Warning: This article is random, senseless and pointless. No one should read this or take this seriously. Please consider this a transcript of a poorly performed stand-up by a rookie.
Akash Ma K Cha?
If you are a commuter in selected cities of Nepal, you must have noticed a big giant balloon in the sky. Be it Gatthaghar ( in my commute) or somewhere in the town ( ref. Thumbnail image taken by a fellow commuter). It has managed to get my attention every time I commute to work and make me wonder, ‘What’s up in the sky?’
Is it a plane? Is it a Bird? or Is it superman? Is it a mind control device set up by MCC to make us murder the birds and superman? Or is it one of the thirty things this article has an answer to? (30 Hilarious Responses To Use When Someone Asks, ‘What’s Up?’ | Thought Catalog)
Let’s know the basics. These things are Advertising balloons. They are helium-filled big-ass balls floating in the sky, a great marketing tool because of novelty and shock factor. If marketing is war, these lightweight floating airbags are frontline Gurkhas ( Wink wink!) They offer quite an advantage being big and unique. Place your logo or a message, boom… it’s seen and heard from kilometres away.
I have always associated these balloons with Bhatbhateni, acting as a map pin to its newest outlet, and it has worked for them. When I want to visit a newly opened Bhatbhateni, these balls make sure I reach the exact spot. To meet and greet fellow first-week bhatbhateni goers and TikTok makers. So this thing works! It works for me; it works for you and the marketers. We are in a Win-age a Trios!
Now, back to my commute. Seeing the ball from Kaushaltar ( 1 Km further ), I asked myself. ‘ Is it bhatbhateni’? . Will it allow me to shop here now? Will it allow me to shop here without needing to be where the last balloon was? Will it allow me to spend money I don’t have on things I would not need? The foods I shouldn’t eat? And as I reach the counter on a shopping cart filled with all the junk they advise you not to eat, I ask the cashier,’ Kati Bhayo?’ (How much? ) Unlock my phone, and as I press the green icon with the letter ‘e’, I wonder! Why haven’t I used this wallet? It’s been there for 5 years. (I saw the cakes sometime ago!)
Why do I use esewa? Because It came first.
I also use imepay. Why? Because it gave me discounts on fuel( It used to).
I don’t use khalti. Why? The simple answer is, I don’t know. It has never occurred to me to download this app and use it to get discounts. Since the dawn of time, I have been a wlink customer. Yet I haven’t used Khalti to get a khalti-exclusive deal offered by wlink. Why are you so close yet so far? Why hasn’t installing khalti made sense for me, like this article hasn’t made sense for you? Now it makes me wonder. When it comes to using tech or service, are two kinds enough? Are they all you remember? Coke and Pepsi? iOS or Any android? nica or any bank that’s not nica? Anything and all the things that are not anything? Khalti comes second when I search for top mobile wallets in Nepal, followed by imepay in the third position. Yet it has never occurred to me to offer my money via khalti to a vendor. Vendor: You can do esewa. Me: Is khalti okay?
But in reality, It’s not a matter of the service provider you pick. It’s a matter of the service you are getting used to. This is the new normal. You need a digital wallet in your pocket. Gone are the days when we needed to carry cash in bulk if we needed to buy things (in bulk). I could go completely cashless and still manage to get everything done if I had cash. This was not possible a few years back, or I would have to try really hard even if it was. And it’s all because of the efforts of everyone involved in the fintech sector. For me, it does not matter who puts the ball in the sky. The only thing that matters is Nepal’s fintech revolution’s pace. Thank you, Esewa Khalti & IME Pay and the other 32 wallets for being there. You deserve a big-ass balloon in the sky.
(Image: People spotting the balloon in Birgunj)
After reading this article, (I assume you have read it), I (re-)assume you may have questions in your mind. ‘What are you trying to say?’ You ask. ‘Absolutely Nothing’, I answer. ‘Nothing you haven’t heard before’ or ‘everything you haven’t heard till now.’ It’s senseless. I am just trying to write an article to get noticed. A neat thumbnail that involves Bollywood’s favourite people in the sky to lure you guys in and make you read this thing I call an article. This is our balloon. Thank you for noticing.
What’s up in the Sky?
For now,
Russian Rockets & Fuel Prices!
