H1B Visa Stamping Process and Requirements

Every time I have to go through hectic process of checking my archive emails, if someone ask me about H1B Visa stamping process and required documents to be collected. I am going through same pain again, since I have decided to go to Canada for H1B visa stamping this time. Going through all the old email and gathering list of documents to be collected from various sources took good amount of time. On top of that I had gone through lot of forums, official websites to gather all the information I need to know and to be prepared. Because of this tedious time consuming process, I have decided to write down this blog for my reference and benefit of all my friends, who might need to know about this in near future.

This blog will be divided into two parts, H1B visa stamping from Canada and H1B visa stamping from Nepal.

Never let me down Papa

Pike Place Market is one of the tourist destination in Seattle. This place is always packed with locals and tourists that cause kids to land in Papa's shoulder.

(Photo: Pranab Shrestha; Location: Pike Place Market, Seattle)

Ultimate Happiness

Happiness is a choice. The key to true happiness is to stop the futile pursuit of happiness. You don’t have to pursue your happiness. Waiting until something comes along to make you happy is like stumbling on happiness. Creating happiness is something you can decide to do. You can achieve happiness in any moments, it doesn’t matter how small or big those are.

(In Picture: Shambhav Shrestha; Photo: Pranab Shrestha; Location: Kathmandu, Nepal)

Destination Yellowstone National Park

Team YNP would have regretted, had they cancelled their trip to Yellowstone National Park, hereafter YNP, and that they realized after entering YNP through west entrance located in West Yellowstone, MT. We had planned to go to YNP for Memorial Day weekend (long weekend) and arranged everything ahead of time. We were very excited to visit the first national park on the earth. In the mean time weather forecast was unfavorable and our whole plan was in jeopardy. Weather channel forecasted snow shower and rain throughout the weekend. There was a conflict among group members to go-no-go. 

Promote Nepal in India and China; Context Nepal Tourism Year-2011

I have read lot of news about Nepal Tourism year-2011 in domestic media. But I have barely seen any news, advertisement in international media. As per domestic media Nepal is planning to welcome 1,000,000 tourists in the year 2011. This would be a good opportunity to promote Nepal all over the world. However Nepal needs to present herself beyond the place of Gautam Buddha and country of Mt. Everest. This is the time to spread some positive message about Nepal around the globe. In the world arena our identity is still insignificant. People know about Mt. Everest, but don’t know about Nepal and that is a duty and responsibility of each and every Nepali to lift our dignity over in the world spectrum.

Squirrel from Sawtooth National Forest

Snap of this Squirrel has been taken during our trip to Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho, USA. I was going through some of my old photographs and found this one quite interesting and uploaded here to share with you.

Pristine Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park established on March 1, 1872 is the first national park in the world. It is located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, though it also extends into Montana and Idaho. It is well known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park. We traveled there on Memorial Day Weekend and it was snowing, but we enjoyed a lot despite of unfavorable weather condition. It is really unique, beautiful, and must go place on earth.

Seattle to Vancouver Express

After few days research, we decided to drive from Seattle to Vancouver, BC. We would have ended up paying fifty percent more transportation (Air fare and Rental Car) cost, if we had chosen to take direct flight to Vancouver. I really appreciate my friend, who had flown all the way down from DC. I wouldn’t have that memorable journey, if he hadn’t joined me. I had no choice, but had to go Canada for my immigration. My immigration visa expiration date was 04/30/2011 and I had to enter Canada before that day to get my PR (Permanent Resident). Initially we were planning to go to Montreal, but due to some reason we canceled that plan and headed for Vancouver.

Anonymous Musical Journey

 “Anayasai Pheri”, Sudhir’s debut album had been circulated among friends and family only. However his new album will be reaching out to all beyond kith and kin. Sudhir Deoju has been able to set up his identity as a singer among friends and family especially in hometown Dhulikhel. He is very much confident and optimistic with his soon -to -be -released album to extend his identity nationwide, and establish him in Nepali music industry.

Thakali Kitchen: The Authentic Nepali Cuisine

“Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture” ~ Mark Kurlansky

When you think about the authentic Nepali food with typical Nepali taste, one place you certainly should not miss in your New York Visit is the Thakali Kitchen in Jackson Height, NY.

It is very difficult to find the place that serve typical Nepali taste in USA. Most of them are hybrid of Indian and some other south Asian/Asian flavor. Moreover some Nepali restaurant plays Hindi songs instead of Nepali songs. People visit in Nepali restaurant to have Nepali cultural experience besides Nepali food. I felt so blessed that Thakali kitchen offers typical Nepali dishes like; Samay bajee, Bhutan, choyala etc. It’s always pleasing to experiment with different varieties of Nepali cuisines in foreign land.

