This was the 3rd time that I was able to represent sajha in the ANA. Going to the ANA has always been a blast - not only did I get a chance to meet people that I had not met for a long long time, a vacation/time-out/all out party time from the regular monotony of working life, but also, it's been nice to be able to share the photos with those who could not make it there, or share a piece of memory for those who were there - captured in the photos.

As you may have noticed, this time there are a lot more pictures from the ANA, and people were more willing to be in the pictures. Most of this is due to the publicity provided to sajha.com by none other than the Master of Ceremonies of the ANA Cultural Programs & Concert, Mr. Sonam G. Sherpa, who is from NY. When I met him he mentioned that he's a frequent visitor of sajha and that he believed that sajha was a good platform for discussions and for bringing together Nepalis worldwide. He was kind enough to introduce sajha.com and myself to the audience of approx 1,000 people at the Cultural show.

After his introduction, people were more receptive to being photographed, unlike before the introduction when I was just another guy with a camera! Sonam dai, thanks so much for your gesture of goodwill towards sajha. Thanks to your thoughfulness, there are more pictures to share in sajha, and more people are getting to participate virtually in the ANA from all over the world.

It was really nice to meet a lot of sajhaites at the ANA, such as Poonte, Nepe, Shirish, Shefali, Girl Interrupted, Mr.X, Kool_dude, Oys_chill, Kalankisthan, Najar, Udayy, Gunit, VJ, Sagarnep, Reshma, Pedro, Nepesahila, Bostonballer, Shiissh, Paramendra, Donny, Johnny Blaze, ssNY, ... (sorry if I missed anyone). And I am sure there were many others I did not get to meet. Conventions like these are pretty overwhelming as far as remembering names of people goes. That is always a big challange!

Many thanks goes to the organizers of the ANA who were awesome in providing complimentary tickets for sajha.com at the Cultural Event & the Concert. Special thanks to Mr. Suman Shah & Prabhav Shah for providing the tickets.

Regarding the whole program, I personally had a great time. Lot of times, I find that people go to these conventions expecting to be handed 'a good time' in a platter. That is never the case, the organizers provide a venue, and different options to have fun and get involved such as sports, discussions, documentaries, DJ nights, Concerts, etc. It's up to the individuals to have fun by participating in these events and/or by simply socializing and networking with other Nepalis who are brought together by the convention. The location was a bit off and I am sure everyone got lost at least once if they ventured out. The signs to 'Frontage Road' was always a relief! I am sure it was difficult to find a good price during the July 4th weekend, and hence the choice. Incidentally, I thought it was a little miss-advertisement to promote the event as if it was happening in New York, I don't think it would have made any difference if it was just advertised to be in New Jersey.

I'm sure that the organizers must have spent a lot of hours planning and working on this whole convention and they deserve a BIG THANKS for all the time and energy they put in, to make this convention possible.

Oh, how I’d have loved to meet all the Sajhaites San mentioned and then some more, although I met a few. Many Sajha gatherings are talked about on discussions here from time to time; wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a Sajha gathering at ANA’s annual convention? If Sajha sounded so much exclusive, with many other Nepali Web Sites out there, why not approach the ANA to host a gathering or forum of “Internet in Nepali Community (s)” – although meeting of Ex St. Xavieriens and Mariens sound so exclusive also but that hasn’t stopped the organizers from hosting it annually.

Many comments have been posted on Sajha, positively and otherwise, about the recently held ANA 2006 – in New York or New Jersey? But they’ve been scattered in so many different threads, if anyone wants to read the full personal ‘reports’, one will have to go through the maze of lost threads. So, why not let this [Sticky Topic] hang around here for a while longer and invite people to post their experiences, complaints, suggestions, comments etc. After all, we, who frequent here are of Sajha also and the topic “Sajha in the ANA” most certainly represent us all.

I am a New Yorker and I got lost three times. Twice going to and once leaving the convention site. So, was the location. But again, my excuse? I am not a Newarker. For reasons best known to the organizers, and I’m sure for many good reasons, Sheraton by Liberty International Airport in Newark, was chosen. In New York, when we think of Newark or for that matter, Jersey City, Hoboken etc, all in the state of New Jersey, just across the Hudson River, we don’t really think of them as belonging way out there. But again, not venturing to those neighborhoods frequently, as would be with the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island (all boroughs of City of New York, including Manhattan), not knowing your way around is the same. What matters are that many got to the Sheraton, attended the convention, and fun was had.

To many, for valid or otherwise, who complain about the Convention, San put it quite well above in his metaphor of “expecting to be handed 'a good time' in a platter”, to which a song by Pankaj Udhas came to my mind – ‘Tumko Peena Na Aye To Mei Kya Karun?’

