funnier than we know. oohi ashu |