Young Guns...

Today we will talk about our 'young' generation hai, as suggested by our friend from KL, Mr. Sudeep!

When I was a teenager, we didn't have them internet stuff (well, not when I turned 13 ni). And if you were lucky to find a partner who wanted to go on a date then the only cool place to hang out was them 'Bakery Cafe' in Durbarmarg... hehe!

Then came Rangeela, the Bollywood movie that changed the 'fashion' scene in Kathmandu. Ladies were seen in short skirts, them boots and topi.

And the guys? Well, nobody really wanted to dress like a tapori (like Aamir Khan did in that movie) but it was them choos-pyant, dingo boots and Pakistaani leather jackets hehe!

Then Mercantile started the 'internet' thing in Nepal. There were very few folks who had personal computers and then internet connection at home. I still remember paying them monthly internet fees kya. It was Rs 8,500.00 a month kyaaruh!

And the only website you knew was yahoo.com or whatever came up on them Netscape browser. But things have changed now. And Facebook has taken us to a whole new level.

Our 'Young Guns' were born during a difficult tyam. When they were kids, our comrades were busy blowing up places, stuff and people! No more playing marbles outside your homes.... no more football matches in someone's khet baari.

And kids began to stay home, watch movies, play them games online or them Playstations etiyaadi. And when it came to dating sating, they started early as well.

During our tyam, Archies gift store was the only place to go buy them gifts for your girlfriend or someone you had a crush on. They really did good business tyeti bela and of course, you had them titaura stores where you would buy them stuff and then ask a bhai from your neighborhood to deliver them to the girl you liked.

If she accepted them gifts then you moved on to the second stage. That is.. getting her land line number. We didn't have mobiles then ni. And then you called her and if she liked your voice and wanted to carry on the conversation then only would you be granted permission to meet her at Bakery cafe kya.

And it was always kind of a double date thing. You brought a friend and she brought her friend. They would just stare at the menu, or gobble them momos while both of you smiled and communicated telepathically... hehe!

I think it's the same with every generation. The older ones don't like the young ones. They think they are more materialistic and are a rowdy bunch. Our uncles thought we were all going to die of some drug overdose or probably be deaf by the tyam we turned 30.

Well, everybody had them long hair and choos-pyant and listened to them heavy metal music ni tuh.. and maybe that's why they were not happy and would tell us stories from them hippie days when hashish was legal and everybody would sing songs of peace and love etiyaadi.

And them Doc Martins nai 9-10,000 hajaar parney tyeti bela. You could buy an anna of land in the outskirts of the valley hola ... at least ahiley tuh 5-10 lakh ko value tuh hoon-thyo ni!

Yes, the young people today grew up in a different environment ni. Most of them were not even in secondary school when we had them Royal Massacre and everyday, there used to be some bomb blast somewhere thanks to our comrades who were fighting against the so-called 'feudal' system kya. Look who's talking now?

When I look at the young ones today... I actually envy them. They are not only smarter (well, we didn't have Google baba then ni) but they are more aware of what's going on in the world today but of course, we have to thank them affordable internet fees for that .. hehe!

And most of them do have plans... and are focused on what they want to do .. kay bancha ni ... very determined and passionate kya and they have more energy pani.

When I was 13, the only news we used to get about them outside world was them Time Magazine, Times of India and of course the Sportsworld magazines hehe!

Well, we had cable TV then but it was only Doordarshan. So we were lucky to watch Shah Rukh start out as a TV serial actor in them shows like Fauji and Circus etiyaadi.

But now, you get to watch all them Amirki TV series and even the Desis and even Russian and Bhutanese and German (depending on you cable TV provider hehe!) .

Yes, we think that our young ones are now a little bit 'chaada' because they hold hands and go on dates and have relationships and what not when they should be learning them optional math formulas hehe!

But we would have done the same ni but then it was a different era. Haat samaa-tye-ruh hid-nay tuh kaha kaha, sangai hid-nuh pani hoodai-nuh thiyo kya.

People would look (stare!), whisper and the next thing you know, the girl's brother would find about it and he would come after you with his friends to kick your arse!

I think our young generation are now exposed to everything .... internet, TV and lots of other stuff really has brought them closer to the rest of the world... and they get to see all them bad, good and ugly ni... and most of them turn out to be pretty decent human beings.

Some fail... yes, some of our friends failed too. Some of them are still in and out of rehabs, trying to overcome their drug addictions and what not. Some died of drug overdose, some killed themselves and some are in jail for doing the wrong things!

Some of my friends are HIV positive because they shared them needles but instead of being sorry for themselves, they have turned their lives around. They are actually 'living' while most of us who have no major illness are depressed because we didn't get the job we wanted or the woman of your dreams didn't really dream of you and got married to a guy who looks like Johnny Lever but happens to be smarter than Stephen Hawking hehe!

Some are now scientists working for them research firms in Amrika. Some are sahujis like their Dads. In the end, it all evens out rahecha.... so just because a 18 year old guy is walking around trying to be or act like some Korean hero .. don't judge him hehe!

Who knows.. he might start a revolution someday and become our Prime Monster kya... or he might discover oil , right here in Kathmandu and we get to be the next 'Arabs' or something hehe!

And don't judge a girl who wants to act like Paris Hilton... maybe she's just experimenting hola ni... who knows.. one day, she might be the one who will solve some math sath ko formula or even them physics stuff and will be a professor at Cambridge and might make Stephen Hawking look like a Guffadi.. hehe!