For the next ANA convention to be held in L.A. plan ahead. Make good use of your time. When you feel like there’s nothing going on for you in the convention, go with your friends, friends you came with and friends from other cities, new and old, to places like Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood Walk of Fame etc. etc. etc. You can make the trip a fun for yourself. (Please do not take this as a preaching etc… just a suggestion). All I’m saying is find a way to have fun – after all you have spent all that money and time to get there.

And to the young officials of NYNYC, the organizers of ANA 2006, who says somewhere that they are not only “soccer and basketball”, you proved to all what all of you are made of. For a job well done, thank you and congratulations. Your peers, who are in many, many pictures San had taken, should all be proud of you guys and from your example, rest assured that when they are presented with the opportunity to take upon a Herculean task such as this, they are ready and able to accomplish it with flying colors as you have.

San bro, u missed one Sajha member u met first. Indeed ANA NY was off the chain. More so since I had a rented Durango. The Frontage road sign was intermittent. Trying to find it when u were late was a complete adventure.
Having a "I pay for this Parking Space" sign hung on my SUV's window was some funny shiz(t). Anyways what happens in NY stays in NY.
Glad I am back in Texas - the land of infinite Parking Spaces.
--Cowboy

brilliant brunette was there too, i saw her~

lolz it was awesome to meet hamro san dai.. lolz acutally i was talking with one of the mukti and rivival's dai and metal ko dai.. lolz and they told me look san dai just passed from you and i was like where and they told me there and i was like wow awesome..
it was real fun as i was pnly in first day of the party.. i did meet some cool peoples like mukti's ko dai and metal ko dai and san dai and lot of frenz.. lolz tara kt haru bata chai i was tadaii.. lolz laaz lagera taap.. jailee chin chin ma baira churot kana aaune ma ta..
well good one ana pplzz.. i love it totally

Frontage Road. Haa!! Finding the Frontage road was like a puzzle. Eh. One time it’s there and next thing you know, it’s gone. It took me about three tries to actually make it to that road. (Thanks to the crazy ‘no left turns’ rule of NJ. Eh.). And I thought I was the only one who got lost. Phew!! What a relief it was to actually make it to that road since I was racing against the time to reach there before the beginning of Brazil-France quarter final game. I reached there after the game ended eh.. Thanks to the traffic, crazy traffic in one of the worst driving days in US. Passing a toll booth was an easy half an hour ordeal and there were like six of them. I think it should be mandatory to have an EZ-pass, that you must get with Insurance. Eh.

Anyway, I reached there... and it was an absolute delight to meet some of the Sajhabasis that I knew earlier and some of them that I met for the first time. Notably Najar, Poonte dai and Bhauju :D, San da man with his trademark goatee, glasses and a camera hanging on his left shoulder (or was it right shoulder? Nevermind, I was drunk. :P), Oys – also with goatee, red tomato eyes with his cellphone clinging to his left ear (or was it right ear)... eh (damn dude, your ears look like cellphone these days.. :P), Ax bro eh... forgot about his goatee but he sure had glasses on and his hairstyle that would give Arnold Schwarzenegger from “Commando” run for his money eh.. Or should I say his hairstyle that would give roc4567 from Sajha run for his money? Eh. It was first time meeting with roc and it was great, so was meeting with M.P. I literally bumped into Nepe hazur on an elevator but I didn’t get a chance to meet him after that. Girlu Interrupted (Kaamraid :P) and Shefali looked stunning (Yeah, I want beer next time :P). Adwiti stunned me since I failed to recognize her. Eh!! My bad... Thukka. Met Eminem and stunned Kool-dude. Ha!! Also met CleanHeart and last but not the least, Jellybeans the great. :D Aru chai birshyo... If I forgot somebody, blame it on Heiniken ko Nasha bhitra taruni ko Nasha. :D

Beer was cheaper than Dallas ANA. :P DJ Party was better last time in Dallas ANA (and one of the dance parties in Dallas was for free). Bhat-dal-tarkari at the hotel was pretty good. They highlighted "Tama ko tarkari" hahooo... can you believe that? Tama ko tarkari ko ni kyaa value. Missed the cultural program :D and left home before the Mukti's concert and also missed all the forums, school reunion, sports and movies. eh!! But still I had a blast... Hanging around with some amazing people, drinking beer without worrying about driving back home drunk was absolutely priceless.

Room # 409? LOL!!

ha! tell me how many times we paid toll. how much money we lost, by missing an exit, taking an exit(toll), enter the hwy(toll), leave(toll), enter the highway in right direction(toll), exit for frontage(toll). pheww...o crap, did we miss the exit again?

I didn't get to meet much of the people there, coz i was with my own clique most of the time. hangin out and fun. I met GI, then san dai jhyap.
"If you want to party, you got to party afai afai."
his reposnse when i asked where's bauju. LOL i doubt he remembers that.
Kool_dude and Uday surprised me from behind. Rest, i saw the pictures, but i wasn't in Sheraton most of the time. i was in my own hotel, chillin, partyin and all. Didn't go to any of the ANA programs, but had fun.

