Anweiti Upadhyay

The contributor for Republica.
news@myrepublica.com

Recommendations of a fiction fanatic

Published On: April 3, 2020 01:14 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

19-year-old Pragya Mallick has been reading for as long as she can remember. Mallick, who is currently in her third semester of Bachelor’s in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Kathmandu University, claims that she spends a good chunk of her free time reading novels and when she isn’t doing that, she is browsing through the stack of novels at her college library. Mallick names sci-fi, fantasy and historical fiction as her favorite genres and admits that she is pretty picky about the book she reads. Here, she lists five of her favorite books and explains why she recommends everyone to read these books at least once.

What's keeping you sane?

Published On: April 3, 2020 08:06 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Once upon a time, there was so much we wanted to do but not enough time to do it all. Now most of us are in a quandary as to what to do with all the free time on our hands. Life went from one extreme to another. When she first heard the news about the nationwide lockdown, Shrija Shres- tha was horrified that she would have to spend all her time at home. She feared she would become anxious and bored with absolutely nothing to do for the next few weeks. Now, almost two weeks into self-isolation, Shrestha has found ways to fill her free time with a few activities she enjoys. She has taken up a couple of online courses—one on marketing and another on fashion designing, is practicing abstract art and drawing/ painting something new every day, and as the founder and sole operator of the formal wear hub Ambassador, she spends the rest of her free time connecting and communicating with her customers through the brand’s Insta- gram account.

Style Talk: Casual & comfortable

Published On: March 20, 2020 11:32 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

22-year-old Sharmila Nepal’s career as a model began when she joined the lineup of the seventh season of the ‘En Vogue’ finalists. After winning the ‘Most Talented’ title at the competition, Nepal has gone on to walk multiple runways and has been featured in adverts for different brands. A second year BBA student and a model manager, Nepal mentions that she didn’t really think much about fashion before she attended a workshop at House of Fashion but now, she is very conscious of what she’s wearing and wants to present herself in the most flattering light possible. Here, she opens up to The Week about her style and fashion preferences.

Fusion of flavors

Published On: March 20, 2020 11:03 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

As someone who appreciates and mostly sticks to typical Nepali food, the combination of these two seemingly discordant cuisines did not sound very appealing to me. But after hearing good things about it from a friend, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try out the restaurant. And am I glad I did because after trying out a bunch of dishes there, I only have good things to say about the eatery and I definitely plan on going there again.

Thrifting Economical and environmentally friendly

Published On: March 13, 2020 10:38 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

When influencer and blogger Anusmriti Chapagain started getting messages from her followers asking her to sell her own clothing items (that she didn’t use anymore), she decided to give thrifting a shot. She didn’t really think her followers would even be interested in the items she was reselling but, to her surprise, all the items sold out in the blink of an eye. Now, Chapagain runs an Instagram store (@heyygirlboss) selling both new, imported items and her own pre-owned pieces.

Fun with Fashion

Published On: March 6, 2020 12:52 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Aishwarya Baidar’s YouTube channel, girlmeetsworld, could be every fashion enthusiasts’ guilty pleasure. Although Baidar has only posted a few videos, she mentions that she has put in a lot of thought into everything and all the videos on her channel are aesthetic and pretty. What’s more is that her videos are actually helpful and provide a lot of tips and inspiration for future outfit styling and combinations.

It’s not just good food, it’s an experience

Published On: February 28, 2020 12:01 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Until a few months ago, I used to be very rigid about my food choices. I knew what I liked, strictly denied tasting something I thought I wouldn’t like and barely tried out new cuisines or dishes in general. The past me would’ve probably never agreed to trying out most East Asian cuisines. But after accompanying my friends to a few Japanese, Chinese and Korean restaurants, I’ve developed a liking for these cuisines. That is why I decided to try out Won Korean Restaurant.

Art to her rescue

Published On: February 28, 2020 10:25 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Art has been a part of Rashana Bajracharya’s life since she was a toddler. Now a freelance illustrator, visual artist and a designer at the Supreme Court, Bajracharya is a well-known name in the Nepali art scene. And Bajracharya claims that she sees art as more than just her career.

Formal doesn’t have to be boring

Published On: February 21, 2020 12:31 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

There aren’t many places in Kathmandu that sell or tailor formal wear for women. And a few years ago, when Shrija Shrestha went out shopping for a formal blazer to wear to her workplace, she had to roam around half the town before she found one she could make do with. As someone who has always enjoyed dressing up in formal wear, this frustrated Shrestha and right then, she planned to launch her own formal wear store for women in the future. So now, Shrestha has finally gotten around to this plan of hers and launched Ambassador—a formal wear hub for women.

