| Sajha.com Archives | |
| Username | Post |
| isolated freak | Posted
on 23-Dec-02 07:34 AM
Sandwiched between Starbuck’s and nepali chiya-pasal, Himalayan Java in Thamel is one of the most happening places in town. It is a happening place because listening to Puff Daddy’s “every move you make” while sitting on those brown couches (if you are lucky enough) or just the ordinary black steel chairs (if you are not so lucky), many hearts come together. Gone are those days when people believed that matches are made in Heaven.. if you still believe in this, visit Java and you’ll soon realize that Nepali matches are made in Java these days.. Kathmandu’s teens who have nowhere to hang out or better yet show their newly bought counterfeit Calvin Klien or Gucci wardrobe come in groups at java.. If you want to see what the supermodels were wearing in Naples or Paris yesterday, you’ve got to visit java..(if you are a big fashion buff, its gonna save you $$$$, why fly to Naples when you can see the same clothes in Nepal!).. Also, keep your eyes and ears open… this place is just the perfect place to know a) who smokes how many sticks of cigarettes in an hour b) who is going out with who and who recently had a heartbreak and or had a new bf/gf or who is getting married soon , c) to see the rich, urban and unemployed kids indulged in PDA (Public display of affection)…caste no bar!! Welcome to the 21st century Kathmandu to broadly classify the regular Javans, there are 4 categories: 1. Rich but no brains kids 2. Rich but with brains kids 3. Young Rich professionals 4. misfits 1. This group dominates the java scene. This group has 3 guys and 5 girls, who just sit there, talk (and laugh so loudly that everyone has to acknowledge their presence) and drink coffee while blowing their amulya jiwan in curot-ko dhuwa. This group is fashion conscious, knows what’s hot and what’s not and these people seem to know everyone who enters this place!!! But believe me, these are the most social people.. (don’t be amazed if a long haired cute looking girl comes to you and asks about a friend of your’s whom you haven’t seen in 20 years.. moreover when she starts revealing things about you that even you don’t know.. don’t flee the scene…you are on your way to making new friends.. java coffee—connecting people) 2. Rich but with brain kids: This group usually sits quietly but are often heard talking about their future career plans (which obviously involves fleeing the oh-so-boring-poor-Nepal). This group usually has 4-5 members and they sit quietly reading the himalayn times while blowing smoke rings off their Marlboro/surya lights. If the first group wears LL Cool J and Shakira clothes, these are more Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan type. 3. Young Rich Professionals: this group enters the scene after 4-5 PM and sits quietly (thinking about what they would have become if they hadn’t joined this boring job that they just got out from…).. They are the ones checking their cell phones for missed calls every 2 mins… the members of this group come in pairs-- guy-girl, girl-girl and or guy-guy.. These people don’t spend much time there but when they are there, they just seem to ignore their partner and fix their eyes on that cute channel Nepal VJ or the same bahini who knows everything about you… 4. Misfits: people above 30 are misfits.. they are aliens for the java crowd..these misfits scare people away when they make their grand entry…there’s a pin drop silence when the members of this group search for their friends in that crowd.. this group especially consists of dai/didi, kaka/bhinaju/mama in rare cases ba/aama of the first group (and didn’t I say earlier that the 1st group is the most noisy one??). Anyway, with the arrival of these misfit, you are bound to see some members of all three groups : a) hiding themselves b) fleeing c) pretending to be somebody else This group is pain in the neck for everyone. They order burguone wine.. even though they know that its not served there.. OK, a german beer then.. no, .. hmm.. what about special Vienna coffee? After asking all these weird questions, you know what they settle down to??? Nepali chiya… Also there’s another group, often called white devils by the Chinese and walking-talking objects of curiosity among the nepali kids, walking ATMs for the thamel vendors and one-way ticket to the West for some. But, seeing our own nepalis beat them in their own game, these devils-ATMs do not arouse much curiosity. So, they just sit there drinking their mountain supreme (which by the way does not grow in the mountains) while cursing their travel agents or whoever suggested them to visit nepal for a “different experience”.. “god dam it, I thought I was visiting a third world impoverished developing country.. gotta sue that travel agency which sold me the tour” “santan thari thari ka” says one of my friends, while other just feels her nepali-ness threatened when she enters there…still I can’t resist the temptation to enter java for coffee and to see people when I pass by thamel every day. And believe me every day is a new learning experience. |
| PremPujari | Posted
on 23-Dec-02 08:14 AM
Wow!! Isolated Jyu!! That was amazing. I could visualize everything inside my head. Great Detail. Great observation!!!! Aru pani jaawosh!! PREM_P |
| surya | Posted
on 23-Dec-02 09:13 AM
I thought the Java cafe was pretty cool. The waiters were really nice and I appreciated using their computers (for free) to write a few emails to friends and famiy. I thought the coffee was good enough... I am not one for Starbucks, but I love my java and in my humble opinion they could pay more attention to roasts to get richer flavors. As for the patrons... I did see a lot of teenager trying to look cool and sophesticated, sucking on their cancer sticks and lingering over cups of java, but I saw plenty of "misfits" as well .... people my age (ahem!) and people who seemed cool and sophesticated for real (ahem! ahem! while blowing on my nails and shining them on my shirt) :) Thanks IS... don't they have a website? I tried to find it on google, but no luck. |
| ktm_chahalpahal | Posted
on 24-Dec-02 03:43 AM
I am a regular customer to this place. isolated freak nailed everything correct. The coffee is great, the gals are pretty, and the service is nice too. however, still trying to figure out in which class i belong to??? |
| choranepali | Posted
on 24-Dec-02 07:03 AM
dherai ramro cha...lekhai maan pariyo..aru pani lekhu hai... |
| NK | Posted
on 26-Dec-02 10:19 AM
What's next? After Shangrila, the little Seattle? Ah! Kathmandu, Where 33 koti gods and godesses used to reside! The home of "famous" freak street. 70 is gone - a long time ago. 80s, 90s, and 00 gone too. Don't know what happened in those decades. Must have been preparing for the great leap forward. |
| Logical Sense | Posted
on 26-Dec-02 02:06 PM
Looks like Tushita (at Kantipath) of our days has taken another avataar!!! During that time all four categories seemed in harmony and undistinguishable. May be the social structure was more homogeneous that time and it is more apparant now!!!! Nice narrative IFju. |
| villageVoice | Posted
on 27-Dec-02 12:54 AM
IF, very well written. Would love some more of these observations. Kathmandu, according to IF... :) |
| SITARA | Posted
on 28-Dec-02 01:18 AM
IF ji Very impressive observations of the minute details that paint the whole picture! Enjoyed your writing! |
| Arnico | Posted
on 28-Dec-02 04:33 AM
The most interesting character to grace Java with his presence is of course our very own Isolated Freak... anyone who's seen him there would agree... hoina ra, IF bhai? |
| suva chintak | Posted
on 28-Dec-02 03:55 PM
Good read, IF! I just wanted to run by you one rumor I heard from one of my friend who used to patronise HJ for a while. Rahesh Hamal, who apparently makes any woman weak in the knees simply by his macho presence, frequents the place to pick up white women when he needs a change of taste from his daily diet of Nepali sundaris. Poor guy! Did you ever see this hunk there or hear about this prowlings from the wait staff? Keep us posted! |
| fRank | Posted
on 30-Dec-02 11:05 AM
The truth about the teenagers of Nepal, esp. Kathmandu. So true Isolated Freak. Nepal bata tadhiye pani I am still in touch with my friends. They have same views about Java like you do. I have never been there not even while I was in Nepal. I guess we got too many dhani bau ko santan haru roaming free in Nepal, not having to work. One of my friend after visiting that place said "teenagers just go there to show that they have cell phones that actually work." As for the counterfeit Gucci and Calvin klein, they are looking for freedom of expression including sexual freedom; but they are looking for it at the wrong time. At the wrong time, when we have maoist problems, when the radicals who want a pure hindu kingdom are causing problems.. totally a wrong time. The results of these teenagers trying to look behave and act like American teenagers might bring grave consequences. What awaits ahead is sth i would love to know? till laters Peace |
| khaja biscuit | Posted
on 30-Dec-02 11:19 AM
http://www.thamel.com/cgi-bin/tsearch/profile.cgi?163,CH |
| baljoshi | Posted
on 30-Dec-02 11:30 AM
http://himalayanjava.com.np/ |
| nepalikanchhi | Posted
on 30-Dec-02 12:12 PM
Hey way to go IF i really appreciate your writing as I have seen the environment and it is exactly ike you've mentioned!!!!! This article is soooooooooooooooooooooo true mannn.... It says it all..... Achkaal ka thita thiti haru sab poj marna Java janchhan... Kahile kahi Java ko coffee khana jana ta man lagchha tara tyaha aune manis haru le garda janai man lagdaina... You feel so inferior when they stare at you as soon as you enter the big hall I ... God!!! these days teenagers really show off... and they're experts at giving such looks that make you feel that you just dont fit in that place(although I know that I definitely do).. Anyways thats it... Haven't been there much (5-6 times) but whenever I went, I came out of there in just 2 mins or so... Only twice I stayed there for a long time i.e half an hour hola..... ma pani teenager nai ho tara hami haru ko lagi baneko thau nai hoina tyo.. Its a cool place.. Not because of the people that visits the place but because of the place itself.. You know I wish I could just go out there and have a cup of coffee and relax!! BUT uh-uh.... Not at all like that!!! A place to show off .. a place to show your new clothes and to show people that you have a CELL which ACTUALLY works!!! |
| Lami Baje | Posted
on 30-Dec-02 02:20 PM
Afno Bela Samjhana? All of us forget our teenager time while blasting at present teenagers. Presently they have means and capacity to show off, more than during our time. May be it is jealosy? May be most of us regret we could not go 'hand in hand' during our time. It is same rheotoric hour seniors gave us when we were growing, and I think similar rheotoric our seneors heard when they were growing. So, really Itihas Feri Dohorincha. Chill out guys/gals let the Teenager in Nepal be Teenager (Hope they don't quit school and don't do drugs and don't get HIV - that is all). I believe in more freedom, more happyness, more innovation, more productivity, what do you say? When future is dark, Maoists are ruining the education, security, and economy, let our kids have some fun time, OKIE? - Marriage Counselor |
| vimacha | Posted
on 30-Dec-02 09:15 PM
that was a great description of the java place...makes me want to go back to nepal to check it out! |