My first Christmas

Christmas is around the corner and suddenly I am flown back in my memory lane of childhood. Its really hard for me to guess my age at this time nor I can remember which class I was in, so that I could have guessed my age. I was in a group of young children to be selected to visit a hotel to the celebrate Christmas party. That’s why I am guessing, I must have been very young to know even the name of the hotel. As for the hotel, I am guessing this must have been the Soaltee Hotel as there is no other hotel’s name is coming in my mind at this moment. Its not that I have not been to all the five star hotels here in Kathmandu, but still the name of the hotel or the place of it, is just not coming clear in my mind. I really don't know why the Soaltee Hotel’s name is coming in my head. Is this the reason the name was mentioned by adults before we went there to celebrate the Christmas ? the reason could be anything.

the main party and the glitter of the hotel and the food platter in front of us is very much blur in my mind nor I do remember for many more years to come. All the fancy things the hotel has organised for the children had nothing to last the memories.  We may have talked about the party and the glitter and the delicious food  we had and place we have been for about a week.

May be it was the concept of the person who really had come to visit Bal Mandir with an idea that this festival and taking out some children with them will bring smile on our face. Strangely though, I do remember the dress I wore, when I went there. I was wearing a two piece striped dress. The stripes were vertical but the horizontal ones. Even more stranger is fact that I also remember the color of the dress also. It was green, light green and the white stripes. It was not even my dress. I have borrowed it from the close friend of mine; which was very common practice when I was in Bal Mandir. Everybody used to borrow dress from each other, whenever we needed to go out.

Its hard to understand why I was not looking for next Christmas party, which is celebrated with such glittery, in a five star hotel and delicious food platter to grace our plate. Why it was not worth remembering and to wait for the next year to come and then again look forward to be taken to a hotel to celebrate Christmas party ? Nah, I really don't remember that part also. Dashain is not celebrated with such glittery environment in five star hotels. Its pure family affairs, but I love dashain and all its aspects. But, as a child what I remember is we always look for so eagerly and intently another dashain to come and celebrate it every year.

Is this call attachment and detachment to ours and theirs national festival ?