Flu facts

Published On: February 21, 2020 10:29 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Suyash Dahal, 17, has taken to wearing surgical masks everywhere he goes ever since he first heard news about the potential coronavirus pandemic. Dahal, who is a +2 student, mentions that although he never wore masks until a couple of weeks ago because he finds them uncomfortable, he feels masks have become a necessity right now. The masks, he believes, will, to a certain extent, guard him against infections when he is out. And he thus feels a little safer.

Understanding Vastu Shastra

Published On: February 14, 2020 09:26 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Dr Basudev Krishna Shastri, an astrologer with 15 years of experience, and an expert in vastu shastra, says it is a principle through which people can live in harmony with nature. Following the principles of vastu shastra will lead you to live a peaceful and prosperous life by balancing the effects of the five key elements of this subject—which are earth, water, heat (or fire), air and space.

Mexican street food at its finest

Published On: February 7, 2020 12:26 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

It hasn’t been long since Street Taco opened its doors at New Baneshwor, just a few buildings down the street from the swanky new Eyeplex Mall. But many people have already been to the restaurant and its popularity is slowly soaring by word of mouth.

Handcrafted and sustainable jewelry

Published On: February 7, 2020 12:13 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Aksa (pronounced Ak-shaw) is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘the soul’ and the designs of the recently launched brand Aksa Nepal reflect this, which as one of the founders, Priyanka Rai Shrestha, says reflects the soul of the person who wears it. Aksa is a jewelry brand that mostly makes jewelry using brass and precious stones. The brand, launched late December last year, aims to promote local artisans and artists, in turn preserving and promoting the culture of Nepali craft.

In her element

Published On: January 31, 2020 12:29 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Soniya KC’s foray into the fashion scene began when she won the Miss SEE pageant a few months ago. Currently a grade 11 student at Campion Academy, KC is a freelance model who takes up whatever projects that come her way. Although she is a fresh face in the fashion industry, KC has impeccable style that reflects her exuberant personality. Here, she opens up about her personal style and tells us what fashion means to her.

A little bit of everything

Published On: January 31, 2020 12:18 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Café Fika is one of the three restaurants run by brothers Ronak Giri and Shashank Giri. The café is situated on the ground floor of the building that also houses Hyderabad House (on the first floor) and Novu Restaurant (on the second floor).

Women at work

Published On: January 24, 2020 08:52 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

In 2018, Anupama Khunjeli was appointed the CEO of Mega Bank. She became the first female CEO of a commercial bank in Nepal. But her rise to the top wasn’t something that came easy, or even according to merit, says Khunjeli.

A Young Musician on the rise

Published On: January 17, 2020 12:04 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

From tailing his two elder brothers when they listened to John Mayer albums when he was young to releasing his own music and opening for Rohit John Chettri, Kelsang Shrestha has come a long way in his musical career. The 17-year-old musician, who studies in grade 12 at Rato Bangla School, recently released his second single, Timilai, and the song along with its cute music video is raking up hundreds of thousands of views on Shrestha’s YouTube channel. Here, he talks to The Week’s Anweiti Upadhyay about his musical journey, and the inspiration behind his music.

Where Food is Fuel

Published On: January 17, 2020 09:45 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

A lot of people misunderstand the term detox. Although it has been a popular concept and a trendy thing to do for the last few years, many people—even ones who supposedly go on detox diets quite frequently—fail to understand what this kind of diet is trying to promote.

In sync with nature

Published On: January 10, 2020 12:55 PM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

Nature and wildlife have always been a big part of Karan Giri’s life. With a father who is a naturalist and having born and brought up in Sauraha, very close to nature, it isn’t a surprise that he is a naturalist and a nature photographer today.

Organic options

Published On: January 10, 2020 10:37 AM NPT By: Anweiti Upadhyay

With more and more people talking about how products should be organic, sustainable and eco-friendly, it isn’t a surprise that a lot of the newly launched Nepali brands are following this route. And although a majority of Nepalis have always emphasized the use of organic products over factory produced ones, it has only been a few years since the youths have started taking an active interest in making and using organic products. If you want to go the organic way, here are some Nepali brands that you might want to consider for your needs.