Feelings of false importance

A young executive with poor self-esteem was promoted but he couldn’t reconcile himself to his new office and position. There was a knock at his door. To show how important and busy he was, he picked up the phone and then asked the visitor to come in. As the man waited for the executive, the executive kept talking on the phone, nodding and saying, “No problem, I can handle that.” After a few minutes he hung up and asked the visitor what he could do for him. The man replied, “Sir, I’m here to connect your phone.”

Message: Don't look for feeling of false importance.

Which Religion to follow?

By-R. Shrestha
I believe being religious is to walk on the path of humanity. It’s the way to become wise, moral and embrace your tradition and culture. I consider ultimate goal of any religion is to believe in one super natural power that has created us and the universe. There would be different ways to reach out the eternal power but the final destination for all of us is to be sanctified and blessed from that super natural power. People may have given different name to their religion but does any religion say something unique to one another? I haven’t read all holy books but I think they all have one universal message: peace, harmony and divinity for mankind.

When you ask someone what religion one should follow to be blessed by god? You would get different answers. If you meet Christian he may suggest you to come to church, Hindu may advise you to go to temple, Muslim may invite you to mosque and Buddhist may ask you to visit monastery. But, we all know god can be felt anywhere with true heart and pure soul. It’s like asking someone what medicine I should take to get relief from body pain. Someone would say Tylenol, other would say Advil, and some would even say Paracetamol. But, a little wise people who have knowledge about drugs may give you little different answer. He/ she would say you can have any medicine that contains acetaminophen or ibuprofen. We should note that Tylenol contains acetaminophen and Advil contains ibuprofen but there ultimate function is to relief your body pain. In same way different religion seems to have different content but the ultimate goal is same for all, to realize that ultimate supernatural power and bestow mankind.

So, I would suggest you can follow any religion which suit you and embrace your culture. Because I feel our culture make us unique from each other, at the same time we should not forget that all religion has ultimate one message. So, we should not bring politics into religion and claim that one religion is better than other. It’s like advertising that Aleve is better than Advil. We should recognize the diversity in human approach towards, and realization of, the one Supreme reality. The essence of religion consists in man’s hold on what is eternal and immanent in all being. Every religion is true, only if its adherents sincerely and honestly follow it.

Why did he change his name???

I have thought of changing my name so many times. Not legally, but only to make it easy for other people to call my name out. But I didn’t, since my name is the sweetest word for me in this world. When someone mispronounce my name, I repeat that over again, even then they couldn’t get that, I spell that out for them; C as Charlie, H as Henry etc...I have to say so many names to make my name meaningful. Some of my friends has changed their name and become Mike, Dave, Jen(Please make sure, these are only informal name, not for official use) etc, and this is not because they like these names or want to be an American, but to avoid the situation I have mentioned earlier in this paragraph. After this you might have to face other questions about your country. Where are you from??? You would say “Nepal”. What…where is that? Again I have to say in between India and China. In this way I have to use other people’s name and other country’s name to introduce myself and my country. Why do I need to use other country’s name to introduce my country? Again to avoid this embarrassment, I would say California, if I am not in California and New York, if I am not in New York and so on. In this way I would avoid unwanted conversation.

Metamorphosis of Friendship (Phase-3)

Life is very mysterious and never knows where it is going to land. Companionship is even more inexplicable and only god knows how, when and where it is going to reveal in the life. Life is just like a video game; only programmer knows every loop, situation, action and event inside the game; whereas player has to play over and over again and spend lots of time to crack the game. However players enjoy each and every moments they spend to reach the final destination. God is the programmer of the earth and its inhabitants. We are playing the real game to reach the final destination and only god knows the end. Being a player of the game, I had played in various locations in Nepal till 20th level. 21st level onward, I have been playing in abroad; in search of my destiny. I was planning to go to India for my higher education but not yet decided. I was just thinking, whether to go or not. All of the sudden I got an unknown call from a maternal uncle, to whom I had never met earlier. He called me to tell about his nephew, who was also planning to go to India. He suggested me to go together as both of us were going abroad first time. On top of that both of us were thinking about the same place and the same subject. That coincidence helped me to determine my thinking. I talked with my family and decided to go to India. This decision gave me a new companion but deprived me of rest of my buddies.

Metamorphosis of Friendship (Phase-2)

Every transition period contains anxiety, frustration and dilemma though we have to choose one path, one direction to move forward in the life. We didn’t have enough career selection and academic choices at that time. Everyone gives preference to science rather than other subjects. If you are not a science student that means you are not a good student. That’s why if you secure 1st division in SLC you must have to go to a Science College. I would like to tell you the public perception behind the science subject. By default, science means either doctor or engineer in Nepal. We don’t bother about scientific research and invention of new things at all. Everybody wants to be a doctor or engineer. If you ask a child about his/her interest to be in the future, he/she will have readymade answer and would say “doctor/engineer”. Our partners didn’t have confidence that we would get success in the future, if we choose other than science. That’s why they compel us to join science, though that is not a subject of our interest. My subject of the interest from the beginning was to be a successful businessman. Might be this interest got develop inside me due to family background. I must have to acknowledge that I am from business oriented family. Because of that they allowed me to join Shankar Dev Campus to pursue my further education. It was one of the good management colleges at that time.

Difficult to figure out the meaning of liberty

She was in Chicago alongwith her parents.She had small argument with her parents, so she looks bit disappointed in snap, though cute. Actually she wanted to sit on top of the wall (where she is sitting right now) and her parents kept denying her offer. Ultimately she won and uplifted in her desired position. She would have been more happy, had her offer accected earlier. Looks like she is searching the meaning of freedom.
(Photo: Pranab Shrestha; Location: Chicago, IL, USA)

Look for the gold

Andrew Carnegie came to America from Scotland as a young boy. He started out by doing odd jobs and ended up as one of the largest steel manufactures in USA. At one time, he had 43 millionaires working for him. A million dollars is a lot of money today, but in the 1920 it was much more.

Someone once asked Mr. Carnegie how he dealt with people. Andrew Carnegie replied,” Dealing with people is a lot like digging for gold: When you go digging for an ounce of gold you have to move tons of dirt. But when you go digging you don't go looking for the dirt, you go looking for the gold."

Andrew Carnegie’s reply has a very important message. Though sometimes it may not be apparent there is something positive in every person and every situation. We have to dig deep to look for positive.

Change focus, look for the positive. You need to become a seeker of good. You need to focus on the positive in your life. Start looking for what is right in a person or situation instead of looking for what is wrong.

Note: Andrew Carnegie (25 November 1835 – 11 August 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, entrepreneur and a major philanthropist. He was one of the most famous leaders of industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He immigrated to the United States as a child with his parents. His first job in the United States was as a messenger boy, and he progressed up the ranks of a telegraph company. He built Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company, which was later merged with Elbert H. Gary's Federal Steel Company and several smaller companies to create U.S. Steel. With the fortune he made from business, he later turned to philanthropy and interests in education, founding the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Mellon University and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

Temple of fantacy

The boy was fully devoted to build up his temple of fantacy. He was paying full attention on his creation. when I asked for the permission to take his snap, he granted me without looking at me . He was half way through, when I reached there.Simply spent half an hour to see his activities and patient. I wish I had concentration like him.This is one of the great moments I had spent in "Cannon beach at Pacific Ocean, Oregon, USA.

Metamorphosis of Friendship (Phase-1)

Who is your best f……r….????
I used to say “XYZ” instantly before completion of the question. Those were days, I had my small world with my best friend along with ample of other friends. I was very happy with limited physical resources. I was happy, though I didn’t have computer to play video game. I was happy, though I didn’t have good clothing and other toys. But I had my friends, they were my toys, they were my video games, and they were my modern playing stuff. Just roaming around here and there, playing with nature like climbing trees, run uphill, down hill, spend time with animals(domestic), feeding them etc. was part of our life, along with our school life. I used to think that is my universe and would have to spend whole life out there. But it didn’t come true and I had to leave Dhulikhel for Kathmandu due to some unavoidable circumstances. I don’t want to disclose those incidents here. However I promise to write down those events somewhere else where it would be more appropriate than here. I was so disappointed to leave my small heaven, which nurtured me till my 13th birthday. I was very sad to leave my friends. But I had no choices and had to leave with full of tears on my eyes. I still remember those days when all my friends were shaking hands to say good bye to me with running eyes and soundless word “B…Y..; B.....Y……..”.

I gotta catch lot of things in my life.

The boy was fishing in the stream nearby “Bridal Veil Fall, Provo, UT, USA. He got so frustate,when not able to catch a single fish for 2 hrs. He kept trying, but not able to catch till I was there. Hope he got some after I left that place. It was wonderful to see his activities and face expression when he rolls back thinking he hooked up a fish.