Yakety Yak, located in Thamel, Kathmandu, right above Kar.ma Coffee, is gaining steady popularity among backpackers who come to Nepal. But the chic little hostel, with its industrial theme and open space with high ceilings, is doing much more than just providing travelers a place to stay. It’s a space for solo travelers to connect, says Girish Rajbhandari, one of the owners of Yakety Yak.

In the recent days, the Nepali band Pahenlo Batti Muni has been creating quite the buzz among music enthusiasts, thanks to their diverse take on music. The band consists of five members – Bikram Bashyal and Pravesh Thapa Magar on the guitar, Kush KC on bass, Luv KC on the drums, with Rochak Dahal as the vocalist of the band.

Like any other kid who was in middle school during the early 2000s, Aayush Shakya had a thing for stickers and posters. These stickers and posters often acted as the basis of your “coolness quotient”. Be it from your favorite animation character or your favorite band, these stickers and posters were what kept friendships and conversations going.

Self-care is important, especially in today’s hectic times. Be it putting on a face mask at the end of a tiring day or making sure you are eating healthy, it’s these little things that have wonderful benefits in the long run. It’s probably because of this need for self-love that Saboo: a brand that specializes in selling personal care products (that too all-natural), has found a growing market for itself here in Nepal.

Nuga: is a brand that manufactures personal care products. Founded by Suyash Shrestha and Rasana Shrestha, Nuga: has been striving to make and sell natural, free of artificial chemicals as well as edible cosmetic products. These products are made using local materials found here in Nepal.

Instagram is a haven for amateur cooks as well as those who like to sit on their beds and look at food prepared and served from all over the world. It’s no surprise that food bloggers have taken the world by storm. However, it’s a whole another thing making as well as photographing the food you have made and putting it out on social media.

I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that the “thank you” culture is yet to develop and become a norm here in Nepal like it should be. Whether it’s when your mother passes you the dinner plate or when a server brings you a glass of water or your food at a restaurant, we tend to forget to thank them. We think that is what they have always done or it’s their work and that there is no need for special appreciation.

Kishor Jyoti is an artist based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Jyoti, also known as Young Flame Artist, describes his style as realism with a hint of surrealism. As of now, Jyoti is a part of an artist community called the “Pagoda Artist Group” and for nearly five years, he has been honing his craft under artist Roshan Pradhan.

The Master is a 2012 film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (whose film There Will Be Blood was a masterpiece, I think). The film got critical acclaim and was frequently featured in film podcasts and film pages on social media. It was this that prompted me to give it a watch.

Pia is a multicultural brand that takes inspiration from traditional crafts of different places all around the world and contemporizes theses techniques and cultural influences to create something that is modern and relevant in the recent times. These crafts and techniques take shape in home decor items like lamps, plates, cushions and throws as well as accessories like bags, clothes, and scarves.

If you were to look up the meaning of “guru” in Sanskrit, it means “the one who dispels darkness and takes you towards light”. The meaning of “guru” transcends beyond the idea of a teacher in school – it can be anything from a book you have read recently, a piece of art you cherish or an album from your favorite artist. With that, The Week’s Urza Acharya asked some people to tell us a little about who or what they consider to be a “guru” in their lives.

Neetya Karki carries a heavy bag. Besides the essentials, like her wallet, umbrella, sunglasses, and a book, in her dark green tote, the 29-year-old carries a steel tumbler, a double decker steel lunchbox, a fork and a spoon, two cloth napkins, a canvas bag, and, her recent purchase, a bamboo straw. Her bag might weigh a lot but she’s treading lightly on the planet by reducing plastic usage as much as possible, she says.

Along with renting clothes, you can also put your clothes up for rent through Antidote Nepal. “This way you can make money from clothes that would otherwise be tucked away in your closet,” explains Manish Thapa.

Jewelry has always been a big part of our ensemble, be it at weddings or formal events. But these days, however, especially among the younger generations, jewelry made of inexpensive metal, stones, and beads are more popular than items made from silver or gold.

I have always been fascinated by Kathmandu. It’s a city of contradictions and that’s what I like about it the most. Usually, in other countries, there are always cities that are more popular than the capital itself but Kathmandu is a city that stands out on its own.

Rave restaurant, located at Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, is just a year old but the place is quite popular among the young crowd. You could say that’s because of the ambiance of the place or the good food they serve or both, but there’s no denying that Rave is a place you will want to visit again and again.

Nischhal Pradhan was like any other kid who liked taking pictures at family gatherings. He started out by clicking people around him and, in just a few years’ time, evolved into someone capable of capturing brilliant silhouettes, portraits, and landscapes – images that were “Instagram-worthy”. Pradhan interest in photography grew after he joined Kathmandu University for his bachelor’s program and he got to travel around Nepal for various projects and trips.

Wong Kar-wai is a magician, a mystic when it comes to merging colors, emotions and music. His 2000 film In the Mood for Love is on my list of favorite films. Watching the film was one of the best moments (one hour 38 minutes) of my life. After watching In the Mood for Love, it was only natural I would gravitate towards Kar-wai’s other creations to see what tragic but poetic love story he had in store for me. And I have to say Happy Together did not disappoint.

Charu, as she is so lovingly called, is married to a loving but distant husband whose newspaper “The Sentinel” has made him so busy that he can rarely spend any time with his wife.

Going out in Nepal means you have to be clad in layers of clothing, put on multiple face masks, and have your head covered in thick shawls. Yet you end up feeling like the dust and smell are getting into your pores.