On the foothills of Godavari, the laughter of happy children echoed against the valley walls. Ama Ghar was affluent with people. Kids and guest gathered around the front of the house, watching a variety of performance from the kids. Future dancers, bands, and singers all took to the stage and entertained the guests while others were scattered over the grounds, at tents with art supplies, swings, and various other treats. At the announcement of a comical musical number, the children came running towards the stage and lodged themselves on the ground. The joy was apparent in the smiles on their painted faces.

Although the children have been living here since 2010, this was the Ghar’s official house warming. The kids of Ama Ghar actually pitched in the construction of the house; they helped paint the walls and decorate the rooms, and in landscaping. And a great achievement, their new home is spacious, accommodating and well-equipped.

At the end of the performances, Shrawan Nepali, founder of the orphanage, talked about the building and its eco-efficient amenities. From solar water heaters to composting and sustainable cooking, the school fits in perfectly among the green hills. Finally, guests were welcomed inside the house, for a chance to look around and have lunch. (Nischal Oli)

Prashansa International Pvt. Ltd. in Putalisadak provides International Driver’s License to native driving license holders. The International Driver’s License (IDL) is a translation of a national driver’s license which helps the license holder to drive in different countries without any difficulty.

The IDL is essentially a plastic card that resembles the format of a driver’s license, along with a booklet carrying English data numbered with a foreign language translation adjacent to it for easier comparison and understanding. To avoid forgery, a Security Shield Hologram is stamped on each card. The IDL is printed in 8 different languages including English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, German and Japanese.

No official test is required to issue an IDL. The organization requires one’s passport, national driving license, two passport size pictures and a witness to issue this driver’s license. However, the original valid driver’s license should always be carried along with one’s IDL while traveling abroad since the IDL is simply a translation of the original license. (Nimma Adhikari)

Wine stalls, a stall from Cookie Man offering freshly baked varieties of cookies and muffins, booths offering information on Australian colleges and traveling in Australia, barbeque stations and a stage occupied by musicians, a little abseiling sport going on in one corner - the Australian Big Day Out was an eventful affair.

Supported by the Australian Embassy, Australian Big Day Out 2011 aimed to give exposure to various aspects of Australia. Jacob’s Creek and Mark Davidson wines were two of the wine stalls exhibiting at the venue. “Australian wine is popular worldwide for its quality and reasonable price. The government of Australia has a strict quality control policy,” shared Arjun Bhandari, marketing director for Mark Davidson Wines at the event.

Think Group Education, Australian Catholic University and William Blue College of Hospitality were some colleges present at the event. There were also short videos shown about these colleges to give the visiting students more information.

Jimi Hocking’s Blue Machine from Melbourne and an Aussie rock tribute band of local artists presented musical acts that had the crowd going with good Australian music.

The 9th installment of the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) kicks off this December with a selection of movies in both the competitive and non-competitive sections. More than 200 entries were received from a number of countries, of which 38 will be screened, 17 vying for the awards and 21 in the non-competitive category. Six movies by Nepali directors have been chosen for the Nepali Panorama category. All these movies will be open for the Audience Award. Two special selections have been added this year, one featuring six Finnish short films from the Tampere Film Festival, the other commemorating Nepal Tourism Year 2011. The organizers have added eight movies that highlight Nepal in the international arena.

Kanak Mani Dixit’s effort to raise funds for the treatment and rehabilitation of victims of spinal injuries kick started today with his Spinal Beetle Rally. With the sky blue Volkswagen Beetle, Dixit and his family took off on an 1100-mile journey to Peshawar in Pakistan from Sheetal Niwas, Kathmandu. The route will take the Dixits through Lucknow, Delhi, Lahore, Amristar and Rawalpindi.

President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav saw off the Beetle rally. The effort hopes to raise USD 100 for every mile it travels in an effort to raise funds for Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Center Nepal. Accompanying Dixit on the long and arduous rally are his wife Shanta Dixit and son Eelum Dixit. The rally also hopes to raise awareness about the prevention of spinal injuries as well as rescue, care and rehabilitation of the victims.

Nepal is changing. What this means for Nepalis cannot be expressed in statistics or words on paper. To appropriately measure this change, 12 photographers made equal feats bringing their struggle to the visual dimension. Anil Chitrakar, who contributed the introduction to the book “The Constant Change”, spoke about the three words that were important to the Nepali future. “Change, inclusion and diversity,” he said will define Nepal in the coming years. Doing the honors, Danish Ambassador to Nepal, Morten Jaspersen, launched the book and opened the exhibition to the eager audience.

Mentored by award-winning photographer Mads Nissen from the Danish School of Media and Journalism, the exhibition comprised of the work of a large number of storytellers. Each series of photographs had a particular subject matter. Transportation, construction, LGBT rights, and women rights were among the 12 subject matters presented. Some of the stories focused on a protagonist, whose life and challenges in modern Nepal were explored; others were a medley of images marking the advent of change and rapid development that’s gripping the country. Along with the photographers, some of their subjects were also present at the event.

Sixth grade students from the British school took part in a cake-mixing event accompanied by the staff of Radisson inside the Waterfall Garden at Hotel Radisson.

According to Executive Chef Sreejith Kartha, fruits and nuts are mixed and soaked in alcohol for 40 days. Kartha also announced that 14 November marks Children’s Day in his homeland, India. He interacted with the children by asking them various questions about the preparation of Christmas cakes.

Aprons and hats were distributed to the children after which they were divided into groups to mix fruits and nuts. After the mixing, each student was given a muffin to decorate with various edible colors out of which two were chosen as the best. Winners Khushi Pandey and Yash Agrawal were awarded with a fruitcake each. The event is an annual one at the Radisson.

A seminar was held on November 11 at the Goodwill Hotel, Lalitpur to mark the Silver Jubilee of the International Bhikkhu Training Foundation (IBTF). The seminar also focused on the building of the proposed International Monastic Buddhist College within the premises of Sri Sumangal Vihara, Lukusi Tole-6, Lalitpur.

IBTF was established in 1985 by Venerable Bhikkhu Pannaloka of Nepal in Colombo, Sri Lanka. One of its many objectives was to promote strong bonds of friendship and brotherhood among Buddhist countries. Likewise, the college to be established in Nepal is designed to help promote the Dharma mission in spreading Buddha’s teachings for peace, harmony and happiness in the world.

Though Nepal is the center of diffusion of Buddhism, the monastic education and trainings for monks and nuns in Nepal are not well organized. Hence, the college shall aim at stimulating Buddhism in Nepal since Nepal lacks such kind of facility. Further, as discussed in the seminar, the design of the proposed building shall reflect the traditional art and culture of Nepal. (Nimma Adhikari)

Russian Ambassador Dr. Sergey V. Velichkin and Hanaa Singer of UNICEF remembered the deceased children of the Maoist movement at the opening of the Children’s Memorial Peace Park in Sinamangal. World Peace Propagation Forum, in association with Siddhartha Art Gallery, opened the Children’s Memorial Park. Next to billboards and busy streets of the cold evening, the speakers talked over the loud generator and the chilly winds. In most conflicts engendered by adults, children find themselves stuck in the crossfire; this sentiment was brought home by the moving speeches delivered by the speakers.

Lead by traditional Nepali music, guest of honor Velichkin and Singer unveiled the inscription of more than 300 names of children who were killed during the decade-long conflict. WPPF, that struggled to acquire the land for purpose of building the park, also launched a national monthly Pratham Paila on the occasion. The first issue of the magazine documents the effort of the forum in creating the wonderful space. Speakers also offered their gratitude to musicians in attendance, many of whom had helped compile an album, gratis, to help the cause.