I didn't get to meet more people, sucked, but in LA next year. till then, peace.

-post after a long time Kalankey, same here:) let youngn's take over:-D

MrX, Kalanki n Rate, were yall there for real or yall just bullshizzing !
Shiz I dint see yall.
-Cowboy

Raate, I am still young. :D You were there? ha... Yesso bhetya bhaye ke jaanthyo tero?

Cowboy, I came to your hometown and I still didn't get an opportunity to meet you then I can't expect to meet you anywhere else in this world. ha... If I had tried that hard, I could have met Angelina Jolie by now. eh!!

oooh!!! How could I miss Uday uncle, another goatee-dhari awatari man in black. Looked like he was not hanging out with "sugars" anymore and he had given up coffee. ha!! Didn't find him as hyper as last time.. :P

Oh yeah, shiz!!! My brain and my perpetual habit of forgetting important people. I also bumped into "dukulanthak" and I felt proud that I recognized him dispite the fact that I was drunk. Also bumped into Arnico... :D

Well guys way to go. May be at the next ANA, I will be part of the sajha get together. I am sure there were not any serious conversation about the issues, only big huge fat party hahahahahahahahahh.

thuikaa cow boy chor lolz i was there the first day in friday dance party night thats it.. lolz..

The convention was a blast to me. And that's exactly because I somehow went there with the spirit San talked about.

Meeting Sajhaites was one of the best parts of attending the convention.

I recognized San before he managed to introduce himself.

I spent a whole afternoon with Shirish and his family.

Yes, Kalaki indeed literally bumped into me on the elevator. I had to hold the door to greet him and to make an unspecified appointment to talk to him later. He was already vanished from the hotel when I was looking for him, as I learned from PoonteDa. Too bad.

I had a nice chat with Arnico and learned really interesting things about daily pollution curve of Kathmandu. It was also Arnico who brought the news about the introduction of Sajha at the Cultural Program when I was outside the hall. He said, among other things they mentioned "Nepe-Ashu fight". So I guess the fight paid us back.

Najar was another pleasant and surprising meeting. It took a minute or two, but I managed to recall the sher I had dedicated to her on one of her birthdays here in Sajha, when she challenged me. Here it is again.

न हाँस्दो हो आँखा ती, न चल्दो हो ओठहरु
न टुट्दो हो मेरा ती हजारौं अठोटहरु

I also had a brief but lovely chat with a silent reader, Basnetji.

But the most memorable part was the night of the first day I happen to spend with another silent reader, Damodarji, along with several prominent personalities from NRN. It was unplanned, spontaneous and went beyond my imagination.

Okay, ahilelai yetti nai. Dherai kamchor bannu bhayena. Lagen mero bench tira.

Nepe Dai,

July 3rd evening. It was really nice meeting you there. I will email you our photo tonite.

Look how Satan has been loose in Nepal...
Pray for Nepal and Nepalese!
Pray for permanent peace and stability in our country...
Thank you.

http://www.mysansar.com/?p=606

It was absolutely a thrill to see all of you AGAIN! i wish we had more time to interact instead of saying "ek chin hai, gotta go there and stuff!" oh well! After the boozefest and fashionfest, this first convention for me in US was reminscent of the jatra of handigaon in a more modern setting ;). So, I was very nostalgic as well.

One of the bitter yet funfilled moments was friday night, unable to find a place to crash and littering around the corridors, sinking in the couch and talking to GI and our hiphop bro about isolated islands and common waters we share till the wee hours: spewing out the alcohol in us. Thanx to the bro who rescued us from our hunger by providing us wai wai :)

Kalanki bro! Next time we gotta have a goatee reunion if you can grow one. Goatees are symbols of maturity and availability re kya ajha! Also thanx for the enlightenment about the politics of water on a gloomy sunday in #409. The forbidden room of the convention :). About tomato eyes, what can I say? too many winks around :). used the cyal phone to cover my alien ears that got so famous in sajha few years ago ;). Special thanx to Ax bro who dropped us back though he fell asleep on the wheels a couple of times.

On a more serious note, I don't know if i will attend another ANA convention in US however, i hope all the people I met in the convention this year aren't mere acquaintences that we met to know for the sake of knowing. I have always believed in building a bridge rather than a wall-- hope we can have a more quality time together in the future at different venues be it drinking, singing, dancing or doing something constructive together. Amen!

Damn!

Nobody talks about meeting me in ANA. Why?

cuz I did not go there? May be.

Deep Dai,
Amazingly, I did meet one of your fans who remembered vividly your story of "getting caught near the puja kotha" :) sanchai ho!

sab le jellybeans lai birseko? Haha.. it really was nice seeing everyone although it was only for a bit. SOme were exactly the way i expected while others the complete antithesis. nonetheless, it was nice to see sabai :)

luks lyk.. i sud have come there dyamnnnnnnnnnnnn.....

missed all the fun (O: